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 involved listing your Bookish Goals for 2026, which while interesting, is something I don’t think I can contribute to. Instead, for this week I am going to continue listing some of my favourite books of 2025 (make sure to check out my previous lists that highlighted my favourite sequels, audiobooks, pre-2025 novels, new-to-me-authors in 2025 and overall favourite books of 2025), by examining my favourite debuts released in 2025.
2025 was an awesome year for debuts as there were an excellent array of new authors releasing some impressive and entertaining first novels. I always love checking out new authors when they produce their first book or dive into a whole new genre, and I was blown away with some of the debut talent on display this year. As such, I am glad that I can highlight some of the absolute best of these releases in this Top Ten list.
To be eligible for this list, the book had to be a 2025 release that was either the author’s first novel ever, or a novel that was substantially different from an author’s previous work (their debut in the genre). I ended up reading quite a few good debuts in 2025, which allowed me to pull together a full list of 10 books. I am pretty happy with the results, and I feel that this list captures my favourite debuts of the year and highlights them accordingly. So, let us see what made the cut.
Top Ten List:
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
The first debut I want to highlight on this list is the very fun crime fiction novel, Best Offer Wins. An impressive debut book from Marsia Kashino, Best Offer Wins follows an obsessed character, who after having her heart broken by the housing market too many times, vows to do whatever she needs to get her dream house. A wonderfully over-the-top and addictive read, Best Offer Wins was an amazing first outing from Kashino and one I had so much fun reading.
Warhammer 40,000: The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent
Warhammer fiction is always a franchise that has a lot of new authors making their big debut, and this was particularly true in 2025 with some awesome first-time books from talented debuting authors. One of my favourites was The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent, which was one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books of last year. Following a small band of terrifying Night Lords Chaos Space Marines as they bring fear and death to all their enemies, The Remnant Blade was an extremely epic novel, and I was very impressed by Mike Vincent, who showed himself to be a new Warhammer author to watch.
Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose
One of the more compelling fantasy novels of 2025 was the outstanding debut Seven Recipes for Revolution. A great first outing from Ryan Rose, Seven Recipes for Revolution saw a lowly nobody rise to become an acclaimed and powerful chef in a society based around magical food that grants deadly abilities. Loaded with twists, clever action and a ton of outrageous cookery, Seven Recipes for Revolution was an outstanding read, and I’m already excited to read the sequel coming out later this year.
I always love reading some awesome debut Australian fiction, and one of the best examples from last year was The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers. Set in the Blue Mountains, The Reunion follows a group of former friends who find themselves forced to remember the tragic events the drove them apart years before. A slick and compelling debut that grabs your attention quickly, The Reunion was an excellent crime fiction read that makes full use of its Australian bush setting.
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
The next book on this list was one of my favourite novels of 2025, with The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. A complex and highly addictive novel, The Raven Scholar was Hodgson’s debut in the fantasy genre (having previously written historical crime), and boy was it something special. Set around several skilled competitors as they attempt to win a tournament to become king, The Raven Scholar forced them also contend with murder, betrayal and a deadly conspiracy. An exceptional novel that I just could not put down, The Raven Scholar was an exceptional read, and it was so impressive how well Hodgson adapted to a new and very different genre.
An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris
Jenny Morris presented one of the more unique crime fiction debuts of 2025, with the thought-provoking novel An Ethical Guide to Murder. Following a damaged protagonist who develops the ability to transfer life between people, An Ethical Guide to Murder soon goes to a dark place as the protagonist becomes a deadly vigilante. Clever and deeply intense, this was a great debut for an excellent author.
One of the more unique Australian novels of 2025 was the amazing debut from Ronni Salt, Gunnawah. Set in small-town Australian during the turbulent 1970s, Gunnawah tells its own unique story set around the backdrop of historical drug wars and corruption. An excellent novel and an outstanding debut.
Warhammer 40,000: Final Deployment by R. S. Wilt
The other Warhammer 40,000 debut of 2025 that I want to highlight on this list is Final Deployment by R. S. Wilt. Following a small band of elite soldiers as they attempt to stop a planet-wide rebellion, Final Deployment was an exceptional action novel, especially as the protagonists soon find themselves outmatched by three deadly opponents. An ultra-awesome read from start to finish, Final Deployment was so damn good, and I will be grabbing more Warhammer 40,000 novels from Wilt going forward.
Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon
This next entry on the list features a great thriller that was written by two interesting authors. While leading thriller author Harlan Coben is not a new contributor to the crime fiction genre, it was the first book he wrote with actress Reese Witherspoon. Serving as both the debut novel from this great pair, as well as Reese Witherspoon’s very first book, Gone Before Goodbye was an easy inclusion on this list, especially as it featured a fun and intense thriller narrative. It will be interesting to see if these two write together again, and I personally would also be keen for Witherspoon to write her own solo book.
Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge
The final book on this list was the excellent young adult fantasy novel, Of Flame and Fury. The debut of Australian author Mikayla Bridge, Of Flame and Fury was a great read, that featured an entertaining enemies-to-lovers narrative set around racing giant phoenixes. Initially appearing to be typical young adult fantasy fare, Bridge produces a very complex narrative in Of Flame and Fury that really impressed me, especially when it comes to the book’s big twist. I ended up having an absolute blast with Of Flame and Fury, and it is a very worthy book to end this list on.
Well, that is the end of this list. As you can, there were some incredible debut novels that came out this year and I had a blast getting through all of them. Each of the above debuts are really worth checking out, and I had an amazing time exploring these talented authors’ first forays into fiction. I am excited to see what these authors produce next, and I have a feeling that quite a few are going to become major names in their genres. I am also excited to see what amazing debuts come out in 2026, and I am currently enjoying my first debut from this year with A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver. Make sure to check back this time next year to see what debuts from 2026 are the best from this year.
The Unseen Library 