Tag: James Islington

WWW Wednesday – 21 June 2023

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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?

Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner (Trade Paperback)

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

I just started reading the cool thriller, Her Sweet Revenge, today and so far it is proving to be rather interesting.  Following two women whose past and secrets keep coming back to haunt them, this intriguing novel is starting off strong and I am curious to see how it continues.  I also had a ton of fun with Bonner’s fantastic debut, Her Perfect Twin, last year, and I have very high hopes that Her Sweet Revenge will be just as good.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington (Audiobook)

The Will of the Many Cover

I am still listening to the outstanding epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I have made a ton of progress on this audiobook in the last week and I am currently about halfway through it at the moment.  This book is living up to all my expectations and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the most impressive fantasy releases of the year.  I am exceedingly excited to find out how this novel ends and I am hoping to finish it off by this time next week.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I finally managed to finish off Witch King this week.  A compelling and gritty fantasy read set in an interesting new fantasy world, this was an awesome book and I am glad that I got the chance to read it.

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Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I also managed to read the awesome historical fiction novel, Falling Sky this week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Harry Sidebottom, Falling Sky followed a determined Roman general during a Roman civil war in Gaul.  This outstanding novel was pretty amazing and I am really glad that I got the chance to read it. 

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

 

In the next week I am hoping to read the epic upcoming Australian thriller, Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe.  Set to examine past and present of espionage in Australia, Killer Traitor Spy should be a fantastic read, especially I have deeply enjoyed Ayliffe’s previous books, including The Greater Good, State of Fear and The Enemy Within.  Killer Traitor Spy has the potential to be one of the best Australian novels of 2023 and I cannot wait to check it out.

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

WWW Wednesday – 14 June 2023

On 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?

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I managed to make a bit of progress with the new fantasy novel from Martha Wells this week, Witch King.  Following a demon and his companions as they investigate strange events in an elaborate fantasy realm, Witch King is a great book and I am really getting drawn into the story.  My delay with this book has mostly been due to outside factors, but I’m hoping to finish it off in the next day or so.  So far this proving to be an outstanding read and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington (Audiobook)

The Will of the Many Cover

I finally managed to start listening to the cool epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington today. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling sounding novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I am only a short way into the novel at the moment, but it is so far proving to be a pretty awesome book.  This looks set to be of the biggest fantasy releases of the year and I am hoping to knock it off in the next couple of weeks.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Proven Guilty Cover

I managed to finish off and review Proven Guilty last week, which ended up being another epic entry in the Dresden Files series.  I have been having a ton of fun with this series, and I enjoyed Proven Guilty so much that I also managed to get through White Night in a few days as well.  Check out the review for Proven Guilty here.

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White Night by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

White Night Cover

White Night was pretty damn epic as well, and I have so much love for this cool series at the moment. I am planning to do a Throwback Thursday review of White Night later this week, so make sure to check back here to read it.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I hoping to quickly dive into the fun historical fiction novel, Falling Sky in the next week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Falling Sky will follow a determined Roman general as he attempts to win a dangerous battle in the Alps while also countering treachery in his own camp. I have been meaning to read this book for a while and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

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Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

I might also try and read the awesome sounding thriller, Her Sweet Revenge, this week if I get the chance.  I had a ton of fun with Bonner’s fantastic debut, Her Perfect Twin, last year, and I have very high hopes that Her Sweet Revenge will be just as good.

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

WWW Wednesday – 7 June 2023

On 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?

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I haven’t made a lot of progress with the new fantasy novel from Martha Wells this week, Witch King.  While I am enjoying this book, I honestly haven’t had a lot of reading time, instead focusing more on writing and other stuff.  I am hoping to get a bit of reading done on it this weekend, so we’ll see how it goes.

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Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Proven Guilty Cover

After all the fun I had last week with Dead Beat, I decided to dive into another of Jim Butcher’s epic Dresden Files this week with Proven Guilty.  The 8th book in the series, Proven Guilty sees wizard Harry Dresden investigate a series of mysterious magical murders committed by monsters from horror films. This is proving to be another excellent read and I will hopefully finish it off in the next day or two and do a Throwback Thursday post about it.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

I managed to finish off the recent Warhammer 40,000 novel The Lion: Son of the Forest this week, and boy was it epic.  Written by rising Warhammer author Mike Brooks, The Lion: Son of the Forest follows the return of the legendary founder of the Dark Angels Space Marines as he awakens in a changed universe. This was an exceptional read and you can check out my review for it here.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I am still hoping to quickly dive into the fun historical fiction novel, Falling Sky in the next week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Falling Sky will follow a determined Roman general as he attempts to win a dangerous battle in the Alps while also countering treachery in his own camp. I have been meaning to read this book for a while and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

Amazon

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

I’m also hoping in the next week to start listening to the cool epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling sounding novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I love the sound of The Will of the Many and it looks set to be one of the biggest fantasy releases of the year.

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.

WWW Wednesday – 31 May 2023

On 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? 

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I started reading the epic new fantasy novel from Martha Wells this week, Witch King.  Following a demon who awakens after being murdered to a bold new world, Witch King is a very interesting novel that I am having a great time reading.  I have only gotten about 50 pages in so far, but I am deeply enjoying it’s complex narrative and I look forward to seeing how the entire thing turns out.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

I decided to listen to the fantastic recent Warhammer 40,000 novel The Lion: Son of the Forest this week.  Written by rising Warhammer author Mike Brooks, who previously impressed me with Huron Blackheart and Warboss, The Lion: Son of the Forest follows the return of the legendary founder of the Dark Angels Space Marines as he awakens in a changed universe. The return of this character is one of the more significant events of recent Warhammer 40,000 history and Brooks has produced an amazing story around this.  I am loving the complex and emotionally rich story which is really highlighting Brooks’ fantastic writing ability as one of the rising stars of Warhammer fiction.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Battle Song by Ian Ross (Trade Paperback)

Battle Song Cover

I managed to finish reading the awesome historical adventure, Battle Song by Ian Ross.  Following a young squire as he reluctantly follows his new amoral master to tourneys and war in 13th century Europe, Battle Song was a compelling and highly exciting novel, and one that I am hoping to review soon.

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Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Dead Beat Cover

Another epic and awesome entry in the Dresden Files series, Dead Beat was an exceptional read and I have already reviewed it for last week’s Throwback Thursday.

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The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell (Trade Paperback)

The Malevolent Seven Cover

I had a lot of fun powering through the wildly entertaining fantasy novel, The Malevolent Seven, this week.  Following seven damaged and immoral magicians as they set off on a doomed assassination mission, The Malevolent Seven is a great book that was so much damn fun to read. Review to follow soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I am still hoping to quickly dive into the fun historical fiction novel, Falling Sky in the next week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Falling Sky will follow a determined Roman general as he attempts to win a dangerous battle in the Alps while also countering treachery in his own camp. I have been meaning to read this book for a while and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

Amazon

 

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

I’m also hoping in the next week to start listening to the cool epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling sounding novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I love the sound of The Will of the Many and it looks set to be one of the biggest fantasy releases of the year.

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.

WWW Wednesday – 24 May 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 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? 

Battle Song by Ian Ross (Trade Paperback)

Battle Song Cover

I finally managed to start reading the awesome historical adventure, Battle Song by Ian Ross.  Following a young squire as he reluctantly follows his new amoral master to tourneys and war in 13th century Europe, Battle Song is already proving to be an excellent and exciting novel and I cannot wait to see how its interesting story unfolds.

Amazon

 

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Dead Beat Cover

I was in the mood for something I knew I could effortlessly fall into this week, so I decided to continue the awesome Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher with the seventh book, Dead Beat. Following Butcher’s entertaining wizard protagonist as he gets dragged into an elaborate battle for a powerful necromantic book, Dead Beat is an exceptional piece of urban fantasy fiction, and one that I have no doubt is getting a full five-star rating from me.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence (ebook)

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

I finally managed to finish off the latest Mark Lawrence novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, and boy did it turn out to be something extremely special.  Lawrence wrote an epic story, set around a massive and elaborate library, and I still cannot believe all the elaborate twists and turns it contained.  Easily one of the best fantasy books of the year, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn comes very highly recommended and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Warhammer 40,000: Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter by Phil Kelly (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Shadowsun Cover

I also managed to finish of the fun Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter by Phil Kelly this week.  Focusing on the intriguing T’au faction, Shadowsun is a pretty cool read that sees a legendary T’au commander face off against the forces of Nurgle. Action-packed, lore heavy, and somewhat gruesome in places, this was a fantastic novel that fans of the franchise can have some fun with.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I hoping to quickly dive into the fun historical fiction novel, Falling Sky in the next week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Falling Sky will follow a determined Roman general as he attempts to win a dangerous battle in the Alps while also countering treachery in his own camp. I have been meaning to read this book for a while and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

Amazon

 

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

I’m hoping in the next week or so to really dive into the cool epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling sounding novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I love the sound of The Will of the Many and it looks set to be one of the biggest fantasy releases of the year.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

Before I get to The Will of the Many, I’m thinking I might quickly fit in another Warhammer 40,000 novel with The Lion: Son of the Forest.  Written by rising Warhammer author Mike Brooks, who previously impressed me with Huron Blackheart and Warboss, The Lion: Son of the Forest, will follow the return of a legendary character from within the canon. This book will shadow one of the more significant events of recent Warhammer 40,000 history, and it will probably end up being a key read for any major Warhammer fan.

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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Autumn 2023 TBR

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was around Bookish People I’d Like to Meet, however, I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months.  This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and as this is the first Tuesday of Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere), this is the ideal time to put this up.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 March 2023 and 31 May 2023.  There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most anticipated book of the year (as well as my most anticipated fantasy/science fiction books of the year).  Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions).  I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world.  I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads.  I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best books of 2023.

Honourable Mentions:

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson – 7 March 2023

The Kind Worth Saving Cover

The intriguing new novel from the entertaining Peter Swanson (Rules for Perfect Murders and Nine Lives), The Kind Worth Saving sounds very cool and I’ve heard some great stuff about it from fellow reviewers.  I might try to read the preceding novel, The Kind Worth Killing, before I get to The Kind Worth Saving, but we’ll see how it goes.

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A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson – 18 April 2023

A Hunger of Thorns Cover

A cool young adult fantasy read from the always impressive Australian author Lili Wilkinson.  I had a lot of fun with her last two young adult books, After the Lights Go Out and The Erasure Initiative, and I imagine this one is going to be a ton of fun as well.

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Empire by Conn Iggulden – 25 May 2023

Empire Cover

Intense and detailed historical fiction from legendary author Conn Iggulden, this will be an exceptional read that I am quite excited for.

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Top Ten List:

Battle Song by Ian Ross – 28 March 2023

Battle Song Cover

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Fire With Fire by Candice Fox – 4 April 2023

Fire With Fire Cover

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Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner – 6 April 2023

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

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Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis – 11 April 2023

Fatal Legacy Cover

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Usagi Yojimbo: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai – 18 April 2023

Usagi Yojimbo - Volume 38 - The Green Dragon Cover

The release dates for this comic keeps getting knocked back, but I’m really hoping that I will be able to get this epic new volume in April.

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The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst – 25 April 2023

The Lake House Cover Better

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The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan – 2 May 2023

The Sword Defiant Cover

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The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – 11 May 2023

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

An epic Mark Lawrence novel set in a massive fantasy library; do I need to say any more?

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The Will of the Many by James Islington – 23 May 2023

The Will of the Many Cover

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Witch King by Martha Wells – 30 May 2023

Witch King Cover

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Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list.  I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months.  Each of the above should be extremely 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.  In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a few books to get through soon and they should all be pretty awesome.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Will of the Many by James Islington

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday8 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.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an awesome upcoming fantasy novel with a dark magical school setting, The Will of the Many by James Islington.

The Will of the Many Cover

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One of the things that I love about fantasy fiction is that there are so many awesome potential settings that can be used as a backdrop for an epic tale.  Fantasy can incorporate anything from modern urban settings to outrageous alien communities, and everything in between, and you can get some amazing reads out of that.  However, if I had to choose one of my absolute favourite settings for a fantasy, it would have to be a magical school.  Maybe its because the Harry Potter books were such a big part of my childhood, or maybe because there have been some outstanding recent novels set in fantasy academies (check out a Top Ten Tuesday list I did on the subject), but I have always loved these novels in a big way.  As such, when I see that a talented fantasy author is releasing a cool new book with a magical school setting later this year, it really gets my attention.

This upcoming book is The Will of the Many by new-to-me author James Islington, which is currently set for release in May 2023.  Set to combine mystery, intrigue, politics and the future of a nation with a dark magic school, The Will of the Many sounds particularly epic, and I am actually really excited to check it out.  The plot synopsis below has some very intriguing details to it, and the entire magical system, which is based on people ceding their Will into someone else to give them power, is very unique and opens up a raft of possibilities.  I look forward to seeing how Islington will bring everything together and I have feeling that The Will of the Many is going to end up being one of the most interesting and compelling fantasy novels of 2023.

Plot Synopsis:

At the elite Catenan Academy, where students are prepared as the future leaders of the Hierarchy empire, the curriculum reveals a layered set of mysteries which turn murderous in this new fantasy by bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

Vis, the adopted son of Magnus Quintus Ulcisor, a prominent senator within the Hierarchy, is trained to enter the famed Catenan Academy to help Ulciscor learn what the hidden agenda is of the remote island academy. Secretly, he also wants Vis to discover what happed to his brother who died at the academy. He’s sure the current Principalis of the academy, Quintus Veridius Julii, a political rival, knows much more than he’s revealing.

The Academy’s vigorous syllabus is a challenge Vis is ably suited to meet, but it is the training in the use of Will, a practice that Vis finds abhorrent, that he must learn in order to excel at the Academy. Will—a concept that encompasses their energy, drive, focus, initiative, ambition, and vitality—can be voluntarily “ceded” to someone else. A single recipient can accept ceded Will from multiple people, growing in power towards superhuman levels. Within the hierarchy your level of Will, or legal rank, determines how you live or die. And there are those who are determined to destroy this hierarchal system, as well as those in the Academy who use it to gain dominance in internationally bestselling author James Islington’s wonderfully crafted new epic fantasy series.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction12 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated fantasy novels coming out in the first half of 2023.  Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into a second list due to all the awesome and impressive reads from these genres coming out extremely soon.

2023 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year.  I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely excited for.  This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors.  I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be fantasy wise, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2023 which I have some descent details about.  Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult.  I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy reads of 2023.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann – 3 January 2023

Star Wars - The Battle of Jedha Cover

The High Republic is set to continue in a big way in the coming days with the full-cast audiobook, The Battle of Jedha that will see a massive confrontation break out between the various Force cults on Jedha.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Engines of Chaos by Richard S. Ford – 4 April 2023

Engines of Chaos Cover

The follow-up to Ford’s 2022 novel, Engines of Empire, Engines of Chaos will continue to explore Ford’s great steampunk fantasy world and the massive revolution brewing within.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington – 23 May 2023

The Will of the Many Cover

A fun upcoming fantasy read that will put a darker face on the classic magic school story.

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Top Ten List

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry – 10 January 2023

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

2023 is off to a very strong start on the fantasy front with the next upcoming book from the always amazing Jonathan Maberry, Son of the Poison Rose.  The follow-up to one of the best books and audiobooks of 2022, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose will continue to follow broken warrior Kagen Vale as he attempts to save his kingdom from the reign of the murderous Witch-king.  Set to feature more adventures, deadly action and complex characters, Son of the Poison Rose is another guaranteed five-star book, and I cannot wait to see what happens in this complex series next.

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Downfall by Louise Carey – 10 January 2023

Downfall Cover

One of the best, underrated science-fiction series of the last couple of years has been Louise Carey’s Inscape trilogy.  Featuring the excellent novels, Inscape (one of my favourite debuts of 2021) and Outcast, this great series follows two damaged protagonists through a dark dystopian future of advanced technology and warring corporations.  Carey ended her second novel, Outcast, on a great cliff-hanger and I am really keen to find out how she plans to conclude this amazing trilogy with Downfall.

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Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb – 7 February 2023

Seven Faceless Saints Cover

A fantastic and fun upcoming young adult fantasy read that will set two different protagonists on a deadly mission to uncover a murderer within a corrupt fantasy city.  An intriguing fantasy mystery that has already grabbed my attention.

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The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan – 14 February 2023

The Tyranny of Faith Cover

After wowing the world with his 2022 novel, The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan will continue his epic Empire of the Wolf series this year with The Tyranny of Faith.  Following two supernatural peacekeepers in a deadly fantasy empire, The Tyranny of Faith will once again feature the great combination of mystery, politics, intrigue and magic that made The Justice of Kings such a great book.  I have no doubt this will be one of the most popular fantasy novels of 2023 and I look forward to reading it very soon.

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The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding – 16 February 2023

The Shadow Casket Cover

One of the fantasy books that I am most excited for in 2023 is The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding.  The follow up to his epic novel, The Ember Blade, I have been waiting for years for The Shadow Casket to come out and I luckily, I only have a month left before I can dive into to.  The Ember Blade was an exceptional and massive read and the sequel will see the surviving protagonists continue to try and ignite a rebellion against their despotic occupiers.  Sure to be one of the very best fantasy books of 2023, I am so very glad that I can finally continue this exceptional series.

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Star Wars: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang – 4 April 2022

Star Wars - Cataclysm Cover

I have been deeply enjoying the current phase of the outstanding High Republic Star Wars series, and the next major entry is coming out in April with Cataclysm by Lydia Kang.  While we don’t currently have a lot of plot detail about Cataclysm, it will no doubt continue the elaborate prequel narrative of this second phase and should produce an epic read.  All the books in this second phase have been really good and I am confident that will continue with Cataclysm.

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The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan- 2 May 2023

The Sword Defiant Cover

After absolutely killing it with his highly acclaimed Black Iron Legacy series, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan is once again looking to set the fantasy world on fire with The Sword Defiant.  An outstanding upcoming book with a very cool cover to it, The Sword Defiant will follow a legendary hero has he attempts to rally his former companions on a new quest to save the world.  However, the dark swords they claimed during this first mission together has corrupted them all, leading to a deadly and tragic new mission that will pit the protagonist against his former friends.  The Sword Defiant has an outstanding plot behind it and I feel it has the potential to be one of the very best books of 2023.

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The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – 11 May 2023

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

It is always a very safe bet that Mark Lawrence will have one of the best fantasy/science fiction books of a year and I am already hyped up for his next novel, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn.  Set in a massive fantasy library, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn is the first entry in a bold new fantasy series, filled with adventure, blood and knowledge, and I cannot wait to dive into it later this year.

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Witch King by Martha Wells – 30 May 2023

Witch King Cover

One of the biggest names currently in science fiction, Martha Wells returns to her fantasy roots in 2023 with Witch King.  Set to follow a deadly demon who awakens from his trap to find himself being controlled by a lesser mage, Witch King has a fun and entertaining plot to it, and I have a feeling I am really going to love this amazing upcoming read.

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Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker – 27 June 2023

The final entry on this list could be one of the very best as one of the hottest and most wildly inventive fantasy authors of the current age presents an amazing new story with Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker.  Barker has consistently been one of the very best fantasy authors of recent years with The Wounded Kingdom (featuring Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) and The Tide Child (featuring The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake) trilogies.  Each of Barker’s books have been outstandingly complex and powerful dark fantasy reads, so I am very excited for Gods of Wyrdwood which will set up The Forsaken Trilogy.  While we currently don’t have a cover for Gods of the Wyrdwood, the plot sounds pretty damn exceptional as it will follow a former chosen one, whose destiny was stolen from him as he once again forced into the spotlight.  Sure to be one of the most compelling and powerful reads of 2023, Gods of the Wyrdwood is going to be so damn epic.

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Well that’s the end of this second list.  As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year.  All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads.  2023 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this.  I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2023.