Category: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday – Circle of Days by Ken Follett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I check out an awesome upcoming historical fiction novel, Circle of Days, from one of my favourite authors, Ken Follett.

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Ken Follett is an exceptional author who has been a leading thriller and historical fiction writer since the 1970s.  Originally known for an array of complex and intriguing thrillers, including Capricorn One, Eye of the Needle, Triple and more, Follett is probably better known these days as an author of historical fiction, thanks to Kingsbridge series and The Century trilogy.

Both these ambitious historical fiction series attempt to examine key periods of history, both in and outside of England, following large casts of complex characters.  For example, his Kingsbridge series, which started with the iconic novel, The Pillars of the Earth, showcases different eras of the fictional town of Kingsbridge, following a new set of protagonists with each book over a period of many years.  For example, A Column of Fire was set during the Elizabethan period, The Evening and the Morning (one of my favourite books of 2020) was a prequel novel set to the backdrop of Viking raids, while The Armour of Light (one of my favourite books of 2023) focused on the Industrial Revolution in Kingsbridge and the Napoleonic Wars.  The Century trilogy on the other hand was an impressive series that followed members of several connected families living in different countries (i.e. UK, US, Russia and Germany) as they experienced the key events of the 20th century from various perspectives.  I really enjoyed these elaborate and compelling historical epics, especially as Follett does a wonderful job of working key events into his fictional character’s personal dramas, and they are all five-star reads in my book.  As such, I am always keen for more historical fiction from Follett which is why I am so excited to see that he has a new novel coming out later this year with Circle of Days.

Circle of Days is an intriguing and awesome upcoming novel that will be based around the construction of Stonehenge.  Set for release in September 2025, Circle of Days will once again follow an array of compelling characters as they live their lives around this major event in England’s pre-history.

Plot Synopsis:

From the master of epic fiction comes the deeply human story of one of the world’s greatest mysteries: the building of Stonehenge.

A FLINT MINER WITH A GIFT

Seft, a talented flint miner, walks the Great Plain in the high summer heat, to witness the rituals that signal the start of a new year. He is there to trade his stone at the Midsummer Rite, and to find Neen, the girl he loves. Her family lives in prosperity and offers Seft an escape from his brutish father and brothers, within their herder community.

A PRIESTESS WHO BELIEVES THE IMPOSSIBLE

Joia, Neen’s sister, is a priestess with a vision and an unmatched ability to lead. As a child, she watches the Midsummer ceremony, enthralled, and dreams of a miraculous new monument, raised from the biggest stones in the world. But trouble is brewing among the hills and woodlands of the Great Plain.

A MONUMENT THAT WILL DEFINE A CIVILISATION

Joia’s vision of a great stone circle, assembled by the divided tribes of the Plain, will inspire Seft and become their life’s work. But as drought ravages the earth, mistrust grows between the herders, farmers and woodlanders – and an act of savage violence leads to open warfare . . .

Truly ambitious in scope, Circle of Days invites you to join master storyteller Ken Follett in exploring one of the greatest mysteries of our age: Stonehenge.

This sounds like another particularly cool and intriguing novel from Follett, and I cannot wait to see him explore this fascinating British period.  Focussing the plot of Circle of Days around the creation of Stonehenge is an awesome idea, and I look forward to seeing how the author envisions this era of pre-history.  It sounds like Follett will be utilising his typical style of focussing the story on multiple compelling characters, both protagonist and antagonist, which the author has used to great effects in his previous historical novels to create fantastic, character-driven narratives.  I am also very excited to see what complex and elaborate narratives evolve as a result, and the depictions of war, mistrust and shattered relationships, all set around the construction of Stonehenge, sounds extremely promising to me.  I am a little curious to see if Circle of Days will be some sort of very early prequel to the Kingsbridge books (the fictional town of Kingsbridge is set close to Salisbury), which will probably be a fun little revelation for existing Follett fans.

Based on Ken Follett’s previous historical fiction books alone, Circle of Days is a particularly highly anticipated read for me, especially as I have had an exceptional time reading Follett’s amazing books over the years.  However, I am also really intrigued by the new historical scenario that Follett is envisioning, and an elaborate, multi-protagonist narrative set around the creation of Stonehenge has so much potential.  I have no doubt that Circle of Days is going to be one of the top books of 2025 for me, and I look forward to reading it the second it comes out.

Waiting on Wednesday – Forged For Destiny by Andrew Knighton

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an awesome upcoming fantasy book that looks to bring the laughs with Forged For Destiny by Andrew Kingston.

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Here at the Unseen Library, we’re a big fan of all things fantasy, whether that be compelling epics, elaborate tales of woe, or action-laded adventures.  However, sometimes it’s nice to settle in with a fun book that parodies the genre, which is why the upcoming book, Forged For Destiny has caught my attention.

A compelling new read from Andrew Knighton, Forged For Destiny looks set to be an entertaining satire on the classic chosen one story, as a supposed long-lost prince and hero begins to doubt his destiny on route to claim the throne.  Set for release late June 2025, Forged For Destiny sounds really cool, and I love the fantastic and entertaining plot synopsis laid out below.  I have a strong feeling that Forged For Destiny is going to be one of the more unique and captivating fantasy novels of 2025, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

Raul has a destiny: claim his birthright as the last surviving heir of King Balbainus and lead his conquered people to freedom.

The signs are all there—his birthmark, in the shape of Balbainus’ halfmoon and dagger sigil, the gemstone-hilted sword he found in his parents’ inn, and the sudden influx of illegal books featuring the late king’s lineage. Nevermind that his ma is a hidden scribe writing a play about Balbainus’ return, or that his da, a hardened warrior, has been training him to fight since he could stand. Or the fact that his sword doesn’t seem very old at all, he feels much more comfortable reading than fighting, and his birthmark is looking more and more like a burn scar…

As Raul leaves his simple village life to start a rebellion against the tyrannical Dunholmi government, he begins to wonder if his destiny is more someone else’s plan for a future he doesn’t want to be a part of. He’ll go along with things, for now, if only to prove that change can come from kindness instead of outright destruction.

After all, destiny is what you make of it. 

Waiting on Wednesday – Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday9 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.  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 one of the more intriguing and complex upcoming fantasy novels of 2025 with the incredible sounding Katabasis by R. F. Kuang.

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Over the last few years, an intriguing rising fantasy author I have unfortunately not had the opportunity to read was the highly regarded R. F. Kuang.  A talented author whose books feature interesting references and insights into Asian culture and how it is perceived in the West, Kuang has produced an impressive and unique body of work.  This includes here acclaimed The Poppy War series, as well as the varied standalone novels Yellowface and Babel, or the Necessity of Violence.  All these books have outstanding and complex plots behind them, and I honestly wish that I had taken the time to try and read some of these novels in recent years.  Luckily it looks like I might get the opportunity to finally read one of her books later this year as Kuang has a particularly epic new novel coming out that has really grabbed my attention.

That book is Katabasis, a compelling dark academia fantasy novel that will see two rival students got to Hell to retrieve their professor’s soul.  A suitably unique and quite entertaining plot idea, Katabasis, which is set for release in August 2025, promises to bring together a lot of complex story elements into a very interesting read.  I especially love how Kuang will be apparently sending up both classic underworld stories, such as Dante or Orpheus, as well as the more maddening world of academia and post-graduate study.  Based on both the distinctive plot and Kuang’s excellent reputation for creating elaborate and clever stories, I feel that Katabasis has a ton of potential and could end up being one of the top fantasy books of the year.  As such, I am extremely eager to get my hands on Katabasis, and I think I am going to have an extremely fun time reading it.

Plot Synopsis:

Dante’s Inferno meets Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R. F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:

The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday4 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an extremely fun sounding fantasy novel coming out soon with The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell.

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2025 looks set to be a very big year for fantasy author Sebastien de Castell.  I have previously posted about one of his upcoming books, Our Lady of Blades, which will serve as a loosely connected sequel to Play of Shadow and Crucible of Chaos (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024 respectfully).  I truly believe that Our Lady of Blades will be one of the top books of 2025, but before we get to it, we have another treat from de Castell with The Malevolent Eight.

The Malevolent Eight is an awesome and entertaining upcoming book that will serve as a sequel to the author’s previous novel, The Malevolent Seven.  The Malevolent Seven was a great book from a couple of years ago that I had a ton of fun reading thanks to its over-the-top narrative and entertaining characters.  Following seven murderous and mismatched wizards who take on a job to kill a group of deadly mages, The Malevolent Seven was extremely good, and I loved the twist at the end that saw the protagonists simultaneously unleash heaven and hell on their own dimension.  

Ever since reading this fun book, I have been hoping that de Castell would release a sequel to The Malevolent Seven, and it looks like we finally have one upcoming with The Malevolent Eight.  Set for release in May 2025, The Malevolent Eight looks set be an amazing sequel that will see the protagonists fight back against the dark forces they unleashed upon the world.  Thanks to its exciting story and entertaining characters, I predict that The Malevolent Eight is going to be a particularly awesome read, and one that I am very keen to get my hands on.  This will probably be one of the most exciting and humorous books of 2025, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.


Plot Synopsis:

The stakes have never been higher.

The world is teetering on the brink of annihilation. The Lords Celestine and the Lords Devilish, celestial and infernal beings locked in an age-old enmity, have at last found the perfect battlefield for their apocalyptic Great Crusade: the mortal realm.

Cade Ombra, former Glorian Justiciar turned mercenary wonderist, leads a band of emotionally unstable mages in a desperate bid to prevent the impending clash of divine and diabolical titans. Failure will leave humanity to be conscripted into an eternal war, serving as foot soldiers doomed to oblivion.

The mission seems impossible, but Cade and the Malevolent Seven aren’t exactly pacifists, so they’re determined to bring peace no matter how many people they have to kill first. With wit as sharp as their blades and a moral compass that points only toward survival, they’re ready to cut down anyone in their path to stop the war before it begins.

Prepare for a whirlwind of dark magic, irreverent humour and relentless action in The Malevolent Eight: The Bad, The Worse and The Wicked. The fate of the humanity hangs in the balance, and only the most malevolent can hope to save it.

Waiting on Wednesday – Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Warhammer3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight a recently announced 2025 Warhammer 40,000 novel that I am particularly excited for with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers

Fans of this blog will know that I am a massive sucker for all things Warhammer 40,000, and I have been having a blast reading and reviewing so many fantastic novels and audiobooks from this franchise for years.  2025 is already proving to be an interesting year for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, as not only did I just read and review Leontus: Lord Solar, but we also have the very awesome Interceptor City by Dan Abnett (the sequel to Double Eagle), coming out in a couple of days.  Well, it looks like my 2025 Warhammer experience is set to become even better, as the Black Library have just announced an excellent upcoming book that I am very excited for with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, from one of my favourite Warhammer authors Denny Flowers.

Denny Flowers is an author who has deeply impressed me since they started writing Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Starting with Fire Made Flesh in 2021, Flowers did an outstanding job exploring the Necromunda setting, and Fire Made Flesh ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2021.  Flowers followed his first book up in a big way in 2022 with the fantastic read Outgunned.  An incredibly clever and entertaining novel, Outgunned showcased a deadly fliers war through the eyes of a propaganda expert, who grows to understand the deadly reality they have been trying to sell to the rest of humanity.  Outgunned was such a good book, and it is one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels thanks to its great story and complex characters.  Flowers further impressed last year when he provided us with an exceptional sequel to Outgunned with Above and Beyond.  A powerful read that cleverly expanded on the great character arcs from Outgunned and provided readers with a nuanced take on the human heroes of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Above and Beyond was another exceptional read that ended up being one of my top books and audiobooks of 2024.

Due to how much fun I have had with Flowers in the past, you can understand that I was very excited to find that he had a new book coming out later this year.  While the details of this upcoming novel, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, are a tad sparse (and I only have some unfished covers at this point), the fragmented synopsis below honestly sounds pretty damn amazing, and I am already extremely keen to check it out.


Plot Synopsis:

A painboy of legendary repute, Mad Dok Grotsnik is the singular mind responsible for the towering monstrosity and numero uno Warboss of the Goff clan, Ghazghkull Thraka.* He has an entire army of thuggish orderlies who supply him with fresh meat to experiment on, and a formidable brain that harbours secrets not even the weirdest of boys could reckon at. 

So when he deigns to visit his medical “expertise” upon the beleaguered Bakum, whose faltering Waaagh! against Hive Prome is threatening to peter out, the Beastboss can’t believe his luck. But in reality, the Mad Dok is working on something monumental in his Painwagon, something that will supplant the creation of Ghazghkull as his grandest medical achievement and change the nature of ork-kind forever. 


Ok, now this sounds pretty damn awesome.  I have a special love for ork stories in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, which are so damn hilarious thanks to their over-the-top characters and crazy narratives.  Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok sounds like a particularly good example of this, and a story about a crazed ork painboy taking over a Waaagh! to create some elaborate medical experiment can only be amazing.  I have no doubts whatsoever that Flowers will do an incredible job with this premise, especially after showcasing his ability to write ork characters with his two short story entries in Da Red Gobbo Collection.

Look, I honestly will grab any new piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that Denny Flowers produces, as Flowers is an author that honestly gets better with every book he writes. However, a fantastically fun and elaborately over-the-top read about one of the canon’s most feared ork painboys is something I am extremely keen on, and there is no way that this won’t be good.  As such, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok is one of my most anticipated Warhammer 40,000 novels coming out in 2025, and it won’t surprise me if this ends up being one of the best books I read all year.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the top and most anticipated thrillers of 2025 with the exciting new Dan Brown book, The Secret of Secrets.

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Dan Brown is an author who leads very little introduction, having been one of the most recognisable authors of the early 21st century.  Thanks primarily to his Robert Langdon books and the resulting film adaptations, Brown received a lot of recognition for his compelling and history laden thrillers that followed the titular character, symbologist Robert Langdon, as he attempts to unwind elaborate mysteries from history.  Books and films like Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno and Origin, enthralled audiences for much of the 2000s and 2010s, and I personally had fun with several of them when I first getting into thriller fiction.

After several years away, Brown is returning in 2025 with a brand-new Robert Langdon novel, The Secret of Secrets.  Needless to say, I am quite excited for The Secret of Secrets, not only because it sounds really cool, but because it’s the first Robert Langdon book released since I started seriously reading and reviewing thriller fiction for this blog.  Set for release in September 2025, The Secret of Secrets is highly intriguing, and I love the sound of the plot below.


Plot Synopsis:

The thrilling and long-awaited new Robert Langdon novel from globally bestselling author Dan Brown.

Accompanying celebrated academic, Katherine Solomon, to a lecture she’s been invited to give in Prague, Robert Langdon’s world spirals out of control when she disappears without trace from their hotel room. Far from home and well out of his comfort zone, Langdon must pit his wits against forces unknown to recover the woman he loves.

But Prague is an old and dangerous city, steeped in folklore and mystery. For over two thousand years, the tides of history have washed back and forth over it, leaving behind echoes of everything that has gone before. Little can Langdon know that he is being stalked by a spectre from that dark past. He must use all of his arcane knowledge to decipher the world around him before he too is consumed by the rings of treachery and deception that have swallowed Katherine.

Against a backdrop of vast castles, towering churches, graveyards buried twelve deep and labyrinthine underground passages, Langdon must navigate a shadow city hiding in plain sight, a city which has successfully kept its secrets for centuries and will not readily deliver them. This is a battlefield unlike any he has previously experienced, one on which he must fight not for his only life, but for the future of humanity itself.

The Secret Of Secrets is Dan Brown’s first novel for over eight years and sees the stunning return of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, this time pitting his wits against a conspiracy which will test even his considerable brainpower and take him to the edge of losing all that he holds dear…

 

It looks like Brown has pulled together an excellent and elaborate plot for The Secret of Secrets, and I am very interested in seeing Prague through Dan Brown and Robert Langdon’s eyes.  The unique history of the city is going to be a fantastic part of The Secret of Secrets, and I cannot wait to see how Brown will work them into the plot.  I have no doubt the central thriller storyline is going to be particularly awesome and having the opportunity to once again see Langdon running around a European city, solving historical clues and deciphering elaborate puzzles is going to be great.

Honestly, the moment I heard that there was a new Dan Brown novel coming out in 2025, I knew that I was going to be grabbing this book.  Brown is too iconic an author for a reviewer not to check out, and I have honestly had a lot of fun with his previous books and some of the movies based around them.  As such, The Secret of Secrets is now very high up my to-read list for the second half of 2025, and I am sure that I will have an exceptional time reading this upcoming book.  It will be really amazing to get more Dan Brown this year, and The Secret of Secrets is going to be so damn good.

Waiting on Wednesday – Once a Villain by Vanessa Len

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult3 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight the epic upcoming end to a particularly cool young adult fantasy series with Once a Villain by Vanessa Len.

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Over the last couple of years, one of my favourite young adult fantasy series has been the Only a Monster trilogy by Australian author Vanessa Len.  Starting in 2022 with Len’s debut novel, Only a Monster, the series followed a teenage girl who finds out that she is part monster, a being who can drain life from humans in order to time travel.  Len pulled together a fascinating narrative for this first book, as the protagonist is forced to flee through time after her crush is revealed to be a vengeful monster slayer.  This first book proved to be an excellent read, and Only a Monster was one of my favourite debuts and favourite pieces of Australian fiction in 2022.

Len kept the series going strong in 2023, with the intense follow-up Never a Hero.  An intriguing sequel, Never a Hero featured a compelling plot in an alternate timeline that cleverly mirrored the first book, as the protagonist is dragged back into the world of monsters, this time fleeing from previous allies who no longer remember her.  I deeply enjoyed this outstanding second book, especially as Len worked in some excellent twists and dark secrets, and Never a Hero was one of my favourite sequels and Australian novels of 2023.

Due to how much I enjoyed the first two books in the series, as well as the awesome and dark cliffhanger Len left Never a Hero on, I have been extremely keen to see how the Only a Monster trilogy comes to an end.  It looks like we don’t have too much longer to wait as the third and final book, Once a Villian, is set for release in August 2025.  Pitting the protagonist against a nefarious enemy who has manipulated time and brought about a monster-ruled dystopia, Once a Villain looks set to be a particularly thrilling and powerful final addition to the series.  I have no doubt that Len will bring this series to an incredible end, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate and emotionally charged adventures await her compelling protagonists in this final book, which will probably be one of the best young adult fantasy reads of 2025.

Plot Synopsis:

The finale in the contemporary fantasy Only a Monster trilogy from Vanessa Len—which New York Times bestselling authors Holly Black, Chloe Gong, and Stephanie Garber called “delightful,” “captivating,” and “unputdownable”—will take Joan into the darkest timeline in the monster world, as she fights to restore the world she remembers.

Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.

Now restored, the thirteenth family rules ruthlessly over a new London in which monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.

Only Joan and her friends Aaron and Nick remember that there was once a better timeline. Now, as they negotiate their fractured pasts and face wrenching emotional decisions, they must fight to survive the new world and fix the broken timeline.

But how will they defeat a whole family of monsters with power over time itself?

Waiting on Wednesday – Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I check out a fun and awesome upcoming thriller that sounds like a real blast, with Badlands by Doughlas Preston and Lincoln Child.

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Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading Extinction by Douglas Preston.  An outstanding thriller set in a private nature park filled with cloned woolly mammoths and other prehistoric creatures, I was lured in by Extinction’s cool premise but came away deeply thrilled by how crazy and fun things got, as an unlikely group of antagonists caused all manner of over-the-top carnage  I loved every second I spent reading Extinction, and it was one of the more entertaining novels of 2024.  Due to this, I decided to keep an eye out on more books from Preston and was very intrigued by his next release, Badlands, which he has once again written with his long-time collaborator Lincoln Child.

While Preston and Child have both written solo books, they are better known as a highly regarded writing partnership which has produced a mass of exciting and compelling thrillers with supernatural or scientific twists.  The pair’s main body of work is the long-running Agent Pendergast series, which started back in 1995 with Relic, and has since resulted in over 20 associated books.  In addition to the Agent Pendergast books, Preston and Child have also written other series, such as the Gideon Crew books, as well as some cool standalone novels, which all sound very awesome.  Due to the various intriguing narratives contained within this series, the novels of Preston and Child have been on my radar for a while, and I think it is time I make the effort to check them out, especially after having so much fun with Extinction.

As such, the pair’s next book, Badlands, seems like an excellent place to start.  Part of the author’s Nora Kelly series, which follows the titular archaeologist as she becomes involved in a series of dark investigations with historical components to times, Badlands sounds really intriguing, and I love the cool plot behind it.  Based on what I have heard about Preston and Child’s novels, I should be able to start reading Badlands without too much pre-knowledge of the author’s previous books, and hopefully I can just start enjoying the awesome sounding narrative.  Set for release in July 2025, Badlands has a ton of potential, and I cannot wait to unwind Preston and Child’s new elaborate plot.  


Plot Synopsis:

In the New Mexico badlands, the skeleton of a woman is found — and the case is assigned to FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. The victim walked into the desert, shedding clothes as she went, and died in agony of heatstroke and thirst. Two rare artifacts are found clutched in her bony hands–lightning stones used by the ancient Chaco people to summon the gods.

Is it suicide or… sacrifice?

Agent Swanson brings in archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate. When a second body is found — exactly like the other — the two realize the case runs deeper than they imagined. As Corrie and Nora pursue their investigation into remote canyons, haunted ruins, and long-lost rituals, they find themselves confronting a dark power that, disturbed from its long slumber, threatens to exact an unspeakable price.

Waiting on Wednesday – Nightshade by Michael Connelly

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

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out the next excellent crime fiction novel from the legendary Michael Connelly with the upcoming book Nightshade.

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There are few crime fiction writers who have had the longevity and popularity of Michael Connelly, an author behind an array of cool novels and iconic series.  Featuring some impressive murder mystery and thriller storylines, I have been really getting in Connelly’s work in recent years, including such amazing books as Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire, The Dark Hours, Desert Star, Fair Warning, The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk.  Due to how much fun I have had with these outstanding novels, I am always in the mood for more Connelly, and it looks like we are getting our next crime fiction instalment from the author a little early with the upcoming book Nightshade.

Nightshade, which is coming out in May 2025, looks set to be another intriguing mystery from Connelly set around a new damaged protagonist.  Featuring a compelling setting and a distinctive hook, Nightshade sounds like a fantastic and exciting book, and one loaded with potential.

 

Plot Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces a new cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina island.

 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been ‘exiled’ to a low-key post, policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found wrapped in plastic and weighed down at the bottom of the harbour. Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, he starts doggedly working the case. Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.

 

I really like the sound of the above plot synopsis for Nightshade, and it looks like Connelly has an interesting new novel coming out this year.  The combination of the Catalina Island setting and a new cop protagonist should ensure that Nightshade stands out from some of the author’s other recent books, especially as it’s the first new main character we’ve had from the author in a few years.  I am very curious to see how Detective Stilwell will differentiate himself from some of the Connelly’s other jaded protagonists, and I am sure that the author will come up with a moving backstory for Stilwell that will get the reader even more invested in the narrative.  Throw in dark secrets around the seemingly picturesque Catalina Island, a setting I really don’t too much about, and Nightshade has a lot going for it that is making me very excited.

Honestly, based on how impressive Michael Connelly’s last several books have been, there is no way that I will not be reading Nightshade when it comes out in a few months’ time.  The author always delivers when it comes to his excellent mysteries, and I have no doubt that this new Connelly book is going to be something very special.  This is already one of my most anticipated upcoming books of 2025, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it as soon as it comes out.

Waiting on Wednesday – Tyrant by Conn Iggulden

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I look at Tyrant, the new novel from acclaimed historical fiction author, Conn Iggulden, which continues to follow the dark rise of Emperor Nero.

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2025 is shaping up to be a great year for historical fiction, and one of the books that I am looking forward to the most is the next fun novel from awesome author Conn Iggulden, Tyrant.  Iggulden is an outstanding author who has produced some amazing and complex historical reads throughout his career.  This includes his epic Emperor series, which covered the complete life of Julius Caesar, as the Conqueror series that was set around Genghis Khan, and the outstanding War of the Roses books.  I also have had a lot of fun reading and reviewing some of his more recent books, including The Falcon of Sparta and his Athenian series, made up of The Gates of Athens and Protector.

The historical fiction fun continued last year as Iggulden started off a cool new series that revolved around the life of the infamous Emperor Nero.  This first book, Nero, was set around the birth and early childhood of the titular future emperor, and examined how his mother, the manipulative Agrippina, outlasted her husband and survived the dark attention of her crazed brother Caligula, all while scheming to enhance her position and ensure her son becomes emperor.  Nero proved to be a highly captivating read that provided both excitement and a fascinating look at the tumultuous events leading up to Nero’s adoption.  I had a great time with this latest Iggulden novel, and I have been keen to see how the author would follow it up.

Well, it looks like I will be able to explore more of Nero’s contentious life in a few months’ time as a sequel to Nero is coming out in May 2025.  This sequel, Tyrant, will continue to follow the early life of Nero, this time focusing on his time as Emperor Claudius’ adopted son and his mother’s twisted attempts to remove his new brother and current heir to the throne.  This should be another amazing book filled with cool historical detail, deadly intrigue and complex figures fighting for power, which should result in an epic and memorable narrative.  I have no doubt Tyrant will be one of the better historical fiction reads of 2025 and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

The latest gripping instalment in the bestselling Nero trilogy follows empress Agrippina’s ceaseless pursuit of absolute power for her son to rule over the Roman Empire

Ancient Rome, AD 50

The boy Nero lives. His mother Agrippina has married her way to power, tangling the Emperor Claudius in her skirts.

The emperor may have a son and heir of his own, but Agrippina sees no obstacles to her ambition.

Rome is a path through a marsh, lit by torches. Those who walk it are always one step from disaster – and the road itself is treacherous, slippery with blood.

Claudius may have the world at his feet, but he has Agrippina in his bed.