Waiting on Wednesday – Desert Star by Michael Connelly

On April 28, 2022September 6, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn 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 latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at the next epic book from the master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, Desert Star.

Amazon Book Depository

Over the last few years, I have started to really become much more of a crime fiction reader after years of primarily focusing on other genres. During this time, I have had the pleasure of reading excellent series from several great and impressive crime fiction authors, however one of my absolute favourites is legendary author Michael Connelly, who has been one of the leading figures of this genre since his debut back in 1992. Despite becoming a fan of Connelly much later than most readers, I have really enjoyed his recent work which features an intriguing range of murder mysteries and thrillers set inside one combined crime fiction universe. While I have had the pleasure of reading novels from his Jack McEvoy (Fair Warning) and Mickey Haller (The Law of Innocence) sub-series, the books I have read the most are the Ballard and Bosch novels.

Starting in 2018 with Dark Sacred Night, the Ballard and Bosch books brought together one of Connelly’s newest protagonists, Renee Ballard, with his most iconic and heavily featured character, Harry Bosch. This fun team up worked really well, and I loved seeing the fantastic mentor/mentee relationship that formed between the cynical and damaged female detective and the retired, veteran investigator still trying to stay in the game. Connelly followed this initial novel with two brilliant books, The Night Fire (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019) and The Dark Hours (one of my favourite books of 2021), both of which utilised the combination of characters extremely well.

It looks like this fun will continue later this year as Connelly is producing another Ballard and Bosch book with Desert Star. This awesome upcoming novel, which is currently set for release in November 2022, contains an incredible sounding story that will see these two impressive characters team up for another complex case.

Synopsis:

LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch work together to hunt the killer who is Bosch’s “white whale”—a man responsible for the murder of an entire family.

A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny, demoralization, and endless red tape. Yet, after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the Late Show” to rebuild the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division.

For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him but that he hasn’t been able to crack—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free. Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come work with her as a volunteer investigator in the new Open-Unsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him.

The two must put aside old resentments to work together again and close in on a dangerous killer.

I really like the sound of Desert Star and think it is going to end up being a particularly awesome and memorable entry in this extended universe. There are several interesting storyline elements already hinted at in the above synopsis that have grabbed my attention. I am very intrigued to see the fallout from the previous book where Ballard quit the LAPD, and it will be pretty cool to see her return to the force and start up her own investigative unit. At the same time, we get some compelling investigative elements as Bosch attempts to catch a killer he has been pursuing for years, and no doubt there will be some other connected cases that Ballard is working on. Some of these storylines have been hinted at before in some of the previous books, and I look forward to seeing how they are resolved, as well as the impact that they have on the main two characters.

Another part of the book that I am quite keen on seeing is the continued partnership between Ballard and Bosch, as well as the overall impressive character development of this sub series. Both characters have gone through a lot in their last few books, and I am curious to see how some of their storylines continue here. Ballard’s brush with sexism, corruption and harassment in the LAPD, will no doubt be continued, and it will be fascinating to see how her recent decisions will impact that. It will also be great to see Bosch finally get a chance to solve a case that has been bugging him for years, and I’m sure there will be some follow up to the family and health focused storylines that have been hinted at in some of the prior books. I am also a little curious to see how much Bosch is utilised in Desert Star, considering he was partially sidelined in the previous novel. Based on how much he is featured in the synopsis above, I would assume he’ll once again be used as a point-of-view character here, and it will be interesting to see his take on all the relevant events. I have a feeling there is going to be some major, passing of the torch moments in Desert Star and I cannot wait to see how everything turns out.

Look, based on how much I have loved Connelly’s latest books I was already extremely confident that I was going to love Desert Star, even before I knew all the details about it. However, now that I’ve seen the plot synopsis above, I reckon this is going to be an incredible read. Not only does the central mystery element sound really cool, but it seems like this one is going to present some major changes for the main two protagonists. I cannot wait to see how this awesome novel unfolds and I foresee Desert Star receiving a five-star rating from me.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh

On April 20, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday2 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 Waiting on Wednesday I look at an awesome upcoming legal thriller that is likely to be one of the most entertaining reads of 2022 with The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh.

The Accomplice Cover

Last year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the sixth book in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series of legal thrillers, The Devil’s Advocate, which turned out to be a wildly addictive novel with a fun and captivating story. Following the adventures of titular protagonist Eddie Flynn, former conman turned expert defence attorney, the Eddie Flynn novels have been some of the more interesting and unique thrillers of the last few years, with Cavanagh coming up with a range of awesome and complex scenarios for his protagonist to wiggle through.

I deeply enjoyed my first foray into this series, especially as The Devil’s Advocate featured, amongst other distinctive inclusions, a murderous district attorney, corrupt cops, a range of ridiculous and entertaining legal strategies, as well as several improbable but hilarious twists. As such, I have been keeping a close out for Cavanagh’s next novel and I was very excited when I saw that The Accomplice is coming out soon.

The Accomplice, which is currently set for release in late July 2022, will be the seventh book in the Eddie Flynn series and will present the author’s cocky and exceedingly likeable protagonist with another seemingly impossible legal scenario. This time, Flynn will have to prove that the most hated women in America, the wife of a notorious and at-large serial killer, didn’t know anything about her husbands’ crimes. While this is already a pretty cool scenario, Cavanagh will apparently raise the stakes even further by throwing in a potentially murderous and guilty client, a rogue former-FBI agent and the returning serial killer who plans to murder anyone associated with the case, including Eddie Flynn.

All these elements sound pretty damn epic and I am deeply intrigued to see how it all comes together. Based on how much I enjoyed The Devil’s Advocate I am highly confident I am going to have a wonderful and enjoyable time with The Accomplice, and I am sure it will be one of the more zany and unique novels of the year.

Plot Synopsis:

THE MOST HATED WOMAN IN AMERICA

The Sandman killings have been solved. Daniel Miller murdered fourteen people before he vanished. His wife, Carrie, now faces trial as his accomplice. The FBI, the District Attorney, the media and everyone in America believe she knew and helped cover up her husband’s crimes.

THE LAWYER

Eddie Flynn won’t take a case unless his client is innocent. Now, he has to prove to a jury, and the entire world, that Carrie Miller was just another victim of the Sandman. She didn’t know her husband’s dark side and she had no part in the murders. But so far, Eddie and his team are the only ones who believe her.

THE FORMER FBI AGENT

Gabriel Lake used to be a federal agent, before someone tried to kill him. Now, he’s an investigator with a vendetta against the Sandman. He’s the only one who can catch him, because he believes that everything the FBI knows about serial killers is wrong.

THE KILLER

With his wife on trial, the Sandman is forced to come out of hiding to save her from a life sentence. He will kill to protect her and everyone involved in the case is a target.

Even Eddie Flynn…

Waiting on Wednesday – The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

On April 15, 2022 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. In this rather late Waiting on Wednesday article I check out an amazing upcoming fantasy debut, The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves Cover

I am always extremely keen to check out fascinating and fun debut novels each year and 2022 is already shaping up to be a particularly good year for fresh and talented new authors. One of the more interesting and unique sounding debuts that has recently caught my eye is the upcoming book, The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings. Set for release in June 2022, this excellent novel will tell a magical and musical story in an alternate version of New Orleans, as two wizards attempt to save their city from a dangerous lost spell. I am extremely intrigued by this upcoming book and I cannot wait to get stuck into this cool new magical world, especially with its music-based magic system. I honestly believe that The Ballad of Perilous Graves has some real potential and I look forward to seeing Jenning’s unique debut come to life.

Synopsis:

In a fantastical version of New Orleans where music is magic, a battle for the city’s soul brews between two young mages, a vengeful wraith, and one powerful song in this vibrant and imaginative debut.

Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women keep the order, and where songs walk, talk and keep the spirit of the city alive. To those from Far Away, Nola might seem strange. To failed magician, Perilous Graves, it’s simply home. Then the rhythm stutters.

Nine songs of power have escaped from the magical piano that maintains the city’s beat and without them, Nola will fail. Unexpectedly, Perry and his sister, Brendy, are tasked with saving the city. But a storm is brewing and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Even if they capture the songs, Nola’s time might be coming to an end.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Voyage of the Forgotten by Nick Martell

On April 7, 2022February 2, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday8 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 slightly belated Waiting on Wednesday article I take a look at one of my most anticipated fantasy releases for 2022, the awesome and epic upcoming The Voyage of the Forgotten by impressive author Nick Martell.

The Voyage of the Forgotten Cover

Amazon Book Depository

Over the last two years, fantasy fans have been absolutely blessed by the incredible talent of new author Nick Martell who has already made a substantial impact on the genre in a very short amount of time. Debuting in 2020, Martell started his fantasy journey with the first The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings novel, The Kingdom of Liars. This impressive novel told the captivating tale of Michael Kingman, the troubled scion of a formerly great house in the Kingdom of Hollow whose fortunes were erased after Michael’s father apparently killed the King’s oldest son. Determined to prove his father’s innocence, Michael investigates the Hollow court in an attempt to find out who was truly responsible. Along the way, he clashes with fractious royals, dangerous magic users, powerful mercenaries, and insidious hidden immortals, all of whom want him dead, while also trying to come to grips with his new magical abilities that slowly result in the loss of his memories. Michael was eventually able to discover who was responsible for the murder, but only after he was framed for the death of the current king, narrowly avoiding execution. I had an outstanding time with this exceptional novel’s brilliant story and powerful characters, and The Kingdom of Liars ended up being one of my favourite books (and audiobooks) of 2020, as well as one of the best debuts of the year.

While I was already suitably impressed with Martell’s first novel, the author amazed me even more last year when he released the sequel, The Two-Faced Queen. The Two-Faced Queen was an exceptional follow-up to The Kingdom of Liars that masterfully expanded on the events of the first novel. Not only where several intriguing new story elements introduced, such as a notorious serial killer, dragons and even more immortals, but we also got some great new characters, substantial world building, and even more fantastic twists and revelations. The most substantial of these characters was Michael’s love interest, the queen of Hollow, Serena (the titular Two-Faced Queen), who spends most of the novel trying to kill Michael for the death of her father. This resulted in a pretty complex and exceptional novel that I powered through extremely quickly as I tried to see how everything unfolded. In many ways, The Two-Faced Queen surpassed Martell’s first novel, and it was easily one of the best books and audiobooks of 2021.

After having such an exceptional time with the first two books in The Legacy of the Mercenary King series (which is such an excellent series name), I have naturally been extremely keen to read the third book in this series. This third novel is The Voyage of the Forgotten, which is currently set for release in November 2022. While I was a little disappointed that its release date was knocked back towards the end of the year, I am still very excited for this novel and I have been eagerly waiting to find all the details I can about it. Not only do we have a synopsis for it, but they have also released both of the covers for it, which look extremely awesome, and distinctive (I think I like the above UK cover more than the US cover below, but both are great in their own way).

Synopsis:

In this twistingly beautiful and epically thrilling conclusion to the fantasy trilogy The Legacy of the Mercenary King, Michael, the infamous Kingkiller, and Serena, the Hollow Queen, race against the odds to have the future they’ve worked so hard to protect…or risk bringing about the end of the world.

Michael Kingman has discovered his destiny, but the distance to what he wants, namely a life with Serena, the queen of Hollow kingdom, is as wide as the world, and just as cruel.

Meanwhile, Dark, the realm’s most fearsome mercenary, Michael’s sometime mentor, and son of his nemesis, Angelo, is trying to keep Michael in line, for his own purposes as he too has a hidden agenda. Michael comes to realize that he is outclassed by powers that have been working for centuries to bring about a fresh end to the world filled with those he loves. But when has merely being overpowered ever stopped Michael from getting what he wants?

To prevent what may bring about the end times Michael must gather his remaining allies and push himself to achieve the impossible because the alternative is worse than he can imagine: it’s not just the beginning of the end of the world, it’s being alone and forgotten.

In this epic conclusion, The Voyage of the Forgotten brilliantly wraps up the stories fans have fallen in love with as the characters struggle against odds that seem impossible to overcome.

I really like the sound of the above synopsis, and it is pretty clear that The Voyage of the Forgotten is set to be a pretty awesome read. While some of the details here seem a little vague, it is clear that Martell looks set to bring together many key storylines here. In particular, it looks like the plans of several of the major antagonists or villains he has faced in the previous books are about to start coming together, forcing Michael to step in and stop them. I hope that we get some vital answers to certain plot points here as well as further explanation of who the key players are and what their motivations are, which will be great to see.

One of the things I find most interesting about this synopsis is the fact that The Voyage of the Forgotten is apparently going to be the final book in the series. This is a bit surprising to me; due to the sheer number of storylines, interesting supporting characters and major plot arcs, I honestly thought/hoped this would be a longer series. I am actually a tad worried that Martell may have trouble wrapping everything up in a single book, there are just that many story elements to conclude, but I have learnt to rely on Martell’s writing ability, so I am sure that this will come up really well. I am actually very tempted to go back and do a reread of Martell’s first two novels to make sure I have all the particulars in my head before I read the final story (they are just that detailed). I cannot wait to see how everything comes together and I am hoping for a very satisfying and captivating conclusion, no doubt filled with tragedy, intense action and impressive magical inclusions.

Look, I think it is very clear from the lengthy introductory paragraphs above that I am particularly keen to grab The Voyage of the Forgotten. Nick Martell has already so deeply impressed me with his first two books that I know I am going to deeply enjoy this epic read. I am very eager to see how this outstanding series concludes, and I am extremely confident that The Voyage of the Forgotten is going to end up being one of the best books of 2022.

The Voyage of the Forgotten Cover 2

Waiting on Wednesday – All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

On March 23, 2022September 1, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult6 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 highlight an awesome upcoming sequel that I am extremely keen to check out, All of Our Demise by the dream team of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.

All of Our Demise Cover

Amazon Book Depository

Last year, established authors Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman came together for the first time to produce an intriguing and unique young adult fantasy novel that followed several great protagonists into a magical death tournament with All of Us Villains. Set in a world where access to extremely powerful high magick is determined by a death tournament featuring the children of ancient families, this novel closely followed four of the seven participants and showed the dangerous and epic personal and magical struggles they went through.

I had an incredible time reading All of Us Villains, which really lived up to all the hype surrounding it, and Foody and Lynn Herman ended up being some of my favourite new authors of 2021. This first book was loaded with intrigue, clever magical sequences, an intriguing media angle, complex teenage characters who are forced to make intense, life-altering decisions, as well as some outstanding shocks and betrayals. The novel ended on an excellent and heartbreaking note that left readers desperately wanting more. Well, we do not have to wait much longer as details about the next book, All of Our Demise, have just been released and it sounds pretty damn awesome.

Synopsis:

“I feel like I should warn you: this is going to be absolutely brutal.”

For the first time in this ancient, bloodstained story, the tournament is breaking. The boundaries between the city of Ilvernath and the arena have fallen. Reporters swarm the historic battlegrounds. A dead boy now lives again. And a new champion has entered the fray, one who seeks to break the curse for good… no matter how many lives are sacrificed in the process.

As the curse teeters closer and closer to collapse, the surviving champions each face a choice: dismantle the tournament piece by piece, or fight to the death as this story was always intended.

Long-held alliances will be severed. Hearts will break. Lives will end. Because a tale as wicked as this one was never destined for happily ever after.

All of Our Demise will be set immediately after the events of All of Us Villains and will act as the conclusion to the fantastic duology. Currently set for release on 30 August 2022, All of Our Demise will continue the intriguing storylines set up in the first novel as some of the participants fight to destroy the tournament for good, while others set out to win for power, glory and revenge. However, with the mystical barrier that usually separates the participants from the rest of the world coming down and a mysterious individual manipulating events from the shadows, there are going to be a lot of compelling elements here that should add a great edge to the story. I am extremely excited for this impressive upcoming young adult fantasy sequel, and I cannot wait to see how the cool story comes to an end. All of Our Demise is easily one of the books I am most looking forward to in the second half of 2022, and it should be extremely epic.

Waiting on Wednesday – Seventeen by John Brownlow

On March 16, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn 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. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I look at a very cool sounding upcoming thriller that I predict is going to be buckets of epic fun with Seventeen by John Brownlow.

Seventeen Cover

Here at the Unseen Library, I have developed a real appreciation for the most awesome and unique sounding thriller novels out there and I have just discovered one upcoming book that I think fits that description perfectly with Seventeen. Also known as Seventeen: Last Man Standing, this book is the debut novel of John Brownlow, a screenwriter known for working on films like Sylvia and television series such as Fleming and The Miniaturist. Well Brownlow appears ready to make a jump to the literary world here with Seventeen, and I am for one am very excited for it.

The intriguing and fun sounding Seventeen is currently set for release down here in Australia in July 2022, and I am deeply impressed with the amazing and entertaining synopsis. Set in a world where a secretive group of hidden killers keep the world safe through their political assassinations, the novel follows an assassin, known simply as 17, who strives to become the best killer on the planet by killing the current top contender, 16. However, another assassin, 18, is chasing the same goal, and will stop at nothing to hunt down and kill our protagonist. This novel sounds so freaking awesome to me and I cannot wait to see how the intense and epic Seventeen turns out.

Synopsis:

YOU’LL NEVER KNOW MY NAME.
BUT YOU WON’T FORGET MY NUMBER.

Behind the events you know are the killers you don’t.
When diplomacy fails, we’re the ones who gear up.
Officially we don’t exist, but every government in the world uses our services.
We’ve been saving the world, and your ass, for 100 years.

Sixteen people have done this job before me.
I am 17. The most feared assassin in the world.
But to be the best you must beat the best.
My next target is 16, just as one day 18 will hunt me down.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world and it gets lonely at the top.
Nobody gets to stay for long.
But while we’re here, all that matters is that we win.

Visceral, cinematic and insanely addictive, 17 will keep you on the edge of your seat and live long in the memory. Until 18 comes along …

Waiting on Wednesday – The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence

On March 9, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday4 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 check out an awesome upcoming fantasy epic that I already know I am going to deeply enjoy, The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence.

The Girl and the Moon Cover

Over the last couple of years, I have been having a great time reading the latest series by acclaimed fantasy/science fiction author Mark Lawrence. Lawrence, who has made a real name for himself in fantasy circles with his epic and beloved The Broken Empire, The Red Queen’s War and The Book of the Ancestor series, is a brilliant author with a great imagination, who I had been meaning to check out for some time.

I finally got the chance in 2020 when I read the first book in his new The Book of the Ice trilogy, The Girl and the Stars, which serves as a prequel to The Book of the Ancestor series. This impressive novel introduced a bold new protagonist, Yaz, who lives on a dying ice world where survival is a daily struggle. After being thrown down a hole in the ice by a malevolent group of priests, Yaz is able to see her world in a new light as she is dragged into a conflict against malevolent artificial gods, their deadly priests, and dangerous shadow creatures. The second book in the series, The Girl and the Mountain, continued this epic tale, taking the protagonist and her friends on a dangerous journey across the ice and towards the main setting of The Book of the Ancestor novels, ending it on a great cliff-hanger. Both these novels were extremely good and I deeply enjoyed diving into this complex and intricate world.

Due to how much fun I had with The Girl and the Stars and The Girl and the Mountain, I have been very excited to get the third and final book in this series and I am extremely curious about how this impressive tale is going to end. Well, my wait is nearly over as the next book, The Girl and the Moon, is coming out in late April 2022. This upcoming finale already sounds pretty damn awesome to me, and I look forward to seeing what happens to the book’s great characters and sinister villains. Not only is this one of my most anticipated reads for 2022 but I am already extremely confident that this will be one of the best books of the year.

Synopsis:

The fate of the world hangs from the Moon

The green world overwhelms all of Yaz’s expectations. Everything seems different but some things remain the same: her old enemies are still bent on her destruction.

The Corridor abounds with plenty and unsuspected danger. To stand a chance against the eyeless priest, Eular, and the god-like city-mind, Seus, Yaz will need to learn fast and make new friends.

The Convent of Sweet Mercy, like the Corridor itself, is packed with peril and opportunity. Yaz needs the nuns’ help – but first they want to execute her.

The fate of everyone squeezed between the Corridor’s vast walls, and ultimately the fate of those labouring to survive out on ice itself, hangs from the moon, and the battle to save the moon centres on the Ark of the Missing, buried beneath the emperor’s palace. Everyone wants Yaz to be the key that will open the Ark – the one the wise have sought for generations. But sometimes wanting isn’t enough.

The Girl and the Moon Cover 2

Waiting on Wednesday – Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

On March 2, 2022September 6, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult6 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 take a look at a cool upcoming young adult thriller from a very talented author that I already know I am going to love, Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez.

Friends Like These Cover

Amazon Book Depository

Last year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, a brilliant young adult thriller that saw a group of friends forced into an impossible situation when they accidently start a wildfire that destroys their town, forcing them to lie to save themselves from legal retribution. This was an incredible read that perfectly blended character arcs with an intense narrative and some major twists, and it was easily one of the best debut novels of the year. I had so much fun reading this cool novel that I have been keeping an eye out for any detail about the author’s next novel, and I was very happy when I saw she had another intriguing young adult thriller coming out later this year.

This book is Friends Like These which is currently set for release in November 2022. Friends Like These is another intriguing and cool young adult read that will set teenage protagonists against each other as they attempt to navigate a terrible situation. This time the new protagonists will have to uncover a killer and hide their involvement in a crime when a body is discovered at their beach party after they pull off a video prank. Sure to be filled with some intense moments and exquisite storytelling, I am already extremely excited for Friends Like These and I am exceedingly confident that this is going to be one of the best young adult books of 2022.

Synopsis:

Twisted secrets that will have readers guessing with every flip of the page. Perfect for fans of GONE GIRL and Karen M. McManus.

Tegan Sheffield’s annual end-of-summer beach party is the only way to start their senior year. At least that’s what Jake Healy tells his girlfriend Jessica Sanchez.

But when a video prank from the party goes viral and a body is discovered at the beach, Jake and Jessica find themselves at the centre of a national media storm and a police investigation.

It’s a race to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.

Waiting on Wednesday – Flames of Mira by Clay Harmon

On February 23, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday2 Comments

Readers of this blog will know that I am a major fan of checking out debut authors when they produce their first foray into full-length fiction. This is mainly because I have read some incredible debut novels over the years, with some of the very best featured in my 2020 and 2021 top ten debut lists. As such, I keep a close eye on all the best upcoming releases and I recently found out about a fantastic sounding fantasy debut coming out later this year that I am quite excited about, Flames of Mira by Clay Harmon, a fascinating novel with a ton of potential.

Flames of Mira Cover

Flames of Mira, which will be released in July 2022, will be the very first novel in Harmon’s planned The Rift Walker series. This cool upcoming novel sounds extremely fun and not only does it have a pretty awesome cover at the moment, but there is also an intriguing and exciting plot synopsis that has really grabbed my attention. Filled with elemental power, magical slavery, violent revolution, and a damaged protagonist with a magical death-sentence hanging over his head, Flames of Mira looks set to be a pretty epic read, and it is one that I will be very eager to check out.

Synopsis:

An epic new fantasy in a world of ice, magma and magic!

Among the volcanoes beneath Mira’s frozen lands, people like Ig are forced to undergo life-threatening trials that bind chemical elements to the human body. One of Mira’s most powerful elementals, Ig works in secret as an enforcer for the corrupt Magnate Sorrelo Adriann, but is cursed with flesh binding magic — magic that will kill him at the first sign of disobedience. His days are spent hunting down anyone who would oppose the magnate, a shell of his old self who clings to old memories and his budding friendships with the magnate’s son and daughter.

When Sorrelo is overthrown in a coup and the country is thrown into chaos, Ig quickly learns he can do far worse than what Sorrelo has asked from him so far. If he can’t rediscover the person he was and escape the flesh binding in time, he will have to kill countless innocents as Sorrelo and his allies seek to reclaim the throne, or sacrifice himself trying.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

On February 16, 2022August 13, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, 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 check out the incredible upcoming final entry in Naomi Novik’s epic Scholomance series, The Golden Enclaves.

The Golden Enclaves Cover

Without a doubt, some of the best pieces of fantasy fiction I have read over the last couple of years has been the clever and addictive Scholomance novels by acclaimed author Naomi Novik. Novik, who has previously impressed with her Temeraire series and standalone books like Spinning Silver, has created an incredible series here, filled with dark magic, complex characters, and an unbelievable setting.

The Scholomance novels are primarily set within the Scholomance, the world’s premier magic school which traps hundreds of magical children in its self-sustaining magical grounds for years, forcing them to face a gauntlet of monsters, treachery and dangerous lessons for their own good. This all changes when protagonist El Higgens arrives and finds herself in all manner of trouble. El, who has incredibly destructive magical abilities and a dark prophecy about her future hanging about her, finds herself forced to turn her abilities to destroying the school’s invading monsters when she meets up with moody monster hunter, Orion Lake. This results in a deep, clever and incredibly entertaining narrative that perfectly twists the classic magical school story around into a brilliant tale.

The series is so far made up of A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate, both of which were among my favourite books of 2020 and 2021 respectfully. A Deadly Education perfectly introduced the characters and the settings, as well as some of the deadly issues that were impacting the school (well, deadlier than usual). This was followed up with the even more impressive The Last Graduate, which expanded several of the great storylines from the A Deadly Education, and saw the protagonists embark on an elaborate plan to alter their world for good. While the plan was successful, destroying the school, it ended on a massive and shocking cliff-hanger that shook me to my very core. Due to how deeply moving and heartbreaking this cliff-hanger was, I have been very eagerly looking forward the third novel while mildly cursing Novik for making me wait to resolve the story. Luckily, I finally have some details about the final book which will whet my appetite for the moment.

This third and final book will be The Golden Enclaves, which is currently set for release in September 2022 and will apparently wrap up the series, bringing the entire story together. A cover and plot synopsis has just been released and I have to say that I am exceedingly excited by what they contain.

Synopsis:

Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate.

The one thing you never talk about while you’re in the Scholomance is what you’ll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it’s all we dream about, the hideously slim chance we’ll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls.

And now the impossible dream has come true. I’m out, we’re all out–and I didn’t even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother’s prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn’t kill enclavers, I saved them. Me, and Orion, and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: we saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves of the world.

Ha, only joking! Actually it’s gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war on the horizon. And the first thing I’ve got to do now, having miraculously got out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.

Ooh, now that is very interesting synopsis that reveals some potential clues about how the plot of The Golden Enclaves is going to turn out. I love the tone of this synopsis which really carries all the angst and frustration of the point-of-view protagonist El, especially as it sounds like all her plans to survive and to keep her fellow students and their families safe has failed. The fact that someone else is out there destroying enclaves (elite magical communities), is pretty interesting, especially as that was El’s prophesised destiny that she was trying to avoid (I’m sure she’ll get blamed for it anyway). Having an atmosphere of war, suspicion and carnage out in the world should result in some intense storylines, especially as everyone is going to be looking at El, who is generally considered to be the perfect weapon. I am very curious to find out the identity of whoever is destroying the enclaves, especially if it ties into the events El experienced in the supposedly separate and isolated Scholomance.

I do think that The Golden Enclaves is going to be a very different book from the last two entries in the series. The entirety of A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate took place within the confines of the Scholomance, while this novel will be set out in the wider world. This really will change the feel, atmosphere and character dynamics of the entire story, especially as the protagonist no longer has to worry about lessons, lurking monsters and scheming classmates. It does sound like El is immediately going to try and get back into the Scholomance, so we might see a bit of it in the novel, which should prove interesting considering how its destruction led to the big cliff-hanger in the previous book. I will admit that I am going to miss the whole magical school element of this book, especially as that was one of the things that drew me to the series in the first place (I love magical school stories). However, I don’t think it will matter too much as at this point, I am far too invested in the overarching narrative and the characters of this series, that I cannot wait to see what happens to them no matter where they are.

Look, lets be honest here, there is no way in hell that I will not be reading this book this year, especially after how The Last Graduate ended. I am fully committed to finding out how this excellent series concludes, and the above synopsis hints at some cool and interesting developments that should result in a great story. I am exceedingly confident that Novik will provide an exceptional wrap up to this brilliant trilogy and I am just so excited to see how everything ends. I am 100 per cent confident that this will end up being on of my favourite books of 2022, and I am so damn excited to see how The Golden Enclaves turns out.

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