Tag: Adrian Tchaikovsky

WWW Wednesday – 18 March 2026

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly post 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:

Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox (ebook)

I’ve started reading the upcoming Australian crime fiction novel, Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox this week.  Another cool outback thriller from one of Australia’s most well-known authors, Redbelly Crossing has a great plot behind it, as two estranged brothers/cops, attempt to solve a dark murder in a small town.  However, it soon becomes clear that only one of the brothers wants to solve the case, while the other wants to bury it by any means they can.  I’ve already made a ton of progress on Redbelly Crossing, and it’s proving to be an impressive and complex read, filled with damaged characters.  I’m about two thirds of the way through this book at the moment, and I’m very curious to see how the entire thing comes together.

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Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

I’ve also recently started listening to the excellent fantasy audiobook, Pretenders to the Throne of God by the legendary Adrian Tchaikovsky.  The fourth book in Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Pretenders to the Throne of God follows various individuals caught up in a siege of a fantasy city, all of whom have their own problems and agendas.  I’m really loving this book so far, which blends great personal storylines with a unique setting to create an exceptional read. I’m hoping to get through a good chunk of Pretenders to the Throne of God in the next week, and I’m curious to see what cool characters and storylines emerge the further we get into it.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Shark by Emma Styles (Trade Paperback)

I managed to knock off the cool Australian thriller, The Shark this week. The second book from author Emma Styles, The Shark is an intriguing crime fiction novel that follows two young women determined to find and stop a serial killer currently terrorising Perth.  A cool and interesting read that I am hoping to review soon.

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The Hard Line by Mark Greaney (Audiobook)

I’ve also powered through the audiobook version of the new Gray Man novel by Mark Greaney this week, The Hard Line.  A very impressive new entry in one of my favourite spy thriller series, The Hard Line sees the protagonist attempt to stop a series of assassinations across the United States, while being hunted by a vengeful assassin, who has come out of retirement specifically to take out the Gray Man.  The Hard Line was another exceptional novel from Greaney, and I really enjoyed where this elaborate entry in the series went.  A highly recommended and thrilling read.

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What Rhymes With Murder by Penny Tangey (ebook)

I had fun quickly reading the entertaining cosy murder mystery, What Rhymes With Murder this week. An intriguing and exciting debut novel from Tangey that makes good use of its parent-based plot.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

I’m in the mood for more cool debuts so the next book I am hoping to check out is the first book from Australian author Shailee Thompson, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates. A very entertaining sounding read that will feature a deadly series of murders at a speed dating event, in fun and apparently romantic, horror novel. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates sounds like the perfect book for me, and I look forward to seeing how crazy it turns out to be.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Green Book Covers

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Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly challenge that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics.  In this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are tasked with listing their favourite books that have green covers in honour of Saint Patrick’s Day.

I always love lists that let me look at cool covers, and this was one of the more interesting ones I’ve had the chance to do.  It turns out that green is an awesome colour to use for book art, and a lot of novels I’ve loved over the years have made great use of green in their amazing covers.  As such, I was left with a huge list of potential covers to feature on this list.  I was eventually able to whittle it down to the very best, and I have included the 10 book covers (plus a few more in an honourable mentions section), that utilised this colour to its greatest effectiveness.  The resulting list is very cool, and I think it showcased an excellent cross section of books I’ve loved over the years with epic and green covers.

Honourable Mentions:

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

A great cover that makes strong use of green instead of the usual red we associate with Margaret Atwood’s books.

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Oaths of Damnation by Robbie Macniven

While there is a lot of focus on the red power armour of the Space Marine on this cover, I personally love the green mist and buildings in the background.  This green backdrop deeply enhances the already cool picture, and hints at the darker nature of these mysterious warriors.

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Colonyside by Michael Mammay

The green jungle really pops in this cool cover.

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The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

A simple but effective green cover that I’ve always enjoyed.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Warboss by Mike Brooks

Thanks to an overabundance of green things throughout the franchise, there are several Warhammer 40,000 novels that I want to feature on this list, but I thought I would start off with an obvious choice and focus on a cover featuring the dangerous greenskins of this universe, the orks.  There were several ork focused covers I could have used here, but I liked the one for Warboss the most, mainly because it has the most variety and comedic charm.  This is one of the more entertaining covers I want to feature here, although special mention should also go to Brooks’ other ork Warhammer 40,000 books Brutal Kunnin and Da Big Dakka, both of which had great green covers.

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Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

A classic fantasy novel I had to feature here was the fourth and final original Eragon novel, Inheritance.  All four of the series’ original covers featured strong colours corresponding to a dragon from the plot, and this includes Inheritance, which features a cool green dragon.  The great inclusion of a new green dragon, plus the different shades of green around him as part of the cover really stood out to me, and this is one of first books I think of associated with the colour green.

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False Value by Ben Aaronovitch

Another cool fantasy novel that makes great use of the colour green in its cover is False Value by Ben Aaaronovtich.  The eighth book in the author’s Rivers of London series (all of which feature awesome covers), False Value really stands out thanks to its spooky use of green in the urban sprawl that makes up the cover.  The vivid and spectral bright green is very striking, and it also cleverly represents the ghostly nature of the investigation the protagonists are involved with.  An overall great cover that fits this interesting story extremely well.

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Boundless by R. A. Salvatore

I felt that the outstanding novel Boundless by legendary fantasy author R. A. Salvatore is a perfect inclusion here.  Featuring one of the book’s iconic Drow characters shaded in green, and with green colouration around him melding into a dark background, the cover for Boundless is pretty dawn awesome, and I’ve always loved its ethereal and intense vibe.

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Jingo by Terry Pratchett

It’s not an Unseen Library list without a Discworld novel, and for this post I decided to focus on Jingo, which features a gorgeous cover from unique author Josh Kirby (I featured Kirby’s expanded cover here).  While much of the action in this exaggerated cover takes place on brown/yellow ships, the use of green in the roiling ocean below is incredible, and it brings the entire artwork together perfectly.  I love the use of green here, and this cover was some of Kirby’s best work.

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Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold

I really enjoy the great mixture of smaller sketches and creatures layered throughout this cover, especially as the various shades of green stands out amongst the black and yellowish green of the boarder.  A fantastic cover that makes excellent use of various shades and combinations of green to prepare readers for the adventure to come.

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King’s Enemy by Ian Ross and The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie

I’m doing a joint entry here for these two epic books, because both use green in the same way with their covers.  Featuring an emerald, green banner bedeck with a lion, the King’s Enemy and The Wisdom of Crowds’ covers both look very striking, with the green standing out amongst the raging battle and war behind them.  I like these two covers equally, as while the green banner in The Wisdom of Crowds looks cooler, I love the green smoke coming up behind the banner in King’s Enemy.  It helps that both these novels are exceptional five-star reads, and I’m really happy to feature them both here.

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Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The green shaded, ruined world of the cover of Service Model is very awesome, and I think it sets the mood perfectly for this outstanding narrative.  An excellent cover for a hilarious and thought-provoking novel.

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Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward

Another very cool Warhammer 40,000 novel I needed to feature on this list, is the brutal novel Deathworlder, the debut novel from Victoria Hayward.  This cover really fits the dark and desperate nature of Deathworlder’s plot, and I love the cool green colours used throughout it.  The green colouration of the Catachan soldiers are cool at several levels, especially as it highlights the jungle fighting, camouflaged nature of these characters.  At the same time, it also works to show how the humans are no longer blending into the now alien infested world they find themselves on, with the once green plants turning purple all around them.  As such, the green really helps to tell part of Deathworlder’s story on the cover, and it looks outstanding as it does so.

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Green Lantern comics

For the final entry on this list, I really wanted to feature at least one comic cover that used a lot of green.  While I was tempted to highlight some Marvel comics thanks to a variety of green Hulks, I instead went down the DC Comics route and chose some covers that were utilised during Geoff Johns’ legendary Green Lantern run.  There were a ton of awesome covers during this period that were so damn exceptional thanks to their different uses of green, and I ended up deciding to feature a few here as they all looked cool in different ways.  This includes the below cover for the volume, Revenge of the Green Lanterns, which has some subtle green up front and centre, with protagonist Hal Jordan’s ring coming up in front of his obscured body and face.

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I also loved the cover used for another volume of the same run, Wanted: Hal Jordan.  The use of green is a lot more prominent for this volume, and I like how it is showcased with the desperate and damaged protagonist.

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The below cover for the Blackest Night comic is also extremely awesome, especially with the more muted green light from the protagonist’s ring providing some spooky green illumination to the zombie characters surrounding him.

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The final Green Lantern comic I want to feature is from the first volume of the Green Lantern (2011) series in The New 52.  While I’m not the biggest fan of The New 52 relaunch, the below cover was pretty baller with the green smoke and Green Lantern symbols, and it was so cool to see Sinestro in the green again after all these years.  A very worthy final entry for this list.

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And with those amazing comic covers, we’re at the end of my latest list.  I think the above collection of covers came together extremely well, and the resulting barrage of green looks amazing.  Not only are all the books and comics above pretty to look at, but they also feature some great stories that are really worth checking out.  Let me know what you think about my collection of covers below, and I’ll be interested to hear about your favourite green covers as well.

Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Publisher: Head of Zeus (ebook – 15 October 2025)

Series: The Tyrant Philosophers – Book 2.5

Length: 128 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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From the amazing mind of Adrian Tchaikovsky comes a brilliant and heartfelt fantasy novella Lives of Bitter Rain, an outstanding read that provides some intriguing extra context to one of the author’s previous impressive releases.

Last year I had the great pleasure of reading the amazing Days of Shattered Faith by the legendary Adrian Tchaikovsky.  The third book in the author’s outstanding Tyrant Philosophers series (which previously featured City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds), Days of Shattered Faith was an exceptional read that perfectly continued the loosely connected Tyrant Philosophers series with a tale of betrayal, personal growth and diplomacy gone wild in a world slowly being taken over by an empire of religion-hating perfectionists, the Palleseen.  I deeply enjoyed Days of Shattered Faith, which ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025, and I have been eagerly awaiting the next entry in the series for some time.  However, before I get to that, I decided to also check out awesome novella Lives of Bitter Rain from Tchaikovsky, which served as an interesting companion-piece to Days of Shattered Faith, with a powerful and heartfelt personal story behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring ‘Perfection’ and ‘Correctness’ to an imperfect world. But before these ruthless Tyrant Philosophers send in their legions, they despatch Outreach – the rain before the storm.

Outreach is that part of the Pal machine responsible for diplomacy – converting enemies into friends, achieving through words what an army of five thousand could not, urging the oppressed to overthrow the bloody-handed priests, evil necromancers and greedy despots that subjugate them.

Angilly, twelve-years-old, a child of Pal soldiers stationed in occupied Jarokir, does not know it yet, but a sequence of accidents and questionable life choices will lead her to Outreach. As she travels from Jarrokir to Bracinta, Cazarkand, Lemas, The Holy Regalate of Stouk and finally, Usmai, she’ll learn that the price of her nation’s success is paid in compromise and lost chances, and that the falling rain will always be bitter.

Lives of Bitter Rain was a very clever and highly addictive novella that dives into one of the main characters of Days of Shattered Faith, Sage-Invigilator Angilly, the Palleseen ambassador who spent most of the book caught between her duties and responsibilities to her people, and her feelings for the crown prince of the nation she was assigned to.  Providing a compelling personal history of Angilly that was mostly left out of Days of Shattered Faith, Lives of Bitter Rain is a wonderful tie-in to the main book that will appeal to a wide audience.

Starting off fast, as any good novella should, Lives of Bitter Rain quickly dives into the formative events of Angilly’s childhood and captured the tragic events and influences that led her to join Outreach.  From there, the book covers how Angilly went from a brainwashed Palleseen orphan to the more flexible and unconventional figure we meet in Days of Shattered Faith.  This leads naturally to the second half of Lives of Bitter Rains’ short narrative, which shows Angilly’s assignment to the nation of Usmai and the start of the relationship that will bring her so much pain in the accompanying full novel.  Tchaikovsky does an outstanding job tying up all the loose ends surrounding this main character by the end of Lives of Bitter Rain, which provides some intriguing and deeply tragic context to this character’s actions in advance of the story from Days of Shattered Faith.

This proved to be an exceptional new release from Tchaikovsky, who provides a short and sweet read in Lives of Bitter Rain.  I really enjoyed how intense and complex he made this novella, which told its own unique story while also providing some excellent additional character work.  The expansion of Angilly’s personal history, as well as her experiences in Usmai before the events of Days of Shattered Faith, really provides some fantastic context around a lot of her actions and emotional connections in the later story.  This was honestly a very perfect prequel narrative, and you can clearly see that Tchaikovsky had all these details about this character’s past and motivations in his head when he wrote Days of Shattered Faith.  Throw in some fantastic extra worldbuilding for his Tyrant Philosophers universe, especially for the always fascinating Palleseen, and this was an exceptional novella that I couldn’t get enough of.

One of the key things readers must consider when reading Lives of Bitter Rain is whether to enjoy it before or after Days of Shattered Faith.  Both options have some appeal to it, although I personally read it after enjoying the main novel, which meant that Lives of Bitter Rain provided a certain post-mortem enjoyment which I deeply appreciated.  Not only did you finally get some lingering questions about Angilly answered but it also ensured that I found certain events from the book a little more tragic in retrospect.  However, if I had read Lives of Bitter Rain in advance, I would have had a better idea of Angilly’s personality and relationships, as well as some advance knowledge about Usmai and the city of Alkhalend, both of which would have helped me appreciate the narrative more as I was reading it.  I personally think that I made the right choice reading Lives of Bitter Rain after Days of Shattered Faith, but there really isn’t a wrong answer here and readers who do it either way are guaranteed to have an amazing time with this cool, prequel novella.

Overall, Lives of Bitter Rain comes very highly recommended, especially for those who have already got caught up in the magic and insanity of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series.  An exceedingly clever prequel novella with some deep character work behind it, Lives of Bitter Rain was well-worth the read, and I am now even more excited to dive into the recently released fourth Tyrant Philosopher’s novel, Pretenders to the Throne of God.

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WWW Wednesday – 25 February 2026

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly post 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 Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan (Trade Paperback)

I’ve just started reading the awesome Australian debut, The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, which is proving to be a lot of fun. Set in 18th century France, The Red Winter follows a magical scholar who is forced to face old demons when a monster he previously defeated returns to cause fresh chaos. I am already having a great time reading this book, which blends cool fantasy elements with entertaining humour and a curious bit of French history. I’m hoping to really power through The Red Winter this weekend, and I already in love in this cool book from a talented new author.

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Warhammer 40,000: Apostle by David Annandale (Audiobook)

I’ve continued my obsession with all things Warhammer 40,000, by diving into the latest release in the franchise, Apostle by David Annandale. A fantastic and dark read that follows a member of the insidious Word Bearers traitor Space Marines, as he attempts to convert an entire planet to worship the Chaos gods. A very clever novel that features a great villain perspective, Apostle is proving to be a particularly twisted read that I am quickly powering through. I will definitely be knocking Apostle off in the next few days and I look forward to seeing where this awesome story is going.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky (ebook)

I quickly finished off the excellent novella Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky last week. A companion piece to his Tyrant Philosopher’s series, Lives of Bitter Rain follows the early life of the protagonist of Days of Shattered Faith and the events that would shape her into the entertaining and flexible figure we came to know and love.  I really enjoyed this novella and I’m now ready to check out the next book in the series, Pretenders to the Throne of God.

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30Seven by Jeremy Robinson (Audiobook)

I also managed to knock off the excellent and unique science fiction thriller 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson in the last week.  An exceptional novel from a true master of suspense and horror, 30Seven cleverly twists the classic alien abduction narrative on its head by featuring a hidden human serial killer amongst the abductees. One of the best books I’ve so far read in 2026, this book comes very highly recommended and I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz (Trade Paperback)

I also had the great pleasure of reading the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz this week with Antihero.  Another deep and compelling thriller, Antihero saw Hurwitz’s long running vigilante protagonist attempt to help a woman in trouble without using his usual lethal force. This ended up being another exceptional read from Hurwitz, who utilized his unique style to make something very distinctive and special.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker

I’ve got a ton of great books currently sitting on my shelves waiting to be read, but the one with the most potential for laughs is probably Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by the always impressive K. J. Parker.  Following the murderous fixer of a dangerous church as she attempts to take out her target at a major religious conference, this book looks set to deliver all of Parker’s trademark chaos, clever humour and complex storytelling as he sets up another outstanding trilogy. I already know that Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead is going to be one of my favourite books of 2026, and I cannot wait to finally dive into it.

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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.

WWW Wednesday – 18 February 2026

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly post 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:

Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky (ebook)

I’ve just started reading the fun novella Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A companion piece to his Tyrant Philosopher’s series, Lives of Bitter Rain follows the early life of the protagonist of Days of Shattered Faith and the events that would shape her into the entertaining and flexible figure we came to know and love.  I have been keen to read this novella for a while and I’m glad I finally got the chance right before the next book in the series, Pretenders to the Throne of God comes out.  I will probably knock this novella off today, and I am really enjoying its short, but highly entertaining narrative.

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30Seven by Jeremy Robinson (Audiobook)

I’ve also been enjoying the excellent and unique science fiction thriller 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson in the last week.  An exceptional novel from a true master of suspense and horror, 30Seven cleverly twists the classic alien abduction narrative on its head by featuring a hidden human serial killer amongst the abductees, who starts a killing spree aboard the UFO.  I’m deeply enjoying the exceptional narrative that Robinson pulled together for his latest book, and I cannot wait to see where this crazy story goes next.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana (ebook)

I finally finished off the intriguing debut fantasy novel, Dawn of the Firebird, this week. An elaborate fantasy novel with a unique Middle Eastern style, Dawn of the Firebird follows a young woman whose journey to understand magic and her own power is twisted by betrayal, war and the loss of everyone she loves.  A very complex and compelling read, this book is recommended for those looking for a good alternative to classic European fantasy fiction.

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Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)

An exceptional Warhammer 40,000 audiobook from the always impressive Mike Brooks that follows the iconic and villainous Alpha Legion. I had an outstanding time with this book and I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman (Audiobook)

I had a hell of a time powering through the epic science fiction novel Operation Bounce House this week.  A brilliant standalone novel from the incredible Matt Dinniman, Operation Bounce House features a compelling narrative as a small human colony world finds itself under attack from mechs piloted by gamers from Earth as part of an elaborate corporate takeover.  A really impressive novel with an amazing story behind it, Operation Bounce House was so damn good, and I cannot recommend it enough.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz

I have a ton of great books currently sitting on my always growing to-read pile, but the book I think I’ll read next is the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz, Antihero.  Set to be another deep and compelling thriller, Antihero will follow Hurwitz’s long running vigilante protagonist on another dangerous adventure, this time trying to help a woman in trouble without using any violence. I have some very high hopes for this new Orphan X book, and I have no doubt it will be an exceptional read.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read in 2025 but Didn’t Get To

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were required to list the books they are most looking forward to in the first half of 2026.  I did a list around this topic last week, so I am instead going to continue my recent trend of end of year and examining the best books released in 2025.  As such I will be listening the top books I meant to read in 2025 but that I didn’t get a chance to.

2025 was an awesome year for books and I had such an outstanding time getting through a solid collection of books from new-to-me authors, exciting sequels and great older novels, most of which were fun and impressive reads.  However, no matter how hard one tries there are always a couple of books each year that you don’t get the chance to read, either due to time constraints, lack of access or being too overwhelmed with other reads.  As a result, this is a list loaded with regret as each book I mention below is one that I really wish I had taken the time to explore.

To complete this list, I pulled together some of the more interesting and compelling novels that I didn’t get a chance to read in 2025.  Each entry was released last year and while knew that they were coming out I did not get a chance to read any of them.  In many cases I have these books sitting on my shelf, silently and constantly judging me, and I will have to try and read them to stop their bookish glares.  I was eventually able to cull my list of regret down to 10 entries with an honourable mentions section.  This list is an interesting collection of books from across the genres and include several major 2025 releases I did not get the chance to look at.

Honourable Mentions:

Forged for Destiny by Andrew Knighton

A fun sounding fantasy novel about the downsides of destiny.

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Once a Villain by Vanessa Len

The final book in a young adult fantasy trilogy I was hoping to finish off last year.

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The Devil’s Knight by P. W. Finch

An intriguing historical fiction novel with an awesome plot that grabbed my attention and which I’m still hoping to read.

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A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde

A very compelling 2025 fantasy debut that I regret not getting the chance to check out.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

There Will Be Bodies by Lindsey Davis

One of the books I most regret not reading in 2025 was the latest book in one of my favourite historical fiction series, There Will Be Bodies by Lindsey Davis.  The latest book in the always entertaining Flavia Albia series, There Will Be Bodies sounded like an excellent historical murder mystery, when the protagonist uncovers bodies related to the Pompei volcanic eruption.  I really liked the sound of this latest Flavia Albia book and I’m still hoping to read it at some point this year, especially as I’m curious to see how Davies envisions ancient Romans looking back at the volcanic event.

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Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland

One of the big fantasy releases I had hoped to read at the end of 2025 was Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland.  The third and final book in Corland’s Broken Blades trilogy (which previously featured Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms), Three Shattered Souls sounded like an excellent end to the trilogy, with the surviving damaged killer protagonists forced to face their enemies in a final fight.  I’ve got copies of Three Shattered Souls on a couple of formats and I’m planning to read it this year as I’m very curious to see how everything ends in this series.

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Hard Town by Adam Plantinga

While I did manage to read Adam Plantinga’s cool 2024 debut, The Ascent, last year, I was unable to get my hands on a copy of the sequel, Hard Town.  Following a rough former cop who keeps finding himself in deadly situations, Hard Town follows the protagonist as he travels to an unusual town and finds himself embroiled in a staggering conspiracy.  I’m still extremely keen to read Hard Town at some point, especially as his first book was a wonderfully excessive and entertaining thriller, and I will probably try to get a copy of this sequel soon.

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Tyrant by Conn Iggulden

One of the more entertaining historical novels from 2025 I regret missing was Tyrant by Conn Iggulden.  The second book in Iggulden’s Nero series, Tyrant follows on from the excellent 2024 novel Nero and features the teenaged future rule of Rome and his diabolical mother, as they pave his way to the throne.  I’m still keen to read Tyrant, as it sounds like an amazing read, and it should be a ton of fun to get through.

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The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso

A unique fantasy novel I’m sorry to have not read last year was the new Melissa Caruso novel, The Last Soul Among Wolves.  The sequel to the excellent 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Last Soul Among Wolves contained a unique locked room mystery, as a several friends are magically trapped in a house after an unusual will reading.  I had an outstanding time with The Last Hour Between Worlds and this sequel sounded extremely good.  I might attempt to read this sequel soon, as I am curious about how Caruso will top her previous cool story.

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The Medici Return by Steve Berry

Probably the most surprising inclusion on this list for me is The Medici Return by Steve Berry, as I’m usually very good at reading Berry’s books as soon as they come out.  The latest book in Berry’s Cotton Malone series, The Medici Return has a very interesting plot behind it, as the protagonist attempts to unwind an elaborate conspiracy from history when the legendary Medici family apparently return to Italy with a vengeance.  This book sounds extremely awesome, and I’m hoping to read it before the next Cotton Malone novel comes out.

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Valour by Richard Cullen

While I did manage to read Cullen’s early 2025 novel, Crusade, I didn’t get a chance to check out his other release from last year, Valour.  The third book in the author’s Chronicles of the Black Lion, Valour sounds like another very exciting novel from Cullen, as the protagonist finds himself fighting pagans hidden in a deadly and remote European mountain range.  I currently have Valour loaded up to read when I have a spare moment and the need for historical adventure, and I know I’m going to have a great time with this book when I do.

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Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

There were a few books from the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky I regret not reading in 2025, however, the most interesting sounding was Shroud.  A fantastic and tense science fiction novel that sees two crash survivors trapped beneath the dark atmosphere of a forbidden planet, Shroud had a truly outstanding plot idea behind it, and I was very curious to see how it would unfold.  I have no doubt that Shroud was a particularly incredible novel, and I really do hope I get the chance to read it at some point.

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The Detective by Matthew Reilly

One big end of year release I very much regret not reading was the new novel from Australian author Matthew Reilly, The Detective.  An interesting and apparently clever crime fiction read set in the American south, The Detective was very high on my to-read list for the last few months of 2025.  Unfortunately, I could never seem to make time for it, which was a real shame considering how much I loved Reilly’s previous novel, Mr Einstein’s Secretary.  The Detective is one of the big releases from last year I will attempt to read in 2026, and I cannot wait to finally explore Reilly’s excellent new novel.

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The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence

The final 2025 novel I want to highlight on this list is The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawerence.  The third and final book in Lawrence’s The Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart follows on from the author’s excellent previous novels The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and The Book That Broke The World.  I have been meaning to read The Book That Held Her Heart for a while, especially as I am curious about how this inventive fantasy series was coming to an end, and this final book sounds very impressive.  I might try to read The Book That Held Her Heart in the next month or two, especially as Lawrence has a new book coming out soon with Daughter of Crows, and I look forward to seeing how he wraps up his last complex series.

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Well, that is the end of my latest list and it looks like I have a lot catch-up reading to do if I am going to make a dent in it.  There are some truly amazing-sounding novels on this list, and I fully intend to get through all of them at some point, although with all the outstanding books coming out in 2026, it might take me a little time.  In the meantime, let me know what books you most regret not reading in 2025 in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List8 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 coming out in the next six months.  

2026 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for awesome and impressive 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.  Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am extending this list out to a Top Twenty list to cover all the big release coming out until July. 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.

For this list, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2026 and 30 June 2026 which I have some descent details about.  I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult.  I made it a little easier on myself by only including one book per author, which helped considerably, and I was eventually able to break it down to the best 20 books and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fiction reads of the first half of 2026.  So let us see what made the cut.

Top Twenty List:

The Right to Remain by James Grippando – 6 January 2026

Let’s start this list off with some awesome legal thriller fiction, with the cool new book from James Grippando, The Right to Remain.  The 20th book in the author’s Jack Swyteck series (of which I’ve previously enjoyed Goodbye Girl and Grave Danger), The Right to Remain will once again follow Grippando’s lawyer protagonist into a complex courtroom battle as he attempts to defend a man who literally refuses to say a single word in his own defence.  The Right to Remain has a very interesting plot idea behind it and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe – 6 January 2026

There are quite a few excellent Australian novels coming out in the first half of 2026, but one of the ones I’m most excited for is Dark Desert Road.  A new novel from Australian author Tim Ayliffe, who has previously impressed with his John Bailey series, Dark Desert Road will serve as an interesting change of pace from the author, as he provides a more thriller-based narrative around a new protagonist, while also touching on some worrying contemporary issues in Australia.  I am extremely curious to see how Dark Desert Road turns out, and I’m hoping to read this book very soon.

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City of Others by Jared Poon – 13 January 2026

One very fun debut that I am excited for in the coming months is the amazing sounding fantasy novel City of Others by Jared Poon.  A cool urban fantasy set in Singapore, City of Others will follow an overworked bureaucrat tasked with keeping the city’s supernatural population happy while also attempting to stop all of Singapore from disappearing.  Due to its entertaining plot and interesting setting, I think this debut has a lot of potential and I am extremely excited to check it out.

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Twelve Months by Jim Butcher – 20 January 2026

One of the fantasy novels that I am most excited to read in 2026 is Twelve Months, the long-awaited 18th book in Jim Butcher’s iconic Dresden Files series.  Set in the aftermath of the devastating Battle Ground (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Twelve Months will see the grieving wizard protagonist continue to protect Chicago from all manner of dark supernatural threats, while also forced to deal with the complex magical politics infecting his life.  I cannot wait to see how this series continues, especially after power reading the entire series after loving Battle Ground (all of which was pretty damn epic, including Dead Beat, Changes and Skin Games, just to name a few).  If Butcher continues to feature his usual complex characters, impressive narratives and clever worldbuilding, Twelve Months will easily be another exceptional read, and I am so damn eager to read this new Dresden Files offering.

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30Seven by Jeremy Robinson – 20 January 2026

One of the more inventive authors of science fiction thrillers, Jeremy Robinson, is set to have a very successful 2026, with a couple of fantastic novels on the way.  The first of these is the particularly awesome novel 30Seven, which has such an epic alien abduction plot.  I love the sound of this book, especially as the protagonist will not only have to protect his child from the aliens, but also from a human serial killer who has been abducted alongside them.  One of the more distinctive science fiction novels coming out, I already know that 30Seven is going to be awesome and I’m very excited for it.

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Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker – 27 January 2026

The always entertaining K. J. Parker returns with a cool new comedy fantasy series in 2026, starting with the awesome book Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead.  The first book in the Loyal Opposition trilogy, Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead will introduce the trilogy’s titular protagonist, a faithful nun who also serves as her church’s murderous fixer.  Tasked with making a meddling princess disappear, Sister Svangerd infiltrates a famed religious conference, only to encounter religious intrigue, murder and revenge, that they need to navigate their mission around.  I really love the sound of this book, and I cannot wait to see what over-the-top schemes and plots the protagonist will need to overcome.  This is going to be such an epic book, and Parker already has a sequel set for release in May 2026 with Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know, which I also have very high hopes for.

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Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman – 3 February 2026

Over the last few years, I have come to really enjoy the compelling and unique mysteries of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series.  Following two fun protagonists as they attempt to solve some of the more unusual murders in Los Angeles, the long-running Alex Delaware series always provides a fantastic mystery in the new year.  Kellerman’s next book is the particularly intriguing sounding Jigsaw that will see the protagonists investigate two seemingly unconnected murders, neither of which are what they seem.  I have had such a great time with the previous Alex Delaware novels, and I cannot wait to see how this new book turns out.

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Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz – 10 February 2026

Greggy Hurwitz will continue to explore his complex former spy, turned vigilante protagonist Evan Smoake in the upcoming new Orphan X novel, Antihero.  Following on from the traumatic events of Nemesis, Antihero will see a further damaged Evan attempt to save a woman in trouble.  However, Evan finds himself with an unusual handicap, as his new client doesn’t want him to hurt anyone.  I have no doubt that Antihero is going to be one of the more distinctive and emotionally charged entries in an always exceptional series, although I’m a little worried about what trauma Hurwitz puts his protagonist through next.

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Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 February 2026

While the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky has several intriguing novels coming out in early 2026 (including the awesome sounding Green City Wars), the book of his I am most excited for is Pretenders to the Throne of God.  The fourth book in Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Pretenders to the Throne of God will follow on from City of Last Chances (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2023), House of Open Wounds (one of my favourite books of 2023) and Days of Shattered Faith (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025).  This new novel will once again follow a complex group of characters as they attempt to survive the dark expansion of a fanatical militaristic empire, this time centred around the siege of a magical city.  The last three books in this series have been amongst the cleverest and most compelling pieces of fantasy fiction I have had the pleasure of reading, and I have no doubt that this upcoming book is going to be just as impressive.

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The Hard Line by Mark Greaney – 24 February 2026

The thriller hits keep on coming in early 2026, as we also have a new Gray Man novel from Mark Greaney with The Hard Line.  An amazing sounding continuation of this iconic thriller series, The Hard Line will see the protagonist forced to deal with family drama, while also contending with a vengeful assassin who may be even more skilled than he is.  This sounds like another particularly incredible inclusion in one of the best ongoing spy thriller series out there, and I cannot wait to see all the elaborate action sequences and clever storytelling The Hard Line is sure to contain.

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Red Empire by Jonathan Maberry – 10 March 2026

I doubt anyone familiar with my blog will be too surprised that a new Jonathan Maberry novel is making this list, especially after I have spent the last few weeks talking up Maberry’s most recent release, Cold War.  Maberry’s next novel, Red Empire, will be the fifth book in the Rogue Team International series, which itself is a spinoff of the author’s epic Joe Ledger novels.  Following on from excellent books like Rage, Relentless, Cave 13 and Burn to Shine, Red Empire will see the protagonists fight against an old enemy determined to unleash unimaginable destruction.  This new novel from Maberry sounds pretty damn incredible, and I am very eager to read it, especially as the synopsis promises some big reveals regarding an enigmatic figure who has intrigued fans since the very first Joe Ledger book.

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Blindside by Michael Mammay – 24 March 2026

One of the big science fiction novels I’m looking forward to reading in early 2026 is Blindside by the very talented Michael Mammay.  Part of the author’s very impressive Planetside series, Blindside will see Mammay’s retired soldier protagonist, Colonel Carl Butler, engage in a new thrilling story when old enemies target those closest to him.  However, this time the enemy is ready for Butler’s cowboy antics, and all hell looks set to be unleashed.  I am extremely eager to get my hands on Blindside in March, especially after deeply enjoying all the previous Planetside novels like Planetside, Spaceside, Colonyside and Darkside, and I have no doubt this next book is going to be particularly captivating.

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First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston – 14 April 2026

One of the more unique fantasy novels on this list is the very entertainingly titled First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston.  Johnston, who has previously deeply impressed with over-the-top fantasy novels like The Maleficent Seven and The Last Shield, is going all out again with his new novel, which as the title suggests, will see a group of mages attempt to fly to their moon.  Sure to be an extremely epic book that will combine magic with elaborate technology in a war-torn nation, First Mage on the Moon sounds like a particularly unique and crazy read, and I for one cannot wait to check it out.

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Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie – 28 April 2026

One of the darker pieces of Australian fiction I am looking forward to in 2026 is the new book from Sarah Barrie, Dark Sanctuary.  Barrie, who really impressed me with her Lexi Winter novels (Unforgiven, Retribution, Vendetta and Endgame), looks set to drop another elaborate and twisted thriller in Dark Sanctuary, and I love the cool synopsis for this book that will follow several people dragged into a series of connected crimes.  I look forward to seeing what Barrie’s outstanding imagination has cooked up this time, and I feel that Dark Sanctuary has the potential to be one of the top Australian fiction releases of the year.

 

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford – 5 May 2026

One of the more unique entries coming out in the coming months is the very entertaining Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford.  The fun follow-up to Ford’s amazing 2025 novel, The Bone Raiders, which saw a small group of raiders attempt to keep their freedom by taming giant, fire-breathing lizards to use as mounts, Sisters of the Lizard will continue these character’s adventures, as they face off against new foes and dangers.  I already know this is going to be an amazing and highly exciting novel, and I cannot wait to see where Ford takes his unique and extremely funny narrative idea going forward.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 12 May 2026

The next entry on this list was one I’d hoped to read last year, however, Our Lady of Blades got pushed back to 2026 (at least we got the bonkers novel The Malevolent Eight in 2025).  Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait until Our Lady of Blades comes out, and it now looks set to be one of the top fantasy releases of 2026.  The next book in de Castell’s Court of Shadows series (part of his larger Greatcoats universe), Our Lady of Blades will follow on from the loosely connected novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows.  Featuring an intriguing story of revenge and redemption in a city obsessed with duels, Our Lady of Blades will feature de Castell’s trademark humour, complex storytelling, and expansion of his elaborate fantasy world.  I look forward to seeing how Our Lady of Blades ties into the other Court of Shadows novels, and I have a feeling this is going to be a particularly impressive fantasy highlight of 2026.

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A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman – 12 May 2026

While I was tempted to include Matt Dinniman’s other planned 2026 novel, Operation Bounce House, on this list, I instead had to feature the epic upcoming novel A Parade of Horribles (cover yet to be released), which is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.  The eighth book in Matt Dinniman’s exceedingly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles will continue to follow protagonists Carl and his sentient cat Princess Donut, as they attempt to survive the increasingly deadly and utterly bonkers dungeon formed from the detritus of a destroyed Earth.  While most of the details about A Parade of Horribles’ plot have yet to be released (it will apparently have a cool race focussed plot, which gives me some awesome Mad Max flashes), you have to know it is going to be something particularly epic and incredible, especially as all the previous novels in the series have been utterly exceptional and brilliantly bonkers.  I have so much love for this series after having become irreversibly addicted to it last year (highlights include Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Butcher’s Masquerade and The Eye of the Bedlam Bride), and I am so damn eager to see how this series will continue.  I personally am planning to listen to A Parade of Horribles on audiobook (narrated by the insanely talented Jeff Hays), and I cannot wait to see how this new novel unfolds.  If you haven’t experienced the Dungeon Crawler Carl series yet, do yourself a favour and check them out on audiobook before A Parade of Horribles comes out, you will not be disappointed!

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Ironwood by Michael Connelly – 19 May 2026

One of the last crime fiction books I want to feature on this list has the potential to be one of the best with the next fantastic novel from Michael Connelly, Ironwood.  The sequel to his intriguing 2025 novel Nightshade, Ironwood will once again focus on Connelly’s new protagonist Detective Stilwell, as he attempts to solve crimes from his banished post of Catalina Island.  However, in this book, he finds himself teaming up with another Connelly protagonist, with Detective Renée Ballard serving as a supporting character.  This should result in quite an intense and addictive crime fiction read, and I am particularly keen to read Ironwood as soon as I can.

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Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker – 19 May 2026

The penultimate book I want to highlight is the epic new fantasy novel from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril.  An intriguing sounding urban fantasy, Mortedant’s Peril will follow a protagonist hunted throughout his city for reading the final thoughts of the wrong dead man.  I have a lot of confidence that Barker is going to pull out something special with this new novel, especially after impressing with all his previous trilogies, and I am confident that Mortedant’s Peril is going to be a top book of 2026. 

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A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett – 9 June 2026

Perhaps one of the most impressive and addictive new fantasy series from the last two years has been the Shadow of the Leviathan books by Robert Jackson Bennett.  An extremely clever and compelling fantasy murder mystery series that sees the chaotic team of an over-enhanced investigator and her faithful assistant, solve impossible crimes in a nation constantly under attack from giant monsters.  Both the previous books in this series, The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption, have been exceptional five-star reads, and I have been eagerly waiting for the next entry in the series ever since I finished the last page of the second Shadow of the Leviathan novel.  This third upcoming book, A Trade of Blood (cover yet to be released), will see the protagonist attempt to stop a violent civil war by proving that a member of a powerful family is innocent of a gruesome murder.  However, the protagonists soon find themselves dragged into a dark conspiracy against a ruthless opponent determined to destroy the nation.  A Trade of Blood sounds just as incredible as the previous two Shadow of the Leviathan novels, and I cannot wait to unwind this latest narrative and it’s no-doubt elaborate and captivating fantasy-based mystery.

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Well, that’s the end of this first list.  As you can see, there are some mighty impressive novels 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.  2026 is going to be an outstanding year for fiction, 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 extremely incredible time reading these authors in 2026.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and feature bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  As we roll into the new year I am going to list my absolute favourite books of 2025, which is something I look forward to every year.  This is a continuation of several lists I have done in recent weeks that highlighted the authors and books that have most impressed me this year.  Previous lists looked at topics like my favourite pre-2025 novels, as well as my favourite audiobooks, sequels, and new-to-me authors of 2025. However, this list is the big one as it covers my absolute favourite releases of the year, of which there are quite a few.

I think we can all agree that 2025 has been another rollercoaster year for the world, but thankfully readers got a little bit of solace as this was an amazing year for books, with a huge range of incredible releases coming out across the genres.  Not only did several new series start but we had some exceptional debuts, and some big continuations of established series.  I have had an amazing time reading or listening to some outstanding books this year and quite a few releases have become instant favourites.  I must admit that I somewhat struggled to pull this list together, as there were so many books that deserved to be mentioned.  Therefore, because I am a very soft touch, and because the quality of the books I read this year was so impressive, I have decided to expand this list out to 20 entries (just like I have the last several years, I’m a very soft touch).  These 20 books are my absolute favourites from 2025, and I would strongly recommend every one of them to anyone interested in a great read.

To make it onto this list a book only needed to be released here in Australia during 2025.  I have naturally excluded anything I have not read yet, even though there were quite a few awesome-sounding books I sadly didn’t squeeze into my reading schedule.  I decided to leave off my usual Honourable Mentions section as the extra 10 entries make it unnecessary.  There will be a bit of crossover between the below entries and some of my previous lists.  For example, several of these novels appeared on my Top Ten Favourite Audiobooks of 2025 list and my Top Ten Favourite Books from the First Half of 2025 list, which I ran back into July.  Overall, I am very happy with how this Top 20 list turned out, and I think it contains a pretty good range of novels that showcase the different types of books that I chose to read this year.  So, without further ado, here is the list.

Top Twenty List:

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

The first book I want to highlight on this list was one of my favourite fantasy novels of 2025 with The Devils by Joe Abercrombie.  An exceptional and comedic dark fantasy from the master of grimdark fiction, The Devils is set in an alternate medieval Europe and follows several loveable monsters in the employ of the church as they attempt to enthrone a street thief as Empress of Troy.  A gloriously over-the-top novel, The Devils was Abercrombie at his best, and I had an exceptional time getting through it.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry

Diabolical dark fiction master Jonathan Maberry is an author who has appeared consistently on these end-of-year lists since I started them, and 2025 is no exception.  Maberry had two books out in 2025, including the twisted thriller Burn to Shine.  However, my favourite book of Maberry’s this year is the outstanding science fiction novel Cold War.  The sequel to his 2024 release, NecroTek, Cold War was a gripping read that sees groups of stranded humanity facing off against Lovecraftian horrors in the future.  Featuring an intriguing narrative split, awesome action and some classic Maberry horror, Cold War was another excellent novel, especially on audiobook.

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Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow and Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai

It’s kind of inevitable the new volumes of the Usagi Yojimbo comic series are going to appear on this end of year list.  One of my favourite comic series, the Usagi Yojimbo comics follow a rabbit ronin as he traverses an alternate version of feudal Japan.  I have so much love for this series, and creator Stan Sakai released two exceptional volumes this year with The Crow and Ten Thousand Plums.  Both were amazing and intricate reads, and I loved every second I spent reading them.  Due to how impressive there were, I am combining these two volumes together into one entry, and as both comics are very worthy inclusions to this list.

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Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Easily one of the more impressive and complex fantasy novels on this list is the incredible Days of Shattered Faith by the highly inventive Adrian Tchaikovsky.  The third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosopher’s series, Days of Shattered Faith follows on from City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds and focuses on a new fantasy city beset by internal strife and dangerous diplomats.  A unique read, Days of Shattered Faith was one of the best books of the year, and I loved every second I spent in Tchaikovsky’s latest complex cityscape.

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Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz

Acclaimed thriller author Gregg Hurwitz ensured readers were hooked this year with one of his best Orphan X novels, Nemesis.  The 10th book in the Orphan X series, Nemesis sees the relentless protagonist forced to go to war with his only friend in an emotionally charged and complex read.  Filled with exceptional character moments, Nemesis was an especially compelling novel that keeps you hooked all the way to its powerful and heartbreaking end.  I really loved Nemesis, although I way never forgive Hurwitz for what he put me through with this book.

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Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

I had so much fun returning to the skies this year with the incredible Warhammer 40,000 novel, Interceptor City.  The sequel to Dan Abnett’s iconic book Double Eagle, Interceptor City saw the first novel’s protagonist return for another harrowing tour of duty, this time flying fighter aircraft in the ruins of a gigantic city.  Featuring some of the best aerial combat sequences you are ever going to read, Interceptor City was a true highlight of 2025 and a must-read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans.

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A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

The new master of fantasy crime fiction, Robert Jackson Bennett had another exceptional year, thanks to his new novel A Drop of Corruption.  The sequel to his exceptional novel The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024), A Drop of Corruption sees an enhanced investigator and her loyal assistant, attempt to solve an impossible disappearance in an empire constantly under attack by giant monsters.  Featuring a particularly elaborate and impressive murder mystery that makes full of it’s fantasy setting, A Drop of Corruption was unbelievably good, and I cannot get over how awesome and complex the story turned out.  I love this series from Bennet so damn much and I cannot wait to read the third book in 2026.

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Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The iconic Hunger Games franchise got a major boost in 2025, thanks to the outstanding prequel novel Sunrise on the Reaping.  Set at the 50th Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping follows a fan favourite as he tries to survive the deadliest games of all time.  Suzanne Collins honestly outdid herself with this latest Hunger Games books, especially as she subverted all expectations and showcased a story with so many clever twists and manipulated surprises, all wrapped up with earthshaking tragedy.  The Hunger Games series will never be the same again, and I am still not over just how far Collins went with this exceptional read.

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Midnight Black by Mark Greaney

Mark Greaney continues to showcase why he is one of the very best authors of spy fiction with the amazing 2025 release, Midnight Black.  A particularly exciting and intense entry in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black sees an exhausted version of Greaney’s long-running protagonist attempt the impossible, as he takes on the entire Russian state to free the women he loves.  An extremely exciting and moving novel, Midnight Black was Greaney at his very best, and I powered through this book so damn quickly.

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The Malevolent Eight by Sebastian De Castell

This year, author Sebastian De Castell followed up his amazing fantasy novel, The Malevolent Seven, with an even more outrageous and frankly bonkers sequel, The Malevolent Eight.  Following a group eight crazy individuals as they attempt to stop the warring armies of heaven and hell, The Malevolent Eight was utter chaos from start to finish, and I loved every second of it, vampiric kangaroo included.  One of the funnier books of 2025, The Malevolent Eight comes highly recommended, especially for those who like their fantasy novels as cleverly weird as possible.

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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Another excellent fantasy novel released in 2025 was the very impressive and elaborate book, The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson.  The author’s first foray into fantasy fiction, The Raven Scholar featured a fantastic tournament plot, with several champions competing to become the ruler of a divided realm.  However, nothing is as it seems, and the contenders, including a damaged scholar dragged into the proceedings, are forced to contend with murder, intrigue and betrayal at every turn.  A wonderful piece of fantasy fiction from a very talented new voice in the genre.

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Never Flinch by Stephen King

The legendary Stephen King continues his domination of all thing’s fiction with the brilliant and deeply addictive Never Flinch.  A sequel to the outstanding novel Holly, Never Flinch sees unlikely investigator, Holly Gibney, attempt to stop two deadly predators attempting to kill in her town, including a guilt-riddled serial killer and a troubled stalker.  An excellent character-driven read, Never Flinch had me hooked very early on, and I still cannot get over how intense the last third of the book turned out.

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Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan

I had to include the awesome new fantasy novel from Anthony Ryan, Born of an Iron Storm, on this list.  The second book in the author’s Viking-inspired Age of Wrath series, Born of an Iron Storm perfectly followed on from last years A Tide of Black Steel (as well as Ryan’s previous Covenant of Steel trilogy), and treated readers to a powerful narrative shown through the eyes of four different heroes.  Loaded with cool world-building, great characters, and an adventure-laden plot, Born of an Iron Storm was an amazing read, and one I couldn’t get enough of.

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The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

Richard Osman returned to his Thursday Murder Club series this year, with the latest book The Impossible Fortune.  Following the retiree protagonists as they try to uncover the secret behind a mysterious vault and its missing owner, The Impossible Fortune was a wonderful novel, that really dove into its amazing character’s lives after the great tragedy of the previous Thursday Murder Club book.  Osman perfectly reconnected with all his great characters again, and this ended up being a very clever and heartwarming read.

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King Sorrow by Joe Hill

For the first time ever, I have two separate family members appear on this list, thanks to the amazing Joe Hill trying to outshine his father.  Hill’s new book is the massive, but deeply captivating King Sorrow, an elaborate fantasy horror novel with an exceptional plot behind it.  Following a group of damaged friends who inadvertently forge a Faustian bargain with an interdimensional dragon, King Sorrow follows these figures over multiple years, as each member of the group is forced to designate several victims for the dragon to hunt down and kill.  A complex and very powerful novel with some amazing characters, King Sorrow proved to be an outstanding book to fall in love with, and I still cannot get over some of the outstanding twists and turns Hill imagined.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington

The much-anticipated fantasy novel, The Strength of the Few, lived up to all the hype surrounding it, and ended up being one of the top books from the end of 2025.  The sequel to Islington’s exceptional The Will of the Many (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), The Strength of the Few was an extremely ambitious read that followed three separate versions of the same protagonist as he lives through simultaneous adventures of three parallel worlds.  A particularly intricate and intelligent fantasy novel, The Strength of the Few was a true highlight of the year, and I cannot recommend this impressive fantasy series enough.

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Artifact by Jeremy Robinson

The always impressive Jeremy Robinson produced another captivating, standalone science fiction horror read this year with the fantastic novel Artifact.  Following a small group of likeable and isolated Alaskans who attempt to discover what went wrong at the secretive scientific research laboratory hidden at the outskirts of town, Artifact was an ultra-exciting read that went to some dark places.  An outstanding novel that is really worth checking out on audiobook.

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The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

While I was spoiled for choice with Michael Connelly books in 2025 (including the great murder mystery Nightshade), my favourite was The Proving Ground.  The latest Lincoln Lawyer novel, The Proving Ground saw the titular character attempt to take down an artificial intelligence company who he believes is partially responsible for a young girl’s murder.  Clever, insightful and very addictive, The Proving Ground was a brilliant legal thriller and one I can’t stop thinking about.

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Star Wars: Sanctuary by Lamar Giles

There were several amazing Star Wars books this year, including The Mask of Fear and Master of Evil, however, I had to focus on the amazing and highly entertaining novel, Sanctuary by Lamar Giles.  A tie-in to the Bad Batch animated series, Sanctuary was an extremely entertaining and captivating read that saw the unruly clone protagonists attempt to pull off several easy-money gigs.  Unsurprisingly, all their clever plans fall apart, and the protagonists and their trouble-causing cargo soon find themselves being chased by a brilliant ISB agent and a psychotic, uber-wealthy crime lord.  Relentlessly entertaining and compelling, but with some real heart, Sanctuary was an exceptional Star Wars novel, and one I cannot recommend enough.

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Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the captivating urban fantasy novel, Whisper in the Wind.  The fourth book in Australian author Luke Arnold’s Fetch Phillips series, Whisper in the Wind sees the very damaged protagonist once again dragged into a dangerous attempt to bring magic back to his devastated city.  However, forced to contend with the city’s new elites, and their dark plans, Fetch finds himself pushed to his limit as his attempts at living a quiet life are blown to hell.  A complex and wonderfully written novel, Whisper in the Wind is an impressive entry in one of the more compelling ongoing fantasy series, and Luke Arnold honestly gets better with every book he writes.  A highly recommended read and a very worthy final inclusion on this list.

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Well, those are my 20 favourite books of 2025. It turned out to be quite a good list in the end, and I am very glad that I was able to highlight so many fantastic books.  2026 is set to be another excellent year for amazing reads, and I will be examining some of my most anticipated books next week.  In the meantime, let me know what your favourite books of 2025 were in the comments below, and make sure you all have a happy and safe New Years.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List10 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this list involved listing the ten top books you hope that Santa would bring you this year.  While this is a fun sounding topic, I am instead going to continue my annual end of year wrap up of the best books I read in 2025.  In previous weeks I have highlighted some of the best pre-2025 novels, best new-to-me-authors and best 2025 sequels I read in the last year.  However, this week I am going to look at something near and dear to my hear, the best audiobooks of 2025.

Readers of this blog only need to check out my extensive audiobook category to the right to know that I have a lot of love for the audiobook format.  In my opinion, the audiobook is often the best way to experience a good book and in many cases this format makes a novel far more enjoyable.  As a result, I listened to quite a few audiobooks this year, and while a good chunk of them were books released before 2025 and featured in my Throwback Thursday posts, most were released this year.  There were some truly outstanding and impressive audiobooks released in 2025 and I knew going in that I was going to have an extremely hard time coming up with a final version of this list.

For this list I have only included audiobooks released in 2025 that I have listened to, which left me with a long list of extremely impressive audiobooks which I wanted to include in this post.  To help cut this down, I considered a range of factors, including the quality of the original novel, the skill of the narrator, production value, pacing and other features.  I was eventually able to reduce the list down to the absolute best 10 audiobooks, with my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I had to make some very hard decisions here, and I ended up excluding several extremely good audiobooks from the main list.  Still, I think it really represents the best audiobooks I enjoyed this year and there are some amazing productions below.

Honourable Mentions:

Burn to Shine, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

The latest book in the always excellent Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry that always comes across awesome on audiobook.

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Four Ruined Realms, written by Mai Corland and narrated by Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Roger Yeh, Donald Chang, Jaine Ye and Sophie Oda.

An excellent and elaborate fantasy novel whose audiobook made perfect use of several great narrators.

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Sunrise on the Reaping, written by Suzanne Collins and narrated by Jefferson White

More Hunger Games excitement expertly brought to life from a great new narrator.

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Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, written by Denny Flowers and narrated by Harry Myers

Hilarious Warhammer 40,000 fun from the impressive Denny Flowers, featuring one of the franchise’s very best narrators, Harry Myers.

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Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

While I had the great pleasure of listening to several impressive Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks in 2025, my favourite had to be the awesome and addictive Interceptor City by Dan Abnett.  The sequel to Abnett’s classic Warhammer 40,000 novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City was an impressive listen that saw the returning protagonist forced back into aerial combat, this time fighting for survival admit the towers of a giant, ruined city.  I deeply enjoyed Interceptor City especially on audiobook, voiced by one of my favourite narrators Toby Longworth.  The audiobook version really enhanced the epic flying fight sequences of Interceptor City, and this was one of the very best listens of the year.

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The Devils, written by Joe Abercrombie and narrated by Steven Pacey

Legendary grimdark fantasy author Joe Abercrombie returned in a big way in 2025 with his incredible novel The Devils.  Set in an alternate, medieval Europe, The Devils follows an elite group of literal monsters controlled by the church as they engage on a deadly mission to crown a queen.  This was one of the more compelling and entertaining novels of the year, and I must highlight the great audiobook version narrated by Abercrombie’s long-time collaborator Steven Pacey.  Pacey did an amazing job voicing all the unique characters in The Devils, and few narrators work as well with Abercrombie’s impressive storytelling and fantastic writing as Pacey.

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Cold War, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

I doubt anyone is too surprised that an audiobook written by Jonathan Maberry is appearing on this list.  Maberry’s outstanding and ultra-intense novels always come out extremely well on the audiobook format, especially with the legendary Ray Porter narrating, who always perfectly matches the tone and tension of Maberry’s stories, while also providing impressive voices for his cast.  Of the two Maberry audiobooks released in 2025, my favourite was the dark science fiction novel Cold War.  Serving as a sequel to one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024, NecroTek, Cold War was a brilliant follow-up, that really took the series in some powerful directions.  Porter once again brought out all the inherent fear and craziness of Maberry’s great writing, and the result was an exceptional audiobook that I could not get enough of.

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Never Flinch, written by Stephen King and narrated by Jessie Mueller

The iconic Stephen King continued to dominate the crime fiction genre in 2025 with the outstanding new Holly Gibney novel Never Flinch.  Following on from books like Mr Mercedes, The Outsider and Holly, Never Flinch once again saw King’s unique protagonist investigating dark crimes in her city.  However, this time there are two different killers stalking those close to her, and the resulting story was laden with threat, high stakes and deadly sequences.  I really enjoyed how the audiobook version of Never Flinch turned out, and new narrator Jessie Mueller killed it voicing the various characters in Never Flinch, as well as providing the occasional bit of singing.  A very spectacular audiobook and easily the best way to enjoy the latest Stephen King novel.

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Star Wars: Sanctuary, written by Lamar Giles and narrated by Marc Thompson

Everyone knows that I’m a sucker for Star Wars audiobooks, and one of the best of 2025 was the addictive listen Sanctuary.  A tie-in to The Bad Batch animated series, Sanctuary follows the rogue clones of the titular squad engage in some dangerous missions to help those closest to them.  A compelling and fun adventure novel that expertly captures the characters from the show, Sanctuary got even better thanks to its audiobook adaptation.  Not only was the iconic Star Wars music and sound effects expertly utilised throughout the audiobook run, but the always impressive Marc Thompson proved to be an outstanding narrator, providing exceptional imitations of the show’s cast.  A fantastic and highly addictive listen, Sanctuary was a Star Wars audiobook at its best.

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Days of Shattered Faith, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

One of the more elaborate and entertaining fantasy audiobooks of 2025 was the amazing Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky.  The third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosophers series (following on from City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds), Days of Shattered Faith was an incredible piece of fantasy fiction that detailed the intrigues and betrayals taking place within crumbling kingdom besieged by friendly diplomats.  I loved this book, and I was really impressed with how effectively Tchaikovsky’s elaborate and clever narrative was showcased on audiobook.  David Thorpe did an outstanding job showcasing all of Tchaikovsky’s compelling detail and subtle twists with his narration, while also matching the author’s tone, and the resulting audiobook proved to be a complex and highly enjoyable treat to listen to.

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Artifact, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by R. C. Bray

The team of author Jeremy Robinson and narrator R. C. Bray returned in 2025, with the dark science fiction adventure, Artifact.  Following a group of likeable protagonists as they venture into a sinister secret laboratory in the wilderness, Artifact soon turns into a shocking story that you are unable to turn away from.  This excellent story is brilliantly enhanced by narrator R. C. Bray’s powerful voice that expertly fits the main protagonist and helps throw the reader into his damaged shoes.  As such, this was a very easy book to include on this list, and I cannot wait for more from Robinson and Bray in 2026.

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Born of an Iron Storm, written by Anthony Ryan and narrated by Steven Brand

Anthony Ryan continued his awesome fantasy adventures with the epic Born of an Iron Storm.  The great follow-up to last year’s A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm continues it’s Viking inspired story in some fantastically big ways.  I had an excellent time listening to Born of an Iron Storm on audiobook, especially with returning narrator Steven Brand, and it was one of the best ways to enjoy Ryan’s entertaining narrative.

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The Strength of the Few, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

One of the more elaborate audiobooks of 2025 was intense and ambitious The Strength of the Few by Australian author James Islington.  The incredible sequel to The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few saw the protagonist from the first book split across three separate worlds, resulting in an amazingly layered novel.  Thanks to the distinctive narration of Euan Morton, The Strength of the Few works extremely well on audiobook, and I loved how well the author’s intricate detail came across in this powerful audiobook production.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil, written by Adam Christopher and narrated by Marc Thompson

The final audiobook that I want to highlight on this list is the captivating listen Master of Evil.  Featuring an intriguing narrative set around a recently forged Darth Vader exploring the dark side of the Force, Master of Evil proved to be a powerful, character-driven Star Wars book, with some true heart to it.  This great book was once again enhanced by the iconic Star Wars music, sound effects and the voice of Mark Thompson, and there is frankly no better way to enjoy Master of Evil than on audiobook.

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Well that is the end of this latest Top Ten list, and as you can see, I have been lucky enough to listen to some awesome audiobooks this year.  All the above audiobooks are extremely good and I would highly recommend each of them in their audiobook format.  Let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2025 were in the comments below and make sure to check back next week to see what my overall favourite novels of the year were.

Waiting on Wednesday – Pretenders to the Throne of God and Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Science 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 post, I highlight the two upcoming books from impressive author Adrian Tchaikovsky that I’m most looking forward to in 2026.

Adrian Tchaikovsky is an extremely talented science fiction and fantasy author who has been wowing audiences with his incredible imagination since 2008, producing an insane number of books during that period.  Known for his Shadows of the Apt, Children of Time, Echoes of the Fall and Final Architecture series, as well as several awesome standalone novels, Tchaikovsky has a truly outstanding catalogue of works to his name, and there are some true classics captured there.  I personally have had the pleasure of reading several of his latest great books, with entries like Service Model (one of my favourite books of 2024), Alien Clay, the novella Orges and the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Day of Ascension (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels), proving to be quite amazing.

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Some of my favourite books from Tchaikovsky have been the awesome novels of his Tyrant Philosophers series.  A gripping, brilliant and highly amusing series, the Tyrant Philosophers novels are set in a cool fantasy world filled with magic, gods and demons, all with a fun Tchaikovsky twist to them.  Featuring some excellent overlapping characters and events, all set around the dark impact of the Palleseen, an empire of perfection seeking fanatics, who have been conquering the world through elaborate military and diplomatic action. All three current books in the series have been quite exceptional, including City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds both of which were amongst my favourite books of 2023 (with City of Last Chances being one of the best audiobooks of 2023), as well as the third book in the series Days of Shattered Faith (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2025).  I really love these elaborate and highly entertaining novels, and we’re luckily only a short way away from the next book in the series, Pretenders to the Throne of God.

Set for release in February 2026, Pretenders to the Throne of God will once again focus on the Palleseen expansion as they engage in a deadly siege to expand their power and influence.  Featuring an outstanding plot, Pretenders to the Throne of God has the potential to be another outstanding novel, especially as we’ll get to see the next chapter of a certain character’s troubled journey.

Plot Synopsis:

Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller returns to a world steeped in magic – and the Tyrant Philosophers’ campaign to bring reason, logic and ‘perfection’ to it.

As the Palleseen’s campaign to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world rages on, Eres Ffenegh – ‘the City on the Back of a Crab’ – is the next state slated for conquest. But its citizens won’t give up sovereignty easily.

The siege has dragged into winter and the defenders – both locals and Pal renegades – hold an uneasy alliance against the enemy at the gates, while the Pal army is looking over its shoulder for the next self-destructive dictate of their government back home.

Within the city, Devil Jack, a good man apprenticed to the notorious conjurer known as the Widow, is driven to bargaining with hell to get back what he’s lost. Meanwhile Kiffel ea Leachan is the city’s champion, a child of privilege who’s just lost everything to the invaders. Both must try to survive the siege and make their own destinies in a world that’s cut them loose.

Outside the city, Pal reinforcements have arrived to take the city, but it’s the sort of help that might just damn them all…

This sounds like a very interesting continuation to the Tyrant Philosopher’s series, and it’s one that I’m particularly keen on.  Readers of this blog will know that I love a good siege novel, and I’m going to be very keen to see Tchaikovsky’s take on siege craft in Pretenders to the Throne of God.  No doubt this new book is going to feature a lot of interesting perspectives of the siege from both sides of the wall, and I cannot wait to see what over-the-top array of magical battles, as well as complex political intrigues will engulf both sides of the battle.

While the overarching story of Pretenders to the Throne of God sounds very promising, I personally I am very keen to see how Tchaikovsky continues the tale of one of his best characters, known in this novel as Devil Jack.  The man known as Jack has served as a primary character of all three previous Tyrant Philosopher’s novels, with fate throwing him into different roles and facing dangerous hardships.  However, after losing the demon he loved in Days of Shattered Faith, it looks like the formerly happy Jack is going to go through a rather dark place in this sequel.  I’m almost a little afraid to see how Tchaikovsky will torture Jack in this upcoming novel, but I have no doubt that his character arc is going to be one of the most emotionally charged of the entire novel.  Add in the rest of the complex characters I known Tchaikovsky has dreamt up for this new book, and Pretenders to the Throne of Gods is going to have some outstanding depth based around its protagonists, and probably it’s villains.

Based on how very impressive the previous Tyrant Philosophers books have been, I have very high hopes for Pretenders to the Throne of God in the new year, and it’s going to be something truly special.  One of my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2026, Pretenders to the Throne of God is going to be incredible.

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In addition to the next epic Tyrant Philosopher’s novel, there is another outstanding sounding Tchaikovsky novel that I am very excited to read in the new year, the very fun sounding Green City Wars.  Set for release in June 2026, Green City Wars will see Tchaikovsky present an intriguing and thriller with a unique twist, the protagonist is a talking racoon living in a world of genetically engineered animal helpers.

Plot Synopsis:

In a city of sunshine and secrets, the shadows belong to the animals. One genetically-engineered raccoon races to expose a deadly conspiracy – before it tears his whole world apart.

In a solar-powered future, humans live in luxury, served by unseen Little Helpers – artificially enhanced animals who maintain their perfect green cities. The animals’ golden rule: ‘Do Not Bother the Humans.’ Yet beneath this tranquil facade, a complex underworld of animal politics, crime and conflict thrives.

Enter Skotch, a freelance raccoon investigator. His biggest problem was a lack of work. Now his work may get him killed. And his latest case? Finding a fugitive mouse scientist. But powerful forces are also after the mouse, and they’re willing to kill for his secrets. Can Skotch navigate this treacherous web, outsmart rat gangsters, beat a deadly weasel assassin and keep his pelt intact? More importantly, can he find his quarry before the elusive rodent breaks Rule One in the most apocalyptic way – and shatters their fragile world.

I love the sound of this upcoming novel, especially as I’m keen to see Tchaikovsky take on the noir genre in his own entertaining way in Green City Wars.  The idea of sentient animal protagonists alongside humans in serious fiction is always very interesting, and the above synopsis has seriously put me in mind of the Welkin Weasels series by Gary Kilworth (a favourite of my childhood).  However, Tchaikovsky has put a fun dark twist on it, with the animals being genetically engineered slaves to humanity.  I’m assuming that the whole story will be a compelling crime fiction novel with some great science fiction twists, overlayed with some amusing critiques of humanity, which sounds so very fun.

While featuring one of Tchaikovsky’s more unusual plot ideas, I think that Green City Wars has a ton of potential and I’m very excited for it.  I have no doubt that this awesome standalone novel is going to be particularly funny, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Overall, it is quite clear that Adrian Tchaikovsky has some outstanding novels coming out in the new year, and these are just the main ones I’m currently excited for.  The author also has plans for some other exciting releases in 2026, and I’m going to make a real effort to read as many as possible.  Stay tuned to see how they all turn out.