I have just had a particularly awesome and amazing book day after receiving a massive parcel from Hachette Australia (see below):

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Inside in this big parcel was an impressive collection of current and upcoming releases, including several amazing books that I have been looking forward to for a very long time.

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As these books are likely to be some of the main reads I check out in the next few months, I thought I would take this opportunity to gloat about, I mean highlight, what I got and why they are so awesome.

Each of the following books are really amazing, and I cannot wait to see how each and every single one of them turns out.

The Honour of Rome by Simon Scarrow

The Honour of Rome Cover

The first of these new books is the awesome historical fiction read, The Honour of Rome by Simon Scarrow. This is the latest entry in Scarrow’s long-running Eagles of the Empire series, which chronicles the adventures of two Roman officers in a range of different conflicts (see my reviews for some of the other Eagles of the Empire novels, The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome and The Emperor’s Exile, as well as Scarrow’s other 2021 release, Blackout). This latest book has more of a historical crime fiction angle to it, with the protagonists facing off against gangsters in ancient London. I have already started this cool book and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

Cytonic Cover

Next, we have one of my most anticipated novels for 2021, Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson. Cytonic is the third novel in the epic Skyward series, a particularly awesome young adult science fiction series. The first two novels in this series, Skyward (one of the best books of 2018) and Starsight (one of the best books of 2019), were extremely awesome and I have no doubt that Cytonic is going to be another exceptional read.

Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey

Leviathan Falls Cover

I was also lucky enough to receive Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey, easily one of the biggest science fiction releases of the year. Leviathan Falls is the final book in the iconic Expanse series, and looks to wrap up this massive series. I had a lot of fun with the last few entries in this series (check out my review for Tiamat’s Wrath), and I am extremely curious to see how this exceptional series comes to an end.

All of us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

All of us Villains Cover

One of the more interesting novels I recently received was the cool sounding All of us Villains by the writing team of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. This intriguing novel features a magical battle royal between teenagers in a small town, and I am very curious to see how everything turns out.

Blindspace by Jeremy Szal

Blindspace Cover

The next book I want to highlight is the compelling science fiction epic, Blindspace by Australian author Jeremy Szal. This is the sequel to one of the best debuts of last year, Stormblood, which contained an amazing and elaborate narrative about an alien-based conspiracy on a giant space station. This next book, Blindspace, looks to continue the impressive story from Stormblood, and I look forward to seeing where Szal’s story goes next. This is a pretty massive book, so I am going to have to make a fair bit of room in my reading schedule to check it out, and I think it is going to be worth it.

The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart

The Bone Shard Emperor Cover

Another great sequel I have received is The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart. This fantastic novel is the intriguing sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter, a great debut from last year that featured a compelling fantasy realm and some unique magic. This sequel has a very interesting story to it and I cannot wait to see how everything unfolds.

The Judge’s List by John Grisham

The Judge's List Cover

I also received the latest book from crime fiction legend John Grisham, The Judge’s List. While I have not had the pleasure of reading any of Grisham’s works in the past, this one sounds very fun, as it features a serial killer who also happens to be a judge. I am sure that this is going to be an outstanding read and I cannot wait to check it out.

Galaxias by Stephen Baxter

Galaxias Cover

I was also lucky enough to grab a copy of the new Stephen Baxter science fiction novel, Galaxias. Galaxias is an awesome and fun sounding novel that tries to envision what would happen to the world if the sun suddenly went out. I love the fantastic concept contained in this book, and I think that Galaxias is going to be a pretty wild ride.

Warriors of God by Andrzej Sapkowski

Warriors of God Cover

One of the more unique books I recently received was the latest translated novel from fantasy legend Andrzej Sapkowski (of The Witcher fame), Warriors of God. Warriors of God is the second book in his Hussite trilogy, an interesting fantasy/historical fiction hybrid series, and it follows on from his 2020 release, The Tower of Fools. The first book in this series was really crazy and very entertaining, and I look forward to seeing what happens to Sapkowski’s unique protagonists next.

World’s Edge by David Hair

World's Edge Cover

The next book I received is the second entry in David Hair’s Tethered Citadel series, World’s Edge. This cool fantasy series follows a group of explorers who find themselves in all manner of trouble as they attempt to find a legendary source of magic. I rather enjoyed the first book in this series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Asterix and the Griffin by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad

Asterix and the Griffin Cover

The final read I received from Hachette was the latest Asterix comic, Asterix and the Griffin. I have been a big fan of this series since I was a kid, so I was pretty excited when I saw that the publisher had included a copy for me. This latest comic has a fun sounding story about the heroes journeying to Eastern Europe in search of a legendary monster, and I am sure that it will be a fun and amusing read.

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.

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday article, I am going to look at a fun novel containing a The Hunger Games inspired magical death tournament, with All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.

All of us Villains Cover

All of Us Villains is a deeply intriguing and fun sounding young adult fantasy novel that is currently set for release on 9 November 2021. This cool book, which has two awesome covers and a great synopsis already out, will be written by the compelling team of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. I have not previously read either of Foody or Herman’s works in the past, although both have some intriguing young adult fantasy series to their names, including Foody’s The Shadow Game series and Lynn’s The Devouring Gray novels. Despite my lack of experience with the authors, I have been deeply drawn to the cool synopsis below, and I think this book could be a rather fun read.

Synopsis:

First there was Hogwarts. Then there were the Hunger Games. Now there is The Blood Veil. Introducing a stunning new contemporary fantasy that will pit seven families against one another in a bid to be the masters of magic. It’s winner takes all.

You Fell In Love With The Victors of The Hunger Games.

Now Prepare To Meet The Villains Of The Blood Veil.

After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into the spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters alike flock to its spellshops and historic ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.

In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet–a chance to rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

I loved the outstanding story described above. The combination of a deadly fight to the death between young people and dark magic, which, if done right, has some amazing story potential. Add in a group of tourists and reporters now that the whole tournament is public, and you have got a unique and intriguing narrative that I am very keen to read. I think that All of Us Villains might turn out to be a major hit for 2021, and I look forward to seeing just how fun this dark, young adult fantasy novel turns out.

All of us Villains Cover 2