Tag: Denny Flowers

Top Ten Tuesday – My Most Recent Five-Star Reads

On 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 – 8 April 2026

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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:

The Exes by Leodora Darlington (Trade Paperback)

I started to read the awesome and compelling debut novel, The Exes by Leodora Darlington, this week. Following a complex character who finds herself involved in a series of problematic relationships that all end tragically for her untrustworthy partners, The Exes is a deadly and entertaining psychological thriller with some fun twists to it. I’ve made a bit of progress with The Exes this week and I’m hoping to finish it off soon.

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The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki (Trade Paperback)

I also started the new fantasy novel, The Book of Fallen Leaves from author A. S. Tamaki this week.  An interesting release, The Book of Fallen Leaves is a Japanese inspired fantasy epic that I think has a ton of potential. I’ve only made a little progress on this novel so far, but I’m hoping to get a good chunk of it finished in the next week, especially as it has a very compelling story behind it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Chem Dog by Callum Davis (Audiobook)

I’m still in a major Warhammer 40,000 mood this week, so I decided to listen to one of the more intriguing recent releases from the franchise, Chem Dog. The debut novel of the talented Callum Davis, Chem Dog sees a dedicated commissar lead a group of soldiers from an infamously criminal regiment on a desperate suicide mission, where the greatest risk comes from the commissar’s own troops.  I’ve already made a decent start on Chem Dog, and I’m already quite addicted to its excellent and outrageous story.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe (ebook)

I finished off the awesome Australian crime fiction novel, Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe this week, which has been on my to-read list for a while.  An intriguing read, 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.  A thrilling novel with some great contemporary focuses, this was an outstanding novel that comes highly recommended.

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

I also finished off the highly entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel, Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords by the always impressive Denny Flowers this week.  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. One of the more amusing and enjoyable Warhammer novels of 2026, Warlords of Warlords was an exceptional read I’m really glad I got the chance to listen to.

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The Writers Retreat by Victoria Brownlee (ebook)

I had the time to check out the fun Australian novel, The Writers Retreat by Victoria Brownlee, which saw an aspiring author caught up in a dark conspiracy at a French writing retreat.  A clever and cosy read that is worth checking out.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Dead Fall Lake by S. R. White

If I manage to get through the two books I’m currently reading in the next week, I’m hoping to dive into the new Australian murder mystery from S. R. White, Dead Fall Lake.  Another curious and clever sounding release from one of Australia’s more distinctive, rising crime fiction authors, Dead Fall Lake has a ton of potential, 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 – 1 April 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn UncategorizedLeave 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.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List10 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this list involved listing the ten top books you hope that Santa would bring you this year.  While this is a fun sounding topic, I am instead going to continue my annual end of year wrap up of the best books I read in 2025.  In previous weeks I have highlighted some of the best pre-2025 novels, best new-to-me-authors and best 2025 sequels I read in the last year.  However, this week I am going to look at something near and dear to my hear, the best audiobooks of 2025.

Readers of this blog only need to check out my extensive audiobook category to the right to know that I have a lot of love for the audiobook format.  In my opinion, the audiobook is often the best way to experience a good book and in many cases this format makes a novel far more enjoyable.  As a result, I listened to quite a few audiobooks this year, and while a good chunk of them were books released before 2025 and featured in my Throwback Thursday posts, most were released this year.  There were some truly outstanding and impressive audiobooks released in 2025 and I knew going in that I was going to have an extremely hard time coming up with a final version of this list.

For this list I have only included audiobooks released in 2025 that I have listened to, which left me with a long list of extremely impressive audiobooks which I wanted to include in this post.  To help cut this down, I considered a range of factors, including the quality of the original novel, the skill of the narrator, production value, pacing and other features.  I was eventually able to reduce the list down to the absolute best 10 audiobooks, with my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I had to make some very hard decisions here, and I ended up excluding several extremely good audiobooks from the main list.  Still, I think it really represents the best audiobooks I enjoyed this year and there are some amazing productions below.

Honourable Mentions:

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

The latest book in the always excellent Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry that always comes across awesome on audiobook.

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Four Ruined Realms, written by Mai Corland and narrated by Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Roger Yeh, Donald Chang, Jaine Ye and Sophie Oda.

An excellent and elaborate fantasy novel whose audiobook made perfect use of several great narrators.

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

More Hunger Games excitement expertly brought to life from a great new narrator.

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Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, written by Denny Flowers and narrated by Harry Myers

Hilarious Warhammer 40,000 fun from the impressive Denny Flowers, featuring one of the franchise’s very best narrators, Harry Myers.

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Top Ten List:

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

While I had the great pleasure of listening to several impressive Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks in 2025, my favourite had to be the awesome and addictive Interceptor City by Dan Abnett.  The sequel to Abnett’s classic Warhammer 40,000 novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City was an impressive listen that saw the returning protagonist forced back into aerial combat, this time fighting for survival admit the towers of a giant, ruined city.  I deeply enjoyed Interceptor City especially on audiobook, voiced by one of my favourite narrators Toby Longworth.  The audiobook version really enhanced the epic flying fight sequences of Interceptor City, and this was one of the very best listens of the year.

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

Legendary grimdark fantasy author Joe Abercrombie returned in a big way in 2025 with his incredible novel The Devils.  Set in an alternate, medieval Europe, The Devils follows an elite group of literal monsters controlled by the church as they engage on a deadly mission to crown a queen.  This was one of the more compelling and entertaining novels of the year, and I must highlight the great audiobook version narrated by Abercrombie’s long-time collaborator Steven Pacey.  Pacey did an amazing job voicing all the unique characters in The Devils, and few narrators work as well with Abercrombie’s impressive storytelling and fantastic writing as Pacey.

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Cold War, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

I doubt anyone is too surprised that an audiobook written by Jonathan Maberry is appearing on this list.  Maberry’s outstanding and ultra-intense novels always come out extremely well on the audiobook format, especially with the legendary Ray Porter narrating, who always perfectly matches the tone and tension of Maberry’s stories, while also providing impressive voices for his cast.  Of the two Maberry audiobooks released in 2025, my favourite was the dark science fiction novel Cold War.  Serving as a sequel to one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024, NecroTek, Cold War was a brilliant follow-up, that really took the series in some powerful directions.  Porter once again brought out all the inherent fear and craziness of Maberry’s great writing, and the result was an exceptional audiobook that I could not get enough of.

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

The iconic Stephen King continued to dominate the crime fiction genre in 2025 with the outstanding new Holly Gibney novel Never Flinch.  Following on from books like Mr Mercedes, The Outsider and Holly, Never Flinch once again saw King’s unique protagonist investigating dark crimes in her city.  However, this time there are two different killers stalking those close to her, and the resulting story was laden with threat, high stakes and deadly sequences.  I really enjoyed how the audiobook version of Never Flinch turned out, and new narrator Jessie Mueller killed it voicing the various characters in Never Flinch, as well as providing the occasional bit of singing.  A very spectacular audiobook and easily the best way to enjoy the latest Stephen King novel.

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Star Wars: Sanctuary, written by Lamar Giles and narrated by Marc Thompson

Everyone knows that I’m a sucker for Star Wars audiobooks, and one of the best of 2025 was the addictive listen Sanctuary.  A tie-in to The Bad Batch animated series, Sanctuary follows the rogue clones of the titular squad engage in some dangerous missions to help those closest to them.  A compelling and fun adventure novel that expertly captures the characters from the show, Sanctuary got even better thanks to its audiobook adaptation.  Not only was the iconic Star Wars music and sound effects expertly utilised throughout the audiobook run, but the always impressive Marc Thompson proved to be an outstanding narrator, providing exceptional imitations of the show’s cast.  A fantastic and highly addictive listen, Sanctuary was a Star Wars audiobook at its best.

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

One of the more elaborate and entertaining fantasy audiobooks of 2025 was the amazing Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky.  The third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosophers series (following on from City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds), Days of Shattered Faith was an incredible piece of fantasy fiction that detailed the intrigues and betrayals taking place within crumbling kingdom besieged by friendly diplomats.  I loved this book, and I was really impressed with how effectively Tchaikovsky’s elaborate and clever narrative was showcased on audiobook.  David Thorpe did an outstanding job showcasing all of Tchaikovsky’s compelling detail and subtle twists with his narration, while also matching the author’s tone, and the resulting audiobook proved to be a complex and highly enjoyable treat to listen to.

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Artifact, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by R. C. Bray

The team of author Jeremy Robinson and narrator R. C. Bray returned in 2025, with the dark science fiction adventure, Artifact.  Following a group of likeable protagonists as they venture into a sinister secret laboratory in the wilderness, Artifact soon turns into a shocking story that you are unable to turn away from.  This excellent story is brilliantly enhanced by narrator R. C. Bray’s powerful voice that expertly fits the main protagonist and helps throw the reader into his damaged shoes.  As such, this was a very easy book to include on this list, and I cannot wait for more from Robinson and Bray in 2026.

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Born of an Iron Storm, written by Anthony Ryan and narrated by Steven Brand

Anthony Ryan continued his awesome fantasy adventures with the epic Born of an Iron Storm.  The great follow-up to last year’s A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm continues it’s Viking inspired story in some fantastically big ways.  I had an excellent time listening to Born of an Iron Storm on audiobook, especially with returning narrator Steven Brand, and it was one of the best ways to enjoy Ryan’s entertaining narrative.

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The Strength of the Few, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

One of the more elaborate audiobooks of 2025 was intense and ambitious The Strength of the Few by Australian author James Islington.  The incredible sequel to The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few saw the protagonist from the first book split across three separate worlds, resulting in an amazingly layered novel.  Thanks to the distinctive narration of Euan Morton, The Strength of the Few works extremely well on audiobook, and I loved how well the author’s intricate detail came across in this powerful audiobook production.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil, written by Adam Christopher and narrated by Marc Thompson

The final audiobook that I want to highlight on this list is the captivating listen Master of Evil.  Featuring an intriguing narrative set around a recently forged Darth Vader exploring the dark side of the Force, Master of Evil proved to be a powerful, character-driven Star Wars book, with some true heart to it.  This great book was once again enhanced by the iconic Star Wars music, sound effects and the voice of Mark Thompson, and there is frankly no better way to enjoy Master of Evil than on audiobook.

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Well that is the end of this latest Top Ten list, and as you can see, I have been lucky enough to listen to some awesome audiobooks this year.  All the above audiobooks are extremely good and I would highly recommend each of them in their audiobook format.  Let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2025 were in the comments below and make sure to check back next week to see what my overall favourite novels of the year were.

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

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer1 Comment

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 July 2025)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 6 hours and 55 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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One of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 authors, Denny Flowers, returns with one of the more entertaining novels of 2025 with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok.

Denny Flowers is an interesting rising author of Warhammer 40,000 fiction who has so far written several particularly notable books.  Starting with his cool debut, Fire Made Flesh, Flowers went on to write his two exceptional Lucille von Shard novels, Outgunned and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), both of which are among some of my favourite pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  I also had a great time with Flowers’s inclusions in Da Red Gobbo Collection, Da Gobbo’s Demise and Da Wrong Type of Green, two hilarious entries that focused the always entertaining orks and grotz.  These short stories were quite hilarious, and it made me very excited when I saw that Flowers had a new Warhammer 40,000 novel focusing on the orks coming out this year with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok.

Plot Synopsis:

“I made Ghazghkull. Not the Gods. Me.”

Grotsnik comes to the aid of Beastboss Bakum on Hive Prome, and it soon becomes apparent that the Mad Dok is feverishly working on something that could change the fate of ork-kind forever.

READ IT BECAUSE
How wild does a painboy have to be to earn the nickname “Mad Dok”? Find out as you follow Grotsnik – with eager scalpel in hand – as he plans his latest galaxy-changing creation. What could it be?

THE STORY
Da Mad Dok Grotsnik, creator of Ghazghkull Thraka, is a painboy beyond legend. What – and who – he harbours in his formidable brain is a mystery to every ork but himself, and an army of orderlies provides him with a constant supply of flesh with which to tinker.

So, when Grotsnik comes to the aid of Beastboss Bakmun, whose rampage on Hive Prome teeters on the brink of going out not with a Waaagh! but with a whimper, Bakmun can’t believe his luck.

Following a series of increasingly unlikely accidents, however, it soon becomes apparent that the Mad Dok is working on something in the depths of his colossal Painwagon. Something big. Something that could change the fate of ork-kind forever, surpassing Grotsnik’s own forging of the Prophet of the Waaagh!…

Denny Flowers continues to showcase why he is one of the fastest-rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction with this highly entertaining and addictive new novel.  Perfectly taking on the always entertaining Warhammer orks, including the over-the-top titular character, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok was an absolute hoot from the very beginning, and I laughed my way through the entire epic story.  One of the most hilarious novels of 2025, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok gets a five-star rating from me due to the pure fun it contained.

Flowers comes up with an exceedingly fun narrative for Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, which I ended up getting through in a very short amount of time.  As the title suggests, this novel follows the machinations of Grotsnik, an ork dok partially responsible for the creation of the legendary Ghazghkull Thraka, the boss of bosses for all ork-kind.  However, on the outs with his creation, Grotsnik joins up with a small band of orks led by Beastboss Bakmun, who is attempting to invade a mysterious human city.  Amongst this new band of orks is the aptly named Valtun the Patient and his clever grot Ikor, both of whom are very suspicious about Grotsnik’s intentions in joining them, especially once various members of the warband start going missing.  What follows is a hilarious series of events as Grotsnik gathers the material for his grand ambitions, while dealing with the strange humans and monsters within the city they are invading, as well as the unique intentions of other ork characters.  Primarily told through the perspective of Valtun and Ikor, who find themselves stuck in Grotsnik’s murderous orbit, these perspective protagonists slowly learn more about the titular character’s intentions, as well as the unique modifications he has made to himself, which turns him into something truly sinister.

Flowers moves this story along at a very quick pace full of funny interactions, crazy battles and the typical brutish humour that all fans of the orks will appreciate.  The action-packed and regularly over-the-top scenes that emerged were so damn fun, and there is honestly not a single slow moment in this book.  At the same time, Flowers installs a clever story throughout Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, mostly based around the maniacal machinations of the titular character and his attempt to outsmart the suspicious Valtun.  It all leads up to a very entertaining ending that completely changes your perspective of Grotsnik’s intentions, while also leaving some of the remaining characters in ironic situations.  I personally loved where the multiple character arcs ended up at the end of this book, and while Valtun and Ikor were both great central figures, Grotsnik really stole the show with his weird behaviour, insane experiments, and the hilarious interactions he had with his unsuspecting patients/victims.  An overall awesome and well-written story that is guaranteed to suck you in with its exceptionally crazy characters and entertaining storytelling.

As with a lot of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, Flowers’s Da Mad Dok book is probably best read by established fans of the franchise, who will have a lot of fun seeing the titular character come to life.  Grotsnik’s unique mentality and connection to the most iconic ork character, Ghazghkull Thraka, makes him a very interesting figure to follow for those in love with the Warhammer canon, and Flowers clearly had a lot of fun utilising him in his story.  However, Flowers has already proven himself to be a very good at making his previous Warhammer 40,000 novels accessible to all readers, and this book is no exception.  Most people with a general knowledge of Warhammer lore and fiction can easily dive into Da Mad Dok’s narrative, and the inherent humour of the characters and the ork faction will keep them coming back for more.  I personally loved Flowers’s latest dive into the orks, and his takes on this crazy faction and some of their more distinctive members were both entertaining and accurate to the lore.  As such, Da Mad Dok has a ton of appeal, and I think most readers are going to have an exceptional time with it.

As has become my habit with all things Warhammer, I ended up listening to Da Mad Dok on audiobook, which is easily the best way to enjoy this fantastic and fun novel.  Coming in with a run time just under seven hours, Da Mad Dok is a very easy audiobook to power through, especially thanks to the great narration of Harry Myers.  Myers, who has really impressed me with books like Day of Ascension and The Wraithbone Phoenix, has an outstanding voice for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, which really fits the over-the-top nature of the universe.  He is particularly good at doing ork voices, such as in Da Big Dakka, Warboss and Da Red Gobbo Collection audiobooks, so I was very happy that he leant his voices to Da Mad Dok.  Myers uses some very fun and excessively gruff voices to bring the various ork characters to life, and the multiple laddish tones he employs are very fitting and very funny.  I cannot emphasise just how good Myers’s voice for these outrageous figures is, and I especially love how he changes from his deeper voices for the orks, to the more petulant and squeaky voice for the grot characters.  There is even a cool voice he uses for one of the more intimidating and iconic members of the cast towards the end of the book, which sounds particularly epic thanks to some vocal enhancement.  This great combination of voices, as well as Myers’s entertaining overall narration was extremely awesome, and it really enhanced Flowers’s already fantastic story.  I honestly cannot recommend this Warhammer 40,000 audiobook enough, and it ended up being one of my favourite listens of the year.

Thanks to the outstanding humour and overall craziness of its characters, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok was a truly wonderful Warhammer 40,000 novel that is very easy to fall in love with.  Denny Flowers excelled at showcasing both the orks in general, and the cruelty and insanity of the titular characters, and the resulting intense and exciting story was a true joy to listen to.  An overall exceptional read, I cannot wait to see what epic Warhammer fiction Flowers writes next.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2025 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction7 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 participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2025.  I am planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more, and this one that will focus on upcoming fantasy and science fiction books.

2025 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books (something I will cover in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday), with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away.  However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2025.  To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to.  I already have a couple of these books in advance, but I think it’s worth including them here, especially as I still need to make time to read them.

I had initially intended to only do a single list featuring all the genres, however, I ended up with way too many awesome upcoming novels on my radar.  So, to fairly feature them all, and to save myself from some hard decisions, I decided to split this post into two separate lists, starting with this one on fantasy and science fiction.  I still had to cut out several impressive upcoming releases, but I was a lot happier with how these lists turned out, especially as I was able to feature so many epic upcoming reads that I am going to have the most fun reading.  Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list.   So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated fantasy and science fiction releases for the second half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025

A cool fantasy debut with an interesting cooking theme that I have had my eye on for a while.

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Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

A fantastic dive into academic hell from the acclaimed R. F. Kuang.

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King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 28 October 2025

A very interesting upcoming book from Joe Hill that will see a group of friends suffer the consequences of summoning a dragon.

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Warhammer 40,000: Voidscarred by Mike Brooks – announced for 2025

I’m very excited for the upcoming Warhammer novel by Mike Brooks that will set Aeldari Corsairs against Ork Freebooterz. Brooks is exceptional Warhammer 40,000 author, with books like Warboss, Da Big Dakka and The Lion: Son of the Forest really showcasing his talent, and I look forward to seeing this very fun upcoming book.

Top Ten List

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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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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The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso – 19 August 2025

Another great upcoming fantasy murder mystery novel I have my eye on is The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso.  The sequel to Caruso’s amazing 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Last Soul Among Wolves will see the series protagonist caught in a cursed mansion during a doomed will reading.  Looking set to combine a classic murder mystery scenario with Caruso’s elaborate fantasy world, The Last Soul Among Wolves has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan – 26 August 2025

One of my favourite fantasy authors, Anthony Ryan, returns with the second book in his awesome Age of Wrath trilogy, Born of an Iron Storm.  The amazing sound sequel to his 2024 novel, A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm will continue the elaborate adventures started in Ryan’s last book.  Set to once again feature a cool Norse-inspired setting, compelling characters, and all manner of plots and conspiracies, Born of an Iron Storm sounds pretty damn incredible and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the better fantasy releases of 2025.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

The always impressive Jonathan Maberry continues to showcase his brilliant writing skills with Cold War, a fantastic upcoming follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek.  Pitting human scientists and soldiers trapped far away in space against ancient cosmic horrors, Cold War should be another gripping read, especially as the humans are fighting back using their powerful, death-powered alien mechs.  Likely to be another particularly dark and haunting read, Cold War has the potential to be an incredible sequel, and I am very keen to check it out.

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The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 23 October 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan.  An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to try and uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended cool worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline.  I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been quite eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now.  Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade is one of the big fantasy releases of October.  Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city within the same realm and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets to get what they want.  I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 6 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades.  The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows.  Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold.  Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington.  The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many (one of my favourite books, audiobooks and Australian novels of 2023), The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past.  However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split amongst three separate worlds, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures.  I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher.  Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force.  With a very cool plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

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That is the end of this list.  I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out, and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming fantasy and science fiction books that should prove to be incredible reads.  I think that every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me.  Make sure to also check out my next list where I dive into upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.  Let me also know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels – June 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List, Warhammer13 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.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday focuses on Bookish Wishes, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to.  So instead I’m going to spend this week’s Top Ten Tuesday updating a regular list of mine where I highlight my absolute favourite Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.

Warhammer is a long-running extended universe that is based around a series of miniature table-top games.  Started by Games Workshop decades ago, Warhammer in its various forms has a large and dedicated following to it, and there are several existing or defunct games associated with the franchise.  The most iconic of these is the Warhammer 40,000 franchise which is set millennia in the future and details a grim-dark universe where multiple factions engage in massive wars and unique battles.  Thanks to years of extended lore, there are a ton of Warhammer 40,000 books and comics out there, with a massive team of great authors contributing more and more to it all the time. 

Due to how much I love this franchise and how many books I have been reading from it, around this time two years ago, I went out of my way to list my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books, which ballooned into a 20-entry feature.  This proved to be a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed highlighting the top Warhammer 40,000 books I read, so much so that I updated it around a year ago.  While I was happy with how these first two lists panned out, I was only really scratching the surface of this massive collection of fiction, as there are a ton of other epic Warhammer 40,000 books out there.  I’ve spent the last year or so getting even further into this franchise, and I have read several additional awesome books, which includes some brand-new favourites.  As such, I figured this would be a good time to update my previous list and feature even more epic pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

As with my previous list about Warhammer 40,000 fiction, I have loaded this entry up with my top 20 favourite books, including several great books I discovered in the last year.  There are some amazing Warhammer 40,000 novels here, and it was interesting to see what new pieces of fiction made it onto the latest version of this list.  I had some very hard decisions to make, and several books that I featured last time needed to be cut, which wasn’t easy to do.  I did once again decide to compact several books from the same series (and written by the same author) into a single entry to increase variety, which I think worked out well.  Overall, I’m very happy with how my Top 20 list turned out and there are so many exceptional and epic novels I would strongly recommend.

Top 20 List (no particular order):

Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

The first entry on this list is the iconic and epic Eisenhorn trilogy by legendary Warhammer author Dan Abnett.  Generally considered one of the most influential authors of Warhammer fiction, Abnett has written several key series and novels in this canon and the Eisenhorn books are some of his finest work.  Made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, this series follows the titular Inquisitor Eisenhorn who investigates several complex conspiracies while trying to keep the Imperium of Man safe.  However, along the way he starts making dark compromises and deals to fight the forces of Chaos, which slowly corrupts him.  Providing an outstanding mixture of elaborate stories, impressive characters and some epic moments, the Eisenhorn trilogy is damn near perfect, and I have had a wonderful time getting through it.  Easily one of the best Warhammer series out there, the Eisenhorn novels are a must-read, and there is a reason why most fans recommend it as a brilliant starting Warhammer 40,000 fiction starting point.

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Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley

Ghazghkull Thraka - Prophet of the Waaagh! Cover

For readers looking for something a little less human-focussed, Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! is the perfect book.  A unique retelling of iconic ork character Ghazghkull Thraka’s origin story, this fantastic novel presents a powerful and instantly compelling story that shows a far deeper side to the ork boss and his followers.  Crowley expertly utilises a series of distinctive perspectives to tell a particularly striking story, and I loved the fun combination of serious elements and humorous undertones.  I had a brilliant time with this novel, and it ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022.  Highly recommended, especially on audiobook due to the amazing team of talented narrators the recruited to voice it.

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Assassinorum: Kingmaker by Robert Rath

Assassinorum Kingmaker Cover

Another Warhammer 40,000 novel from 2022 that topped my best of lists was the insanely good Assassinorum: Kingmaker by talented author Robert Rath.  Following three ultra-elite assassins, Kingmaker showcases their mission to assassinate a king and bring a new era to a feudal Imperial Knight planet.  The only problem is that their target is permanently bonded to a giant mecha, and there are far darker secrets hidden on the planet than they realised.  This book was highly addictive from the very start, and I cannot emphasise how impressively amazing the narrative was.  You really get attached to the major characters, and I loved all the epic mecha-on-mecha fights than ensued.  A top read from one of the franchises fastest rising stars.

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The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley

The Wraithbone Phoenix Cover

One of the things that I most love about Warhammer 40,000 fiction is the sheer range of different stories that can be featured in this universe.  Probably the best example of this is the Warhammer Crime subseries that set a series of powerful crime fiction novels in a futuristic and corrupt Warhammer 40,000 city.  The first one of these that I read was The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley, which features a fast-paced, crime thriller romp as several teams of over-the-top criminals fight to recover a mysterious McGuffin, the titular Wraithbone Phoenix.  The story primarily focuses on the hilarious team of thieving ratling (a futuristic halfling/hobbit) and an enlightened Ogryn (ogre), who find themselves caught in the middle of the heist and hunted by everyone.  Fun, intense and surprisingly moving, this was an amazing book, and readers should also check out Worley’s short audiobook, Dredge Runners, which serves as an exceptional prequel.

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Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill

Storm of Iron Cover 2

From cool crime fiction to brutal sieges, my next entry is the awesome epic Storm of Iron by the legendary Graham McNeill.  Storm of Iron is a powerful and intense read that chronicles a deadly futuristic siege of a legendary citadel by the Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines, the galaxy’s most accomplished siege experts.  What follows is a brutal and lengthy siege novel that sees both sides engage in a hellish campaign to try and survive.  Cleverly showcasing both sides and providing some great context to the antagonists, this is a particularly fun book that is easily one of the best siege novels I have ever read.

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Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks

Da Big Dakka Cover

One of the more entertaining additions to this list is Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks.  Brooks is one of the most talented rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, especially with books like The Lion: King of the Forest and Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom.  While I enjoy his serious work, my favourite book of his is Da Big Dakka.  An intriguing and ultra-entertaining follow-up to his ork novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, Da Big Dakka sets a deadly ork warband against the lethal Drukhari in a battle of wits, carnage and pain.  Hilarious and clever from start to finish, I cannot recommend this book enough as it had me laughing all the way through.

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Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds

Kal Jerico - Sinner's Bounty Cover

There are many great Warhammer 40,000 novels on this list, but only one that I can truly blame for my current love of the franchise, and that’s Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds.  Set in the Necromunda sub-series/game, Sinner’s Bounty presents a whole new adventure from one of the franchise’s best characters, bounty hunter Kal Jerico, as he follows a notorious criminal into the darkest parts of the massive Necromunda hive city.  A massively entertaining romp that features multiple teams of bounty hunters, an army of mutants, and all manner of monsters in the dark sewers of the city, Sinner’s Bounty is so much damn fun and I loved seeing my favourite character back in action.  I hope we get more Kal Jerico books in the future, but in the meantime Sinner’s Bounty an amazing read that perfectly showcases one of the franchises best settings and protagonists.

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The Infinite and The Divine by Robert Rath

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

Another outstanding novel from Robert Rath that I had to feature here is, The Infinite and The Divine.  Focussed on two compelling and brilliant Necron characters, The Infinite and The Divine showcases the legendary feud between them as they spend thousands of years battling over a recovered artefact and its secrets.  Devolving into quite a petty scrap at times, The Infinite and The Divine is one of the funniest and cleverest Warhammer 40,000 books out there as it makes excellent use of humour, intense lore, and some very serious moments to tell a unique and memorable tale.  I had an exceptionally fun time with The Infinite and The Divine, and it is a fantastic novel for all Warhammer fans.

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Gaunt’s Ghosts series – Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Necropolis Cover

There was no way I could exclude Dan Abnett’s other iconic series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books from this list.  Generally considered one of the key pillars of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and essential reading for all newcomers to the franchise, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow the Tanith First and Only, a small regiment from a destroyed planet fighting for redemption in a deadly crusade.  Containing great characters, compelling storylines, and a gritty examination of the common Imperial soldier’s life, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books are extremely captivating and I have had a great deal of fun with them.  When I featured the Gaunt’s Ghosts books in this list last time, I had made some descent progress into the series with books like First and Only, Ghostmaker, Necropolis, Honour Guard and The Guns of Tanith, as well as the prequel novel, The Vincula Insurgency.  I have since had the pleasure of reading another two books in the series with Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr, both of which exceptional reads, especially as they really moved the overall narrative of the Gaunt’s Ghosts books along, while hitting the reader with some major tragedy.  While I still have several more Gaunt’s Ghosts books to go, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Warhammer series out there and I would strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this cool universe. 

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Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier

Lord of the Night Cover

A classic Warhammer 40,000 novel that I have a lot of love for is the dark and compelling Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier.  A unique read that sees a lone Night Lords traitor Space Marine terrorise an entire giant city in the hunt for a legendary artefact, Lord of the Night is a complex, character driven novel that really dives into the villain’s perspective.  Loaded with twists, compelling protagonists and a legendary game of cat and mouse, Lord of the Night is an outstanding read that I’m glad I got the chance to read.

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Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

One of the things that I love about the Warhammer 40,000 franchise is the way in which the Black Library finds and encourages new authors, with several impressive writers making their overall debut with a cool Warhammer 40,000 book.  One of the best recent examples of this was the outstanding novel, Renegades: Lord of Excess by new author Rich McCormick.  A particularly intense and bonkers novel that follows members of the hedonistic Emperor’s Children Chaos Space Marines as they conquer a planet with the goal of making it perfect, Lord of Excess was fantastically over-the-top read that dove into the downsides of excess and obsession.  One of my favourite books, audiobooks and debuts of 2024, Lord of Excess is so damn good, and I cannot wait to see what Rich McCormick writes next.

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Double Eagle/Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

Dan Abnett’s domination of this list continues with the author’s exceptional dive into combat flying and aerial aces in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Spinning off from the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Abnett wrote the impressive novel Double Eagle in 2004, which followed several pilots fighting in the same system-spanning war as the Tanith First and Only.  A particularly gripping novel, Double Eagle made excellent use of it’s Battle of Britain themes and motifs by showing the impact that atmospheric fighter craft can have in an interstellar war and is probably one of Abnett’s best novels.  However, the fun didn’t stop with Double Eagle, as Abnett recently released a long-awaited sequel, Interceptor City.  A particularly powerful read that followed the long-retired protagonist of Double Eagle as she is dragged back into combat, Interceptor City was another exceptional read, that took the awesome aerial combat from the first book and cranked it all the way up to 11.  Both books are incredible, and I can already tell you that Interceptor City is going to end up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025.

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Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Last year I made sure to highlight the amazing first novel in the Ciaphas Cain series, For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell, which I stated was one of the funniest Warhammer novels I have had the pleasure of reading.  However, I was only just scratching the surface of the long-running and beloved Ciaphas Cain series which follows the adventures of Commissar Ciaphas Cain, who is either one of the Imperium’s greatest heroes or a manipulative coward who actively tries to avoid combat, only to end up in even worse situations.  Mitchell paints a pretty hilarious picture around this scenario, and the result is a series of spectacular and side-splittingly funny novels.  I have had a ton of fun getting through several more books in the series, with books like Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls, Cain’s Last Stand and The Emperor’s Finest proving to be extremely awesome.  I still have several more entries to go in this series I can’t wait to see all the fantastic and entertaining ways that Cain will run into trouble in the future books.

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The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

Robert Rath makes yet another appearance on this list with his latest novel, The Fall of Cadia.  A truly epic read that recounts the dire events of the canon-changing, Imperium wrecking, final battle of the 13th Black Crusade, The Fall of Cadia is a remarkable book that Warhammer 40,000 fans will not be able to put down.  Filled with massive battles, unique moments, and so many larger-than-life characters, The Fall of Cadia perfectly captures one of the more essential moments in recent Warhammer 40,000 lore.  Rath is really proving himself to be one of the absolute best authors of Warhammer fiction, as The Fall of Cadia ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.

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Outgunned and Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

While Denny Flowers’ first book, Fire Made Flesh, was a great Necromunda novel, it pales in comparison to his Lucille von Shard novels.  Another cool series that focusses on a flying ace, the Lucille von Shard novels are a very different collection of Warhammer 40,000 books as they look at the dark side of the lies, propaganda and badly run wars that are rife within the Imperium.  The series started with the amazing novel Outgunned which follows an Imperial propaganda specialist who arrives on a swampy battlefield to film inspiration footage of a legendary fighter pilot as she battles an ork invasion, only to discover that his preferred subject is an arrogant drunkard, and everyone is dying for a corrupted planet.  A brilliant and intense novel that not only featured a ton of great aerial combat, but which also dives into some very dark places that shows just how far humanity has fallen in the far future Outgunned was such a great read, and Flowers exceeded himself last year with the excellent sequel Above and Beyond.  Once again following the damaged protagonists of the first book as they find themselves locked in a dark conspiracy of alien lies and deadly propaganda, Above and Beyond was an exceptional read, and one that highlights Denny Flowers as one of the most impressive rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

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Flesh and Steel by Guy Haley

Flesh and Steel Cover

The Warhammer Crime hits keep on coming with Flesh and Steel by renowned author Guy Hayley.  This compelling read acts a bit of an odd-couple, buddy cop story when two very different detectives are forced to team up to investigate a dismembered body left across a city border.  Mixing some fantastic comedy with some pretty dark and horrific elements, Flesh and Steel provided one of the best character-focused stories in the Warhammer Crime range and I was deeply impressed with how everything unfolded.  A key Warhammer Crime read and one that I have a great deal of affection for.

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Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons

Dead Men Walking Cover

Another book that highlight’s the unique human soldiers of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is the moving and tragic novel, Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons.  Featuring a battle between two unrelenting foes, Dead Men Walking pitted the Death Korps of Krieg against the Necrons in a brutal, all-out war with no true winners.  Cleverly told from the perspective of the poor unfortunates caught in the middle of the fighting, Dead Men Walking is an outstanding and dire novel that really highlights how desperate the Warhammer 40,000 universe can be.  The book that cemented Lyons as the master of the Death Korps of Krieg (check out his other novels Krieg and Siege of Vraks), Dead Men Walking was a dark riot from start to finish that will stick with you for a very long time.

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Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Day of Ascension Cover

A great example of the impressive talent that this franchise attracts can be seen in the 2022 novel, Day of Ascension, written by highly renowned author Adrian Tchaikovsky, making his Warhammer debut.  Day of Ascension was a short and sweet novel which sets the robotic and callus Adeptus Mechanicus against a revolution started by a dangerous Genestealer Cult.  Featuring Tchaikovsky’s flair for highlighting alien mindsets and cultures, there are some very clever divergent perspectives in this novel, and I loved diving into the distinctive minds of two very different types of human hybrids.  Successfully introducing a great talent to the franchise, Day of Ascension is a brilliant read and one that I had an epic time with.

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Titanicus by Dan Abnett

While I know that I’ve overdosed this list with Dan Abnett entries, I had no choice but to also include the awesome read Titanicus, which I had the pleasure of reading earlier this year.  Also set around the same conflict featured in the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Titanicus sees an important Forge World invaded by a traitor Titan force, determined to destroy it.  When reinforcements from a crusading Imperial Titan regiment arrives to repel the invaders, all out Titan warfare erupts on the planet as the giant god machines of the grimdark future engage in planet shaking combat.  A particularly impressive novel that showcases a destructive, planet-wide war on multiple fronts, Titanicus is one of the definitive novels about the Titan legions in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I cannot recommend this additional Abnett novel enough.

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Bloodlines by Chris Wraight

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final entry on this list is the insanely good Warhammer Crime novel, Bloodlines by Chris Wraight.  Following a cynical, veteran detective as he is dragged into a problematic missing person’s case, Bloodlines soon devolves into a hard tale of rich privilege and gangster violence as the protagonist refuses to stop investigating a crooked corporation.  Probably one of the best pure crime fiction novels in this range, I loved the clever conclusion to the narrative and Bloodlines is an outstanding read, and one I am particularly keen for a sequel for (the protagonist has some dark secrets that need to come into the light).  Highly recommended.

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And that’s the end of my list.  All 20 of the above books/series come very highly recommended, and each of them would make an excellent addition to any budding Warhammer 40,000 fan’s collection.  I really loved that I was able to update this awesome list with several new books, and I have no doubt I will have even more to add next year when I update it again, especially as there are some great Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in 2025.  I hope I’ve inspired at least one reader to embark on a Warhammer 40,000 adventure, and you honestly won’t be disappointed.

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

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 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.  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 – Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Warhammer3 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, I highlight a recently announced 2025 Warhammer 40,000 novel that I am particularly excited for with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers

Fans of this blog will know that I am a massive sucker for all things Warhammer 40,000, and I have been having a blast reading and reviewing so many fantastic novels and audiobooks from this franchise for years.  2025 is already proving to be an interesting year for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, as not only did I just read and review Leontus: Lord Solar, but we also have the very awesome Interceptor City by Dan Abnett (the sequel to Double Eagle), coming out in a couple of days.  Well, it looks like my 2025 Warhammer experience is set to become even better, as the Black Library have just announced an excellent upcoming book that I am very excited for with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, from one of my favourite Warhammer authors Denny Flowers.

Denny Flowers is an author who has deeply impressed me since they started writing Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Starting with Fire Made Flesh in 2021, Flowers did an outstanding job exploring the Necromunda setting, and Fire Made Flesh ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2021.  Flowers followed his first book up in a big way in 2022 with the fantastic read Outgunned.  An incredibly clever and entertaining novel, Outgunned showcased a deadly fliers war through the eyes of a propaganda expert, who grows to understand the deadly reality they have been trying to sell to the rest of humanity.  Outgunned was such a good book, and it is one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels thanks to its great story and complex characters.  Flowers further impressed last year when he provided us with an exceptional sequel to Outgunned with Above and Beyond.  A powerful read that cleverly expanded on the great character arcs from Outgunned and provided readers with a nuanced take on the human heroes of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Above and Beyond was another exceptional read that ended up being one of my top books and audiobooks of 2024.

Due to how much fun I have had with Flowers in the past, you can understand that I was very excited to find that he had a new book coming out later this year.  While the details of this upcoming novel, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, are a tad sparse (and I only have some unfished covers at this point), the fragmented synopsis below honestly sounds pretty damn amazing, and I am already extremely keen to check it out.


Plot Synopsis:

A painboy of legendary repute, Mad Dok Grotsnik is the singular mind responsible for the towering monstrosity and numero uno Warboss of the Goff clan, Ghazghkull Thraka.* He has an entire army of thuggish orderlies who supply him with fresh meat to experiment on, and a formidable brain that harbours secrets not even the weirdest of boys could reckon at. 

So when he deigns to visit his medical “expertise” upon the beleaguered Bakum, whose faltering Waaagh! against Hive Prome is threatening to peter out, the Beastboss can’t believe his luck. But in reality, the Mad Dok is working on something monumental in his Painwagon, something that will supplant the creation of Ghazghkull as his grandest medical achievement and change the nature of ork-kind forever. 


Ok, now this sounds pretty damn awesome.  I have a special love for ork stories in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, which are so damn hilarious thanks to their over-the-top characters and crazy narratives.  Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok sounds like a particularly good example of this, and a story about a crazed ork painboy taking over a Waaagh! to create some elaborate medical experiment can only be amazing.  I have no doubts whatsoever that Flowers will do an incredible job with this premise, especially after showcasing his ability to write ork characters with his two short story entries in Da Red Gobbo Collection.

Look, I honestly will grab any new piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that Denny Flowers produces, as Flowers is an author that honestly gets better with every book he writes. However, a fantastically fun and elaborately over-the-top read about one of the canon’s most feared ork painboys is something I am extremely keen on, and there is no way that this won’t be good.  As such, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok is one of my most anticipated Warhammer 40,000 novels coming out in 2025, and it won’t surprise me if this ends up being one of the best books I read all year.