WWW Wednesday – 19 August 2026

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:

Choppy Water by Jack Heath (Trade Paperback)

I was in the mood for a fun thriller this week, so I jumped into an early copy of Jack Heath’s Choppy Water.  A compelling thriller that sees a fugitive cop attempt to investigate a murder aboard a quarantined cruise ship, Choppy Water is a very distinctive and exciting novel with an interesting take on the locked-room mystery. I’m currently about a third of the way through Choppy Water and I’m hoping to finish it off over the weekend.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

I’ve also just started to read the incredible new Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath.  The fantastic sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, The Infinite and the Divine, The Wicked and the Warped follows two immortal rivals as they embark on another chaotic expeditions into one of the most dangerous places in this grimdark universe.  I’ve only just started getting through The Wicked and the Warped and it is proving to be a hilarious and highly addictive novel with a great plot behind it.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell (Trade Paperback)

I got through a few awesome books this week, including the compelling LitRPG novel He Who Fights With Monsters by Australian author Travis Deverell, better known as Shirtaloon. A reprinting of his novel originally released online, He Who Fights With Monsters is a progressive fantasy tale that follows a random Australian dragged to an elaborate fantasy world.  I ended up powering through this novel, which was highly addictive and really fun.

Amazon

 

Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker (Audiobook)

I also finally finished the outstanding fantasy novel Mortedant’s Peril. The latest book from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril follows a man who can talk to the dead, as he attempts to unravel a dangerous conspiracy within his fractious fantasy city. An incredible fantasy murder mystery novel and one of my new favourite reads of 2026.

Amazon

 

Star Trek: The Last Starship – Volume 1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Adrián Bonilla

Another cool thing I read this week was the advance copy of the new Star Trek comic The Last Starship. An intriguing comic that combined elements from several different eras of Star Trek lore, The Last Starship was a great read that explores hope in the darkest of situations. A fantastic comic that serves as an excellent start to a new series.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis

While I didn’t get to it this week, I’m still hoping to dive into the next Vikki Petraitis novel, The Reckoning, soon.  A continuation of her series that dives into gender violence in small town Australia, The Reckoning looks set to be another intriguing and confronting novel and should be another top piece of Australian fiction for 2026.

 

The Wreck by Riley James

I’m also hoping to keep the Australian crime fiction train going in the next week with the new Riley James book The Wreck. A unique thriller novel featuring secrets and lies on a deserted island; The Wreck has a very intriguing plot behind it and I’m quite curious to see how it turns out, especially after enjoying James’ debut novel The Chilling.

Amazon

 

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 – 31 May 2026

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Book Haul post on this blog, and I think it’s time I remedied this, especially as I have been extremely lucky to receive an amazing number of books in recent weeks.  Indeed, I’ve either received and managed to find and buy so many awesome novels and new releases, that I’m actually going to break this next Book Haul post into a few pieces.  The first of which will cover some amazing and unique new and upcoming releases from an array of international talent.

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford

The first book I want to highlight in this post is the very cool fantasy novel, Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford. The sequel to Ford’s 2025 novel, The Bone Raiders, Sisters of the Lizard will continue the chaos of the series, as a small group of independent raiders attempt to hold back a vengeful empire with their new giant, fire-breathing lizard mounts.

Amazon

 

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

I was extremely happy to receive a copy of A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett.  The epic follow-up to Bennett’s incredible fantasy murder mystery novels, The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption, A Trade of Blood will present another unique and shocking crime in a fantasy realm constantly beset by giant monsters.  Sure to be one of the cleverest and most compelling novels of 2026, A Trade of Blood has so much potential, and I cannot wait to read it.

Amazon

 

Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovksy

I have had a pretty amazing time reading books from Adrian Tchaikovksy in 2026, but it looks like I’m only getting started as I just received a copy of his next entertaining novel, Green City Wars.  An intriguing crime fiction read, where the protagonists are genetically engineered, sentient animals created to serve humanity, Green City Wars looks set to be one of the more unique releases of 2026, and I already know I’m going to love it.

Amazon

 

Eight Tastes of Treachery by Ryan Rose

After falling in love with Ryan Rose’s debut novel, Seven Recipes for Revolution, last year, I’m excited for the author’s second outing with the awesome upcoming sequel, Eight Tastes of Treachery.  Looking set to continue Rose’s cool story of revolution, magic and cookery, Eight Tastes of Treachery sounds like an outstanding novel, and I look forward to diving into it.

Amazon

 

Duel of Beasts by Boyd and Beth Morrison

One of the more exciting novels I recently received is the next Tales of the Lawless Land entry, Duel of Beasts.  The fourth historical fiction book from the duo of Beth and Boyd Morrison, Duel of Beasts throws the series’ protagonists into a deadly quest in medieval Spain, as they try to save a widowed noblewoman from a deadly conspiracy. Sure to be a compelling and intense read, Duel of Beasts is going to be a ton of fun, and I’ve deeply enjoyed the previous three books from these great authors.

Amazon

 

The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell

One of the more hilarious sounding novels I recently received is the very entertaining The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell.  Following an argumentative three-headed dragon with some major issues as it finds itself accidently befriending a human, The Dragon Has Some Complaints sounds like pure fun, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Amazon

 

The Bone Docs by Matthew Scura

Another entertaining new novel I recently received is the very amusing The Bone Docs by Matthew Scura. A desert island thriller that sees a group of stranded dentists go to war with similarly shipwrecked chiropractors, The Bone Docs has some absurd potential, and I’m very keen to see how crazy it gets.

Amazon

 

Star Trek: The Last Starship: Volume 1 by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing

A very cool sounding new Star Trek comic, that will take an iconic character from The Original Series and set him to adventure in the far future.

Amazon

 

The Damned by Matt Rogers

An intriguing spy thriller that sees a desperate protagonist trapped in the Columbian mountains being hunted by dangerous criminals

Amazon

 

The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green

Another recently acquired book that I am very excited to read is the epic upcoming fantasy novel, The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green.  Featuring a cool nautical narrative, set in a fantasy realm made up on thousands of chaotic islands, The Deep and the Drowned sounds so damn awesome and sure to be incredible.  In addition, it also has one of the coolest covers of 2026, which can only indicate great things.

Amazon

 

We Are For The Dark by Gretchen McNeil

An intriguing horror thriller from an author that I’ve had an outstanding time with in the past.

Amazon

 

Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson

The final recently received book I want to highlight in this post is the cool young adult thriller, Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson. An intriguing crime fiction read set around the dark side of the music business, Drop Dead Famous sounds pretty amazing, and I’m very keen to read it.

Amazon

 

Well, that’s the end of the first Book Haul post of the night. In my next post, I’m going to dive into some of the awesome new novels from Australian author’s I’ve recently received.