Category: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday – Napoleon’s Spy by Ben Kane

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on WednesdayLeave a comment

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I take a look at an awesome upcoming historical fiction epic from one of the leading authors in the genre, with Napoleon’s Spy by Ben Kane.

Napoleon's Spy Cover

Amazon

As many readers of my blog will be aware, I am a massive fan of the historical fiction genre, and I have reading it for years.  There is something about powerful battles and dances of intrigue in iconic historical settings that has always appealed to me, and it helps that this genre is chock full of talented and exceptional authors who know how to deliver a brilliant and exceptional read.

One of the best of these historical fiction authors is the always impressive Ben Kane.  Kane is a very well-established author who has produced several amazing series over the years with a variety of different historical backings.  The author is probably best known for his awesome Roman historical fiction, which has formed the backbone of his most excting works.  This includes his Forgotten Legion trilogy (which was some of the first historical fiction I ever read), his compelling Hannibal series, and the absolutely brutal Eagles of the Rome series.  Kane has also dived into other intriguing historical periods, including with his last series, The Lionheart books.  As the name suggests, The Lionheart series focused on the life of Richard the Lionheart, and contained some exceptional novels, including Lionheart and Crusader.  All of Kane’s books that I have read have been pretty damn good, and I love his ability to tell an exciting tale while also ramping up the historical detail.

Due to how good some of his previous novels have been, I am always very eager to see what Kane is writing next, and when I found out the details about his upcoming 2023 release, I got pretty damn excited.  That is because his next book, Napoleon’s Spy, will focus on a whole new historical period for Kane, the Napoleonic Wars, and will place the reader right into the heart of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

Napoleon’s Spy, which is set for release towards the end of May sounds like a particularly intriguing and outstanding novel.  I am very excited to see Kane’s take on the invasion of Russia and knowing him he will provide a highly detailed examination of the all the key events involved with it.  This, combined with an intriguing spy protagonist makes Napoleon’s Spy very appealing to me and I am exceedingly keen to get my hands on a copy as soon as I can.  This honestly has the potential to be one of the best historical fiction novels of 2023 and I will no doubt enjoy every second of it.

Plot Synopsis:

Russia, 1812. Has France finally met its match?

On the eve of the invasion of Russia, half-French, half-English Matthieu Carrey finds himself in the ranks of Napoleon’s five hundred thousand strong army. With Tsar Alexander seemingly ill-prepared, a French victory seems certain. The Grande Armee will obliterate everything in its path.

Carrey’s purpose is less clear. Blackmailed into becoming a spy in the emperor’s army, he hopes to follow his lover, a French actress who has gone to work in the Moscow theatre.

As supplies grow scarce and temperatures plummet, the Grande Armee begins to crumble. Caught up in the maelstrom of war, Carrey embarks on an epic journey, while the Russians circle like hungry wolves.

Hundreds of miles lie between Carrey and safety.

To reach it seems utterly impossible.

Waiting on Wednesday – Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday article, I check out the new Michael Connelly novel coming out later this year with Resurrection Walk.

Resurrection Walk Cover

Amazon

Since the very start of my dive into the crime fiction genre, one of my favourite authors is easily the very talented Michael Connelly, who has been a fixture on the scene since the 1990s.  Known for his big, joint crime-fiction universe featuring several very recognisable protagonists, Connelly is a very impressive writer who has continued to produce captivating and enjoyable novels throughout his entire career.  Most crime fiction readers will be very familiar with his Bosch and Mickey Haller novels, as well as the related television adaptations, and Connelly has amassed over 35 highly regarded novels in his career.

I personally have had a great time reading several of his latest books, and I have enjoyed seeing all the different protagonists and crime fiction sub-genres that he utilises.  This includes the great police procedural novels in the Ballard and Bosch series, which sees two of Connelly’s best police protagonists team up to solve several cold cases.  All four of these novels, which include Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), The Dark Hours (one of my favourite books of 2021) and Desert Star (one of my favourite books of 2022), were extremely epic, and I really enjoyed the impressive partnership the two characters formed.  In addition, I have also enjoyed that latest Jack McEvoy novel, Fair Warning (one of my favourite books of 2020) and the latest Mickey Haller novel, The Law of Innocence.  Both these outstanding novels really showcased the differing storylines and approaches of their respective protagonists, and I had a wonderful time with both.

Due to how much I have enjoyed his last several books, I am always very keen to grab Connelly’s annual release as soon as it comes out.  So, I was naturally incredibly happy when they released some early details about his next book, Resurrection Walk, which is coming out in early November.  Resurrection Walk will be the 37th overall novel in Connelly’s connected crime fiction universe, as well as being the seventh Mickey Haller/The Lincoln Lawyer novel.

The Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer novels follow the titular protagonist, unconventional defence attorney Mickey Haller, who is better known as the Lincoln Lawyer due to his tendency to practice the law out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car.  The Mickey Haller books have all been fun and exciting reads, and I really enjoy the legal thriller focused storylines which are interesting alternatives to more typical murder mystery novels he is known for.  Several adaptations of his work have also been done, including The Lincoln Lawyer film and the recent The Lincoln Lawyer television series, which is due a second season later this year.  I am very interested to see what new case Connelly has planned with Resurrection Walk, and it sounds like it is going to be another fun read.

Plot Synopsis:

Defence attorney Mickey Haller is back, taking the long shot cases, where the chances of winning are one in a million. He agrees to represent a woman in prison for killing her husband, a sheriff’s deputy. Despite her conviction four years earlier, she still maintains her innocence. Haller enlists his half brother, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, as investigator. Reviewing the case, Bosch sees something that doesn’t add up, and a sheriff’s department intent on bringing a quick search for justice in the killing of one of its own.

The path to justice for both the lawyer and his investigator is fraught with danger from those who don’t want the case reopened. And they will stop at nothing to keep the Haller-Bosch dream team from uncovering what the deputy’s killing was really about.


Resurrection Walk is shaping up to be another pretty cool Connelly novel, especially with the focus on the Lincoln Lawyer and his impossible defence cases.  Seeing Mickey attempt to free a potentially innocent women from prison is going to be really awesome, and I have a lot of love for the fun and unconventional courtroom scenes that this series is known for.  The focus on a deputy’s wife who was put away by her murdered husband’s colleagues is also a great scenario that opens so many intriguing story avenues, whether it be corrupt cops, incompetence or just plain old vengeance, that is going to add some awesome elements to the plot that I can’t wait to see.  Plus, it looks like there is the good old storyline of the police, and other interested parties, trying to sabotage Haller’s case before he can uncover anything damaging.

While the above all sounds cool, one of the most intriguing elements of Resurrection Walk is in the inclusion of Harry Bosch as a supporting character.  Bosch is Connelly’s longest running and most iconic protagonist for a reason and is always good to see this grizzled cop in action, especially after the revelations from the previous novel about his health.  Bosch has a very complicated relationship with Haller, his half-brother, and watching them team up always results in some great and emotionally charged scenes.  This is going to be in overdrive in Resurrection Walk as Bosch is dying of cancer and doesn’t have too much longer to live.  Resurrection Walk could possibly be Bosch’s last book and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up dying at some point in the story, either after some emotional goodbye to his brother or some heroic sacrifice.  This ensures that Resurrection Walk is a particularly interesting Connelly novel to check out, and if something big happens I want to find out pretty damn soon.

Overall, I have to say I am very excited to get my hands on the next upcoming Michael Connelly book.  Resurrection Walk sounds like it is going to be an outstanding read and I always love the exceedingly entertaining Lincoln Lawyer plots.  Resurrection Walk’s story sounds particularly interesting and I cannot wait to see how everything unfolds, especially if this is the book where Bosch finally dies.  This is easily one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and I look forward to diving into it the second I get my hands on a copy.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In my latest Waiting on Wednesday I highlight the next epic entry in one of my favourite series at the moment with the upcoming fourth Thursday Murder Club novel by Richard Osman, The Last Devil to Die.

The Last Devil to Die Cover

Amazon

Over few years, me, and many other book reviewers, have fallen in love with one of the most addictive, funniest, and heartfelt murder mystery series out there, the Thursday Murder Club books by British comedian Richard Osman.  I have been in love with the series since it first came out, and Osman’s debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, was an exceptional five-star read.  This unique series follows four complex and entertaining retirees living in an English retirement village, who entertain themselves by solving murders, known as the Thursday Murder Club.  This first awesome novel had absolutely everything, including a brilliant mystery, amazing characters, and great British humour, all brought together by some dark and emotionally powerful moments.  This first novel ended up being one of my favourite books, debuts, and audiobooks of 2020, and I cannot recommend it enough.

After having so much fun with The Thursday Murder Club, there was absolutely no way I wasn’t going to follow it up and luckily Osman made sure to release a cool sequel in 2021 with The Man Who Died Twice.  This was an outstanding follow-up to the first book that did a good job of continuing several of the storylines and character arcs, while also introducing another great mystery.  This ended up being another amazing novel, and it was one of my top books and audiobooks of 2021.  The series continued to gain a ton of steam last year with the third exceptional novel, The Bullet That Missed.  This third book was just as good, if not better, than the original The Thursday Murder Club, and I once again fell in love with the epic writing and loveable characters.  As such, I had no choice but to give it another five-star rating and it was easily one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in 2022.

Naturally, after having so many amazing experiences with this series, continuing it is a major reading priority for me.  I have kept a close eye out for details about the next entry, and I they just released the cover and a basic plot synopsis for the upcoming fourth book, The Last Devil to Die.  Set for release in September 2023, The Last Devil to Die, sounds really awesome (especially that title) and I am very excited to get my hands on it.

Plot synopsis:

You’d think you would be allowed to relax over Christmas, but not in the world of the Thursday Murder Club.

On Boxing Day, a dangerous package is smuggled across the English coast. When it goes missing, chaos is unleashed. The body count starts to rise – including someone close to the Thursday Murder Club – as our gang face an impossible search and their most deadly opponents yet.

With the clock ticking down and a killer heading to Cooper’s Chase, has their luck finally run out? And who will be ‘The Last Devil To Die’?

So, if my rant above wasn’t clear, I am going to get The Last Devil to Die come hell or high water, but it is always fun to find out some plot details in advance.  While the synopsis above isn’t too detailed, it does have some intriguing points that is making me even more excited for this upcoming book.  Firstly, I like the sound of a Christmas theme for this latest novel, and I imagine that is going to fit the fun British aesthetic of the series extremely well.  Next, the idea of a mysterious package arriving and leading to several murders, is pretty cool, and it will be interesting to see how that unfolds, especially with how it connects to the main characters.  Finally, the revelation that someone close to them is possibly going to die is pretty concerning, especially as Osman has done such a good job of building up an enjoyable supporting cast over the last three books.  As such, I am even more eager for The Last Devil to Die than I was before seeing this synopsis, which I didn’t think would be possible.

In addition to some of the details contained in the synopsis above, there are a lot of other cool things that I am very excited to see in The Last Devil to Die.  I am particularly keen for the unique and captivating main characters, especially as Osman writes all four of these hilarious retirees perfectly, and they serve as an excellent and funny bunch of narrators.  I love the way these four play off each other, and it will be great to see more of their specific character arcs, especially as some of them can be quite emotional or tragic at times.  It will be interesting to see who gets more of a focus in this novel, although I assume with the mysterious international package it will probably be another Elizabeth-heavy book, which I’m honestly fine with.  I also cannot wait to get more of Osman’s dry, British, and hilarious comedy, which as really made the last three books stand out.  I have such an amusing time reading through them, and it is particularly fun when the older characters manage to confound the younger characters who are constantly underestimating them.  If Osman brings all this, and more, into his next book, than I know I am going to absolutely love The Last Devil to Die.

Look, I don’t think I can be any clearer with the fact that I am deeply excited for this next Thursday Murder Club book.  Richard Osman can frankly do no wrong in my opinion, and I already know that The Last Devil to Die is going to top all my best-of lists for 2023.  I cannot wait till September to get The Last Devil to Die and I am very, very keen to see how the entire elaborate story unfolds.  I will probably try and get the audiobook version The Last Devil to Die, as the other Thursday Murder Club have been pretty exceptional in this format, and it will be interesting to see who the get as a narrator this time.  Overall, this is easily one my most anticipated books of 2023 and it is going to be magical.

Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday – The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I take a look at an awesome upcoming historical fiction adventure with The Last True Templar by the fantastic writing team of Boyd and Beth Morrison.

The Last True Templar Cover

Amazon

Last year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the excellent novel, The Lawless Land, which, thanks to its exciting and compelling sounding story I eagerly started reading the moment I could.  Written by thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison, The Lawless Land was an outstanding historical epic that saw an excommunicated knight and a runaway noblewoman team up to face off against a corrupt French cardinal, determined to become pope by any means necessary.  I really got pulled into this amazing read, which was loaded with cool historical detail, political intrigue, action, chase sequences, jousts, epic escapes, heists and even a full-on judicial dual to the death.  All this, and more, ensured that The Lawless Land was a pretty exceptional read, and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2022.

As such, I have been eager to see if the authors were planning to provide some form of sequel or follow up to The Lawless Land, and it looks like my prayers have been answered.  That is because the Morrisons have a second entry in their Tales of the Lawless Land series, coming out later this year with The Last True Templar.  Set for release in September 2023, The Last True Templar will continue the story started in The Lawless Land and follow the first book’s protagonists as they travel through war-torn, plague ravished Europe in the 13th century.  The new adventure will see the two lost protagonists get involved in a deadly battle for control of a lost treasure, one that is connected to the infamous Knights Templar.

I love the sound of this cool upcoming book, although frankly I was going to grab this novel no matter what the plot contained, the first book was that much fun.  However, seeing the characters caught up in a hunt for another treasured relic is going to be awesome, and I assume that’s going to be a recurring theme of the series.  The Knights Templar and their hidden treasures are always a great inclusion and it will be interesting to see a more historical focused adventure, rather than a thriller set in modern times.  As such, I am extremely keen to get my hands on a copy of The Last True Templar and based on how much I enjoyed The Lawless Land, this is a must-read book for me.  I have a strong feeling that The Last True Templar is going to be one of the more entertaining and awesome historical reads of 2023, and it should be pretty damn epic.

Plot Synopsis:

A Perilous Quest. A Deadly Legacy.

Italy, 1351. English knight Gerard Fox and the resourceful Willa have come through a death-defying journey across war-torn Europe. Now looking towards their future together, they must first find a way to reconcile with their difficult pasts.

In a small village between Florence and Siena, Fox and Willa are caught up in a deadly ambush. After rescuing the enigmatic woman who is the target of the attack, they take refuge in her opulent villa and learn her heartbreaking story – a tale of loss, deception… and a burning desire for freedom.

Soon, Fox and Willa are involved in a perilous quest to save her family’s legacy… and to do so, they will have to solve a mystery that points the way to the fabled lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

Waiting on Wednesday – Code Red by Kyle Mills (based on the books by Vince Flynn)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out the next entry in the always exciting Mitch Rapp series with Code Red by Kyle Mills.

Code Red Cover

Amazon

Every year there are several great series that I just have to continue due to their excellent storytelling and writing styles.  Of these, one of the ones I have a particularly fun time is the amazing Mitch Rapp thriller books which are always worth a read.  Initially written by Vince Flynn, the series follows deadly spy Mitch Rapp as he faces off against all of America’s enemies in his typical brutal and efficient way.  Since Flynn’s death, the Mitch Rapp books have been continued by the very talented Kyle Mills who has produced some very clever and unique novels that show an older Rapp getting into more and more dangerous situations in a continually deteriorating world.  All the Mitch Rapp books I have had the pleasure of reading so far, such as Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, Enemy at the Gates and Oath of Loyalty, have been pretty epic, and I love the cool range of stories, from terrorists destroying the power grid in Total Power to Mitch Rapp facing off against a corrupt president in Oath of Loyalty.  As such, I am always extremely excited to read the new Mitch Rapp book each year and it looks like I won’t have too much longer to wait.

That is because the next Mitch Rapp novel is coming out in September with Code Red.  The 22nd Mitch Rapp novel, Code Red sees Rapp thrust into another deadly and dangerous mission with global ramifications.

Plot synopsis:

Mitch Rapp returns to make a mortal enemy of Russia in this high-octane and up-to-the-minute installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from “one of the best thriller writers on the planet” (The Real Book Spy).

Mitch Rapp hates owing anyone a favor—especially when it’s the world’s most powerful crime lord. But when Damian Losa calls, Mitch is honor-bound to answer.

The Syrian government appears to have created a highly addictive new narcotic that it plans to distribute throughout Europe. It’s a major threat to Losa’s business and he’s determined to send someone to keep him on top by any means necessary.

Rapp is the perfect choice for the mission. Not only does he have extensive experience operating in the Middle East, but he’s also entirely expendable.

As he crosses into war-torn Syria, Rapp quickly discovers a shocking truth. The new drug isn’t being produced by Damascus to prop up the government’s collapsing finances. Instead, it was created by Russia’s asymmetrical warfare unit, not for profit but as a weapon against the West.

With far more than Damian Losa’s interests at stake, Rapp devises a desperate plan that forces him and his team onto a battlefield where the United States is virtually powerless and allegiances shift almost hourly. Further, if Russia uncovers their plot, it will set off a confrontation between the two countries that could change the course of human history.

Ooh, now this is a very interesting sounding new novel from Mills.  After dealing with several domestic threats in the last few books it will be fun to see Rapp going after his old foes the Russians again, this time in Syria.  Code Red sounds like a much more classic spy thriller read with Rapp going up against enemy agents to try and stop an impending disaster, and the plot idea about Rapp accidently stumbling on this trying to clear a debt is very interesting.  I have a feeling this is going to turn out to be a pretty awesome read and I am curious to see Rapp’s take on certain world events when we get to it.

Based on how impressive and captivating the Mitch Rapp series by Kyle Mills has been in the past, I have very little doubt that I am going to have a wonderful time getting through Code Red.  No doubt containing the usual great blend of spy craft, over-the-top action, and intriguing commentary, Code Red is a book I will dive into the moment I get a copy and I know I will an outstanding time with it.

Waiting on Wednesday – Starter Villain by John Scalzi

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Superhero, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the more entertaining sounding books of 2023 with the fun new release from John Scalzi, Starter Villain.

Starter Villain Cover

Amazon

There are few authors in the world right now that are more inventive and more hilarious that the always imaginative John Scalzi.  Best known for his Old Man’s War and The Interdependency series, Scalzi has made a name for himself by producing captivating reads that make excellent use of high-concept science fiction elements.  I have only had the opportunity to read a few of his books yet, but the ones that I have were pretty damn epic.  This includes the incredible and brilliant standalone novel Redshirts, which serves as the ultimate parody of Star Trek by focusing on an Enterprise-esque spaceship whose ordinary crew start to realise that something very wrong is happening when all of them start brutally dying in ridiculous situations.  This was an outstanding read and my love of Redshirts led me to read his 2022 release, The Kaiju Preservation Society.  A clever new take on monster movies, The Kaiju Preservation Society saw a young man join a mysterious scientific organisation that protects giant monsters in an alternate dimension.  I absolutely powered through both of these books, and I love the incredible scenarios Scalzi comes up with.

Needless to say, I am a pretty big fan of Scalzi at this point, but I was even more excited when I saw that his next book was going to take on the superhero/supervillain genre with the fantastic upcoming book Starter Villain.  Set for release in September 2023, Starter Villain is another hilarious sounding novel that sees a young protagonist enter the world of capes and capers when they unwillingly become a supervillain.

Plot Synopsis:

Following the bestselling The Kaiju Preservation Society, John Scalzi returns with Starter Villain, another unique sci-fi caper set in the strangest of all worlds, present-day Earth.

Inheriting your mysterious uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might imagine.

Sure, there are the things you’d expect. The undersea volcano lairs. The minions. The plots to take over the world. The international networks of rivals who want you dead.

Much harder to get used to…are the the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats.

And the fact that in the overall organization, they’re management…

Ok, so there is absolutely no way that I am not going to have a ball of fun when I read Starter Villain later this year.  I’m already a big fan of comic books and superheros and any great parody or deconstruction of this genre is always a blast to read.  Having this parody written by John Scalzi, who is planning to focus on the supervillain side of things, is an incredible recipe for success and one that I am pretty damn excited for.  This synopsis is already painting a pretty awesome picture of what Starter Villain is going to feature, including lairs, minions and sentient, sinister cats, which I am always down for.  This is going to be such an entertaining and amazing book and I cannot wait to get my hands on Starter Villain later this year.

Waiting on Wednesday – Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult10 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday I highlight a somewhat surprising but highly anticipated upcoming release with the epic Murtagh by Christopher Paolini.

Murtagh Cover

Amazon

I have been a fantasy fan for a long time and have had the great pleasure of reading quite a few impressive series over the years.  However, one of my favourite all-time fantasy series is the epic Inheritance Cycle that was the debut series of amazing author Christopher Paolini.  Starting in 2003 with Eragon, the Inheritance Cycle told the tale of a young hero who uncovers a dragon egg and uses his newly hatched companion to battle an evil empire and defeat the fallen Dragon Rider turned evil king, Galbatorix.  Taking place over four books, including Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance, this was a particular favourite series of mine growing up and I made sure to read every single book the moment they came out.  While the story was a little derivative in places, I had a great deal of love for this series due to its elaborate fantasy universe, the cool magical systems, the fantastic bond between the human protagonist and his dragon, and the many exceptional battles Paolini detailed.  The Inheritance Cycle has become something of a comfort series for me and since the final book dropped in 2011 I have reread (and relistened) to these books multiple times with great enjoyment, and I also did a fun joint review of the entire series.

Due to how much I enjoyed his debut series, I have kept an eye on Paolini’s career, which also saw him produce some intriguing science fiction novels, including the massive To Sleep in a Sea of Stars and the upcoming prequel Fractal Noise.  However, I hadn’t really expected to see anything more from the Inheritance cycle, especially after over 12 years of waiting.  That is why I was pretty damn thrilled when I saw last week that Paolini was releasing a standalone sequel later this year with the fantastic sounding Murtagh.

Murtagh is an awesome book that is currently set for release in November 2023.  Set shortly after the events of Inheritance, this cool novel will follow fan-favourite character and anti-hero Murtagh as he attempts to find his place in the world after serving the previous series’ big bad, while also embarking on a new adventure.

Plot Synopsis:

Master storyteller and internationally bestselling author Christopher Paolini returns to the World of Eragon in this stunning epic fantasy set a year after the events of the Inheritance Cycle. Join Dragon Rider—and fan favorite—Murtagh and his dragon as they confront a perilous new enemy!

 The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror. Now they are hated and alone, exiled to the outskirts of society.

Throughout the land, hushed voices whisper of brittle ground and a faint scent of brimstone in the air—and Murtagh senses that something wicked lurks in the shadows of Alagaësia. So begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untraveled, where Murtagh and Thorn must use every weapon in their arsenal, from brains to brawn, to find and outwit a mysterious witch. A witch who is much more than she seems.

In this gripping novel starring one of the most popular characters from Christopher Paolini’s blockbuster Inheritance Cycle, a Dragon Rider must discover what he stands for in a world that has abandoned him. Murtagh is the perfect book to enter the World of Eragon for the first time . . . or to joyfully return.

Ok, so if I wasn’t already pretty damn excited for a new Inheritance Cycle novel, I am even more hyped after reading that synopsis.  Out of all the characters that Paolini could have set his next novel around, Murtagh is one of the absolute best, as he is probably one of Paolini’s more complex characters.  The son of a notoriously evil Dragon Rider and the secret half-brother of series’ protagonist Eragon, Murtagh is a rogue and adventurer who spent his appearances in the first novel trying to escape his past.  However, he was captured at the start of the second novel, Eldest, and morphed into a deadly weapon, bound to the red dragon Thorn and forced to fight against his brother as Galbatorix’s ultimate enforcer.  Essentially serving as the Darth Vader of the series, Murtagh killed several key supporting characters and became quite a good brooding villain.  Managing to free himself at the end of the series and help Eragon kill Galbatorix, Murtagh departs with his dragon, attempting to find his own place in the world.  This opens quite a lot of interesting potential storylines which Paolini looks set to fully explore in his new book.  I love the idea of the author fully exploring all of Murtagh’s trauma and guilt, especially after all the terrible things Galbatorix made him do, and I am sure that it will play into the story extremely well.  It was also be very interesting to see the story told from Murtagh’s point of view, something we never got in the previous books, and I am hoping that we’ll get an eye on the events of the original series from his perspective.

On top of the fantastic focus on the great character of Murtagh, the rest of this story sounds pretty damn awesome.  The idea of this lone and despised character travelling the lands, attempting to find a place where he isn’t hated is an excellent basis for a story, especially when he attempts to finally be a hero and tries to solve a dangerous mystery.  No doubt this will lead to another dangerous adventure and it will be cool to see how he deals with it on his own.  I am also quite excited to see some expansions of the already vast land of Alagaësia, which Paolini really built up well in his previous books.  It will be fascinating to see how much Alagaësia changes in the aftermath of the war, and I am very hopeful that Paolini will take us to some new locations that will no doubt add a lot to it.  Throw in references to a mysterious witch, who could potentially be the always entertaining Angela, who readers have been wanting to see more of for years, and Murtagh has all the ingredients you need for a pretty epic book.

Now if am going to be honest, I was always going to eagerly grab up any new additions to the Inheritance Cycle that Paolini created, but I am particularly excited for Murtagh, which has so much damn potential.  I cannot wait to see how the author expands on his complex protagonist in this upcoming novel, and I am sure it will feature an epic adventure.  Murtagh is going to be such a nostalgia filled blast for me and I am sure that I will enjoy every damn second of it.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Immortal Longings and The Jasad Heir

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday1 Comment

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I’m doing a double feature and looking at two awesome and epic upcoming fantasy novels set around deadly tournaments.

Now I hope that I’m not going to sound too weird, but I love a good death tournament.  Death tournaments, competitions or games lie at the heart of so many exceptional fantasy or science fiction read, and there is something very fun watching people compete in brutal fights to the death in elaborate scenarios.  As such, I was pretty intrigued when I came across two separate upcoming fantasy books that are strongly set around lethal tournaments, and I very much want to grab both of them.  These two books are set for release in late July 2023, and I have a feeling that they will end up being extremely fun and impressive novels.

Immortal Longings Cover 2

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The first of these books is Immortal Longings by bestselling author Chloe Gong, who is making her adult fantasy debut here.  While I haven’t had the chance to read any of her previous novels, I have heard good things about her young adult fantasy These Violent Delights books, and I am intrigued to experience her writing style.  It helps that her first adult fantasy book sounds pretty damn epic, and comes with a very awesome looking cover.

Plot Synopsis:

 #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

The only way to win, is to survive.

Every year, thousands flock to San-Er, the dangerously dense capital twin cities of the kingdom of Talin, where the palace hosts a set of deadly games. Those confident in their ability to jump between bodies can enter a fight to the death – for the chance to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi has been in hiding for five years, ever since she murdered her parents to free the people of Talin from her tyrannical family. Only one person stands in her way of finishing the job: her reclusive uncle King Kasa. However, she knows he always greets the victor of the games. If she wins, she will finally get the chance to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, whose childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace. He’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Which means his last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

When Anton proposes an unexpected alliance with Calla, they quickly find their partnership spiraling into something all-consuming. But before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for – her lover or her kingdom. For no matter what, only one of them can walk out alive . . .

Ok, now this is one very interesting sounding book.  I love the idea of a fugitive princess entering a death tournament to try and kill her corrupt uncle, and from the plot you know that plan is going to get very complicated thanks to the other major protagonist.  I am also quite intrigued by the underlying magical concept that see people jump between bodies, and I am curious to see how the author will showcase that throughout the book.  Based on this plot synopsis, I am incredibly excited for Immortal Longings, and I think this might end up being one of the most captivating, exciting and potentially heartbreaking fantasy novels of 2023.

The Jasad Heir Cover

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The next novel that I wish to highlight in this post is the dark and powerful sounding fantasy read, The Jasad Heir by debuting author Sara Hashem.  This amazing sounding book will see another fugitive princess, this time running from the conquerors of her kingdom, get co-opted into a dangerous tournament by her enemy’s son, and must learn to control and unleash her magic to survive.

Plot Synopsis:

In a world of scorched kingdoms, forbidden magic, and cunning royals, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her fallen kingdom’s greatest enemy and soon finds herself embroiled in a political game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever in this stunning debut epic fantasy.

At ten years old, the Heir of Jasad flees a massacre that takes her entire family.

At fifteen, she buries her first body.

At twenty, the clock is ticking on Sylvia’s third attempt at home. Nizahl’s armies have laid waste to Jasad and banned magic across the four remaining kingdoms. Fortunately, Sylvia’s magic is as good at playing dead as she is.

When the Nizahl Heir tracks a group of Jasadis to Sylvia’s village, the quiet life she’s crafted unravels. Calculating and cold, Arin’s tactical brilliance is surpassed only by his hatred for magic. When a mistake exposes Sylvia’s magic, Arin offers her an escape: compete as Nizahl’s Champion in the Alcalah tournament and win immunity from persecution. In exchange, Arin will use her as bait to draw out the Jasadis he’s hunting.

To win the deadly Alcalah, Sylvia must work with Arin to free her trapped magic, all while staying a step ahead of his efforts to uncover her identity. But as the two grow closer, Sylvia realizes winning her freedom as Nizahl’s Champion means destroying any chance of reuniting Jasad under her banner. The scorched kingdom is rising again, and Sylvia will have to choose between the life she’s earned and the one she left behind.

This is another amazing novel that has really grabbed my attention and which I am extremely keen to check out.  Featuring a cool new fantasy world and a dangerous situation that will force a young princess to endure a deadly tournament and the regard of her enemies, The Jasad Heir sounds like another gripping and outstanding read, and I think it has a ton of potential.  It sounds like Hashem will be combining some great political, personal and magical elements in this narrative, and I have a feeling that this will end up being one of the top debuts of the year.  As such, I will make a great effort to grab a copy and I cannot wait to see how this book unfolds.

As you can see, we are going to be very spoiled when it comes to impressive fantasy death tournaments later this year, and that is something that I am very grateful for.  Both Immortal Longings and The Jasad Heir should prove to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to experience the amazing stories they contain.

Waiting on Wednesday – Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I check out a cool upcoming crime fiction reader from acclaimed Australian author Megan Goldin, Dark Corners.

Dark Corners Cover

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Readers of this blog will probably be familiar with my habit of supporting and highlighting Australian authors in my various reviews and posts.  This is primarily because, as a book reviewer living in Australia, a lot of this local fiction gets sent to me by publishers.  However, I also like supporting my fellow countrymen, especially when they are killing it across a variety of genres, and it is always fun to see an Australian representing the rest of us international markets.  As such, the subject of this Waiting on Wednesday article is perhaps one of the most impressive and well-known Australian authors now, compelling crime fiction writer Megan Goldin.

Goldin has been writing for a few years now and has so far produced several amazing and highly regarded bestselling novels.  I personally first became familiar with Goldin back in 2018 when I was lucky enough to get a copy of her epic thriller, The Escape Room, which I powered through in a single night.  I had an amazing time with its fantastic narrative, especially as it detailed the corrupt dealings of Wall Street, and it ended up being one of my favourite pieces of Australian fiction at the time.  However, Megan was far from done and she has since produced two more outstanding reads.  This includes her heartbreaking and dramatic novel, The Night Swim (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2020) and the impressive thriller from last year, Stay Awake (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2022).  All her books have had great concepts, backed up with excellent writing, and I would strongly recommend each and everyone of her previous books.

Unsurprisingly, I am always excited when I see that Goldin has another book on the horizon, and it looks like we will only have to wait till August 2023 for her next novel, Dark Corners.  A sequel to The Night Swim, Dark Corners will bring back Goldin’s excellent pod-casting protagonist Rachel Krall, who is recruited by the FBI for an investigation.  Thrust further into the deep end than ever before, Rachel will have to uncover the dark world of influencers and social media celebrities to find a deadly killer.

I have to say that I love the sound of this cool upcoming book, not just because Goldin is apparently going to unleash a serial killer on convention full of influencers.  Goldin is always such an exceptional writer, and this book sounds like it will have some excellent murder mystery elements to it, which I am excited to see.  I am deeply intrigued to see how this elaborate and fun sounding story unfolds, and I am particularly keen to see Goldin’s take on the influencer/social media scene.  I have no doubt that Dark Corners is going to be one of the top novels by an Australian author in 2023 and I full plan to dive into this novel the second I have my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

 Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed The Night Swim, returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer.

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his release date approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped―or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? And why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems to only exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail―identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey’s hand―the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krall herself. Suddenly the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest entry I look at one of my most anticipated fantasy releases of 2023 with Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker.

Gods of the Wyrdwood Cover

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There have been some outstanding fantasy works in the last few years and I have been lucky enough to experience a range of talented authors and fantastic stories.  However, few authors have engaged me with their creativity, cleverness and ability to bring complex characters to life than the phenomenal and continually improving author, R. J. Barker.  Barker debuted back in 2017 with his debut novel, Age of Assassins that kicked off The Wounded Kingdom trilogy.  Following an assassin and his master as they attempt to unravel a political conspiracy in a dark castle, Age of Assassins was an awesome book that served as a great introduction to Barker’s writing style.  However, Age of Assassins was only the start, as he soon followed up this first book with two epic sequels, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins, both of which saw the aging protagonist become involved in several elaborate plots and battles as he tries to keep his king/best friend alive.  Both these novels were extremely good and Barker seemed to markedly improve with each book, with King of Assassins being an exceptional, five-star read in my opinion, especially with its many dark twists.

As such, by the end of The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, I was very impressed with Barker as an author, however, Barker was just getting started.  In 2019, only two years after his debut, Barker unleashed a second trilogy with The Tide Child series.  Set in a whole new fantasy world, The Tide Child trilogy was an intriguing nautical-based dark fantasy that followed a crew of a condemned ship, made of dragon bone, as they attempt to survive the dark machinations of a corrupt government while attempting to bring back the ancient sea dragons previously hunted to extinction.  This incredible trilogy stated with The Bone Ships (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), an excellent and powerful read that perfectly introduced the trilogy’s main characters and showcased just how far Barker had come as an author as he seamlessly dived into a whole new sub-genre of fantasy fiction by pulling together an epic tale on the high seas.  The following two novels, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), were incredible sequels the expertly continued the great story while providing some powerful development to the main character.  Everything was given a dramatic and fitting ending in the final novel and The Tide Child series ended up being one of the very best trilogies I have ever read.

Naturally, after how exceptional his first two trilogies have been, I have been quite eager to see what this talented author would do next and I am deeply excited to see what new and elaborate fantasy setting and scenario he brings together.  Well, after a couple of years of waiting, my fantasy fiction prayers are about to be answered as a brand-new R. J. Barker series is set to start in June 2023.

This new Barker series will be known as the Forsaken trilogy and will once again be set in a new dark fantasy world.  The first book in this Forsaken series will be the 2023 release, Gods of the Wyrdwood, which they just released an epic cover for.  This new book has a very intriguing narrative to it and I have been very excited by all the cool details that have been revealed.

Plot Synopsis:

In a world locked in eternal winter and haunted by prophecy, a young boy trains for years to become the Chosen One, only for another to rise and claim his place in the start of an unmissable epic from a rising star in fantasy.

The northlands of Crua are locked in eternal winter, but prophecy tells of the chosen child – who will rule in the name of their God, and take warmth back from the South. Cahal du Nahere was raised to be this person: the Cowl-Rai, the saviour. Taken from his parents and prepared for his destiny.

But his time never came.

When he was fifteen he ceased to matter. Another Cowl-Rai had risen, another chosen one, raised in the name of a different God. The years of vicious physical and mental training he had endured, the sacrifice, all for nothing. He became nothing.

Twenty years later, and Cahal lives a life of secrecy on the edges of Crua’s giant forests – hiding what he is, running from what he can do. But when he is forced to reveal his true nature, he sets off a sequence of events that will reveal secrets that will shake the bedrock of his entire world, and expose lies that have persisted for generations.

So Barker is going to put his own unique spin on the classic ‘Chosen One’ storyline, yeah now that is something I can really get behind.  I already knew that I was going to love this awesome book, but damn me if that above awesome synopsis hasn’t gotten me extra excited.  I am extremely intrigued with the idea of the story following a chosen child who is replaced and made obsolete by another rising chosen champion, especially as it going to play into the larger storyline and the character’s growth so extremely well.  I can just imagine how much chaos the character is going to unleash when he reveals his existence to the world, and I am sure that every damn second of it is going to be glorious.  Thrown in an inventive and cool new fantasy world from Barker, this time an ice-locked wilderness, and I am very damn sure that this is going to be another exceptional novel.

Look, based on how much I raved about Barker at the start of this article, I doubt anyone is too surprised that I have some very high hopes for Gods of the Wyrdwood.  This author has produced some truly epic and exceptional works over the years, and it honestly seems to me that everything he touches turns to gold.  As such, I was already pretty damn excited for this book, and the powerful plot synopsis and the very striking cover has only reinforced this.  As such, I fully expect Gods of the Wyrdwood to be one of the very best books of 2023 and I intend to grab it the second that it comes out.  Everything about this book, from the story to the author, is already very outstanding and my mind, and I cannot wait to see what magic Barker weaves in this promising upcoming trilogy.

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