Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Fantasy/Science Fiction Books Release in the First Half of 2025

On January 8, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction15 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 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 for the start of the year. Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am doing two versions of this list, this first one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and another that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.

2025 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year. I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely keen for. This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors. I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be in the fantasy and science fiction space, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025 which I have some descent details about. Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult. I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy and science fiction reads of 2025. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland – 7 January 2025

The awesome action-packed sequel to Corland’s fantastic 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms is going to be a fantastic read, filled with drama, betrayal and great characters.

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An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris – 15 January 2025

A fun thriller debut with an interesting fantasy twist, as a woman with the ability to take life from one person and transfer it to someone else, tries to determine the best way to use her gift and ethically kill those who deserve to live.

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A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde – 8 April 2025

Another cool upcoming debut is the fantasy novel, A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde. Featuring an intriguing plot set around revenge and spirt magic, A Song of Legends Lost has so much potential, and I look forward to reading it.

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Strange New World by Vivian Shaw – 20 May 2025

I was pleasantly surprised to see we are getting a new Dr Greta Helsing novel this year with Strange New World. Following a doctor who specialises in treating monsters and the undead, this is a fantastic series (see my reviews for Strange Practice and Dreadful Company), and I look forward to seeing how it continues.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young – 28 January 2025

The first upcoming book I want to highlight is the next big Warhammer 40,000 fiction release, Leontus: Lord Solar. Following a skilled human leader who finds himself trapped on an ork infested world, Leontus; Lord Solar looks to be an exciting story of survival and overcoming the odds that I really love the sound of. I am also interested to see how author Rob Young goes with his second book, as his first novel, Longshot, was one of my favourite debuts of 2023.

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Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed – 25 February 2025

There are several cool Star Wars novels coming out in 2025, however, the one I am most excited for is The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed. The first book in the new Reign of the Empire series, The Mask of Fear will follow the early days of the Empire as it comes to power and takes over the former Republic. Written by the very talented Alexander Freed, who really impressed me with his previous foray into Star Wars fiction with the Alphabet Squadron books (Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price), I think that this book has a lot of potential, and I love seeing stories set in this period of Star Wars fiction. As such I am planning to listen to the audiobook version of The Mask of Fear the second it comes out and I know I’m going to love it.

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Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 27 February 2025

Awesome science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky had a great 2024 with books like Alien Clay and Service Model, so I am excited to see what he writes in 2025. It looks like he’ll be off to a strong start with the science fiction novel, Shroud, that sees two women trapped on a planet whose surface is completely inhospitable to human life. This sounds like a very gritty and claustrophobic read, and I cannot wait to see how dark and dramatic Tchaikovsky makes this upcoming book.

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Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 18 March 2025

A major 2025 release that I’m sure a lot of people are excited for is the fifth book in the iconic Hunger Games franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. The second prequel set around the original Hunger Games trilogy (see my review for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping will take readers back to the 50^th Hunger Games and explore the dark events that twisted fan favourite character Haymitch Abernathy. I am extremely excited to read Sunrise on the Reaping, especially as we get to see the ultra-violent second Quarter Quell in action, and it will be interesting to see how Collins’ sets this latest book out.

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When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi – 25 March 2025

One of the more unique books coming out in 2025 is When the Moon Hits Your Eye by the always memorable John Scalzi. Featuring a very fun science fiction plot that sees the moon suddenly turned into a giant ball of cheese, When the Moon Hits Your Eye sounds so damn outrageous, and I know I’m going to love it. Based on Scalzi’s previous entertaining reads, I have no doubt this will be crazy, funny and thoughtful in equal measure, and I will have so much fun checking it out.

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Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold – 1 April 2025

One of my favourite urban fantasy series, the Fetch Phillips series by Australian author Luke Arnolds, returns this year with another awesome book, Whisper in the Wind. Set in a fantasy city which has lost all its magic, the Fetch Phillip books follow broken and guilty private investigator Fetch Phillips who is desperately trying to bring back magic, and which results in some dark and powerful adventures (see The Last Smile in Sunder City, Dead Man in a Ditch and One Foot in the Fade). This fourth book will see Fetch dragged out of retirement in back into action when a series of murders brings trouble and potential revolution to his door. Arnold honestly gets better with every book he writes, and I am expecting another outstanding novel with Whisper in the Wind.

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A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett – 8 April 2025

One book I am particularly keen for in 2025 is the awesome second entry in the Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett, A Drop of Corruption. The sequel to one of my favourite books of 2024, The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption will continue to follow an unlikely investigative duo as they attempt to solve unusual magical murders in a land constantly besieged by giant monsters. This second book will feature an impossible locked room mystery as the protagonists attempt to unwind a dark conspiracy that threatens the entire realm. I have no doubt that this is going to be a particularly incredible novel, and I am hoping to read A Drop of Corruption very soon.

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The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence – 8 April 2025

One of the more complex science fiction and fantasy novels I will be reading in 2025 will be the third and final book in Mark Lawrence’s Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart. Following on from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and The Book That Broke the World, The Book That Held Her Heart will show the final battle for the impossible and infinite library, as the two separated protagonists must find a way back to each other to save the lives of those closest to them. I have no doubt this will be a moving, captivating and elaborate read, and I am very curious to see how Lawrence brings this entire ambitious series to an end.

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The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – 6 May 2025

Easily the book that I am most excited about in 2025 (and I’m sure a lot of fantasy fans are in the same boat) is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Abercrombie has proven to be the master of dark fantasy fiction thanks to his iconic First Law series, as well as the incredible follow up Age of Madness trilogy. All of these books are just incredible, and I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing the Age of Madness books a couple of years ago, including A Little Hatred (one of my favourite books of 2019), The Trouble With Peace (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020) and The Wisdom of Crowds (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021). I have been eagerly awaiting a new Abercrombie novel since The Wisdom of Crowds, and I was so damn happy to see he had a book coming out this year with The Devils. Set in an alternate medieval Europe, The Devils will follow a hapless priest as he tries to bind a congregation of monsters to save the world from a coming apocalypse. This book has so much pure potential and I have no doubt at all that it will end up being one of the best things I read this year.

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Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the hilarious sounding novel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler. The sequel to one of the funniest fantasy novels of 2024, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me will once again follow the unlikely Dark Lord of the realms, Davi, a human trapped in fantasy themed time loop who starts her adventure again after every painful death. This second book will see Davi attempt to save her former human subjects from her own upcoming invasion, only to encounter new opponents and obstacles. I had so much fun with How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and this sequel should be another brilliant comedic romp that I know I am going to love.

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Well, that’s the end of this first list. As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year. All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads. 2025 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year. I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2025. Make sure to also check out my other Top Ten List that looks at the top upcoming books of 2025 from the other genres.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Debut Books – July 2024

On July 24, 2024 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. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are challenged to list their favourite debut novels. I actually have listed my favourite debuts in the past, both at the end of the last few years, and in a 2020 list, where I looked at some of the very best debut novels I have ever read.

Over the years I have had the great pleasure of reading a number of impressive and captivating debut novels, many of which formed the start of an amazing series, or which helped launch the writing career of some of the best authors of a variety of different genres. Some of these debuts have been so good that they have stuck with me for life, and I look forward to once again listing my absolute favourites. I am taking a rather broad stroke approach with this list, and I am going to make any debut that I have read eligible to be included. It does not matter if I read this book out of order, whether I enjoyed later entries from the author first, or whether I have gone back and read this book years after it came out; as long as it is the first full-length novel from an author, it can appear on this list.

This proved to be a rather intriguing list to pull together, as I had a rather large collection of debut novels to sort through, and I ended up discarding several great books from the previous version of this list. I think that my new Top Ten list (with a generous Honourable Mentions section), has a much better selection of debut books, and I quite like how it turned out. Unsurprisingly, as many of these books are written by my favourite authors, I have mentioned some of these entries and their authors before in prior lists, and for many of these authors, I am still reading a number of their current novels. So let us see what I was able to come up with.

Honourable Mentions:

Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow

The very first book in Simon Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire series, Under the Eagle was a fantastic and exciting debut, and one that made me a huge fan of the historical fiction genre.

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

While the author may have shown her true colours, you still have to respect this classic debut that spawned an iconic world.

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Fire In the East by Harry Sidebottom

Another iconic historical fiction debut from a great author, Fire in the East is an amazing book that features one of my very favourite sieges.

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Planetside by Michael Mammay

A particularly epic science fiction thriller guaranteed to keep you on your toes. Planetside was an amazing read with an exceedingly epic ending that served as the perfect introduction to talented author Michael Mammay.

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Top Ten List:

Magician by Raymond E. Feist

Right off the bat we have Magician by Raymond E. Feist, which may be one of my favourite fantasy novels of all time. I first read this book years ago, and its clever story and substantial universe building has helped make me a lifelong fan of both the author and the fantasy genre. This was the first book in the epic and long-running Riftwar Cycle, which included the fantastic spinoff series, The Empire trilogy. I am still enjoying Feist’s books to this day, and I am planning to read his newest novel, A Darkness Returns, in the next couple of weeks.

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Storm Front by Jim Butcher

A massive debut I finally got around to reading after my first version of this list was Storm Front by Jim Butcher. The first book in his iconic Dresden Files urban fantasy series, Storm Front was an outstanding novel that I decided to check out after reading the explosive 17^th novel in the series, Battle Ground. Going back to Storm Front after that was an interesting experience, but it proved to be an amazing first novel that expertly set up the rest of the series. I have so much love for everything that followed Storm Front, and the Dresden Files wouldn’t be what it is today without this excellent first novel.

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Legend by David Gemmell

Back in 1984, fantasy readers were gifted with an outstanding debut in the form of Legend by the late, great David Gemmell. A debut that is epic in every sense of the word, Legend saw an unstoppable army attempt to take the world’s greatest fortress, defended by a legendary hero. A simple, but highly effective premise, that produced an exceptional and highly addictive read, Legend ended up being an incredible read, and one that all fans of fantasy fiction, especially awesome sieges, need to check out.

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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

A more recent debut that I need to feature on this list is The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. A highly entertaining crime fiction novel, The Thursday Murder Club followed four residents of a retirement village who decide to solve murders in their spare time, including the deaths of several people around their community. Osman did a very impressive job with The Thursday Murder Club, blending a complex mystery with some intriguing characters and his trademark subtle, but highly effective humour. I cannot emphasise just how enjoyable this debut proved to be, and Osman showed himself to be an immensely skilled author with this outstanding read, and the following books, The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed and The Last Devil to Die, all of which were exceptional five-star reads. A highly recommended debut, I look forward to seeing how the film adaptation currently in production turns out.

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Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Another particularly epic fantasy debut is Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. A compelling and intense flintlock fantasy story, Promise of Blood sets up McClellan’s The Powder Mage trilogy, which follows a compelling group of protagonists, including several mages whose magic is derived from gunpowder, as they attempt to save a nation from revolution, war, and their own vengeful god. It is frankly impossible not to love this amazing debut, and McClellan produced an outstanding story in Promise of Blood that was impossible to put down. I really need to read the rest of The Powder Mage books, although McClellan’s most recent novel, In the Shadow of Lightning, proved to be extremely impressive.

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The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

This was an exceedingly entertaining and wildly impressive fantasy novel which followed a group of conmen in a dangerous, magical city. The Lies of Locke Lamora was a really good book, and I think it would be impossible for someone to read it and not instantly fall in love with it. This book also served as the first entry in the outstanding Gentleman Bastards series, which currently contains three amazing books, with the fourth novel, The Thorn of Emberlain, hopefully coming out at some point in the future.

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The Gray Man by Mark Greaney

A great spy thriller debut I had to feature here was The Gray Man. The first novel from one of the world’s current premiere thriller authors, The Gray Man was an action-packed extravaganza that pitted a legendary assassin against a raft of hit-teams and contract killers. Fast-paced, fun and featuring some truly exceptional action sequences, The Gray Man was extremely awesome, and I honestly could not stop listening to this outstanding book. Greaney has since parlayed this debut into an iconic thriller series of the same name, and the Gray Man books are routinely my favourite thrillers of the year (such as the latest Gray Man book, The Chaos Agent).

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The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

One of the best fantasy debuts of all time has to be The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. An outstanding and epic dark fantasy novel that follows several complex and highly flawed protagonists through a brutal journey, The Blade Itself is an exceptional debut that perfectly sets up the rest of Abercrombie’s The First Law series. I have been a massive fan of the author ever since I read The Blade Itself, and I cannot wait to read his next novel, The Devils, in 2025.

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The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell

Another recently released debut I had to feature here was The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell. The first book in the author’s Legacy of the Mercenary Kings series, The Kingdom of Liars was an amazing 2020 release, that proved to be a particularly complex and impressive read. Following the scion of a disgraced noble house who attempts to clear his father’s name and find out who is trying to destroy his city, The Kingdom of Liars was a particularly complex and captivating novel that I could not get enough of. One of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020, The Kingdom of Liars was so much fun when I first read it, and my appreciation for it has only grown in hindsight after seeing where all the outstanding storylines Martell set up here ended up going. An epic debut that starts something truly wonderful.

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The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The final book I want to feature here is The Name of the Wind, which might be one of the best fantasy novels of all time. The debut novel of Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind is a particularly impressive, character-driven story that follows the early days of a man destined to become an infamous legend. I cannot emphasise how much I loved this book, and it is pretty much the epitome of the chronicle narrative. While many have started to fall out of love with this series due to lack of progress on the final entry, The Name of the Wind is still an exceptional novel, made even more impressive with-it being Rothfuss’ very first book.

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Well, that’s my Top Ten List for this week. I rather liked the new version list that I came up with here, and there are some incredible novels here, although it is still very fantasy heavy. Each of these books comes very highly recommended, and they all proved to be exceptional first outings from some very talented authors. This is probably a list that I will come back to again in the future, as there are always impressive new debuts coming out, and I cannot wait to see what new author is on the horizon.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

On May 29, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I am jumping ahead to 2025 to highlight a book I am particularly excited for with The Devils by Joe Abercrombie.

The Devils Cover 2

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There are few modern authors more influential in the field of fantasy fiction than the exceptional Joe Abercrombie. Known for his outstanding dark fantasy novel, Abercrombie has been one of the top authors in the genre for years, especially when wowing readers with his iconic The First Law series. Currently sitting at nine books, including his original First Law trilogy, his three standalone novels (Best Served Cold, The Heroes and Red Country), and his latest Age of Madness trilogy. The last of these, the Age of Madness books, are particularly well represented on this blog as they proved to be exceptional books for each of the years they were released. All three of them, A Little Hatred (one of my favourite books of 2019), The Trouble With Peace (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020) and The Wisdom of Crowds (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), were very highly rated by me and I could not get enough of this series.

Due to how much I have enjoyed Abercrombie’s work in the past I have been eagerly awaiting some new book for him for years. As such, I was very excited when I found out that he had a novel coming out early next year with The Devils. Set for release in May 2025, The Devils will take readers to an alternate version of medieval Europe where all manner of dark creatures roam and even darker deeds are committed. While it isn’t part of the First Law universe, this new book sounds extremely cool, and it really has a lot of potential.

Plot Synopsises:

A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey.

Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters, and the mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.

Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it’s a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.

Europe stares into the abyss.

Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. Only one thing is certain: the elves will come again, and they will eat everyone.

Sometimes, the darkest paths lead towards the light. Paths on which the righteous will not dare to tread…

And so, buried beneath the sacred splendour of the Celestial Palace, is the secret Chapel of the Holy Expediency. For its congregation of convicted monsters there are no sins that have not been committed, no lines that will not be crossed, and no mission that cannot be turned into a disastrous bloodbath.

Now the hapless Brother Diaz must somehow bind the worst of the worst to a higher cause: to put a thief on the throne of Troy, and unite the sundered church against the coming apocalypse.

When you’re headed through hell, you need the devils on your side.

Well now, this sounds pretty damn awesome. I honestly never knew that I needed a Joe Abercrombie dark alternate history book where a priest must lead a band of literal monsters to save the world from elves, but now that I know that it exists and is on its way, I cannot wait to read it. The Devils sounds like such an outrageous novel, and I am getting some very fun The Dirty Dozen vibes from it, which is always great. I also cannot wait to see Abercrombie’s take on a riven, dark alternate Europe, and I am curious what horrors and unique occurrences his imagine can envision for this landscape. This setup, combined with an amazing setting and Abercrombie’s brilliant take on human nature and dark fantasy, easily ensures this is going to be an incredible novel.

Look, if I was purely seeing the plot synopsis for The Devils on its own, I would be very interested and would make it a priority to read this awesome upcoming book. But the fact that it is written by Joe Abercrombie, who is easily one of my favourite authors, there is no way in hell that I am missing out on this book next year. I have no doubt what-so-ever that The Devils is going to be an exceptional book and I will probably end up loving every single second that I spend reading it. As far as I’m concerned, the number one contender for best fantasy book of 2025 has just been announced, and if I could walk through time to get a copy of The Devils sooner I would.

The Devils Cover 1

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Top Ten Tuesday – Authors I’d Love a New Book From

On May 22, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 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 are tasked with listing the top authors that they’d love a new book from. This could be because the author hasn’t written anything for a while, has passed away, or because the blogger has loved the author’s work so much that they have outpaced their writing.

This proved to be a rather interesting topic to pull together and I was eventually able to come up with a good ten entries, including my typical honourable mention section. I ended up with a good mixture of authors, many of whom haven’t released a book quick enough for my liking for various reasons. I have cheated a little bit in places when it comes to some writers, but I did try to avoid authors who had a new book out in the last year, even if said book wasn’t part of a series that I was interested in. I think my final list turned out rather well and there are several awesome authors I wish I could get a new book from.

Honourable Mentions:

Brian McClellan

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I really enjoyed McClellan’s last book, In the Shadow of Lightning, and I am desperate for a sequel. However, I should also read his Powder Mage series properly to get some epic fantasy adventures.

Andrew Shvarts

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Shvarts is an excellent young adult fantasy author who had been really growing on me thanks to his Royal Bastards trilogy (Royal Bastards, City of Bastards and War of the Bastards) and his standalone novel, It Ends in Fire. Unfortunately, we haven’t had anything from Shvarts for a couple of years, which is a real shame.

Chris Wooding

The Shadow Casket Cover

Chris Wooding probably shouldn’t be on this list, considering he did have a book out last year. However, I am extremely keen to get a copy of his next novel in his Darkwater Legacy series, especially after how good his first two books, The Ember Blade and The Shadow Casket, were. I’m mostly including Wooding here because I know it will be a while until we get a third Darkwater Legacy novel, and I am very impatient.

Suzanne Collins

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I’m of the firm belief that there is even more that can be pulled from The Hunger Games universe, and I really hope Collins develops some additional awesome books.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Terry Pratchett

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Let’s start this list off very strong with the late, great Terry Pratchett. I have made it no secret that Terry Pratchett is one of my absolute favourite authors, and his books have been a big part of my literary journey, including inspiring the name of this blog. I have had the great pleasure of reading all his books over the years many times, and if we could get at least one more, I would be very happy. I would especially love another entry in the Discworld universe, mainly because there are still a few questions that need to be answered, but alas that is not to be. As such, Pratchett was the easiest choice I made for this entire list, and I am sure many other readers out there would agree with my desire for another Pratchett novel.

Jim Butcher

Battle Ground Cover

The second entry on this list is another pretty obvious one for me, as I have been absolutely powering through Jim Butcher’s iconic Dresden Files series the last couple of years. All 17 books in this series, such as Storm Front, Dead Beat, Changes and Skin Game have been so damn epic, and I have loved every second I spent reading it. However, we haven’t had a new Dresden Files book since 2020, when the last two books, Peace Talks and Battle Ground came out. Now that I have read through the entire series, I am desperate for a new book, and the 18^th entry in the series cannot come soon enough.

Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind Cover

An author who will no doubt appear on many participants lists is Patrick Rothfuss. An excellent writer of epic fantasy fiction, Rothfuss deeply impressed readers with his first two novels, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear, both of which are part of his iconic Kingkiller Chronicles. Unfortunately, we have not had a new book in the series since The Wise Man’s Fear came out in 2011, and people are very, very keen for a third entry. While Rothfuss did recently release the novella, The Narrow Road Between Desires, I would give anything to finally get my hands on the long promised third book, The Doors of Stone.

Sam Hawke

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One series I have been particularly upset not to see anything from recently is the Poison War series by Sam Hawke. Hawke really impressed me with her first two novels, City of Lies and Hollow Empire, and I have been eagerly awaiting a third entry in the series, or even a new book from Hawke, for a while. Unfortunately, we haven’t had anything from Hawke since 2020, and I hope that changes at some point in the future.

Max Brooks

Devolution Cover

Max Brooks is another great author who hasn’t written a new novel for a while. Brooks, who shot to fame with the exceptional World War Z, has only really written another full novel, Devolution, which was another amazing book. Devolution came out in 2020 and that was the last book we’ve seen from Brooks, excluding his Minecraft novels (I might be a snob by leaving them out, but oh well). I would absolutely love another clever horror novel or unique thriller from Brooks, and hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. Brooks does have a cool sounding novella coming out later this year, so that might hold me over for a while.

Joe Abercrombie

The Wisdom of Crowds Cover

I am a huge fan of Joe Abercrombie, and his awesome and addictive dark fantasy novels are so damn good, especially those that are part of his First Law universe. His last trilogy, the Age of Madness books (A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds), were particularly epic, and Abercrombie left The Wisdom of Crowds on an intriguing note. However, it has now been three years since we’ve seen a new book from Abercrombie, and I am really eager to see more from him. Abercrombie does have a new book, The Devils, coming out next year, and while it’s not part of the First Law series, I cannot wait to check it out.

Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora Cover

Another major author who many people would include on this list is Scott Lynch, whose Gentleman Bastards series has inspired many fantasy fans. Made up of The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies and The Republic of Thieves, the Gentleman Bastards novels are so damn good, and I had an amazing time reading them. Unfortunately, it has been over 10 years since we got a new entry, and the fourth book, The Thorn of Emberlain, still has no firm release date. Many fantasy fans, including myself, are still hopeful that we will get The Thorn of Emberlain at some point, and I know I am going to love it when it finally comes out.

Timothy Zahn

Thrawn Cover

After falling in love with his epic Star Wars novels, including Thrawn, Alliances, Treason, Chaos Rising, Greater Good, Lesser Evil and Scoundrels, I would love another book from Zahn, especially if he returns to the Star Wars universe again. I think there is a need for Zahn’s talents in the Star Wars extended fiction space, especially as his most iconic character, Grand Admiral Thrawn, recently had his live action debut in the Ahsoka television series.

Nick Martell

The Voyage of the Forgotten Cover

Nick Martell is an author who greatly impressed me over the last few years. His debut trilogy, the Legacy of the Mercenary Kings series, was exceptional, and I loved the elaborate story he told. All three books, including The Kingdom of Liars (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Two-Faced Queen (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and The Voyage of the Forgotten (one of my favourite books of 2022), were exceedingly good, and I had an outstanding time reading them. However, it has been nearly two years since Martell’s last book, and we have yet to have any details about his future works. While I don’t want to rush Martell, I sure would love another book from him, especially if it continues the elaborate narrative he set up in his initial trilogy.

Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary Cover

The last entry on this list is acclaimed science fiction author Andy Weir. Weir deeply impressed me with his 2021 novel, Project Hail Mary, which featured an exceptional and highly clever story, and I am also a big fan of his iconic book The Martian. Due to these, Weir is on my instant-read list, and anything new that comes from him will be grabbed and enjoyed on sight. However, we haven’ seen anything from him for a while, and I hope that he pulls something together soon. Still Weir is known for having a big gap between books, so I’m sure something will turn up at some point.

That’s the end of my list. As you can see, there are several great authors I would love another book from, and hopefully I won’t have to wait too long for some of them. I think this list turned out great, and I look forward to seeing which of these authors will provide me my desired book first. Let me know which authors you would love another book from in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Literary Trilogies – April 2024

On April 16, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 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. While the official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list the 10 characters they would like to go on vacation with, I have decided to do something a little different, and instead I will be updating my favourite literary trilogies list from a few years ago.

Trilogies in literature are a long-running and deeply fun tradition that packs an epic connected tale, into three consecutive novels. There are some truly amazing trilogies out there, from the classics, like The Lord of the Rings, to some recent trilogies that I have been deeply enjoying. Indeed, 2023 just saw the end of several epic and outstanding literary trilogies, while 2024 will see some intriguing new trilogies start up. I have had the great pleasure of reading some truly awesome and exciting trilogies over the years, and back in 2021 I had a wonderful time coming up with a list that featured my absolute favourite literary trilogies. Since I had so much fun last week updating my favourite Warhammer 40,000 fiction list, I figured it was also time to update my previous trilogy list, especially as I had more than enough new entries to highlight.

This proved to be a fun update to pull together, especially as I had a great wealth of new potential trilogies to feature on this list. To be eligible, the proposed trilogy must consist of three, inter-connected novels. I only included series that were intended to end after three novels, rather than by happenstance, so that means that series like The Gentleman Bastards will not be featured (it technically has a fourth novel on the way). This meant that a previous entry, the Planetside books by Michael Mammay (made up of Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside), had to be taken off this new list because Mammay has just announced a fourth book. I also excluded trilogies that I have not yet completed, even if I have already read and deeply enjoyed the first two novels. This is because I really need to see how the third book turns out, as a bad third entry can easily spoil a trilogy that starts out strong.

Even with these restrictions, I ended up with a descent list of trilogies, which took me a little while to cull down and which resulted in a generous honourable mentions section. I am judging these trilogies on several factors, including how complete their story is, how well connected the novels are, and whether the component novels provide good introductions, conclusions and connections to the other books in the trilogy. Overall, I am very happy with how this latest version of this list turned out, even though I combined a couple of entries together, and I think that this accurately represents the best trilogies that I have so far finished.

Honourable Mentions:

Swords and Fire trilogy by Melissa Caruso

My first honourable mention is the debut trilogy from talented fantasy author Melissa Caruso. Featuring The Tethered Mage, The Defiant Heir, and The Unbound Empire, the Swords and Fire trilogy tells the tale of the unlikely partnership of an ambitious noble and a reckless, ultra-powerful mage, whose fates are literally bound together. This is an amazing and inventive fantasy trilogy that pits this duo against conspiracies, a nation of terrifying magical users, and their own substantial personal issues.

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Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron trilogy by Alexander Freed

There are some great Star Wars series out there, and one of the very best is the Alphabet Squadron trilogy by Alexander Freed. Made up of Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price, this trilogy followed a group of pilots in the immediate aftermath of Return of the Jedi, as they continue to fight the brutal war to claim the universe. This trilogy combined a gritty and complex war story with the iconic Star Wars universe to create three impressive novels that work brilliantly as an overarching series.

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The Century trilogy by Ken Follett

A massive and comprehensive historical fiction trilogy, made up of Fall of Giants, Winter of the World and Edge of Eternity. These books take place throughout the 20^th century and follow three generations of several families as they navigate the century’s big historical events, including two world wars and the Cold War. Some of the best historical fiction writing you are ever likely to see; this is a powerful and captivating series.

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The Icewind Dale trilogy by R. A. Salvatore

Iconic fantasy author, R. A. Salvatore, has made a career out of writing trilogies, and there were several I could have included, especially his Dark Elf trilogy. However, I think that his debut Icewind Dale series, is his most consistently impressive trilogy. While the first novel, The Crystal Shard is a tad rough, the second and third books, Streams of Silver and The Halfling’s Gem, more than make up for it, and produce a brilliant overall story that perfectly set up all his iconic characters for decades to follow.

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Top Ten List:

The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Let us start this list off with the dark fantasy masterpiece that is Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law trilogy. Consisting of The Blade Itself, Before they are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings, this amazing trilogy follows a group of extremely complex and damaged characters as they attempt to navigate a dark world filled with betrayal, uncontrolled ambition, and all manner of human monsters. All three books are really incredible, with The Blade Itself providing an outstanding introduction, while Last Argument of Kings wraps everything up perfectly and leaves the reader with a troubling but memorable conclusion. I powered through this trilogy in a very short time, and it remains one of my all-time favourite pieces of fantasy fiction.

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Warhammer 40,000: Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett

It was inevitable that a Warhammer 40,000 trilogy was going to end up on this list at some point, and no trilogy deserves it more than the Eisenhorn books (Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus) by Dan Abnett. Considered one of the pillars of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, the Eisenhorn books follow an Imperial Inquisitor, the titular Eisenhorn, as he attempts to root out hidden alien and Chaos threats to humanity. However, throughout the course of the trilogy, Eisenhorn starts to use the methods of his enemies and slowly becomes corrupted by them without even noticing. A brilliant collection of three books that spawned some intriguing sequel series, I cannot recommend this trilogy enough and it is essential readding for all Warhammer fans.

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The Empire trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

I was spoiled for choice when it came to Raymond E. Feist and his multitude of great trilogies, from his iconic Riftwar Saga to his more recent The Firemane Saga (King of Ashes, Queen of Storms and Master of Furies). However, I think his most consistent and impressive trilogy were The Empire books he cowrote with Janny Wurts. Set at the same time as the Riftwar Saga, this trilogy explored an alien fantasy world with some major Japanese influences. An intense and action-packed fantasy trilogy loaded with political intrigue, family feuds and a female ruler battling for control in a male-dominated world, The Empire books, Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire, form an exceptional trilogy that is really worth reading.

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The Siege trilogy and Corax trilogy by K. J. Parker

Since my original list in 2021 I have finished two awesome trilogies by K. J. Parker, The Siege trilogy and the Corax trilogy, both of which were outstanding pieces of fantasy fiction that leaned heavily on humour and cynical insights into human nature to tell their entertaining tales. While the Siege books tell three separate stories connected to the siege of a massive city, the Corax trilogy follows the misadventures of the titular Saevus Corax, a conman battlefield salvager. The Siege books featured three amazing reads, Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It, and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World, while the Corax series featured the excellent books Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder (review to follow soon). Both series were very exciting, clever, and featured a heavy dose of dark wit I honestly found irresistible, enough so that all six books mentioned here got five-star reviews from me. Due to the similarities in style, comedic inclusions, and the fact they are set in the same universe, I had an extremely hard time determining which of these trilogies I enjoyed the most. In fact, it proved so impossible to choose, I ended up calling it a tie and combined the trilogies together into a single entry. Both trilogies are quite impressive, and you are guaranteed to have an outstanding time with all the books in them.

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The Tide Child trilogy by R. J. Barker

The trilogy that inspired me to write the first version of this list was the exceptional The Tide Child trilogy by rising fantasy fiction start R. J. Barker. Barker did some incredible work here producing an intense and addictive dark fantasy series that takes place primarily on a naval vessel made from dragon bones. With some exceptional character work, beautifully written scenes, and some truly unique fantasy features, The Tide Child series is one of the absolute best fantasy trilogies out there. All three novels, The Bone Ships (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Call of the Bone Ships, and The Bone Ship’s Wake, are incredible and enchanting reads, which come together to form a brilliant and highly recommend trilogy.

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Lessons of the Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik

Few trilogies impressed me more in recent years than the Lessons of the Scholomance books by veteran fantasy author Naomi Novik. Essentially a dark take on the magical school genre, the Scholomance books follows a trouble and ultra-destructive teenage magic user who has been sent to the Scholomance, a magical school filled with harsh lessons and infested with hungry monsters. I really got drawn into this elaborate series, especially with its unique setting, damaged characters, and fantastic stakes. Made up of three excellent reads, including A Deadly Education, The Last Graduate and The Golden Enclaves, the Scholomance books were a very powerful series that traumatised the reader (I still haven’t recovered from The Last Graduate’s ending) and took its characters through hell and back, all while also making great use of Novik’s inventive concepts. A brilliant, beautiful, and intense three books that you will not regret picking up.

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Legacy of the Mercenary King trilogy by Nick Martell

Out of all the exceptional fantasy trilogies I have enjoyed over the years, few have struck me as hard as the Legacy of the Mercenary King trilogy from Nick Martell. Martell’s debut trilogy, the Legacy of the Mercenary King books follows the scion of a disgraced family who fights to uncover various conspiracies and lies inflicting his city as dark forces move to destroy everything. Starting with The Kingdom of Liars (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), the series kept moving from strength to strength as the following two books, The Two-Faced Queen (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and The Voyage of the Forgotten (one of my favourite books of 2022), moved the story in some outstanding directions while continuing to introduce and expand on the series’ impressive characters. Easily one of the best trilogies from a debuting fantasy author I have had the pleasure of reading, the Legacy of the Mercenary Kings books are extremely exceptional, and a guaranteed hit for anyone looking for something fresh and addictive.

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The Age of Madness trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Not content with only having one exceptional fantasy trilogy, Joe Abercrombie had to double down and write the epic sequel trilogy, The Age of Madness, which frankly I had no choice but to give a separate entry on this list. Set a generation after The First Law trilogy, the three Age of Madness novels, A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds, contains another outstanding dark fantasy tale following a whole new group of complex and troubled protagonists. This brilliant trilogy featured Abercrombie’s trademark character work, dark storytelling, and cynical edge, which resulted in three outstanding five-star reads. These amazing novels form a deeply thrilling and powerful trilogy which is just as good, if not better than the original First Law novels.

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The Covenant of Steel trilogy by Anthony Ryan

Another brilliant fantasy trilogy that I fell in love with recently is The Covenant of Steel books by acclaimed author Anthony Ryan. Made up of The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor, The Covenant of Steel books tell the tale of a bandit turned scribe who finds himself caught up in deadly, kingdom changing events, including war, religious upheaval, and supernatural calamities. All three books in this series were quite exceptional, and I love the intricate and impressive overarching narrative they told, which drew you in with powerful storytelling, great characters, and dark twists. I will have to go back and check out some of Ryan’s other series in the future, but for the moment, my eye is on a new trilogy of his, debuting later this year with A Tide of Dark Steel. I have no doubt this new trilogy will be a strong contender for future versions of this list, and I cannot wait to see how Ryan’s next captivating adventure unfolds.

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Star Wars: Thrawn and Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy by Timothy Zahn

The final entry on this list is another joint entry with the epic Thrawn and Thrawn Ascendancy trilogies by Timothy Zahn. Bringing back his iconic extended universe character, Grand Admiral Thrawn, to the new Star Wars canon, these trilogies expand on the character’s appearances in recent shows and provide a whole new history to the character. The first trilogy, made up of Thrawn, Alliances and Treason, provides a great coverage of Thrawn’s service to the Empire before the finale of Star Wars: Rebels, while the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy, made up of Chaos Rising, Greater Good and Lesser Evil, dives into his complex past on his home world. Both trilogies are very well balanced, although I would say they each have a strongest and weakest point to them. I was initially going to feature these as two separate entries, much like I did with John Abercrombie’s books above, however, due to the way they support each other, and because they are both very similar, I felt it was better to combine them into a single entry. All six book are very awesome, and feature some of the best novelised Star Wars space combat sequences you are likely to see. A must read for all Star Wars fans, I really hope that Zahn comes back and writes more Thrawn books, especially after the character had his live action debut last year.

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Well, that’s the end of this list. As you can see, I have read some awesome trilogies over the last few years, and I think this update does a great job highlighting some of the best recent additions. I am planning to come back to this list again in a year or two, especially as there are some more outstanding trilogies, I am currently in the middle of that will easy make this list in the future. In the meantime, let me know what your favourite trilogies are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sieges in Literature

On October 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List12 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday revolves around favourite words, which, while interesting, isn’t something that I felt I could really contribute to. So instead, I thought I would dive into one of my favourite story elements from fiction, the good old-fashioned siege.

Now I have made it very clear over multiple reviews that I absolutely love sieges in fiction. To me, there are few battle scenarios more awesome, more epic, and more impressive than watching a powerful attacker attempting to wipe out a fortress garrisoned by a group of desperate defenders. Whether you are rooting for the besiegers or the defenders, there are so many outstanding moments that can be woven into a siege scenario. From fighting on the walls, to a desperate stand in a breach, to watching an attacker slowly gain ground on the defender by a careful and elaborate series of siegeworks, artillery bombardments and the careful administration of traitors from within the walls, everything about a siege is just so amazing to me and I love reading about them in fiction. Sieges don’t even have to be that long or epic, as even a quick and bloody siege can be pretty impressive, especially if the attackers are desperate to achieve their goals.

Fans of this blog might have noticed that in recent weeks I have read a couple of books that contain some great sieges. Well, after getting really caught up in a few of them, it started making me think back to all the other awesome sieges scenes I have enjoyed over the years. Naturally my only option then was to come up with a list of my favourite sieges in literature and it did not take long for me to come up with an intriguing list of books.

This proved to be quite a fun list to come up with, and it was really interesting to dive back into some books from the past to see what great sieges I could find. I didn’t put a lot of limits on this list, and if the scenario in the book could be considered some sort of siege, I would consider it for this list. I did try to come up with a few examples that were outside the traditional medieval castle situation most people would associate with a siege, and I wanted to show a little variety. Despite that, most of the books I have featured on this list ended up being fantasy reads, which isn’t too unexpected. There are a few good historical fiction reads thrown into the mix, as well as entries from other genres, and I think this ended up being a very well-balanced top ten, with my usual generous honourable mentions section. So, lets dive into the breach and find out which glorious sieges made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

River of Gold by Anthony Riches

River of Gold Cover

A fantastic historical fiction read that saw an outnumbered group of elite Roman soldiers take control of an abandoned fort in the middle of Africa to stop an invading army. An excellent example of a Roman siege from historical fiction.