Top Ten Tuesday – Books From My Past Seasonal TBR Posts I STILL Haven’t Read

On July 26, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List5 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. In this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to go back to their old Seasonal TBR lists and see which books from them they have still not read. This was a very interesting and useful topic to look at as this once again reminds me about all the awesome books out there that I was excited for but which I never got around to reading.

There are quite a few books out there now that I have been meaning to read for a very long time. Many of these books have been featured to a degree on my blog either through optimistic Waiting on Wednesday posts or in shameful “I wish I had read” Top Ten lists, where I air my great regrets about not checking out a certain release (to be fair, I only have so much time and there are so many awesome books out there). So now again it is good to go back and see which ones I have missed to remind me of what I need to read and provide some motivation for it. I just did a similar post last week regarding books from the first half of the year that I still need to read, however, I like the idea of going back and looking at some previous Top Ten Tuesday posts and seeing what other books lie there.

To appear on this list, a potential book needed to be both unread by me and have appeared on a previous Top Ten Tuesday Seasonal TBR post that I have done. I chose to exclude a couple of my more recent Seasonal TBR posts, namely those from 2022, as that would have just doubled up my list from last week. Despite these exclusions, there were still several lists to scour for potential entries and I was able to determine several books that would be appropriate for this list. However, this wasn’t as easy as I had thought, as it turns out I’m pretty good at getting through the books on these TBR lists, and most had been read and reviewed by me. In the end, I did manage to find 10 entries, as well as a few honourable mentions, and the results below are quite intriguing. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Providence by Max Barry

Star Trek: Rogue Elements by John Jackson Miller

The Liar’s Knot by M. A. Carrick

Top Ten Tuesday:

The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston

Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzie Lee

The Righteous by David Wragg

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

A Fool’s Hope by Mike Shackle

Star Trek: The Dark Veil by James Swallow

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso

Eagle Station by Dale Brown

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

Daughters of Night by Lauren Shepherd-Robinson

Well, that ended up being a rather interesting list. As you can see from the above, there are still several outstanding novels that I really need to read, and I hope that I get the chance at some point in the future. All 10 of the above sound like incredible reads, and I honestly have not purposely chosen not to read any of them, I just haven’t had the time or ability to check them out. Hopefully that will eventually change, as I am extremely keen for several of them, and I have no doubt they will be epic reads.

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

On January 11, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List8 Comments

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

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

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

Honourable Mentions:

Galaxias by Stephen Baxter

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

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

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

The Burning by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

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

Star Trek Discovery: Wonderlands by Una McCormack

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

Top Ten List:

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

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

The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston

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

The Noise by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

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

Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie

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

The Righteous by David Wragg

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

Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee

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

Star Wars: Visions: Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon

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

The Last Watch by J. S. Dewes

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

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

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

The Liar’s Knot by M. A. Carrick

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

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

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

On November 9, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn List10 Comments

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

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

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

Honourable Mentions:

Red Wolves by Adam Hamdy

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

Cave Diver by Jake Avila

Top Ten List:

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

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

Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee

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

The Righteous by David Wragg

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

Star Wars: Visions: Ronin by Emma Mieko Candon

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

The Noise by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

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

Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

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

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield

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

The Last Watch by J. S. Dewes

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

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

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

The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston

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

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

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Winter 2021 TBR

On June 15, 2021 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. For this Top Ten Tuesday, participants need to list the top releases that they are looking forward to reading this summer (or winter for us down here in Australia). This is a fun exercise that I have done for each of the preceding seasons, and it is always interesting to highlight the various cool-sounding books and comics that are coming out in the next few months.

For this list I have come up with 10 of the best novels that are coming out between 1 June 2021 and 31 August 2021. I have decided to exclude novels that I have already read, or I am currently reading, so that took a couple of key books off the list. Still, this left me with a rather substantial pool of cool upcoming novels that I am excited for, which I was eventually able to whittle down into a great Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have previously discussed a number of these books before a number of my Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be some really impressive and enjoyable reads.

Honourable Mentions:

The Coward by Stephen Aryan – 6 June 2021

The Councillor by E. J. Beaton – 20 July 2021

The Dying Squad by Adam Simcox – 27 July 2021

Star Trek: Picard: Rogue Elements by John Jackson Miller – 17 August 2021

Top Ten List:

Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzie Lee – 1 June 2021

The Righteous by David Wragg – 10 June 2021

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott – 29 June 2021

The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry – 30 June 2021

I am really looking forward to reading the extremely fun-sounding science fiction thriller, The 22 Murders of Madison May by Australian author Max Barry. This fantastic novel will feature an amazing narrative about a reporter who hunts a serial killer across various alternate realities. I am very keen to check this great novel out, and I am expecting a compelling and entertaining read.

It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts – 6 July 2021

I am very, very keen to get my hands on this book, especially after how much I have enjoyed some of Shvarts’s previous novels (such as City of Bastards and War of the Bastards). However, I may have to wait a little longer to read it down in Australia as it is coming out here a little later than in the rest of the world. Still, I am sure it will be worth the wait, as It Ends in Fire has the potential to be one of the best young adult books of 2021.

Relentless by Jonathan Maberry – 13 July 2021

Billy Summers by Stephen King – 3 August 2021

Starlight Enclave by R. A. Salvatore – 3 August 2021

The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston – 10 August 2021

I have to say that I absolutely love the new cover for The Maleficent Seven which looks absolutely crazy and really fun.

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan – 31 August 2021

The final entry on this list is the intriguing upcoming novel from bestselling author Anthony Ryan, The Pariah. While I have not previously had the pleasure of reading any Ryan’s books before, I have heard some incredible things about his pervious series, and I fully intend to check them out at some point in the future. In the meantime, I am keen to read his next book, The Pariah, especially as it contains an amazing sounding narrative about a former outlaw turned soldier. Based on how beloved Ryan’s previous novels are I am fairly confident that The Pariah will turn out to be one of the top fantasy reads of 2021 and I cannot wait to check it out.

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. Each of the above should be pretty epic, 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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Autumn 2021 TBR

On March 17, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 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 Top Ten Tuesday, participants need to list the top releases that they are looking forward to reading in Spring (or Autumn for us down here in Australia). This is a fun exercise that I have done for each of the preceding seasons, and it is always interesting to highlight the various cool sounding books that are coming out in the next few months.

For this list I have come up with 10 of the best novels that are coming out between 1 March 2021 and 31 May 2021. I have decided to exclude novels that I have already read, so that took a couple of key books off the list. Still, this left me with a rather substantial pool of cool upcoming novels that I am excited for, which I was eventually able to whittle down into a great Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be some really impressive and enjoyable reads. I am actually really excited for the next three months as there are some incredible novels coming out, several of which I already know are going to be amongst the best books of 2021.

Honourable Mentions:

Blackout by Simon Scarrow – 30 March 2021

Crusader by Ben Kane – 27 April 2021

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – 4 May 2021

Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee – 1 June 2021

Top Ten List:

The Councillor by E. J. Beaton – 2 March 2021

The first entry on this list is a rather intriguing fantasy debut from Australian author E. J. Beaton. The Councillor looks set to contain a thrilling and clever tale about politics, murder and betrayal in a cool new fantasy realm. This book has a lot of potential and I am rather keen to check it out.

Star Wars: Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed – 4 March 2021

I had to include at least one Star Wars book on this list (it’s practically a tradition for me at this point), and while I was very tempted to include the new Thrawn Ascendency novel, Greater Good (especially after how much I enjoyed the previous book, Chaos Rising), I instead decided I am a little more excited for Star Wars: Victory’s Price. Victory’s Price is the third and final entry in Alexander Freed’s excellent Alphabet Squadron series which follows a rag-tag group of New Republic pilots in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. The last two books, Alphabet Squadron and Shadow Fall, have been really exceptional reads, and I am very excited to see how this amazing series ends.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst – 9 March 2021

Last year I was lucky enough to enjoy fantasy author Sara Beth Durst’s work for the first time when I checked out her 2020 release, Race the Sands, which featured a captivating conspiracy around monster racing. Race the Sands was an epic read that I deeply enjoyed and it ended up being one of my favourite books (and audiobooks) of 2020. As a result, I have been rather keen to check out Durst’s next standalone fantasy book, The Bone Maker. I actually started reading The Bone Maker today and have made a fair bit of progress already. So far it has been pretty amazing and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Breakout by Paul Herron – 9 March 2021

Another intriguing debut, Breakout is a fantastically fun sounding thriller which sees a mostly innocent man attempt to escape from the most secure prison in the planet, whilst it is in the process of getting flooded during a raging storm. This has so much potential for action-packed fun and I am sure it is going to be an absolute blast to read.

Firefly: Life Signs by James Lovegrove – 16 March 2021

Another fantastic tie-in novel that I am looking forward to reading this month is the awesome sounding Firefly: Life Signs. I have been really loving the awesome batch of Firefly novels that have been released recently (Big Damn Hero, The Magnificent Nine, Generations and The Ghost Machine), and Life Signs sounds particularly good, especially as they revisit an interesting, unused storyline from the show. This should be an outstanding read and I am looking forward to it.

The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell – 30 March 2021

Last year, Nick Martell had one of the best debuts of 2020 with The Kingdom of Liars, a clever and captivating fantasy novel, set in a world where magic steals people’s memories. The Kingdom of Liars was an exceptionally amazing read and I have been really keen to see how the sequel turns out. I have already heard some intriguing things about this book and I am hoping that it will be just as good, if not better, than Martell’s impressive first novel.

A Comedy of Terrors by Lindsey Davis – 30 March 2021

I am always very happy when a new Lindsey Davis novel is released, and her current body of work, the Flavia Alba Roman historical fiction series, has featured some exceptional novels in recent years (check out my reviews for The Last Nero, Pandora’s Boy, A Capitol Death and The Grove of the Caesars). The next book in the series, A Comedy of Terrors, has an incredible sounding story to it, with murder and treason occurring during a popular festival. I am extremely keen to unwrap this latest historical mystery and I am hoping for another clever and entertaining read.

Usagi Yojimbo: Homecoming by Stan Sakai – 14 April 2021

It has been a long year, but my favourite comic book series, the incredible Usagi Yojimbo series by the legendary Stan Sakai, is finally releasing another volume. The upcoming Usagi Yojimbo comic, Homecoming, is the second volume to be released completely in colour (the other being last years Bunraku and Other Stories), and has an intense sounding story and will no doubt be filled with exciting characters, impressive art work and Sakai’s trademark love for Japanese culture and heritage. I already know that I am going to deeply love this amazing comic and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence – 5 May 2021

Last year I finally got around to reading one of Mark Lawrence’s impressive fantasy novels, The Girl and the Stars, which followed a young women forced to survive in the dark and dangerous world beneath a desolate ice planet. I had an outstanding time reading this book and I am now extremely keen to read Lawrence’s next novel, The Girl and the Mountain. This cool sounding upcoming sequel looks set to continue the epic story started in The Girl and the Stars, and I am really excited to see what happens next.

Protector by Conn Iggulden – 18 May 2021

The final book on this list is Protector, the next novel from the always incredible Conn Iggulden, who is one of the best authors of historical fiction in the world today. Protector is the sequel to last year’s awesome read The Gates of Athens and is part of a great series that will chart the rise and fall of ancient Athens. This next book will continue to detail the war against the Persians while also highlighting some of the leading figures in the city, and I already know that this is going to be an exceptional and epic read.

Waiting on Wednesday – Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee

On January 27, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Superhero, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday article, I take a look at a very cool upcoming young adult novel that follows two captivating and popular members of the Marvel Comics universe with Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee.

Gamora and Nebula - Sisters in Arms Cover

Mackenzi Lee is a bestselling author who has produced a wide range of intriguing and powerful novels in her impressive career. Lee is probably best known for her Montague Siblings series, which follows a cad and his sister as they explore some of the insanities of historical Europe. I personally know Lee best for her recent series of young adult tie-in novels based around characters from Marvel Comics. Lee is currently working on a cool trilogy of novels that follows teenage versions of iconic Marvel antiheroes as they embark in complex and exciting adventures. This series started back in 2019 with the very enjoyable Loki: Where Mischief Lies, which set the titular trickster god on an emotionally harrowing adventure in Victorian London. I very much enjoyed this cool novel about a young, insecure Loki, and I have been really looking forward to seeing which fantastic character Lee focuses her next book on.

The wait is over as I finally have some solid details about the second book in this young adult superhero series, Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms, which is currently set for release on 1 June 2021. As the name suggests, this upcoming book will follow the siblings Gamora and Nebula, daughters of the ruthless tyrant Thanos, as they engage in a dangerous game of life and death on a desolate, western-inspired planet. A number of details about this book have already been released, and I have pulled together the following synopsis from a couple of sites to highlight what is going to happen in the book.

Synopsis:

The relationship between teenage adopted sisters Gamora and Nebula is as volatile as ever. When they end up on a deteriorating planet being mined for its valuable resources, the two sisters are faced with a series of events that force them to explore the source of their rivalry-and where their loyalty truly lies. This action-packed yet sincere story will tug on the heartstrings of anyone who has ever had to learn how deeply weird and changeable trust can be.

Gamora arrives on Torndune—a once-lush planet that has been strip-mined for the power source beneath its surface—with a mission: collect the heart of the planet. She doesn’t know who sent her, why they want it, or even what the heart of a planet looks like. But as the daughter of Thanos, the right hand of her father, and one of the galaxy’s most legendary warriors, her job is not to ask questions. Her job is to do what she’s told, no matter the cost.

What she doesn’t know is that her sister Nebula is in hot pursuit. Nebula has followed Gamora to Torndune in hopes of claiming the planet’s heart first and shaming her sister as vengeance for the part she played in Nebula losing her arm. While Gamora falls in with a group of miners attempting to overthrow the tyrannical mining corporation that controls their lives, Nebula allies herself with the Universal Church of Truth, whose missionaries wait on every street corner to recruit more followers and tithes for the Matriarch. Both sisters hope their alliance will give them access to one of the massive diggers capable of drilling to the center of the planet.

But they closer they get to the heart of the planet—and to each other—the closer they get to uncovering the truth of what brought them there and the role they may unknowingly be playing in a twisted competition with galactic consequences. A competition they can never win . . . unless they learn to trust each other.

And trust is the biggest lie in the galaxy.

Now this sounds like it is going to be an intense and amazing novel, and I cannot wait to see what cool magic Lee weaves together in her latest book. The entire premise of these two deadly siblings fighting to be the one to claim a mysterious object (which is probably going to be an Infinity Stone) has a lot of potential for action, excitement and manipulation, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out. It also sounds like Lee is going to dive into some interesting aspects of the cosmic-based Marvel Comics. Not only will Thanos, Gamora and Nebula be featured but the author is also going to look at somewhat obscure groups like the Universal Church of Truth, an old-school Guardians of the Galaxy antagonist. This should add some intriguing elements to the narrative of this book, and I will be curious to see what other characters and organisations make an appearance throughout Sisters in Arms.

While the plot of this book sounds very impressive, it looks like a great deal of this novel’s focus will be on the relationship between Gamora and Nebula. From what I understand, Sisters in Arms will be set in a period when Gamora is still loyal to her father, who regularly pits her against Nebula, resulting in her sister losing her arm, and probably more. As a result, the two characters will start off as bitter rivals and the novel will spend substantial time examining the complex relationship between the two warriors. This should prove to be an intriguing and compelling heart of Sisters in Arms, and I am very curious to see how deeply Lee dives into the hearts and minds of these fantastic characters. I felt that Lee did a fantastic job examining and exploring the true Loki in her previous novel, and I am anticipating some more great character work in this second book. It will be interesting to see how this turns out and I am hopeful it will turn out to be an impressive highlight of the novel.

Based on everything I heard above, and because of her awesome work with Loki: Where Mischief Lies, I think that this new upcoming novel from Lee is going to be extremely enjoyable. I really like the sound of the incredible story that is going to be featured in Gamora & Nebula: Sisters at Arms and I am very excited to see more of these two beloved comic characters. I really do believe that this upcoming book will be an awesome read and I am looking forward to it.