Waiting on Wednesday – Upcoming Sequels

On September 2, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday10 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 am going to highlight three upcoming novels that I think will be awesome follow ups to some excellent debut novels I’ve recently read.

Over the last year there have been some truly amazing debut novels coming out across the various genres. This is particularly true in 2021, and I have already enjoyed some really great books written by talented first-time authors, with several other fantastic sounding ones set for release later in the year. However, I am also particularly excited to see that some of these fantastic debuts are already producing some cool sounding sequels, which will be released over the next few months. Considering how much fun I had reading the first books from these amazing writers, I am very excited for these sequels, especially as they are all continuing the compelling storylines from the initial books.

The first book I want to highlight is The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart, the second book in The Drowning Empire series and the cool sounding follow up to the 2020 fantasy debut, The Bone Shard Daughter. The Bone Shard Daughter was a very impressive fantasy debuts and it instantly got a massive following of fans, especially as multiple reviewers quickly started raving about it. I read it a few months after it came out and I really enjoyed its captivating story and clever setting, and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2020.

The Bone Shard Emperor Cover

The Drowning Empire novels are set within a tyrannical empire of multiple islands, ruled over by a family of magicians who use shards of bone, harvested from their subjects to power dangerous constructs. The first novel followed a great range of characters, including a smuggler, the Emperor’s rebellious daughter and several rebels, and resulted in an awesome read with a great conclusion. I am pretty excited to check out the sequel, currently set for release on 11 November 2021, which will continue right after the events of the first book and feature a dangerous new enemy emerging to challenge the protagonists. The Bone Shard Emperor sounds like a really good read and I cannot wait to see how Stewart’s second novel turns out.

Synopsis:

The Bone Shard Emperor is the unmissable sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter, one of the biggest fantasy debuts of 2020 – a captivating tale of magic, revolution and mystery, where a young woman’s sense of identity will make or break an empire.

The Emperor is Dead. Long live the Emperor.

Lin Sukai finally sits on the throne she won at so much cost, but her struggles are only just beginning. Her people don’t trust her. Her political alliances are weak. And in the northeast of the Empire, a rebel army of constructs is gathering, its leader determined to take the throne by force.

Yet an even greater threat is on the horizon, for the Alanga – the powerful magicians of legend – have returned to the Empire. They claim they come in peace, and Lin needs their help to defeat the rebels and restore order.

But can she trust them?

The next novel I want to highlight in this post is The Liar’s Knot by M. A. Carrick, the second book in the exciting Rook & Rose series. The Liar’s Knot, which will be released in early December 2021, is the sequel to the excellent The Mask of Mirrors, which came out earlier this year. The Mask of Mirrors is the first book from author M. A. Carrick, the joint pen name of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, two established fantasy authors, although I am counting this book as a debut as it was the first time that they wrote together.

The Liar's Knot Cover

The Mask of Mirrors, which was one of my favourite audiobooks of the first half of 2021, followed a great group of protagonists as they engage in a game of deceit and lies in an amazing fantasy setting. Set in the troubled city of Nadežra, the book primarily followed a former street kid turned con artist as she attempts to trick her way into the ranks of a wealthy family by rescuing them from poverty. However, her ploy sets her against a range of dangerous adversaries, including a notorious crime lord, a mysterious vigilante, and an insidious magical threat from her childhood. This results in an awesome and compelling fantasy adventure, and I really enjoyed how the story progressed. The next book in this series, The Liar’s Knot, will continue the impressive story with the three central protagonists coming into conflict with each other, and the other sinister forces infesting the city.

Synopsis:

Trust is the thread that binds us . . . and the rope that hangs us.

In Nadezra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.

Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He’ll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he’s built.

Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he fights to protect the city’s most vulnerable. Sooner or later, that fight will demand more than he can give.

And Ren, daughter of no clan, knows best of all. Caught in a knot of lies, torn between her heritage and her aristocratic masquerade, she relies on her gift for reading pattern to survive. And it shows her the web of corruption that traps her city.

But all three have yet to discover just how far that web stretches. And in the end, it will take more than knives to cut themselves free…

The final book in this post is the really cool sounding science fiction thriller, Outcast, by Louise Carey. Carey is a talented author who, after writing several books with her family, produced her first solo novel earlier this year, Inscape. Inscape was a captivating and intriguing read that featured a fantastic cyberpunk storyline in a dystopian future. Inscape was one of the better debut novels I have read so far this year, and I was very excited to see that Carey already has a sequel on the way with Outcast.

Outcast Cover

Outcast, which is currently set for release on 25 January 2022, will continue to follow corporation security officer and spy, Tanta, as she attempts to unravel the various conspiracies dominating the futuristic society that she lives in, and which is threatening the corporation that raised her. The first novel had a great story to it, which finished on a fantastic note, and I really enjoyed getting through this cool first book. I am also very excited to see how this story continues, especially as the synopsis suggests that even more secrets and lies about Tanta’s past and her employers will be revealed in this latest outing.

Synopsis:

TRUTH. LIES. IT CAN BE HARD TO TELL THEM APART.

When a bomb goes off at InTech HQ, everything changes for Tanta’s corporation. Order becomes disorder. Safety becomes danger. Calm becomes chaos.

Tanta is tasked with getting to the bottom of the attack before violence and unrest overtake the city. But even though the evidence points towards rival corporation Thoughtfront, Tanta can’t shake the feeling that she’s missing something.

There’s a dark secret at the heart of the case, one that will reveal more about her own corporation than Tanta would like. And the closer Tanta gets to the mystery, the more she comes to realise something terrible:

Sometimes facing the truth can be the hardest thing of all.

As you can see from the above, there are some outstanding sequel novels coming out in the next few months, and I have to say that I am extremely excited for all of them. All three of these fantastic upcoming books are following on from some amazing debuts, and I have very high hopes that these great authors will continue their excellent writing with these sequels.

Waiting on Wednesday – Galaxias by Stephen Baxter

On August 25, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday3 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 intriguing upcoming science fiction novel from bestselling author Stephen Baxter, Galaxias.

Galaxias Cover

Baxter is a highly regarded veteran author of science fiction who has been writing for 30 years and has produced a vast library of novels. Baxter, who strongly utilises his scientific background to create some unique stories, has written some really cool novels throughout his career, including a collaborative series with the late, great, Terry Pratchett, The Long Earth series. I have enjoyed some of his works in the past, such as the exciting 2017 novel, The Massacre of Mankind, an authorised sequel to the classic novel The War of the Worlds. After having fun with some of his previous book, I was particularly intrigued when I saw that Baxter had a new novel coming out in a few months, especially as its interesting plot really caught my eye.

This new novel is Galaxias, which is currently set for release in late October 2021. Galaxias is a standalone science fiction novel that examines what would happen to the world if the sun suddenly went out. This is a pretty awesome concept to explore and I for one am very curious to how Baxter imagines that this would unfold. Galaxias will no doubt be loaded with all manner of science, compelling characters, and dangerous human drama, and it sounds like quite a captivating read. I am extremely certain that I am going to have a fantastic time reading this upcoming novel and I am really looking forward to getting my hands on it.

Synopsis:

A new standalone SF epic from a master of the genre

What would happen to the world if the sun went out?

New epic sci-fi from Stephen Baxter, the award-winning author whose credits include co-authorship of the Long Earth series with Terry Pratchett.

By the middle of the 21st century, humanity has managed to overcome a series of catastrophic events and maintain some sense of stability. Space exploration has begun again. Science has led the way.

But then one day, the sun goes out. Solar panels are useless, and the world begins to freeze.

Earth begins to fall out of its orbit.

The end is nigh.

Someone has sent us a sign.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay

On August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For my latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at a fantastic upcoming novel that is probably going to be one of the best science fiction novels of 2022, with The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay.

The Misfit Soldier Cover

Michael Mammay is a fantastically talented author whose work I have been deeply enjoying over the last couple of years. Mammay debuted in 2018, with the epic and captivating science fiction thriller, Planetside, which contained an extremely clever story with one of the best, and most explosive, endings I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Planetside was an exceptional read and not only was it one of my favourite novels of 2018 and one of my favourite overall debuts, but it served as the first entry in a truly awesome series. This series so far features two other books, the 2019 release, Spaceside (one of my favourite books of 2019), and the third entry Colonyside, which was one of the best books (and audiobooks), that I have so far read this year. I have had an absolute blast getting through the three Planetside novels, especially as each of them contains an excellent and clever science fiction story filled with mysteries and conspiracies. As a result, I was very excited when I saw that Mammay had another cool sounding book coming out in 2022.

Mammay’s next novel will be The Misfit Soldier, which is currently set for release on 22 February 2022 (so 22. 2. 22.). This latest book is going to be a standalone read separate from the Planetside novels and will contain a different story with a criminally minded science fiction soldier as he attempts to pull off a massive con.

Synopsis:

Ocean’s Eleven meets John Scalzi in this funny, action-filled, stand-alone sci-fi adventure from the author of Planetside, in which a small team of misfit soldiers takes on a mission that could change the entire galaxy.

Sergeant Gastovsky–Gas to everyone but his superior officers–never wanted to be a soldier. Far from it. But when a con goes wrong and he needs a place to lay low for a while, he finds himself wearing the power armor of the augmented infantry.

After three years on a six-year contract, Gas has found his groove running low-level cons and various illegal activities that make him good money on the side. He’s the guy who can get you what you need. But he’s always had his eye out for a big score–the one that might set him up for life after the military.

When one of his soldiers is left behind after a seemingly pointless battle, Gas sees his chance. He assembles a team of misfit soldiers that would push the term “ragtag” to its limits for a big con that leads them on a daring behind-the-lines mission, pitting him not only against enemy soldiers but against the top brass of his own organization.

If he pulls this off, not only will he save his squadmate, he might just become the legend he’s always considered himself. He might also change the way the entire galaxy looks at this war. But for any of that to happen, he has to live through this insane plan.

And charm rarely stops bullets.

This sounds like such an awesome story, and I am extremely excited to check it out. A massive space heist with a team of misfit soldiers in the future sounds extremely awesome (sounds a bit like a science fiction version of Kelly’s Heroes). I really like the fact that Mammay is trying something new here with the whole con/heist angle. It will be interesting to see how well this change of format works for Mammay’s, although considering that I am a big fan of heists, it sounds like a great idea to me. I also like that the author will still be using some military thriller aspects in The Misfit Soldier. Mammay did such a wonderful job portraying military figures and other aspects of the soldier’s lifestyle in his Planetside novels, and it will be good to see more of it in his new book. It was also be interesting see Mammay write a whole new protagonist, especially as he is changing from portraying a maverick officer, to a foot soldier more concerned with money than fighting. This will be a quite a fun difference, although based on how tricky and conniving the protagonist of the Planetside novels was, I am fully confident that Mammay will be able to pull it off.

Overall, I think the above story sounds extremely incredible. It has a lot of cool elements to it, and I must admit that I really like the idea of a science fiction military heist novel, and if anyone can pull it off, it is Michael Mammay. Based on the author’s previous works, I already know that I am going to deeply enjoy this upcoming novel, and The Misfit Solider should turn out to be something truly amazing. I am already predicting that this novel will be one of the top books of 2022, and it can not fall into my hands soon enough.

Waiting on Wednesday – Standing Alone by Stephen Leather

On August 12, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn 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. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I am going to take a look at a fun sounding upcoming thriller, Standing Alone by Stephen Leather.

Standing Alone Cover

Stephen Leather is a veteran thriller author who has written a huge number of exciting and compelling novels over the years, including some cool standalone books and his bestselling Spider Shepherd series. I personally read my first Stephen Leather book earlier this year, when I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Hunting. The Hunting was an extremely thrilling and fast-paced novel that followed a vengeful big-game hunter as stalked the terrorists who killed his family on his own private hunting estate. I had a great time reading this cool novel, and I really enjoyed the outrageous and compelling concept. As a result, I have been keeping my eye out for any more fantastic sounding books for leather, and that is when I saw Standing Alone.

Standing Alone is a great upcoming standalone thriller that is currently scheduled for release in early January 2022. This cool novel will see an elite SAS trooper face-off against a rogue Navy SEAL turned professional assassin. Set amongst the dangerous background of America’s drug heartland, Standing Alone has a thrilling and captivating sounding synopsis that has me very excited. Based on plot below and on how much I enjoyed The Hunting, I think I will have a great time checking out Standing Alone next year.

Synopsis:

What makes a good man become an assassin?

A Navy SEAL has gone rogue, selling his skills to the highest bidder as a professional assassin. Ryan French no longer cares who he kills so long as the price is right. His former bosses want him taken down, but they’re not prepared to get their hands dirty so they need a Brit to do the job.

SAS trooper Matt “Lastman” Standing is a lethal killing machine with experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Plus he’s worked with French in the past. It’s not a mission he wants, but Standing made a bad choice in his past and it has come back to haunt him. Now he’s hunting French in the lawless Wild West forests of Humboldt County, where the US produces most of its legal – and illegal – cannabis.

But French isn’t the only predator in the wilderness – there are Mexican cartels, Russian Mafia and Hungarian gangsters – and Standing has to overcome them all to get to his target.

Waiting on Wednesday – Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott

On August 4, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on WednesdayLeave a comment

I also wanted to do a quick Waiting on Wednesday article on the upcoming Star Wars audio drama, Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner. Tempest Runner, which will be written by the amazing Cavan Scott, will be the latest entry in the intriguing High Republic range of Star Wars fiction and will be released later this month. I briefly mentioned this upcoming audio drama in another Waiting on Wednesday article, however, I was waiting to get some more details, such as the cool cover art above, before I discussed it.

For those unfamiliar with it, The High Republic is one of the most interesting and compelling current focuses of Star Wars fiction now. Set around 200 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, High Republic media focus on a golden age of the Republic which is facing some major troubles, mainly in the form of the pirate group known as the Nihil. Starting early this year with Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, this era of Star Wars lore is proving to be a lot of fun, and there have been some great entries in the series, including Into the Dark by Claudia Gray and The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott, the later of which was particularly good.

Scott looks set to continue his awesome run of High Republic fiction with Tempest Runner, which appears to be a character specific sequel to The Rising Storm. Tempest Runner will focus on one of the major High Republic antagonists, Lourna Dee, Tempest Runner of the Nihil, and has a very interesting story set around her.

Synopsis:

In this Star Wars audio original, delve into the cutthroat world of one of the High Republic’s greatest foes, the merciless Lourna Dee.

The Nihil storm has raged through the galaxy, leaving chaos and grief in its wake. Few of its raiders are as vicious as the Tempest Runner Lourna Dee. She stays one step ahead of the Jedi Order at the helm of a vessel named after one of the deadliest monsters in the galaxy: the Lourna Dee. But no one can outrun the defenders of the High Republic forever.

After the defeat of her crew, Lourna falls into the hands of the Jedi – but not before she hides her identity, becoming just another Nihil convict. Her captors fail to understand the beast they have cornered. Just like every fool she’s ever buried, their first mistake was keeping her alive.

Lourna is determined to make underestimating her their last.

Locked onto a Republic correctional ship, she’s dragged across the galaxy to repair the very damage she and her fellow Tempest Runners inflicted on it. But as Lourna plans her glorious escape, she makes alliances that grow dangerously close to friendships. Outside the Nihil – separated from her infamous ship, her terrifying arsenal, and her feared name – Lourna must carve her own path. But will it lead to redemption? Or will she emerge as a deadlier threat than ever before?

I really love the cool synopsis above. It looks like Scott has a pretty fantastic story in place for this audio drama and I am pretty keen to see a villain-centric story, especially one that focuses on Lourna Dee, who has been particularly fun in some of the High Republic novels. A prison drama in space has a lot of potential, especially in the Star Wars universe (Death Troopers and Maul: Lockdown are great examples of this), and I am very keen to see what compelling narrative Scott has planned.

I am also really keen to check out another full-cast Star Wars audio drama. There have been two previous audio dramas in this current canon, Dooku: Jedi Lost, which was also written by Scott, and Doctor Aphra. Both audio dramas have been particularly fun, and I have deeply enjoyed hearing the outstanding array of narrators and voice actors featured in them. This latest audio drama has another particularly good cast, which includes some of my favourite Star Wars audiobook narrators.

Narrated by a Full Cast:

Jessica Almasy as Lourna Dee
Dan Bittner as Councilor Wittick
Orlagh Cassidy as Ola Hest
Sullivan Jones as Bala
January LaVoy as Tasia
Kathleen McInerney as Councilor Fry
Tara Sands as Sestin
Vikas Adam as H7-09 and Raleigh
Jonathan Davis as Andrik Keller and Asgar Ro
Neil Hellegers as Kassav, Yudiah Dee, and Jano
Saskia Maarleveld as Parr and Avar Kriss
Soneela Nankani as Muglan and Keeve Trennis
Marc Thompson as Pan Eyta, Sskeer, and Marchion Ro
Shannon Tyo as Quin and Nib Assek

The above cast sounds pretty impressive and I am very keen to see how they perform together. It looks like Jessica Almasy is going to be the feature performer of this audio drama, and it will be great to see her take on Lourna Dee. I am also very excited to hear more of January LaVoy (who did an amazing job narrating Star Wars: Victory’s Price earlier this year), Jonathan Davis (Master and Apprentice, Lords of the Sith) and Marc Thompson (Thrawn, Chaos Rising, Greater Good, Dark Disciple, Scoundrels), all of whom have done some great work recently. There is also a very fun combination of characters there, and it will be interesting to see how they are worked into the plot.

Overall, Tempest Runner looks set to be a very exciting and compelling new addition to the Star Wars canon. I am extremely keen to listen to this upcoming audio drama, especially as it features an exceptional cast, and it will probably be one of the standout pieces of Star Wars fiction in 2021. I look forward to hearing this cool story unfold later this month, and I think this audio drama has an immense amount of potential.

Waiting on Wednesday – Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

On August 4, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult5 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 the upcoming third and final book in a particularly fun young adult series with Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

Aurora's End Cover

Over the last few years, one of the most entertaining and exciting young adult series out there has been the cool and impressive Aurora Cycle books by bestselling Australian authors Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Kaufman and Kristoff, who both have some great individual series under their belts, have formed an excellent and outstanding team to create The Aurora Cycle novels.

Starting in 2019 with Aurora Rising, this fantastic series follows a mismatched team of teenaged space cadets who act as galactic peacekeepers. However, on their first mission they encounter Aurora, a girl out of time whose extended cryogenic sleep has somehow given her physic powers. Thrust into the midst of a galaxy spanning conspiracy, the team were declared renegades and are forced to go on the run. Their epic story continued in Aurora Burning, another excellent novel which expanded many of the plot points from the first book, while also introducing some great new characters and plot lines. Aurora Burning ended on a massive cliff-hanger, with the lives of all the protagonists hanging in the balance, and the end of the world seconds away.

That leads to the focus on this article, Aurora’s End. Aurora’s End is the upcoming third and final entry in The Aurora Cycle which will provide readers with the big conclusion to entire overarching plot. Currently due to be released on 9 November 2021, Aurora’s End has a awesome sounding plot synopsis already available, as well as the beautifully haunting cover above.

Synopsis:

The squad you love is out of time. Prepare for the thrilling finale in the epic, best-selling Aurora Cycle series about a band of unlikely heroes who just might be the galaxy’s last hope for survival.

Is this the end?

What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.

Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast.

When we last saw Squad 312, they working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.

But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the team has one last chance to rewrite theirs. Maybe two. It’s complicated.

Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem

Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.

Actually saving the galaxy, though?

Now that will take a miracle.

It looks like Kaufman and Kristoff have some fun plans in place for this final book, and I for one am very excited for it. I have a lot of love for this series, due to the eclectic mixture of protagonists, the amazing humour and the vast and impressive narrative. As a result, I am quite eager to see how the entire series ends, especially after that great cliff-hanger.

Based on the synopsis above, it looks like all the main protagonists will be coming back for this book in one way or another, and I am really keen to see how their story arcs end up. It also looks like we are going to get some time-travel shenanigans, as some of the team are trapped in the time-stream, attempting to change their future. This was hinted a bit in the previous novels, especially Aurora Burning, and it will be cool to see how the time travel elements ties everything together. It will be rather fun to see these over-the-top characters attempt to deal with all the consequences of time travel, and you can imagine they are going to get a lot of stuff wrong. Readers should also be prepared for a lot of drama and heartbreak, as the authors left several emotional storylines open at the end of the second novel which are going to be very hard to resolve.

This final book in the Aurora Cycle has a lot going for it, and I think that we are going to be in for an exceptional time with Aurora’s End. Kaufman and Kristoff have done an incredible job with the first two books and the series, and there is some great setup going into Aurora’s End. I already know that this final novel is going to feature a lot of outstanding humour, great character work and some clever storylines, and I am extremely confident that these two talented authors will be able to tie everything together perfectly. This will probably be one of the best young adult novels of 2021, and I am very much looking forward to it. I can only hope that I will not get too emotional if one of the amazing characters gets hurt or killed (you never know with final books).

Waiting on Wednesday – The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

On July 28, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday3 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 feature one of the more intriguing and entertaining sounding novels of early 2022 with The Kaiju Preservation Society by awesome author John Scalzi.

The Kaiju Preservation Society Cover

John Scalzi is a talented and thrilling author who has written a great collection of science fiction novels in the last 15 years. Following his debut series, the Old Man’s War novels, Scalzi has written a unique and diverse collection of science fiction books, ranging from high-concept epics to outrageous comedic adventures. Some of his best works include the books in The Interdependency series, The Android’s Dream, Fuzzy Nation and the Lock In novels, all of which are incredibly inventive pieces of fiction. So far, I have only read one of his novels, Redshirts, which proved to be a particularly hilarious parody of Star Trek that followed a group of redshirts who become aware of their impending doom and tried to change their destiny. Redshirt was a fantastic book that I had an excellent time read, and I am eager to see some of Scalzi’s other works.

As luck will have it, Scalzi has a great novel coming out in early 2022 and boy does it sounds fun. This book is The Kaiju Preservation Society, which pretty much caught my attention the moment I heard its name. The Kaiju Preservation Society will follow a group of animal rights activists who attempt to protect massive, endangered Kaiju in an alternate dimension from hunters and other humans seeking to kill them. Of course, things are likely going to go wrong, and I am sure that there will be all manner of chaos and destruction. Scalzi will hopefully take this opportunity to parody various monster movies, and I look forward to seeing his take on Kaiju and their interactions with humans. Set for release in mid-March 2022, The Kaiju Preservation Society sounds like a really awesome novel, and I have absolutely no doubt that I am going to love it.

Synopsis:

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble.

It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society whose found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Bone Ship’s Wake by R. J. Barker

On July 21, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday10 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 take a look at one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2021, The Bone Ship’s Wake by R. J. Barker, the final book in The Tide Child trilogy.

The Bone Ship's Wake Cover

Most fantasy readers will be familiar with the incredible talent that is R. J. Barker, especially as the author has been one of the leading authors in the genre since their debut in 2017. I have been a major fan of Barker’s ever since I read the first book in his The Wounded Kingdom series. This first book, Age of Assassins, was a great read that focused on an intriguing pair of assassins in a dark fantasy world. I had a fantastic time reading Age of Assassins, and Barker swiftly followed his debut with Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins, both of which were better than the last. I deeply enjoyed The Wounded Kingdom novels, and Barker made sure to capitalise on this success by releasing another amazing series the following year.

This second series was the outstanding and impressive The Tide Child trilogy. Set in another unique dark fantasy world, The Tide Child novels follow a condemned crew who are forced to serve aboard black ships made from the bones of sea dragons and fight in a deadly, long running war. The first novel in this series, The Bone Ships, introduced the central characters and set the crew on an epic quest to find and kill the last dragon. This was an incredible and outstanding novel, as Barker was able to produce a powerful and compelling read that made full use of its nautical setting and features. The Bone Ships was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019 and is a very highly recommended read. Its sequel, Call of the Bone Ships, was another five-star read that was a particularly strong 2020 novel. This second Tide Child novel had a great plot, which saw the crew, particularly its Shipwife, Meas Gillbryn and main character, Joron Twiner, start a rebellion in order to end the war and save the returning dragons. Call of the Bone Ships ended on a fantastic cliffhanger, which leads us into the final book, The Bone Ship’s Wake.

The Bone Ship’s Wake, which is currently set for release on 28 September 2021, has an amazing amount of potential and I already know that it is going to be one of the better fantasy books of the year. I have been hoping to feature this novel in a Waiting on Wednesday article for a while, but I had to wait for the cover to be revealed. The wait was worth it however, as the new cover looks pretty damn impressive (all The Tide Child novel’s covers have been exceptionally cool). In addition, we also have a brief synopsis, which provides some intriguing hints about what is going to happen with this final book.

Synopsis:

Discover a brilliantly imagined epic fantasy of honor, glory, and warfare in this action-packed conclusion to the David Gemmell Award-nominated trilogy.

Joron Twiner’s dreams of freedom lay shattered. His Shipwife is gone and all he has left is revenge. Leading the black fleet from the deck of Tide Child, he takes every opportunity to hurt the Hundred Isles he is given. But his time is limited.

His fleet is shrinking, the Keyshan’s Rot is running through his body, and he hiding from a prophecy that says he and the avian sorcerer, the Windseer will end the entire world.

But the Sea Dragons have returned, a miracle in itself, and who is to say that if you can have one miracle, there cannot be another?

Whelp, I know that I am excited for this. It looks like Barker plans to end his trilogy on a massive high note, with lead character, Jordan Twiner, continuing the rebellion that was started in the previous book. It will be very interesting to see how the entire story unfolds, especially as Twiner is dying from a disease, is missing the guiding influence of his Shipwife (captain) who sacrificed herself for her crew, and is also an apparent prophesised world destroyer. There are so many awesome storylines that need to be wrapped up from the previous novel, and I cannot wait to see what Barker has planned for this final novel. You have to know that there are going to be some major moments and twists featured in this final book, and I am expecting a particularly large and impressive naval battle at some point (I’m picturing rebel ships and dragons versus everyone else). There is also likely to be a lot of painful and moving character development, especially as Twiner gets closer to either his death or achieving his unwanted destiny. It will also be great to see what happens to some of the various side characters, as you become rather attached to several in the previous two books. All of this should be pretty epic, and I am dying to see how it all comes together.

As you can probably tell from the above, I am pretty keen for this final novel in The Tide Child trilogy. Barker is an exceptional author, and based on all his prior works, I know that this will be an incredible and captivating novel. The Bone Ship’s Wake has nearly unlimited potential and I have no doubt that Barker will write one of his best novels yet. This will be one of the best fantasy books of there year, and if you have not explored The Tide Child trilogy yet, you are missing out.

Waiting on Wednesday – Star Wars: Visions: Ronin by Emma Meiko Candon

On July 14, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

This week I am also going to do a quick Waiting on Wednesday article highlighting a cool upcoming Star Wars novel which I previously mentioned a few weeks ago. This novel is Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon, an intriguing and distinctive entry in the Star Wars universe that will tie into the upcoming anime series, Star Wars Visions.

Star Wars Visions is one of the more unique upcoming inclusions in the Star Wars canon, and one that looks set to contain some very distinctive stories. This new series, which streams on 22 September 2021, will feature nine original short films, done in the anime style by different Japanese animation studios. This is going to be quite an ambitious and distinctive series, and I personally am quite keen to see the franchise brought back to its Japanese-inspired roots.

There are several fascinating stories currently planned within this series, although one of the most intense and distinctive ones is The Duel, produced by the Kamikaze Douga company. The Duel will feature an alternate history of the Jedi and the Sith, inspired by Feudal Japan, and will focus on a duel between members of these two sides. The clips I have seen about The Duel look pretty badass, and I love how the Jedi and Sith are modelled on historical wandering samurai.

In addition to being a cool sounding animated feature, The Duel will have one other thing that sets it apart from the other Star Wars Visions films, a tie-in novel. This tie-in novel, Ronin by Emma Meiko Candon, which is currently set for release in October, will expand on the unique universe created in The Duel by focusing on the film’s wandering Sith duellist. They have only just recently released the full synopsis for Ronin, and it looks like it is going to be a fun and compelling novel. I also must highlight the novel’s unique and visually impressive cover, which combines cool Star Wars iconography with a classic Japanese design to create something that is beautiful and awesome.

Synopsis:

A mysterious former Sith wanders the galaxy in this stunning Star Wars tale. An original novel inspired by the world of The Duel from the Star Wars Visions animated anthology.

A mysterious former Sith wanders the galaxy in this stunning Star Wars tale. An original novel inspired by the world of The Duel from the Star Wars Visions animated anthology.

The Jedi are the most loyal servants of the Empire.

Two decades ago, Jedi clans clashed in service to feuding lords. Sickened by this endless cycle, a sect of Jedi rebelled, seeking to control their own destiny and claim power in service of no master. They called themselves Sith.

The Sith rebellion failed, succumbing to infighting and betrayal, and the once rival lords unified to create an Empire . . . but even an Empire at peace is not free from violence.

Far on the edge of the Outer Rim, one former Sith wanders, accompanied only by a faithful droid and the ghost of a less civilized age. He carries a lightsaber, but claims lineage to no Jedi clan, and pledges allegiance to no lord. Little is known about him, including his name, for he never speaks of his past, nor his regrets. His history is as guarded as the red blade of destruction he carries sheathed at his side.

As the galaxy’s perpetual cycle of violence continues to interrupt his self-imposed exile, and he is forced to duel an enigmatic bandit claiming the title of Sith, it becomes clear that no amount of wandering will ever let him outpace the specters of his former life.

All the above sounds extremely interesting and cool and I am rather looking forward to seeing what sort of unique narrative that Candon comes up with. Ronin has a lot of potential to be one of the more distinctive and innovative Star Wars novels released in 2021, and I am quite keen for its alternate universe samurai story, especially if it enhances the tale told in The Duel. I also cannot get over the incredible cover above, and I look forward to having that prominently on my shelf.

Waiting on Wednesday – All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

On July 14, 2021 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 week’s Waiting on Wednesday article, I am going to look at a fun novel containing a The Hunger Games inspired magical death tournament, with All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.

All of us Villains Cover

All of Us Villains is a deeply intriguing and fun sounding young adult fantasy novel that is currently set for release on 9 November 2021. This cool book, which has two awesome covers and a great synopsis already out, will be written by the compelling team of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. I have not previously read either of Foody or Herman’s works in the past, although both have some intriguing young adult fantasy series to their names, including Foody’s The Shadow Game series and Lynn’s The Devouring Gray novels. Despite my lack of experience with the authors, I have been deeply drawn to the cool synopsis below, and I think this book could be a rather fun read.

Synopsis:

First there was Hogwarts. Then there were the Hunger Games. Now there is The Blood Veil. Introducing a stunning new contemporary fantasy that will pit seven families against one another in a bid to be the masters of magic. It’s winner takes all.

You Fell In Love With The Victors of The Hunger Games.

Now Prepare To Meet The Villains Of The Blood Veil.

After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into the spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters alike flock to its spellshops and historic ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.

In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet–a chance to rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

I loved the outstanding story described above. The combination of a deadly fight to the death between young people and dark magic, which, if done right, has some amazing story potential. Add in a group of tourists and reporters now that the whole tournament is public, and you have got a unique and intriguing narrative that I am very keen to read. I think that All of Us Villains might turn out to be a major hit for 2021, and I look forward to seeing just how fun this dark, young adult fantasy novel turns out.

All of us Villains Cover 2