Book Haul – 31 May 2026 – Second-hand Books

On June 1, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

In addition to my two Book Haul posts about recently released international and Australian books I’ve gotten my hands on, I’m also going to do a Book Haul post about some awesome second-hand novels I’ve also found. This is because I recently did an excellent road trip where I visited several great second-hand bookstores. Of course, I managed to grab a ton of amazing and fun sound books while I was out these places, including one or two I’ve been hunting for a while. So let see what other older books I’m hoping to read soon.

The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman

The first entry in this Book Haul post is the one I’m probably the most excited for with The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buelhman. The prequel to Buehlman’s awesome and gritty fantasy adventure The Blacktongue Thief, The Daughter’s War will provide the full history of one of the previous book’s more brutal and tragic protagonists, as she embarks on a war that has killed so many people before it. I loved The Blacktongue Thief and I’ve heard this prequel is even better, so I’m extremely excited to read it. I’m hoping to get to this one soon, especially before the sequel to The Blacktongue Thief comes out later this year.

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Plugged by Eoin Colfer

I was also extremely happy to find a copy of Plugged by Eion Colfer. An adult thriller from Colfer, who is best known for his Artemis Fowl books, Plugged sounds like an entertaining and compelling read, full of gangs, murder and receding hairlines. I already know I’m going to love this book, and I was particularly happy that I found a copy of Plugged with Colfer’s signature, which is very, very cool.

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Chasing Embers by James Bennett

I’ve been meaning to read the entertaining urban fantasy novel, Chasing Embers for a while, so I was glad to find a good copy of this awesome James Bennett book. Following the problems of an ancient dragon hiding out in human form in modern times, Chasing Embers has always really appealed to me, so I’m keen to finally check it out.

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Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

A very cool and entertaining thriller about a former killer turned medical intern, who is forced to revisit his murderous ways during a hospital shift, Beat the Reaper sounds like a very awesome read with a great plot behind it.

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Allison Hewitt is Trapped and Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeline Roux

I managed to get both of Madeleine Roux’s zombie novels as a set, with Allison Hewitt is Trapped and Sadie Walker is Stranded. Intriguing and exciting horror books about normal people trying to survive the zombie apocalypse, these sound like fantastic reads, and I’ll probably try to get through them one after another.

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The Butchers of Berlin by Chris Petit

An excellent historical crime fiction read set in wartime Berlin.

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Seven Princes by John R. Fultz

An intriguing and epic fantasy novel that caught my eye the moment I saw it, Seven Princes looks set to deliver fantasy warfare and carnage, with an amazing story about revenge and justice.

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The Empress Game by Rhonda Mason

The final second-hand book I want to highlight in this post is the awesome science fiction novel, The Empress Game by Rhonda Mason. An exciting and intense read set around a brutal tournament, The Empress Game has a ton of potential, and I’m expecting to have an incredible time with it.

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Well, that’s the end of my Book Haul posts. As you can see, I’ve now got quite a lot to read, so I better get to it. Let me know what books you like the sound of the most in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Most Recent Five-Star Reads

On May 20, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly task that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week is to look at favourite secondary characters, which, while fun, is something I probably won’t attempt this week. Instead, I’m going to fall back to a topic The Artsy Reader Girl blog did a few weeks ago and list out my ten most recent five-star reads.

2026 has been an interesting year for me so far, and I’ve had the great pleasure of reading an awesome range of books, including some incredible recent releases and some older books I’ve finally had a chance to check out. Most of the books have been outstanding in their own way, and I’ve had fun getting through pretty much everything. However, only a few have stood out as potential five-star reads, which I categorise as perfect (or near perfect) reads that have totally engrossed me.

For this list I am going to feature the last 10 of these books that I believe are five-star reads due to their complex stories, great characters, or well-written ideas. This proved to be a fun task with some interesting contenders, which I was able to whittle down into a top ten list. Each of these books have proven to be spectacular for various reasons, and I had an incredible time getting through all of them. So let us see what made the cut.

Top Ten List (Reverse Reading Order):

A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman

The first five-star entry on this list is A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman. The eighth book in Dinniman’s acclaimed Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles is an epic and incredible read that throws its complex characters into even more chaos and carnage as they attempt to navigate the next level of a deadly televised dungeon that has been formed in the ruins of Earth. I’m slightly cheating with this entry, as I’m still currently reading A Parade of Horribles, however, it is so damn good I decided I was going to give it a five-star rating very early on. A perfect continuation of the series that provides the reader will all the awesome action, outrageous humour and intense emotions that Dungeon Crawler Carl fans have come to expect, A Parade of Horribles is just incredible, especially on its exceptional audiobook format.

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Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The next book on this list is the older fantasy novel, Guns of the Dawn by the talented Adrian Tchaikovsky. A distinctive fantasy read that cleverly parallels regency era fiction, Guns of the Dawn follows a compelling female character as she is drafted into a deadly war. A sharp, moving and complex read that appealed to me on multiple levels, Guns of the Dawn is Tchaikovsky at his best, and an easy five-star novel in my book.

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Jingo by Terry Pratchett

I recently relistened to the classic Discworld novel from the legendary Terry Pratchett, Jingo, which proved to be outstanding entertainment for a lengthy road trip. The fourth book in Pratchett’s City Watch sub series, Jingo sees the ragtag members of the Ankh-Morpork city watch accidently go off to war, in a brilliant parody of international relations gone mad. Already one of my favourite Discworld novels, this latest listen reaffirmed my love for Jingo, and I honestly have a new appreciation for it due to this version featuring some outstanding alternate narrators. An exceptional read that was always going to get a five-star rating from me.

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Warhammer 40,000: Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords by Denny Flowers

It’s not an Unseen Library list without a Warhammer novel featured somewhere. This next entry, Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords, is a bit of a niche inclusion, but it’s one that got an easy five-star rating from me. A clever read from one of the rising talents of Warhammer fiction, Denny Flowers, Warlord of Warlords sees members of the always entertaining ork faction engage in hilarious, wholesale carnage in pursuit of becoming the most dangerous warlord alive. An amazing read that will really appeal to hardcore Warhammer 40,000 fans, Warlord of Warlords is a fun entry on this list, and it’s one I had a great time listening to.

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The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

After years of hearing how good The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman is, I had to go back and check it out myself, and it turns out people weren’t exaggerating. A brutal and well-written book with a classic, if dark, adventure story behind it, The Blacktongue Thief sees a unique group travel across a war-ravaged continent on their own separate quests. Cleverly introducing a very distinctive fantasy setting and some amazing characters, The Blacktongue Thief was an epic read that I rated very highly, and it’s one I’m glad I finally checked out.

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Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovksy gets his second entry on this list with the impressive Pretenders to the Throne of God. The fourth book in his Tyrant Philosophers series (following on from City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds and Days of Shattered Faith), Pretenders to the Throne of God was a brilliant and relentlessly entertaining read that followed multiple characters living in and around a besieged city. An intense and moving book that also brings out some subtle humour, Pretenders to the Throne of God works well as both a clever standalone novel, as well as a powerful continuation of the Tyrant Philosophers books, and it was one of the more amazing novels I have so far read in 2026.

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The Hard Line by Mark Greaney

One of my favourite thriller authors, Mark Greaney, continues to throw out bangers in 2026 with his new Gray Man novel, The Hard Line. A gritty and fast-paced spy thriller novel, The Hard Line sees the protagonist attempting to investigate a series of destabilising assassinations across the United States. However, complexities and mistakes from the past seek to hinder the protagonist and his team, with assassins soon targeting their loved ones. Another outstanding read from Greaney, The Hard Line was so damn good, and I am still buzzing from the various action scenes and fun twists.

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The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

I’ve had the pleasure of reading several debut novels so far in 2026, however the one I must give a full five-star rating to is the unique novel The Red Winter by Australian author Cameron Sullivan. A distinctive fantasy/historical fiction hybrid, The Red Winter follows an ageless wizard through several periods of French history, as he finds himself hunting a legendary beast terrorising the countryside. Making great use of three separate time periods and some interesting references to a fascinating and terrifying historical event, The Red Winter was one of the best and most original novels of 2026, and a great five-star read from a new author.

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Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman

Another author with more than one book on this list is Matt Dinniman, who is fast becoming one of my very favourite authors. This second entry is Dinniman’s other 2026 release, Operation Bounce House, a wonderful and complex standalone science fiction read. Pitching simple farmers on a human colony planet against mechs piloted by deranged Earth gamers, Operation Bounce House brings the chaos early, and you are soon engrossed in the captivating story of family and survival that shows just how impressive Dinniman’s imagination is. A wonderful read and a very worthy addition to this list, Operation Bounce House was so damn good, and I cannot wait to see what Dinniman comes up with next.

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30Seven by Jeremy Robinson

The last five-star book I want to highlight is the dark science fiction thriller, 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson. A fast-paced, standalone novel that combines a compelling alien abduction narrative with a brutal mystery, as the protagonist is taken into a UFO along with the serial killer that murdered his wife. Filled with some horrifying sequences, 30Seven was an exceptional read, that really pops on audiobook. An amazing book that serves as a great final entry for this list.

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Well, that’s the end of that list. As you can see, I’ve read an interesting array of awesome books recently, with all the above proving to be quite impressive and perfect to me. While I haven’t had a chance to write full reviews of these books yet, all of them come very highly recommended, and I feel that most people will be able to appreciate the incredible and unique stories they contain. I hope you all have fun with some of the above if you choose to check them out. Make sure to also let me know which recent books you’d recommend as five star reads in the comments below.

WWW Wednesday – 1 April 2026

On April 3, 2026April 5, 2026 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:

Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe (ebook)

I’ve finally had the chance to start reading the awesome Australian crime fiction novel, Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe, which has been on my to-read list for a while. A cool and intriguing new read from one of my favourite Australian authors, Dark Desert Road follows a Sydney police officer who journeys into the countryside, looking for her long-lost sister who has gotten herself caught up with a group of domestic terrorists. I’ve made a bit of progress on Dark Desert Road so far, and I am really enjoying its intriguing story, as well as Ayliffe’s complex take on some cotemporary Australian issues. I am hoping to finish this book off in the next couple of days, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

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Warhammer 40,000: Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords by Denny Flowers (Audiobook)

I also just started listening to one of the more entertaining recent entries from the Warhammer 40,000 series, Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords by the always impressive Denny Flowers. Another book from Flowers that focus on the volatile and brutal ork faction, Warlord of Warlords sees betrayal, intrigue and the usual ork carnage engulf the court of the infamous, Ghazghkull Thraka. Sure to be one of the more amusing and enjoyable Warhammer novels of 2026, Warlords of Warlords has so much potential, and I cannot wait to power through it in the coming week.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (Paperback)

I had a lot of fun finally getting through the outstanding and highly regarded fantasy novel, The Blacktongue Thief. The first book from author Christopher Buehlman, The Blacktongue Thief was a great adventure story with an entertaining cast in brilliant dark fantasy world. This was a deeply impressive read, that lived up to the hype around it.

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

I also finished off the excellent fantasy audiobook, Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky, this week, and boy was it something special. The fourth book in Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Pretenders to the Throne of God was an elaborate and captivating novel that I honestly could not get enough of. A highly recommended novel that is one of the better books of 2026, I am hoping to get a review up of it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki

I’m planning to read several cool debut novels in the coming week, including the awesome sounding new fantasy novel, The Book of Fallen Leaves. The first book from author A. S. Tamaki, The Book of Fallen Leaves is a Japanese inspired fantasy epic that I think has a ton of potential. I cannot wait to dive into this week, and it should be pretty awesome.

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The Exes by Leodora Darlington

I am also hoping to read The Exes by Leodora Darlington in the coming week. Set to follow a complex character who finds herself involved in another problematic relationship, The Exes looks set to be a deadly and entertaining psychological thriller with some fun twists to it. This should be another fantastic debut novel, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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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 – 25 March 2026

On March 28, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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 Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (Paperback)

After powering through several great recent release, I decided to mix things up a little by diving back into an older book that has been on my to-read list for a while. As such, I’ve started reading the outstanding and highly regarded fantasy novel, The Blacktongue Thief. The first book from author Christopher Buehlman, The Blacktongue Thief has had received a lot of love since its release, and I’ve always meant to check it out. With the sequel coming out later this year, I finally decided to check it out, and I’m already having a ton of fun with it. Featuring a great adventure story with an entertaining cast in dark fantasy world, The Blacktonge Thief is deeply impressing, and I’m hoping to knock it off in the next few days. An amazing read that is really living up to the hype around it.

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

I’m still listening to the excellent fantasy audiobook, Pretenders to the Throne of God by the legendary Adrian Tchaikovsky, this week, and boy is it something special. The fourth book in Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Pretenders to the Throne of God follows various individuals caught up in a siege of a fantasy city, all of whom have their own problems and agendas. I’m really loving this book, which blends great personal storylines with a unique setting to create an exceptional read. I’m currently a bit over halfway through Pretenders to the Throne of God at the moment, and I should probably finish it off in the next week. I cannot wait to see how this elaborate novel comes together, and Pretenders to the Throne of God is already an extremely strong contender to be one of my favourite books of 2026.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox (ebook)

I managed to finish off the Australian crime fiction novel, Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox this week. Another cool outback thriller from Fox, Redbelly Crossing was a dark and twisty read that I couldn’t get enough off. An exceptional novel from one of Australia’s top writers.

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How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson (ebook)

I absolutely powered through the highly entertaining first book from Australian author Shailee Thompson, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates this week. A very entertaining read that will saw its slasher film loving protagonist attempt to survive a serial killer stalking a speed dating event, in fun and strangely romantic, horror novel. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was an outstanding novel that I powered through extremely quickly.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe

I’ve been having an amazing time with Australian crime fiction lately, so the next book I’m hoping to check out is Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe. A cool and intriguing new read from one of my favourite Australian authors, Dark Desert Road looks set to be an incredible book, and I look forward to diving into it.

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

Book Haul – Canberra Bookfair – September 2025

On October 4, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

During the last weekend I was able to attend the Canberra Lifeline Bookfair, an event that occurs several times a year and gives great opportunities to pick up secondhand books donated for charity. I ended up managing to pick up several pretty awesome books at this bookfair which I was very happy with. This includes multiple books I had been keeping an eye out for, as well as a few interesting novels that proved to be very welcome surprises. Due to these successes, I decided to do a bonus Book Haul post to show off just how varied the books you can potentially find at this bookfair can be.

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

One of the most talked about fantasy novels in recent years has to be The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. I heard a lot of awesome things about The Blacktongue Thief when it first came out, and I even did a Waiting on Wednesday post about it. Despite this, I kept failing to find a copy of The Blacktongue Thief, even though I was still extremely interested in reading it. As such, I was pretty damn happy to find a good secondhand version of this book on the weekend and I’m hoping to read it soon.

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Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher

Another book I was particularly happy to find over the weekend was Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher. The second book in Butcher’s Unorthodox Chronicles, Long Past Dues is the awesome sounding sequel to the author’s debut novel, Dead Man’s Hand. I had a great time reading Dead Man’s Hand when it first came out, and I’m very excited to finally get my hands on the sequel.

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Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell

I just had to pick up a copy of Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell when I saw it was available, especially after enjoying some of the author’s more recent novels. The first book in the author’s Greatcoats series, Traitor’s Blade sounds pretty amazing, and I’m curious to see how De Castell set up his entertaining universe.

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Apocalypse Cow by Michael Logan

So, I’m not going to lie, I picked this one up purely because of the puns on the front page, which still makes me chuckle. A comedic novel about zombie cows is frankly something I’d never be able to turn down, and it sounds like Apocalypse Cow is a particularly funny read, which I am very keen to check out.

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Star Wars: The Mandalorian Armor by K. W. Jeter

While I haven’t explored the now defunct Legends canon of Star Wars fiction as much as I would have liked, I was very interested in this copy of The Mandalorian Armor by K. W. Jeter I found. The first book in a series that pits the infamous bounty hunters of Star Wars universe against each other, The Mandalorian Armor sounds pretty damn awesome, and I look forward to diving into it when I get a chance.

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Warhammer 40,000: Grey Knights by Ben Counter

More fun Warhammer 40,000 fun from the always impressive Ben Counter, how could I possibly turn that down.

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Footprints of Thunder by James F. David

The final book I picked up is the intriguing classic science fiction novel, Footprints of Thunder by James F. David. A compelling and thrilling novel that sees the modern world merged with the dinosaur inhabited past, Footprints of Thunder is an excellent book that I was very happy to find a good copy of. I think I actually read this book when I was younger, so it will be interesting to revisit it after all these years.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read in 2021 but Didn’t Get To

On January 11, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List8 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, participants were required to list their most recent additions to their book collections. However, due to some upcoming lists that I planned out I am instead mixing things up and instead featuring the top books of 2021 that I wanted to read but didn’t get a chance to.

2021 was a great year for novels and I had an outstanding time getting through a solid collection of cool new releases and older novels, which were pretty much all epic and impressive reads. However, no matter how hard one tries, there are always a couple of books each year that I did not get a chance to read, either due to time constraints, lack of access or from being overwhelmed with other books that I really wanted to read. As a result, this is a list that is rather tinged with regret, as each book I plan to mention below is one that I really wish I had taken the time to read.

To complete this list, I pulled together some of the more interesting and compelling sounding novels that I did not get a chance to read in the last year. Each entry was released last year and while I knew that they were coming out, I did not get a chance to read any of them. In many cases I have these books sitting on my shelf at this moment, silently and constantly judging me, and I think I will have to try and read them to stop their bookish glares. I was eventually able to cull my list of regret down to 10 entries with an honourable mentions section. The final list is an interesting collection of books from across the genres and includes a couple of big 2021 releases I did not get a chance to look at.

Honourable Mentions:

Galaxias by Stephen Baxter

An interesting sounding science fiction novel about the end of the world that would have been fun to check out.

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

One of the coolest young adult fantasy books I didn’t get to read last year.

The Burning by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

I have been really getting into Jonathan Kellerman’s novels lately and I reckon I would have enjoyed this fantastic novel if I had a chance to read it.

Star Trek Discovery: Wonderlands by Una McCormack

2021 was a bit of a null year for me when it came to Star Trek fiction as there were several Star Trek great tie-in books I wanted to read but didn’t get a chance to. The one I think I would have enjoyed the most was Wonderlands by Una McCormack that tied into the third season of Star Trek Discovery.

Top Ten List:

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

One of the books I most regret not reading last year is the epic Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. Set in a world completely ruled by vampires, this book chronicles the life of a human resistance fighter/vampire hunter. I have heard some impressive things about Empire of the Vampire, and I really wish I could have read it last year. Unfortunately, I could not fit it into my reading schedule as it is a pretty massive book with an extensive run time. I will try extremely hard to read it this year though, especially if Kristoff has sequels planned.

The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston

Another book I deeply regret not reading in 2021 was The Maleficent Seven by the amazing Cameron Johnston. An intriguing fantasy reversal of classic films like The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai, The Maleficent Seven follows seven villains as they join forces to defend a village from an army even more evil than them. I really liked the sound of this book, and I am a big fan of Johnston’s previous novels The Traitor God and God of Broken Things. As such, I will also make a huge effort to check out The Maleficent Seven this year, and I already know I am going to love it.

The Noise by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

James Patterson cowrote several great books in 2021, and while I did manage to enjoy his fun 2 Sisters Detective Agency (cowritten by Australian author Candice Fox), I didn’t get a chance to read his most interesting sounding novel, The Noise. Cowritten by horror author J. D. Barker, The Noise is a trippy and captivating sounding science fiction thriller set in a remote area of America. Filled with mysterious science, government conspiracies and a dangerous elemental force, I was deeply intrigued by this novel and I am hoping to read it soon.

Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie

Unforgiven is a powerful Australian thriller about a former victim of a paedophile who hopes to hunt down her abuser. I heard that this book was pretty epic and intense, and I meant to read it in the last week. I may try and start it in the next day or so, but I will have to see how I go.

The Righteous by David Wragg

Another book that I really regret not reading in 2021 was The Righteous by David Wragg. The sequel to his impressive debut, The Black Hawks, The Righteous apparently continues his cool dark fantasy storyline about a group of mercenaries caught in the middle of an evil conspiracy. This is another one I will make a big effort to read soon and I cannot wait to see what happens to the series’ entertaining protagonists next.

Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee

An interesting Marvel young adult tie-in by bestselling author Mackenzi Lee, Sisters in Arms was a book I really wanted to read last year, especially after enjoying Lee’s last novel Loki: Where Mischief Lies.

Star Wars: Visions: Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon

A fun tie-in to the Star Wars: Visions anime movies, Ronin was one of the few Star Wars books I didn’t read in 2021 and I hope to rectify that oversight soon.

The Last Watch by J. S. Dewes

This was apparently one of the best debut novels of 2021 and I really regret not checking it out. An epic and fascinating science fiction novel about a group of criminals and failures who try to save the universe, The Last Watch got a lot of love from some top reviewers, and I am keen to see how awesome it truly is.

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

Another major novel that got a lot of love in reviewers circles last years was The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. Set to follow an odd couple pairing in a brutal fantasy world, this was apparently an exceptional novel, and it was one that I regret not getting a chance to read. I might try this year, especially if Buehlman has a sequel on the horizon, and I look forward to seeing what all the fuss is about.

The Liar’s Knot by M. A. Carrick

The final book on this list is The Liar’s Knot by M. A. Carrick, which is the second book in the Rook and Rose series of fantasy novels. I read the first book in this series, The Mask of Mirrors, earlier in the year, and I really enjoyed its fun and compelling story. I was hoping to read the sequel in 2021, but I never got the chance, especially as the audiobook version apparently isn’t out yet (I think I’d want to listen to it). I am hoping to listen to it in a few months’ time, but I’ll have to see how I go.

Well, that is the end of my latest list and it looks like I have a lot catch-up reading to do if I am going to make a dent in it. There are some truly amazing-sounding novels on this list and I fully intend to get through all of them at some point, although with all the outstanding books coming out in 2022, it might take me a little time. In the meantime, let me know what books you most regret not reading in 2021 in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Want to Read Before the End of 2021

On November 9, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn List10 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday the official topic involved listing your favourite memorable things that characters have said. However, I am going to do something a little different and instead I am going to list the top ten novels I want to read before the end of 2021.

This is a bit of a continuation of a list I did this time in 2019 and 2020, when there were only approximately 50 days left in the year and I was freaking out about all the books I still wanted to read. Well, once again the year is nearly over, and there are currently only just over 50 days left in it. While I am rather keen to escape 2021, I am very mindful of the big pile of novels from this year currently sitting on my table (and a couple of bookshelves, and the floor). So, with that in mind, I thought I would do another version of this list to inspire me to read these books and knock them out before this year comes to an end.

For this list I have had a look through my many book piles and reading lists to work out which novels I really need to read before the year ends. To focus this on the books that are cluttering up my house or my phone storage, I decided to exclude novels that I do not currently have copies of (such as Never by Ken Follett, which is hopefully on its way) or have not yet been released. I also decided to exclude novels that I am definitely going to read before the end of the year, as I have plans to review them for some Canberra Weekly holiday columns (such as Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson or Kill Your Brother by Jack Heath). I am also going to exclude some novels from the big haul I got on Saturday, as I am hoping to get to them soon, and I am excluding The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly, as I am currently reading it. Using these parameters, I was able to come up with a list of 10 books (with some honourable mentions), that I would really like to read before the year ends. This list includes an interesting range of novels, including some big 2021 releases and some other novels that came in under the radar. All 10 sound really good and I desperately hope I have time to read them all.

Honourable Mentions:

Red Wolves by Adam Hamdy

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

Cave Diver by Jake Avila

Top Ten List:

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

The first book on this list is the awesome and fantastic sounding Empire of the Vampire by Australian author Jay Kristoff. I have only just finished reading Kristoff’s awesome Aurora’s End (co-written by Amie Kaufman), and I am keen to read some more of his stuff. In particular, I really want to read his awesome adult novel, Empire of the Vampire, which came out a little while ago. Empire of the Vampire is set in a world with no sunlight and ruled by vampires, who are hunting down the remaining humans. I have heard some impressive things about this book, and I really hope I get a chance to read it. I currently have the audiobook loaded up on my phone, although the trick will be fitting it into my listening schedule as it has a pretty substantial run time.

Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee

I also really want to check out this cool young adult comic tie-in novel from Mackenzi Lee. I had a lot of fun with Lee’s previous novel, Loki: Where Mischief Lies, and her latest book has an intriguing story involving the two warring sisters, Gamora and Nebula. I am planning to grab a copy of this book when I can, and I am sure that I will have a great time with this interesting story.

The Righteous by David Wragg

Last year I had a lot of fun reading Wragg’s debut dark fantasy novel, The Black Hawks, which followed a rogue band of mercenaries on an impossible quest. I was really keen to read the sequel, The Righteous this year, but I haven’t had a chance to grab a copy yet. I am very curious to see what happens after the big cliff-hanger at the end of The Black Hawks, and I cannot wait to see what happens in this series next.

Star Wars: Visions: Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon

There is no way I can end 2021 without reading every single Star Wars tie-in novel that has been released, and at the moment the only one I haven’t had an opportunity to read is Star Wars: Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon. Ronin is a tie-in to the Star Wars: Visions anime series, and this book tells the tale of the Ronin character. I am hoping to get to this one in the next week or two, and I cannot wait to see what cool story Candon has come up with.

The Noise by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

I was recently lucky enough to receive the curious sounding novel, The Noise, written by James Patterson and J. D. Barker. The Noise has an interesting and compelling sounding story about Government conspiracies, mysterious explosions and an unexplained sound haunting the countryside. This one really caught my attention, and I really want to see what The Noise is about before the year ends.

Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

2021 has been a great year for debut novels, and I have been lucky enough to enjoy several fantastic debuts that have really showcased the talents of some new authors. However, there are still a couple of debuts I want to read before the year is out, and the main one of these is Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn. Among Thieves is a brilliant sounding fantasy book that follows several desperate characters as they attempt to undertake a daring heist. I have already heard some great things about this book, and I think it has loads of potential. I am actually planning to read this book next, and hopefully nothing will come up preventing that.

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield

One of the more intriguing novels of 2021 that I have not had the chance to read is the cool science fiction thriller, The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield. The Apollo Murders is a science fiction epic set in 1973, that involves a secret and deadly mission to the moon during the height of the Cold War. I love the sound of this awesome book, and I am hoping to listen to its audiobook format later this week, especially as it is voiced by one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Ray Porter.

The Last Watch by J. S. Dewes

Another impressive sounding debut I have been meaning to check out is the science fiction epic The Last Watch by J. S. Dewes. I have been hearing some incredible things about The Last Watch from some other reviewers, and this has made me pretty curious. Set out in the depths of space, this book follows a small group of criminals and exiles as they attempt to save the galaxy. Based on the buzz around this book, I think I am going to have a great time reading it, and I really hope I get the chance to do so before the end of 2021.

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

Throughout 2021, I have seen innumerable reviews about The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman, a cool sounding fantasy novel with an intriguing plot to it. Most of these reviews have been pretty positive, and it seems like every fantasy reviewer I follow has managed to check this book out. As such, I am really keen to read The Blacktongue Thief before the end of the year, just to see what all the fuss is about. Unfortunately, I have not been able to fit it into my reading schedule, but I will try to do so before the end of the year so I can be ready for any upcoming sequels.

The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston

The final book on this list is probably the 2021 book that I regret not reading the most, The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston. Johnston, who has previously written the awesome dark fantasy novels, The Traitor God and God of Broken Things, is a talented author, and I am very keen to see how his latest novel has turned out. The Maleficent Seven follows a group of former fantasy villains who reunite to defend a town from an evil army. Essentially a dark, magical version of The Magnificent Seven, I think this book has so much potential, and I am so annoyed with myself that I haven’t read it yet. Hopefully I will rectify this soon, and I already know I am going to love this book.

That’s the end of this week’s Top Ten list. I am extremely happy with how this list turned out as I am really keen to read each and every one of the novels listed above. All of them have an amazing amount of potential and I think several could end up being some of my favourite books of 2021. Make sure to check back in a few weeks to see if I have managed to get around to reading any of them yet. In the meantime, let me know which books you really want to read before the end of 2021 and best of luck getting through them.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

On February 24, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, 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. 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 this latest Waiting on Wednesday I check out a cool upcoming fantasy novel from bestselling author Christopher Buehlman, The Blacktongue Thief.

The Blacktongue Thief Cover

Christopher Buehlman is an intriguing author who has been writing some fantastic sounding novels over the last couple of years. His main focus has previously been the horror genre, having authored several compelling scary reads, such as The Necromancer’s House, The Suicide Motor Club and the incredible awesome sounding The Lesser Dead. However, Buehlman latest project sees him make the move over to the fantasy genre with an amazing upcoming fantasy debut, The Blacktongue Thief.

The Blacktongue Thief, which currently has a release date of 25 May 2021, is very fun and captivating sounding novel which will follow a thief and a knight as they find themselves forced together for an epic adventure. Set to feature a range of crazy monsters, unique magic and a couple of complex protagonists, The Blacktongue Thief has a ton of potential (as well as an awesome cover), and I am extremely excited to see how this book turns out.

Synopsis:

Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief begins a ‘dazzling’ (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.

But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.

Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.

Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva’s. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.