Tag: Jim Butcher

WWW Wednesday – 17 June 2026

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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:

LIT by Anna Woods (Trade Paperback)

I’ve recently started reading the compelling new novel LIT by Anna Woods. A New Zealand psychological thriller, LIT has a very interesting plot behind it, when a woman finds herself seemingly haunted by visions of a missing friend. Set to be a tense and powerful novel, I’m looking forward to seeing how LIT comes together.

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The Right to Remain by James Grippando (Audiobook)

I’ve also started listening to the new Jack Swyteck novel, The Right to Remain by James Grippando.  A compelling legal thriller that sees the protagonist forced to defend a client who refuses to talk to anyone, including his own lawyer. I’m currently powering through The Right to Remain and I love the awesome new scenario that Grippando came up with. I’m hoping to finish it off in the next few days and I look forward to seeing how it comes together.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Yacht by Kayte Nunn (Trade Paperback)

I managed to get through the intriguing thriller, The Yacht by Australian author Kayte Nunn this week.  An intense read that showcases the events leading up to the destruction of a giant superyacht hosting the troubled members of an elite family, The Yacht was very exciting read, with a deeply compelling story behind it.

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Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston (Audiobook)

I also got through the audiobook version of the entertaining science fiction thriller, Paradox.  The sequel to Douglas Preston’s Extinction, Paradox had another over-the-top narrative to it, with aliens, religious murders and more, all coming into play, and I had an amazing time getting through it.

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Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson (ebook)

The final book I managed to get through this week was the fantastic young adult thriller, Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson. An excellent book with some deeply impressive twists behind it, I ended up really loving Drop Dead Famous and I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Outlaw by Jim Butcher

The next book I’m hoping to dive into is the new novella from Jim Butcher, Outlaw. Providing another glimpse into the Dresden Files universe, Outlaw sounds like another outstanding read and I imagine I will get through it very quickly.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books by my Favourite Authors

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Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly task that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are tasked with identifying their top ten favourite authors and then listing out which one of their books is the blogger’s favourite.  This was a very interesting idea, and while I’ve previously highlighted some favourite books in a specific series, I’ve never tried to list my overall favourite authors and their top books.

This proved to be quite a difficult list to pull together, mainly because I had to spend a lot of time thinking about who my favourite authors are.  While several writers were instant choices that I didn’t need to think too much about, the rest of my current favourites was a little harder to pin down.  I was eventually able to whittle it down to my absolute favourite authors now (with a generous honourable mentions section), although it took some difficulty.  It was quite interesting to consider how my favourites have changed over the last few years, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this changes dramatically the next time I try to list it out.

After working out my favourite authors, identifying my favourite book from them was an easier process, although I did have to do some deep thinking at times.  It didn’t help that all these authors tend to have multiple epic novels to their name, all of which I’ve had an incredible time with.  Stil, I gave it a try, and I think the final list is a pretty good representation of both my favourite authors and my favourite books from them.  So let us see who made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Richard Osman – The Last Devil to Die

A brilliant and particularly heartbreaking entry in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series.

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Michael Connelly – Fair Warning

I have the pleasure of reading several of Michael Connelly’s more recent books, and my favourite is the chilling Fair Warning, which combines a great mystery with warnings about companies owning a person’s DNA.

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Mark Greaney – The Gray Man

There are so many exceptional spy thrillers from Mark Greaney out there, but my favourite remains his original release, the over-the-top and addictive The Gray Man.

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Adrian Tchaikovksy – Days of Shattered Faith

The consistently impressive and inventive Adrian Tchaikovsky had a range of awesome reads I could have featured here, but I had to go with his compelling and elaborate 2025 release, Days of Shattered Faith as my current favourite.

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Top Ten List:

Terry Pratchett – Guards! Guards!

With a blog named after a location in his Discworld series, I doubt anyone is surprised that Terry Pratchett is one of my favourite authors.  A master of humour, complex characters and elaborate worlds, Pratchett’s book are so damn good, and even after all these years I still get so much joy out of them.  As such, Pratchett was an easy author for this list, although I had a lot of trouble deciding which of his books to feature here (I’ve previously done a whole list about my favourites).  While books like Jingo, Small Gods and Witches Abroad were all strong contenders, in the end I had to go with the hilarious and clever Guards! Guards!.  Not only was it a complex novel, perfectly combining a clever crime fiction narrative with amazing fantasy elements and some outstanding humour, but Guards! Guards! also serves as the first entry in Pratchett’s City Watch sub-series, and I have so much love for how he set up some other amazing reads here.  An incredible book from my very favourite author, and a worthy start to this list.

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Stan Sakai – Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 11: Seasons

For as long as I have been reviewing, I have been singing the praises of Stan Sakai, who remains one of my favourite comic book authors thanks to his Usagi Yojimbo series.  I have had an incredible time reading the entire Usagi Yojimbo series multiple times over the years, but if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be the 11th volume Seasons.  Not only does this volume feature one of the stories that first drew me to the Usagi Yojimbo series, but it also features several other captivating stories that showcase both Sakai’s great artwork, and his long-term writing and character creation.  I particularly enjoy how he introduces various interesting figures and sets up multiple ongoing arcs in a series of fascinating shorter stories, and it was a real joy to see these play out in the next several volumes.  As such, Seasons has a very special place in my heart, and it’s an excellent comic to feature here.

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Jonathan Maberry – Code Zero

Few authors have kept me enthralled in recent years than the master of dark fiction, Jonathan Maberry.  An author primarily focusing on horror and science fiction themed thrillers, Maberry has produced some outstanding novels over the years, and has branched out into several different genres, including fantasy (with Kagen the Damned), and pure science fiction (NecroTek).  However, my favourite series is the amazing Joe Ledger books, which follows a highly damaged agent as he attempts to keep the word safe from all manner of advanced technology and weaponry.  There are some amazing entries in the Joe Ledger series, however, my favourite is probably the sixth novel, Code Zero.  Revisiting some of the worst weapons the protagonist has ever defeated and working against an enemy who knows all their secrets, Code Zero was an excellent read with some awesome intensity behind it.

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Jim Butcher – Changes

After spending years getting through his iconic and impressive Dresden Files series, Jim Butcher now reigns as one of my all-time favourite fantasy authors, and I have so much love for his main body of work.  Currently made up of 18 books, the Dresden Files follows Chicago’s only wizard as he tries to protect his city from various arcane threats.  There are multiple incredible novels within this series, although if I had to pick a favourite, it would be Changes (only just beating out Skin Game).  Changes is a standout entry in the series, especially as it completely alters much of the Dresden Files’ established status quo and pushes the protagonist to his very limits.  If you’ve read this series, you know why this book is so significant, and the raw emotion, carnage and multiple dark twists, ensure that Changes remains Butcher’s very best book.

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Matt Dinniman – The Butcher’s Masquerade

One of the more recent additions to my list of favourite authors is the very popular Matt Dinniman.  An author who primarily specialises in LitRPG fiction, I became a mega-fan of Dinniman last year when I decided to try his acclaimed book Dungeon Crawler Carl, which then led to me reading the rest of the series.  I honestly cannot remember becoming as obsessed with something as easily as I did with the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, as I absorbed all of them in record time.  I’ve only just finished the recently released eighth book in the series, A Parade of Horribles, and this has reinforced Dinniman’s inclusion on this list.  I did struggle to decide which of the Dungeon Crawler Carl novels to feature here, with the brutal sixth book The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, being a strong contender.  However, in the end I decided that the epic fifth book, The Butcher’s Masquerade, was the entry I had to include as my favourite.  Featuring some of the best combination of humour, tragedy and utter insanity that I have ever read in fiction, The Butcher’s Masquerade was an exceptional novel, that hits hard and refuses to let go.  A truly epic novel that earns its spot on this list with very little trouble.

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John Marsden – The Third Day the Frost

Going back to some childhood favourites, I’ve added the late Australian author John Marsden to this list, mainly because of his iconic Tomorrow series.  One of the best pieces of Australian fiction ever written, the Tomorrow series is a powerful young adult series that follows several teenagers caught up in a sudden invasion of Australia.  I have so much love for this series, and I’ve had the great pleasure of reading multiple times since I was a young teenager.  All seven books in this series are good, but my favourite is The Third Day the Frost, which serves as the dramatic third entry.  A powerful novel that sees the protagonists experience the horrors of war and learn to regret decision to fight like never before, The Third Day the Frost was Marsden’s most traumatic book, and it is a harrowing highlight amid the other exceptional entries.

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R. A. Salvatore – Homeland

I’ve had the pleasure of reading books from many fantasy authors over the years, but one of the original authors who I became a fan of was the iconic R. A. Salvatore.  One of the key contributors to the Forgotten Realms fantasy universe of Dungeons and Dragons, Salvatore has written so many books in this setting, as well as several outstanding series set in his own fantasy universe.  I have had so much fun over the years reading his various novels, with the extremely long-running Legend of Drizzt books and his Cleric Quintet being a major favourite.  Of these, the book I must highlight as my favourite is the 1990 release, Homeland.  A compelling read that serves as a prequel to Salvatore’s original Icewind Dale trilogy, Homeland follows the origins of Salvatore’s most iconic character, Drizzt Do’Urden, and his earlier years surviving amongst his brutal kind.  A complex novel that provides some chilling insights into the subterranean dark elves know as drow, Homeland is an outstanding read that provides an extreme version of nature vs nurture.  A very easy choice to include on this list.

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Simon Scarrow – Under the Eagle

I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction, and my favourite author of the genre is Simon Scarrow.  I have been a fan of Scarrow since I started reading historical fiction, with his long-running Eagles of the Empire series being a major factor in this.  Following two Roman soldiers as they try to survive the various battlefields and politics of the empire’s peak, the Eagles of the Empire books have always been must-reads for me, and I am still a fan to this day (check out my review for the latest entry, Tyrant of Rome).  There are way too many books in this series to have a definitive favourite, but I think I’m going to go with Scarrow’s very first book, Under the Eagle.  Serving as an excellent introduction to the main characters as they prepare to invade Britannia, Under the Eagle sets up the rest of the series perfectly and was an excellent initial entry.  A very impressive first novel that the series keeps coming back to, Under the Eagle was an amazing read that has had me hooked for so very long.

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Joe Abercrombie – The Trouble With Peace

I had to include Joe Abercrombie on this list, as the master of grimdark fantasy fiction has consistently impressed with his powerful plots and delightfully flawed characters.  His books, from the First Law series, all the way to last year’s entertaining gore-fest, The Devils, have all been quite incredible and addictive.  However, if I had to choose a favourite, I’d have to go with The Trouble With Peace.  The second book in Abercrombie’s Age of Madness trilogy, The Trouble With Peace narrowly edges out the trauma of excellent third novel, The Wisdom of Crowds, thanks to its concise story and powerful battle sequences.  I also love how it turns the previous novel’s seemingly foppish protagonist into an extremely likeable leading man, while the supposedly heroic young star of the preceding A Little Hatred, is effortlessly morphed into a selfish heel.  An incredible read from one of dark fantasy’s absolute best authors and a fantastic inclusion for this list.

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Dan Abnett – Warhammer 40,000: Double Eagle

The final person I want to feature on this list is Dan Abnett, who was an automatic inclusion here for being my favourite author of Warhammer fiction.  An intense author who always tries to showcase the average human perspective of the over-the-top Warhammer universe, Abnett has written some truly amazing novels over the years, many of which are among my favourite Warhammer 40,000 entries.  However, my favourite is probably his classic novel, Double Eagle, which follows a group of fighter pilots battling for survival above a bloody warzone.  Featuring some of the very best aerial combat sequences you are ever going to read, Double Eagle was an ultra-addictive masterpiece, that I couldn’t stop listening to.  A highly recommended and action-packed read that perfectly wraps up this list.

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Whew, well that was a far more extensive Top Ten list than I intended, although I’m happy with the result.  The above really are some of my very favourite books from some of my favourite authors, and I love every single one of them.  All the above come very highly recommended, and there is a good chance you will start a new obsession the moment you start to explore them, so good luck. Make sure to also let me know your absolute favourite books and authors in the comments below.

WWW Wednesday – 28 January 2026

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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:

Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana (ebook)

I just started reading the intriguing debut fantasy novel, Dawn of the Firebird, which is off to an excellent start. An elaborate fantasy novel with a unique Middle Eastern style, Dawn of the Firebird follows a young woman whose journey to understand magic and her own power is twisted by betrayal, war and the loss of everyone she loves.  I have only made a little progress on Dawn of the Firebird, but I am so far enjoying its compelling story, which I think has a ton of potential.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

I literally just finished the epic new entry in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Twelve Months, which was so much better than I could have hoped.  One of my most anticipated releases of 2026, Twelve Months sees the highly damaged wizard protagonist try to survive the turbulent year following the destructive battle for Chicago, forced to complete multiple quests while also overcoming his grief.  I absolutely flew through this audiobook, and I loved every single second I spend with Twelve Months thanks to its complex story and brilliant take on loss and moving forward.  One of Jim Butcher’s very best books, and an early contender for best fantasy novel of 2026.

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A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver (ebook)

I also finished off the fantastic 2026 debut thriller, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver this week. An amazing and hilarious book that follows the titular sociopath as she attempts to maintain her perfect, busy life after brutally killing someone in her house. I had a ton of fun with this novel, and it comes very highly recommended.

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Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman (ebook)

Finally, I also managed to power through the entertaining young adult novel, Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman, which was an awesome and compelling hoot.  Featuring two damaged teenage protagonists as they attempt to survive a mercenary attack on Mars, Red Star Rebels was a great young adult novel that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)

I’ve been having an awesome time with Warhammer 40,000 fiction lately, so I think the next audiobook I’ll check out is the intriguing, villain-focused book Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks, which has been on my to-read list for a while.  Following members of the treacherous and deceitful Alpha Legion, Harrowmaster looks set to feature betrayal and machinations which I cannot wait to check out, especially as Brooks has a sequel to Harrowmaster coming out very soon.

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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 – 21 January 2026

On 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:

A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver (ebook)

I’m still going with the fantastic 2026 debut thriller, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver this week. While I didn’t get as much reading time to enjoy this book as I had hoped, it is still proving to be an amazing book that follows the titular sociopath as she attempts to maintain her perfect, busy life after brutally killing someone in her house. I’m hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days, and I cannot wait to see where the crazy story goes next.

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Twelve Months by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

After years of waiting, we finally have a new entry in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, the epic new release, Twelve Months, which I started reading today.  One of my most anticipated releases of 2026, Twelve Months sees the highly damaged wizard protagonist try to survive the turbulent year following the destructive battle for Chicago, forced to complete multiple quests while also overcoming his grief.  I am already flying through this outstanding novel in its audiobook format, and I am loving every single second I spend reading Twelve Months.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer 40,000: The Last Ditch by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I ended up quickly finishing off the addictive Ciaphas Cain book, The Last Ditch. The eighth book in Sandy Mitchell’s amazing series, The Last Ditch combined awesome action and excellent humour with great Warhammer elements.  Review to follow soon

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Warhammer 40,000: The Greater Good by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I instantly jumped from The Last Ditch to the next book in the series, The Greater Good, which proved to be another incredible Warhammer 40,000 audiobook. A slick and clever read that kept you hooked all the way to the end, The Greater Good was an outstanding novel from one of the very best Warhammer authors.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman (ebook)

I’m hoping to read the entertaining young adult novel, Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman next, which sounds like a ton of high-octane fun.

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Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana (ebook)

I’m also hoping to start the intriguing debut fantasy novel, Dawn of the Firebird, this week. I think this new book has a ton of potential and I can’t wait to get into it.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026

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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.  For this Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated books for the first half of the year.  This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books coming out in the next six months.  

2026 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for awesome and impressive 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 keen for.  This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors.  Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am extending this list out to a Top Twenty list to cover all the big release coming out until July. 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.

For this list, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2026 and 30 June 2026 which I have some descent details about.  I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult.  I made it a little easier on myself by only including one book per author, which helped considerably, and I was eventually able to break it down to the best 20 books and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fiction reads of the first half of 2026.  So let us see what made the cut.

Top Twenty List:

The Right to Remain by James Grippando – 6 January 2026

Let’s start this list off with some awesome legal thriller fiction, with the cool new book from James Grippando, The Right to Remain.  The 20th book in the author’s Jack Swyteck series (of which I’ve previously enjoyed Goodbye Girl and Grave Danger), The Right to Remain will once again follow Grippando’s lawyer protagonist into a complex courtroom battle as he attempts to defend a man who literally refuses to say a single word in his own defence.  The Right to Remain has a very interesting plot idea behind it and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe – 6 January 2026

There are quite a few excellent Australian novels coming out in the first half of 2026, but one of the ones I’m most excited for is Dark Desert Road.  A new novel from Australian author Tim Ayliffe, who has previously impressed with his John Bailey series, Dark Desert Road will serve as an interesting change of pace from the author, as he provides a more thriller-based narrative around a new protagonist, while also touching on some worrying contemporary issues in Australia.  I am extremely curious to see how Dark Desert Road turns out, and I’m hoping to read this book very soon.

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City of Others by Jared Poon – 13 January 2026

One very fun debut that I am excited for in the coming months is the amazing sounding fantasy novel City of Others by Jared Poon.  A cool urban fantasy set in Singapore, City of Others will follow an overworked bureaucrat tasked with keeping the city’s supernatural population happy while also attempting to stop all of Singapore from disappearing.  Due to its entertaining plot and interesting setting, I think this debut has a lot of potential and I am extremely excited to check it out.

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Twelve Months by Jim Butcher – 20 January 2026

One of the fantasy novels that I am most excited to read in 2026 is Twelve Months, the long-awaited 18th book in Jim Butcher’s iconic Dresden Files series.  Set in the aftermath of the devastating Battle Ground (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Twelve Months will see the grieving wizard protagonist continue to protect Chicago from all manner of dark supernatural threats, while also forced to deal with the complex magical politics infecting his life.  I cannot wait to see how this series continues, especially after power reading the entire series after loving Battle Ground (all of which was pretty damn epic, including Dead Beat, Changes and Skin Games, just to name a few).  If Butcher continues to feature his usual complex characters, impressive narratives and clever worldbuilding, Twelve Months will easily be another exceptional read, and I am so damn eager to read this new Dresden Files offering.

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30Seven by Jeremy Robinson – 20 January 2026

One of the more inventive authors of science fiction thrillers, Jeremy Robinson, is set to have a very successful 2026, with a couple of fantastic novels on the way.  The first of these is the particularly awesome novel 30Seven, which has such an epic alien abduction plot.  I love the sound of this book, especially as the protagonist will not only have to protect his child from the aliens, but also from a human serial killer who has been abducted alongside them.  One of the more distinctive science fiction novels coming out, I already know that 30Seven is going to be awesome and I’m very excited for it.

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Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker – 27 January 2026

The always entertaining K. J. Parker returns with a cool new comedy fantasy series in 2026, starting with the awesome book Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead.  The first book in the Loyal Opposition trilogy, Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead will introduce the trilogy’s titular protagonist, a faithful nun who also serves as her church’s murderous fixer.  Tasked with making a meddling princess disappear, Sister Svangerd infiltrates a famed religious conference, only to encounter religious intrigue, murder and revenge, that they need to navigate their mission around.  I really love the sound of this book, and I cannot wait to see what over-the-top schemes and plots the protagonist will need to overcome.  This is going to be such an epic book, and Parker already has a sequel set for release in May 2026 with Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know, which I also have very high hopes for.

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Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman – 3 February 2026

Over the last few years, I have come to really enjoy the compelling and unique mysteries of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series.  Following two fun protagonists as they attempt to solve some of the more unusual murders in Los Angeles, the long-running Alex Delaware series always provides a fantastic mystery in the new year.  Kellerman’s next book is the particularly intriguing sounding Jigsaw that will see the protagonists investigate two seemingly unconnected murders, neither of which are what they seem.  I have had such a great time with the previous Alex Delaware novels, and I cannot wait to see how this new book turns out.

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Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz – 10 February 2026

Greggy Hurwitz will continue to explore his complex former spy, turned vigilante protagonist Evan Smoake in the upcoming new Orphan X novel, Antihero.  Following on from the traumatic events of Nemesis, Antihero will see a further damaged Evan attempt to save a woman in trouble.  However, Evan finds himself with an unusual handicap, as his new client doesn’t want him to hurt anyone.  I have no doubt that Antihero is going to be one of the more distinctive and emotionally charged entries in an always exceptional series, although I’m a little worried about what trauma Hurwitz puts his protagonist through next.

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Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 February 2026

While the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky has several intriguing novels coming out in early 2026 (including the awesome sounding Green City Wars), the book of his I am most excited for is Pretenders to the Throne of God.  The fourth book in Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Pretenders to the Throne of God will follow on from City of Last Chances (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2023), House of Open Wounds (one of my favourite books of 2023) and Days of Shattered Faith (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025).  This new novel will once again follow a complex group of characters as they attempt to survive the dark expansion of a fanatical militaristic empire, this time centred around the siege of a magical city.  The last three books in this series have been amongst the cleverest and most compelling pieces of fantasy fiction I have had the pleasure of reading, and I have no doubt that this upcoming book is going to be just as impressive.

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The Hard Line by Mark Greaney – 24 February 2026

The thriller hits keep on coming in early 2026, as we also have a new Gray Man novel from Mark Greaney with The Hard Line.  An amazing sounding continuation of this iconic thriller series, The Hard Line will see the protagonist forced to deal with family drama, while also contending with a vengeful assassin who may be even more skilled than he is.  This sounds like another particularly incredible inclusion in one of the best ongoing spy thriller series out there, and I cannot wait to see all the elaborate action sequences and clever storytelling The Hard Line is sure to contain.

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Red Empire by Jonathan Maberry – 10 March 2026

I doubt anyone familiar with my blog will be too surprised that a new Jonathan Maberry novel is making this list, especially after I have spent the last few weeks talking up Maberry’s most recent release, Cold War.  Maberry’s next novel, Red Empire, will be the fifth book in the Rogue Team International series, which itself is a spinoff of the author’s epic Joe Ledger novels.  Following on from excellent books like Rage, Relentless, Cave 13 and Burn to Shine, Red Empire will see the protagonists fight against an old enemy determined to unleash unimaginable destruction.  This new novel from Maberry sounds pretty damn incredible, and I am very eager to read it, especially as the synopsis promises some big reveals regarding an enigmatic figure who has intrigued fans since the very first Joe Ledger book.

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Blindside by Michael Mammay – 24 March 2026

One of the big science fiction novels I’m looking forward to reading in early 2026 is Blindside by the very talented Michael Mammay.  Part of the author’s very impressive Planetside series, Blindside will see Mammay’s retired soldier protagonist, Colonel Carl Butler, engage in a new thrilling story when old enemies target those closest to him.  However, this time the enemy is ready for Butler’s cowboy antics, and all hell looks set to be unleashed.  I am extremely eager to get my hands on Blindside in March, especially after deeply enjoying all the previous Planetside novels like Planetside, Spaceside, Colonyside and Darkside, and I have no doubt this next book is going to be particularly captivating.

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First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston – 14 April 2026

One of the more unique fantasy novels on this list is the very entertainingly titled First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston.  Johnston, who has previously deeply impressed with over-the-top fantasy novels like The Maleficent Seven and The Last Shield, is going all out again with his new novel, which as the title suggests, will see a group of mages attempt to fly to their moon.  Sure to be an extremely epic book that will combine magic with elaborate technology in a war-torn nation, First Mage on the Moon sounds like a particularly unique and crazy read, and I for one cannot wait to check it out.

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Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie – 28 April 2026

One of the darker pieces of Australian fiction I am looking forward to in 2026 is the new book from Sarah Barrie, Dark Sanctuary.  Barrie, who really impressed me with her Lexi Winter novels (Unforgiven, Retribution, Vendetta and Endgame), looks set to drop another elaborate and twisted thriller in Dark Sanctuary, and I love the cool synopsis for this book that will follow several people dragged into a series of connected crimes.  I look forward to seeing what Barrie’s outstanding imagination has cooked up this time, and I feel that Dark Sanctuary has the potential to be one of the top Australian fiction releases of the year.

 

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford – 5 May 2026

One of the more unique entries coming out in the coming months is the very entertaining Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford.  The fun follow-up to Ford’s amazing 2025 novel, The Bone Raiders, which saw a small group of raiders attempt to keep their freedom by taming giant, fire-breathing lizards to use as mounts, Sisters of the Lizard will continue these character’s adventures, as they face off against new foes and dangers.  I already know this is going to be an amazing and highly exciting novel, and I cannot wait to see where Ford takes his unique and extremely funny narrative idea going forward.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 12 May 2026

The next entry on this list was one I’d hoped to read last year, however, Our Lady of Blades got pushed back to 2026 (at least we got the bonkers novel The Malevolent Eight in 2025).  Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait until Our Lady of Blades comes out, and it now looks set to be one of the top fantasy releases of 2026.  The next book in de Castell’s Court of Shadows series (part of his larger Greatcoats universe), Our Lady of Blades will follow on from the loosely connected novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows.  Featuring an intriguing story of revenge and redemption in a city obsessed with duels, Our Lady of Blades will feature de Castell’s trademark humour, complex storytelling, and expansion of his elaborate fantasy world.  I look forward to seeing how Our Lady of Blades ties into the other Court of Shadows novels, and I have a feeling this is going to be a particularly impressive fantasy highlight of 2026.

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A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman – 12 May 2026

While I was tempted to include Matt Dinniman’s other planned 2026 novel, Operation Bounce House, on this list, I instead had to feature the epic upcoming novel A Parade of Horribles (cover yet to be released), which is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.  The eighth book in Matt Dinniman’s exceedingly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles will continue to follow protagonists Carl and his sentient cat Princess Donut, as they attempt to survive the increasingly deadly and utterly bonkers dungeon formed from the detritus of a destroyed Earth.  While most of the details about A Parade of Horribles’ plot have yet to be released (it will apparently have a cool race focussed plot, which gives me some awesome Mad Max flashes), you have to know it is going to be something particularly epic and incredible, especially as all the previous novels in the series have been utterly exceptional and brilliantly bonkers.  I have so much love for this series after having become irreversibly addicted to it last year (highlights include Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Butcher’s Masquerade and The Eye of the Bedlam Bride), and I am so damn eager to see how this series will continue.  I personally am planning to listen to A Parade of Horribles on audiobook (narrated by the insanely talented Jeff Hays), and I cannot wait to see how this new novel unfolds.  If you haven’t experienced the Dungeon Crawler Carl series yet, do yourself a favour and check them out on audiobook before A Parade of Horribles comes out, you will not be disappointed!

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Ironwood by Michael Connelly – 19 May 2026

One of the last crime fiction books I want to feature on this list has the potential to be one of the best with the next fantastic novel from Michael Connelly, Ironwood.  The sequel to his intriguing 2025 novel Nightshade, Ironwood will once again focus on Connelly’s new protagonist Detective Stilwell, as he attempts to solve crimes from his banished post of Catalina Island.  However, in this book, he finds himself teaming up with another Connelly protagonist, with Detective Renée Ballard serving as a supporting character.  This should result in quite an intense and addictive crime fiction read, and I am particularly keen to read Ironwood as soon as I can.

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Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker – 19 May 2026

The penultimate book I want to highlight is the epic new fantasy novel from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril.  An intriguing sounding urban fantasy, Mortedant’s Peril will follow a protagonist hunted throughout his city for reading the final thoughts of the wrong dead man.  I have a lot of confidence that Barker is going to pull out something special with this new novel, especially after impressing with all his previous trilogies, and I am confident that Mortedant’s Peril is going to be a top book of 2026. 

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A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett – 9 June 2026

Perhaps one of the most impressive and addictive new fantasy series from the last two years has been the Shadow of the Leviathan books by Robert Jackson Bennett.  An extremely clever and compelling fantasy murder mystery series that sees the chaotic team of an over-enhanced investigator and her faithful assistant, solve impossible crimes in a nation constantly under attack from giant monsters.  Both the previous books in this series, The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption, have been exceptional five-star reads, and I have been eagerly waiting for the next entry in the series ever since I finished the last page of the second Shadow of the Leviathan novel.  This third upcoming book, A Trade of Blood (cover yet to be released), will see the protagonist attempt to stop a violent civil war by proving that a member of a powerful family is innocent of a gruesome murder.  However, the protagonists soon find themselves dragged into a dark conspiracy against a ruthless opponent determined to destroy the nation.  A Trade of Blood sounds just as incredible as the previous two Shadow of the Leviathan novels, and I cannot wait to unwind this latest narrative and it’s no-doubt elaborate and captivating fantasy-based mystery.

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Well, that’s the end of this first list.  As you can see, there are some mighty impressive novels 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.  2026 is going to be an outstanding year for fiction, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year.  I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out, and I think I am going to have an extremely incredible time reading these authors in 2026.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2025/26 To Be Read (TBR) List

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List6 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants have a Thanksgiving freebie which I am going to use to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the last Tuesday before Summer 2025/26, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Summer (Winter for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 December 2025 and 28 February 2026 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. 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 Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of both 2025 and 2026.

Honourable Mentions:

The Right to Remain by James Grippando – 6 January 2026

An awesome upcoming legal thriller from the very impressive James Grippando (Goodbye Girl and Grave Danger), with the lawyer protagonist forced to defend a client who literally won’t utter a word in his own defence.

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Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe – 6 January 2026

An intriguing and topical Australian thriller from a very talented author.

 

City of Others by Jared Poon – 13 January 2026

An exciting fantasy debut that I think has a lot of potential.

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The Devil’s Bible by Steve Berry – 17 February 2026

The next intriguing entry in the long-running Cotton Malone spy thriller series.  I am a big fan of this series, although I still need to read the 2025 entry first.

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Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Demolisher by Andy Clark – 12 December 2025

The first summer release I want to highlight is the soon-to-be released Warhammer 40,000 novel Demolisher by Andy Clark.  The sequel to Clark’s previous novel Steel Tread, Demolisher will once again follow a misfit tank crew as they attempt to survive in the grimdark future.  Steel Tread was an impressive and exciting read, and I am excited to see how this sequel turns out.

 

Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai – 23 December 2025

The next Usagi Yojimbo volume looks set to be an outstanding Christmas present for me in a few weeks’ time.  Featuring a deadly conspiracy in a cool seasonal location, Ten Thousand Plums sounds like another outstanding entry in one of my favourite comic series.  Sakai has already had one amazing volume of this series out this year with The Crow, and I’m sure this next volume is going to be even better.

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Twelve Months by Jim Butcher – 20 January 2026

One of the books I’m most excited to read in the next three months is the long-awaited new Dresden Files novel by the legendary Jim Butcher, Twelve Months.  Following on from the chaotic events of Battle Ground, Twelve Months looks set to continue the series in epic fashion with dark new enemies, a compelling mystery, shocking revelations and some moving character moments.  I have been desperately waiting for this novel since 2020, having read the entire Dresden Files series in the intervening time, and I cannot wait to see how this new book turns out.  Sure to be one of the very best books of 2026!

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30Seven by Jeremy Robinson – 20 January 2026

Next, we have the intriguing and unique new science fiction novel, 30Seven by the always entertaining Jeremy Robinson.  Featuring a gripping and no-doubt terrifying alien abduction narrative with some cool twists, including the protagonist being trapped onboard the alien ship with the serial killer that murdered his wife, 30Seven has so much potential, and I’m planning to power through this book the second I get it.

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Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker – 27 January 2026

I already know that one of the more hilarious releases of the next three months is going to be the awesome fantasy novel Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead from K. J. Parker.  The start of a fantastic new series following a murderous nun who serves as the fixer for her corrupt church, Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead looks set to be an amazing read.  I love the sound of this upcoming novel, and I already know I’m going to laugh myself silly while reading it.

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Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman – 3 February 2026

The always reliable Jonathan Kellerman will continue his long-running Alex Delaware series in early 2026 with the intriguing new novel Jigsaw.  Featuring two seemingly unrelated murder cases with a unique and clever twists behind it, Jigsaw is sure to be a real highlight of the next few months, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz – 10 February 2026

Few thriller series have been as consistently impressive and emotionally charged in recent years as Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, which follows a former assassin turned vigilante as he attempts to make the world a better place, one desperate person at a time.  This series has been extremely incredible, and it reached its height earlier this year with the highly moving and powerful 10th entry Nemesis.  While I may never forgive Hurwitz for breaking my heart at the end of Nemesis, there is no way I will not be continuing the series in 2026 with Antihero.  Featuring a great new narrative that will be loaded with grief from the events of the previous book, Antihero looks set to be a particularly intense and memorable entry in the series and I cannot wait to read it.

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Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman – 10 February 2026

Readers of this blog will be well aware that I became a little obsessed with author Matt Dinniman this year, especially as I rapidly absorbed his entire Dungeon Crawler Carl series, with books like Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Butcher’s Masquerade and The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, and more, all proving to be outstanding reads.  As such, I will be eagerly reading anything that Dinniman release in the future going forward, and that includes his February 2026 release, Operation Bounce House.  A fun and no doubt bloody science fiction novel, Operation Bounce House will see desperate human settlers defend their planet from a greedy corporation using weaponised farming drones.  I have no doubt this is going to be a particularly hilarious and over-the-top read and I cannot wait to get more of Dinniman’s insane creativity in the new year.

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Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 February 2026

The always imaginative Adrian Tchaikovsky will continue his epic Tyrant Philosophers series in early 2026 with Pretenders to the Throne of God.  Following on from his previous three exceptional novels, City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds and Days of Shattered Faith, Pretenders to the Throne of God will continue to follow the expansion of the perfection seeking Palleseen as they find themselves besieging a magical city.  Sure to feature a great story based around complex characters, all wrapped up with Thaikovsky’s wry humour, Pretenders to the Throne of God is going to be something special, and I will try to read it is as soon as possible.

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The Hard Line by Mark Greaney – 24 February 2026

The final book I want to highlight in this post is the awesome upcoming spy thriller The Hard Line by Mark Greaney.  The next book in Greaney’s iconic Gray Man series, The Hard Line will continue the intense action and clever spy craft this series is known for when the protagonist, feared assassin and covert agent Court Gentry faces off against another legendary killer, determined to get revenge on everyone Gentry loves.  I have no doubt The Hard Line is going to be one of the more clever and exciting novels of the next few months, and I look forward to getting my hands on it.

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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. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2025 and 2026, 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 bit of reading to do in the near future.

Waiting on Wednesday – Twelve Months by Jim Butcher

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday4 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I showcase a book that many people have been talking about this week, with the long-anticipated next entry in the Dresden Files series, Twelve Months by Jim Butcher.

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Back in 2020, I was very lucky to receive a copy Battle Ground by Jim Butcher.  Part of the author’s long-running Dresden Files series, these books follow the many adventures and investigations of Chicago’s only wizard Harry Dresden, who engages with dark mystic conspiracies and the intricate battles between the world’s hidden magical creatures and factions.  At that point, I wasn’t too familiar with the Dresden Files series, but I was extremely intrigued by Battle Ground’s synopsis, which saw Chicago invaded by a horde of monsters and other magical creatures.  Even though it was the 17th entry in a series I hadn’t read before, I ended up absolutely loving Battle Ground, especially as it featured intense scenes of magical combat, high emotional stakes, and major tragedy.

Due to how much I enjoyed the epic Battle Ground (it ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), it was a very easy decision to explore this series further, and I went back and listened to book one, Storm Front, the moment I finished off Battle Ground.  Storm Front proved to be an awesome initial novel in the series, and over the next couple of years, I made a huge effort to read all the Dresden Files books, finishing off this reading cycle with Peace Talks last year.  All 17 of these novels were extremely impressive, and I ended up giving well deserved five-star rating to every entry in the series.  Highlights include the werewolf filled Fool Moon, the necromancer laden Dead Beat, the intrigue filled Small Favor, the traumatising Changes, the spirited Ghost Story and the extremely cool heist novel Skin Games, just to name a few.  I really cannot emphasise how much I loved these novels, and the Dresden Files is now one of my very favourite series.

Unfortunately for my newly awakened obsession, Butcher hasn’t had the opportunity to release a new Dresden Files novel since 2020, although some novellas and short stories like The Law, have come out.  As such, I, and the many, many other Dresden Files fans, were very happy to finally have some details about the upcoming 18th book in the series, Twelve Months, which Butcher just dropped the cover for.  Set for release in January 2026 Twelve Months will serve as an intense new entry in the series that will examine the fallout of the dark events of Battle Ground with new enemies and big dangers coming for the beleaguered and grieving protagonist.

Plot Synopsis:

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

One year. 365 days. Twelve months.

Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.

In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it’s a heavy load, and he needs time.

But time is one thing Harry doesn’t have. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and taking out innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.

It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of Harry Dresden the man to rise to the challenge?

Ok, there is a lot to unwrap with the above synopsis, but I think it’s important to start out by saying I am so damn excited for this upcoming book.  Covering all the fallout of Battle Ground is going to be extremely awesome and interesting, especially as there were a lot of powerful and important plot threads left over after this major entry in the series.  This includes Harry’s expulsion from the White Council, the fact that more people in the world are becoming aware of magic’s existence, the warring factions who will try to take advantage of the new power vacuums, his brother’s possession and many more dangerous ongoing storylines that I cannot wait to see explored and covered.

The above synopsis reveals there is going to be quite a few challenges for Harry to try and deal with this year, including ghouls, a race that the protagonist has a particularly grim history with.  I imagine that this will combine with some of the other storylines to reveal a great enemy or plot in the background, and I cannot wait to see what returning foes or great new antagonist emerges here.  There are also going to be some very emotionally heavy storylines for Harry in Twelve Months, including his upcoming marriage to the vampire Lara Raith (which is going to cause all manner of problems), as well as the need to save his dying half-brother Thomas from both his magical sickness and the consequences of the actions he undertook while controlled.  I am really curious to see how Butcher will wrap all these storylines together, and it should make for quite an elaborate narrative.

While I am naturally particularly intrigued to see all these storylines unwind, I think that the best part of the upcoming Twelve Months is going to be the examination of Harry’s emotional state is this new book.  As the synopsis above hints, Harry has gone through a lot recently, including the destruction of his city, his loss of status as a wizard, and most importantly the death of the woman he loves.  Having to take on the suffering of the entirety of Chicago while dealing with his own grief, on top of being forced to marry someone he doesn’t love, is likely to nearly break Harry, who already has a ton of emotional baggage from his dark history and the chaotic events of the last 17 books.  I have no doubt that Butcher is going to masterfully showcase this as a central point of Twelve Months, and I fear that this emotional trauma to one of my favourite characters is going to be very hard to behold.

Honestly, at this moment I am having a very hard time thinking about any novel I am currently more excited for than Twelve Months.  Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series has been a real highlight of my reading cycle the last few years, and I am so damn invested in this epic series and the trials and tribulations of its damaged wizard protagonist.  Frankly there is no chance at all that Twelve Months won’t be one of the absolute best books of 2026 and I am planning to once again listen to it on audiobook with James Marsters (one of my favourite audiobook narrators).  Twelve Months is going to be so damn epic, and I plan to grab it the very second it comes out.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Pre-2024 Novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List11 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. This week participants of Top Ten Tuesday get a freebie to list whatever topics they want.  So, I am going to take this opportunity to start my annual end-of-year lists here by looking at my favourite pre-2024 novels that I read this year.

Each December I have a lot of fun looking at some of the best and most impressive books and comics that I have read throughout the year in a series of Top Ten Lists.  While these lists will mostly focus on books that came out in 2024, for the last few years I have also taken the time to list out some of the best older novels that I have read in the last 12 months.  There are some excellent novels that were released pre-2024 out there that I haven’t had the chance to read before and it is always fun to go back and explore them.  I ended up reading a bunch of awesome older books throughout 2024, including some incredible novels that got easy five-star ratings from me and are really worth checking out.

To come up with this list I had a look at all the novels I read this year that had their initial release before 2024.  This proved to be a momentous task, as I read a ton of older books this year, including quite a few Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.  Despite the awesome array of older novels and audiobooks I enjoyed this year, I eventually managed to pull together a fantastic list that covered some of the best books released before 2024 that I read.  As I have in previous years, I combined novels that are part of the same series into a single entry, just to diversify it up a bit.  While I might be cheating in places, this list honestly reflects the best pre-2024 novels I read throughout the year, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000 Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks – 2021

A highly entertaining read from a great rising star of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Brutal Kunnin was particularly funny, and it allowed me to read it’s 2024 sequel, Da Big Dakka, in all it’s hilarious glory.

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Warhammer 40,000 Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer – 2022

A fantastic Warhammer 40,000 debut from a couple of years ago, Witchbringer was an awesome novel that I was really happy to finally check out.

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Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 2023

I got Rebellion, the 2023 entry in one of my favourite historical series, a bit late last year and it ended up being an early January 2024 read for me as a result.  A captivating and action-packed novel, Rebellion was amazing and comes highly recommended.

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Top Ten List:

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett – 1989

I had a ton of fun re-reading one of my favourite Discworld novels this year with Guards! Guards!.  One of Terry Pratchett’s best books, Guards! Guards! was just as amazing as I remembered it, and I still laugh at its elaborate narrative and exceptional humour.  While I have read Guards! Guards! before, I’m including it on this list as it was the first time I listened to the new audiobook version with Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy.  An incredible listen that I cannot recommend enough.

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Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett – Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr – 2002

As with last year’s pre-2023 book post, this list could have been dominated by the works of Dan Abnett if I hadn’t combined a few posts together.  That is because I am still making progress on his Gaunt’s Ghosts series, which is one of the seminal pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Following the common soldiers of the Tanith First and Only, better known as Gaunt’s Ghosts, this series is a gritty series about camaraderie and the horrors of war for the common human soldier in the grim future of the Warhammer universe.  I managed to get through two exceptional entries in the series this year, Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr, both of which were epic in their own way.  Featuring great characters, dark moments, and some particularly realistic depictions of war, these novels were so damn good, and I loved every second I spent listening to them.  I am hoping to dive even deeper into this series next year, and I know I am going to love it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Double Eagle by Dan Abnett – 2004

One of the absolute best Warhammer 40,000 novels I enjoyed in 2024 was another classic read from Dan Abnett, Double Eagle.  A spin-off from his Gaunt’s Ghosts series (The Guns of Tanith specifically), Double Eagle was an exceptional and highly intense read that followed various Imperial pilots as they fight a brutal air war above a contested planet.  Essentially the Battle of Britain in the grimdark future, Double Eagle was utterly addictive, and I loved every single second I spent listening to it.  A must read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans, Double Eagle is just incredible, and I am looking forward to the sequel, Interceptor City, which is coming out soon.

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Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell – The Traitor’s Hand (2005), Death or Glory (2006), Duty Calls (2007) and Cain’s Last Stand (2008)

Another long-running Warhammer 40,000 series I read in 2024 was the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell.  Following the heroic Commissar Cain as he fights in multiple battlefields, the Ciaphas Cain books are a particularly fun Warhammer 40,000 series due to the hilarious protagonist who is a lot more cowardly and practical than most people realise.  I read four books in this series this year, mainly because they are so easy to listen to and enjoy.  This includes The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls and Cain’s Last Stand.  All four were extremely good and featured distinctive and entertaining stories, with the last three featuring a great, loosely connected storyline.  If I had to choose a favourite it would probably be Death or Glory, that set a young Ciaphas Cain on his path to hero status when he accidently leads a band of human survivors Mad Max style to victory.  An outstanding series I will probably read more of in 2025.

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Warhammer 40,000: Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons – 2010

As I’m on a roll with awesome older Warhammer 40,000 novels, the next book on this list is the impressive Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons.  A particularly dark addition to the canon, Dead Men Walking pits Lyon’s favourite Imperial Guard faction, the Death Korps of Kreig (who Lyons also writes about in Kreig and The Siege of Vraks), against the unstoppable metal-coated Necrons, resulting in a devastating battle against two equally unrelenting foe.  Cleverly told from the perspective of the normal humans caught in the crossfire of this brutal war, Dead Men Walking showcases just how dark Warhammer 40,000 fiction can get, and I loved the entire captivating and ironic story.

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Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher – Skin Game (2014) and Peace Talks (2020)

After a couple of years of having a brilliant time exploring the Dresden Files books, I finally finished off the series this year by reading Skin Game and Peace Talks.  Two excellent and compelling entries in the series, these books were particularly awesome in all the right ways.  My favourite of the two was Skin Game, which saw the wizard protagonist forced to team up with his worst enemies to complete an impossible magical heist.  However, the other book, Peace Talks, was also particularly moving and exciting, especially as it set up Butcher’s other 2020 novel Battle Ground, which is where I entered the Dresden Files series.  I have had such an incredible time reading the Dresden Files books over the years, and I hope we start to get some new entries in it soon.

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The Outsider by Stephen King – 2018

One of the books I was particularly happy to read in 2024 was the intense and brilliant Stephen King novel The Outsider.  A complex, dark and shocking horror thriller, The Outsider starts off with a great concept when a local hero is accused of a terrible crime and all the evidence irrefutably shows that he did it.  The problem, the accused claims to be innocent and he has an impossibly airtight alibi.  I loved the fantastic and powerful story King wove around this idea, and I honestly could not stop listening to it.  Probably one of the better King books I have so far read, The Outsider was so damn good and still cannot get over its exceptional story.

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The Sandman – Act III by Neil Gaiman – 2022

After having a great time listening to the first audiobook adaptations of The Sandman in previous years (see my reviews for Act I and Act II), I managed to listen to the third act this year.  An intriguing continuation of the story, Act III featured an excellent and addictive story, told by an all-star full cast of excellent actors and voice talent.  I had such an outstanding time listening to the complex tales contained within this latest adaptation of The Sandman and I really cannot recommend it enough as an awesome way to enjoy this brilliantly dark and inventive series.  I hope we eventually get a fourth act of The Sandman at some point, as I really need closure around how the series ends.

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Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker – 2023

After having an exceptional time with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead last year (one of my favourite books of 2023), I made sure to read the simultaneously released sequels, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder in 2024.  Both were clever and hilarious reads that followed the series’ smart, cynical and unlucky protagonist through a series of complex adventures.  These sequels were extremely well written and planned out, and I loved how the overarching series came together.  I cannot recommend the final two Corax books enough, and together with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, they form and exceptional and extremely smart trilogy.

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Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell – 2023

The final book I want to feature on this list was the captivating fantasy novel, Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell.  A loosely connected prequel to de Castell’s new Court of Shadows series, which started this year with Play of Shadows, Crucible of Chaos was an outstanding read that I am glad I went back to check out.  Set in the author’s Greatcoats universe, Crucible of Chaos follows an unlikely magistrate as he journeys to an isolated monastery to arbitrate a religious dispute that has broken out on the grounds.  However, upon arriving he discovers that the situation has irrevocably deteriorated, and he must investigate a terrible murder amongst on the storm rocked island, whilst dealing with armed factions and dark magic.  A particularly impressive read that cemented my new-found appreciation for de Castell’s writing, Crucible of Chaos is an outstanding novel and a fantastic final entry on this list.

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And that is the end of this list.  As you can see, I have managed to read a huge number of epic pre-2024 releases this year.  Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend all of them, especially if you are in the mood for some fun fantasy or science fiction adventures.  I look forward to reading many more older books in 2025, and it will be interesting to see what makes my next version of this list then.  I imagine it will also end up being very Warhammer heavy, as I have plans to finish off the Gaunt’s Ghosts and Ciaphas Cain series, and I will probably also dive into a bunch of other awesome series from the franchise.  Make sure to check back in next week for some other end-of-year lists as I continue to highlight some of my favourite reads from 2024.

Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Favourite Books From Ten Series

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week, Top Ten Tuesday participants are tasked with choosing ten separate series and then listing their favourite book from that series.  This was a rather interesting topic that really got me thinking.  No matter how outstanding a series is, there is always at least one book that stands just that little bit above the rest, and I was curious to see how a list along those lines would turn out.

To come up with this list, I ran through some of my top novel and comic book series to try and work out what the most glaring examples of my favourite entries were.  I tried to limit my choices to longer series rather than trilogies, and I also went for series that I’m mostly up to date with, rather than those I’ve only made a little bit of progress on.  Despite these limitations, I ended up with a huge range of potential entries and I had to spend a bit of time culling down my initial list.  I’m pretty happy with how the final version of this post came out, as there are some excellent books featured within.  I do note that some of the series I mention below are recurring features in my other Top Ten Tuesday lists, but as they’re my favourites, that’s hardly too surprising.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Gray Man – Gray Man series by Mark Greaney

An impressive debut that still stands up as the best book in this top spy thriller series.

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Necropolis – Warhammer 40,000: Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett

Featuring an epic siege and deadly action, Necropolis is a particularly bright spot in an exceptional Warhammer series.

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The Grove of the Caesars – Flavia Albia series by Lindsey Davis

There are so many great mysteries contained in this Roman historical fiction series, however, my favourite is The Grove of the Caesars, which contains a particularly dark story.

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Thrawn – Star Wars: Thrawn series by Timothy Zahn

An amazing read reintroducing one of the best characters in the Star Wars canon.  Thrawn is so much fun, and it serves as the best book in the new Thrawn trilogy, as well as Zahn’s other Thrawn related novels in the new Star Wars extended universe.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Guards! Guards! – Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

Unsurprisingly considering the name of this blog, I’m starting this list off with a Discworld novel.  Written by the late great Terry Pratchett, the Discworld books remain one of my top series, and I cannot emphasise how outstanding these novels are.  While there are many, many great books in this series, if I had to pick an absolute favourite it will probably be Guards! Guards!.  Not only is this Pratchett at his very best, expertly combining a compelling mystery with hilarious fantasy elements, but it also sets up my favourite Discworld sub-series and introduces so many popular characters.  A truly exceptional read and the best book to check out if you want to become addicted to the Discworld.

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The Third Day, The Frost – Tomorrow series by John Marsden

Another formative book series for me is the Tomorrow series by John Marsden.  An iconic Australian young adult series, the Tomorrow books follow a group of teenagers attempting to survive a brutal invasion of Australia.  I honestly love every novel in this series, as Marsden produces an intense narrative that is well spaced out amongst all seven books.  However, I always felt that the best Tomorrow entry was the third book, The Third Day, The Frost.  Following the characters as they embark on their most ambitious mission yet, The Third Day, The Frost, is the darkest entry in the series, and it forces the protagonists to fully grasp the horrors of war.  A masterpiece of emotion, sacrifice and heartbreak, The Third Day, The Frost, lives eternal in my mind for very good reason.

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The Archer’s Quest – Green Arrow (2001) by Brad Meltzer

I have a lot of love for DC comics released around the turn of the century, but to my mind one of the best series that came out around then was the 2001 Green Arrow series.  Bringing back the original Green Arrow after his explosive death, this new series contains some amazing comics focussed on the Emerald Archer, with several outstanding creative leads exploring him in a new light.  While I personally think every arc of this series is exceptional, my favourite is the third volume, The Archer’s Quest.  Written by Brad Meltzer, The Archer’s Quest sees Green Arrow go back to his road-trip roots to recover multiple artifacts from his past.  While on the surface this sounds like a simple narrative, Meltzer turns it into a deep personal journey, that really captures the complex history of Green Arrow in comics.  I love how moving this comic gets at times, and Meltzer layers in the feels to keep the reader emotionally invested in the story.  One of the best comics I have ever read.

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Code Zero – Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry

Fans of this blog will know that I have a lot of love for Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series, which are some of the best science fiction thrillers out there.  Following a damaged agent charged with protecting the world from unusual and technologically impossible threats, all the Joe Ledger books are addictive, and I love the complex stories, intriguing antagonists, and over-the-top action.  There were several entries I could have mentioned here, but to my mind the best was probably the sixth book, Code Zero.  Not only does it have a great story on its own, but it features one of the more intriguing villains who brings back multiple prior cases to mess with the protagonists.  An amazing thriller that really showcased just how intense and intricate a Joe Ledger novel could be.

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Magician – The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist

I have mentioned many times how awesome Raymond E. Feist’s epic Riftwar Cycle is, and I have literally just started reading the next book in this series, A Darkness Returns.  There were several books I considered featuring as my favourite, including the Empire trilogy, but in the end, I went with the original book Magician.  A classic piece of fantasy fiction that perfectly sets up Feist’s iconic worlds, Magician is so damn amazing, and it still stands up to this day.

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The Eagle’s Conquest – Eagles of the Empire series by Simon Scarrow

Few series have impacted me over the years as much as Simon Scarrow’s exciting Eagles of the Empire series.  One of the very best Roman historical fiction series, the Eagles of the Empire books feature some great stories and classic action as the protagonists journey across multiple Roman battlefields.  While there are multiple outstanding books in this series, my favourite is the second book, The Eagle’s Conquest.  Not only does it perfectly continue some of the great storylines set up in the first novel, but it also takes some dark turns that shake the protagonist and make sure the reader knows that tragedy is always ready to strike.  Without The Eagle’s Conquest, I’m not sure I would have become a life-long fan of Scarrow, and it proved to be an exceptional second entry in this series.

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Changes – Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher

I doubt anyone who has followed my blog in recent years will be surprised that I am featuring the Dresden Files series on this list.  As one of the very best urban fantasy series, the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher feature some elaborate and complex storylines, all following Butcher’s rebellious, but heroic, wizard protagonist, and I have deeply enjoyed binge reading all 17 books in the series.  Choosing a favourite Dresden Files book proved to be particularly hard, as there were several epic entries I could have gone with, including Skin Game and Battle Ground.  However, in the end I had to go with the 12th book in the series, Changes.  Not only is Changes a particularly groundbreaking entry that fundamentally alters the trajectory of the series, but it also contains several dark twists that will shock you to your core.  An exceptional read that shows author Jim Butcher at his very best.

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Seasons – Usagi Yojimbo series by Stan Sakai

Another series that I had to feature here were the Usagi Yojimbo comics by Stan Sakai.  I have long loved the adventures of the rabbit samurai, and every volume is a masterpiece in its own way.  While I honestly would rate all the Usagi Yojimbo volumes a full five-stars, if I had to choose a favourite it would probably be Seasons.  Loaded with a ton of memorable adventures, Seasons shows how diverse the Usagi Yojimbo stories can be, while also setting up several impressive future adventures and characters.  I also have a lot of nostalgic love for Seasons, as a chance encounter with one of its stories introduced the Usagi Yojimbo world to me.  As such, Seasons is a very worthy addition to this list, and one that showcases Sakai’s skill as both an artist and a writer.

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Homeland – The Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore

It proved very easy to put forth Homeland as my favourite book in R. A. Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt extended series.  Homeland starts off a prequel sub-trilogy that seeks to provide valuable background to the life of Salvatore’s most iconic protagonist Drizzt Do’urden.  Set in the underground city of the drow, Homeland expertly explores the early life of Drizzt and shows the events that led to him turning his back on his evil race.  Easily one of the best things Salvatore ever wrote, Homeland is an amazing book I have re-read multiple times.

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The Last Devil to Die – Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman

The final book in this list is part of the amazing new Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman.  A clever, funny and sweet crime fiction series that follows four retirees who solve murders in their spare time, the Thursday Murder Club books are quite exceptional, and I have loved every single one of them so far.  While both The Thursday Murder Club and The Bullet That Missed are outstanding entries, if I had to choose a favourite it would be the latest entry, The Last Devil to Die.  The fourth book in the series, The Last Devil to Die has one of the most emotionally charged stories behind it, especially as Osman chooses to end several tragic plot points in incredible fashion.  I cannot emphasise just how good this book is, and it remains my favourite in the series so far.

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Well that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, I have had an awesome time diving into some of my favourite series and choosing the best entry, and it produced a pretty cool collection of books.  I hope you find the above entries interesting, and I would strongly recommend them, and the series they are associated with, to anyone looking for a new obsession.

Top Ten Tuesday – Top Pre-2024 Novels That I read in the First Half of the Year     

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature 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 to lists books which you thought required either more or less of certain elements to make them better.  While this is an interesting concept, I’m instead going to do something different and will provide two separate lists here that continue my them of recapping the first half of 2024.  The first of these lists will look at the very best pre-2024 novels that I read in the first half of the year.

I have had a lot of fun recapping some of the best recent books and audiobooks released in the first half of 2024 in previous weeks, but I also need to talk about some of the books that came out before 2024 that I also read this year.  I am a big fan of going back and checking out older series and books, and there are so many excellent pre-2024 novels that I haven’t had a chance to read before.  This has been particularly true recently, as I have spent a lot of time this year pouring through novels and audiobooks with a variety of older release dates and featuring them in my Throwback Thursday posts.  I honestly might have enjoyed too many of these older books, as I am way behind in my 2024 readings now, but I think it was more than worth it as there were some exceptional reads there, including a bunch that got five-star ratings from me.  Due to the sheer number of pre-2024 books I have already read this year, as well as their amazing quality, I felt that it would be interesting to do a list highlighting them now.

To come up with this list I had a look at all the novels I read this year that had their initial release before 2024.  This list includes a range of pre-2024 releases, including quite a few that I had been meaning to read for a while.  To make it a little more difficult for myself, I decided to limit myself to only one book from each author for the main list, which did reduce the choices I had.  Thank to this I was eventually able to cull this down to a workable Top Ten list, with a descent honourable mentions section.  Due to my current obsession, this list is extremely Warhammer 40,000 heavy, which I’m fine with because they are awesome books, so I apologise in advance if some of my choices are a little predictable.  This proved to be a fun list to pull together, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000: Sabbat Martyr by Dan Abnett – 2003

An intense and epic Warhammer read that blew me away, especially as it provided a fitting end to several key characters.

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Warhammer 40,000: Cain’s Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell – 2008

Commissar Cain “bravely” faces his toughest challenge ever in this very clever and hilarious book.

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Cold Days by Jim Butcher – 2012

A fantastic, high-stakes addition to the always impressive Dresden Files series.

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Peace Talks by Jim Butcher – 2020

Another intriguing Dresden Files novel, Peace Talks was a great read that masterfully set up its explosive sequel, Battle Ground.

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Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Straight Silver by Dan Abnett – 2002

First up we have a great entry in the fantastic Gaunt’s Ghosts series, Straight Silver.  I have been slowly making my way through this exceptional Warhammer 40,000 series by Dan Abnett and Straight Silver might be my favourite entry so far.  Forcing the stealth-orientated Ghosts to fight in stagnate trench warfare, Straight Silver is a dark and compelling entry in the series that also does a good job setting up the following Sabbat Martyr.  I deeply enjoyed this book, and it was a great pre-2024 novel to check out this year.

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Warhammer 40,000: Death or Glory by Sandy Mitchell – 2006

There were several awesome entries in the Ciaphas Cain series that I checked out this year, including The Traitor’s Hand and Duty Calls, all of which were very fun and loaded with action.  However, my favourite had to be Death or Glory, which sees a younger Cain crash-land on an ork controlled planet and is forced to fight his way across it.  Essentially turning into a Mad Max inspired adventure with the cowardly Cain leading the charge, Death or Glory was pretty damn hilarious and I loved every second I spent with it.

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Warhammer 40,000 Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons – 2010

One of the most intense pre-2024 novels I’ve read this year is Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons.  A great novel that focused on Lyons’ beloved Death Korp of Krieg (check out his later novel, Krieg), Dead Men Walking saw the implacable Krieg soldiers face off against the unstoppable necrons.  Essentially a battle between two faceless and unfeeling armies, with the poor civilians of the invaded planet caught in the middle, Dead Men Walking was an outstanding read that showed a particularly dark side to the already crazy Warhammer universe.

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Skin Game by Jim Butcher – 2014

While Cold Days and Peace Talks were very good additions to the Dresden Files series, my favourite book from Butcher I read this year was Skin Game.  One of the most highly regarded Dresden Files novels, Skin Game sees wizard protagonist Harry Dresden forced to work with his worst enemy to complete an impossible magical heist.  Clever, exciting and loaded with memorable moments, Skin Game was one of the best books Butcher has ever written and I cannot recommend it enough.

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Warhammer 40,000: Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks – 2021

Mike Brooks has been on a real roll with his amazing Warhammer 40,000 fiction lately, and I made sure to jump back and check out one of his older novels this year, Brutal Kunnin.  A captivating and fast-paced read, Brutal Kunnin focuses on the always entertaining ork faction, as they attack a heavily defended planet.  Mostly focused on the innate humour that surrounds the orks, Brutal Kunnin was an excellent book that will have you laughing the entire way through.  It also sets up Brooks’ 2024 release, Da Big Dakka, and is a must-read as a result.

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The Sandman Act III by Neil Gaiman – 2022

I had to continue the intricate and utterly brilliant full-cast audiobook adaptation of the classic The Sandman comics with the third entry, which made for some great listening during some road trips I recently had.  Continuing the stories set up in Act I and Act II, this third volume had another amazing story that was expertly portrayed with the extensive, high-profile vocal cast who brought it together.  A magnificent audiobook that you will not be able to stop listening to.

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Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer – 2022

An outstanding Warhammer debut from a few years ago I’ve been meaning to read for ages, Witchbringer was a very clever read from Fischer that saw a sanction psychic defend a regiment who all fear and hate her.  An amazing read with some interesting examinations of Warhammer 40,000 lore.

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Saevus Corax Captures the Castle/Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker – 2023

A quick double entry I had to include here was the second and third Corax novels, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker.  Continuing from the amazing Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, these two books continue to follow the titular master of battlefield loot as he attempts to survive an array of scams and cons being run around him.  Both books are very entertaining, and contain Parker’s typical wit, intensity and cynical outlook on human nature.

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Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 2023

The latest entries from one of my favourite historical fiction series that I had to read earlier this year rather than when it first came out.  A particularly epic book, Rebellion had a great story loaded with Roman historical action and adventure.

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Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien De Castell – 2023

After loving the amazing 2024 novel, Play of Shadows, I had to dive back into the loosely connected novel from Sebastien De Castell, Crucible of Chaos.  Released at the end of 2023, Crucible of Chaos had an exceptional story that saw an injured investigator and duellist travel to an important monastery to try and discover what drove all the monks crazy.  An elaborate and highly entertaining novel, Crucible of Chaos got an easy five-star rating from me and is guaranteed to make you a fan of De Castell and his extended Greatcoats universe.

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And that is the end of this list.  As you can see I have managed to check out a bunch of epic pre-2024 novels in the first half of this year.  Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend them, especially if you are in the mood for some fun fantasy or science fiction adventures.  I look forward to reading more older books in 2024, although I should probably slow down a little and check out my recent releases.  However, I imagine it I will probably continue several of these series, especially the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, so be prepared to see more Throwback Thursday posts featuring.  Make sure to check out my other recent lists about the first half of 2024, especially my other Top Ten Tuesday post tonight, and let me know what cool older books you have already checked out this year.