Quick Review – The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing (ebook – 23 July 2024)

Series: Rick Carter – Book One

Length: 327 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 pages

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I read a bunch of fun debuts in 2024, but one of my favourites was the awesome and action-packed thriller from Gregg Podolski, The Recruiter.  Following an entertaining protagonist as he faces the mistakes of his past, as well as a crew of ruthless assassins he personally recruited, this was a fantastic first novel from Podolski that I honestly had a ton of fun with.


Plot Synopsis:

When bad guys need good help, they call Rick Carter.

He’s a criminal recruiter, searching for contract killers, cyber hackers, gun smugglers, and any other assorted villains-for-hire a European crime boss might need. But, when the family he left behind in New Jersey is caught up in a client’s plot to monopolize the black market, Rick has to save them from two of his own top candidates: deadly assassins known only as Ghost and The Persian.

Fixing his own mess will require a set of skills he doesn’t have—not a problem, as finding qualified help is where he excels. But stepping into action, becoming the hero his family needs, that’s new territory. For a man who’s spent the last ten years being the best at helping the worst, this may be his last chance to do something right.


I really liked the central plot idea that Podolski came up with for The Recruiter, as his protagonist, rather than being an extreme action-orientated hero, is someone who took their corporate recruiter job to the next level and started working with criminals in the same capacity.  This was an interesting change of pace which I think worked well, especially when combined with a sinister conspiracy and threats close to the protagonist’s home.

Podolski starts The Recruiter off hot and fast as you are quickly introduced to the protagonist, Rick Carter, and the recruitment business he has built up.  The story takes an interesting turn when Rick is kidnapped and forced to work for a shadowy organisation that wants him to pull together a team of killers to take out several law enforcement officers across the world.  Reluctantly agreeing to work with them, Rick is soon forced to turn against his new employers when he discovers that one of their targets is connected to his own family who Rick abandoned years before.  Suddenly finding his two top recruits working against him, Rick is forced to pull together an unlikely last-minute team to accompany him back to America to save his family and work out who is trying to kill them.

The Recruiter’s resulting story is the awesome and captivating action thrill ride you would expect with that sort of set-up.  Podolski keeps things moving fast, and there is always something awesome or interesting on the page as the protagonist attempts to keep his family safe while trying to determine why they are being targeted.  There are some excellent betrayals, compelling twists and big action moments as the plot proceeds, and I had a fun time seeing the protagonist’s unique plans in action.  Podolski does a good job balancing this excitement with some moving character moments as the protagonist reunites with the wife and kids he left behind, and the resulting heartfelt sequences add a fantastic emotional edge to the entire book.  The author ends The Recruiter on an excellent note that keeps the reader strongly engaged right up to the end and finishes with some thrilling confrontations with the protagonist’s former assassins.  There is also a fun reveal that, while not entirely unexpected, was interesting, especially as it indicates Podolski has plans to continue the series in the future.

You can tell that Podolski had a great time writing this novel, and I personally loved the awesome story and exciting writing style, which made The Recruiter very easy to read and power through.  I especially enjoyed the fantastic characters, as the author introduced several compelling and memorable figures throughout the plot.  The main one naturally was protagonist and point-of-view character Rick Carter, who serves as an awesome central figure for the story.  While I do think that Podolski occasionally made Rick a little too zany, for the most part he was a great sarcastic protagonist that thriller fans will appreciate.  Thanks to his skillset as a recruiter rather than an operator, Rick stands out compared to your typical thriller protagonist, and there are some entertaining sequences where he uses his talent for networking and other corporate skills to defeat his opponents.  There is also the great emotional element to Rick’s story as he deals with his own guilt at abandoning his family, and it proved captivating to see how he reflects and moves forward through it.  Other great characters include a rookie operative recruit that Rick hires who proves to be both a real badass and a potential love interest, Rick’s former ace assassins who more than live up to their reputation, as well as a great overarching antagonist who steals the early scenes they are in and remain a threatening presence throughout the entire plot.

I had an absolute blast with The Recruiter, and it ended up being an outstanding debut from this first-time author.  An exciting and compelling character-driven read, The Recruiter was a book that was very easy to have fun with, and I am very glad I decided to check it out.  I look forward to seeing if Gregg Podolski will continue this series in the future, and I know that I will be grabbing the sequel when it comes out.

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WWW Wednesday – 8 January 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Gunnawah by Ronni Salt (Trade Paperback)

I finally got the chance to start reading the thrilling 2025 Australian debut novel, Gunnawah by Ronni Salt. An intriguing crime fiction read, Gunnawah provides a compelling and unique look at a turbulent region of Australia during the 1970s through the eyes of some entertaining characters. I am currently about halfway through Gunnawah at the moment and I am hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days.

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Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland (Audiobook)

I just started listening to the awesome 2025 fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland.  The sequel to the awesome Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms sees a group of deadly killers and rogues once again try to work together to pull off an impossible mission.  Loaded with action, fun characters, and some entertaining tension, Four Ruined Realms is proving to be a very worthy sequel to Five Broken Blades, and I have made a fair bit of progress on it so far.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the new Melissa Caruso novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, this week. An amazing fantasy thriller, The Last Hour Between Worlds so much fun to read, and I got so caught up in its unique plot.  Highly recommended!

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Warhammer 40,000: Titanicus by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I absolutely powered through the classic Warhammer 40,000 audiobook Titanicus, this week. Set in author Dan Abnett’s iconic Sabbat Worlds Crusade overarching series (which also features the Gaunt’s Ghosts books and Double Eagle), Titanicus explores a war in the Warhammer 40,000 universe fought primarily with giant Titan war machines. An overall exceptional book that is a must read for all Warhammer fans; I am hoping to get a review up for this one soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

In the next week I am hoping to quickly read the awesome sounding thriller The Ascent by Adam Plantinga.  One of the more exciting sounding debuts of 2024, The Ascent has been on my to-read list for a while, and I look forward to seeing how this fantastic book unfolds.

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Waiting on Wednesday – Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I look ahead to the end of this year and focus on an outstanding upcoming fantasy novel that will likely be one of the top books of 2025 with Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell.

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I just put to bed two posts covering my most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of 2025, including one for fantasy and science fiction books, and another list covering thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.  As such, I am keen to go beyond the first half of 2025 with this post, which is why I am looking ahead to November 2025 and the release of a cool new entry in a series I really grew to love last year.  This book is Our Lady of Blades by veteran fantasy author Sebastien de Castell, which will serve as the second book in the Court of Shadows series.

Back in early 2024, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of de Castell’s new book, Play of Shadows.  While I loved the sound of Play of Shadows’ cool plot, I was initially hesitant to read it, mainly because I was unfamiliar with the author’s Greatcoat universe, of which this book was a part of.  However, due to how fun it sounded, and because I really enjoyed de Castell’s book The Malevolent Seven, I decided to give Play of Shadows a try and boy was I glad that I did.  Featuring an epic and really clever narrative about a theatre actor in a troubled fantasy city in the realm of Tristia, who suddenly manifest the ability to summon the spirits of the dead while on stage, de Castell wove together a really compelling and intense narrative, especially when the protagonist’s new ability summons the spirit of his city’s most hated historical villain who brings new revelations about the city’s past and the dark powers trying to control it.  I really loved this fantastic book, and de Castell featured an epic blend of humour, fun fantasy elements and a gripping tale of intrigue and mystery, that effortlessly grabbed my attention and refused to let go.  Play of Shadows was a five-star read that ended up being one of my favourite books of 2024, and it also led me to read another amazing book in the same series with Crucible of Chaos.

Crucible of Chaos was another exceptional novel that was released shortly before Play of Shadows and serves as a loosely connected prequel to it.  Following an unlikely member of the legendary Greatcoats, Tristia’s royal guards and travelling magistrates and duellists, as he investigates a murder in an important monastery, Crucible of Chaos was a gripping read with some great humour and an excellent whodunnit edge to it.  Featuring its own exceptional story that ties the Court of Shadows series into the larger Greatcoat universe, while also hinting at the larger conspiracy featured in Play of Shadows, Crucible of Chaos was another incredible five-star read that I ended up listing as one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024, and I deeply enjoyed its larger-than-life protagonist and brilliant story.

As you can no doubt tell from the above two paragraphs, I got hooked on the Court of Shadows books last year, and I am naturally keen to see how the series continues.  As such, the second official entry in the series, Our Lady of Blades, is very high on my to-read list, and I am eagerly looking forward to grabbing it in November.  Featuring another standalone narrative, Our Lady of Blades will follow a new protagonist as they become embroiled in fresh conspiracies with a similar source as those featured in the previous novels.


Plot Synopsis:

Blood Week may have been banned in Rijou, but the streets still run red – and now murder is being sanctioned by the courts. Only a reckless fool would believe they can beat the system. But then, the Greatcoats have always been more than a little reckless . . .

Rijou’s notorious Court of Blades is as corrupt as it is cutthroat, destroying lives with impunity. Now the city’s all-powerful Ascendant Houses have started buying and selling verdicts to enslave and even execute those who oppose them.

Into this depraved world of licensed death comes a mysterious duellist who dares to foil the intrigues of the city’s elite. They call her Lady Consequence, but years ago she had a different name, until her family was slaughtered and she was consigned to the hellish prison known as the House of Tears.

Lady Consequence means to rescue her idealistic younger brother, restore their House and wreak vengeance upon those who betrayed them. But a far more dangerous game is unfolding in the shadows, one which threatens the freedom of the entire nation.


I am very, very excited about the above plot synopsis, and it seems like we are going to be in for an exceptional time with Our Lady of Blades later this year.  De Castell is setting up a very fun, revenge-focussed narrative in this second Court of Shadows book, and I am getting some cool The Count of Monte Cristo vibes from this plot as the protagonist returns in disguise to get revenge and rebuild her house.  It should prove to be quite compelling and fun to follow Lady Consequence (which is an awesome alias btw), as she fights back against those who wronged her, utilising her skills with the sword and her mysterious past.  I imagine that de Castell will load this story with intrigue, adventure and a ton of fun swordplay, while also diving into the no-doubt troubled history of the protagonist to give the book a more powerful dramatic edge.  Throw in a cool new background setting, as the protagonist fights against the corruption of the city of Rijou, and this story sounds so damn epic and exciting.

In addition to its own cool story, I am also very keen to see how Our Lady of Blades tie into the larger Court of Shadows series.  Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows both worked well as standalone novels, with the underlying conspiracy of the series only coming to light towards the end of the plot.  I am anticipating that de Castell will examine the shadowy players attempting to destabilise Tristia in a bit more detail in Our Lady of Blades, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we encounter the main antagonist of the series.  I am also expecting that some of the protagonists of the previous books could show up here, as well as some cameo appearances from the wider Greatcoats universe, which should result in a very fun read, especially for established de Castell fans.

I think it is very clear that I am extremely excited to read Our Lady of Blades later this year.  Thanks to how awesome the first two books in Sebastien de Castell’s Court of Shadows series turned out to be, I am extremely confident that I am going to love Our Lady of Blades, and the awesome sounding plot synopsis above only seems to reinforce this.  I honestly believe that Our Lady of Blades will end up being one of the top fantasy books of 2025, and I cannot wait to continue de Castell’s exceptional Court of Shadows series later this year.

Quick Review – Rebellion by Richard Cullen

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction8 Comments

Publisher: Boldwood Books (ebook – 26 October 2024)

Series: Chronicles of the Black Lion – Book One

Length: 290 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for an exciting and compelling historical adventure from excellent author Richard Cullen with the amazing read Rebellion.

Back in 2024 I was lucky to receive a copy of the awesome historical fiction novel Rebellion by Richard Cullen.  Cullen, who entered the historical fiction genre a couple of years ago with his Wolf of Kings series, may be better known to some readers as fantasy author Richard S. Ford, who has written several compelling series over the year, including The Age of Uprising series (check out my review for the first book in that series, Engines of Empire).  His latest release, Rebellion, is the first book in his Chronicles of the Black Lion series, that takes readers back to the early 13th century and deadly rebellions against the crown.

Plot Synopsis:

1213AD.

King Richard the Lionheart is dead, and his brother, John Lackland, sits uneasily upon the throne of England.

Across the sea, Prince Louis, heir to the powerful King Philip Augustus of France, looks to King John’s crown with a covetous eye.

But King John must be wary of rebellion, as well as invasion, for even his own barons would see their king unseated, and the French pretender put in his place.

Thrust amid this tumult is young Estienne Wace, orphan squire to Earl William Marshal – the greatest knight to ever serve the kings of England, and one of the few men who still holds faith in King John’s rule.

Raised by Marshal as his ward, Estienne must prove himself worthy of his adopted father’s name, but acceptance may be the least of his troubles. War is looming, as usurpers emerge from every quarter, determined to steal England’s crown from its most wretched king.

Rebellion was an outstanding novel that successfully wrapped around a character-driven tale of adventure and honour with a compelling historical background to form a fantastic and exciting read.  Told primarily from the perspective of Estienne Wace, new squire to legendary knight, lord, and royal regent Wiliam Marshal, you see the chaotic events that defined the last few years of King John’s reign, including the First Barons’ War, in compelling detail.  For the most part Cullen tells a classic historical coming of age/adventure tale around Estienne, as the young man first learns the ropes of being a squire, and then the reader follows him through several major battles and historical events, either as a fighting participant or a curious observer.  This allows for quite a bit of action and excitement, and the young protagonist soon learns the true horrors of war as he grows closer to the Marshal family.

This proves to be a fascinating and very intense historical narrative, and the author enthrals the reader with a great combination of fascinating historical detail, a ton of cool action, and some compelling character work as he features an intriguing mixture of new characters and many established historical figures.  I found this combination to work extremely well, and it proved interesting to follow the protagonist as he witnessed the turbulent history of the period and the dark conflicts it birthed.  The action flies thick and fast as the story continues, and I loved the awesome array of detailed sequences that emerged, including a lengthy and desperate siege.  The author also makes excellent use of some great alternate points of view as the story continues, including a jealous rival to the protagonist, and you are gifted with a compelling and highly intense look at the battles and politics unfolding.  While for the most part the main storyline around Estienne is typical historical fiction fare, Cullen throws in some interesting, if not entirely unsurprising, reveals at the end which should lead to some interesting developments in the future.  All this helped to produce a very cool story, and its one that I had a hard time putting down at times.

While I love all the above inclusions, my favourite part of Rebellion was the excellent historical details that Cullen worked his cool narrative around, especially as the author has clearly done his research on the subject.  It helped that Cullen chose to set his story around a truly fascinating period of English history that hasn’t been too over-utilised in other pieces of historical fiction.  As such, readers are gifted with deeply compelling look at the later years of King John’s reign as he lost land and refused to abide by the Magna Carter, and the resulting war that emerged as his various lords rebelled and tried to crown Prince Louise of France as King.  Cullen expertly places Estienne in the middle of many of the key events of this period, and through his eyes you get the full picture of the events that led up the war, as well as how it unfolded.  I honestly found this to be extremely fascinating, mainly because this war is often overshadowed by other events in English history, and you don’t see it utilised too often in modern fiction.  It was pretty damn interesting to see just how close England came to being ruled by a French king, and I honestly didn’t know that the French landed an army in England during this period, nor that Dover was besieged, and it was extremely cool to see it all unfold throughout the plot of Rebellion.

I personally also enjoyed how much Cullen focused on the awesome historical figure of William Marshal in this book, including examining the role that he played in stopping the war and saving England.  Marshal, a legendary knight who served several kings, is shown as an older man torn between duty and family, as he tries to save the cruel King John while his son chooses to support the rebelling barons.  I have always loved the history surrounding William Marshal and Cullen does a beautiful job bringing this aging example of knightly duty and honour to life and showcasing the complex roles he tried to balance for the sake of England.  This portrayal of Willaim Marshal, and indeed all the historical detail in the book, helps to make Rebellion a particularly captivating historical read, and I really appreciated how Cullen worked it all into the story.

Overall Rebellion was an awesome, fascinating and deeply addictive historical fiction novel that I could not get enough of.  Richard Cullen did a brilliant job of bringing this historical adventure together, and I had a wonderful time with the cool action and compelling history contained within it.  This is a very fun and exciting read that this very easy to get hooked on, and I ended up having an outstanding time with Rebellion.  Indeed, I enjoyed it so much that I have already grabbed an early copy of the sequel, Crusade, and I am hoping to read it soon.

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Quick Review – Warhammer: The Horus Heresy: Eidolon: The Auric Hammer by Marc Collins

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Quick Review, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, WarhammerLeave a comment

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 22 October 2024)

Series: Warhammer: The Horus Heresy

Length: 6 hours and 26 minutes

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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2024 was a great year for Warhammer fiction, especially as the Black Library released a ton of awesome books across the various sub-series and franchises, including The Horus Heresy series, which serves as a major prequel to the Warhammer 40,000 books I usually look at.  One of the last releases of the year was The Horus Heresy character novel, Eidolon: The Auric Hammer.  Written by Marc Collins, who previously impressed me with his Warhammer Crime novel, Grim Repast, Eidolon: The Auric Hammer was a fast-paced and compelling read that dove into the twisted mind of an ambitious traitor as he travels to the final battle of the great war.


Plot Synopsis:

A Horus Heresy Novel

Lord Commander Primus Eidolon has claimed many titles along the annals of his infamy. He is the Exemplar and the Risen, the Soul-Severed, and the Auric Hammer. Now, fallen far from his primarch’s grace, he carves a path to Terra, where the culmination of Horus’ grand heresy awaits.

READ IT BECAUSE

Eidolon has been a key figure of the Emperor’s Children Legion from the beginning. Now, on the eve of the Siege of Terra, he’s fallen far from grace and is facing a long overdue reckoning for his many misdeeds during the Horus Heresy. Can he come to terms with his tainted legacy?

THE STORY

Coaxed and goaded by the wiles of the warp – and an entity whose whispered truths stretch even his credulity – Eidolon finds himself stranded around the world of Tatricala, where the ghosts of his past haunt every fated step. Now he must choose which life he wants to lead… and how much of his soul he is willing to sacrifice for it.

If Eidolon cannot banish his daemons, then they will surely take him for their own.


Eidolon: The Auric Hammer was an excellent addition to the canon, and one that will really appeal to those readers who dove into the extended Horus Heresy series.  Like many of the Horus Heresy character books, The Auric Hammer focuses on one of the interesting supporting characters in the larger franchise and provides a compelling story around them, while also diving into their past.  In this case, Marc Collins tells a quick and entertaining story around Eidolon, one of the commanders of the now fallen Emperor’s Children legion, who has given in to the hedonism and worship of Slaanesh, the Chaos God of pleasure and obsession.

Collins does a great job effectively introducing the character of Eidolon and thrusting readers into his personal madness.  I must admit that I haven’t read any of the other Horus Heresy novels before, so I wasn’t especially familiar with the character of Eidolon, which did slightly reduce my appreciation for this book.  However, readers with even moderate knowledge of Warhammer 40,000 lore and the Horus Heresy can easily follow along with Collin’s quick story without too much difficulty.  Collins breaks this into a couple of fun parts, with a fight against daemons on the protagonist’s ship leading to an impromptu invasion of an isolated planet alongside “allies”.  However, nothing goes to plan as Eidolon and his comrades find themselves best by the dark plots of a daemonic entity who desires to destroy him.

This last third of the book is probably the best, as Collins envisions a series of daemonic encounters that play in the ravaged psyches of the various Emperor’s Children characters.  While I had a hard time connecting to some of the supporting cast members (Collins might have been better off with a more tightly focused narrative), it was interesting to see their various struggles, especially as it effectively showed how far their legion had fallen.  Eidolon’s personal inner struggle was the strongest part of the book, especially as Collins dove into his many issues, including his ambition, resentments and the anger he has with the various father figures in his life.  The protagonist comes out of this book stronger, and I particularly loved the reveal about who was behind everything at the end of the novel.  The confrontation that Eidolon had with this figure was extremely entertaining, and you come away appreciating just how suicidally stubborn Eidolon can be.

As is my habit with most Warhammer fiction, I chose to check out The Auric Hammer on audiobook, mainly because it was voiced by one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Toby Longworth.  A very effective narrator, Longworth perfectly captures the various elaborately dark characters featured with The Auric Hammer, and I love how he brings readers into the outrageous and grim Warhammer universe.  Longworth’s already impressive voice is enhanced in various sequences by cool sound effects that help to showcase the various daemonic creatures that the protagonist encounters.  These effects and Longworth’s fantastic voicework really make you appreciate the eldritch power and inherent evilness the various figures they represented, and I felt it did wonders on bringing me further into the narrative.  Combine that with the excellent way in which Longworth captures the intense dark emotions of Eidolon, including his frustration and disgust at his Primarch’s actions and abandonment of him, and this proves to be an outstanding and addictive audiobook.  Featuring a relatively short runtime of just under six and a half hours, The Auric Hammer is an easy audiobook to get through quickly, and I had a lot of fun knocking it off in a couple of enjoyable sessions.

Overall, Eidolon: The Auric Hammer was an awesome and exciting Warhammer audiobook from Marc Collins that is worth checking out.  Cleverly focusing on an intriguing figure in the canon while also expanding on the massive Horus Heresy series, The Auric Hammer really grabbed my attention, and I had a great time getting through it.  An excellent Warhammer book to check out, especially if you have been enjoying the other Horus Heresy books.

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Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Thrillers, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction and Comics releasing in the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller13 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated thrillers, crime fiction and historical fiction novels coming out in the first half of 2025. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into my previous list, while this list will feature epic reads from the other major genres that I am interested in.

Despite only just starting, 2025 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months.  This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series.  The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to. 

Even though I excluded fantasy and science fiction books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.  There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential.  Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety.  So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2025

An interesting and entertaining new murder mystery from one of my yearly must-read authors, Open Season continues the awesome Alex Delaware series and pits the detective protagonists against a killer determined to take out Hollywood hopefuls.

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Pacific Heights by S. R. White – 25 March 2025

One of the more interesting authors of Australian crime fiction, S. R. White (see my reviews for Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge) is set to release a standalone whodunnit with Pacific Heights.  Featuring a cool plot about detectives trying to unwind different stories about who killed someone from five separate witnesses, Pacific Heights sounds really awesome, and I cannot wait to check it out.

 

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani by 24 April 2025

An exciting and intense revenge thriller set in the time of King Richard the Lionheart; The Pilgrim’s Revenge should be a very epic read.

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Vanish by Shelley Burr – 30 April 2025

Rising Australian author Shelley Burr follows up her excellent first two crime fiction novels, Wake and Ripper with the intriguing third entry Vanish.  Once again set in a small Australian community, Vanish will see the series’ damaged protagonist investigate a problematic commune as he attempts to find out the truth behind a long-lost missing girl.  Sure to be one of the top Australian releases of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Grave Danger by James Grippando – 14 January 2025

Back in 2024 I had the pleasure of reading my first book from impressive James Grippando, Goodbye Girl, a fantastic entry in the author’s Jack Swyteck series.  A compelling and twisty legal thriller, Goodbye Girl was really fun to read, and I am now quite keen to continue the series.  As such, I am planning to grab the upcoming book, Grave Danger, as soon as it comes out.  Featuring an intriguing case about international child custody and murder, Grave Danger has some real potential, and I know I am going to have a great time with this awesome book.

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Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 40: The Crow by Stan Sakai – 4 February 2025

A very easy inclusion to this list was the next entry in one of my favourite comic book series with volume 40 of the Usagi Yojimbo series, The Crow.  I only just published a review of the previous volume, Ice and Snow, a few days ago, so I am quite excited to see that a new entry is coming out very soon.  Set to continue some of the author’s excellent ongoing storylines about the titular rabbit ronin, The Crow should be another awesome volume in the series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it the first chance I get.

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Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz – 11 February 2025

Early 2025 is filled with a ton of great spy thrillers from some of my favourite authors, and that includes the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz, Nemesis.  Set after the events of the 2024 book, Lone Wolf, Nemesis will see the former government assassin turned vigilante protagonist square off against his best friend over secrets that were kept from him.  However, other shadowy players soon reveal themselves, and Orphan X will need to fight deadly enemies and a former friend to survive.  This looks set to be a particularly compelling and emotionally charged addition to the series and I cannot wait to check it out.

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The Medici Return by Steve Berry – 11 February 2025

Each year I have a ton of fun with the entertaining and elaborate Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry that combine modern thriller storylines with hidden historical secrets and elaborate historical settings.  Books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, The Last Kingdom and The Atlas Maneuver, have all really impressed me, and the Cotton Malone books are now a must-read for me each year.  This includes the early 2025 release, The Medici Return, which will see a dark conspiracy emerge in Italy when an ancient debt owed by the church threatens to destabilise everything.  This sounds like another awesome thriller, and I cannot wait to dive into the history of the famous Medici family with this new fantastic book.

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Midnight Black by Mark Greaney – 18 February 2025

A spy thriller book I am particularly keen to get my hands on this year is Midnight Black by Mark Greaney.  The 14th book in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black follows on after the cliffhanger ending of The Chaos Agent and sees the titular assassin protagonist burn through Russia and Siberia to free his imprisoned love interest.  This latest Gray Man book has the potential to be one of the most intense and impressive novels of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Greaney continues his elaborate and always action-packed series.

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Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

Readers of this blog will know I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, so the inclusion of his next big thriller, Burn to Shine, on this list should come as no surprise, especially after I just published reviews of his 2024 books NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter.  Once again focussing on the author’s iconic protagonist, Joe Ledger, Burn to Shine will be the fourth book in the Rogue Team International series, which has previously featured such awesome books as Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  This new entry in the series will see Ledger and his team deal with a new world-ending threat, with old enemies returning, seeking revenge.  I really love the sound of this new book, and I already know it’s going to get a five-star rating from me.

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A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 13 March 2025

After wowing me last year with Revenge of Rome, one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow looks set to continue one of his other cool series with the third Berlin Wartime thriller, A Death in Berlin.  Following on from Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will once again place Scarrow’s complex protagonist, the last honest detective in Berlin, as he tries to investigate dark crimes in the shadow of World War II and the crimes of the Nazi regime.  I have deeply enjoyed the previous Berlin Wartime thrillers, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate story Scarrow has for us this time.

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The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 15 April 2025

The awesome team of thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison return with the third book in their Tales of the Lawless Land series, The White Fortress.  Continuing the story started in The Lawless Land and its sequel The Last True Templar, The White Fortress will once again follow the author’s excommunicated knight protagonist and his adventurous wife as they become embroiled in dangerous quests across 14th century Europe.  This time, the pair end up in Croatia, where they become involved in a deadly plot involving a prophecy and a lost codex written by Marco Polo.  I have had an amazing time with the first two books in the series and I cannot wait to see how this wonderful pair of authors continue their ambitious and thrilling historical series.

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Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of my most anticipated upcoming murder mysteries is the new Michael Connelly novel, Nightshade.  While the cover for Nightshade has yet to be released, the plot synopsis sounds really cool as Connelly introduces a new police protagonist assigned to the idyllic Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles who is forced to investigate a sinister murder when a body washes up on the shore of the island.  I love the idea of exploring a new Connelly character, especially one based around a cool setting, and this should end up being an excellent and strong murder mystery from this always compelling author.

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Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is probably the one I am most excited for this year with the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch.  I have been having such a great time getting into Stephen King’s incredible books these last few years, and some of his most recent releases, such as Later, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers and You Like It Darker, have completely enthralled me. However, my favourite Stephen King books have so far been his compelling dives into crime fiction. Starting with the dark and powerful Mr Mercedes and featuring the three outstanding Bill Hodges books, King has expanded his crime fiction works by focussing on the unique protagonist of Holly Gibney. The subsequent Holly Gibney focused books, The Outsider (one of my favourite horror novels) and Holly (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), were extremely exceptional, and I have loved the brilliant, yet shocking, narratives they contained.  As such, I am very, very keen to read the upcoming Holly Gibney book, Never Flinch.  Set to follow this great protagonist as she deals with two dangerous opponents, a serial killer and a stalker, Never Flinch sounds incredible, and I have no doubt this will be one of the best things I read in 2025.

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That is the end of this list.  I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming books that should prove to be incredible reads.  I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain.  While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.  Also, make sure to check out my other Top Ten List with the top upcoming fantasy and science fiction books of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Fantasy/Science Fiction Books Release in the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction15 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  For this Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated books for the first half of the year.  This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year.  Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am doing two versions of this list, this first one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and another that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.

2025 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year.  I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely keen for.  This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors.  I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be in the fantasy and science fiction space, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025 which I have some descent details about.  Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult.  I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy and science fiction reads of 2025.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland – 7 January 2025

The awesome action-packed sequel to Corland’s fantastic 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms is going to be a fantastic read, filled with drama, betrayal and great characters.

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An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris – 15 January 2025

A fun thriller debut with an interesting fantasy twist, as a woman with the ability to take life from one person and transfer it to someone else, tries to determine the best way to use her gift and ethically kill those who deserve to live.

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A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde – 8 April 2025

Another cool upcoming debut is the fantasy novel, A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde.  Featuring an intriguing plot set around revenge and spirt magic, A Song of Legends Lost has so much potential, and I look forward to reading it.

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Strange New World by Vivian Shaw – 20 May 2025

I was pleasantly surprised to see we are getting a new Dr Greta Helsing novel this year with Strange New World.  Following a doctor who specialises in treating monsters and the undead, this is a fantastic series (see my reviews for Strange Practice and Dreadful Company), and I look forward to seeing how it continues.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young – 28 January 2025

The first upcoming book I want to highlight is the next big Warhammer 40,000 fiction release, Leontus: Lord Solar.  Following a skilled human leader who finds himself trapped on an ork infested world, Leontus; Lord Solar looks to be an exciting story of survival and overcoming the odds that I really love the sound of.  I am also interested to see how author Rob Young goes with his second book, as his first novel, Longshot, was one of my favourite debuts of 2023.

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Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed – 25 February 2025

There are several cool Star Wars novels coming out in 2025, however, the one I am most excited for is The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed.  The first book in the new Reign of the Empire series, The Mask of Fear will follow the early days of the Empire as it comes to power and takes over the former Republic.  Written by the very talented Alexander Freed, who really impressed me with his previous foray into Star Wars fiction with the Alphabet Squadron books (Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price), I think that this book has a lot of potential, and I love seeing stories set in this period of Star Wars fiction.  As such I am planning to listen to the audiobook version of The Mask of Fear the second it comes out and I know I’m going to love it.

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Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 27 February 2025

Awesome science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky had a great 2024 with books like Alien Clay and Service Model, so I am excited to see what he writes in 2025.  It looks like he’ll be off to a strong start with the science fiction novel, Shroud, that sees two women trapped on a planet whose surface is completely inhospitable to human life.  This sounds like a very gritty and claustrophobic read, and I cannot wait to see how dark and dramatic Tchaikovsky makes this upcoming book.

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Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 18 March 2025

A major 2025 release that I’m sure a lot of people are excited for is the fifth book in the iconic Hunger Games franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.  The second prequel set around the original Hunger Games trilogy (see my review for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping will take readers back to the 50th Hunger Games and explore the dark events that twisted fan favourite character Haymitch Abernathy.  I am extremely excited to read Sunrise on the Reaping, especially as we get to see the ultra-violent second Quarter Quell in action, and it will be interesting to see how Collins’ sets this latest book out.

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When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi – 25 March 2025

One of the more unique books coming out in 2025 is When the Moon Hits Your Eye by the always memorable John Scalzi.  Featuring a very fun science fiction plot that sees the moon suddenly turned into a giant ball of cheese, When the Moon Hits Your Eye sounds so damn outrageous, and I know I’m going to love it.  Based on Scalzi’s previous entertaining reads, I have no doubt this will be crazy, funny and thoughtful in equal measure, and I will have so much fun checking it out.

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Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold – 1 April 2025

One of my favourite urban fantasy series, the Fetch Phillips series by Australian author Luke Arnolds, returns this year with another awesome book, Whisper in the Wind.  Set in a fantasy city which has lost all its magic, the Fetch Phillip books follow broken and guilty private investigator Fetch Phillips who is desperately trying to bring back magic, and which results in some dark and powerful adventures (see The Last Smile in Sunder City, Dead Man in a Ditch and One Foot in the Fade).  This fourth book will see Fetch dragged out of retirement in back into action when a series of murders brings trouble and potential revolution to his door.  Arnold honestly gets better with every book he writes, and I am expecting another outstanding novel with Whisper in the Wind.

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A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett – 8 April 2025

One book I am particularly keen for in 2025 is the awesome second entry in the Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett, A Drop of Corruption.  The sequel to one of my favourite books of 2024, The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption will continue to follow an unlikely investigative duo as they attempt to solve unusual magical murders in a land constantly besieged by giant monsters.  This second book will feature an impossible locked room mystery as the protagonists attempt to unwind a dark conspiracy that threatens the entire realm.  I have no doubt that this is going to be a particularly incredible novel, and I am hoping to read A Drop of Corruption very soon.

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The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence – 8 April 2025

One of the more complex science fiction and fantasy novels I will be reading in 2025 will be the third and final book in Mark Lawrence’s Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart.  Following on from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and The Book That Broke the World, The Book That Held Her Heart will show the final battle for the impossible and infinite library, as the two separated protagonists must find a way back to each other to save the lives of those closest to them.  I have no doubt this will be a moving, captivating and elaborate read, and I am very curious to see how Lawrence brings this entire ambitious series to an end.

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The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – 6 May 2025

Easily the book that I am most excited about in 2025 (and I’m sure a lot of fantasy fans are in the same boat) is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie.  Abercrombie has proven to be the master of dark fantasy fiction thanks to his iconic First Law series, as well as the incredible follow up Age of Madness trilogy.  All of these books are just incredible, and I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing the Age of Madness books a couple of years ago, including A Little Hatred (one of my favourite books of 2019), The Trouble With Peace (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020) and The Wisdom of Crowds (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021). I have been eagerly awaiting a new Abercrombie novel since The Wisdom of Crowds, and I was so damn happy to see he had a book coming out this year with The Devils.  Set in an alternate medieval Europe, The Devils will follow a hapless priest as he tries to bind a congregation of monsters to save the world from a coming apocalypse.  This book has so much pure potential and I have no doubt at all that it will end up being one of the best things I read this year.

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Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the hilarious sounding novel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler.  The sequel to one of the funniest fantasy novels of 2024, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me will once again follow the unlikely Dark Lord of the realms, Davi, a human trapped in fantasy themed time loop who starts her adventure again after every painful death.  This second book will see Davi attempt to save her former human subjects from her own upcoming invasion, only to encounter new opponents and obstacles.  I had so much fun with How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and this sequel should be another brilliant comedic romp that I know I am going to love.

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Well, that’s the end of this first list.  As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year.  All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads.  2025 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year.  I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2025.  Make sure to also check out my other Top Ten List that looks at the top upcoming books of 2025 from the other genres.

WWW Wednesday – 1 January 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso (Trade Paperback)

I have made a fair bit of progress on the new Melissa Caruso novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, this week. An amazing fantasy thriller, The Last Hour Between Worlds follows an investigator who finds themself trapped in a deadly party with murder, monsters and a time loop.  I am about halfway through The Last Hour Between Worlds at the moment, and I love its awesome concept and fun story.  I look forward to seeing how the entire book comes together, and this is proving to be an outstanding read.

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Warhammer 40,000: Titanicus by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I was the mood for something particularly awesome to start 2025 with so I decided to listen to the classic Warhammer 40,000 audiobook Titanicus. Set in author Dan Abnett’s iconic Sabbat Worlds Crusade overarching series (which also features the Gaunt’s Ghosts books and Double Eagle), Titanicus explores a war in the Warhammer 40,000 universe fought primarily with giant Titan war machines.  I have made a fair bit of progress on Titanicus already and it is proving to be a very epic and impactful read that covers the destructive machine war at multiple intriguing levels.  An overall exceptional book to start the year with.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer: The Horus Heresy: Eidolon: The Auric Hammer by Marc Collins (Audiobook)

I managed to quickly power through the short Warhammer audiobook, Eidolon: The Auric Hammer by Marc Collins this week.  Part of The Horus Heresy series, Eidolon: The Auric Hammer was an entertaining read focused on an intriguing and deranged traitor Space Marine. A fun listen with an awesome story behind it.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Gunnawah by Ronni Salt

I am still planning to dive into the thrilling 2025 Australian debut novel, Gunnawah, next. An intriguing crime fiction read, Gunnawah sounds very cool and I hope to read it soon.

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Waiting on Wednesday – When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Science 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.  This week to celebrate the new year I am doing two Waiting on Wednesday posts to really highlight some awesome upcoming books.  I have already looked at the upcoming Usagi Yojimbo volume by Stan Sakai, The Crow, and in this post I want to talk about a cool and hilarious upcoming science fiction novel, When the Moon Hits Your Eye by the always entertaining John Scalzi.

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Scalzi is a fantastic author whose career is defined by an array of intriguing and inventive science fiction novels.  Best known for his Old Man’s War series, Scalzi has produced some impressive and fun series and standalone novels over the years, including the hilarious Redshirts, the compelling monster focused The Kaiju Preservation Society, and the outstanding 2023 release, Starter Villain.  All these novels were really fun and entertaining in their own unique ways, and I have resolved to try and grab all of Scalzi’s new books whenever they come out.

To that end, I really want to highlight Scalzi’s next upcoming novel because it sounds so damn outrageous and distinctive.  This book, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, is currently set for release in March 2025 and features a unique and memorable plot that is very Scalzi.  I honestly laughed myself silly the first time I saw what this book was going be based around, although I must admit it has a lot of potential.

Plot Synopsis:

One day, without explanation, the moon turns into a ball of cheese.

For some, it’s an opportunity. For others, it’s time to question their life choices. How can the world stay the same in the face of such absurdity and uncertainty?

Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and patients at the end of their lives – over the length of a lunar cycle, each gets their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to hope, to laugh and to grieve. All in a story that goes all the places you’d expect, and to many others you could never anticipate. For the people of the earth, this could be the end – or the beginning of a whole new world.

From the Hugo and Locus Award-winning author John Scalzi, When the Moon Hits Your Eye is an entirely serious take on an entirely unserious subject.

So yeah, this is going to be a book about the moon turning into a big ball of cheese, and if that isn’t a Scalzi story than I don’t know what is.  While When the Moon Hits Your Eye sounds a bit weird, I personally am really excited for it.  Scalzi has a great track record of turning unlikely stories into outstanding books and I think this could be one of his better ones.  I am very interested in seeing how Scalzi envisions this massive lunar change impacting the entire world, and it should result in some very fun and unique scenarios.

Based on the synopsis above, it seems like Scalzi is going for a wide-spread character-focussed plot with When the Moon Hits Your Eye as he examines multiple people impacted by this phenomenon across the world.  Setting this over the length of a lunar cycle and seeing all the different ways characters react has some real potential, and I am sure Scalzi will fit in his usual clever humour and great character work.

While I was already planning to grab the new Scalzi before I knew anything about it, When the Moon Hits Your Eye is now very high on my to-read list thanks to the crazy synopsis above.  I am so damn curious to see what sort of outrageous and fun narrative John Scalzi will weave around the moon turning into a ball of cheese, and it is clear we are in for a wild ride.  When the Moon Hits Your Eye will easily be one of the more distinctive science fiction novels of 2025 and I cannot wait to power through this unlikely story the first chance I can.

Waiting on Wednesday – Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 40: The Crow by Stan Sakai

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, 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 week’s waiting on Wednesday, I highlight the next awesome volume of one of my favourite comic book series with Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow by Stan Sakai.

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Fans of this blog will know that I am a massive fan of the Usagi Yojimbo comic series by iconic writer and artist Stan Sakai, indeed I literally just published a review for the 39th volume, Ice and Snow (one of my favourite books of 2024), yesterday.  Following a rabbit ronin who travels around an animal filled Feudal Japan, the Usagi Yojimbo series is a classic comic that combines intriguing samurai focused storylines with beautiful artwork to great effect.

Sakai has been on a real roll of late with this series, especially since he adapted colour to his artwork, and there have been some truly impressive volumes, including Bunraku and Other Stories (one of my favourite books of 2020), Homecoming (one of my favourite books of 2021), Tengu War! and Crossroads (both of which were among my favourite books of 2022) and The Green Dragon (one of my favourite books of 2023).  All these comics have been extremely epic with some inventive narratives, and I have so much fun reading them multiple times.

Due to how awesome I always find the Usagi Yojimbo series, it is a must-get for me each year, and I always grab the new comic the second it comes out.  Usually, fans of the series are forced to wait a whole year between volumes, but luckily for us they are releasing the next inclusion very soon with the 40th volume in the series The Crow.  Currently set for release in early February 2025, The Crow will pit Usagi against a new dangerous opponent, while old friends return to cause even more trouble.


Plot Synopsis:

The adventures continue for the rabbit ronin Usagi and his cousin Yukichi!

Finally making it out of the frozen mountains, Usagi and Yukichi come across a merchant being attacked by four brigands.

They rescue the supposed merchant only to discover much later that he is really a criminal with a huge bounty on his head! Of course, wherever there is a huge reward you will find bounty hunters Gen and Stray Dog…and other unscrupulous trackers!


While brief, the above plot synopsis is full of potential, and I like the sound of where The Crow’s story is going.  While having Usagi rescuing a merchant with dark secrets is a bit of a common occurrence in the Usagi Yojimbo series, the inclusion of a hidden criminal and the return of Usagi’s old friends Gen and Stray Dog should result in a fun and exciting narrative.  Gen, the surly and greedy rhinoceros samurai is always a great comedic character, especially when teamed up with the bounty obsessed Stray Dog, and it will be great to once again seem them interact with the more straightlaced Usagi.  Throw in rival trackers and other potential villains and The Crow should be another action-packed blast, filled with well-drawn carnage.

To be honest, I already know that I am going to grab this new Usagi Yojimbo volume the moment it comes out and I will love it unconditionally.  I have such a great respect and appreciation for this exceptional series, and I refuse to believe I will find anything to hate in this upcoming comic, especially if Stan Sakai keeps up all the skill and creativity he’s been putting into the last few volumes. I cannot wait to see the elaborate stories contained within The Crow, as well as the awesome and captivating artwork, and I’m sure this will be something special.  The Crow is already one of my most anticipated reads for the new year and it is almost guaranteed to get a five-star rating from me.  Check back in a couple of months to see my glowing review for Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow, and make sure to also check out my other Waiting on Wednesday this week for When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi.