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

On December 10, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 Comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was books set in a snowy place, which while interesting, is something I am putting aside for the moment as I want to continue with my end of year best-of lists, which I started last week when I looked at pre-2025 novels I read this year. instead, this week I will be looking at new-to-me authors I discovered in 2025. This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 versions), and it is one that I always have a lot of fun doing.

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

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

Honourable Mentions:

Adam Christopher – Star Wars: Master of Evil

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

Matthew Farrer – Warhammer 40,000: Crossfire

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

Joe Hill – King Sorrow

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

Ryan North – Star Trek: Lower Decks

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

Top Ten List:

Matt Dinniman – Dungeon Crawler Carl series

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

Lamar Giles – Star Wars: Sanctuary

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

Scott Mariani – The Pilgrim’s Revenge

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

Adam Plantinga – The Ascent

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

Jackson Ford – The Bone Raiders

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

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – Badlands

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

Gabriel Bergmoser – High Rise

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

R. F. Kuang – Katabasis

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

Edward Ashton – Mickey7

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

Krysten Ritter (with Lindsay Jamieson) – Retreat

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

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

High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser

On November 30, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Harper Collins (Trade Paperback – 1 August 2025)

Series: Standalone/The Hunted spin-off

Length: 309 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out 5 stars

Prepare for carnage as rising Australian author Gabriel Bergmoser presents a high-octane and beautifully brutal thriller, High Rise, an outstanding and deeply entertaining novel with some real intensity behind it.

Gabriel Bergmoser is an intriguing author who has written some compelling and exciting pieces of Australian fiction over the last few years. Originally known more for his work as a playwright, Bergmoser has been more active as a thriller author in recent years with his Hunted books, as well as the standalone novel The Caretaker. High Rise serves as continuation of Bergmoser’s previous Hunted books, The Hunted and The Inheritance, as well as some of the author’s separately released Audible Originals, and follows a supporting character from The Inheritance on his own brutal adventure.

Plot Synopsis:

After a year of searching, rogue ex-cop Jack Carlin has finally found his estranged daughter, Morgan, holed up in the top floor of a rundown, grimy high-rise building. The trouble is, Jack’s unconventional policing and information-gathering methods in the past has made him some serious enemies. And what Jack doesn’t know as he heads into the building, intent on saving his daughter, is firstly, that Morgan doesn’t want to be saved – particularly not by him – and secondly, that the entire criminal underworld in the city are on their way too… There’s a bounty on his head, and they’re after his blood – and they don’t mind if Morgan is collateral damage.

As bounty hunters and gang members converge on the building, father and daughter are thrown into a desperate fight for survival through fifteen storeys of deadly enemies – with only each other to rely on. Die Hard meets The Raid, but the funnier, grittier Australian version. Fast, furious and ferocious, this is thriller writing at its nail-biting, unputdownable best.

Now that was a load of fun. High Rise was a highly entertaining and relentlessly exciting Australian novel, as Bergmoser unleashes one of his dangerous protagonists on a horde of criminals. Featuring a continuous blast of action, violence and family drama, High Rise was an amazing and addictive novel that I absolutely powered through.

I had a great time reading the ultra-exciting narrative featured within High Rise, especially as Bergmoser eagerly created an Australian thriller in the same vein as some classic over-the-top action films. Starting off fast with an effective reintroduction to protagonist Jack Carlin, Bergmoser sets up the main points of the narrative extremely well, and you soon get stuck into the main part of the book, with Jack finding himself trapped on the top floor of a high-rise building filled with petty criminals, bikies, thugs and even some professional hitmen. What follows is an entertaining blitz of outrageous and brutal action as Jack, and his daughter Morgan, attempt to fight their way downstairs.

Unsurprisingly for an action-packed brawl against criminals and killers, the plot of High Rise moves at a very quick pace. Bergmoser does a good job splitting the narrative between the two main protagonists, Jack and Morgan, which allows the author to dive into their strained relationship, as well as their own complicated pasts. Thanks to some creative splitting up, both characters have some interesting solo moments in the middle part of the novel, which also features some unlikely allies. The climax of the story comes on fast, and there are a couple of good twists there, as well as the appearance of a figure fans of Bergmoser will be very familiar with. While the identity of the main antagonist of the novel isn’t too surprising, some of the supporting villains were quite fun, especially as the author made good use of the character history he introduced in this novel. Everything leads up to an intense and emotionally charged finale, which features even more over-the-top action for the reader to enjoy, including some very unique weaponry for an urban Australian setting. The conclusion of the High Rise was quite poignant and served as a good wrap up to the character development Bergmoser had been exploring throughout the book. This was an overall exciting and intense narrative that has a lot of great moments for action fans.

Bergmoser did a great job of showcasing his action-packed story throughout High Rise, and this proved to be a very entertaining and addictive read as a result. The many, many fight sequences I have already gushed about are well-written, and readers can easily visualise these brutal battles and over-the-top sequences thanks to Bergmoser’s descriptive style. The author also successfully kept up his frenetic pace the entire way through, which allowed me to easy power through this book quickly. There is a certain level of humour to High Rise, especially with a range of clueless goons and other entertaining characters, and things do get a little ridiculous at times. This bit of comedic charm is well balanced by the deeper personal issues of the two protagonists, whose dysfunction is further showcased by various flashback sequence, which Bergmoser works into the plot without slowing the pace of the book down. As such, there are no impediments to powering through this book quickly, and I guarantee most readers will knock this off in only a few sessions.

As I mentioned at the start of the novel, High Rise serves as an extension to the author’s Hunted series. The protagonist has previously appeared in some of Bergmoser’s previous novels and audiobook releases, most prominently The Inheritance, while another of the author’s protagonists is reintroduced later in the novel. Despite being part of a larger series, any reader interested in checking out High Rise should be able to follow the plot of this novel without any issues. Indeed, I personally haven’t had the chance to read Bergmoser’s previous books, and I was able to enjoy High Rise quite easily. While there are references to previous events from the series, and the author is a little cagey at first about the protagonist’s connections to Maggie, the main character of The Hunted and The Inheritance, Bergmoser quickly fills in any necessary gaps with his accessible writing, and new readers should be able to follow along easily. As such, High Rise is a great book for any thriller reader, and indeed it works quite well as an introduction to Bergmoser and his writing style.

While I did decide to read High Rise mainly because of its fun-sounding plot and the excessive violence it promised, I came away appreciating the great character work that Bergmoser featured. Most of the book follows main protagonist Jack Carlin and his daughter Morgan, both of whom have a troubled past and a tense relationship with each other. The author does an excellent job diving into their complex personal history, especially with the novel’s regular split in perspective, and you get some intriguing insights into their pasts, much of which impacts their current motivations and reactions. This includes Carlin’s regretful history as a corrupt cop, much of which impacted his relationship with Morgan, who herself suffered a dark childhood due to her mother, as well as her own alcohol induced mistakes. These character elements become cleverly entwined with the main narrative, and the antagonism and mistrust between the two added to the drama of the plot. I think that Bergmoser handled this troubled relationship very well, and it was a great highlight of High Rise’s plot, especially attempt to address it in their own troubled way.

While High Rise is primarily focused on Jack and Morgan, several other characters do get their moment to shine. This includes Maggie, the protagonist of several of the author’s previous books, who has a more supporting role in this novel after appearing later in the plot. Due to her lack of perspective chapters, Maggie does have less of an impact than the author’s previous novels, but her intense personality and unique friendship with Jack ensure she stands out. Other key figures, including a Swedish assassin and the violent former member of a bikie club that Jack and Maggie previously destroyed, add some interesting flair to the plot, especially when some unlikely alliances form, and both had some memorable histories and appearances here. Throw in an army of low-level thugs and criminals who also attempt to claim the bounty on Jack, including some who have history with him, and High Rise features a very entertaining cast of characters, and it was very fun to see them try to kill each other.

Gabriel Bergmoser continues to produce extremely thrilling and entertaining Australian crime fiction content with his latest novel High Rise. A relentlessly brutal novel, loaded with action, bloodshed and some fantastic emotional depth, High Rise was a great read that I had an amazing time getting through. Highly recommended!

WWW Wednesday – 29 October 2025

On October 30, 2025 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:

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the exciting historical fiction read, The Pilgrim’s Revenge. An awesome release from thriller author Scott Mariani, The Pilgrim’s Revenge follows a young man who joins the crusades to hunt down the knights that killed his family. Filled with plenty of action and adventure, I’m about halfway through The Pilgrim’s Revenge at the moment, and I look forward to seeing this fantastic story comes together.

The Feeding by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)

After already impressing this year with his fantasy release, Born of an Iron Storm, acclaimed author Anthony Ryan showcases his variety by also releasing a horror novel, The Feeding. Featuring an intriguing post-apocalyptic vampire narrative, The Feeding is a deeply compelling book I am having a ton of fun reading it. I’ve absolutely powered through the audiobook version of The Feeding the last couple of days, and I’m probably going to end up finishing it off very soon. An outstanding novel that comes very highly recommended.

What did you recently finish reading?

High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser (Trade Paperback)

An excellent and deeply intense Australian thriller from a very fun author. High Rise was a great read, and I really enjoyed getting through it.

Warhammer 40,000: The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent (Audiobook)

I managed to finish off the incredible Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent this week. An excellent debut novel that follows the infamous Night Lords as they deal with brutal treachery and infighting amongst a fractious alliance of Chaos Space Marines, The Remnant Blade was extremely impressive, and this was probably one of the best debuts I’ve read so far this year.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

The next book that I am hoping to get into is The Proving Ground from acclaimed crime fiction author, Michael Connelly. The latest novel in his Lincoln Lawyer series, The Proving Ground will see two iconic protagonists from Connelly’s shared universe team up to take on a corrupt AI company. Sure to be an outstanding legal thriller, I have very high hopes for The Proving Ground and I know I’m going to love it.

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 – 22 October 2025

On October 23, 2025 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:

High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the awesome Australian thriller High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser. A fast-paced thrill ride that sees a former cop forced to fight his way through an apartment block filled with gangsters and hitman trying to claim a bounty on his head, High Rise is proving to be a lot of fun and I’m hoping to power through it this weekend.

Warhammer 40,000: The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent (Audiobook)

I also started the outstanding Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent this week. An excellent debut novel that follows the infamous Night Lords as they deal with brutal treachery and infighting amongst a fractious alliance of Chaos Space Marines, The Remnant Blade is proving to be extremely impressive, and I can’t wait to see how this excellent audiobook comes together.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Widow by John Grisham (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the new John Grisham novel, The Widow this week. An enticing legal thriller from the always reliable Grisham, The Widow was an outstanding read and I’m hoping to write something about it soon.

Warhammer 40,000: Final Deployment by R. S. Wilt (Audiobook)

I also powered through the cool Warhammer 40,000 audiobook Final Deployment. The debut novel of author R. S. Wilt, Final Deployment was an intense and bloody ride that I couldn’t get enough of.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani

The next book that I’m hoping to read is the intriguing historical thriller, The Pilgrim’s Revenge. An awesome 2025 release from thriller author Scott Mariani, The Pilgrim’s Revenge sounds particularly epic, and I’ve been hoping to read it for a while, especially as Mariani has a sequel coming out very soon.

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

Book Haul – 4 August 2025

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

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

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

The first awesome new book I recently received is the new Steve Cavanagh novel, Two Kinds of Stranger. An excellent legal thriller from Cavanagh that will see his former conman protagonist attempt to save an innocent client from a terrible set of circumstances, Two Kinds of Stranger sounds very cool and I am hoping to read it soon.

The Final Vow by M. W. Craven

Next, we have the exceptional novel from M. W. Craven, The Final Vow. Part of his Washington Poe series, The Final Vow will see Craven’s intense protagonist attempt to stop a deadly sniper terrorizing the UK. I love the sound of this book, and I am very excited to read it, especially after how impressive the previous entry in the series, The Mercy Chair, turned out last year. I honestly believe that The Final Vow is going to end up being one of the top thrillers of 2025 and I cannot wait to dive into it.

Templar Traitor by Angus Donald

I was very happy to have received a copy of the excellent historical fiction novel, Templar Traitor, this week, especially as I really enjoyed author Angus Donald’s first book many years ago. This latest novel features a very interesting plot about an English knight who joins the Mongol army as it invaded Europe. I am actually reading Templar Traitor now and it is proving to be a very impressive read with a great story behind it.

The Detective by Matthew Reilly

The always outstanding Matthew Reilly dives into the crime fiction genre this year with The Detective. The Detective will see a new investigator protagonist dive into a long-running case of missing girls and murdered detectives in the American South. The Detective sounds like a particularly awesome read and I am really intrigued to see how this cool novel unfolds.

High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser

I am very excited for this next book, High Rise by Australian author Gabriel Bergmoser, which honestly sounds so damn awesome. Featuring a very cool plot about a rogue cop who finds himself being hunted by an entire city’s underworld in his daughter’s apartment building, High Rise has the potential to be one of the most thrilling Australian novels of 2025, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

Seed by Bri Lee

A compelling thriller about two people stuck out in an isolated seed vault, Seed sounds really good and could be quite an interesting read.

Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville

A gritty and layered novel from a very highly regarded thriller author.

Dead Line by Marc Cameron

An outstanding new novel from Marc Cameron set in Alaska that has a very intriguing plot synopsis behind it.

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

The final book I recently received is the fantastic murder mystery novel Five Found Dead by Australian author Sulari Gentill. An interesting take on the classic train-based whodunnit, Five Found Dead sounds like quite a compelling read, and I am curious to see what sort of mystery Gentill has planned. I am hoping to start reading Five Found Dead in the next week or so, and it should prove to be a pretty amazing mystery.

Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.