Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 14 December 2023.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Weekly website.
Make sure to also check out my extended reviews for Vendetta, House of Open Wounds and The Mystery Guest.
Tag: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2023
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list books that they hope Santa brings them. While this is a fun topic, I decided to abstain and instead continue with my annual end-of-year lists that I have been working on the last few weeks. I have already covered my favourite new-to-me authors I read in 2023, as well as the best pre-2023 novels I read this year, but in this week’s list I am going to cover a new end-of-year topic and highlight the best sequels I read in 2023.
Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career. I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels. I read a ton of sequels every year and I felt that it was about time that I highlighted the very best sequels of the year in a specific post.
To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released in 2023 that I had the pleasure of reading. I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines. For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead. I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and definitely highlights my favourite sequels released in 2023.
Honourable Mentions:
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
An intriguing and elaborate historical fiction/fantasy novel that serves as a wonderful sequel to the awesome She Who Became the Sun.
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Nita Prose brings back her atypical protagonist from her exciting debut, The Maid, for another fun adventure.
Ripper by Shelley Burr
A brilliant and addictive sequel to Burr’s outstanding first book, Wake, Ripper is an outstanding piece of Australian crime fiction that comes highly recommended.
Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner
A brilliant and elaborate thriller that sees a woman do everything she can to get revenge for her best friend, no matter the cost. An outstanding book that falls within the same universe as Bonner’s debut novel, Her Perfect Twin.
Top Ten List:
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The first sequel I want to highlight on this list is the outstandingly clever and wildly entertaining House of Open Wounds by the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky. House of Open Wounds was an incredible follow-up to Tchaikovsky’s exceptional City of Last Chances, which is one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023. Set in the same world and featuring the best protagonist from the first book, House of Open Wounds was an awesome sequel that continued some key storylines while also introducing the readers to a bold new cast of characters who staff an unconventional military hospital. Funny and dramatic in equal measures, this was an amazing book and a truly great sequel.
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
One of the funniest sequels of 2023 had to be Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Australian author Benjamin Stevenson. A follow-up to Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone (one of my favourite Australian books of 2022), Everyone on this Train is a Suspect was a great piece of Australian crime fiction that saw Stevenson’s plucky protagonist attempt to solve another murder aboard a train loaded with suspicious mystery authors. Not only was this a great read, but it proved to be an excellent sequel that built on the story and writing elements of the previous release.
Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow
One of my favourite historical fiction authors Simon Scarrow had an excellent sequel out this year with Dead of Night. Scarrow’s second Berlin Wartime Thriller, Dead of Night was the follow up to Blackout, and presented the reader with another dark crime fiction read in Nazi controlled Berlin. This time examining a mysterious murder tied into the darkest secrets of the Nazi reign, Dead of Night was an amazing book that threw Scarrow’s protagonists into another moral quandary. An outstanding novel, I hope we get additional entries in this series soon.
Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry
Another outstanding fantasy novel that got a sequel in 2023 was Jonathan Maberry’s Kagen the Damned, which was one of my favourite books and audiobooks from 2022. This sequel, Son of the Poison Rose, saw the series’ titular damned protagonist continue his struggle to get revenge after the destruction of everything he loved, while also facing all manner of eldritch horrors. A sharp, brutal and addictive read loaded with so much action, Son of the Poison Rose proved to be an exceptional continuance of a great series and I had such an epic time with this book.
Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath
I was very happy when I found out that Australian author Jack Heath was releasing a sequel to his exceptional novel, Kill Your Brother (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2021), this year, with the awesome and outrageous Kill Your Husbands. Kill Your Husbands was a great book that saw the protagonists from the first novel try and solve a complex murder of three couples who were experimenting in a remote bushland location. An extremely complex and clever read, Kill Your Husbands had a powerful mystery behind it, and I loved how Heath brought back two outstanding protagonists.
The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison
I had a lot of fun this year reading the second Tales of the Lawless Land novel by the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison, with The Last True Templar. A fantastic historical thriller, The Last True Templar is a sequel to the Morrison’s first novel, The Lawless Land. Set in 14th century Europe, The Last True Templar was another bold adventure that saw the authors’ protagonists get dragged into a race to recover the lost Templar treasures. An amazing, action-packed novel, The Last True Templar did a great job continuing from The Lawless Land and I loved the awesome story it contained.
Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
Australian author Vanessa Len did an outstanding job of following up her debut novel, Only a Monster (one of my favourite debuts of 2022) with the emotionally charged sequel, Never a Hero. A gripping young adult fantasy novel that sees a time travelling monster being hunted by dark forces bent on changing the world alongside her monster hunter love interest. A powerful read that cleverly reimagined elements from the first book and threw its characters into new and impossible situations, Never a Hero is a very clever sequel that really showcased Len’s writing ability.
The Defector by Chris Hadfield
Astronaut Chris Hadfield did a wonderful job of following up his amazing debut novel, The Apollo Murders (one of my favourite debuts of 2021), with The Defector. An exciting and awesome thriller novel, The Defector followed a Cold War Soviet pilot who defects to the United States for his own nefarious purposes. An outstanding book that really showed Hadfield’s growth as an author, The Defector was a great sequel that is worth checking out.
The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding
One of my most anticipated sequels for 2023 was The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding. The long-awaited follow-up to his epic fantasy novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket was an exceptional novel that deepened the complex lore of the series and took his existing protagonists on another dark ride. A powerful, addictive and massive read, The Shadow Casket is one of my top books of the year and I am so glad we finally got a sequel to the first book.
One of my favourite Australian authors provides an intriguing follow up to her powerful novel, The Night Swim, with Dark Corners, a clever read that examines the world of influencers and social media stars. Dark, compelling, and bringing back Goldin’s first recurring protagonist, Dark Corners was an excellent sequel from a talented author.
Well, that’s it for this list. As you can see, I have read several outstanding sequels this year and had a wonderful time doing so. Every entry above was an epic novel, and I loved how they each successfully continued impressive story threads started in the previous novel. All these books come highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see how these talented authors add to their already awesome series in the future.
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher: Head of Zeus (Ebook – 7 December 2023)
Series: The Tyrant Philosophers – Book Two
Length: 636 pages
My Rating: 5 out 5 stars
The always deeply impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky returns with an exceptional and remarkable piece of fantasy fiction, House of Open Wounds, which presents the reader with a particularly unique and ruthlessly entertaining story, chock full of brilliant characters.
Few fantasy authors have the range and style of Adrian Tchaikovsky, whose distinctive contributions to the science fiction and fantasy fields are quite remarkable. While Tchaikovsky has written several highly regarded series, I have only just scratched the surface of his works, having read a few of his recent reads. This includes his first foray into the Warhammer 40,000 universe, with the captivating standalone read, Day of Ascension, as well as the brilliant and elaborate novella, Ogres. However, my favourite book from Tchaikovsky so far would have to be the outstanding City of Last Chances.
The first book in The Tyrant Philosophers series, City of Last Chances was an outstanding read that I had the pleasure of enjoying earlier this year. Set around a conquered city with several unique magical inclusions, City of Last Chances introduced the reader to a cool new world and told a range of character driven stories about resistance, religion and sacrifice. City of Last Chances got a very easy five-star rating from me, and it honestly was one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023. I had such a brilliant time with City of Last Chances that when Tchaikovsky announced he was releasing a sequel in the second half of 2023, I was ecstatic. This sequel, House of Open Wounds, continued some of the complex storylines Tchaikovsky started in City of Last Chances, and it was one of my most anticipated books for the second half of the year.
There are few nations more feared or relentless than the ever-expanding Palleseen. A rising empire of zealots who are determined to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world, the Palleseen have advanced out of their homeland in an unstoppable wave, wiping out all religion and superstition as they go. As cities and kingdoms fall before their military might, their armies leave behind mounds of dead and wounded soldiers who require tending in field hospital tents just behind the frontline.
Into this chaos is thrust the god smuggler Yasnic. A former priest, miracle healer and occasional rebel, whose previous experiences with the Palleseen saw him hanged, attacked and banished from his city, Yasnic has experienced many upheavals throughout his life. Saved from another execution by the army bureaucracy, Yasnic and his box of orphan gods arrive at the frontlines, where he has been assigned to work in an unorthodox medical unit.
Made up of a mixture of former priests, gods, magicians, alchemists, artificers, necromancers and led by a gigantic brute known as the Butcher, the experimental medical unit treats the soldiers no one else can save and recycles the rest into the war effort. Entrusted to save the Palleseen soldiers, but doomed if anyone ever discovers the full extent of their abilities, the surgeons and orderlies of this unit ply their bloody trade as best they can while living as part of an unusual family, but the arrival of Yasnic could change everything.
As Yasnic works to fit into the unit and save lives, his unusual connections to the weakened and hidden gods of the world slowly begin to cause chaos throughout the army. Not only is he aware of the divine forces that secretly hang around the hospital, but his own illegal and crotchety God is determined to bring miracles to the Palleseen, whether that want them or not. As an outbreak of impossible healing and sudden pacifism spreads through the regiment, can Yasnic keep himself and his gods alive, or will the full force of the Palleseen zealots come crashing down upon him?
This was another epic and truly remarkable novel from Tchaikovsky that had me hooked the entire way through. Featuring a dark, bloody and fun story, House of Open Wounds was a particularly distinctive read that told its own captivating story while continuing some of the best elements from City of Last Chances. Funny, thoughtful and moving in equal measures, House of Open Wounds was an incredible and addictive novel that gets another very easy five-star rating.
I was very impressed with the exceptional and moving narrative that Tchaikovsky pulled together for House of Open Wounds, and I was hooked the second I got into it. After the events of City of Last Chances, the reader is thrust into a new part of Tchaikovsky’s fantasy world as you find yourself imbedded in a Palleseen battalion following the members of an unusual but effective military hospital. Like City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds is strongly character driven, as you follow the personal stories surrounding each of these unusual outsider characters and learn about their complex pasts while watching their lives play out in the present. Much of the plot revolves around returning protagonist Yasnic and his God, who are drafted into the unit, and you get to see his experiences of the other characters, the wars, and the internal Palleseen bureaucracy. Most of the first half of House of Open Wounds is dedicated to exploring the new cast of characters and introducing their unique stories, as they find themselves closely following a bloody and dangerous war. This part of the book is primarily focused on the healing and medical work of the protagonists, as well as diving into their reasons for being there and the unique skills they bring to the surgical table. Apart from that, there isn’t an amazing amount of major plot progression here, except when Yasnic starts to mix things up around the battalion. While this pace is a little slow, this first half of the book was really fun and enjoyable, as you find yourself getting really lost in the characters’ lives, unique struggles, desires, and experiences. It also helps that many of these character details, as well as the mundane events of the hospital, eventually lead to bigger things later in the main plot, and Tchaikovsky does an outstanding amount of set up here.
The plot picks up a lot more in the second half, when the main battalion moves to a different warzone and find themselves involved in a substantial fight that really pushes the medical unit to its limits. The new battles, as well as the intriguing location they find themselves in, move several of the character arcs in some big directions, and you find out more and more about each of the main characters as a result. The constant chaos that surrounds Yasnic also starts to take its toll on the main story, as his strangeness and the double-edged miracles he occasionally brings cause him to make enemies and upset the delicate balance of the Palleseen army. At the same time, the Palleseen war machine starts to alienate the members of the medical unit, who find their talents being stolen to create weapons. Everything leads up to the big finale, where the protagonists attempt to free themselves with an elaborate and ambitious plan. This plan makes great use of all their individual skills and histories, and so many little details and elements from the story are used to bring a fun and creative conclusion to the book. Each of the fascinating character arcs conclude nicely and I loved how Tchaikovsky masterfully brought everything together in a satisfying and entertaining way.
Tchaikovsky utilises his typical excellent and distinctive writing style to convey this elaborate and entertaining narrative to the reader, and I had such a wonderful time seeing it unfold. As with the previous novel in the series, Tchaikovsky relies very heavily on perspective changes to tell a multilayered, character-driven story. Like the previous book, many of the major characters are initially showcased in their own chapter at the beginning, which often leads to additional cast introductions. As the book progresses, the chapters feature perspective changes so you can see more interactions and a wider view of the entire story. I loved the immediate deep background on several of these characters, and while you still often must wait a while to get their full story, you learn enough to like them in the opening parts of the novel. Tchaikovsky makes full use of these characters to tell a fantastic story, and I loved how well he showcases some unique events through their eyes. As with the previous book, House of Open Wounds has a range of tones as Tchaikovsky works hard to produce the right balance of humour, excitement, and moving and powerful character moments. The multiple detailed and confronting scenes of the bloody battlefield hospitals are well balanced out by the fantastic and subtle humour, which often comes from the outrageous situations that occur throughout the book, as well as the various character’s unique outlooks on life. This made for a particularly compelling book as you found yourself moving from comedic scene to a more dramatic or tragic moment with frequent regularity, as you find yourself stuck onboard a well-thought-out emotional roller coaster.
House of Open Wounds proves to be an intriguing and clever follow-up to City of Last Chances, especially as the author deepens the lore surrounding this fantasy world and brings back two fantastic protagonists. Readers of City of Last Chances will have an absolute blast with this book, as you get some interesting follow up to Yasnic’s compelling storyline while also seeing a different side to the antagonistic nation from the first book. This is a somewhat loose follow-up, and you really don’t need to have read City of Last Chances to enjoy House of Open Wounds. In many ways this is a good standalone novel, especially as most of the focus is on a whole new group of protagonists, and even Yasnic is given a new name for much of the book. Tchaikovsky does ensure that some of the key details and plot points from the first book are carried over when needed, although he does leave a bit of context out in places so as not to overwhelm new readers. As such, House of Open Wounds is a very accessible read, although established fans of Tchaikovsky are going to particularly enjoy this, especially if they loved City of Last Chances.
One thing you can always rely on Tchaikovsky to do is to pull together an elaborate and deeply compelling world to set his stories around. This is extremely true in this series as Tchaikovsky has come up with a war-torn landscape filled with magic, gods, demons and a new rising empire. The author did some interesting set up for this world in the previous novel, although the plot there was primarily contained inside a single city. In House of Open Wounds, the reader gets to see a bigger chunk of this world, even though much of the plot takes place either on the battlefield or in the camp behind the lines. Despite this, you get a better idea of the politics, wars and conquests that have taken place in recent history, and you particularly learn more about the Palleseen. The Palleseen are a group of ideological zealots dedicated to bringing their version of perfection to the world, which primarily involves breaking everything down into logic and reason, and doing away with superstitions and beliefs. As such, their goal is to rid the world of gods, deities and other superstitions, usually by conquering the lands and bringing them under the control of their relentless bureaucracy. Most of this book is dedicated to exploring the nature of their war machine, and you really get to see just how corrupt and ambitious some of their members are as a result.
I loved the focus on the military hospital and the war camp for most of the book, especially as seeing the various members of Palleseen camp allows the reader to fully understand the many problems, compromises and cruelties the Palleseen experience on their road to perfection. Tchaikovsky throws in some great critiques of militarisation and empire building throughout the book as you see these perfect Palleseen become racked with pride, ambition and greed to prove themselves and advance up the ranks. Their determination to win means they turn a blind eye to gods and superstitions when it suits them, and that results in the experimental medical unit that serves as the centre of the book. However, while they appear to only want the assembled gods, alchemists, and other strange magics for healing, really they are working to corrupt them into terrible weapons to further their war capability. There are several great storylines that see the Palleseen turning benevolent tools and creatures into highly inventive tools of war, and it serves as a major plot point and motivation for several characters, including a few Palleseen who have enough of their colleague’s lust for power. Combine that with the returning minor gods, who end up having their own impact on several characters, and the reader comes away with a very cynical look at the Palleseen, and empires in general, which both ridicules them and shows just how malevolent and insidious they can be.
The real key that pulls together House of Open Wounds is the huge array of memorable and complex characters that are introduced throughout the course of the plot. Tchaikovsky does a remarkable job of introducing and swiftly building up some truly amazing characters in this novel, and their compelling and often traumatic personal stories become so highly ingrained in the plot as a result. There are so many great protagonists and supporting figures in this novel, and I was personally impressed with how all of them were original characters that were not built up in the prior novel.
The main exception to this rule is Yasnic and his god, both of whom were introduced in City of Last Chances and who are masterfully inserted into this sequel. Yasnic was honestly one of Tchaikovsky’s best characters in City of Last Chances and I was so glad to see more of him here, especially as the author somehow manages to work in even more development after all the defining character moments that shaped him in the prior novel. Since we last saw him, Yasnic has moved on from being the last priest of a forgotten god and has instead become a more generalised religious figure, offering shelter and assistance to fallen and orphaned gods who no longer have any power or believers by carrying them around in a box on his back. After everything he has gone through, including his own crisis of faith, Yasnic now has a different view of the world, although he is still being haunted by his demanding and petty god. Yasnic has some wonderful moments in this book as he tries to fit into his new role while also hanging onto the trappings of his old life. Desperate to save everyone he can, Yasnic finds his views and pacifism really badly damaged by the constant war and the relentless and orderly Palleseen, and he is forced to make some haunting compromises. You really get some very interesting insights into Yasnic’s mind in this book, especially as you see how the aftermath of him abandoning his position as a priest impacted him. You cannot help but feel for the extremely likeable Yasnic at times, as he is thrust into tragic and heartbreaking positions against his will, and his quiet determination and general positivity pluck at your heartstrings. Throw in some great new friends, an unusual but surprisingly wholesome love interest and a series of unfortunate misunderstandings that frustrate even this gentle soul, and Yasnic once again stands out as a particularly awesome and likeable protagonist.
The other side of Yasnic’s character resides in the body of his tiny, stumpy, and petty deity, God, a former major healing god who has lost all his worshippers apart from Yasnic, but still maintains his powerful healing abilities. However, God refuses to heal anyone unless they swear a vow of pacifism, and if they cause harm to someone in any way, it will result in their wounds automatically returning, generally resulting in a sudden death. Thanks to his stubbornness, pride, and his whiny focus on Yasnic’s soul, God was one of the most entertaining characters in City of Last Chances, and I am really glad that Tchaikovsky brought him back for House of Open Wounds. While he is still a judgemental, mischievous and ugly angel on Yasnic’s shoulder in this sequel, you get to learn more about God and why he refuses to help save people. There are some surprisingly emotional scenes where God expresses why he is so bitter and you really get a much better understanding of his angry mind, especially when Yasnic makes the same mistakes, adding to God’s sadness. I also loved how well God played off Yasnic as he proves to be a surprising and entertaining counterpoint to the humble and nice former priest. While most of their dialogue is quite contentious, with God trying to control his increasingly independent former priest, you can see deep down that God cares about Yasnic, and they form quite an interesting and fun duo. Tchaikovsky took God’s character arc in some interesting directions towards the end of House of Open Wounds, and I have a feeling he is going to be a real nuisance to people in the next book.
House of Open Wounds also features quite a fun range of supporting characters, each of whom has their own compelling story to tell. This primarily includes the crazy and unusual group of associated healers and hospital workers that work in the experimental hospital unit, as well as the competitive and dangerous Palleseen officers controlling their destinies. I won’t go into too much detail here, as I could honestly go one for a paragraph about each, but I was really impressed with how well Tchaikovsky set each of them up and explored their histories and stories as the booked continued. There are some brilliant and very well fleshed out character arcs everywhere in House of Open Wounds, and I loved just how compelling a story Tchaikovsky was able to make as a result.
Adrian Tchaikovsky once again shows why he is one of the absolute best authors of complex and intelligent fantasy fiction with this outstanding and epic read. House of Open Wounds is a deeply clever, compelling and moving read that hooks the reader with its unique scenarios, fantastic humour, and memorable characters. I loved every single second I spent reading this novel and I really appreciated the amazing way Tchaikovsky chose to continue the great story started in City of Last Chances. I cannot wait to see what over elaborate fantasy stories Tchaikovsky creates in this universe in the future, and this epic novel is one of the best pieces of fantasy fiction I enjoyed in 2023.
WWW Wednesday – 6 December 2023
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)
I have just started reading the new murder mystery from Nita Prose, The Mystery Guest. The intriguing sequel to Prose’s first novel, The Maid, The Mystery Guest features another compelling murder, seen through the eyes of Prose’s unique protagonist. I’ve only made a little progress on The Mystery Guest but it is so far proving to be an excellent read with a great set up. I am hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days and I look forward to Prose’s twisty conclusion.
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini (Audiobook)
I am still getting through the new Christopher Paolini novel, Murtagh, although I haven’t made as much progress as I would have liked. The sequel to Paolini’s iconic Inheritance Cycle, Murtagh follows the exploits of the damaged dragon rider Murtagh a year after being freed from the control of his evil lord. I am about two thirds of the way through Murtagh at the moment and I am pretty hooked on the elaborate story that shows a whole new angle to Paolini’s elaborate fantasy world. I am hoping to finish off Murtagh in the next week, but I’ll have to see how I go.
What did you recently finish reading?
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky (ebook)
I had an outstanding time getting through Adrian Tchaikovsky’s latest elaborate book, House of Open Wounds. The amazing sequel to Tchaikovsky’s epic and impressive City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds was such an incredible read, with complex characters, clever scenarios, and a ton of heart. One of the best fantasy novels of 2023, I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson (Trade Paperback)
A twisty and extremely hilarious Australian murder mystery that makes fun of so many different tropes and conventions of classic crime fiction. Highly recommended!
Vendetta by Sarah Barrie (Trade Paperback)
A brilliantly dark and gritty Australian crime fiction read that pits a maverick police office against the ghosts of her past. One of Barrie’s best books yet!
What do you think you’ll read next?
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman
The next book I am hoping to dive into is the intriguing murder mystery debut, West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman. An apparently meta-murder mystery, West Heart Kill has an awesome classic murder mystery scenario behind it that McDorman twists to tell a unique story. I have heard some good things about West Heart Kill and I cannot wait to check it out.
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 – My Favourite Pre-2023 Novels
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. This week participants of Top Ten Tuesday get a freebie to list whatever topics they want. So, I am going to take this opportunity to start my annual end-of-year lists here by looking at my favourite pre-2023 novels that I read this year.
Each December I have a lot of fun looking at some of the best and most impressive books and comics that I have read throughout the year in a series of Top Ten Lists. While these lists will mostly focus on books that came out in 2023, for the last few years, I have also taken the time to list out some of the best older novels that I have read in the last 12 months. There are some excellent novels that were released pre-2023 out there that I haven’t had the chance to read before, and it is always fun to go back and explore them. I ended up reading a bunch of awesome older books throughout 2023, including some pretty incredible novels that got easy five-star ratings from me and are really worth checking out.
To come up with this list I had a look at all the novels I read this year that had their initial release before 2023. This proved to be a momentous task, as 2023 was a year where I spent a lot of time reading and listening to a ton of older books, including quite a few Warhammer 40,000 books. There were so many awesome older novels I got through this year, that I honestly couldn’t fit it all into a Top Ten list. Instead, I turned this into a pretty expansive Top 20 list, just to highlight how much fun I had with older books this year. This mega list ended up containing an interesting combination of novels, although there was a bit of an overload of entries from the Dresden Files’ series by Jim Butcher and Warhammer 40,000 novels, both of which I really got into throughout this year. Indeed, it got a little bad that I ended up combining several of these novels into a single entry, just to diversify it up a bit. While I might be cheating in places, this list honestly reflects the best pre-2023 novels I read throughout the year, so let us see what made the cut.
Top Twenty List (by release year):
Gaunt’s Ghosts novels by Dan Abnett – 2000-2002
If this list is going to show anything it is that 2023 was the year that I really started diving into older pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and boy did I have fun doing so. One of the most important of these series is the Gaunt’s Ghost books by Dan Abnett. Generally considered the most seminal series of the entire Warhammer 40,000 franchise, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books are a compelling and moving military fiction series that follow the common human soldier as they face the worst horrors the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer. I ended up reading four Gaunt’s Ghosts books in 2023, including Ghostmaker, Necropolis, Honour Guard and The Guns of Tanith. Each novel had an outstanding story behind it and I loved seeing the great characters continue to evolve in each entry. Compelling, intense and very addictive, each book was worthy of its own entry on this list, although I combined all four into this one entry to add more diversity. I am hoping to really dive into this series next year and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
13th Legion and Kill Team by Gav Thorpe – 2000-2001
Another cool, older Warhammer 40,000 series I started reading in 2023 was the fantastic Last Chancers books by Gav Thorpe. Essentially The Dirty Dozen in space, the Last Chancers books follow an elite squad of condemned soldiers as they pull off suicidal missions hoping to receive a pardon. I had an incredible time with the first two books in this series, 13th Legion and Kill Team, and I loved the intense action, compelling characters and insane scenarios. I am hoping to get the rest of the series in 2024 and I cannot wait to see what chaos the Last Chancers cause next.
Eisenhorn Trilogy by Dan Abnett – 2001-2002
Another major Warhammer 40,000 series from Dan Abnett that I finally got around to reading this year is the iconic Eisenhorn trilogy. Made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, the Eisenhorn books follow the titular Inquisitor Eisenhorn as he faces off against dangerous aliens and the forces of Chaos seeking to destroy humanity from within. All three books in this trilogy are so damn good, and I love how they showed an interesting progression of internal corruption as the principled Eisenhorn begins to use darker methods to fight his war, even using the tainted weapons of his enemy. An outstanding series that all Warhammer 40,000 fans need to read, I cannot recommend these books enough and this trilogy is a worthy entry for this list.
Giantslayer by William King – 2003
While I mostly read the science fiction focussed Warhammer 40,000 books this year, I also dove back into the Warhammer Fantasy universe as well with another cool Gotrek and Felix book, Giantslayer. Following a doomed dwarf slayer and his human companion as they battle through a mysterious magical island, Giantslayer was a pretty fun entry to this already great series and I loved seeing these fantastic characters again. Giantslayer marked William King’s last entry on this long running series and I look forward to seeing how the series evolved under Nathan Long when I read the next book, Orcslayer.
For the Emperor and Caves of Ice by Sandy Mitchell – 2003-2004
One of the more distinctive and beloved Warhammer 40,000 series is the fun Ciaphas Cain books by Sandy Mitchell. Following a famous and heroic Imperial Commissar who is actually a massive coward, the Ciaphas Cain books are often more comedy than serious action, as Cain tries to do everything he can to avoid danger, only to be thrust into the middle of the battle against his will. I have been meaning to dive into this series for a while and I finally got the chance to read the first two books in the series, For the Emperor and Caves of Ice this year. Both are amazing reads and I really have to highlight their outstanding audiobook formats that feature three outstanding narrators. Some of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books out there, the Ciaphas Cain books live up to all the hype around them and I cannot wait to read more of them in the future.
Blood Angels: Deus Encarmine by James Swallow – 2004
A powerful and exciting read that sees members of the iconic Blood Angels chapter of Space Marines, fall under the sway of a new champion of their order. However, not everything is as it seems, and one Blood Angel seeks to find the truth before war and zealotry destroys him.
Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier – 2005
A fantastic, dark and compelling Warhammer 40,000 novel that pits an ostracised psychic against the personification of fear in a Night Lords Space Marine in a desolate and decaying city. Lord of the Night was an outstanding piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that I am planning to review fully in my next upcoming Throwback Thursday post. Highly recommended.
Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher – 2006-2012
Ok, so I’m kind of going a bit overboard with this entry as I’m actually covering six different books here. Readers of this blog will be aware I have been having fun getting through the awesome Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher over the last couple of years, and it has been a pretty epic experience. I really picked up my Dresden Files game in 2023 as I ended up listening to six books, including Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Night, Small Favour, Turn Coat, Changes and Ghost Story. All six were exceptional five-star reads and would have taken up a spot on this list each if I hadn’t combined them into one entry here. I had such a brilliant time with these Dresden Files novels in 2023 and Butcher tells some elaborate, entertaining and emotionally charged tales in this iconic urban fantasy series. I am hoping to finish it off in the new year, but before I do make sure to check out the linked reviews for books 7-13 above.
Mr Mercedes by Stephen King – 2014
In anticipation for the release of the new Stephen King novel, Holly (which is going to top a bunch of my end-of-year best of lists), I went back and read the book she was introduced in, Mr Mercedes. A slick, powerful and intense thriller, Mr Mercedes was an absolute riot, with complicated characters, unique crimes and one of the best games of cat-and-mouse you are likely to see. An outstanding read from one of the best authors of all-time, this is such a highly recommended read, especially if you loved King’s latest book.
Kingsblade by Andy Clark – 2017
I had to include the action-packed extravaganza that was Kingsblade on this list. Written by the highly talented Andy Clark (who impressed me last year with Steel Tread), Kingsblade is a great Warhammer 40,000 novel loaded with explosions, battles and war. Focussing on the legendary Imperial Knights, nobles who fight in deadly mecha, Kingsblade is set in the middle of a brutal war where a newly crowned king must contend with the very worst of treachery. A particularly exciting book, Kingsblade was so much fun and I’m glad I got to check it out this year.
Flesh and Steel by Guy Haley – 2020
A cool Warhammer 40,000 sub-series I had an excellent time exploring in 2023 was the Warhammer Crime series of books. Set in a massive and corrupt city, the Warhammer Crime books each recount a unique criminal investigation that could only take place in that sort of setting. Flesh and Steel was a great example of this, as it featured a distinctive buddy-cop storyline with a disinherited heir and a machine priest teaming up to work out why lobotomised machine/human hybrids are suddenly killing people. A fantastic and impressive novel that is really worth checking out.
The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath – 2020
One of the absolute best Warhammer 40,000 novels I enjoyed in 2023 was The Infinite and the Divine. Focussing on two eternal rivals as they plot and scheme across the millennia to obtain a rare artifact, The Infinite and the Divine is a brilliant read that gets funnier and funnier with each passing scene. Watching two typically taciturn and serious immortals devolve into petty children as the rivalry continues is so damn good, and Rath builds such an outstanding story around it. I loved this book so much and it got a full five-star rating from me.
Sepulturum by Nick Kyme – 2020
Another fun and gruesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Sepulturum is part of the Warhammer Horror range and is set in a dying city overrun by zombies. Scary, fast-paced, and filled with some interesting twists, Sepulturum is a great read for those after an exciting horror story in the Warhammer universe.
Bloodlines by Chris Wraight – 2020
Probably one of the most impressive Warhammer Crime books I read all year was the outstanding and elaborate Bloodlines by Chris Wraight. Featuring a much more standard crime fiction storyline about gangs, illicit dealings and missing heirs, Bloodlines was a fascinating book that still made great use of its impressive setting. The main crime fiction storyline, combined with the tired protagonist and the unique crime, really resonated with me and I loved how well a classic cop story could come across in this setting. This book desperately needs a sequel and I hope we see more books from Chris Wraight soon.
The Sandman: Act II by Neil Gaiman – 2021
I managed to finish off the second audiobook adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s epic comic The Sandman this year. Featuring two impressive central storylines, as well as multiple intriguing standalone tales, Act II of The Sandman continues to tell the complex and dark tale of Morpheus, the personification of dreams, as he faces off against dangerous threats and elaborate games from other immortals. Complex, highly inventive and featuring an outstanding voicecast, this epic audiobook is such an amazing way to enjoy this excellent comic and I cannot recommend it enough.
Grim Repast by Marc Collins – 2021
The final Warhammer Crime novels I want to highlight on this list is the outstanding read, Grim Repast. A grim and dark novel that leans heavily into the noir traditions, Grim Repast is a particularly bleak read that sees an ostracised detective try to solve a series of murders connected to a corrupt company. This was one of the more memorable and chilling Warhammer 40,000 books I have had the pleasure of reading, and it really encouraged me to check out the other Warhammer Crime entries on this list.
The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston – 2021
After falling in love with Johnston’s first two novels, The Traitor God and God of Broken Things, I have been hoping to read his next dark fantasy novel, The Maleficent Seven, since it came out in 2021. I finally got the chance to read it while away on holiday and boy was I missing out. Pitting seven monstrous former comrades against a dangerous army of religious fanatics in a deadly siege scenario, The Maleficent Seven was an intense and action-packed read that I had such a hard time putting down. I really regret not reading this book sooner and I will try to get a proper review up for it soon.
Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 2022
One of the things I most regretted not reading in 2022 was the cool novella Ogres. Written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, an author I am growing to love more and more each year, Ogres was an intriguing sounding read that many people gushed about when it first came out. I ended up listening to the audiobook version of Ogres in advance of reading a more recent Tchaikovsky novel, City of Last Chances, and it turned out to be such a clever read. Set in a world where ogres rule, Ogres was a captivating tale of revolution and deceit, with some excellent social commentary included. One of the more unique stories I read all year, this was everything I hoped it would be and more.
Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans – 2022
A cool and unique fantasy novel from last year, Notorious Sorcerer had been on my to-read list for a while and I finally got the chance this year while on holiday. Featuring a great story with a complex magical system, Notorious Sorcerer was a fine book and I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.
Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham – 2022
The final pre-2023 book I want to highlight on this list is the outstanding fantasy read, Age of Ash by one half of the team behind The Expanse, Daniel Abraham. Set in an elaborate fantasy city loaded with secrets and lies, Age of Ash follows several complex protagonists as they try to survive the chaos following the sudden ascension of a new ruler. I had a great time with this book, and I’m hoping to check out the next entry soon, especially as it apparently has a compelling, multi-layered story that ties into the first book in a unique way.
And that is the end of this list. As you can see, I have managed to read a huge number of epic pre-2023 releases this year. Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend them, especially if you are in the mood for some fun fantasy or science fiction adventures. I look forward to reading some other older books in 2024, and it will be interesting to see what makes my next version of this list then. I imagine it will end up looking a little similar, especially as I have plans to finish off the Dresden Files, as well as examining some other outstanding Warhammer novels. Make sure to check back in next week for some other end-of-year lists as I continue to highlight some of my favourite reads from 2023.
Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2023-24 To-Be-Read (TBR) List
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week looked at books set in specific location or period of the blogger’s choice. However, as I’m mucking around with my Top Ten List schedule, I actually did this list last week when I covered my favourite books set in the Roman Empire. As a result, I have a topic free this week and as we are just about to enter Summer (Winter for those up in the Norther Hemisphere) I decided to move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to-be-read (TBR) for the following three months. This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I honestly should have pulled this together a couple of weeks ago.
For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 December 2023 and 29 February 2024. There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of the top books from each respective year. Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads. I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best reads of their respective years.
Honourable Mentions:
Midnight by Amy McCulloch – 2 January 2024
A cool science fiction mystery that I’m keen to sink my teeth into.
The Burning Land by David Hair – 1 February 2024
The compelling start to a new fantasy series.
The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green – 6 February 2024
A fun sounding horror book that parodies reality television.
Top Ten List (by release date):
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 7 December 2023
Let us start this list off with a book I actually started reading today, House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A dark and complex fantasy novel that follows the deranged inhabitants of an experimental magical healing unit in a hostile army, House of Open Wounds is the sequel to Tchaikovsky’s City of Last Chances, which is one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023. I’m currently around 150 pages into House of Open Wounds and I am loving the complex, multi-character narrative that sees a huge cast of distinctive and troubled figures attempt to survive in a cruel world. Featuring a brilliant story and Tchaikovsky’s trademark inventive setting, House of Open Wounds is an amazing read and one I look forward to reviewing in the coming weeks.
The Ascent by Adam Plantinga – 2 January 2024
A fun and action-packed debut thriller that will see a former cop attempt to survive a rioting prison filled with deadly convicts. The Ascent is going to be a very entertaining book and I am sure I will have a blast getting through it.
Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont – 3 January 2024
An awesome book coming out very early in 2024 is Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont. The sequel to one of my favourite debuts from 2021, The Frenchman, Dark Arena looks set to continue Beaumont’s compelling and detailed depiction of French espionage, this time hunting down a mysterious group of operators seeking to destabilise Europe.
Goodbye Girl by James Grippando – 9 January 2024
A fun upcoming legal thriller from a new-to-me author that will see a lawyer get dragged into a contentious case involving internet piracy, music contracts and bad romances. However, the case gets even more complicated when both the protagonist’s client, and the ex-husband suing her, are charged with the same murder. I love the sound of the amazing plot for the next upcoming book by James Grippando and Goodbye Girl should prove to be an excellent read.
The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2024
A series I have really grown to love reading at the start of each year is the amazing long-running Alex Delaware murder mystery series by Jonathan Kellerman. Following a psychiatrist and a detective who team up to solve unusual murders in L.A., the Alex Delaware books are really impressive pieces of crime fiction and I always get drawn into Kellerman’s amazing narratives such as those of The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History. The next book in the series, The Ghost Orchid, will see the protagonists investigate a double homicide of two wealthy lovers with troubled pasts. Sure to be a complicated mystery with loads of compelling suspects, I cannot wait to dive into The Ghost Orchid and it should be something special.
Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz – 13 February 2024
Gregg Hurwitz look set to continue his outstanding Orphan X series in early 2024 with the excellent sounding Lone Wolf. This series, which has featured awesome books like Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan, follows a fugitive government assassin codenamed Orphan X, who attempts to save people as a secretive vigilante. This latest book will see an emotionally compromised Orphan X go up against a mysterious billionaire and a deadly serial killer, which is sure to result in an outstanding story. I am very excited for this novel and it should turn out to be pretty awesome.
The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox – 13 February 2024
An intriguing new thriller from the winning team of the legendary James Patterson and Australian author Candice Fox. The sequel to one of their previous collaborations, The Murder Inn looks set to be an intense and quick paced book, loaded with intrigue and murder.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett – 13 February 2024
I had to feature the awesome upcoming fantasy novel The Tainted Cup by the always impressive Robert Jackson Bennett. The start of an intriguing new series from Bennett, The Tainted Cup will see an intriguing duo investigate a mysterious magical death, one that could change everything and doom their entire nation. The Tainted Cup sounds like a wonderful character driven fantasy book with a great murder mystery element to it, and Bennett has proven to be an exceptional author in the past. As such, I am very keen for The Tainted Cup, and I feel it has the potential to be one of the top fantasy books of 2024.
The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney – 20 February 2024
Perhaps the book I’m most excited for at the start of 2024 is The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney, which will serve as the 13th novel in his epic Gray Man series. I have had a blast with this series over the years, and previous novels like The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless, Sierra Six and Burner have all been exceptional reads, loaded with action, clever narratives and damaged characters. The Chaos Agent looks set to continue this trend with an intriguing new adventure which will force the protagonist to go up against old friends and new enemies as he tries to stop a plot involving artificial intelligence.
The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry – 20 February 2024
The final entry I want to highlight on this list is the fantastic upcoming thriller The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry. The latest book in Berry’s long-running Cotton Malone series (make sure to check out my reviews for previous entries like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom), The Atlas Maneuver will see the protagonist become involved in an insidious financial attack linked to looted Japanese war gold and a long-simmering war between the CIA and the world’s oldest bank. Sure to feature Berry’s trademark blend of an exciting and suspenseful modern thriller and fascinating historical secrets, I already know I am going to love The Atlas Maneuver and it is going to be so much fun.
Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. Each of the above should be extremely epic, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a few books to get through soon and they should all be pretty awesome.
WWW Wednesday – 22 November 2023
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson (Trade Paperback)
I started reading the awesome and hilarious new novel from Australian author Benjamin Stevenson, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect. The impressive sequel to Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect sees the hapless protagonist forced to solve murders at a mystery writers convention on a train where all the participants are suspects capable of getting away with murder. Compelling, unique and fun homage to the various murder mystery sub-genres, this is a great book and I am hoping to knock it off in the next few days.
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini (Audiobook)
I am started listening to the new Christopher Paolini novel, Murtagh, which I have been looking forward to for ages. The sequel to Paolini’s iconic Inheritance Cycle (a series I have a lot of love for), Murtagh follows the exploits of the damaged dragon rider Murtagh a year after being freed from the control of his evil lord. Murtagh was one of my most anticipated books for the second half of 2023 and it is proving to be an excellent novel, providing a compelling expansion to Paolini’s original awesome fantasy series.
What did you recently finish reading?
Warhammer 40,000: Creed: Ashes of Cadia by Jude Reid (Audiobook)
I managed to knock off the latest Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Creed: Ashes of Cadia by Jude Reid this week. Ashes of Cadia was an excellent and action-packed novel that focused on a damaged protagonist returning to her destroyed home planet. An excellent and compelling book, I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by K. J. Parker (Paperback)
A clever and hilarious fantasy novel that saw a talented battlefield looter get dragged into world-changing events against his will. Easily one of the most amusing novels of 2023, this book comes highly recommended.
What do you think you’ll read next?
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
If I get the chance in the next week I’ll probably start reading the next awesome novel from Adrian Tchaikovsky, House of Open Wounds. The amazing sounding sequel to Tchaikovsky’s epic and impressive City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds has an outstanding and elaborate plot idea behind it that I cannot wait to check out.
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 – Audiobooks I Need to Listen to by the end of 2023
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 week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were requested to list book titles that they thought would make great newspaper headlines. While this was a fun and unique sounding topic, it wasn’t one that I felt I could contribute to at this time, although I might come back to it in the future. So instead, I return to my favourite medium of enjoying literature and do another list about audiobooks. In particular, I take this opportunity to look at what remaining 2023 audiobooks I need to listen to before the end of the year.
2023 has been a pretty awesome year for fiction and I have already enjoyed several epic audiobooks which have really brought some elaborate stories to life (make sure to check out my list of top audiobooks from the first half of 2023). We now have just under two months left in 2023 and I still have a ton of epic audiobooks that I need to listen to before the year is out. So, to motivate me, I decided to come up with a list highlighting the top 2023 audiobooks I still need to listen to, including some major releases from this year.
To qualify for this list, an audiobook just needed to be released sometime in 2023. I decided to include a mixture of audiobooks I already have copies of, as well as a couple of 2023 audiobooks that still need to be released and which I need to make room in my listening schedule. I already knew somewhat in advance which main audiobooks I needed to include, but it was very satisfying and helpful to list it out like this. So let us see what made the cut.
Honourable Mentions:
Warhammer 40,000: Genefather by Guy Haley
An epic Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I really want to listen to, although I will probably try to get through Haley’s previous novel, The Great Work, first.
Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson
A fun Star Wars audiobook that focuses on an intriguing new villain.
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
A major and compelling fantasy novel I really wanted to read this year, hopefully I can try to listen to it at some point.
The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay
A great sounding thriller from an author I’ve been meaning to check out for a while.
Top Ten List:
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
Having just been released, Murtagh is the audiobook I am hoping to listen to next. The sequel to Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, Murtagh will follow a major morally grey supporting character as he embarks on his own quest. I loved Paolini’s original Inheritance Cycle and I cannot wait to explore his impressive fantasy world again, especially as they got Gerard Doyle back as narrator.
Slayers by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson
I am a massive fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series and I was very excited when I heard about the Slayer audio adventure. Written by the team of author Christopher Golden and actress Amber Benson, Slayers is a compelling audio sequel to the original series that features many members of the original cast, including James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter and Anthony Head. I am very excited to check this epic audio exclusive out and I am hoping to get into it soon.
Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker
One of the books that I most regret not reading so far in 2023 is the awesome new fantasy novel from R. J. Barker, Gods of the Wyrdwood. Barker has really impressed me with his previous series and I have been eager to dive into Gods of the Wyrdwood for a while, although I haven’t had a chance to do so yet. I am planning to grab an audiobook copy of Gods of the Wyrdwood in the next few weeks and try to enjoy it that way. I already know I am going to love this outstanding novel and it easily has the potential to be one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.
Warhammer 40,000: The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath
Out of all the Warhammer 40,000 books released in 2023, the one that has some of the most raw potential is the recently released novel, The Fall of Cadia. Written by the very talented Robert Rath (The Infinite and the Divine and Assassinorum: Kingmaker), The Fall of Cadia will follow one of the most infamous events in Warhammer 40,000 history, the destruction of the planet Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade. Set to feature a powerful and elaborate war story of epic proportions, The Fall of Cadia sounds like an outstanding book and I cannot wait to listen to this amazing tale unfold in its audio format.
Generation Ship by Michael Mammay
I’m in the mood for some compelling science fiction before the end of 2023 so I will try and listen to the new Michael Mammay novel, Generation Ship. Mammay has written some amazing science fiction thrillers in the past, including his epic Planetside series (Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside), and Generation Ship has a great standalone plot about an ill-fated journey to colonise a planet. I love the sound of this audiobook and I hope I get the chance to listen to it.
The 9th Man by Grant Blackwood and Steve Berry
Earlier this year I had an exceptional time listening to the new Cotton Malone novel by Steve Berry, The Last Kingdom, which was a pretty epic audiobook. As such, I was very excited when I saw that Berry had released a Cotton Malone spin-off novel, The 9th Man, which focuses on one of the series’ main supporting characters. Co-written by Grant Blackwood, The 9th Man sounds like an fantastic read, and I am hoping to get through another great history/thriller hybrid before 2023 ends.
Warhammer 40,000: Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons
Another awesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I’m hoping to listen to in 2023 is Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons. A sequel to his previous audiobook, Krieg, Dead Men Walking will pit the relentless soldiers of the Death Korps of Krieg against the metallic alien Necrons. Essentially a book about two fearless and unrelenting foes destroying each other, Dead Men Walking promises to be a particularly grim addition to the series and I for one am very excited for it.
Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
I had to include one of the most anticipated young adult science fiction novels of the year on this list with Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. The fourth and final book in Sanderson’s Skyward series, Defiant finishes off the elaborate adventure contained in Skyward, Starsight and Cytonic. Featuring warring aliens, compelling teenage protagonists, elaborate universes, and some of the best fighter pilot combat you are likely to read, this is an excellent series and I cannot wait to see how it ends.
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
After enjoying Tchaikovsky’s earlier 2023 fantasy novel, City of Last Chances, I am extremely eager to listen to the sequel, House of Open Wounds, which comes out in early December. Set to follow an outstanding protagonist as he takes place in a crazed military medical hospital with the most unusual healers, House of Open Wounds sound amazing and I cannot wait to check it out. While I would love to listen to House of Open Wounds on audiobook, I might be forced to read an electronic version of it instead, but I will see how I go. No matter what though, this should be an exceptional read.
Star Wars: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang
The final book on my list is the cool Star Wars: The High Republic novel, Cataclysm by Lydia King. I’ve been pretty slack with getting through Star Wars fiction lately and I really need to keep going with the High Republic series, which I have already invested a lot of time in. As such, I decided I needed to include the very early 2023 release, Cataclysm on my list. Cataclysm looks set to end the second phase of High Republic sub-series, and I am very eager to check it out, especially as it leads to the dark third and final phase of the series. I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to fit it into my audiobook listening schedule before the close of 2023, but I’ll try, especially as this sounds like an amazing novel.
Well that’s the end of my list. As you can see, there are still a ton of audiobooks I need to listen to in 2023, including some pretty major releases. Each of the above sound really awesome, and they all honestly have potential to be one of the top books or audiobooks of 2023. I really need to sit down and power through some of the above, and I cannot wait to find out just how awesome each of them is.
Book Haul/Vacation Books – 20 September 2023
I’ve had a good week for books, having been lucky enough to receive four amazing reads that I am particularly excited to read, including three novels that were amongst my most anticipated novels for 2023. While these four books are pretty damn awesome, I would usually wait to get a few more books before doing a Book Haul post. However, I’m heading out for vacation tomorrow so it’s going to be a while before I will be able to do a follow-up post. So instead, I’m going to list the four new releases I got, while also highlighting what books I am planning to take away on vacation with me.
Book Haul:
I was very happy to receive a copy of the new Stephen King book, Holly, which is set around a gruesome and complex mystery. I’ve actually already finished Holly off, and it is easily one of the best and most captivating noels of 2023. I am hoping to get a review up for Holly soon, but it comes very highly recommended to anyone interested in an exceptional read.
Prima Facie by Suzie Miller
The novel version of Suzie Miller’s play of the same name and an intriguing legal thriller.
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
I managed to get an early copy of House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky through Netgalley and I am very excited about it. The sequel to the exceptional City of Last Changes, House of Open Wounds has an amazing plot of a group of unusual and magic healers drafted in an unconventional medical unit. This book sounds so damn fun, and while I was hoping to enjoy House of Open Wounds on audiobook, I am very tempted to dive into this early copy.
Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath
Another great book from Netgalley, Kill Your Husbands is an excellent sounding murder mystery from one of my favourite Australian authors and the great sequel to his previous book, Kill Your Brother. I am very excited to check this book out and I know I am going to love all the clever twists and turns.
Travel Books:
I’m taking an interesting collection of books with me for the coming weeks. I’m hoping to get through a few novels that have been on my to-read list for a while so it should be an interesting couple of weeks.
The Noise by James Patterson and J. D. Barker
The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston
Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier
Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans
Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.
Waiting on Wednesday – House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For my latest Waiting on Wednesday I highlight a particularly awesome upcoming fantasy novel that is one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2023, House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
After years of accidently avoiding the works of legendary fantasy and science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky I have recently started getting into his novels and boy am I having fun with them. Tchaikovsky is an author who can create elaborate and vast new worlds and fill them with complex and conflicted characters who you can’t help but become attached to. His short novel Ogres was an excellent example of this, while his first foray in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, Day of Ascension, was one of the best Warhammer 40,000 books I have so far read. However, my favourite novel of Tchaikovsky has to be his outstanding book City of Last Chances.
City of Last Chances is an epic and captivating read that was one of the best books (and audiobooks) I enjoyed in the first half of 2023. Set in a complex and unique fantasy city occupied by a military force of perfection-seeking zealots, City of Last Chances was an entertaining and addictive read about revolution, religion, magic and bad choices that I could not get enough of. Following multiple loosely connected characters on the worst day of their lives, City of Last Chances was one of the cleverest and most distinctive fantasy novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This amazing novel got an easy five-star rating from me and it will probably end up topping my favourite novels and audiobooks lists of 2023 in a few months’ time. I cannot emphasise how much I loved City of Last Chances and it has made me a pretty massive fan of Tchaikovsky as a result.
As such, you can imagine how happy I was to discover that Tchaikovsky has a sequel to City of Last Chances coming out later this year. I have been hoping to highlight this sequel, House of Open Wounds, in a post for a while now and they just released the cover for it. House of Open Wounds, which is set for release in December 2023, will continue at least one of the stories featured in City of Last Chances as it follows a key protagonist on a new gruesome adventure.
Plot Synopsis:
City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world. As their legions scour the world of superstition with the bright flame of reason, so they deliver a mountain of ragged, holed and scorched flesh to the field hospital tents just behind the frontline.
Which is where Yasnic, one-time priest, healer and rebel, finds himself. Reprieved from the gallows and sent to war clutching a box of orphan Gods, he has been sequestered to a particularity unorthodox medical unit.
Led by ‘the Butcher’, an ogre of a man who’s a dab hand with a bone-saw and an alchemical tincture, the unit’s motley crew of conscripts, healers and orderlies are no strangers to the horrors of war. Their’s is an unspeakable trade: elbow-deep in gore they have a first-hand view of the suffering caused by flesh-rending monsters, arcane magical weaponry and embittered enemy soldiers.
Entrusted – for now – with saving lives deemed otherwise un-saveable, the field hospital’s crew face a precarious existence. Their work with unapproved magic, necromancy, demonology and Yansic’s thoroughly illicit Gods could lead to the unit being disbanded, arrested or worse.
Beset by enemies within and without, the last thing anyone needs is a miracle…
Ok, I am so damn excited for this outstanding book for quite a number of reasons. Not only does House of Open Wounds serve as a sequel to City of Last Chances and will further dive into the conquests of the Palleseen, a very unlikeable antagonistic group, but it will also continue the story of Yasnic, one of the best characters for City of Last Chances. Yasnic is a fantastic and entertaining figure who had such a brilliant character arc in his first appearance. The last priest and believer of a forgotten god, Yasnic was initially a bit of a pathetic figure, scraping through life while trying to follow the rules of a god only he can see. However, as City of Last Chances’ story unfolded, Yasnic manages to find a purpose in healing and soon recovers several other forgotten or deposed gods, giving them a new home and using them to help sick and injured people. Yasnic’s arc was really well done in the first book and I honestly thought Tchaikovsky had done all he could with him. However, I am also very happy that we get more of Yasnic in the future, and it will be interesting to see how Tchaikovsky expands on his character development and growth.
While Yasnic and the continuation of City of Last Chances is a major reason why I will be picking up House of Open Wounds, I am also very intrigued by the new storylines that Tchaikovsky is featuring in this sequel, especially around the unconventional medical unit. I absolutely love the idea of a crazed and unusual team of medical practitioners using all manner of illegal magic, gods and necromancy to heal people, and this kind of sounds like a fantasy version of M*A*S*H. I imagine Tchaikovsky will utilise a similar writing style as what he featured in City of Last Chances, which will allow the reader to follow all the unique figures in this camp as they go about their job and their own complex lives. This sounds like a really cool idea and I cannot wait to see what sort of compelling and fun storylines develop there, as well as the fantastic characters that emerge. Tchaikovsky has the great ability to combine humour and crazy situation with raw power and tragedy, so this should be an outstanding read that hits all the different emotional buttons.
I honestly am so damn excited for House of Open Wounds and I cannot wait to get more Adrian Tchaikovsky in my life. Tchaikovsky is such a talented author, and any continuation of the perfection that was City of Last Chances, is going to be good, especially when it focuses on crazy medical practitioners doing weird magic to save their patients. I have no doubt whatsoever that House of Open Wounds is going to be an exceptional read and it will probably top all my end of year best-of lists. This is going to be so damn awesome and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book in a few short months.
The Unseen Library 