Waiting on Wednesday – The Burning and City of the Dead

On June 30, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, 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 this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, we have a Kellerman double feature, as I look at two intriguing upcoming murder mystery novels that are sure to be excellent and enjoyable reads.

Over the last couple of years, I have been rather enjoying some intense murder mysteries from bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman. In particular, I have been lucky enough to receive the last three novels in his long running Alex Delaware series, The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire and Serpentine, all three of which have been pretty amazing pieces of crime fiction. Due to how great his latest compelling crime novels have been, I am currently planning to grab any new mystery books that he releases, and, as luck will have it, there are currently two Kellerman novels coming out in the near future.

The Burning Cover

The first of these is the fantastic sounding The Burning, which is the fourth entry in the Clay Edison series. The Clay Edison series, which has been running since 2017, is actually written by both Jonathan Kellerman and his son Jesse Kellerman, himself a best-selling crime fiction author. This is the second series jointly written by the father/son duo (the other being the Jacob Lev series), and follows the investigations of Deputy Coroner Clay Edison as he solves various complex murders in Alameda. The Burning is set for release in late September 2021, and it sounds like it is going to have an intense and captivating narrative.

Synopsis:

Things get personal for Deputy Coroner Clay Edison when a murder hits close to home in this riveting, emotional thriller from the bestselling father-son team.

A raging wildfire. A massive blackout. A wealthy man shot to death in his palatial hilltop home.

For Clay Edison, it’s all in a day’s work. As a deputy coroner, caring for the dead, he speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. He prides himself on an unflinching commitment to the truth. Even when it gets him into trouble.

Then, while working the murder scene, Clay is horrified to discover a link to his brother, Luke. Horrified. But not surprised. Luke is fresh out of prison and struggling to stay on the straight and narrow.

And now he’s gone AWOL.

The race is on for Clay to find him before anyone else can. Confronted with Luke’s legacy of violence, Clay is forced to reckon with his own suspicions, resentments, and loyalties. Is his brother a killer? Or could he be the victim in all of this, too?

This is Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman at their most affecting and page-turning–a harrowing collision of family, revenge, and murder.

I really like the sound of the cool synopsis above, and it looks like the Kellerman’s are going to produce an intriguing and complex mystery. There several things that I am really excited for when it comes to The Burning, especially as this is the first Clay Edison novel that I will be reading. Not only am I rather interested to see how Jesse Kellerman influences the writing style of his father, but I am also keen to see a medical pathologist investigation, rather than the pure detective work/psychological based mysteries that are featured within the Alex Delaware books. On top of that, the two Kellermans have included several great hooks to their story; and I look forward to seeing a murder investigation in the middle of a raging Californian wildfire. The protagonist is also going to have to deal with some significant family drama, as his ex-con brother becomes a murder suspect. It will be extremely awesome to see how this mystery unfolds, and I am interested to see how involved the brother is (you would assume he is being set up, but I am hoping for some clever twists). Based on the cool synopsis, I think that The Burning has some great potential, and I am looking forward to reading this in a few months.

In addition to The Burning, Jonathan Kellerman will also be continuing his fantastic Alex Delaware series in early 2022, with City of the Dead. The Alex Delaware books are part of an outstanding long-running series that revolves around titular protagonist, Alex Delaware, as he uses his training as a psychologist (which incidentally was Kellerman’s profession before he took up writing), to help the LAPD solve some of their most complex murder investigation alongside his best friend, Detective Milo Sturgis.

City of the Dead Cover

The latest three entries in the Alex Delaware series have proven to be excellent and compelling crime fiction novels, and I have loved their intriguing mysteries, as well as the great focus on methodical casework and the fun partnership between the main protagonists Alex and Milo. My favourite so far is probably Serpentine, although The Wedding Guest and The Museum of Desire were also really good. City of the Dead, will be the 37^th Alex Delaware novel, and it is currently set for release in early February 2022. Kellerman has come up with another impressive story for this upcoming book, and I am very keen to check it out.

Synopsis:

The past comes back to haunt psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis when they investigate a grisly double homicide and uncover an even more unspeakable motive in this riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.

Los Angeles is a city of sunlight, celebrity, and possibility. The L.A. often experienced by Homicide Lt. Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware, is a city of the dead.

Early one morning, the two of them find themselves in a neighbourhood of pretty houses, pretty cars, and pretty people. The scene they encounter is anything but. A naked young man lies dead in the street, the apparent victim of a collision with a moving van hurtling through suburbia in the darkness. But any thoughts of accidental death vanish when a blood trail leads to a nearby home.

Inside, a young woman lies butchered. The identity of the male victim and his role in the horror remain elusive, but that of the woman creates additional questions. And adding to the shock, Alex has met her while working a convoluted child custody case. Cordelia Gannett was a self-styled internet influencer who’d gotten into legal troubles by palming herself off as a psychologist. Even after promising to desist, she’s found a loophole and has continued her online career, aiming to amass clicks and ads by cyber-coaching and cyber-counseling people plagued with relationship issues.

But upon closer examination, Alex and Milo discover that her own relationships are troublesome, including a tortured family history and a dubious personal past. Has that come back to haunt her in the worst way? Is the mystery man out in the street collateral damage or will he turn out to be the key to solving a grisly double homicide? As the psychologist and the detective explore L.A.’s meanest streets, they peel back layer after layer of secrets and encounter a savage, psychologically twisted, almost unthinkable motive for violence and bloodshed.

This is classic Delaware: Alex, a man Milo has come to see as irreplaceable, at his most insightful and brilliant.

Wow, it looks like we are going to have another awesome crime fiction story on our hands in February. This upcoming mystery has a pretty much everything, including a brutal murder, a mysterious second body that may or may not be connected to the main crime, a phoney psychology using influencer and an intriguing connection to the protagonist. I love all the various intriguing details that are contained in the synopsis, and it sounds like Kellerman has a very complex and clever mystery planned. I cannot wait to see how all these fascinating details come together and I am expecting that City of the Dead will have a particularly interesting and memorable conclusion to it.

As you can see, it looks like I am going to be getting my Kellerman murder fix twice in the next several months and I could not be happier about that. Both The Burning and City of the Dead sound pretty damn incredible, and based on my prior experiences with Kellerman’s writing, I know that I am guaranteed a compelling and exciting couple of mysteries.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Honour of Rome by Simon Scarrow

On June 23, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, 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 look at the latest book in the long-running Eagles of the Empire series by Simon Scarrow, The Honour of Rome.

The Honour of Rome Cover

It is that time of the year where I once again gush about the latest entry in the Eagles of the Empire books by one of my favourite all-time authors, Simon Scarrow. Scarrow is a fantastically talented author who has consistently produced thrilling and captivating historical fiction reads since his debut in 2000. His Eagles of the Empire series, which follows the chaotic lives of two Roman officers, Prefect Cato and Centurion Marco, is a thing of beauty that I am a massive fan of. I have been reading this great series for years (check out my reviews for The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, and The Emperor’s Exile) and have deeply enjoyed every single entry in the series.

Due to how much I enjoy the Eagles of the Empire books, I am always extremely excited for next entry in the series, in this case, The Honour of Rome, which just had its final cover art released. Set for publication on 9 November 2021, The Honour of Rome will be the 20^th novel in the series and will once again see its compelling protagonists engage in a desperate battle for survival. This time, the characters head back to the series’ original setting of Britannia, where all manner of enemies lie in wait for them.

Synopsis:

AD 58. BRITANNIA. TENSION IS SIMMERING. DANGER LIES ROUND EVERY CORNER FOR ROME’S BRAVE SOLDIERS …

Fifteen years after Rome’s invasion of Britannia, centurion Marco is back. The island is settled now, bustling with commerce. Macro’s goal is to help run his mother’s Londinium inn, and exploit his land grant. He’s prepared for the dismal weather and the barbaric ways of the people. But far worse dangers threaten all his plans.

A gang led by an ex-legionary rules the city, demanding protection money and terrorising those who won’t pay up. The Roman official in charge has turned a blind eye. Macro has to act. He needs the back-up of the finest soldier he knows: Prefect Cato. But Cato is in distant Rome. Or is he?

As the streets run red with blood, the army’s heroes face an enemy as merciless and cunning as any barbarian tribe. The honour of Rome is in their hands …

This upcoming novel from Scarrow sounds pretty amazing and I think that it has loads of potential. While the Eagles of the Empire books typically show standard battles and fights, the author has featured some intriguing historical thriller and crime fiction elements in the past. It looks like Scarrow is going back to this in The Emperor’s Honour, and it will be rather interesting to see how the retired Marco and the fugitive Cato fare against gangs of violent ex-legionaries. Scarrow’s previous novel, The Emperor’s Exile, also finished with some fantastic story elements left open, and it will be great to see how the author resolves them in this latest book.

Overall, it looks like The Honour of Rome is going to be another fantastic and impressive entry in this great series. Based on how much I have enjoyed Scarrow’s work in the past, I already know that I am going to absolutely love this upcoming novel, especially as this new book has a great premise to it. I am really looking forward to seeing what cool story elements pop up in The Honour of Rome, and it would not surprise me if Scarrow does something big to commemorate his 20^th entry in the series. No matter what, I am extremely keen to grab this book in November, and this will be one of the best historical fiction novels I check out all year. In the meantime, I definitely need to read Scarrow’s other 2021 release, Blackout, which is currently sitting near the top of my TBR list.

Waiting on Wednesday – Firefly: Carnival by Una McCormack

On June 16, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, 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 latest Waiting on Wednesday article, I check out the next exciting Firefly novel, Carnival, which is set to continue one of the best current tie-in series.

Firefly Carnival Cover

Over the last couple of years, Titan Books has been killing it with an amazing and clever Firefly tie-in series, which have brought the iconic characters of the fantastic Firefly television series to life in some great new adventures. As a self-professed Firefly mega-nerd, I have been deeply enjoying this amazing series, which contains some incredible books. Each of the novels in this series, which includes Big Damn Hero, The Magnificent Nine, The Ghost Machine, Generations and Life Signs, have been extremely awesome and I have had an outstanding time reading each of them. As a result, I am always on the lookout for the next entry in the series and I was excited when I heard about the next entry in the series, Firefly: Carnival by Una McCormack.

Una McCormack is a fantastic science fiction author, known for writing various tie-in novels from several different franchises. I know McCormack best for her work on the Star Trek franchise, where she has written some excellent and compelling novels including The Way to the Stars and The Last Best Hope. Both novels have been outstanding pieces of tie-in fiction and I am rather looking forward to reading her latest novel, Star Trek: Wonderlands. Carnival will be McCormack’s first Firefly novel and I am very much looking forward to seeing her take on the franchise’s well-established characters and storylines.

Carnival, which is currently set for release in early November 2021, will provide another fun instalment in the Firefly series. While there is only a short synopsis out now, it sounds pretty damn cool, and I think has some real potential for a great and entertaining story.

Synopsis:

A heist by the Serenity crew goes badly wrong in a captivating original Firefly tie-in novel from the award-winning series by Titan Books

When a job on one of the Rim worlds goes wrong, Zoe and Book are taken hostage by some very unsatisfied customers, and Mal is given three days to find 8,000 platinum to get them back. The crew are now in a race against time to save their friends – calling on contacts and calling in favours, and some revealing talents that have hitherto remained hidden. Meanwhile, the hostages have their own plans…

I really enjoy the awesome synopsis above, especially as it opens a lot of fun potential. Stuffing up heist and having to pay for the consequences is a classic Firefly story for a reason, and it is always entertaining to see Serenity’s crew attempt to find a way out of their predicament. I am looking forward to seeing the crew try to raise a lot of money quickly, especially as it sounds like that will result in all manner of shenanigans and unusual situations. I am also intrigued by Zoe and Book getting captured and held hostage. We did not see the combination of Zoe and Book together a lot in the television series, and it will be interesting to see what sort of character dynamic they have when caught in a situation like this. As they are the two most capable members of the crew (well capable and sane, sorry River), it is likely that we will several escape attempts from them, and it will be great to see how they fare. I am also rather intrigued to see if Zoe will have any insights into what sort of person Book truly is, especially if they have to engage in violence while escaping. All of this has the potential to be a great Firefly novel and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Firefly: Carnival sounds like it is going to be a really fantastic and captivating read, which I am really looking forward to. Due to how much I love the Firefly franchise, as well as my previous positive experiences reading McCormack’s books, I know that I am in for an amazing time with Carnival, and I am excited to see how McCormack goes in this new franchise. All of this sounds so very, very awesome, so make sure to check back in a few months to see how my latest adventure in the Firefly verse turns out.

Waiting on Wednesday – Enemy at the Gates by Kyle Mills (based on the series by Vince Flynn)

On June 9, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, 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 article, I check out an awesome and fun upcoming thriller, Enemy at the Gates by Kyle Mills, which continues the Mitch Rapp series originally written by Vince Flynn.

Enemy at the Gates Cover

The Mitch Rapp series is an intense and compelling collection of spy thriller novels that follow titular American agent Mitch Rapp as he faces off against a raft of America’s enemies. Originally created and written by Vince Flynn, the Mitch Rapp series started in 1997 with Term Limits. Flynn ended up writing 14 Mitch Rapp novels throughout his career, including two prequel novels, American Assassin and Kill Shot (the first of which was adapted into a film of the same name). Following Flynn’s death in 2013, the series was continued by fellow thriller writer Kyle Mills, who has written six Mitch Rapp novels and has a seventh, Enemy at the Gates, on the way.

Like several other thriller series I enjoy, I came to the Mitch Rapp novels a little late in the game, having started with the 2018 release, Red War. Red War was a thrilling and fun novel that followed Rapp as he tried to stop a mad Russian President from starting World War III as a cover for his cancer diagnosis. Thanks to its awesome and exciting plot, I had a great time reading Red War and I have since gone on to read the latest two entries in the series, Lethal Agent and Total Power. All three of these Mitch Rapp novels have been really good, containing some excellent and compelling narratives, and I am now committed to checking out every new Mitch Rapp novel as soon as they are released.

As a result, I am quite excited about the upcoming book, Enemy at the Gates. Enemy at the Gates, which is currently set for release on 14 September 2021, will be the 20^th novel in the Mitch Rapp series and contains an intriguing and interesting narrative about political corruption and abuse of power in Washington.

Synopsis:

Picking up where the “tour de force” (The Providence Journal) Total Power left off, the next thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mitch Rapp series follows the CIA’s top operative as he searches for a high-level mole with the power to rewrite the world order.

Mitch Rapp has worked for a number of presidents over his career, but Anthony Cook is unlike any he’s encountered before. Cunning and autocratic, he feels no loyalty to America’s institutions and is distrustful of the influence Rapp and CIA director Irene Kennedy have in Washington.

Meanwhile, when Kennedy discovers evidence of a mole scouring the Agency’s database for sensitive information on Nicholas Ward, the world’s first trillionaire, she convinces Rapp to take a job protecting him. In doing so, he finds himself walking an impossible tightrope: Keep the man alive, but also use him as bait to uncover a traitor who has seemingly unlimited access to government secrets.

As the attacks on Ward become increasingly dire, Rapp and Kennedy are dragged into a world where the lines between governments, multinational corporations, and the hyper-wealthy fade. An environment in which liberty, nationality, and loyalty are meaningless. Only the pursuit of power remains.

As “one of the best thriller writers on the planet” (The Real Book Spy), Kyle Mills has created another nail-biter that not only echoes the America of today, but also offers a glimpse into its possible future.

I really enjoy the sound of the above synopsis, and it looks like Enemy at the Gates is going to be another excellent and exciting read. The entire plot around an unconventional US President and a powerful rich man has a lot of story potential, and there are some intriguing parallels with certain real life rivalries and power abuses. I look forward to seeing the author’s take on a pure political thriller, and I am sure it will result in a powerful story.

Based on Mills’s previous novels, I know that I am going to be in for a great time when I grab my copy of Enemy at the Gates. This latest Mitch Rapp novel has an amazing amount of potential in its cool story premise, and I am very confident I will power through it really quickly. This is going to be a very exciting and fast-paced read, and I cannot wait to check out all the violence, bloodshed and dangerous politics.

Waiting on Wednesday – Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

On June 2, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult10 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For my latest Waiting on Wednesday article I check out one of the most anticipated releases of 2021, the third awesome novel in Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series, Cytonic.

Cytonic Cover

Brandon Sanderson is an outstanding author who is one of the best, if not the absolute best, fantasy and science fiction authors in the world today. Ever since his debut in 2005, Sanderson has been a leading figure in both genres, creating an immense number of compelling, detailed and highly regarded reads. With amazing novels like the Mistborn series, The Stormlight Archive and The Reckoners series, as well as finishing Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, Sanderson has already left his mark on the literary world and is showing no signs of slowing down. I must admit that I have not read as many of Sanderson’s books as I perhaps should have, with my first foray into his work only occurring a few years ago when I read The Way of Kings. While I absolutely loved The Way of Kings, I haven’t found the time to read any of the other books in The Stormlight Archive. I have, however, made some effort in reading one of his other excellent bodies of work, the Skyward series.

The Skyward series are incredible young adult science fiction novels that follow a bold young pilot, Spensa, as she attempts to save her people from alien fighter ships. Set on a desolate world where the remnants of humanity have managed to survive and slowly fight back against their alien oppressors, this series has been a highlight of my reading experience over the last couple of years. So far two novels have been released, the epic Skyward and the equally impressive Starsight, both of which were amongst the best books of 2018 and 2019 respectfully. Sanderson cruelly left Starsight on a great cliffhanger in 2019 and I have been eagerly waiting to read the third entry in the series for some time. It looks like my wait is nearly over as details about the third novel, Cytonic, have recently been released.

Cytonic, which is currently set for release in November 2021, will continue Spensa’s adventure as she ventures into a bold new frontier. There are some great details about this novel’s plot out, as well as two excellent covers, and it sounds like this third novel is going to be pretty intense.

Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, the Mistborn trilogy, and the Stormlight Archive comes the third book in an epic series about a girl who will travel beyond the stars to save the world she loves from destruction.

Spensa’s life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell—the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What’s more, she traveled light-years from home as an undercover spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home.

Now, the Superiority—the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life—has started a galaxy-wide war. And Spensa’s seen the weapons they plan to use to end it: the Delvers. Ancient, mysterious alien forces that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant. Spensa knows that no matter how many pilots the DDF has, there is no defeating this predator.

Except that Spensa is Cytonic. She faced down a Delver and saw something eerily familiar about it. And maybe, if she’s able to figure out what she is, she could be more than just another pilot in this unfolding war. She could save the galaxy.

The only way she can discover what she really is, though, is to leave behind all she knows and enter the Nowhere. A place from which few ever return.

To have courage means facing fear. And this mission is terrifying.

Wow, based on the above synopsis, it sounds like Cytonic is going to be an amazing and compelling read that will set its protagonist on a whole different type of adventure. There are some interesting story threads coming together for this novel, and it will be quite fascinating to see what sort of adventure Sanderson has come up with, especially considering his protagonist is stuck in a dark new landscape. I am extremely curious to see where the story goes from here, and I am especially keen to see what happens to the various characters I grew close to in the original novels. Starsight left the fate of some great characters in doubt, and I hope that the best ones manage to come back in this latest book. Based on the compelling storyline set up in the previous novels, I think that Cytonic’s narrative will go in some intriguing directions, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

One of the things that I have really enjoyed about the previous Skyward entries were the unique and memorable alien worlds Sanderson introduced and utilised. Both Detritus and the Superiority home world were extremely impressive, with their distinctive culture and people proving to be excellent settings to their novel’s narratives. However, I have to say that I am extremely intrigued by Cytonic’s upcoming setting, the Nowhere, which sounds like a bit of a blank void. It will be particularly interesting to see what sort of story or people Spensa finds within there, and I am envisioning a culture of weird dimension hopping beings, which has some potential. I cannot wait to see what trials, dangers and strangeness occur in Cytonic, and I look forward to seeing Sanderson’s creative mind in action again.

Overall, I am quite excited for Cytonic to come out and I think that it has an enormous amount of potential. Based on Sanderson’s insanely good writing ability and the incredible contents of the first two Skyward novels, I am utterly confident that Cytonic is going to be one of the best reads of the 2021 and I fully expect that I will end up awarding it a full five-star rating. This is going to be such an awesome novel, and I am very, very keen to get my hands on it.

Cytonic Cover 2

Waiting on Wednesday – Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

On May 26, 2021 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 this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an awesome upcoming fantasy debut that sounds really amazing, Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn.

Among Thieves Cover

I am always excited when I see a cool debut fantasy novel coming up on the horizon, especially as I have been lucky enough to check out some awesome and impressive first novels in the last couple of years. One debut that I am particularly looking forward to is Among Thieves by intriguing new author M. J. Kuhn.

Among Thieves, which is currently set for release in September 2021, has an incredible and interesting fantasy crime narrative that sees a hunted criminal protagonist lead a group of disreputable rogues as they attempt a dangerous heist. However, with every member of the crew, including the protagonists herself being cast as selfish and treacherous, there are apparently going to be betrayals aplenty as they all attempt to come out ahead of their colleagues.

I love fantasy heist novels, and this one sounds like it is going to be pretty damn awesome. There are so many cool potential elements to this upcoming novel and I cannot wait to see what sort of shenanigans the protagonist and her treacherous crew get up to. I have heard some good things about this book already and it looks set to be a pretty cool read. I have high hopes for Among Thieves and I very confident that it is going to end up being one of the top debuts of 2021.

Synopsis:

A group of uniquely skilled criminals team up for an impossible job . . . while plotting to betray one another.

Ryia Cautella is a callous and brazen mercenary working for a criminal syndicate in the slums of the dockside city of Carrowwick. In just over a year’s time she’s already earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the city – not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name.

For the past six years a deadly secret has kept Ryia in hiding, running from city to city, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster – sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she runs, his servants never fail to track her down… But even the most powerful men can be defeated.

Her path now leads directly into the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold, and against every instinct she has, she knows it’s not a path she can walk alone. Forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers and thieves, Ryia must plan her next moves carefully. If she succeeds she wins her freedom once and for all, but unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is…

And they all have plans of their own.

Waiting on Wednesday – Billy Summers by Stephen King

On May 19, 2021May 20, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I look at the next awesome novel from legendary author Stephen King, Billy Summers.

Billy Summer Cover

Earlier this year I decided to make more of an effort to read novels from the always incredible Stephen King. While I have read one or two of his books in the past, I have honestly not dived too deeply into his existing catalogue of exciting thrillers and freaky horror novels. However, this changed after I obtained a copy of his early 2021 release, Later, a fun, scary and fast-paced book that followed a young boy who could talk to dead spirits. I absolutely loved Later and it is easily one of the best novels I have read so far this year. As a result, I am planning to read all of King’s future releases and luckily for me he has another intriguing and fantastic sounding book coming out later this year.

This upcoming book is Billy Summers, an awesome thriller set for release in early August. This amazing novel will follow a unique assassin protagonist who finds himself in all sorts of trouble in King’s favourite setting of small-town America.

Synopsis:

From legendary storyteller and No. 1 bestseller Stephen King, whose ‘restless imagination is a power that cannot be contained’ (The New York Times Book Review), comes a thrilling new novel about a good guy in a bad job.

Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He’s a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he’ll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out. But first there is one last hit. Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done. So what could possibly go wrong?

How about everything.

This spectacular can’t-put-it-down novel is part war story, part love letter to small town America and the people who live there, and it features one of the most compelling and surprising duos in King fiction, who set out to avenge the crimes of an extraordinarily evil man. It’s about love, luck, fate, and a complex hero with one last shot at redemption.

You won’t put this story down, and you won’t forget Billy.

I think we all know that we are in for a pretty spectacular read with King’s next upcoming novel. Billy Summers has a really compelling and exciting plot behind it, and I am quite intrigued to see who or what comes after Billy as he attempts to escape from his violent life. I am particularly curious about the part of the synopsis that mentions a “compelling and surprising duo”, as a very impressive combo of characters will no doubt result in an outstanding read. This novel has boundless potential and I already know it is going to be an exceptional thriller novel, potentially with some horror overtones to it. I cannot wait to read this fantastic novel and Billy Summers should turn out to be incredibly awesome.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

On May 13, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday article, I highlight an awesome upcoming novel that is probably going to be one of the best crime fiction reads of 2021, The Dark Hours, by Michael Connelly.

The Dark Hours Cover

While I tend to read a wide range of murder mysteries and thrillers, one of my favourite crime series at the moment are the wonderful and captivating novels that appear in Michael Connelly’s connected universe. Starting in 1992 with The Black Echo, Connelly’s long-running crime universe has featured a range of murder mystery and thriller novels, focusing on protagonists such as homicide detective Harry Bosch, the Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller, and reporter Jack McEvoy. His series currently includes 34 novels, and he is coming off a bumper year, having written two great books, the fast-paced The Law of Innocence and the outstanding Fair Warning, which was one of my favourite books of 2020. I was very excited to see that Connelly was releasing a novel later this year, especially as he is returning to his impressive Ballard and Bosch subseries with The Dark Hours.

The Ballard and Bosch books are an awesome series that follow the intriguing team of LAPD detective Renée Ballard and retired detective Harry Bosch. Ballard is one of Connelly’s more recent creations, having been introduced in the 2017 novel, The Late Show. A female detective who was screwed over by the LAPD after filing a sexual assault claim against a superior officer, Ballard has been assigned to the night shift of Hollywood division as a punishment. Bosch on the other hand is the central protagonist of this extended crime fiction universe and is one of Connelly’s most famous and utilised characters, having appeared as the lead protagonist in 22 novels and the Bosch television show. The Ballard and Bosch novels have focused on these two detectives from different generations teaming up to solve cold cases, in addition to their own current investigations and personal lives. This unique team-up has produced some excellent novels, including the first book, Dark Sacred Night and its sequel, The Night Fire, which was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019.

The Dark Hours will be the third Ballard and Bosch novel and it is currently set for release on 9 November 2021. I have very high hopes for this fantastic upcoming novel, especially as it looks like Connelly has come up with a clever and unique case for these two detectives to investigate.

Synopsis:

Has a killer lain dormant for years only to strike again on New Year’s Eve? LAPD Detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to find justice for an innocent victim in the new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly

There’s chaos in Hollywood on New Year’s Eve. Working her graveyard shift, LAPD Detective Renée Ballard seeks shelter at the end of the countdown to wait out the traditional rain of lead as hundreds of revelers shoot their guns into the air. As reports start to roll in of shattered windshields and other damage, Ballard is called to a scene where a hardworking auto shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet in the middle of a crowded street party.

It doesn’t take long for Ballard to determine that the deadly bullet could not have fallen from the sky. Ballard’s investigation leads her to look into another unsolved murder—a case at one time worked by Detective Harry Bosch.

Ballard and Bosch team up once again to find out where the old and new cases intersect. All the while they must look over their shoulders. The killer who has stayed undetected for so long knows they are coming after him.

Wow, I really love the sound of the above story and I am now even more confident that The Dark Hours is going to be an awesome book. Firstly, the idea of the protagonists having to investigate a murder after New Year’s Eve revellers shoot their guns up into the air is really cool. I must admit that the whole concept of people firing guns randomly into the sky seems pretty damn crazy to little old Australian me, but I can see its potential as a story backdrop, especially as it serves as a great cover for the main case. It will probably also result in several intriguing smaller investigations or pieces of police work that Ballard will have to work through, and I am sure those will cleverly support the main mystery. I love stories that feature compelling unsolved cases with interested suspects keen to keep their misdeeds hidden, and it will be interesting to see how the current murder intersects with older case, as well as what the killer will do to stop the investigation.

I am also looking forward to seeing more of the great interaction between the two central characters. Not only does the split narration that Connelly utilise for the Ballard and Bosch books work particularly well, but the two detectives have made a great team in their previous novels. I love the fantastic dynamic between the two detectives, especially as both have seen the bad side of the LAPD, resulting in a similar, cynical sense of justice. I particularly like the great character arc surrounding Ballard, as she is forced to deal with police officers who look down on her for reporting her superior, and it will be interesting to see how that impacts the story in The Dark Hours. Bosch also has a great arc, especially as, thanks to the authors determination to realistically age up his characters, he has mostly retired from active duty, although he still finds plenty of ways to get into trouble. Bosch has an intriguing mentor role in these novels, and I think that Connelly is actually grooming Ballard to take over from Bosch as his primary protagonist. Whether that results in some sort of tragic or heroic ending for Bosch in this novel or a future Ballard and Bosch book is hard to tell, but I will try not to get too heartbroken if that happens.

Based on how much I have enjoyed Connelly’s last several novels, I already knew that I was going to love The Dark Hours when it comes out. However, after seeing the incredible synopsis above, I am now exceedingly confident that this is going to turn out to be a fantastic and captivating read. There is so much potential for a cool mystery amid the wild celebration and I cannot wait to see what clever story Connelly weaves around it. This is easily one of the books I am most looking forward to in the second half of 2021 and I am extremely excited to get my hands on it.

Waiting on Wednesday – Star Wars Novels – Second Half of 2021

On May 5, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, 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 this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at several intriguing Star Wars tie-in novels that are set for release later this year.

2021 has so far been a pretty spectacular year for Star Wars tie-in fiction (my favourite so far is easily Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed). However, the year is far from over and there are still an intriguing collection of upcoming Star Wars novels set for release in the next few months. Considering it was only just Star Wars day yesterday (and it’s probably still May the Fourth somewhere in the world), I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight which Star Wars novels I am looking forward to in the second half of 2021. There a several really cool-sounding books set for release before the end of the year, and I am confident that one or two will find their way onto My Favourite Star Wars Novels list next year.

The first entry in this Waiting on Wednesday article is the next adult novel in The High Republic range, The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott. The High Republic is an intriguing multimedia project that is getting a lot of attention at the moment. Set 200 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga, the High Republic series is made up of semi-connected novels, comics, young adult books, junior novels, anime, and other pieces of Star Wars media. I have been rather enjoying some of the early entries in this series so far, including the cool first book, Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, which introduced a lot of the key settings and storylines that will be explored in future High Republic entries. This next book looks set to follow up some of the storylines started in Light of the Jedi, and I look forward to seeing how Cavan Scott continue this interesting plot, especially after I previously enjoyed his awesome audiodrama, Dooku: Jedi Lost.

Synopsis:

The heroes of the High Republic era return to face a shattered peace and a fearsome foe, following the dramatic events of Light of the Jedi.

In the wake of the Great Hyperspace Disaster and the heroism of the Jedi, the Republic continues to grow, bringing more worlds together under a single unified banner. Under the leadership of Chancellor Lina Soh, the spirit of unity extends throughout the galaxy, with the Jedi and the newly established Starlight Beacon station at the vanguard.

In celebration, the chancellor plans The Republic Fair, a showcase of the possibilities and the peace of the expanding Republic—a peace the Jedi hope to foster. Stellan Gios, Bell Zettifar, Elzar Mann, and others join the event as ambassadors of harmony. But as the eyes of the galaxy turn toward the Fair, so too does the fury of the Nihil. Their leader, Marchion Ro, is intent on destroying this unity. His storm descends on the pageantry and celebration, sowing chaos and exacting revenge.

As the Jedi struggle to curb the carnage of the rampaging Nihil, they come face-to-face with the true fear their enemy plans to unleash across the galaxy—the kind of fear from which even the Force cannot shield them.

This sounds like a pretty fun novel and it looks like Scott has come up with a really interesting story that will continue some of the fantastic threads from the previous novels. The fight between the Jedi and the mysterious and chaotic Nihil has so far been pretty cool, especially as there is very little information about their past or ultimate motivations. Scott is also bringing back several of the key characters introduced in the previous High Republic works, and it will be interesting to see how their story continues. I have a feeling that several questions previously raised in Light of the Jedi are going to get answered here, although I’m sure that Scott will come up with some more mysteries and reviews. Because of that, I am quite looking forward to reading The Rising Storm, which is currently set for release in late June 2021. Scott also has another entry in the High Republic coming out later this year, an audiodrama called Tempest Runner, although I may hold off talking about this too much until some more details are revealed (such as the voice cast).

The next book I am going to look at is another High Republic novel, Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland. Out of the Shadows is a young adult novel set for release on 22 July 2021, which will explore a different part of the High Republic universe. I have so far had some great experiences with High Republic young adult novels, as I really enjoyed the last example, Into the Dark by Claudia Gray, which was released earlier this year. This will be my first book from author Justina Ireland, although I have heard some good things about her Dread Nation series. Ireland has previously written several junior Star Wars novels, including Lando’s Luck and A Test of Courage, and it will be interesting to see what unique tale she comes up with for Out of the Shadows.

Synopsis:

The darkest secrets are the hardest to bring to light….

Sylvestri Yarrow is on a streak of bad luck with no end of sight. She’s been doing her best to keep the family cargo business going after her mom’s death, but between mounting debt and increasing attacks by the Nihil on unsuspecting ships, Syl is in danger of losing all she has left of her mother. She heads to the galactic capital of Coruscant for help, but gets sidetracked when she’s drawn into a squabble between two of the Republic’s most powerful families over a patch of space on the frontier. Tangled up in familial politics is the last place Syl wants to be, but the promise of a big payoff is enough to keep her interested…

Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh has been summoned to Coruscant, but with no idea of why or by whom. She and her Padawan Imri Cantaros arrive at the capital along with Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus and his Padawan, Reath Silas―and are asked to assist with the property dispute on the frontier. But why? What is so important about an empty patch of space? The answer will lead Vernestra to a new understanding of her abilities, and take Syl back to the past…and to truths that will finally come out of the shadows.

I have to say that I really like the sound of Out of the Shadows, and I think that this cool novel will prove to be an incredible addition to the High Republic. I like how Out of the Shadows is planning to bring back several of the awesome characters introduced in previous High Republic novels, such as Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, who Ireland created in her previous novel, A Test of Courage, and Cohmac Vitus and Reath Silas, who were introduced in Into the Dark. At the same time, this novel is also going to introduce a fun new character in Sylvestri Yarrow, and I am intrigued about the interactions between her and the four Jedi characters. I am quite intrigued about where Out of the Shadows’ story is going to go, and it will be interesting to see how it ties into the rest of the High Republic range. Ireland also has another piece of High Republic fiction coming out later this year, and I will have to grab the cool manga series she is doing with Shima Sinya and Mizuki Sakakibara, The Edge of Balance, when it comes out later this year.

One of the other Star Wars books I am quite keen for is the young adult book, Queen’s Hope by E. K. Johnston. Queen’s Hope will be the third entry in a fun series Johnston has been writing that follows the adventures of Padmé Amidala and her handmaidens. The first two novels in this series, Queen’s Shadow and Queen’s Peril, have followed very different parts of Padmé’s life, including early days of being Queen and her transition to life as a Senator. This upcoming book, which will be released in early November 2021, will be set during the Clone Wars.

Synopsis:

A peace-loving senator faces a time of war in another thrilling Padmé Amidala adventure from the author of the New York Times best-sellers Queen’s Peril and Queen’s Shadow!

Padmé is adjusting to being a wartime senator during the Clone Wars. Her secret husband, Anakin Skwyalker, is off fighting the war, and excels at being a wartime Jedi. In contrast, when Padmé gets the opportunity to see the casualties on the war-torn front lines, she is horrified. The stakes have never been higher for the galaxy, or for the newly-married couple.

Meanwhile, with Padmé on a secret mission, her handmaiden Sabé steps into the role of Senator Amidala, something no handmaiden has done for an extended period of time. While in the Senate, Sabé is equally horrified by the machinations that happen there. She comes face to face with a gut-wrenching decision as she realizes that she cannot fight a war this way, not even for Padmé.

And Chancellor Palpatine hovers over it all, manipulating the players to his own ends…

I have to admit that I was a little surprised to see that Johnston was still continuing this series. While I did enjoy her previous Padmé Amidala novels, it felt a little played out after the second book, mainly because the publishing order was a little disjointed. However, this next book does sound pretty awesome, and I am rather keen to check it out. Thanks to shows like The Clone Wars, this period of Star Wars history is pretty well chronicled, although there are plenty of great opportunities for stories and tales, especially around Padmé.

I am rather curious to see more of Senator Amidala during this period, and I am looking forward to learning more about her political exploits, especially with future Rebel Alliance leaders (as seen in some of the deleted scenes of Revenge of the Sith). This will no doubt be complicated by the inclusion of Sabé, Padmé’s handmaiden and body double, who serves as a fantastic secondary protagonist in this series, and having her covering for her mistress for a long period of time should result in some thrilling moments. I am also really keen to see more of Chancellor Palpatine’s manipulations and machinations, and it should prove interesting to find out how he is playing everyone. One thing that I am not too keen on is the inclusion of Anakin Skywalker in this story. While there are many fine aspects to Anakin as a character, his romance with Padmé never really worked in the film, thanks to too much whining, murder and sand (the sand, not the sand!), and hopefully that won’t be too prevalent in this upcoming book. It will be interesting to see how Queen’s Hope turns out and I think it should end up being an excellent read.

The final book I really want to feature is the third and final book in the awesome Thrawn Ascendancy series, Lesser Evil, by Timothy Zahn. The Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy is a great collection of books that examine the early life of one of the best characters in the entire Star Wars canon, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Serving as a prequel series to Zahn’s Thrawn series (made up of Thrawn, Alliances and Treason), the Thrawn Ascendancy novels are a fascinating series heavy in Star Wars lore. The series has so far consisted of Chaos Rising and Greater Good, which only came out a few days ago. Due to its recent release date, I have not had a chance to read Greater Good yet, but I already know I am in for an excellent time with it. However, Zahn has clearly been on a writing roll (like everyone, he has probably had a lot of spare time in the last year), and his next book is set for release on 16 November.

Synopsis:

The fate of the Chiss Ascendancy hangs in the balance in the epic finale of the Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.

For thousands of years The Chiss Ascendancy has been an island of calm, a center of power, and a beacon of integrity. Led by the Nine Ruling Families, their leadership stands as a bulwark of stability against the Chaos of the Unknown Regions.

But that stability has been eroded by a cunning foe that winnows away trust and loyalty in equal measure. Bonds of fidelity have given way to lines of division among the families. Despite the efforts of the Expansionary Defense Fleet, the Ascendancy slips closer and closer toward civil war.

The Chiss are no strangers to war. Their mythic status in the Chaos was earned through conflict and terrible deeds, some long buried. Until now. To ensure the Ascendancy’s future, Thrawn will delve deep into its past, uncovering the dark secrets surrounding the ascension of the First Ruling Family. But the truth of a family’s legacy is only as strong as the legend that supports it. Even if that legend turns out to be a lie.

To secure the salvation of the Ascendancy, is Thrawn willing to sacrifice everything? Including the only home he has ever known?

Now, it is hard to talk about this upcoming novel when I have not even read the preceding book yet, but I can guess that I am really going to enjoy Lesser Evil. This book will no doubt contain Zahn’s amazing storytelling and impressive development of his most notable character, and I look forward to more outstanding space battles. This will probably be one of the best Star Wars novels in 2021, and I cannot wait to see how Zahn rounds out this fantastic series.

Aside from the four above novels, there is also a potentially interesting book coming out called Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon. Ronin will be connected to an upcoming Star Wars animated series, Star Wars: Visions, which will contain several animated shorts from various Japanese anime studios. Ronin will apparently tie into one of these upcoming shorts, and I look forward to seeing what the short film is like and how this intriguing novel will be connected.

As you can see from the above, there are some really cool Star Wars novels coming out later in the year, and I am quite excited. All of the above books sound incredibly awesome and I fully intend to read and review each of them. Based on my overwhelming love of Star Wars, I have no doubt that I will love them all. It does look like I am going to be busy with Star Wars stuff this year though, especially as I am going to also check out the Star Wars comics, including some High Republic comics, as well as the audiodrama and manga I mentioned above. Still, this should be a lot of fun and I cannot wait to get to it. First step is start reading the second Thrawn Ascendency book, which I am going to start doing right now.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie

On April 28, 2021 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 take a look at the epic upcoming conclusion to legendary author Joe Abercrombie’s The Age of Madness trilogy, The Wisdom of Crowds.

The Wisdom of Crowds Cover

Cards on the table: I already know that The Wisdom of Crowds is going to be an extremely impressive and intense five-star read, and I have already prepared a place for it on my top reads of 2021 list. While some may think this could be a bit of a rash decision, I think that anyone who is familiar with Joe Abercrombie and his outstanding contributions to fantasy fiction will soundly agree with my decision and are probably sharing my overwhelming excitement that his next book will be here in a few short months.

Joe Abercrombie is a talented and exceptional author who has been the measuring stick of the dark fantasy/grimdark fantasy subgenres ever since he burst onto the scene with his amazing 2006 debut, The Blade Itself. The Blade Itself was the first entry in the extended The First Law series of novels, which follow an eclectic group of damaged characters as they attempt to survive the schemes and bloody wars of a dark and uncaring fantasy world. The First Law series has so far featured eight separate novels, as well as a good collection of short stories, and all of them have been amazing and captivating fantasy reads. I have been a major fan of the author ever since I read the first few pages of The Blade Itself, thanks to its entertaining and brutal writing style, as well as its great characters. I have been particularly getting into his latest entries into this overarching series, The Age of Madness trilogy.

The Age of Madness trilogy is set over 20 years after the events of the original First Law trilogy and follows the children and younger associates of the original protagonists as they deal with the sins of their parents. Containing all of Abercrombie’s outstanding writing style, a great collection of new damaged characters and an intriguing backdrop of industrialisation and revolution, The Age of Madness trilogy has featured some exceptional reads, including the first book, A Little Hatred, and last year’s sequel, The Trouble With Peace. Both of these books have been absolutely incredible, and I consider both of them be amongst the best books I read in 2019 and 2020 respectfully (The Trouble With Peace was also one of the best audiobooks I listened to in 2020).

Due to how epic this fantastic trilogy has so far been, I have been really excited to check out the final book and I was very happy when all the details, including the above cover, came out. The Wisdom of Crowds is currently set for release on 16 September 2021, and is easily one of the books I am most looking forward to for the next half of the year. The Wisdom of Crowds looks set to continue right after the violent revolution that occurred in the closing moments of The Trouble With Peace once the identity of the secretive revolutionary, the Weaver, was revealed, and it will be interesting to see what is happening in the final chapter of this trilogy.

Synopsis:

Chaos. Fury. Destruction.

The Great Change is upon us…

Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution: the Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds.

With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age, while Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her fragile Protectorate are running out of allies… while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots his vengeance.

The banks have fallen, the sun of the Union has been torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver’s ruthless plan are slowly being drawn together…

I really like the sound of this cool synopsis; this upcoming novel is going to be pretty damn awesome. From what is featured above, it looks like the entirety of the Union is going to be overwhelmed by revolution and all the various characters are going to have to deal with the consequences of the Weaver’s bloody plan. I am deeply intrigued to see how each of the impressive character arcs introduced in the previous novels in the series conclude. It is going to be particularly interesting to see how Orso, the soon-to-be deposed king, will deal with everything, especially as its going to be a major comedown from his impressive arc in The Trouble With Peace. It is interesting to see that Brock is going to be a major feature in this novel after his literally crippling defeat in the previous novel, and Savine, the ultimate opportunist and survivor, is going to have to deal with once again being in control of the revolutionaries who have traumatised her so severely in the past.

I am also very intrigued to see how characters like Vick dan Teufel and Gunnar Broad survive in this new version of the Union. Vick, a spy and clever Inquisitor, is probably going to find her loyalties extremely tested in this book, although she will probably end up being a major part of its conclusion. Gunnar Broad, the dangerous soldier and former revolutionary is probably going to be the most conflicted character in the entire novel, especially as he will likely be called up to do violence for the Breakers and the Burners, despite his efforts to avoid all of that.

The story in the North should also prove to be quite interesting. Rikke’s great arc surrounding her battle to claim the constantly warring North was really good in the previous book, especially as she was able to outsmart one of her most dangerous enemies. I look forward to seeing how her war continues and I will be intrigued to see how it combines with the story set in the Union. I am also curious about how Abercrombie will wrap up her abilities surrounding her magical Long Eye, as that has proven to be a complex and compelling storyline in the past. The other character situated in the North who I want to see more of is Jonas Clover, the wily old veteran who is easily my favourite person in this entire trilogy. Clover has had some amazing appearances in the previous two novels, and I really loved the great twist at the end of The Trouble With Peace. It will be fun to see him teaming up with Rikke in this final novel and it should lead to some very entertaining moments.

As you can see, I am exceedingly invested in all the above characters, mainly because Abercrombie has done such a fantastic job setting them up and turning them into such compelling people. You have to know that some of them are going to die in this final novel (Abercrombie is cruel like that), and I have no doubt I will be both saddened and surprised with where everyone ends up. I am also curious about whether some of the remaining characters from the original First Law trilogy will show up again. Abercrombie has been progressively killing off or retiring several of them in the previous The Age of Madness books, but this upcoming third novel seems like the perfect opportunity to bring some of the remaining ones back. I have a strong feeling that Bayaz, the kindly old mage who is really the murderous shadow ruler of the Union, will return to reclaim his influence and power, and any storylines surrounding him are guaranteed to be compelling and clever.

Based on the synopsis and the continuing character arcs from the previous entries in this series, I am exceedingly excited to get my hands on The Wisdom of Crowds. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this final entry in The Age of Madness is going to pure, dark fantasy awesomeness that I will enjoy immensely. I look forward to giving this book a five-star rating in the near-future and I cannot wait to see all the madness and bloodshed that is to come.