Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Debuts of 2024

On January 21, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List13 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 involved listing the 10 latest additions to your bookshelf, which while interesting, is something I’ll probably be covering in my next book haul post. Instead, for this week I am going to continue listing some of my favourite books of 2024 (make sure to check out my previous lists that highlighted my favourite sequels, audiobooks, pre-2024 novels, new-to-me-authors in 2024 and overall favourite books of 2024), by examining my favourite debuts released in 2024.

2024 was an awesome year for debuts as there were an excellent array of new authors releasing some impressive and entertaining first novels. I always love checking out new authors when they produce their first book or dive into a whole new genre, and I was blown away with some of the debut talent on display this year. As such, I am glad that I can highlight some of the absolute best of these releases in this Top Ten list.

To be eligible for this list, the book had to be a 2024 release that was either the author’s first novel ever, or a novel that was substantially different from an author’s previous work (their debut in the genre). I ended up reading quite a few good debuts in 2024, which allowed me to pull together a full list of 10 books, as well as a couple of honourable mentions. I am pretty happy with the results, and I feel that this list captures my favourite debuts of the year and highlights them accordingly. So, let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander

A moving novel about guilt and secrets, as a damaged protagonist is confronted by a dark incident from her past.

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

An exciting, fast-paced thriller from actor Jon Lindstrom that was fun to check out.

Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

The first book I want to highlight is the epic debut novel from Rich McCormick, Lord of Excess. McCormick’s very first novel, Lord of Excess was part of the Renegades sub-series of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and followed a warband of the fallen Emperor’s Children Legion of Chaos Space Marines who have completely fallen to hedonism and the pursuit of pleasure. McCormick came up with an exceptional plot for Lord of Excess that saw the warband take over an isolated planet, only for their dark proclivities to turn on them in unexpected ways. This was such a clever and compelling read, and Lord of Excess ended up being one my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024 and is a very worthy addition to this list of great debuts.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

I had a lot of fun reading the awesome fantasy novel, Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland last year and had to include it on this list. The first adult fantasy novel from Corland, who previously released children and young adult fiction under the name Meridith Ireland, Five Broken Blades was an excellent book that saw several dangerous killers and liars come together to assassinate an immortal king, only to betray each other time and time again. I had a really good time with Five Broken Blades, and I am actually listening to the sequel, Four Ruined Realms as I put this post up.

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

The most recent 2024 debut I read; The Ascent was an extremely epic thriller loaded with action, excitement and over-the-top characters. The debut novel of author Adam Plantinga, The Ascent follows a desperate battle for survival as a small group find themselves trapped in a rioting prison and must fight their way up several levels of dangerous criminal to get to safety. An intense and ultra-thrilling book from start to finish, The Ascent was such a great read, and I am very glad I decided to check it out.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

A bold new fantasy author debuted in 2024 with James Logan, who released the outstanding book The Silverblood Promise. Setting a dishonoured scion on a desperate quest to find his father’s killers, The Silverblood Promise introduced a cool new fantasy city that the protagonist is forced to navigate as he tries to secure a vital clue. However, he soon finds himself caught up in an elaborate conspiracy and must rely on an unlikely group of allies to survive and overcome his new opponents. This was a particularly awesome novel that really impressed me, as Logan weaves together a compelling tale of adventure, magic and intrigue that I couldn’t get enough of. One of the stronger fantasy books of 2024, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing first novel from Logan and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Blackfire Blade, later this year.

Outrider by Mark Wales

Next on this list of amazing debuts is the intense first book from Australian author Mark Wales, Outrider. Envisioning a grim future for Australia, Wales sets out a thrilling tale of survival and war as an elite soldier traverses a conquered countryside with his young son, hoping to recover an asset that will allow his group of rebels to survive an enemy incursion. An exciting and compelling read, Outrider was a very distinctive Australian book and a great debut from Mark Wales.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward

The other incredible Warhammer 40,000 debut of 2024 that I want to highlight in this post was the dark and chilling Deathworlder by new author Victoria Hayward. Set on a doomed planet being consumed by the alien Tyranids, Deathworlder follows a small group of rugged human soldiers as they attempt to complete one last mission against their ravenous enemies. A powerful Warhammer read, Hayward did an outstanding job of balancing complex characters with a particularly grim scenario, as the protagonists witness the world being digested around them as they are being stalked by deadly monsters. Easily one of the more haunting books of 2024, Deathworlder was an outstanding debut, and Hayward is a Warhammer author to keep an eye on in the future.

The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski

2024 was full of fun thrillers but one of the most entertaining was the cool first book from Gregg Podolski, The Recruiter. Following a criminal recruiter who specialises in bringing together professional killers with potential clients, The Recruiter sees the protagonist forced to fight against his best assassins when the family he left behind is targeted by a sinister organisation. Featuring a distinctive story and fantastic characters, The Recruiter was a very fun book to get through, and I look forward to any sequels Podolski plans to release.

Song of the Samurai by C. A. Parker

Fans of Japanese history where in for a real treat last year with the amazing debut, Song of the Samurai by C. A. Parker. An extremely fascinating tale of a celebrated historical samurai musician and pilgrim, Song of the Samurai followed this figure as he traversed Japan, learning about the people of his country and the true nature of the music that he played. This was such a great first book from Parker, who does an amazing job envisioning the classic setting of historical Japan and following a compelling figure across the intricately described landscape. A deep and memorable read from a passionate author.

The Chilling by Riley James

Another great Australian debut from 2024 was The Chilling by Riley James. Following the members of an Antarctica research expedition who encounter a sunken ship on the way to their base camp, The Chilling sees the characters thrust into a dark adventure as secrets, lies and the debilitating isolation, turn the researchers against each other as they try to uncover the truth. The Chilling was a really cool (ha ha) book, and a fantastic first foray into Australian fiction from new author Riley James.

Argylle by Elly Conway

The final debut I want to highlight on this list is the spy thriller Argylle, by “debuting author” Elly Conway. A tie-in to the film of the same name, Argylle was an exciting and very easy-to-read book from the start of 2024 that I had a bit of fun getting through. Actually written by the team of Terry Hayes and Tammy Cohen, I am still counting Argylle as a debut and it proved to be an entertaining final book to feature on this list.

Well, that is the end of this list. As you can, there were some incredible debut novels that came out this year and I had a blast getting through all of them. Each of the above debuts are really worth checking out, and I had an amazing time exploring these talented authors’ first forays into fiction. I am excited to see what these authors produce next, and I have a feeling that quite a few are going to become major names in their genres. I am also excited to see what amazing debuts come out in 2025, and I have already enjoyed my first debut from this year with Gunnawah by Ronni Salt. Make sure to check back this time next year to see what debuts from 2025 are the best from this year.

Top Ten Tuesday – Top New-to-Me Authors That I Read in the First Half of 2024

On July 31, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

In addition to highlighting some of the best pre-2024 novels I read in the first half of this year, I am also taking this opportunity to list the best New-to-Me authors I have so far read this year.

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. 2024 is so far proving to be a great example of this as there were an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me. This included some debuting authors, as well as more established writers whose work I only got around to reading this year. 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 2024 so far and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the book had to be one I read this year and be written by an author who I was unfamiliar with before 2024. If I had not read anything from this author before last year or if their book was a debut, it was eligible to appear here. 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 from this list, but I think the below entry really highlights the best new-to-me authors I have enjoyed so far in 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

Rich McCormick – Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lords of Excess

An excellent debuting author who released the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Lords of Excess. I am still currently in the process of reading Lords of Excess (which is why I’m leaving McCormick as an honourable mention for now), but I love the clever story this new author has come up with.

Mark Wales – Outrider

Former soldier turned media personality Mark Wales produced a very cool debut with the Australian thriller Outrider.

Paul Morgan – The Winter Palace

I had fun with my first Paul Morgan novel, The Winter Palace, which contained a great story about star-crossed lovers in occupied Poland.

Jon Lindstrom – Hollywood Hustle

Actor Jon Lindstrom made a fantastic writing debut this year with the cool thriller Hollywood Hustle.

Top Ten List:

Douglas Preston – Extinction

I had an awesome time getting to know science fiction thriller author Douglas Preston this year with his new novel, Extinction. A crazy and over-the-top novel, Extinction followed a compelling murder investigation which takes place in a luxury park loaded with clones of pre-historic animals.

James Logan – The Silverblood Promise

An outstanding and bold fantasy debut from a great new author.

C. J. Box – Three-Inch Teeth

A highly entertaining and exciting thriller from an author I’m glad I checked out.

C. J. Tudor – The Gathering

An excellent murder mystery novel set in a world with complex human and vampire settlements.

Victoria Hayward – Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder

An outstanding and dark debut with lots of action, adventure and carnage.

James Grippando – Goodbye Girl

I ended up very wowed by the cool legal exploits of author James Grippando with this fantastic novel.

J. D. Barker – Behind a Closed Door

While I have read some of Barker’s collaborations, Behind a Closed Door was the first solo novel from the author I have experienced, and it found it to be an thrilling and clever read.

Steven B. Fischer – Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer

A talented author with a real flare for complex characters whose first novel, Witchbringer, I should have read much sooner.

James Patterson and Nancy Allen – The No.1 Lawyer

The No.1 Lawyer was a great introduction to the writing style of the Patterson/Allen collaboration, and I loved the impressive and captivating story contained in this book.

C. A. Parker – Song of the Samurai

An excellent debuting historical fiction author who utilised their unique passions in this debut novel.

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 have checked out so far in 2024. I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce additional epic and incredible reads. It will be interesting to see what other great New-to-Me authors I will get to experience in the rest of 2024, and I am sure there are going to be some exceptional new books from them.

Quick Review – Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

On February 1, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Hollywood Hustle Cover

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (ebook – 6 February 2024)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 261 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was recently lucky enough to receive an early copy of the intriguing thriller debut, Hollywood Hustle. Written by actor Jon Lindstrom, who has appeared in quite a few crime fiction shows and films himself, Hollywood Hustle had a cool story about the price of fame and the dark side of Hollywood which I really liked the sound of.

Plot Synopsis:

Winston Greene, a has-been film star, wakes one morning to find his six-year-old granddaughter at his bedside—traumatized, unattended, and gripping onto a thumb drive. She comes bearing video proof that her mother, Win’s troubled adult daughter, has been kidnapped by a murderous gang demanding all his “movie money” for her safe return. But what they don’t know is…his movie money is long gone.

Unable to go to the police for fear the kidnappers will make good on their promise to kill his daughter, Winston turns to two close friends—a legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective.

There’s no easy way out for Winston or his daughter—the gang is violent and willing to do anything to get the money they’re after, and Winston begins to realize that to get his daughter back, he’ll have to beat the kidnappers at their own game.

This propulsive and tense thriller will transport readers to the seedier side of LA, depicted in bold prose by a Hollywood insider.

Hollywood Hustle ended up being a fun first book from Lindstrom, which takes the reader on an exiting and fast-paced adventure through a dark Hollywood kidnapping. Lindstrom starts things off quickly, with the readers given an effective introduction to the main character, fading actor Winston Greene, and the unthinkable scenario he finds himself in. After an initial focus on Greene, the author branches out the focus of the story, splitting the perspective between various characters, including Greene, his two loyal friends, the kidnappers, and more, to create a wonderful and highly entertaining narrative.

Much of the story follows Greene, as he is forced to try and raise cash he doesn’t have to secure his daughter’s release. While he goes about that, you get to see what the kidnappers are up to, as their botched operation quickly comes undone in several different ways. At the same time, one of Greene’s friends begins an investigation into the case, while a nosey tabloid journalist tries to scoop up dirt on the troubled actor. These various storylines all come crashing together, and I liked how well Lindstrom was able to tell a cohesive tale while also focusing on his characters. I did find that some of the dialogue was a little weak in places, and the story did get a little derivative at times, but this was mostly a great read. I especially enjoyed how Lindstrom took the plot in some surprising and unpredictable directions, and several over-the-top deaths really spiced things up. While I didn’t love one plot twist at the end that relied on an overused writing cliché, I ended up having a lot of fun with this cool story, and I managed to finish it off in only a couple of days.

I really enjoyed Hollywood Hustles’ great story, and there were some excellent writing elements that helped it stand out. Lindstrom set a great pace for the entire book, and I appreciated how he got right down to business. I felt the entire story flowed efficiently and effectively, and he didn’t make the story overstay its welcome, finishing it off at just the right time. Splitting the perspective chapters between the various characters involved in the plot also worked well, as you quickly get multiple eyes on the dangerous unfolding situation. I liked the great mixture of distinctive character perspectives that emerged, and the slow-burn introduction of the three kidnappers was pretty awesome, especially as they all have compelling individual backstories, and it quickly becomes apparent that none of them are natural team players. Honestly these three antagonists proved to be a major highlight of the entire story, and their dysfunctional relationship, over-the-top actions, and well-crafted pasts that examine interesting, failed takes on the American dream increased my enjoyment of the entire book.

However, most of Lindstrom’s character work revolves around protagonist Winston Greene, who serves as the heart and soul of the book. A formerly famous actor who has reached has-been status and now only works bit gigs, Greene is a character with many parallels in real life, which makes his story even more relatable. Initially shown to be a flawed but caring man, Lindstrom slowly reveals several of his darker demons, including the price he paid for fame, his battle with alcoholism, his struggles being a father and husband, and the guilt he harbours for his past mistakes. Lindstrom builds in a very good narrative about Greene trying to redeem himself throughout the course of Hollywood Hustle, especially when it comes to his daughter and granddaughter, and you really find yourself pulling for him as a result. The author also uses Greene’s character to help highlight the many negatives involved with a Hollywood career, which adds an interesting and personal edge to much of the plot. The protagonist’s cynical views of the acting scene, especially after a complicated and currently expired movie career, make for a great inclusion, and I personally loved the fun fictional movie quotes attributed to Greene that are scattered throughout the novel. Greene really felt like a character that Lindstrom was pouring himself into, and I deeply appreciated how compelling and powerful his story got at times.

Overall, I quite liked Hollywood Hustle, and I felt that it was a good, solid debut from this interesting author. While Jon Lindstrom has some growing to do as a writer, this was an excellent first effort, especially when it comes to creating great characters, and I hope we see some more entertaining books from Lindstrom in the future.

WWW Wednesday – 24 January 2024

On January 25, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme 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 Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

The Murder Inn Cover

I just started reading the excellent crime fiction book, The Murder Inn by the team of James Patterson and Candice Fox. An outstanding novel, The Murder Inn follows the inhabitants of an unusual sea-side inn, filled with misfits and outcasts, who are forced to deal with two dangerous killers. I haven’t made a lot of progress on The Murder Inn yet, but I am already having a lot of fun with it.

Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Witchbringer Cover

I am currently in the middle of the fantastic Warhammer 40,000 audiobook Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer next. Following a psyker, one of the most reviled beings in the Warhammer 40,000 setting, who is forced to return to assist the regiment she used to lead, Witchbringer is an awesome piece of Warhammer fiction, that I am really enjoying. I am hoping to knock off Witchbringer in the next couple of days and I cannot wait to see how it ends.

What did you recently finish reading?

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom (ebook)

Hollywood Hustle Cover

I managed to finish off the debut thriller from actor Jon Lindstrom, Hollywood Hustle. Following a washed-up actor as he tries to recover his kidnapped daughter, Hollywood Hustle was a great book with an exciting plot. Review to follow soon.

Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Cold Days Cover

I managed to also finish off the outstanding Dresden Files novel Cold Days by Jim Butcher. Cold Days was another excellent addition this fantastic series and comes highly recommended.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman

The Ghost Orchid Cover (2)

I have several amazing books to read at the moment, but I think I’ll try the new Jonathan Kellerman book, The Ghost Orchid next. Following Kellerman’s long-running protagonists as they investigate another complex murder, The Ghost Orchid sounds really awesome and I always have a ton of fun with this great series.

Warhammer 40,000: Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks

Brutal Kunnin Cover

If I manage to finish off Witchbringer this week I’m hoping to dive into another Warhammer 40,000 novel from a few years ago with Brutal Kunnin. Written by Mike Brooks, whose Warhammer 40,000 novels Warboss and The Lion: Son the Forest, were pretty damn fun, Brutal Kunnin is an entertaining sounding novel about rival ork warbands. I am quite keen to knock off Brutal Kunnin, especially as Brooks has a sequel novel for it coming out later this year.

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 – 22 January 2024

On January 22, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul1 Comment

As we have been getting into 2024, I have been having an excellent couple of weeks for book, and I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers and Netgalley. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including several of my most anticipated novels of 2024. I truly believe that some of these books have to potential to be some of my top reads of the year and I cannot wait to dive into them.

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman

The Ghost Orchid Cover (2)

Let us start this Book Haul post off strong with the fantastic murder mystery, The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman. The latest book in Kellerman’s long-running Alex Delaware series, The Ghost Orchid will see the author’s entertaining protagonists investigate a chilling double homicide with many potential suspects. I am a major fan of Kellerman’s at the moment, especially after amazing recent reads like The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History, and I have no doubt that The Ghost Orchid will be just as awesome.

Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz

Lone Wolf Cover 2

Another amazing book I was very happy to get a copy of was Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz. The latest book in Hurwitz’s excellent Orphan X series, Lone Wolf will see the author’s rogue spy/vigilante protagonist go up against his most dangerous opponents yet. This series is another favourite of mine (see my reviews for Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan), and I am extremely keen to see what happens to the complex protagonist next.

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

The Murder Inn Cover

The outstanding team of James Patterson and Candice Fox return with the intriguing crime fiction novel, The Murder Inn, which serves as a sequel to their previous novel, The Inn. The Murder Inn will see two murderers head towards the titular troubled inn, but which one of them is there for help, and which one is looking to kill again? I love the sound of this book and I am hoping to read The Murder Inn very soon.

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox

Devil's Kitchen Cover

Australian thriller author Candice Fox is on a roll in 2024 as in addition to her above joint book with James Patterson, she is also releasing the epic standalone thriller, Devil’s Kitchen. Set around an elite group of firefighters who are also secretly a notorious crew of bank robbers, Devil’s Kitchen has an incredible story behind it, and I cannot wait to dive into this awesome novel. Likely to be one of the best books by an Australian author in 2024.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

The Silverblood Promise Cover

I was particularly happy to receive an early copy of The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. Logan’s debut novel The Silverblood Promise is an outstanding sounding fantasy book, that will force the disgraced heir of a noble house to go up against a city of criminals after his father is murdered. I really love the sound of this epic novel and it is one of my most anticipated fantasy releases of 2024.

Past Crimes by Jason Pinter

Past Crimes Cover

A cool and unique sounding science fiction novel, Past Crimes by Jason Pinter was one of the more interesting novels that I came across in recent days and I am hoping to check it out soon.

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

Hollywood Hustle Cover

One of the more compelling novels I recently received was Hollywood Hustle, an excellent debut crime fiction read from actor Jon Lindstrom. Hollywood Hustle tells the story of a washed-up actor who finds himself caught up in a dangerous situation when his daughter is kidnapped. I’m actually reading Hollywood Hustle right now, and it is proving to be a fantastic book.

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow

Rebellion Cover

The last two books on this list are some fantastic historical fiction novels I bought in the wake of Christmas. The first of these is Rebellion, the latest book in Simon Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire series, which is one of my favourite historical fiction series. Rebellion was a pretty epic book, and I actually just reviewed it last night here. Highly recommended, especially if you are the mood for some historical action.

Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones

Wolves of Winter Cover

The other historical fiction book I bought was the intriguing Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones. The sequel to Jones’ excellent debut, Essex Dogs, Wolves of Winter will continue to follow the author’s damaged group of mercenaries as they continue to fight the French in the Hundred Years War. This cool sequel will see them caught them caught up in the siege of Calais, while their own dark demons from the past threaten to consume them. I love the sound of this book and if it’s as good as Essex Dogs, I’m going to really love reading it.

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.

WWW Wednesday – 17 January 2024

On January 17, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme 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:

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom (ebook)

Hollywood Hustle Cover

I just started reading the fun debut thriller from actor Jon Lindstrom, Hollywood Hustle. Following a washed-up actor as he tries to recover his kidnapped daughter, Hollywood Hustle is an interesting book, and I loved the sound of its cool plot. I’ve only made a little progress on Hollywood Hustle so far, but I am enjoying its compelling story. I will probably knock Hollywood Hustle off fairly quickly and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Cold Days Cover

I am still going with the extremely awesome Dresden Files novel Cold Days by Jim Butcher, and I should knock it off in the next day or so. Cold Days is the 14th book in the series and sets a recently resurrected Harry Dresden against all the manipulations and intrigue of the Winter Court. A deeply addictive read, I am loving Cold Days and I am hoping to feature it in a post later this week.

What did you recently finish reading?

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow (Trade Paperback)

Rebellion Cover

I managed to finish off the new Eagles of the Empire book by Simon Scarrow, Rebellion this week and boy was it awesome. The latest book in one of my favourite historical fiction series, Rebellion was clever, dark and moving, and I cannot recommend it enough. Review to follow in the next day or so.

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K. J. Parker (Trade Paperback)

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle Cover

I had a lot of fun over the weekend reading the second of three Saevus Corax books that entertaining author K. J. Parker released last year, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle. An outstanding sequel to Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead (one of my favourite books of 2023), Saevus Corax Captures the Castle was another hilarious read that thrusts Parker’s smart, but unlucky, protagonist into the middle of an elaborate and complex conspiracy. Highly recommended.

Extinction by Douglas Preston (ebook)

Extinction Cover

The allure of Extinction’s fantastic plot proved to be too much for me, and I dove into the early copy I received of this awesome book by veteran author Douglas Preston. Following a murder investigation in an elite resort full of genetically resurrected mega-fauna, Extinction was a captivating and over-the-top read that had me hooked the entire way through.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer

Warhammer 40,000 - Witchbringer Cover

I am still planning to listen to the Warhammer 40,000 audiobook Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer next. Witchbringer has been on my radar for a while, but I couldn’t get a copy of it until recently. As such, I am hoping to make up for lost time by finally getting through this amazing sounding book that will follow a psyker, one of the most reviled beings in the Warhammer 40,000 setting, who is forced to return to assist the regiment she used to lead. Witchbringer sounds like a very awesome piece of Warhammer fiction, and I cannot wait to experience its fantastic story.

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

The Murder Inn Cover

I have a few books I wouldn’t mind reading in the next week, but I will probably start with the excellent crime fiction book, The Murder Inn by the team of James Patterson and Candice Fox. An outstanding sounding novel, The Murder Inn should be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to checking it out.

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.