WWW Wednesday – 13 October 2021

On October 13, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

Viral by Robin Cook (Trade Paperback)

Viral Cover

I have not made a lot of progress on Viral since last week as I have been mostly focusing on getting through some audiobooks. I will try to finish it off in the next few days as I am curious where this cool medical thriller is going.

The Bone Ship’s Wake by R. J. Barker (Audiobook)

The Bone Ship's Wake Cover

I finally got the opportunity to start The Bone Ship’s Wake by R. J. Barker, one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. The Bone Ship’s Wake is the third and final book in The Tide Child trilogy, and follows on from the outstanding The Bone Ships and Call of the Bone Ships, both of which were exceptional five-star reads. I only just started listening to this book a few minutes ago, but I am already pretty hooked on its intense and compelling dark fantasy story about bone ships, revolutions and sea dragons. I cannot wait to see what impressive twists and unique fantasy elements that Barker throws into this novel but it is sure to be one of the best novels of the year.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)

The Pariah Cover

Fire Made Flesh by Denny Flowers (Audiobook)

Fire Made Flesh Cover

What do you think you’ll read next?

Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn (Trade Paperback)

Among Thieves Cover

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.

Book Haul – 5 October 2021

On October 4, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul3 Comments

I have had a pretty awesome week book-wise, having been lucky enough to receive several amazing novels that I am quite excited to read. I have been waiting for several of these novels for some time now, with multiple being amongst my most anticipated reads for the second half of the year. I have some extremely high hopes for all of them and I imagine that many will be some of the best books I read this year.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

One of the best books I recently received was the incredibly awesome The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. Serving as a sequel to The Thursday Murder Club, one of the best books, audiobooks and debuts of 2020, The Man Who Died Twice continues to follow four senior citizens who investigate crimes that impact their sleepy retirement community. Featuring another great story with a fascinating group of characters, I have already finished this book off and will hopefully put a review up in the next few days.

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

Another epic sequel I got this week, The Last Graduate is the follow up to the fantastic 2020 read, A Deadly Education. I have already started reading The Last Graduate, which follows an extremely powerful teenage magic user as she tries to survive inside an extremely dangerous magical school. I am already deeply enjoying this cool book and it is turning out to be an exceptional piece of fantasy fiction.

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

After being lucky enough to have two Michael Connelly books come out last year (Fair Warning and The Law of Innocence), I have just received an advance proof of this great author’s next novel, The Dark Hours. The Dark Hours will continue the amazing Ballard & Bosch sub-series that teams up two of Connelly’s best protagonists. I have really loved the last two Ballard & Bosch novels (Dark Sacred Night and The Night Fire) and I am really excited to see what compelling story is featured in this latest book. There is currently a review embargo on this book until November, so it might be a little while until I can post anything about it, however, once able, I will report on how much fun I had with this fantastic mystery.

Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

I was particularly happy to grab a copy of Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn. Featuring a fun story about a fantasy heist, Among Thieves is one of the most anticipated debuts of 2021 and I am extremely excited to see what happens in this awesome sounding novel.

Cold Justice by Ant Middleton

I was also pretty happy to receive a copy of this fun sounding thriller, Cold Justice by Ant Middleton. Cold Justice has an awesome plot which follows a damaged former special operator as he attempts to save a life in South Africa. Sure to be an intense and electrifying read.

2 Sisters Detective Agency by James Patterson and Candice Fox

Another impressive thriller I recently received was 2 Sisters Detective Agency, which combines the talents of legendary thriller author, James Patterson, with Australian author Candice Fox. This cool sounding novel sets two newly introduced half-sisters on a dangerous investigation as they find themselves working at their dead father’s detective agency. I really enjoyed Fox’s latest novel, The Chase, and I look forward to seeing what these two great authors produce.

Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) – Volume Two: Into the Fire by Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco and Neeraj Menon

I also received a couple of fantastic Star Wars comics that I have been hoping to grab for a while. The first of these is the second volume of the impressive Darth Vader (2020) series, Into the Fire. Following on from the outstanding first volume, Dark Heart of the Sith, Into the Fire sets Vader against the Emperor as the Sith master and apprentice finally come to blows over the lies and tragedy surrounding the discovery of Luke Skywalker’s parentage. An emotionally charged and powerful comic that I read the moment I got my hands on it, Into the Fire is an epic read which I will hopefully review soon.

Star Wars: The High Republic – Volume One: There is no Fear by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito

The other Star Wars comic I recently got was the first volume of the new The High Republic comic series, There is no Fear. Set in the latest era of Star Wars history, the High Republic, There is no Fear introduces the readers to some cool new storylines and some great characters. An emotional and action packed comic, this was a great volume for those readers interested in the High Republic era, especially as it was written by Cavan Scott, author of the amazing 2021 book, Star Wars: The Rising Storm.

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.

Waiting on Wednesday – Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

On May 26, 2021 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 check out an awesome upcoming fantasy debut that sounds really amazing, Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn.

Among Thieves Cover

I am always excited when I see a cool debut fantasy novel coming up on the horizon, especially as I have been lucky enough to check out some awesome and impressive first novels in the last couple of years. One debut that I am particularly looking forward to is Among Thieves by intriguing new author M. J. Kuhn.

Among Thieves, which is currently set for release in September 2021, has an incredible and interesting fantasy crime narrative that sees a hunted criminal protagonist lead a group of disreputable rogues as they attempt a dangerous heist. However, with every member of the crew, including the protagonists herself being cast as selfish and treacherous, there are apparently going to be betrayals aplenty as they all attempt to come out ahead of their colleagues.

I love fantasy heist novels, and this one sounds like it is going to be pretty damn awesome. There are so many cool potential elements to this upcoming novel and I cannot wait to see what sort of shenanigans the protagonist and her treacherous crew get up to. I have heard some good things about this book already and it looks set to be a pretty cool read. I have high hopes for Among Thieves and I very confident that it is going to end up being one of the top debuts of 2021.

Synopsis:

A group of uniquely skilled criminals team up for an impossible job . . . while plotting to betray one another.

Ryia Cautella is a callous and brazen mercenary working for a criminal syndicate in the slums of the dockside city of Carrowwick. In just over a year’s time she’s already earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the city – not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name.

For the past six years a deadly secret has kept Ryia in hiding, running from city to city, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster – sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she runs, his servants never fail to track her down… But even the most powerful men can be defeated.

Her path now leads directly into the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold, and against every instinct she has, she knows it’s not a path she can walk alone. Forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers and thieves, Ryia must plan her next moves carefully. If she succeeds she wins her freedom once and for all, but unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is…

And they all have plans of their own.