Tag: King Sorrow

WWW Wednesday – 10 December 2025

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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:

King Sorrow by Joe Hill (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the massive and addictive horror novel, King Sorrow by Joe Hill this week. A particularly epic novel that follows a group of friends who make a dark deal with an ancient evil, King Sorrow is proving to be a very compelling read, with a fantastic story, compelling imagery and a growing sense of dread.  I’ve managed to get a fair bit into King Sorrow already, although there is still a ton to go.  I’m hoping to finish it off in the next week or so, and I’m very curious to see where this elaborate novel goes.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher (Audiobook)

I also started listening to the recently released Star Wars audiobook, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher. An intriguing novel that follows the newly created Darth Vader on a journey of discovery as he tries to fully understand the dark side of the Force, Master of Evil is a fascinating read that I have been looking forward for a while.  I’m making some pretty good progress on this audiobook as well, and I already think that Master of Evil has the potential to be one of the more compelling Star Wars novels of 2025.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon (Trade Paperback)

An awesome and compelling thriller, with some interesting twists to it.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington (Audiobook)

I finally finished off the epic fantasy novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington this week. The sequel to Islington’s deeply impressive The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few was a particularly gripping and captivating read with a really elaborate plot behind it. Easily one of the best books I’ve read in 2025, The Strength of the Few was so damn good and I’m hoping to write something about it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Blackfire Blade by James Logan

If I managed to get through King Sorrow this week, I’m hoping to dive into the compelling fantasy novel The Blackfire Blade by James Logan next. The sequel to Logan’s excellent debut, The Silverblood Promise, The Blackfire Blade sounds like a very fun read as the protagonist and his unlikely companions travel to a new, unique fantasy city for their own mission, only to get sidetracked by crazy local plots and conspiracies. I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for a while, and I’m so excited to finally get the chance to check The Blackfire Blade out.

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

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite New-to-Me Authors I read in 2025

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was books set in a snowy place, which while interesting, is something I am putting aside for the moment as I want to continue with my end of year best-of lists, which I started last week when I looked at pre-2025 novels I read this year.  instead, this week I will be looking at new-to-me authors I discovered in 2025.  This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 versions), and it is one that I always have a lot of fun doing.

Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes books written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with.  2025 was a particularly good example of this as I powered through an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me.  Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional novels, including one or two which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2025 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the author had to be someone whose work I checked out for the first time in 2025.  All new-to-me authors were eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut authors as I am going to cover them in another list.  Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a ton of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 21 new authors in 2025.  After some hard work, I was able to whittle this down to a manageable top ten list, with my usual generous honourable mentions section.  I am really surprised at some of the impressive and enjoyable authors I had to exclude, and I was honestly tempted to increase this to a top twenty list.  I managed to resist and I think the below entry really highlights the absolute best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Adam Christopher – Star Wars: Master of Evil

A talented Star Wars author whose latest book has an interesting look at the newly created Darth Vader. I’m only a little way into Master of Evil now, else Christopher would have likely made the Top Ten list

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Matthew Farrer – Warhammer 40,000: Crossfire

An author of some classic Warhammer 40,000 novels, including the exciting early Warhammer crime fiction novel Crossfire. I’m hoping to read more from Farrer next year, especially as I have the two sequels to Crossfire siting on my shelf.

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Joe Hill – King Sorrow

Joe Hill is another new-to-me author I have to keep on the honourable mentions list as I’m only partway through his latest book, King Sorrow.  Still, I am really enjoying my first experience with Hill’s writing, and King Sorrow is shaping up to being one of the more compelling novels of 2025.

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Ryan North – Star Trek: Lower Decks

A fun author who is currently leading the Lower Decks comic series. I loved the first volume of this comic, and I’m hoping to read more soon.

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Top Ten List:

Matt Dinniman – Dungeon Crawler Carl series

Without a doubt the biggest new-to-me author in 2025 had to be Matt Dinniman, especially as I fell in love with his epic Dungeon Crawler Carl series.  A cool LitRPG series that sees the remnants of humanity forced to fight down multiple levels of a dungeon as a form of entertainment for the rest of the galaxy, the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is pretty damn exceptional, especially as it is loaded up with intense action, awesome mechanics, over-the-top humour, complex characters, and so many entertaining moments.  I ended up chain listening to the entire series this year, and all seven books in the series, including Dungeon Crawler Carl, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, The Gate of the Feral Gods, The Butcher’s Masquerade, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride and This Inevitable Ruin are exceptional five-star reads, and once you start reading this series, you won’t be able to stop.  Dinniman is an author I will be reading more of going forward, especially as he has two books coming out in 2026, with a new Dungeon Crawler Carl book, and his standalone novel Operation Bounce House.

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Lamar Giles – Star Wars: Sanctuary

I got back into Star Wars fiction in 2025 in a big way, with my favourite book so far (noting I have only made a little progress on Master of Evil) being Sanctuary by Lamar Giles.  Giles really impressed me with his first Star Wars novel, especially as Sanctuary was an entertaining addition to the Bad Batch animated series.  Following several of the titular clones on another bonkers adventure, Sanctuary was a great novel from Giles, and I loved his fantastic humour, amazing take on the established characters, and the outstanding new villains who were a highlight of the book.  I hope Giles writes more Star Wars fiction going forward, as his first full novel in the franchise was really incredible.

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Scott Mariani – The Pilgrim’s Revenge

I started reading veteran thriller author Scott Mariani this year, primarily because he started a cool historical fiction series this year, starting with The Pilgrim’s Revenge.  An exciting and detailed novel that followed a peasant who chases after King Richard’s crusade to get revenge of the men who killed his wife, The Pilgrim’s Revenge was an outstanding historical novel and a great introduction to Mariani’s writing.  I’ve already got a copy of the sequel to The Pilgrim’s Revenge, and I’m hoping to read it before the end of the year.

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Adam Plantinga – The Ascent

Another cool thriller author I read for the first time in 2025 was new writer Adam Plantinga, after I finally got the chance to read his debut from last year, The Ascent.  A gritty and bloody thriller that sees several entertaining characters attempt to escape through several levels of an out-of-control prison, The Ascent was an extremely exciting and gripping novel that I had an absolute blast with.  I’m keen to read more from Plantinga going forward, especially the sequel to The Ascent, Hard Town, and I cannot wait to see what he writes next.

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Jackson Ford – The Bone Raiders

I had the very great pleasure of reading my first book from Jackson Ford this year, with The Bone Raiders.  A fun author who has previously come up with some outstanding scenarios for his books, Ford is an author I have been meaning to read for a while, and there was no way I could avoid the awesome sounding The Bone Raiders.  Following a group of grassland warriors who attempt to defeat an invading army by taming giant fire-breathing lizards, The Bone Raiders was an amazing read that I got really hooked on.  I will be grabbing the sequel to The Bone Raiders, Sisters of the Lizard, next year, especially as it sounds just as crazy as the first book.

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Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – Badlands

For the next entry on this list, I am featuring the pairing of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.  While I have read something from Preston before, with last year’s exciting novel Extinction, 2025 was the first year that I read something written by both authors.  This long-running writing team’s new novel was awesome crime fiction novel Badlands, which saw the protagonists investigate several suspicious deaths linked by Native American artefacts each victim was holding. Part of Preston and Child’s Nora Kelly series, Badlands was a great read, and I loved the crazy ending and entertaining twists.

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Gabriel Bergmoser – High Rise

Gabriel Bergmoser provided all the Australian action I could need when I checked out his 2025 novel, High Rise.  An ultra-violent read that sees a former cop and his estranged daughter try to escape from a building full of killers and bounty hunters, High Rise was a very exciting read that I powered through extremely quickly.  I really loved this book, and Bergmoser is now an author I will be keeping a close eye on for new, cool novels.

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R. F. Kuang – Katabasis

I finally got around to reading something from R. F. Kuang, who has been on my to-read list for a while.  Kuang, who has written several very interesting previous books, presented one of the more unique fantasy novels of 2025 with Katabasis, an intriguing and complex book about two academics journey to Hell to recover their professor’s soul.  I really enjoyed this impressive and inventive novel, and Kuang really lived up to the hype around her intricate books.

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Edward Ashton – Mickey7

A fun road trip gave me my first experience of science fiction author Ashton Edward this year, as I read his entertaining novel, Mickey7.  A fun and clever novel about an inadvertent extra clone on a space exploration mission, Mickey7 has always sounded like an amazing read, and I was very glad I got the chance to read it this year.  An excellent and highly recommended novel that is worth checking out.

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Krysten Ritter (with Lindsay Jamieson) – Retreat

The final new to me author this year is actress Krysten Ritter, who presented her second novel Retreat.  A wonderful and compelling thriller about a con artist who takes over a client’s rich social life, only to encounter murder, plots and snobby neighbours, Retreat was a great read with some fun twists to it.  I ended up really enjoying this book from Ritter, and it will be interesting to see what other cool novels this actress/author will produce in the future.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list.  I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best new authors I checked out in 2025.  I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce more epic and incredible reads.  Make sure to let me know which new authors you enjoyed in 2025 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2025 list.

Book Haul – 6 December 2025

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I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive some incredible and amazing new novels from publishers and Netgalley.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year.  I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.

King Sorrow by Joe Hill

I finally got my copy of the cool new Joe Hill book, King Sorrow. An extensive novel that will follow a group of friends who make an unwise, life-time bargain with an ancient dragon, King Sorrow sounds really awesome, and I’ve heard some great things about it.  I’m actually hoping to start reading King Sorrow next, and I have no doubt it is going to be something special.

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The Feeding by Anthony Ryan

I was very happy to receive a copy of Anthony Ryan’s new novel, The Feeding, especially after having so much fun with his other 2025 release, Born of an Iron Storm. The Feeding is an excellent post-apocalyptic novel, set in a future overrun with vampires. I’ve actually already read The Feeding, and it was an outstanding novel that I deeply enjoyed.

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The Blackfire Blade by James Logan

I was very happy to get a copy of The Blackfire Blade by James Logan in the last week. The sequel to Logan’s outstanding debut, The Silverblood Promise, The Blackfire Blade features another awesome plot as the protagonist journeys to another dangerous and unique fantasy city to uncover more clues about his father’s death. I really enjoyed Logan’s first novel, and I cannot wait to see how this sequel unfolds.

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Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky

My reading list for 2026 is already off to a strong start, as I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The fourth book in the Tyrant Philosophers series, Pretenders to the Throne of God is set in an unique and complex fantasy world and will follow on from outstanding books like City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds and Days of Shattered Faith. Set to feature more war, magic and brilliantly damaged characters, Pretenders to the Throne of God is one of my most anticipated books coming out in 2026 and I cannot wait to dive into it.

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Tyrant by Conn Iggulden

I recently grabbed a copy of Tyrant by Conn Iggulden, which I have been keen to read all year. The entertaining sounding sequel to Iggulden’s 2024 novel, Nero, Tyrant will continue to follow the rise of the infamous Roman emperor, with this book focusing on his teenage years. I had a lot of fun with the previous entry in this series, and I cannot wait to see more of Iggulden’s unique take on this iconic historical figure.

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Forged in Rome by Conn Iggulden

I also managed to grab a copy of Iggulden’s other 2025 release, Forged in Rome, which I honestly didn’t realise was coming out. Set to follow a former slave turned treasured scribe, Forged in Rome should be a unique Roman story and I cannot wait to dive into it.

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Everyone Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins

A fun 1980’s thriller with some entertaining twists to it. I look forward to checking this book out, especially as I haven’t read anything from Ace Atkins before.

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On the Edge by Kate Horan

An exciting and complex Australian murder mystery that should be a highlight of early 2026.

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No Man’s Land by Richard K. Morgan

One of the more distinctive novels I recently received a copy of is the cool historical fantasy novel No Man’s Land by Richard Morgan. A gritty standalone novel that envisions England being overrun by a race of fae during World War I, No Man’s Land has a lot of potential, and I feel it is going to be one of the most impressive fantasy novels of 2026.

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Star Trek: Shaxs’ Best (and Worst) Day by Ryan North and Derek Charm

The final book I recently was received was a copy of the fun Star Trek comic, Shaxs’ Best (and Worst) Day. Written by Ryan North and featuring art from Derek Charm, this cool entry serves as an entertaining spin-off to the pair’s Lower Decks comic, the first volume of which I recently reviewed. I love the sound of Shaxs’ Best (and Worst) Day, which will see the titular character attempt to save the day when the universe is rewritten by Lore. I’m sure this is going to be a ton of fun and I look forward to diving into it.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post.  As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in.  Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.

WWW Wednesday – 3 December 2025

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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:

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the exciting thriller Gone Before Goodbye.  Written by the intriguing team of Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon, Gone Before Goodbye follows a disgraced former surgeon who is dragged into a dark conspiracy when she is selected to perform surgery on a mysterious Russian oligarch. This book is proving to be awesome and compelling thriller, and I am hoping to finish it off soon.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington (Audiobook)

I’m still going with the epic fantasy novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington this week. The sequel to Islington’s deeply impressive The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few features a complex plot, as three separate versions of the protagonist from the first book simultaneously journey through alternate worlds. I’m in the final stages of this incredible book, and I am having an outstanding time, especially as things are getting so damn desperate and dark. I already know that The Strength of the Few is going to be one of my top books of 2025, and I cannot wait to see the final twists and turns that Islington has imagined for this intricate and captivating novel.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka (Trade Paperback)

I finished off the amazing Japanese thriller, Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka this week. A follow-up to some of the author’s previous novels, including Bullet Train and Three Assassins, Hotel Lucky Seven sees the unlucky protagonist of Bullet Train trapped in hotel with several deadly assassins. This was a very fun novel, and I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

King Sorrow by Joe Hill

I hoping to read the excellent sounding horror novel, King Sorrow, in the next week. A particularly epic sounding novel that will follow a group of friends who make a dark deal with an ancient evil, King Sorrow has a ton of potential, and it sounds like it is going to be a twisted and impressive read.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher

Once I get through The Strength of the Few this week, I’m hoping to start listening to the recently released Star Wars audiobook, Master of Evil. An intriguing novel that will follow the newly created Darth Vader on a journey of discovery as he tries to fully understand the dark side of the Force. I have been looking forward to reading this novel for a while, and I think it has the potential to be one of the more compelling Star Wars novels of 2025.

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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 – 5 November 2025

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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:

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the awesome new Lincoln Lawyer novel from acclaimed crime fiction author Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground.  Connelly’s second novel of 2025 after Nightshade, The Proving Ground sees two iconic protagonists from Connelly’s shared universe team up to take on a corrupt AI company.  I’m about halfway through The Proving Ground at the moment and it’s a pretty outstanding legal thriller that really dives into the risks behind AI. I am honestly really loving The Proving Ground, which is likely to be one of my top books of the year, and I am hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

I have also started listening to the dark and twisted science fiction audiobook, Cold War by Jonathan Maberry.  The second novel from Maberry in 2025 after Burn to Shine, Cold War is the compelling sequel to last year’s awesome novel, NecroTek, and continues to follow a group of humans transported across the universe to fight Lovecraftian monsters. A clever, terrifying and deeply addictive read, Cold War already has me hooked, and I am currently flying through its audiobook format, especially with the legendary Ray Porter narrating it.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani (Trade Paperback)

I ended up powering through the exciting historical fiction read, The Pilgrim’s Revenge this week. An awesome release from thriller author Scott Mariani, The Pilgrim’s Revenge was an intense read that all fans of historical action are going to love.

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The Feeding by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)

I also quickly finished off the excellent horror novel from Anthony Ryan, The Feeding.  Featuring an intriguing post-apocalyptic vampire narrative, The Feeding was a deeply compelling book that comes very highly recommended. Review to follow soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

King Sorrow by Joe Hill

I hoping to read the excellent sounding horror novel, King Sorrow, in the next week. A particularly epic sounding novel that will follow a group of friends who make a dark deal with an ancient evil, King Sorrow has a ton of potential, and it sounds like it is going to be a twisted and impressive read.

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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 – Books on my Spring 2025 To Be Read (TBR) List

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week featured books with occupations in the title, which I actually completed last week, so instead I’m instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday of Spring 2025 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 Spring (Autumn/Fall 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 September 2025 and 30 November 2025 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 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown by 9 September 2025

A deeply exciting thriller from the legendary Dan Brown that will once again present a compelling mystery from history.

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The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025

An intriguing new legal thriller from the always impressive John Grisham.

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King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 21 October 2025

The highly inventive Joe Hill will present a compelling new horror thriller with King Sorrow, an epic novel that sees a group of friends experience the downside of summoning a vengeful dragon.

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Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath – 4 November 2025

One of top Australian releases of 2025, Kill Your Boss will follow Jack Heath’s previous outstanding novels, Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands.

Top Ten List:

Circle of Days by Ken Follett – 23 September 2025

The first book I want to highlight on this list is the upcoming historical fiction novel from Ken Follett, Circle of Days.  A historical epic set around the construction of Stonehenge, Circle of Days will follow several complex characters as they live their lives in the shadow of an iconic construction.  I have no doubt that Circle of Days will be one of the top historical fiction releases of 2025 and this is an excellent novel to start this list on.

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The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman – 25 September 2025

Few Spring releases have me as excited as The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman.  The fifth book in the incredible Thursday Murder Club series by Osman, The Impossible Fortune will follow on from outstanding novels like The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and The Last Devil to Die (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  Featuring a cool new case, The Impossible Fortune sounds like another entertaining entry in the series, and I cannot wait to see how the characters are going after the deep tragedy of The Last Devil to Die.  This will likely top all my end of 2025 best-of lists, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson – 30 September 2025

One of the more entertaining novels coming out in the second half of 2025 is going to be the brilliant Australian thriller Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. The fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series (Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, and Everyone this Christmas has a Secret), Everyone in this Bank is a Thief will once again place Stevenson’s insightful and unlucky protagonist at the site of another crime as he is forced to investigate a murder while trapped as a hostage in a bank robbery. Blending classic murder mystery elements with a fun heist narrative, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is going to be a hilarious read, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

After already impressing with Burn to Shine, Maberry still has his second novel of 2025 coming out with Cold War.  A follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek, Cold War will see a group of human scientists, soldiers and pilots trapped on the other side of the universe using death-powered alien mechs to fight against ancient cosmic horrors.  Sure to be another complex and chilling novel, Cold War has a ton of potential and will likely be a top book of the year.

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The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly – 21 October 2025

The always reliable master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, has another awesome book coming out in 2025 with The Proving Ground. The next book in the author’s incredible Lincoln Lawyer series (which has previously featured books like The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk), The Proving Ground will team Mickey Haller with another Connelly protagonist, Jack McEvoy (the protagonist of books like Fair Warning), as he takes on a sinister AI company. Likely to combine great legal elements with a complex thriller narrative, I have a feeling this is going to be one of Connelly’s more captivating books, and I am very excited to get my hands on it.

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Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 6 November 2025

For some additional historical fiction awesomeness in 2025, we still have the new Eagles of the Empire novel from Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome. Scarrow’s second book in 2025 after A Death in Berlin, Tyrant of Rome will follow on from the previous Eagles of the Empire novel, Revenge of Rome, as the protagonists return to Rome after ending Boudica’s rebellion. This time series protagonists Cato and Macro are dragged back into the excesses of Nero when they are chosen to take control of law and order throughout the city to keep the depraved emperor in power. I love this interesting change of direction away from the brutal war stories of the last few books and it is going to be fun to dive into over-the-top Roman politics.

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The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 11 November 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended inventive worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline. I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now. Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade, is one of the big fantasy releases of the second half of the year. Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets. I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington. The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past. However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split across three separate realities, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures. I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 11 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades. The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous, loosely-connected novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows. Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold. Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for, especially after having a blast with de Castells other release for the year, The Malevolent Eight.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher. Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force. With a very intriguing and lore-heavy plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Adam Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

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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 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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2025 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction7 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 latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2025.  I am planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more, and this one that will focus on upcoming fantasy and science fiction books.

2025 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books (something I will cover in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday), with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away.  However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2025.  To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to.  I already have a couple of these books in advance, but I think it’s worth including them here, especially as I still need to make time to read them.

I had initially intended to only do a single list featuring all the genres, however, I ended up with way too many awesome upcoming novels on my radar.  So, to fairly feature them all, and to save myself from some hard decisions, I decided to split this post into two separate lists, starting with this one on fantasy and science fiction.  I still had to cut out several impressive upcoming releases, but I was a lot happier with how these lists turned out, especially as I was able to feature so many epic upcoming reads that I am going to have the most fun reading.  Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list.   So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated fantasy and science fiction releases for the second half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025

A cool fantasy debut with an interesting cooking theme that I have had my eye on for a while.

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Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

A fantastic dive into academic hell from the acclaimed R. F. Kuang.

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King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 28 October 2025

A very interesting upcoming book from Joe Hill that will see a group of friends suffer the consequences of summoning a dragon.

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Warhammer 40,000: Voidscarred by Mike Brooks – announced for 2025

I’m very excited for the upcoming Warhammer novel by Mike Brooks that will set Aeldari Corsairs against Ork Freebooterz. Brooks is exceptional Warhammer 40,000 author, with books like Warboss, Da Big Dakka and The Lion: Son of the Forest really showcasing his talent, and I look forward to seeing this very fun upcoming book.

Top Ten List

Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers – 1 July 2025

There are several awesome Warhammer 40,000 novels still to come in 2025, but the one I’m currently most looking forward to is the epic novel Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok.  Written by the very talented Denny Flowers who has previously impressed me with books like Outgunned (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels) and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok has a ton of hilarious potential as it dives into the most insane and diabolical “medical” practitioner amongst the brutal orks.  I already know this is going to be a clever and very funny read (especially after seeing Flowers write ork characters in Da Red Gobbo Collection), and I cannot wait to see what insanity awaits in this cool upcoming book.

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Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch – 8 July 2025

The always outstanding Ben Aaronovitch returns to his iconic Rivers of London series with the compelling upcoming Stone and Sky.  Part elaborate urban fantasy, part clever police procedural, Stone and Sky will see the series protagonist and his unusual family journey up to Scotland on a holiday, only to encounter a new supernatural mystery from the depths of the ocean.  Set to feature another amazing and addictive story told in Aaronovitch’s distinctive style, Stone and Sky will likely be one of the most captivating fantasy novels of 2025 and I look forward to continuing the series.

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Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland – 15 July 2025

In the last year I have had an amazing time checking out the awesome fantasy novels of the Broken Blades trilogy by Mai Corland.  Following several dangerous killers as they are forced to pull off impossible missions for a power-hungry king, the first two books, Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms, have set up an outstanding story with some brilliant characters.  Fans of this series will be getting a conclusion to the trilogy later this year with Three Shattered Souls, which should be particularly epic.  I cannot wait to see how Corland wraps everything up, and I already know I’m going to love it, especially in its elaborate audiobook format.

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The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso – 19 August 2025

Another great upcoming fantasy murder mystery novel I have my eye on is The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso.  The sequel to Caruso’s amazing 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Last Soul Among Wolves will see the series protagonist caught in a cursed mansion during a doomed will reading.  Looking set to combine a classic murder mystery scenario with Caruso’s elaborate fantasy world, The Last Soul Among Wolves has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan – 26 August 2025

One of my favourite fantasy authors, Anthony Ryan, returns with the second book in his awesome Age of Wrath trilogy, Born of an Iron Storm.  The amazing sound sequel to his 2024 novel, A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm will continue the elaborate adventures started in Ryan’s last book.  Set to once again feature a cool Norse-inspired setting, compelling characters, and all manner of plots and conspiracies, Born of an Iron Storm sounds pretty damn incredible and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the better fantasy releases of 2025.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

The always impressive Jonathan Maberry continues to showcase his brilliant writing skills with Cold War, a fantastic upcoming follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek.  Pitting human scientists and soldiers trapped far away in space against ancient cosmic horrors, Cold War should be another gripping read, especially as the humans are fighting back using their powerful, death-powered alien mechs.  Likely to be another particularly dark and haunting read, Cold War has the potential to be an incredible sequel, and I am very keen to check it out.

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The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 23 October 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan.  An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to try and uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended cool worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline.  I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been quite eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now.  Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade is one of the big fantasy releases of October.  Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city within the same realm and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets to get what they want.  I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 6 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades.  The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows.  Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold.  Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington.  The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many (one of my favourite books, audiobooks and Australian novels of 2023), The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past.  However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split amongst three separate worlds, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures.  I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher.  Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force.  With a very cool plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

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That is the end of this list.  I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out, and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming fantasy and science fiction books that should prove to be incredible reads.  I think that every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me.  Make sure to also check out my next list where I dive into upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.  Let me also know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Waiting on Wednesday – King Sorrow by Joe Hill

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Horror, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out King Sorrow, a very interesting upcoming novel from acclaimed author Joe Hill that sounds like quite an epic and compelling ride.

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We are nearly halfway through the year, but there are still a ton of awesome and memorable books to come.  One of the more unusual, but intriguing novels releasing in the second half of 2025 is a very distinctive read by horror and fantasy author Joe Hill.  Hill is an author whose work I’ve been meaning to check out for a while, especially as comes up with some very inventive scenarios to base his stories around, and it looks like I will finally get the chance later this year with King Sorrow.

King Sorrow, which is currently set for release in late October 2025, will be Hill’s first full novel since 2016, and looks to contain a bold and elaborate story about a group of friends who summon an ancient dragon to take down a group of drug dealers, only for their monster to turn on them.  I have to say that I really love this fantastic plot idea, and its one that has a lot of gritty potential.  Based on the synopsis below, King Sorrow will likely be a complex, character-driven read, that will explore an eclectic group of protagonists who are forced to live with the consequences of their dark mistake.  With the plot of King Sorrow set over four decades, this is probably going to be quite the elaborate novel, and I look forward to seeing the long-term problems associated with summoning a dragon who requires yearly sacrifices.

This sounds like such a fun and compelling upcoming novel, and I already quite curious about whatever dark, ethics-laden, character-defining horror story Joe Hill will be presenting in this cool book.  As such, King Sorrow is highly anticipated release for me, and I strongly believe that this will be one of the memorable books of the year.

Plot Synopsis:

SOME PROMISES SHOULD NEVER BE MADE…

Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings.

But his idyll – and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot – is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur.

But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain – they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect.