Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 17 March 2022.
Make sure to also check out my extended reviews for 36 Streets and A Great Hope.
Tag: Astrid Scholte
WWW Wednesday – 9 March 2022
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?
A Great Hope by Jessica Stanley (Trade Paperback)
I just started reading this intriguing Australian political drama novel, A Great Hope by debuting author Jessica Stanley. This compelling novel follows a political family in Australia following the death of their famous politician father. I have only made a little progress on this novel, but so far I am enjoying its fascinating story and interesting dive into Australian politics.
Sierra Six by Mark Greaney (Audiobook)
I also started the latest Mark Greaney Gray Man novel today, Sierra Six. This novel continues to tell the story of Court Gentry, the legendary assassin known as the Gray Man, and this latest entry dives back into his first mission for the CIA. I am only a short way into this book, but it is so far proving to be pretty awesome. Due to how cool the rest of the series (The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out and Relentless) have been, I am expecting great things from this book and I look forward to seeing all the carnage unfold.
What did you recently finish reading?
Her Perfect Twin by Sarah Bonner (Trade Paperback)
Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz (Audiobook)
League of Liars by Astrid Scholte (Paperback)
Warhammer 40,000: Krieg by Steve Lyons (Audiobook)
36 Streets by T. R. Napper (Paperback)
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
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 – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2022 (fantasy)
Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated fantasy novels coming out in the first half of 2022. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy novels into a second list due to all the awesome and impressive fantasy reads coming out extremely soon.
2022 is shaping up to be one of the absolute best years for fantasy books 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 excited for. This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels for some very talented authors. I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles. Indeed, the last three Waiting on Wednesday posts I have published have all highlighted some particularly epic upcoming fantasy novels. This, as well as some other recent novels I have talked about, made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be fantasy wise, hence this list.
Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2022 which I have some descent details about. I also excluded one of the top fantasy books of the year, A Practical Guide to Conquering the World by K. J. Parker, because I have already read it (spoiler alert, it is incredibly awesome and hilarious). Despite only being fantasy books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult. I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy reads of 2022. So let us see what made the cut.
Honourable Mentions:
Rise of the Mages by Scott Drakeford – 25 January 2022
An interesting start to a fun new series.
League of Liars by Astrid Scholte – 22 February 2022
A brilliant sounding young adult fantasy book with a great story about a magical prison break. I already have a copy of this book and I look forward to seeing what happens in it.
One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold – 26 April 2022
The third book from Australian author Luke Arnold that follows on from his fantastic first two novels, The Last Smile in Sunder City and Dead Man in a Ditch.
Engines of Empire by Richard S. Ford – 31 May 2022
This is a compelling and interesting fantasy novel that I think has a bit of potential. Focusing on a family of industrialists in a fantasy landscape, this sounds like a great start to an awesome new series, and I am very keen to read it. It looks like we have a bit of a later release date here in Australia, but hopefully I will get a chance to read it at some point this year.
Top Ten List:
The Starless Crown by James Rollins – 4 January 2022
The first book on this list is the impressive sounding The Starless Crown by James Rollins. Rollins, who is best known for his thrillers, is making an interesting jump back to fantasy with this novel and I like the cool and intriguing plot this book has.
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan – 22 February 2022
The next entry, The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan, is another awesome fantasy read with a great deal of potential. Set to combine legal thriller elements with a fantasy setting, I love the sound of this amazing sounding novel and it is already receiving some very positive reviews. I have a feeling that this is going to be one of the best books of the year and I can’t wait to check it out.
Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham – 22 February 2022
One half of the team behind The Expanse series (make sure to check out my review for the last book, Leviathan Falls), Daniel Abraham heads back to the fantasy genre with the epic Age of Ash. An interesting sounding novel filled with political intrigue and a murder mystery, I think this will be an amazing read and I cannot wait to check it out.
The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish – 5 April 2022
Bestselling fantasy author David Dalglish presents a cool and intriguing first novel in a new series with The Bladed Faith. This book follows a deposed prince who takes up a role of a legendary hero and assassin to avenge his parents and gets sucked into a deadly mission of vengeance. I love the sound of this outstanding read and I look forward to seeing how its fantastic story turns out. No cover yet unfortunately, but hopefully that will come out soon.
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne – 7 April 2022
After having one of the best books (and audiobooks) of 2021 with The Shadow of the Gods, fantasy author John Gwynne continues his brilliant Bloodsworn Saga with The Hunger of the Gods. This intense and action-packed series had an incredible introduction and I am extremely confident that The Hunger of the Gods will be an exceptional and excellent read, especially with that epic cover.
The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence – 26 April 2022
The always enjoyable Mark Lawrence continues his great Book of the Ice series with The Girl and the Moon. The previous two novels, The Girl and the Stars and The Girl and the Mountain have been extremely compelling and I cannot wait to see how this cool series continues.
Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry – 10 May 2022
One of my favourite thriller authors, Jonathan Maberry, is diving into the fantasy genre this year with Kagen the Damned. Set to be an intense and brutal revenge read, I really love the sound of Kagen the Damned and have no doubt it will be another exceptional five-star read.
Master of Furies by Raymond E. Feist – 9 June 2022
One of the best fantasy authors of all-time, the exceeding talented Raymond E. Feist, brings his fantastic Firemane Saga to an end with Master of Furies. Following on from King of Ashes and Queen of Storms, this should be an excellent read and I look forward to seeing how this trilogy concludes.
In the Shadow of Lighting by Brian McClellan – 21 June 2022
After wowing the world with his exceptional Powder Mage novels, Brian McClellan is returning with a brand-new series this year. The first book in this series, In the Shadow of Lighting, sounds like an excellent and captivating read and with the talented McClellan at the helm this will easily be one of the best books of the year.
The Martyr by Anthony Ryan – 28 June 2022
The final entry on this list is The Martyr, the follow up to Ryan’s epic 2021 novel, The Pariah. I had an amazing time reading the first book in this series and I already know I am going to deeply love The Martyr when it comes out later this year.
Well that’s the end of this second list. As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy books coming out the first half of this year. All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads. I honestly think that 2022 is going to be an outstanding year for fantasy, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year (I’m really hoping Joe Abercrombie, Jim Butcher and R. J. Barker all have new novels this year). I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy in 2022.
Book Haul – 7 December 2021
I have been having an absolutely fantastic couple of week for books, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, several of which I have been eagerly awaiting for some time. This includes an interesting collection of late 2021 book, as well as some releases from early 2022, all of which should make for fantastic reading. I am extremely keen to check out all of the books below (indeed, I have already gotten through a couple), and they should make for some amazing reads.
Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil by Timothy Zahn
I got this one a few weeks ago and I was very happy when I did. Timothy Zahn is the undisputed master of Star Wars extended fiction and his current Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy, which has so far consisted of Chaos Rising and Greater Good, has been a detailed and fun-filled series. As such, I have been really looking forward to the final entry, Lesser Evil, that highlights the exploits of the future Grand Admiral Thrawn amongst his own people. I have already read this book and it is pretty damn awesome, review to follow soon.
It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts
Another recent arrival I have already read is It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts. Shvarts, who did such a great job with his Royal Bastards series (check out my reviews of City of Bastards and War of the Bastards), once again presents a brilliant young adult fantasy novel. It Ends in Fire has an amazing story that follows a powerful Wizard and rebel as she infiltrates a nation’s premier magic school in order to burn it down from the inside. A fun and clever novel, I should have a review for it up tomorrow.
The Liar’s Knot by M. A. Carrick
Earlier this year fantastic new author M. A. Carrick (joint penname of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms) wowed me with her first novel, The Mask of Mirrors, which contained a bold story about a con woman drawn into preserving her city. I had a great time with this first book and I cannot wait to see what happens to the amazing characters and storylines next.
League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
I was also very excited when I received a copy of the latest novel from bestselling Australian author Astrid Scholte. This cool book has an awesome plot about a lawyer breaking several magically powered beings out a high security jail. I love the sound of this amazing novel and I cannot wait to see what happens within.
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
I also received the fantastic sound young adult fantasy novel Only a Monster by Vanessa Len. Set to be one of the best debuts of 2022, Only a Monster follows a young woman who discovers that her family are actually monsters from legend, and must attempt to defend herself from a dangerous monster hunter. I really like the sound of this cool read and I look forward to checking it out in the new year.
Resistance by Mara Timon
An intense and powerful historical fiction novel that follows the French Resistance during World War II. I look forward to seeing what thrilling and compelling story this awesome book contains and I am sure that I am going to love it.
Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor
Another interesting 2022 debut, Dirt Town is an upcoming Australian crime fiction/drama novel set in small town Australia. Dirt Town has a fantastic and deep sounding story about a missing girl and I am sure I am going to have a wonderful time reading this dramatic and powerful novel.
Exit .45 by Ben Sanders
I was very happy yesterday when I received this excellent sounding crime fiction novel, Exit .45 by Ben Sanders. It looks like Sanders will be bringing back his protagonist Marshall Grade for another exciting adventure, this time involving corrupt cops and deadly murders. I am very intrigued to read this novel and I already know I am going to love it.
All or Nothing by Ollie Ollerton
The final novel I received was the awesome thriller All or Nothing by former special forces operative Ollie Ollerton. This second book in the Alex Abbott series will take its protagonist on an exciting and dangerous infiltration mission. I look forward to reading this fantastic sounding novel and I reckon I will be in for a fast-paced and ultra-exciting time.
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 – League of Liars and Echoes and Empires
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 latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at two great sounding upcoming young adult fantasy novels that I think have a lot of potential and could be some great reads.
We only have a few months left in the year, so many reviewers are looking to 2022 when it comes to upcoming books. I am always on the look out for fun new series, so I was quite intrigued when I came across two fantastic sounding upcoming young adult fantasy novels that are set for release in the first few months of next year. Both these books sound really fun and have awesome sounding stories that focus on illegal magic in two very different ways.
The first of theses book is League of Liars by Astrid Scholte, a relatively new author who got a fair bit of attention with her two previous novels, Four Dead Queens and The Vanishing Deep. Her next novel is an intriguing fantasy thriller that follows four teens in a world where illegal users of extradimensional magic are arrested, tried, and sent to a maximum-security prison. Set for release on 22 February 2022, this book has a very awesome story to it which has really grabbed my attention.
Synopsis:
In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and How to Get Away with Murder.
Ever since his mother was killed, seventeen-year-old Cayder Broduck has had one goal–to see illegal users of magic brought to justice. People who carelessly use extradimensional magic for their own self-interest, without a care to the damage it does to society or those around them, deserve to be punished as far as Cayder is concerned. Because magic always has a price. So when Cayder lands a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice under a premier public defender, he takes it. If he can learn all the tricks of public defense, the better he’ll be able to dismantle defense arguments when he’s a prosecutor. Then he’ll finally be able to make sure justice is served.
But when he meets the three criminals he’s supposed to defend, it no longer seems so black and white. They’re teenagers, like him, and their stories are . . . complicated, like his. Vardean, the prison where Cayder’s new clients are incarcerated, also happens to be at the very heart of the horrible tear in the veil between their world and another dimension–where all magic comes from.
League of Liars is a dark and twisty mystery set in a richly-drawn world where nothing is as it seems, rife with magic, villains and danger.
Ok, so an inventive fantasy tale that features both legal drama and a magical prison break, I think you can count me in on this one. This is one of the more unique plot synopses that I have seen, and it is one that I found to be extremely intriguing. I love the idea of a world where magic has appeared and is heavily regulated and criminalised, and I have no doubt this will be a cool setting to check out. Everything in League of Liars sound really cool, and I have no doubt that I will have an amazing time getting through this book.
The other book I want to highlight is the fascinating sounding Echoes and Empires by bestselling author Morgan Rhodes. Rhodes, who has previously found great success with her Falling Kingdom series, has come up with another compelling book, which will also serve as the first novel in her Echoes and Empires series. With a release date in early January 2022, this book sounds extremely awesome with an excellent story to it.
Synopsis:
A snarky seventeen-year-old must team up with an enigmatic criminal to cure herself of dangerous forbidden magic in the first book of a new fantasy duology from Morgan Rhodes, the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series.
Josslyn Drake knows only three things about magic: it’s rare, illegal, and always deadly. So when she’s caught up in a robbery gone wrong at the Queen’s Gala and infected by a dangerous piece of magic—one that allows her to step into the memories of an infamously evil warlock—she finds herself living her worst nightmare. Joss needs the magic removed before it corrupts her soul and kills her. But in Ironport, the cost of doing magic is death, and seeking help might mean scheduling her own execution. There’s nobody she can trust.
Nobody, that is, except wanted criminal Jericho Nox, who offers her a deal: his help extracting the magic in exchange for the magic itself. And though she’s not thrilled to be working with a thief, especially one as infuriating (and infuriatingly handsome) as Jericho, Joss is desperate enough to accept.
But Jericho is nothing like Joss expects. The closer she grows with Jericho and the more she sees of the world outside her pampered life in the city, the more Joss begins to question the beliefs she’s always taken for granted—beliefs about right and wrong, about power and magic, and even about herself.
In an empire built on lies, the truth may be her greatest weapon.
This is another really cool sounding book that has a fantastic sounding plot loaded with potential and interesting features. Echoes and Empires is set in a more classic fantasy world where magic is illegal, I love the idea of someone being infected by magic and must try and find a way to get rid of it without alerting the authorities. Throw in a handsome roguish criminal and a newly gifted magical ability that is slowly turning her evil, thanks to the influence of infamous warlock, and you have the recipe for a really awesome read.
Both these young adult fantasy novels sounds extremely good and I love the captivating and impressive stories they contain. Both these books have a lot of potential and I cannot wait to see what unique and thrilling tales these two talented authors have come up with in these great upcoming books.
The Unseen Library 