Tag: Badlands

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite New-to-Me Authors I read in 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 Comment

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 was books set in a snowy place, which while interesting, is something I am putting aside for the moment as I want to continue with my end of year best-of lists, which I started last week when I looked at pre-2025 novels I read this year.  instead, this week I will be looking at new-to-me authors I discovered in 2025.  This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 versions), and it is one that I always have a lot of fun doing.

Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes books written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with.  2025 was a particularly good example of this as I powered through an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me.  Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional novels, including one or two which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2025 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the author had to be someone whose work I checked out for the first time in 2025.  All new-to-me authors were eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut authors as I am going to cover them in another list.  Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a ton of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 21 new authors in 2025.  After some hard work, I was able to whittle this down to a manageable top ten list, with my usual generous honourable mentions section.  I am really surprised at some of the impressive and enjoyable authors I had to exclude, and I was honestly tempted to increase this to a top twenty list.  I managed to resist and I think the below entry really highlights the absolute best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Adam Christopher – Star Wars: Master of Evil

A talented Star Wars author whose latest book has an interesting look at the newly created Darth Vader. I’m only a little way into Master of Evil now, else Christopher would have likely made the Top Ten list

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Matthew Farrer – Warhammer 40,000: Crossfire

An author of some classic Warhammer 40,000 novels, including the exciting early Warhammer crime fiction novel Crossfire. I’m hoping to read more from Farrer next year, especially as I have the two sequels to Crossfire siting on my shelf.

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Joe Hill – King Sorrow

Joe Hill is another new-to-me author I have to keep on the honourable mentions list as I’m only partway through his latest book, King Sorrow.  Still, I am really enjoying my first experience with Hill’s writing, and King Sorrow is shaping up to being one of the more compelling novels of 2025.

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Ryan North – Star Trek: Lower Decks

A fun author who is currently leading the Lower Decks comic series. I loved the first volume of this comic, and I’m hoping to read more soon.

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Top Ten List:

Matt Dinniman – Dungeon Crawler Carl series

Without a doubt the biggest new-to-me author in 2025 had to be Matt Dinniman, especially as I fell in love with his epic Dungeon Crawler Carl series.  A cool LitRPG series that sees the remnants of humanity forced to fight down multiple levels of a dungeon as a form of entertainment for the rest of the galaxy, the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is pretty damn exceptional, especially as it is loaded up with intense action, awesome mechanics, over-the-top humour, complex characters, and so many entertaining moments.  I ended up chain listening to the entire series this year, and all seven books in the series, including Dungeon Crawler Carl, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, The Gate of the Feral Gods, The Butcher’s Masquerade, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride and This Inevitable Ruin are exceptional five-star reads, and once you start reading this series, you won’t be able to stop.  Dinniman is an author I will be reading more of going forward, especially as he has two books coming out in 2026, with a new Dungeon Crawler Carl book, and his standalone novel Operation Bounce House.

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Lamar Giles – Star Wars: Sanctuary

I got back into Star Wars fiction in 2025 in a big way, with my favourite book so far (noting I have only made a little progress on Master of Evil) being Sanctuary by Lamar Giles.  Giles really impressed me with his first Star Wars novel, especially as Sanctuary was an entertaining addition to the Bad Batch animated series.  Following several of the titular clones on another bonkers adventure, Sanctuary was a great novel from Giles, and I loved his fantastic humour, amazing take on the established characters, and the outstanding new villains who were a highlight of the book.  I hope Giles writes more Star Wars fiction going forward, as his first full novel in the franchise was really incredible.

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Scott Mariani – The Pilgrim’s Revenge

I started reading veteran thriller author Scott Mariani this year, primarily because he started a cool historical fiction series this year, starting with The Pilgrim’s Revenge.  An exciting and detailed novel that followed a peasant who chases after King Richard’s crusade to get revenge of the men who killed his wife, The Pilgrim’s Revenge was an outstanding historical novel and a great introduction to Mariani’s writing.  I’ve already got a copy of the sequel to The Pilgrim’s Revenge, and I’m hoping to read it before the end of the year.

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Adam Plantinga – The Ascent

Another cool thriller author I read for the first time in 2025 was new writer Adam Plantinga, after I finally got the chance to read his debut from last year, The Ascent.  A gritty and bloody thriller that sees several entertaining characters attempt to escape through several levels of an out-of-control prison, The Ascent was an extremely exciting and gripping novel that I had an absolute blast with.  I’m keen to read more from Plantinga going forward, especially the sequel to The Ascent, Hard Town, and I cannot wait to see what he writes next.

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Jackson Ford – The Bone Raiders

I had the very great pleasure of reading my first book from Jackson Ford this year, with The Bone Raiders.  A fun author who has previously come up with some outstanding scenarios for his books, Ford is an author I have been meaning to read for a while, and there was no way I could avoid the awesome sounding The Bone Raiders.  Following a group of grassland warriors who attempt to defeat an invading army by taming giant fire-breathing lizards, The Bone Raiders was an amazing read that I got really hooked on.  I will be grabbing the sequel to The Bone Raiders, Sisters of the Lizard, next year, especially as it sounds just as crazy as the first book.

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Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – Badlands

For the next entry on this list, I am featuring the pairing of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.  While I have read something from Preston before, with last year’s exciting novel Extinction, 2025 was the first year that I read something written by both authors.  This long-running writing team’s new novel was awesome crime fiction novel Badlands, which saw the protagonists investigate several suspicious deaths linked by Native American artefacts each victim was holding. Part of Preston and Child’s Nora Kelly series, Badlands was a great read, and I loved the crazy ending and entertaining twists.

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Gabriel Bergmoser – High Rise

Gabriel Bergmoser provided all the Australian action I could need when I checked out his 2025 novel, High Rise.  An ultra-violent read that sees a former cop and his estranged daughter try to escape from a building full of killers and bounty hunters, High Rise was a very exciting read that I powered through extremely quickly.  I really loved this book, and Bergmoser is now an author I will be keeping a close eye on for new, cool novels.

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R. F. Kuang – Katabasis

I finally got around to reading something from R. F. Kuang, who has been on my to-read list for a while.  Kuang, who has written several very interesting previous books, presented one of the more unique fantasy novels of 2025 with Katabasis, an intriguing and complex book about two academics journey to Hell to recover their professor’s soul.  I really enjoyed this impressive and inventive novel, and Kuang really lived up to the hype around her intricate books.

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Edward Ashton – Mickey7

A fun road trip gave me my first experience of science fiction author Ashton Edward this year, as I read his entertaining novel, Mickey7.  A fun and clever novel about an inadvertent extra clone on a space exploration mission, Mickey7 has always sounded like an amazing read, and I was very glad I got the chance to read it this year.  An excellent and highly recommended novel that is worth checking out.

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Krysten Ritter (with Lindsay Jamieson) – Retreat

The final new to me author this year is actress Krysten Ritter, who presented her second novel Retreat.  A wonderful and compelling thriller about a con artist who takes over a client’s rich social life, only to encounter murder, plots and snobby neighbours, Retreat was a great read with some fun twists to it.  I ended up really enjoying this book from Ritter, and it will be interesting to see what other cool novels this actress/author will produce in the future.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list.  I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best new authors I checked out in 2025.  I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce more epic and incredible reads.  Make sure to let me know which new authors you enjoyed in 2025 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2025 list.

Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (Audiobook – 3 June 2025)

Series: Nora Kelly – Book Five

Length: 10 hours and 45 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for a crazy and highly entertaining crime fiction thriller as the superstar team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child continue their amazing work with the fantastic novel Badlands.

Last year I had the great pleasure of reading the awesome thriller Extinction by Douglas Preston. A cool novel that saw strange murders occur within a park filled with cloned prehistoric animals, Extinction proved to be a ton of fun, especially with some of the entertaining and over-the-top twists that Preston threw into it.  As such, I was keen to read more from Preston going forward, and I decided to see what other books he wrote.  Naturally that took me into the orbit of his partnership with fellow thriller author Lincoln Child.  Together, the two have written an insane number of unique crime fiction reads, often featuring an exciting science fiction twist, including big series like their Agent Pendergast novels and Gideon Crew series.  Due to how fun this partnership sounded, I decided to try out one of the pair’s newer works, with their 2025 release, Badlands.  The fifth book in their Nora Kelly series, Badlands had a really interesting plot behind it, which panned out into an exciting and captivating read.

Plot Synopsis:

In the New Mexico badlands, the skeleton of a woman is found—and the case is assigned to FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. The victim walked into the desert, shedding clothes as she went, and then died in agony of heatstroke and thirst. Two rare artifacts are found clutched in her bony hands—lightning stones used by the ancient Chaco people to summon the gods.

Is it suicide or… sacrifice?

Agent Swanson brings in archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate. When a second body is found—exactly like the other—the two realize the case runs deeper than they imagined. As Corrie and Nora pursue their investigation into remote canyons, haunted ruins, and long-lost rituals, they find themselves confronting a dark power that, disturbed from its long slumber, threatens to exact an unspeakable price.

Badlands proved to be a very entertaining novel from Preston and Child that I had an outstanding time getting through.  Featuring a compelling and twisty mystery that went in some very fun directions, Badlands was an exciting and well-written read that was hard to put down, especially when the authors decided to make things a little crazy and over-the-top.

This new Nora Kelly book starts off strong and fast, bringing the protagonists into the case and setting them onto the course of a strange series of deaths throughout New Mexico desert.  Primarily focused on FBI agent Corrie Swanson, archaeologist Nora Kelly, and Nora’s brother, who goes off on his own side quest with a rich collector, the plot soon takes shape rather nicely, especially with the case clearly tied around the mysterious artefacts the victims were holding.  Preston and Child soon set up quite a compelling mystery that forces the protagonists to dive into ancient Native American myth, unhealthy academic relationships and other dark secrets, all to uncover why several young women are committing suicide out in the desert.

The plot moves along at a mostly smooth pace, minus one or two unnecessary shortcuts, and it proved fun to have Corrie examine the criminal aspect of the case while Nora dove into the myths and history that seemed to dominate the deaths.  It all leads up to an outstanding final third, with the main storylines all coming together in an intense, expanded sequence, where the protagonists are forced to confront the people responsible for the mystery in a dark and violent way.  While certain twists about the main antagonist and the method needed to save the day are well telegraphed, Preston and Child overcome this by making things as crazy as possible, and the sheer tension the authors manage to generate here is very impressive.  I particularly loved the ending of Badlands, which nicely blended the crime fiction and more occult elements of the story together in a cleverly ambiguous way that leaves you wondering about what exactly happened well after you finish the book.

Preston and Child pulled together an outstanding novel in Badlands, and I enjoyed how their combined writing brought this entertaining story together.  The plot of Badlands itself is quite fast-paced and exciting, as the primarily investigative narrative follows much of the classic crime fiction conventions.  However, the authors do an outstanding job of twisting the story around, with a compelling focus on Native American history and archaeology, as well as some very amusing depictions of academic relationships.  Preston and Child’s love of history and archaeology is quite evident throughout the course of Badlands, and I loved how the various myths and sites of the past played into the modern crime fiction narrative.  Combine that with the vivid depictions of the New Mexico badlands as a major setting, which is loaded with hoodoos, rock spires, and other ancient secrets, and Badlands has a very distinctive feel to it that Preston and Child use to enhance the story and give it some entertaining and over-the-top tweaks.

While part of a larger series, Badlands works extremely well as a standalone novel, and new readers can come into this Nora Kelly book really easily thanks to the author’s open style.  Indeed, I personally was able to slip into this series quite easily, and there wasn’t a single second that I felt I was missing out on key plot or character details from not having read the previous books.  Each of the key recurring characters is expertly re-introduced in this new novel, and it honestly doesn’t take you too long to fully appreciate their respective storylines and the role they play in the book.  As such, I feel that Badlands is a book that will appeal equally to new readers looking for an unusual thriller as well as established fans of either author, who are curious to see how their new novel turned out.

I ended up grabbing the audiobook version of Badlands, which I felt was an excellent format that added a lot to the reading experience.  Coming in with a runtime of just under 11 hours, Badlands was a relatively quick audiobook to get through, and I liked how well the entertaining story was read out.  Narrated by Cynthia Farrell, a veteran audiobook narrator with a lot of experience in the thriller space, this format of Badlands moves at a quick pace, and listeners are easily able to absorb the unique narrative and all it’s cool details.  Farrell excels at showcasing all the key parts of the plot, from the intense action scenes, the dramatic investigation sequences, and even a few moments that are supernatural in nature, and I really enjoyed how easily I got drawn into this compelling audiobook.  There are also some great voices for the various characters featured throughout Badlands, and Farrell ensured that each character got their own, unique and fitting voice, that allowed the listener to relate to them.  This ended up being a great audiobook, and I think I will utilise this format going forward with Preston and Child’s work, especially if I decide to read more Nora Kelly novels.

With some unique twists and turns and a truly crazy ending, Badlands was an outstanding novel that I had a brilliant time with.  I ended up being really impressed with the cool team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, and their new Nora Kelly book was a fun novel with some fantastic moments behind it.  A highly recommended read and one of the more distinctive thrillers of 2025.

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List12 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature 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 their favourite books that take place in a setting of their choosing.  While this is an interesting idea, and one I might come back to later, I’m instead going to continue my recent trend of discussing books from the first half of the year and highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2025.  This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a couple of weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2025.

I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books.  Each year I enjoy a great number of different audiobooks and use the format to enjoy both recent releases and older novels.  I have long been a major fan of audiobooks, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment.  A great audiobook can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in.  In addition, other features, such as captivating voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of the format I have enjoyed throughout my life.  This year alone I have listened to a ton of outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2025.  Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.

To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2025 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites.  It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a large collection of potential additions to this list, which I was eventually able to whittle it down to the best ten audiobooks.  There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2025 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile.  I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration.  This includes whether the audiobook has outstanding narration or uses music and sound effects to enhance the plot.  Keeping these criteria in mind, I came up with the following strong Top Ten List and associated Honourable Mentions, and all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that come very highly recommended by this blog.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000: Fulgrim: The Perfect Son, written by Jude Reid and narrated by Andrew James Spooner

An excellent and intense Warhammer 40,000 novel perfectly brought to life by narrator Andrew James Spooner.

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Grave Danger, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis

James Grippando continues his fantastic Jack Swyteck legal thriller series, with the audiobook well presented by the always impressive Jonathan Davis

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Badlands, written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and narrated by Cynthia Farrell

Cynthia Farrell ensures this new dark thriller from the legendary team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child really shines with her outstanding narration.

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Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar, written by Rob Young and narrated by David Seddon

A short, but very sweet Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that really pops when read out.

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Top Ten List:

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

Let’s start this list off with one of my top books and audiobooks of the year, The Devils by the master of grim dark fantasy fiction, Joe Abercrombie.  An incredible and highly entertaining novel that sees a group of monsters attempt to place a street thief on the throne of Troy in a clever, alternate medieval Europe setting, The Devils was a particularly fun, bloody and compelling novel I couldn’t get enough of, especially on audiobook.  Thanks to one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Steven Pacey, The Devils was so much fun to listen to as Pacey perfectly embodied the entire crazy cast of this book.  Highly recommended, you are in for an epic time listening to The Devils.

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

Unsurprisingly to anyone who knows me, I have a Warhammer 40,000 audiobook on this list with Interceptor City.  The long-awaited sequel to Dan Abnett’s classic novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City was a gritty and enthralling science fiction war story that saw fighter pilots battle it out amongst the massive ruins of a fallen Hive City.  A powerful and action-packed novel, Interceptor City becomes even more epic when read out by long-time Warhammer narrator Toby Longworth, who expertly showcases the intense, claustrophobic aeronautic combat sequences.  I honestly could have listened to another 20 hours of Interceptor City, and there is no better way to enjoy this epic read.

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

The dream team of Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter continues to produce incredible audiobooks, this time with the gripping thriller Burn to Shine.  The fourth book in Maberry’s Rogue Team International series (Rage, Relentless and Cave 13), Burn to Shine was another exciting read that pitted the protagonists against high-tech and supernatural threats from their past.  Maberry writes an excellent story for this book, and Ray Porter once again effortlessly brings the complex characters and dark tone to life with his narration.  A deeply impressive listen from two amazing creatives.

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

One of the more impressive audiobooks I listened to in 2025 was the new Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping.  Suzanne Collins cleverly revisited her iconic world with a fantastic prequel novel focused around one of her best characters Haymitch Abernathy.  This amazing book really hit the readers hard, and I found myself enjoying it even more thanks to the impressive audiobook narration of actor Jefferson White.  White proved to be a perfect narrator for a young Haymitch, and I got deeply engrossed in this audiobook thanks to his fantastic voice work. An exceptional audiobook guaranteed to break your heart.

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Midnight Black, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

The latest Gray Man audiobook from Mark Greaney proved to be an exceptional piece of entertainment for a long road trip, and I really got engrossed in this gripping thriller while driving around the United States.  Once again narrated by Jay Snyder, Midnight Black’s compelling tale of desperation and imprisonment proved to be particularly addictive and constantly exciting, and I couldn’t stop listening to this book at times as I waited to see how everything came together.  An impressive new audiobook entry in one of my favourite spy thriller series.

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Four Ruined Realms, written by Mai Corland and narrated by various

One of the first audiobooks of 2025 I listened to this year was the awesome fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms.  The sequel to Mai Corland’s 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms had a great story that sent the author’s lethal protagonists to an enemy nation to complete a desperate heist mission, with everything and everyone they love on the line.  Not only was this a great fantasy story, but the Four Ruined Realms audiobook once again came across as an incredible listen thanks to it’s six outstanding narrators.  Jaine Ye, Sophie Oda, Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Roger Yeh and Donald Chang each excelled at narrating the perspective chapters of one of the book’s protagonists, and I like their unique take on each of the characters.  Thanks to these six talented narrators, Four Ruined Realms was a real joy to listen to, and this proved to be a great second entry in the Broken Blades series.  I’m planning to listen to the recently released third and final book in the trilogy, Three Shattered Souls, on audiobook soon and it’s going to be an outstanding listen, even with one of the narrators stepping away after the tragic ending to Four Ruined Realms.

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Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear, written by Alexander Freed and narrated by January Lavoy

This year Alexander Freed presented the start of a cool new Star Wars trilogy that aimed to show the early days of Emperor Palpatine’s rule and the steps that would lead some key figures to rebellion.  The first book in this trilogy, The Mask of Fear, was a compelling and complex read that examined politics and lies in the Star Wars universe.  Thanks to the narration of January Lavoy, as well as the cool music and sound effects Star Wars audiobooks are known for, The Mask of Fear proved to a particularly impactful listen, and there is really no better way to enjoy this novel.

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

Stephen King continues to impress in 2025 with his new and particularly powerful thriller, Never Flinch.  Bringing back one of his more unique protagonists, Holly Gibney, Never Flinch was a dark and captivating novel of obsession, addiction and murder, that frankly was impossible to stop listening to.  Narrator Jessie Mueller was particularly impressive, and I love her outstanding take on the story, as well as her excellent character voices.  Easily one of the best books of 2025 that really comes to life on audiobook.

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Open Season, written by Jonathan Kellerman and narrated by John Rubinstein

Another great murder mystery I was lucky enough to enjoy on audiobook this year was Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman.  The 40th book in Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series, Open Season was an outstanding and powerful novel that saw the team of a skilled psychologist and a veteran detective hunt a dangerous killer with a sinister motive.  I really enjoyed the awesome audiobook of Open Season, which I powered through on a plane ride, and frankly I couldn’t stop listening to this book at times.  Long-time Alex Delaware narrator John Rubinstein was once again amazing in Open Season, and I love his fantastic take on all the characters, including the main detective.  Thrilling, exciting and very clever, Open Season was a great audiobook that comes highly recommended.

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

The final audiobook I want to highlight on this list is Days of Shattered Faith, which I enjoyed early in the year.  The third book in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosopher series, Days of Shattered Faith continued to explore the author’s unique fantasy world where a dangerous empire of perfection-seeking fanatics conquers everything through various despicable, and often repurposed, means.  This latest book was an incredible novel of diplomacy, clashing cultures and subtle wars, and I loved the varied storylines explored within.  Narrator David Thorpe does an excellent job bringing this varied cast to life, while also capturing Tchaikovsky’s unique tone, and the result was a truly awesome listen that I deeply enjoyed.  A wonderful new audiobook entry in one of Tchaikovsky’s best series.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, there have been some very good audiobooks out in the first half of 2025.  It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2025 audiobooks currently sitting on my phone, waiting to be listened to.  While I get to that, make sure to let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2025 so far are in the comments below.

WWW Wednesday – 16 July 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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

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

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge (Trade Paperback)

I’ve decided to read some young adult fiction this next week and so I’ve just started checking out the interesting Of Flame and Fury. The debut novel of Australian author Mikayla Bridge, Of Flame and Fury is a very fun sounding fantasy novel about phoenix racing.  Sure to be a fiery read, I’m hoping to get through Of Flame and Fury in the next couple of days.

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Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Audiobook)

I was in the mood for something a little different this week, so I ended up finally reading Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, a book that I have heard a lot of awesome things about.  Unsurprisingly considering my obvious obsession for weird and wacky books, I am absolutely loving Dungeon Crawler Carl, and I am currently powering through the audiobook version of it.  I’m actually hoping to finish it off today, and I cannot wait to write something about this hilarious and amazing read.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Grave Danger by James Grippando (Audiobook)

A great legal thriller from an impressive and talented long-running author.

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Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch (ebook)

I got through the cool new Rivers of London novel, Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch in the last week and it was a very outstanding addition to an epic series.

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Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers (Audiobook)

One of the funniest Warhammer novels I have read all year, Denny Flowers continues to impress and I’m hoping to write something for this soon.

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Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Audiobook)

An intriguing and memorable thriller from two legendary authors.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe

The next book that I am planning to read is the outstanding new novel from Tess Sharpe, No Boby No Crime. Following two young women who are forced to deal with the consequences of a murder they committed as teenagers, No Body No Crime sounds particularly awesome, and I look forward to unwinding it’s twisty and clever narrative. Sharpe has really impressed me in the past with books like The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, so I already know this is going to be a particularly epic read.

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

Book Haul – 30 June 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from local publishers and Netgalley.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year.  I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.

Never Flinch by Stephen King

First up I have to feature the cool new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch.  A particularly epic crime fiction read that brings back one of King’s best protagonists, I’ve already had the pleasure of reading Never Flinch and it was so damn good.  Review to hopefully follow soon.

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Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland

Another cool book I have recently received was an early copy of Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland.  The final book in the author’s Broken Blades trilogy, Three Shattered Souls will continue to follow a small band of desperate killers as they try to save the world and kill a tyrant.  I have had so much fun with the previous novels in this series, Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms, and I cannot wait to see how Corland wraps up the trilogy.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry

I was very happy to receive an early copy of Jonathan Maberry’s epic dark science fiction novel, Cold War. The sequel to his brutal 2024 novel, NecroTek, Cold War will see several groups of scientists fight back against ancient cosmic monsters in a war to save humanity out in the stars. Sure to be an intense and complex read, I am really excited for Cold War and it should be an impressive sequel.

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Grave Danger by James Grippando

Next up we have the outstanding legal thriller, Grave Danger by James Grippando.  The latest book in the author’s Jack Swyteck series, Grave Danger sees lawyer protagonist Jack Swyteck fight to keep a mother and daughter together despite massive political and legal hurdles.  An outstanding new entry in a very compelling series, I am actually listening to Grave Danger right now and it is proving to be an amazing and highly recommended read.

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Valour by Richard Cullen

One of the more entertaining new books I have received is the upcoming Richard Cullen novel, Valour. The third book in the author’s Chronicle of the Black Lion series (which previously featured Rebellion and Crusade), Valour will see the book’s knight protagonist lead a desperate rescue mission to save captured missionaries from a band of pagans.  I am really intrigued by this new entry in the series, especially as it has a very different plot to the war-heavy previous novels, and I look forward to seeing how crazy things get here.

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The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis

One of the more interesting sequels of 2025 for me is the impressive sounding novel The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis. The sequel to Petraitis’ outstanding book, The Unbelieved, The Stolen will see the series’ detective protagonist try to save a missing baby, while also dealing with the dark secrets of her new small-town home.  Likely to be a particularly dark piece of Australian crime fiction, The Stolen sounds really captivating and I cannot wait to read it.

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Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

An exciting and crazy thriller from the legendary team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Badlands looks set to be an amazing read as the protagonists investigate a series of bizarre murders tied into ancient artefacts.

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Liar’s Game by Jack Beaumont

I’ve just gotten my hands on one of the more intriguing spy thriller books of 2025, Liar’s Game by Jack Beaumont.  Following on from the author’s previous novels, The Frenchman and Dark Arena, Liar’s Game will follow a member of French intelligence who finds himself burned by his own government and must try to survive the forces coming after him.  Sure to be a detailed and highly addictive read, Liar’s Game is very high up on my to-read list, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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The Writers’ Retreat by Samantha Vérant

An interesting and no doubt meta novel about mystery writers getting caught up in a dark thriller plot in an isolated cabin.

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The Chemist by A. A. Dhand

I was lucky to get my hands on one of the more intriguing debuts of 2025, The Chemist by A. A. Dhand.  Following a London pharmacist who gets caught up in a deadly gang war, The Chemist has a really unique feel to it, and I have no doubt this is going to be an exceptional thriller.

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Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin

The final book I have recently received is the Australian debut Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin. A small-town Australian crime fiction read with an Aboriginal police protagonist; Melaleuca sounds like an intense and dramatic novel that will dive into some of the deeper and darker elements of Australia’s outback culture.  An outstanding sounding book and one I’m glad I received a copy of.

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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.

WWW Wednesday – 25 June 2025

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

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

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes (Trade Paperback)

I have just started reading the amazing Australian historical fiction novel, Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes. Following two feuding families as they try to kill each other for the sins of their respective fathers in the chaotic history of 1910s Australia, Sins of the Fathers is proving to be an excellent novel, and a wonderful third book from Byrnes after Headland and The Youngest Son.

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Grave Danger by James Grippando (Audiobook)

I decided to dive into the audiobook version of the intriguing legal thriller Grave Danger by James Grippando this week, especially after having so much fun last year with Goodbye Girl. The 19th Jack Swyteck novel, Grave Danger features a deeply compelling central case involving a complex custody case, political activism and fraught relations. I have made a fair bit of progress on Grave Danger this week and I am really enjoying its complex and captivating narrative.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Broke Road by Matthew Spencer (Trade Paperback)

I finished off the excellent Australian crime fiction novel Broke Road by Matthew Spencer this week.  The sequel to his fantastic debut, Black River, Broke Road was a brilliant outback murder mystery that I couldn’t get enough of.  A very impressive sequel from a rising Australian author.

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Warhammer 40,000: Fulgrim: The Perfect Son by Jude Reid (Audiobook)

I also finished off the awesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Fulgrim: The Perfect Son by Jude Reid this week. Following members of the hedonistic and corrupt Emperor’s Children Chaos Space Marines Legion as they embark on siege on behalf of their dark master, The Perfect Son was one of Reid’s best books yet and featured a brutal and compelling plot.  Highly recommended.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Medici Return by Steve Berry

I’ve got several excellent books I can dive into next, but I think I might try and read the latest Cotton Malone novel by Steve Berry, The Medici Return.  Featuring another elaborate historical conspiracy, The Medici Return sounds like a ton of fun, and I have been meaning to check it out for a while.  I will have to see how I go getting onto this, but I have no doubt I will have an amazing time with this book at some point.

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Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

If I manage to finish off Grave Danger this week, I’m planning to start the over-the-top thriller Badlands on audiobook next. Bringing back the writing team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for another awesome thriller, Badlands will feature a very unique mystery as people start dying while holding Native American artefacts. I have no doubt this is going to be an incredible and very exciting novel and I cannot wait to see how fun things get.

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

WWW Wednesday – 18 June 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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

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

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Broke Road by Matthew Spencer (Trade Paperback)

I just started reading the excellent Australian crime fiction novel Broke Road by Matthew Spencer.  The sequel to his fantastic debut, Black River, Broke Road sets up another compelling murder mystery, this time out in rural Australia. I have made a bit of progress with Broke Road so far and it is proving to be an intriguing and compelling piece of crime fiction. I look forward to unwinding the full case this week, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

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Warhammer 40,000: Fulgrim: The Perfect Son by Jude Reid (Audiobook)

I’m still listening to the awesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Fulgrim: The Perfect Son by Jude Reid, who previously impressed me with books like Creed: Ashes of Cadia and Daemonbreaker. Following members of the hedonistic and corrupt Emperor’s Children Chaos Space Marines Legion as they embark on siege on behalf of their dark master, The Perfect Son looks set to be an intriguing and entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel loaded with secrets and betrayal. I’ve made a fair amount of progress on The Perfect Son, and it is proving to be a particularly impressive piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and one of Reid’s best books yet.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Battle Mountain by C. J. Box (ebook)

A very fun and over-the-top thriller with a ton of action and adventure. Review to follow very soon.

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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (ebook)

I decided to check out the interesting fantasy debut, The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson this week, and boy was it particularly impressive. Featuring a unique fantasy narrative, loaded with murder, intrigue and conspiracy, The Raven Scholar was an outstanding novel, and one I’m hoping to gush about very soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes

I’m hoping to check out the amazing Australian historical fiction novel, Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes next. Set to follow two feuding families as they try to kill each other for the sins of their respective fathers admit the chaotic periods of Australian history, Sins of the Fathers sound really cool and I love a good generational historical epic.  I am looking forward to checking this book out, especially after enjoying Byrnes previous novels Headland and The Youngest Son.

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Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

I’m also hoping to start the over-the-top thriller Badlands on audiobook this week. Bringing back the writing team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for another awesome thriller, Badlands will feature a very unique mystery as people start dying while holding Native American artefacts. I have no doubt this is going to be an incredible and very exciting novel and I cannot wait to see how fun things get.

Amazon

 

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

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Winter 2025 To Be Read (TBR) List

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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 involved fictional animal companions, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to, and I am instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday before Winter 2025 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Winter (Summer for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 June 2025 and 31 August 2025 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section.  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 Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads.  I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Forged for Destiny by Andrew Knighton – 24 June 2025

An entertaining fantasy novel that will present a new take on the classic chosen-one story.

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The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford – 12 August 2025

Bone-covered, grassland raiders attempting to train giant, fire-breathing lizards as their new mounts, what’s not to love?

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The Hungry Gods by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 August 2025

An intriguing new novel from one of the best modern authors of science fiction and fantasy.

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Once a Villain by Vanessa Len- 19 August 2025

The epic conclusion to a great young adult fantasy series by Australian author Vanessa Len, Once a Villain will complete the tale started in Only a Monster and Never a Hero.

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Top Ten List:

Hard Town by Adam Plantinga – 10 June 2025

First up we have the awesome sounding thriller Hard Town by Adam Plantinga.  The sequel the amazing and brutal 2024 debut, The Ascent, Hard Town sounds like another impressive and over-the-top thriller and I really cannot wait to get my hands on it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers – 1 July 2025

There are several awesome Warhammer 40,000 novels still to come in 2025, but the one I’m currently most looking forward to is the epic novel Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok.  Written by the very talented Denny Flowers who has previously impressed me with books like Outgunned (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels) and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok has a ton of hilarious potential as it dives into the most insane and diabolical “medical” practitioner amongst the brutal orks.  I already know this is going to be a clever and very funny read (especially after seeing Flowers write ork characters in Da Red Gobbo Collection), and I cannot wait to see what insanity awaits in this cool upcoming book.

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Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch – 8 July 2025

The always outstanding Ben Aaronovitch returns to his iconic Rivers of London series with the compelling upcoming Stone and Sky.  Part elaborate urban fantasy, part clever police procedural, Stone and Sky will see the series protagonist and his unusual family journey up to Scotland on a holiday, only to encounter a new supernatural mystery from the depths of the ocean.  Set to feature another amazing and addictive story told in Aaronovitch’s distinctive style, Stone and Sky will likely be one of the most captivating fantasy novels of 2025 and I look forward to continuing the series.

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No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe – 15 July 2025

A great new thriller from the talented Tess Sharpe, whose previous two books, The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, were so much fun.  Sharpe’s new novel, No Body No Crime will follow two young female protagonists as they face off against a dangerous crime family and the consequences a murder they committed while teenagers.  I already love No Body No Crime’s awesome story and I’m hoping to read this one soon.

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Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland – 15 July 2025

In the last year I have had an amazing time checking out the awesome fantasy novels of the Broken Blades trilogy by Mai Corland.  Following several dangerous killers as they are forced to pull off impossible missions for a power-hungry king, the first two books, Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms, have set up an outstanding story with some brilliant characters.  Fans of this series will be getting a conclusion to the trilogy later this year with Three Shattered Souls, which should be particularly epic.  I cannot wait to see how Corland wraps everything up, and I already know I’m going to love it, especially in its elaborate audiobook format.

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Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – 17 July 2025

After absolutely loving my first Douglas Preston novel, Extinction, last year, I’m extremely keen to see his next novel, this time written with his long-time collaborator Lincoln Child.  Their new book, Badlands, will continue the authors’ Nora Kelly series and will see the titular archaeologist protagonist investigate several mysterious and disturbing deaths connected by ancient artifacts the victims were holding as they died.  Set to be an extremely fun and memorable thriller with potential supernatural implications, Badlands will be a great book to check out and I cannot wait to see how crazy the story gets.

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Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025

An intriguing 2025 fantasy debut that I have had my eye on for a long time, Seven Recipes for Revolution will see a young outcast attempt to become a magical chef, only for his culinary creation to turn him into a giant kaiju.  Set to combine exciting magic and unique fantasy elements with intrigue and betrayal, Seven Recipes for Revolution sounds extremely unique, and I cannot wait to see Rose’s first literary offering.

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Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh – 29 July 2025

I love a good legal thriller, and few examples of this sub-genre are more entertaining or memorable than the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh.  I have had an outstanding time with novels like The Devil’s Advocate, The Accomplice and Witness 8, and I am always excited to see what new craziness Cavanagh has planned for his next courtroom escapades.  Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait for the next upcoming book in the series, Two Kinds of Stranger, which will see an innocent client dragged into a legal nightmare when she tries to help a random stranger with dark secrets.  I cannot wait to read this new book, and it should be particularly entertaining and compelling.

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The Final Vow by M. W. Craven – 12 August 2025

After absolutely loving the dark and twist laden novel The Mercy Chair last year, I am a major fan of all things M. W. Craven and I cannot wait to see his next epic read, The Final Vow.  The new book in the author’s Washington Poe series, The Final Vow will see the series’ damaged detective and his unconventional investigation team attempt to stop a sniper terrorising the entire country.  This amazing sounding book will likely be one of the very best mystery novels of 2025 and I am extremely excited to see how many complex twists and shocking turns Craven will load into this new book.

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Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

The final upcoming book I want to highlight in this TBR post is the complex and fantastic sounding Katabasis by R. F. Kuang.  A very intriguing novel from an author who specialises in memorable fantasy scenarios, Katabasis will see two magical academics travel to hell to save their professor’s soul after accidently killing him.  Likely to be one of the most inventive books of the year, Katabasis is a very worthy book to end this list on, and I have some very high hopes for it.

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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.  There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2025, 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 bit of reading to do in the near future.

Waiting on Wednesday – Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I check out a fun and awesome upcoming thriller that sounds like a real blast, with Badlands by Doughlas Preston and Lincoln Child.

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Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading Extinction by Douglas Preston.  An outstanding thriller set in a private nature park filled with cloned woolly mammoths and other prehistoric creatures, I was lured in by Extinction’s cool premise but came away deeply thrilled by how crazy and fun things got, as an unlikely group of antagonists caused all manner of over-the-top carnage  I loved every second I spent reading Extinction, and it was one of the more entertaining novels of 2024.  Due to this, I decided to keep an eye out on more books from Preston and was very intrigued by his next release, Badlands, which he has once again written with his long-time collaborator Lincoln Child.

While Preston and Child have both written solo books, they are better known as a highly regarded writing partnership which has produced a mass of exciting and compelling thrillers with supernatural or scientific twists.  The pair’s main body of work is the long-running Agent Pendergast series, which started back in 1995 with Relic, and has since resulted in over 20 associated books.  In addition to the Agent Pendergast books, Preston and Child have also written other series, such as the Gideon Crew books, as well as some cool standalone novels, which all sound very awesome.  Due to the various intriguing narratives contained within this series, the novels of Preston and Child have been on my radar for a while, and I think it is time I make the effort to check them out, especially after having so much fun with Extinction.

As such, the pair’s next book, Badlands, seems like an excellent place to start.  Part of the author’s Nora Kelly series, which follows the titular archaeologist as she becomes involved in a series of dark investigations with historical components to times, Badlands sounds really intriguing, and I love the cool plot behind it.  Based on what I have heard about Preston and Child’s novels, I should be able to start reading Badlands without too much pre-knowledge of the author’s previous books, and hopefully I can just start enjoying the awesome sounding narrative.  Set for release in July 2025, Badlands has a ton of potential, and I cannot wait to unwind Preston and Child’s new elaborate plot.  


Plot Synopsis:

In the New Mexico badlands, the skeleton of a woman is found — and the case is assigned to FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. The victim walked into the desert, shedding clothes as she went, and died in agony of heatstroke and thirst. Two rare artifacts are found clutched in her bony hands–lightning stones used by the ancient Chaco people to summon the gods.

Is it suicide or… sacrifice?

Agent Swanson brings in archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate. When a second body is found — exactly like the other — the two realize the case runs deeper than they imagined. As Corrie and Nora pursue their investigation into remote canyons, haunted ruins, and long-lost rituals, they find themselves confronting a dark power that, disturbed from its long slumber, threatens to exact an unspeakable price.