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 take a look at one of my most anticipated books for the second half of 2020, Colonyside by Michael Mammay.
Mammay has been absolutely killing it over the last couple of years ever since he debuted in 2018 with the excellent and action-packed Planetside. Planetside featured a fantastic narrative that combined inventive science fiction elements with a first-rate thriller and military fiction story to create and epic and captivating read that was capped off with one heck of an ending. I absolutely loved Planetside, and not only was it one of my favourite books of 2018 but it is also one of the best debut novels that I have ever read. Mammay did an incredible job following up his first novel last year, as the sequel, Spaceside, was another impressive and clever read that ended up being one of my favourite books of 2019. Thanks to these two amazing books, I have been eagerly keeping an eye out for Mammay’s next release, and I was really excited when I found out that it was also going to be part of the Planetside series.
This upcoming release from Mammay, Colonyside, is currently set for release on 29 December 2020, and it should prove to be an amazing read for the end of the year. While this book does not come out for several months, some exciting details have already emerged, such as its eye-catching cover and a detailed plot synopsis. This synopsis sounds like a lot of fun, and it will be great to see what adventure series protagonist, Carl Butler, finds himself involved with this time.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A military hero is coming out of disgrace—straight into the line of fire…
Carl Butler was once a decorated colonel. Now he’s a disgraced recluse, hoping to live out the rest of his life on a backwater planet where no one cares about his “crimes” and everyone leaves him alone.
It’s never that easy.
A CEO’s daughter has gone missing and he thinks Butler is the only one who can find her. The government is only too happy to appease him. Butler isn’t so sure, but he knows the pain of losing a daughter, so he reluctantly signs on. Soon he’s on a military ship heading for a newly-formed colony where the dangerous jungle lurks just outside the domes where settlers live.
Paired with Mac, Ganos, and a government-assigned aide named Fader, Butler dives head-first into what should be an open and shut case. Then someone tries to blow him up. Faced with an incompetent local governor, a hamstrung military, and corporations playing fast and loose with the laws, Butler finds himself in familiar territory. He’s got nobody to trust but himself, but that’s where he works best. He’ll fight to get to the bottom of the mystery, but this time, he might not live to solve it.
I really like the sound of Colonyside’s plot; it looks like it is going to have another really cool and exciting story behind it. Based on this synopsis, Butler will be running another intense and dangerous investigation on an alien planet where everyone is trying to kill him. I look forward to seeing what unique circumstances come up as a result of Butler’s meddling this time, and I am sure that whatever results will be filled with all manner of action and intrigue. I am also curious about the new setting that is being utilised for the story: a newly formed jungle colony. The previous two books have had some great locations, including an occupied alien planet and the heart of humanity’s military industrial complex, and it will be interesting to see if this new location will measure up.
I am also looking forward to learning about what has happened to the protagonist in the years following Spaceside. Spaceside ended on another major cliffhanger, as Butler risked everything to save an alien species and then entered cryostasis, not knowing how his gamble was going to pay off. It seems like Butler’s life is going to take another blow, as he is apparently going to start this next book off living as a recluse, and it will be interesting to see what happened in the aftermath of the previous book.
Colonyside is sure to be another impressive and exciting addition to this outstanding series. Based on how much I enjoyed Mammay’s previous two novels, I know that I am going to have an incredible time reading Colonyside, especially as this upcoming book has an amazing-sounding plot to it. I have high hopes for this book, and there is an exceptionally good chance that this one will be one of my top books of 2020.
The Unseen Library 