Category: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday – In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, 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.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday I check out one of the most anticipated fantasy releases of 2022 with In the Shadow of Lightning by acclaimed author Brian McClellan.

In the Shadow of Lightning Cover

Few fantasy authors have reached the impressive heights that Brian McClellan has in recent years, as this brilliant author has produced two epic fantasy series.  Debuting in 2013, McClellan wowed the world with The Powder Mage trilogy, an incredible trilogy which takes place in a kingdom that has just seen a brutal revolution by the powder mages, military mages who use gunpowder to gain various gun-related abilities.  Unfortunately, many factions opposed their revolution, including the nation’s vengeful god, and the protagonists soon find themselves involved in a desperate fight for survival.  The first book in this series, Promise of Blood, is pretty darn awesome, getting a five-star review from me, and it is one of my favourite debuts of all time.  I still really need to get through the rest of The Powder Mage novels, as well as the sequel Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy, as all the books in this series have garnered rave reviews.  However, McClellan is not slowing down as he has a new series starting next year, the first book of which is In the Shadow of Lightning.

In the Shadow of Lightning is another epic fantasy novel which has a current release date of 21 June 2022.  This book will be the first entry in McClellan’s new Glass Immortals series and looks set to take readers on another intense adventure, laden with magic, politics, intrigue and murder.

Synopsis:

From Brian McClellan, author of The Powder Mage, comes In the Shadow of Lightning, a brand-new epic fantasy where magic is a finite resource—and it’s running out.

Demir Grappo is an outcast—he fled a life of wealth and power, abandoning his responsibilities as a general, a governor, and a son. Now he will live out his days as a grifter, rootless, and alone. But when his mother is brutally murdered, Demir must return from exile to claim his seat at the head of the family and uncover the truth that got her killed: the very power that keeps civilization turning, godglass, is running out.

Now, Demir must find allies, old friends and rivals alike, confront the powerful guild-families who are only interested in making the most of the scraps left at the table and uncover the invisible hand that threatens the Empire. A war is coming, a war unlike any other. And Demir and his ragtag group of outcasts are the only thing that stands in the way of the end of life as the world knows it.

This new novel sounds extremely fun, and McClellan is clearly setting up another rich and complex fantasy novel.  Based on the awesome above synopsis, it looks like In the Shadow of Lightning has a lot of amazing features that should translated into an incredible read.  A former noble turned grifter returning to get revenge and power sounds pretty cool, especially as it will see him get embroiled in a vast conspiracy, while also fighting to defeat rival houses and ambitious beings.  Throw in a cast of outcasts and rebels, as well as a fascinating new magical system (what does godglass do, what is happening to it? I really want to know), and you have an intriguing hit, especially in the hands of a talented author like McClellan.

Based on how McClellan wrote The Powder Mage novels, I am expecting In the Shadow of Lightning to be particularly complex and impressive read, which will no doubt drag me in and get me obsessed with its fun characters and fascinating landscape.  Honestly, I knew I would be grabbing this book the moment that I saw McClellan was writing it, and it will be great to get on board an ongoing series from this talented author.  However, I also really like the fun story described in the synopsis, and I think this book has the potential to be one of the top reads of 2022.  I cannot wait to see how this fantastic upcoming novel turns out, and I think I will have to try to read the rest of The Powder Mage trilogy before In the Shadow of Lightning comes out.

Waiting on Wednesday – Rise of the Mages and The Justice of Kings

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.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday article, I look at two fun upcoming fantasy debuts that I think have an immense amount of potential.

Here at The Unseen Library, we have a lot of love for debut novels, and it is always awesome to read and review the first book a new author has produced or to see a writer break into a completely new genre.  I have had a brilliant time reading some great debuts in recent years, with some proving to be quite exceptional reads.  For example, two amazing debut novels of 2020, The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, ended up being some of the best books (and audiobooks) of the year.  This year has been no different, as I had read some exceptional debuts in 2021, such as The Councillor by E. J. Beaton and The Frenchman by Jack Beaumont.  I have some other glowing reviews for debut novels coming up shortly, and I am planning to do a Top Ten List highlighting some of the best debut novels of 2021 in a few weeks.  However, before I do any of that, I thought I would take the chance to look at two exceptional upcoming fantasy novels that are likely to be some of the best debuts of 2022.

Rise of the Mages Cover

The first of these books is Rise of the Mages by Scott Drakeford.  Currently set for release on 25 January 2022, Rise of the Mages in an interesting epic fantasy novel that will serve as the first book in The Age of Ire trilogy.  Rise of the Mages has an outstanding story of blood, magic and rebellion, as well as an awesome cover, and I really like the sound of this cool novel.

Synopsis:

Scott Drakeford’s epic fantasy debut, Rise of the Mages combines gripping, personal vengeance with compelling characters for an action packed first book in a trilogy.

Emrael Ire wants nothing more than to test to be a weapons master. His final exam will be a bloody insurrection, staged by corrupt nobles and priests, that enslaves his brother.

With the aid of his War Master tutor, herself an undercover mage, Emrael discovers his own latent and powerful talents.

To rescue his brother, Emrael must embrace not only his abilities as a warrior but also his place as last of the ancient Mage Kings—for the Fallen God has returned.

And he is hungry. 

This book has an awesome synopsis, and I am deeply intrigued by the fantastic sounding story that Rise of the Mages looks set to have.  Dark rebellions, rogue wizards and fallen gods are all excellent bases for great fantasy books and I very interested in the idea of a “Mage King”.  Based on this synopsis, it sounds like Drakeford is looking to produce a pretty epic and intense read, and I look forward to seeing all the magic-fuelled action, adventure and blood shed that Rise of the Mages contains.

The Justice of Kings Cover

The other book I really want to highlight in this post is the brilliant sounding The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan.  Set to be the first book in his proposed Empire of the Wolf trilogy, The Justice of Kings is Swan’s debut fantasy novel, after he previously wrote several intriguing science fiction novels, such as The Art of War trilogy.  The Justice of Kings currently has a release date of 22 February 2022 and I think it has the potential to be one of the best books of next year.

Synopsis:

The Justice of Kings, the first in a new epic fantasy trilogy, follows the tale of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one. As he unravels a web of secrets and lies, Vonvalt discovers a plot that might destroy his order once and for all – and bring down the entire Empire.

As an Emperor’s Justice, Sir Konrad Vonvalt always has the last word. His duty is to uphold the law of the empire using whatever tools he has at his disposal: whether it’s his blade, the arcane secrets passed down from Justice to Justice, or his wealth of knowledge of the laws of the empire. But usually his reputation as one of the most revered—and hated—Justices is enough to get most any job done.

When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a noblewoman, he finds his authority being challenged like never before. As the simple case becomes more complex and convoluted, he begins to pull at the threads that unravel a conspiracy that could see an end to all Justices, and a beginning to lawless chaos across the empire.

This sounds like such an outstanding and compelling read, and I am deeply intrigued by the proposed combination of crime fiction, legal thriller, and epic fantasy fiction elements.  The Justice of Kings’ plot about an honourable knight concerned only with justice, hunting through an elaborate conspiracy with magic and a sword has an amazing amount of promise, and I cannot wait to see what clever and complex mystery Swan has written around this.  I have already heard some substantial buzz around this book, with several reviewers I follow raving about The Justice of King’s story and fantasy elements after receiving advanced copies.  As such, I am extremely excited for this novel and I cannot wait to see if it lives up to all the hype.

2022 is already shaping up to be an excellent year for debut fantasy novels, especially with Rise of the Mages by Scott Drakeford and The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan.  Both these exceptional sounding novels have an immense amount of potential and promise, and I know I am going to have a great time reading them.  These two novels have amazing synopses, and I am extremely interested to find out how these compelling plots turn out.  Out of the two, I think that I am a little keener for The Justice of Kings, due to what I have already heard about it, but I am sure that Rise of the Mages will prove to be just as epic and fantastic.

Waiting on Wednesday – Upcoming Warhammer 40,000 Novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Warhammer3 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 column, I look at four awesome upcoming novels set in the turbulent and grim future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Readers familiar with this blog will know that I am a massive sucker for tie-in novels, and I am very well acquainted with several fandoms who have extensive expanded universes.  One of the more interesting ones that I have recently been getting into are the amazing and deeply exciting Warhammer extended universes.  Built around the various table-top games of Games Workshop and published by the Black Library, the Warhammer novels, are a massive collection of compelling and action-packed novels that add some outstanding backstory and extended universe inclusions to the already well-established lore introduced in the background of the various races and factions.

Throughout the last year or so I have been really getting into the Warhammer fiction, having read some incredible and fun novels, including the first three Gotrek and Felix novels, Trollslayer, Skavenslayer and Daemonslayer, from the Warhammer Fantasy franchise.  However, I have primarily been getting into the incredible science fiction adventures that make up the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Warhammer 40,000 fiction is set far in the future and envisions a dark and gothic universe, filled with constant warfare between a range of colourful and chaotic groups.  I have had an outstanding time with several great books set in this universe, including Deathwatch: Shadowbreaker, Kal Jerico: Sinner’s Bounty, Fire Made Flesh and The Twice-Dead King: Ruin.  Each of these novels has been pretty epic, and I am very much in the mood to read more of these books.  Luckily for me, there are huge number of new releases on the horizon, and four interesting books coming out here in Australia in the first half of 2022 have already caught my attention.

The first of these books is the intriguing and intense sounding Steel Tread by Andy Clark.  Steel Tread will be part of the Astra Militarum series, and will follow a group of Imperial Guard, the basic human soldiers, as they face off against the forces of Chaos.  In particular, the book will follow a tanker who is transferred to a new unit and must learn to command a new tank with an unusual crew.

Steel Tread Cover

Synopsis:

The Astra Millitarum are a blunt instrument of violence, wrought on a galactic scale. This new series from Black Library will explore some of their regiments.

On the war-torn world of Croatoas, the armies of the Astra Militarum do battle with the twisted servants of the Ruinous Powers. Against the backdrop of this increasingly desperate conflict, tanker Hadeya Etsul finds herself consolidated into a Cadian regiment, and placed in command of the Leman Russ Demolisher Steel Tread. Haunted by nightmares, surrounded by a dysfunctional crew and striving to find her place amidst a proud and insular regiment with a culture so different from her own, Etsul must guide her crew to victory. But, as her regiment rolls out beneath the poisonous light of the Great Rift to join a death-or-glory offensive, the crew of Steel Tread are about to face the fight of their lives. If they cannot learn to work as one, how can they hope to survive?

This cool first novel has a lot of potential and is set for release right at the start of 2022.  Steel Tread looks set to be a classic and powerful war story and I am extremely excited to once again get to grips with the common human solider in this universe of gods, monsters and demons.  I love the idea of an awesome tank-based story, especially as the author, Andy Clark, has a great deal of experience writing some cool science fiction and fantasy Warhammer stories.  I cannot wait to see how this book turns out, and I am expecting a dark and brooding science-fiction version of Fury.

The next Warhammer 40,000 novel that I want to read is The Bookkeeper’s Skull by Justin D. Hill.  The Bookkeeper’s Skull will be an inclusion in the Warhammer Horror sub-series, which sets terrifying and creepy horror tales in the wider Warhammer universe.  This is a bit of a win-win for me, as I have been keen to read more horror and Warhammer books, so this should be a good opportunity for me.  The Bookkeeper’s Skull will be set on an agricultural world in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which has descended into madness as one young man attempts to stop the horrors and blasphemy of Chaos.

The Bookkeeper's Skull Cover

Synopsis:

Spine-chilling tales set in the Worlds of Warhammer.

On the capital world of Potence, young enforcer cadet Rudgard Howe is caught up in a bitter internecine feud to inherit his father’s position of Chief Enforcer. As the tithe fleets approach, he is sent on his first mission to ensure that the planet’s distant agri-facilities fulfil their quotas to the God-Emperor.

Farmed with serfs and managed by ex-Militarum soldiers, the agri-facilities are places of shocking brutality and hopelessness. But when he is sent to the outlying farmstead of Thorsarbour, Rudgard discovers a community where the crops are left to rot as the inhabitants indulge in the bloody ecstasy of a sanguinary cult.

As Rudgard imposes the strict Lex Imperialis upon the farmstead, he begins to uncover a place where sanity is rapidly slipping. But he is just one step along this nightmarish mission when a series of cruel deaths threatens to dismantle everything he has ever known about the Imperium, his faith in the Emperor, and the strength of his very soul.

This is another awesome sounding novel with a really interesting plot to it.  Deranged Chaos cultists are a fantastic part of Warhammer lore, and I am extremely intrigued to see a dark and trippy horror novel written around it.  The Bookkeeper’s Skull is a relatively short novel, so this will no doubt be an extremely fast-paced read, with a lot of nightmares and insanity compressed into it.  I am very keen to read my first Warhammer Horror novel, and I cannot wait to see how dark and scary a horror novel in this universe can be.

The third book I wanted to highlight in this article is Day of Ascension by bestselling science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky.  Tchaikovsky is an extremely highly regarded science fiction author best known for his epic Shadows of the Apt series, and I have been really keen to read some of his work for a while.  Day of Ascension will be Tchaikovsky’s first Warhammer 40,000 novel and will examine one of the more unique and terrifying creatures in Warhammer canon, the Genestealers.

Day of Ascension Cover

Synopsis:

Exciting new Warhammer 40,000 novel from Adrian Tchaikovsky

On the forge world of Morod, the machines never stop and the work never ends. The population toil in the mines and factoria to protect humanity from the monsters in the void, while the Adeptus Mechanicus enjoy lives of palatial comfort.

Genetor Gammat Triskellian seeks to end this stagnant corruption. When he learns of a twisted congregation operating within the shadows, one which believes that the tech-priests are keeping the people from their true salvation – a long-prophesied union with angels – he sees in them an opportunity to bring down Morad’s masters and reclaim the world in the name of progress.

But sometimes, the only hope for real change lies in the coming of monsters.

Now this sounds like a very intriguing novel, and it will probably end up being one of the more unique and compelling Warhammer reads of 2022.  I absolutely love the plot for Day of Ascension described in the synopsis above, especially as Tchaikovsky will be combining a planned revolution with the introduction of a Genestealer Cult.  Genestealer Cults are the forerunners of the Tyranids, an insidious and unstoppable alien species, that range ahead of the wider Tyranid fleets infiltrating societies, infecting human populations, and causing rebellion and chaos.  The Genestealers are some of the most dangerous and scary Warhammer creatures, and storyline about an idealistic revolutionary becoming involved with them while not realising that they are planning to consume the entire planet and kill everyone, sounds pretty damn awesome.  This novel has an insane amount of potential, especially in Tchaikovsky’s very capable hands, and I cannot wait to see this fantastic and incredible story unfold.

The final book in this article is the very cool Gaunt’s Ghosts prequel novel, The Vincula Insurgency by one of the most highly regarded and prolific authors of Warhammer fiction, Dan Abnett.  The Gaunt’s Ghosts books are wildly considered to be one of the best and most iconic pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, perfectly highlighting the many battles and issues surrounding the Imperial Guard.  Following a small and tragic Imperial Guard regiment, the Tanith First and Only, the Gaunt’s Ghost series ran for years, and only finished in 2019 with the release of the 16th and final book.  I read the first book in this series, First and Only, earlier this year, and it was an exceptional and clever military read, perfectly capturing the many issues of the common solider in the trenches.  As such, I am extremely keen to read a new entry in the series, especially as it contains an interesting prequel narrative.

The Vincula Insurgency Cover

Synopsis:

 Gaunt’s Ghosts are back in a fresh new look at the beginning.

The war may be over, but duties remain for the brave soldiers of the Astra Militarum. In the ruined border town of Vincula, the newly formed Ghosts of Tanith, along with their commander Ibram Gaunt, find themselves in a thankless police action, trying to establish a permanent peace. But what exactly is stalking them through the shadowed streets, and what dark secrets will the untested, new-founded Ghosts learn about themselves? The Vincula Insurgency is an intense new combat thriller of the Ghosts’ early days, pulled directly from the ultra-classified Ghost Dossier.

This should be another captivating and interesting inclusion in the Warhammer 40,000 canon from Abnett.  Another relatively shorter entry, this first book in the Ghost Dossier series, is currently set for release in May 2022 (although a version was released earlier this year) and will no doubt be a fantastic, fast-paced read.  I love the idea of a very early Gaunt’s Ghosts story set right after the tragic loss of their planet and before they fully come together as a regiment.  There should be some really interesting and compelling storylines in this novel and I cannot wait to see what early horrors the Ghosts were forced to face.

As you can from the above, there are some extremely cool Warhammer 40,000 novels coming out in the next few months.  Each of the above sound extremely amazing and I am really keen to check them all out.  I think the above collection of books really highlights the fascinating and fantastic range of this franchise, and I look forward to expanding my Warhammer 40,000 knowledge very soon.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Starless Crown by James Rollins

On 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 this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a cool upcoming fantasy novel from an intriguing author, with The Starless Crown by James Rollins.

The Starless Crown Cover

James Rollins is a great author who I have had the pleasure of reading before.  I best known Rollins as an author of intense thriller novels, having enjoyed some of his awesome SIGMA Force novels which follow an elite team of soldiers as they face all manner of unique and crazy threats.  I have been meaning to read some more of Rollins work recently, especially as, after finishing the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry, I have been really in the mood for more weird science stuff.  Not only have I been thinking about once again diving into his SIGMA Force novels (his last book apparently took the protagonists to Tartarus, now that is cool), but I also have a copy of his 2000 thriller/horror novel, Excavation, sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read.  However, before seeing the details of his latest book, I never realised that Rollins previously wrote fantasy fiction.

It turns out that Rollins used to write fantasy fiction under the penname of James Clemens.  Indeed, Rollin’s debut novel was the fantasy novel Wit’ch Fire, which came out a year before his thriller debut, Subterranean.  Rollins ended up releasing two fantasy series as James Clemens, The Banned and the Banished series and The Godslayer series.  However, despite his history as James Clemens, his next fantasy novel will instead be released using the James Rollins name.  This upcoming book, The Starless Crown, is set for release in early January 2022, and will be the first book in the intriguing new Moon Fall fantasy series.

Synopsis:

An alliance embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the secrets of the distant past and save their world in this captivating, deeply visionary adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling thriller-master James Rollins.

A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death.

Fleeing into the unknown she is drawn into a team of outcasts:

A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he’s forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home.

A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother’s shadow and claims a purpose of his own.

An imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact – one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe.

On the run, hunted by enemies old and new, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in strange, beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation.

But with each passing moment, doom draws closer.

WHO WILL CLAIM THE STARLESS CROWN?


The Starless Crown sounds like it is going to be a very fun and compelling novel, and I really like the cool plot synopsis that has been released.  Having four unique protagonists come together to survive and save the world is classic fantasy fare, and their separate and distinctive storylines will probably come together into a big epic narrative.  I am rather intrigued about the idea of the key protagonist predicting the apocalypse and then getting hunted for it, and I am sure that will result in quite a cool story.  The three supporting characters also sound suitably eclectic, and it will be great to see four disparate personalities come together as the book continues.

Overall, I like the sound of The Starless Crown and I have a feeling it is going to be an awesome and captivating read with some cool fantasy elements to it.  I must admit that I am mostly keen to grab this book to see how a Rollin’s fantasy novel turns out, although I am extremely confident that this talented author will produce something truly amazing.  This upcoming book does have a great sounding story, and I honestly believe that it has an awful lot of potential.  I am very excited to check The Starless Crown out, and no doubt it will be a great start to Moon Fall series, which I am hoping will be a major feature of the fantasy genre for the next few years.

Waiting on Wednesday – Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 36: Tengu War! by Stan Sakai

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, 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 check out the next upcoming volume in the superb Usagi Yojimbo comic series by Stan Saki, Tengu War!

Usagi Yojimbo - Tengu War!

It is finally that time of the year when I get to gush over the next upcoming entry in the amazing Usagi Yojimbo comic series.  Readers of this blog will know of my great love of the Usagi Yojimbo series, which I consider one of the best ongoing comic book series out there.  Written and drawn by the talented Stan Sakai, the Usagi Yojimbo comics follow Miyamoto Usagi, a wandering rabbit ronin who adventures through an alternate version of feudal Japan inhabited by anthropomorphic animals.  This epic series features some impressive storylines that are filled with cool and complex characters, amazing Japanese cultural elements, intense battle scenes and some outstanding and beautiful artwork.  I deeply enjoy this amazing series, and I have read every single volume multiple times.

The next entry in the Usagi Yojimbo series with be the 36th volume, Tengu War!, which is currently set for release in February 2022.  Tengu War! will be the third volume published by IDW, and will also be the third volume released completely in colour.  I am quite excited by the synopsis that has been released, and I love the cool sounding stories that will be contained in Tengu War!  The stories in this upcoming volume will follow through some of the recent storylines featured in the IDW volumes, Bunraku and Other Stories (one of my favourite books of 2020) and Homecoming (one of my favourite books from the first half of this year), while also calling back to some of the older entries in this series.

Synopsis:

Volume Three collecting Usagi’s newest adventures finds him fighting in a war with an old teacher and strange new allies–and helping a new friend complete a mission!

Usagi seeks out an old teacher, Sojobo, but upon finding him, learns that a new brand of Tengu mountain goblins have invaded the Western Peak. Savage and relentless, they are determined to drive the established Tengu out and prey upon the people of the area. For the first time, Usagi must ally himself with yokai against an even greater enemy, in “Tengu War!”

Then, in “The Master of Hebishima,” Usagi delivers a basket of lizards to an eccentric monk who lives on a remote island infested with snakes, where he learns they share a history that goes back to the Great Wars and the Battle of Adachi Plain where Usagi became a ronin.

In the final story, “Yukichi,” Usagi encounters a young swordmaster carrying out the dying wish of his master. Yukichi must deliver Itsuki-Sensei’s swords to his nephew, Daido, who will take over his school, however, they must pass through the territory of a rival school intent on preventing them from completing their mission.

Collects issues #15–21 of the all-new full-color Usagi Yojimbo series published by IDW.

I really like the sound of the cool stories contained within this upcoming volume.  It looks like Sakai has come up with three great new adventures, and I am sure that I will have a wonderful time with all of them.  The first story regarding the warring Tengu (from which this volume will get its name), sounds pretty interesting especially as it will show some fantastic new elements of Usagi’s early life.  We have had some hints at Usagi’s experiences with the Tengu before, specifically in a story contained in the 18th volume, Travels with Jotaro, which detailed Usagi’s first ill-fated meeting with a Tengu swordmaster.  This new story will no doubt detail his mysterious training under the Tengu, and I am quite intrigued about what happened during these experiences.  I am also excited to learn more about the Tengu, especially as this story will feature two separate varieties of them, and it will be fun to see Usagi, who usually slays all the Japanese monsters (yokai) he encounters, team up with some mystical creatures for the great good.

The other two stories contained within Tengu War! also sound extremely fun, and I am very keen to read them.  The first of them, The Master of Hebishima, sounds like one of the more unique entries in this volume, and I think it will be and interesting blend of drama and comedy.  Usagi forced to deal with an eccentric monk on an island filled with snakes has a lot of potential with fun, but add in a connection to his past and you have a much more serious story.  The Battle of Adachi Plain has been featured in several previous comics, including the main story of Volume 2: The Samurai and the story Return to Adachi Plain from the 11th volume, Seasons, and these prior occurrences have brought great grief and melancholy to Usagi.  This should result in some great, emotional moments, and it will be interesting to see how this ties into some recent storylines where Usagi has been contemplating his continued loyalty to his long-dead master.  I look forward to seeing what sort of tale is contained within The Master of Hebishima, and I am very curious about the whole island of snakes aspect of it (are they sentient, evil, do they have some connection to the mysterious villain, Lord Hebi? I need to know).

The final story, Yukichi, also sounds very awesome, as Usagi and another swordsman are forced to cross a hostile landscape to deliver a pair of valuable swords.  Out of all the stories in Tengu War!, this one has the most potential for intense action sequences, as Usagi and his new friend will be forced to face off against a horde of rival swordsman and students, intent on stopping them.  I imagine there will also be some interesting talk about duty and honour, and I look forward to seeing Usagi lending his experiences to a younger, less worldly student.

As you can from the above, I am extremely excited about this upcoming volume in the Usagi Yojimbo comic series.  I absolutely love the sound all three stories that will be contained within Tengu War!, and I think that they all have an immense amount of potential for impressive action sequences and fantastic character moments.  Based on all my previous experiences with Sakai’s work and this amazing Usagi Yojimbo, I already know that I am going to deeply enjoy this upcoming volume, and Tengu War! will be one of the best things I read in 2022.

Waiting on Wednesday – Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham

On 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 latest Waiting on Wednesday article, I highlight a very awesome sounding upcoming fantasy novel from an acclaimed, bestselling author with Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham.

Age of Ash Cover

Amazon

Daniel Abraham is an outstandingly talented author who has been producing some very compelling reads for the last 15 years.  Abraham, who also writes under the pseudonym M. L. N Hanover, has previously authored several big fantasy series, including The Long Price Quartet, the Black Sun’s Daughter series and The Dagger and the Coin series, as well as contributing to several Wild Cards novels (a long-running superhero series edited by George R. R. Martin).  However, Abraham is best known for his partnership with Ty Franck, who write together under the joint pseudonym James S. A. Corey, of The Expanse fame.  The Expanse series is easily the hottest science fiction series now (check out my review for the previous entry, Tiamat’s Wrath), and the upcoming final book in the series, Leviathan Falls is set to be the biggest science fiction release of the entire year.

While I have enjoyed a couple of The Expanse novels, I have yet to try out any of Abraham’s solo works.  His next upcoming book seems like a perfect opportunity to fix this, especially as it will be the start of a brand-new epic fantasy series.  This new book, Age of Ash, is currently set for release on 15 February 2022, and will serve as the very first book in the Kithamar series.

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author Daniel Abraham, co-author of The Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.

Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold.

This is Alys’s.

When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why.  But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.

Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.


Age of Ash sounds like it is going to be a pretty awesome fantasy story.  I love it when author’s combine fun crime fiction elements together with elaborate fantasy narratives, and Age of Ash’s story looks set to feature murder, conspiracy, and nation-ending secrets.  I am quite intrigued to see how this story turns out, especially in the hands of the ultra-impressive Abraham.  Based on the combination of a cool narrative and a talented author, I think that this novel has an immense amount of potential, and the Kithamar series is likely to be a cornerstone of the fantasy genre for the next few years.

Waiting on Wednesday – Road of Bones by Christopher Golden

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, 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 latest Waiting on Wednesday I check out a fascinating upcoming horror novel from a bestselling author, with Road of Bones by Christopher Golden.

Road of Bones Cover

Christopher Golden is a compelling author who has been writing interesting horror and fantasy novels since 1994.  His extensive writing career has so far produced a fantastic collection of novels, short stories, and co-written books, across several different genres and series.  In addition to his multiple standalone novels, Golden’s has also written The Hidden Cities series with Tim Lebbon, The Veil series, The Shadow Saga, the Ben Walker series, and some great tie-in novels, including a ton of Buffy the Vampire Slayer books.  Despite this vast assortment of works, I have not had the pleasure of reading any of Golden’s work in the past, although many of them sound pretty cool.  However, I was pretty taken when I saw the synopsis for Golden’s next standalone book, Road of Bones and it is one I am quite keen to check out.

Synopsis:

A stunning supernatural thriller set in Siberia, where a film crew is covering an elusive ghost story about the Kolyma Highway, a road built on top of the bones of prisoners of Stalin’s gulag.

Kolyma Highway, otherwise known as the Road of Bones, is a 1200 mile stretch of Siberian road where winter temperatures can drop as low as sixty degrees below zero. Under Stalin, at least eighty Soviet gulags were built along the route to supply the USSR with a readily available workforce, and over time hundreds of thousands of prisoners died in the midst of their labors. Their bodies were buried where they fell, plowed under the permafrost, underneath the road.

Felix Teigland, or “Teig,” is a documentary producer, and when he learns about the Road of Bones, he realizes he’s stumbled upon untapped potential. Accompanied by his camera operator, Teig hires a local Yakut guide to take them to Oymyakon, the coldest settlement on Earth. Teig is fascinated by the culture along the Road of Bones, and encounters strange characters on the way to the Oymyakon, but when the team arrives, they find the village mysteriously abandoned apart from a mysterious 9-year-old girl. Then, chaos ensues.

A malignant, animistic shaman and the forest spirits he commands pursues them as they flee the abandoned town and barrel across miles of deserted permafrost. As the chase continues along this road paved with the suffering of angry ghosts, what form will the echoes of their anguish take? Teig and the others will have to find the answers if they want to survive the Road of Bones.

I have to say that I really like the sound of this awesome upcoming novel, particularly after reading this bizarre and fantastic synopsis.  Having a couple of documentary makers get chased by a shaman and his ghosts across a Siberian wilderness/gigantic mass grave is a very entertaining and unique premise that has gotten me extremely curious.  I look forward to seeing how this intense sounding novel turns out, and I have a strong feeling that it will be an entertaining and extremely enjoyable read.  Road of Bones currently has a release date of 25 January 2022, and it should be a very fun novel to check out early in the new year.

Waiting on Wednesday – Dark Horse, Sierra Six and Armored

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday13 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 some incredible upcoming thriller novels that I feel are going to be some of the best books of the next few months.

Over the last few years, I have really been getting into the thriller genre, having read a great number of awesome and fast-paced novels across the various sub-genres.  I have had a particularly awesome time with the spy thrillers, and I love a novel that follows a dangerous and talented intelligence agent facing off against a range of clever opponents and outrageous odds.  Two of the best series I have been getting into are the Orphan X and Gray Man spy thriller series, which contain complex protagonists and fantastic storylines, and I thought I would take this opportunity to look at their next amazing sounding entries.

Dark Horse Cover

The first of these books is the fun sounding Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz, which will be the seventh Orphan X novel.  The Orphan X series follows the titular Orphan X, Evan Smoak, a legendary agent who has gone rogue and taken up the persona of the Nowhere Man, a vigilante who helps people that have nowhere to turn to.  I got into this series a few years ago when I read Out of the Dark, an amazing book that saw Orphan X attempting to kill the President of the United States.  I had a fantastic time with this cool concept, and I made sure to check out the next two books in the series, both of which were five-star reads.  The first of these, Into the Fire (one of the best audiobooks of 2020), saw a concussed Orphan X tearing through a sinister criminal organisation in LA, while the latest book, Prodigal Son, forced a semi-retired Evan to go up against a crazy weapons developer.  All three of these novels were really good, and I loved the high-concept fights, complex antagonists and the interesting personal issues surrounding the former orphan who was raised by a group of killers.

The next book in the series, Dark Horse, also sounds really good, as the protagonist faces another impossible challenge, while also dealing with secrets from his past.  Dark Horse is currently set for release on 8 February 2022, and it looks like it will be a deeply impressive read.

Synopsis:

Gregg Hurwitz’s New York Times bestselling series returns when Orphan X faces his most challenging mission ever in Dark Horse.

Evan Smoak is a man with many identities and a challenging past. As Orphan X, he was a government assassin for the off-the-books Orphan Program. After he broke with the Program, he adopted a new name and a new mission—The Nowhere Man, helping the most desperate in their times of trouble. Having just survived an attack on his life and the complete devastation of his base of operations, as well as his complicated (and deepening) relationship with his neighbor Mia Hall, Evan isn’t interested in taking on a new mission. But one finds him anyway.

Aragon Urrea is a kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation in South Texas. He’s also the patron of the local area—supplying employment in legitimate operations, providing help to the helpless, rough justice to the downtrodden, and a future to a people normally with little hope. He’s complicated—a not completely good man, who does bad things for often good reasons. However, for all his money and power, he is helpless when one of the most vicious cartels kidnaps his innocent eighteen year old daughter, spiriting her away into the armored complex that is their headquarters in Mexico. With no other way to rescue his daughter, he turns to The Nowhere Man.

Now not only must Evan figure out how to get into the impregnable fortress of a heavily armed, deeply paranoid cartel leader, but he must decide if he should help a very bad man—no matter how just the cause.

Unsurprisingly I love the sound of this cool new novel, especially as the main plot will revolve around the protagonist storming the impregnable fortress of a Mexican cartel.  This book has an awful lot of potential and I cannot wait to see what surprising and outrageous schemes that the protagonist will utilise to save the kidnapped girl.  I am also very curious about the inclusion of a drug kingpin being Evan’s client, as he usually only helps normal, innocent people.  Working to help a rich criminal will be an interesting change for the Nowhere Man, and I look forward to seeing his inner conflict around it.  The character of Aragon Urrea will also make for a compelling alternate narrator (each of Evan’s clients are usually featured pretty heavily), and he should have a pretty unique take on the events occurring around him.  Based on the events of Prodigal Son, it is likely that Aragon will have connections to Evan’s past, and it wouldn’t surprise me if you see the protagonist’s family grow just a little more.  All this sound pretty amazing, and I am extremely keen to check Dark Horse out.

Sierra Six Cover

The next book is Sierra Six, the 11th novel in the impressive Gray Man series by bestselling author Mark Greaney.  The Gray Man series follows Court Gentry, an elite spy and killer known as the Gray Man.   I got into this series back in 2019 when I checked out the fantastic Mission Critical.  This was an awesome read that saw Gentry hunting a team of Russian spies who planned to cripple the Western intelligence community.  Greaney has since followed this book up with two exceptional five-star reads, One Minute Out (one of the best books of 2020) and Relentless (one of the best books and audiobooks I have so far read this year).  I also recently went back and checked out the first novel in the series, The Gray Man, which was incredibly awesome and contained an epic storyline that saw Gentry square off against 100 elite killers across Europe.

The 11th Gray Man novel, Sierra Six, currently has a release date in February 2022 and looks set to examine some terrible secrets from Gentry’s past, with a compelling look at his first mission with the CIA.

Synopsis:

It’s been years since the Gray Man’s first mission, but the trouble’s just getting started in the latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Before he was the Gray Man, Court Gentry was Sierra Six, the junior member of a CIA action team.

In their first mission they took out a terrorist leader, but at a terrible price–the life of a woman Court cared for. Years have passed and now The Gray Man is on a simple mission when he sees a ghost: the long-dead terrorist, but he’s remarkably energetic for a dead man.

A decade may have gone by but the Gray Man hasn’t changed. He isn’t one to leave a job unfinished or a blood debt unpaid.

This sounds like such an awesome read, and I really love the idea of Greaney going way back into his protagonist’s past.  I’m assuming that Sierra Six will have a split narrative, with a good portion following Gentry’s first mission, and I looking forward to learning more about this character’s backstory.  It will also be interesting to see how Gentry is going after the events of Relentless when he was blackballed by the CIA again, and I will be quite intrigued to find out what happens with some of the series’ ongoing storylines.  I am very excited for this novel, although I might try and check out one or two earlier Gray Man novels beforehand, just to build up some more context.

Armored Cover

I also must take the time to talk about Greaney’s other big upcoming release, Armored.  Armored is a standalone audiobook written by Greaney that currently has a release date of 9 December 2021.  This fantastic sounding audiobook will be voiced by a full cast of narrators, including the impressive Jay Snyder, and it has the potential to be one of the most intense and action-packed releases of the year, especially as Mr Explosion himself, Michael Bay, has already obtained the film rights for it.

Synopsis:

A team of military contractors fights for its life in this high-adrenaline, full-cast drama from Mark Greaney, author of the Audible and New York Times best-selling Gray Man series.

Josh Duffy is staring into the abyss.

A decorated army veteran turned military contractor, his last mission went sideways, leaving him badly injured and his career derailed. Now, he’s working as a mall cop, trying to keep his family one step ahead of the bill collectors.

So when a chance at redemption – and a big pay day – comes his way, Duff eagerly jumps in.

The job – to ride shotgun on a motorcade of heavily armed and armored vehicles as they roll into Mexico’s cartel country. The mission – to find a notorious drug lord and bring him to the negotiating table with the Mexican government and the UN.

But Duff’s employer, Armored Saint, has a track record that’s sketchy, at best. And from the moment the motorcade hits the dusty roads, the danger only increases.

It’s a suicide run – and for Duff, the violent forces of the cartels may not be the biggest threat.

So, another book set down in cartel country, Armored also sounds pretty damn cool, and I think that I am going to have an amazing time with this book.  Based on the synopsis, it looks like the protagonist and his friends will be forced to endure a gauntlet of death and destruction, along with a traitor in their ranks and some dodgy dealing from the corporation running them.  I cannot wait to check this book out, and I have very high hopes for the audiobook format, especially with its comprehensive and intriguing cast.  I must admit that I am pretty excited to get multiple books from Greaney is so short a time frame, and I look forward to seeing what madness is featured in both his upcoming reads.  I have also heard rumours that a sequel to Red Metal, which Greaney cowrite with H. Ripley Rawlings (one of the best books and audiobooks of 2019), is on its way, and I will make sure to feature that in another Waiting on Wednesday entry when I get some more details.

As you can from the above, I have quite a lot of thrillers to read very soon.  All three of these books have an immense amount of potential, and based on my experiences with their authors, I already know that I am going to have an outstanding time getting through all of them.

Waiting on Wednesday – League of Liars and Echoes and Empires

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult2 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 two great sounding upcoming young adult fantasy novels that I think have a lot of potential and could be some great reads.

We only have a few months left in the year, so many reviewers are looking to 2022 when it comes to upcoming books.  I am always on the look out for fun new series, so I was quite intrigued when I came across two fantastic sounding upcoming young adult fantasy novels that are set for release in the first few months of next year.  Both these books sound really fun and have awesome sounding stories that focus on illegal magic in two very different ways.

League of Liars Cover

The first of theses book is League of Liars by Astrid Scholte, a relatively new author who got a fair bit of attention with her two previous novels, Four Dead Queens and The Vanishing Deep.  Her next novel is an intriguing fantasy thriller that follows four teens in a world where illegal users of extradimensional magic are arrested, tried, and sent to a maximum-security prison.  Set for release on 22 February 2022, this book has a very awesome story to it which has really grabbed my attention.

Synopsis:

In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and How to Get Away with Murder.

Ever since his mother was killed, seventeen-year-old Cayder Broduck has had one goal–to see illegal users of magic brought to justice. People who carelessly use extradimensional magic for their own self-interest, without a care to the damage it does to society or those around them, deserve to be punished as far as Cayder is concerned. Because magic always has a price. So when Cayder lands a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice under a premier public defender, he takes it. If he can learn all the tricks of public defense, the better he’ll be able to dismantle defense arguments when he’s a prosecutor. Then he’ll finally be able to make sure justice is served.

But when he meets the three criminals he’s supposed to defend, it no longer seems so black and white. They’re teenagers, like him, and their stories are . . . complicated, like his. Vardean, the prison where Cayder’s new clients are incarcerated, also happens to be at the very heart of the horrible tear in the veil between their world and another dimension–where all magic comes from.

League of Liars is a dark and twisty mystery set in a richly-drawn world where nothing is as it seems, rife with magic, villains and danger.

Ok, so an inventive fantasy tale that features both legal drama and a magical prison break, I think you can count me in on this one.  This is one of the more unique plot synopses that I have seen, and it is one that I found to be extremely intriguing.  I love the idea of a world where magic has appeared and is heavily regulated and criminalised, and I have no doubt this will be a cool setting to check out.  Everything in League of Liars sound really cool, and I have no doubt that I will have an amazing time getting through this book.

Echoes and Empires Cover

The other book I want to highlight is the fascinating sounding Echoes and Empires by bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.  Rhodes, who has previously found great success with her Falling Kingdom series, has come up with another compelling book, which will also serve as the first novel in her Echoes and Empires series.  With a release date in early January 2022, this book sounds extremely awesome with an excellent story to it.

Synopsis:

A snarky seventeen-year-old must team up with an enigmatic criminal to cure herself of dangerous forbidden magic in the first book of a new fantasy duology from Morgan Rhodes, the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series.

Josslyn Drake knows only three things about magic: it’s rare, illegal, and always deadly. So when she’s caught up in a robbery gone wrong at the Queen’s Gala and infected by a dangerous piece of magic—one that allows her to step into the memories of an infamously evil warlock—she finds herself living her worst nightmare. Joss needs the magic removed before it corrupts her soul and kills her. But in Ironport, the cost of doing magic is death, and seeking help might mean scheduling her own execution. There’s nobody she can trust.

Nobody, that is, except wanted criminal Jericho Nox, who offers her a deal: his help extracting the magic in exchange for the magic itself. And though she’s not thrilled to be working with a thief, especially one as infuriating (and infuriatingly handsome) as Jericho, Joss is desperate enough to accept.

But Jericho is nothing like Joss expects. The closer she grows with Jericho and the more she sees of the world outside her pampered life in the city, the more Joss begins to question the beliefs she’s always taken for granted—beliefs about right and wrong, about power and magic, and even about herself.

In an empire built on lies, the truth may be her greatest weapon.

This is another really cool sounding book that has a fantastic sounding plot loaded with potential and interesting features.  Echoes and Empires is set in a more classic fantasy world where magic is illegal, I love the idea of someone being infected by magic and must try and find a way to get rid of it without alerting the authorities.  Throw in a handsome roguish criminal and a newly gifted magical ability that is slowly turning her evil, thanks to the influence of infamous warlock, and you have the recipe for a really awesome read.

Both these young adult fantasy novels sounds extremely good and I love the captivating and impressive stories they contain.  Both these books have a lot of potential and I cannot wait to see what unique and thrilling tales these two talented authors have come up with in these great upcoming books.

Waiting on Wednesday – Mind Bullet by Jeremy Robinson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Thriller, 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 week’s Waiting on Wednesday I check out a bonkers sounding upcoming science fiction thriller that I know I am going to have an awesome time reading, Mind Bullet by Jeremy Robinson.

Mind Bullet 2

Jeremy Robinson is a bestselling author of crazy science fiction and horror reads who has a massive and fantastic sounding catalogue of books to his name, including the Chess Team series, the Nemesis Saga and several other outrageous novels and series with some fun stories to them.  I have so far only read one of Robinson’s books, the 2021 release, The Dark.  The Dark was an extremely entertaining and intense horror novel that followed a damaged, pot smoking protagonist as he attempted to survive a demonic incursion in his sleepy suburban neighbourhood.  I had an outstanding time listening to The Dark audiobook and it definitely made me a fan of Robinson’s work, so much so that I have been keeping an eye out for any additional releases of his.  I was very excited when I saw that he had yet another book coming out in 2021 with the upcoming Mind Bullet.

Mind Bullet is an amazing and unique upcoming novel that has a pretty killer plot to it.  Currently set for release on 23 November 2021, this book will follow a psychic assassin as he himself is hunted by a collection of dangerous hitman.

Synopsis:

A telekinetic assassin’s quest to avenge his parents’ murders triggers an all-out war between an eccentric cast of killers, from the New York Times bestselling author of INFINITE and THE DARK.

Jonas kills people…with his mind. He reaches out, focuses for a moment, and feels a snap of pain between his eyes. Then his target falls over dead, a hole in the center of their brains. The cause of death is unknown to all aside from Jonas, and his lone companion: Bubbles, a sarcastic AI with aspirations to be more human, or a serial killer. One of the two. Maybe both. Jonas calls his ability…

MIND BULLET

Sensing Jonas is lonely and depressed, Bubbles arranges for Madee, a Thai delivery woman by day, and a thief by night, to enter his life. For a moment: sparks. But chaos follows as the people Madee last robbed catch up to her. They also happen to be the Shrieking Ninjas. After surviving the assault, Jonas and Madee find themselves on the run, and a 10 million dollar hit called on Jonas.

Killers from all over the globe pursue the pair as they run for their lives and headlong into Jonas’s mysterious past, uncovering the surreal origins and extent of his abilities. They discover a dark and twisted history that threatens to unravel his mind and leave him susceptible to control. Working with Bubbles, Madee, and a growing list of new allies, Jonas battles his way through waves of assassins, some with abilities like his, all to protect the world from a recently discovered, untraceable weapon of mass destruction—himself.

Wow, there are so many fun things about that awesome sounding synopsis.  I love the idea of a story that follows a mentally powered killer with issues as he is hunted down by assassins and killers, especially as one assassin group calls themselves the “Shrieking Ninjas”.  Having that lead into a dark conspiracy focused on the protagonist’s past is easily a recipe for a great story and I already love the fantastic characters introduced in this synopsis alone.  Based on everything above, I am anticipating a fast-paced, intense, and ultra-violent story, that should prove to be extremely amazing.

Another reason that I am quite keen to check out Mind Bullet is because it is set in the same extended universe as The Dark, known as the Infinite Timeline, which also contains several other recent standalone novels by Robinson.  As I mentioned in my prior post, Robinson is building up to a massive literary crossover that will combine storylines from 11 of his recent novels (including The Dark and Mind Bullet), with the final book coming out in 2023.  Ever since I heard about this ambitious project, I have been pretty intrigued about it, and I will be extremely curious to see how Mind Bullet ties into Robinson’s other novels, although, I may need to read his prior book, Tribe, first.

Overall, I think that Mind Bullet is going to be a pretty spectacular and crazy read, and it is one that I am really looking forward to.  The outrageous story synopsis filled with compelling protagonists has already gotten my attention, and I am also quite intrigued about the Infinite Timelines connection.  Plus, it has a group of antagonists called Shrieking Ninjas, how could I possible avoid that?  Based on my prior experiences with Robinson, I am expecting a pretty epic and exciting read, which will no doubt prove to be extremely entertaining.  I will probably end up getting Mind Bullet on audiobook, mainly because I am such a big fan of narrator R. C. Bray, and I am expecting this to be another top release of 2021.