Tag: Mark Greaney

Book Haul – 10 February 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I’ve had a excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from local 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.

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney

The first recently received book I want to highlight in this post is the new Mark Greaney novel, Midnight Black. The 14th entry in the author’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black follows on from the cliffhanger at the end of the previous novel, The Chaos Agent, and sees the dangerous spy protagonist attempt to rescue his love interest from a Russian prison camp. One of my most anticipated books of 2025, Midnight Black sounds really cool, and I cannot wait to see what brutal action and over-the-top chaos emerge in this amazing read.

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The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers

The next book I want to highlight in this book haul post is the intriguing Australian thriller debut, The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers.  Set in the iconic landscape of the Blue Mountains, The Reunion will see five former friends return to the site of a fateful incident 10 years before where one of their friends died during a hike.  Set to feature old secrets and lies re-emerge, The Reunion has a ton of potential, and I think it will end up being one of my top debuts of 2025.

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The Medici Return by Steve Berry

I was very happy to receive a copy of The Medici Return by Steve Berry.  The latest entry in the long-running Cotton Malone series (of which I have become very fond of), The Medici Return will see the series’ titular protagonist investigate a deadly conspiracy involving an old debt owed to the historical Medici family by the Catholic church, which could impact the entire future of Italy.  I cannot wait to see what elaborate narrative Berry has pulled together for The Medici Return and I know I am going to have an amazing time with this book.

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The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins

One of the more intriguing novels I recently received was the cool Australian legal thriller, The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins.  The sequel to Jenkin’s fun and clever first novel, How To Kill A Client (one of my favourite debuts of 2023), The Bluff looks set to be another compelling read as the big-city lawyer protagonist investigates a deadly cover-up in small-town Australia.

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Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Easily one of the more intriguing thrillers of 2025, I was very happy to get a copy of the new Harlan Coben book, Nobody’s Fool.  A follow-up to Coben’s classic novel, Fool Me Once, Nobody’s Fool will see returning character Sami Kierce forced to face his past after an old girlfriend he thought long dead returns, initiating an impossible mystery.  I really like the sound of this amazing book, and I cannot wait to read another incredible novel from Coben.

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You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

A very fun and meta thriller that will see several bestselling murder mystery and thriller authors caught up in a classic whodunnit situation when they are summoned to the private of a famous and mysterious author.  I love books that attempt to place their own twist on the iconic old-school mystery novels, and You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego sounds like it is going to be something very special.

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Count My Lies by Sophie Stava

An intriguing upcoming debut thriller that will see a chronic liar caught up in a dark situation thanks to her bold stories. This could be a very cool read and I look forward to checking it out.

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Grave Empire by Richard swan

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the new fantasy novel from Richard Swan, Grave Empire.  One of the most anticipated fantasy novels of 2025, Grave Empire takes readers to a new age of the Empire of the Wolf and presents a whole different raft of threats and challenges.  This sounds like a really cool book and one I hope I get the chance to check out this year, although as I still haven’t finished off the preceding The Empire of the Wolf trilogy, I worry I won’t be able to enjoy Grave Empire as much.

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Barren Cape by Michelle Prak

I was very happy to get an early copy of the fantastic thriller novel, Barren Cape, from Australian author Michelle Prak. This awesome novel will see a desperate person squatting in an abandoned and isolated resort, which will backfire on her in some dark ways.  I am extremely curious to see how Barren Cape turns out, and I think I am going to have a lot of fun with this book.

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Nightshade by Michael Connelly

Last, but definitely not least, is the new upcoming Michael Connelly book Nightshade.  I was very, very lucky to receive an early copy of Nightshade and I am very excited to check it out, especially as all my recent experiences with Connelly’s books have been extremely positive.  Introducing a new Connelly protagonist who operates on Catalina Island, Nightshade looks set to be a particularly impressive book and I am very excited to check it out.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Thrillers, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction and Comics releasing in the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller13 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated thrillers, crime fiction and historical fiction novels coming out in the first half of 2025. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into my previous list, while this list will feature epic reads from the other major genres that I am interested in.

Despite only just starting, 2025 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months.  This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series.  The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to. 

Even though I excluded fantasy and science fiction books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.  There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential.  Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety.  So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2025

An interesting and entertaining new murder mystery from one of my yearly must-read authors, Open Season continues the awesome Alex Delaware series and pits the detective protagonists against a killer determined to take out Hollywood hopefuls.

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Pacific Heights by S. R. White – 25 March 2025

One of the more interesting authors of Australian crime fiction, S. R. White (see my reviews for Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge) is set to release a standalone whodunnit with Pacific Heights.  Featuring a cool plot about detectives trying to unwind different stories about who killed someone from five separate witnesses, Pacific Heights sounds really awesome, and I cannot wait to check it out.

 

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani by 24 April 2025

An exciting and intense revenge thriller set in the time of King Richard the Lionheart; The Pilgrim’s Revenge should be a very epic read.

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Vanish by Shelley Burr – 30 April 2025

Rising Australian author Shelley Burr follows up her excellent first two crime fiction novels, Wake and Ripper with the intriguing third entry Vanish.  Once again set in a small Australian community, Vanish will see the series’ damaged protagonist investigate a problematic commune as he attempts to find out the truth behind a long-lost missing girl.  Sure to be one of the top Australian releases of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Grave Danger by James Grippando – 14 January 2025

Back in 2024 I had the pleasure of reading my first book from impressive James Grippando, Goodbye Girl, a fantastic entry in the author’s Jack Swyteck series.  A compelling and twisty legal thriller, Goodbye Girl was really fun to read, and I am now quite keen to continue the series.  As such, I am planning to grab the upcoming book, Grave Danger, as soon as it comes out.  Featuring an intriguing case about international child custody and murder, Grave Danger has some real potential, and I know I am going to have a great time with this awesome book.

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Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 40: The Crow by Stan Sakai – 4 February 2025

A very easy inclusion to this list was the next entry in one of my favourite comic book series with volume 40 of the Usagi Yojimbo series, The Crow.  I only just published a review of the previous volume, Ice and Snow, a few days ago, so I am quite excited to see that a new entry is coming out very soon.  Set to continue some of the author’s excellent ongoing storylines about the titular rabbit ronin, The Crow should be another awesome volume in the series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it the first chance I get.

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Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz – 11 February 2025

Early 2025 is filled with a ton of great spy thrillers from some of my favourite authors, and that includes the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz, Nemesis.  Set after the events of the 2024 book, Lone Wolf, Nemesis will see the former government assassin turned vigilante protagonist square off against his best friend over secrets that were kept from him.  However, other shadowy players soon reveal themselves, and Orphan X will need to fight deadly enemies and a former friend to survive.  This looks set to be a particularly compelling and emotionally charged addition to the series and I cannot wait to check it out.

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The Medici Return by Steve Berry – 11 February 2025

Each year I have a ton of fun with the entertaining and elaborate Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry that combine modern thriller storylines with hidden historical secrets and elaborate historical settings.  Books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, The Last Kingdom and The Atlas Maneuver, have all really impressed me, and the Cotton Malone books are now a must-read for me each year.  This includes the early 2025 release, The Medici Return, which will see a dark conspiracy emerge in Italy when an ancient debt owed by the church threatens to destabilise everything.  This sounds like another awesome thriller, and I cannot wait to dive into the history of the famous Medici family with this new fantastic book.

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Midnight Black by Mark Greaney – 18 February 2025

A spy thriller book I am particularly keen to get my hands on this year is Midnight Black by Mark Greaney.  The 14th book in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black follows on after the cliffhanger ending of The Chaos Agent and sees the titular assassin protagonist burn through Russia and Siberia to free his imprisoned love interest.  This latest Gray Man book has the potential to be one of the most intense and impressive novels of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Greaney continues his elaborate and always action-packed series.

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Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

Readers of this blog will know I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, so the inclusion of his next big thriller, Burn to Shine, on this list should come as no surprise, especially after I just published reviews of his 2024 books NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter.  Once again focussing on the author’s iconic protagonist, Joe Ledger, Burn to Shine will be the fourth book in the Rogue Team International series, which has previously featured such awesome books as Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  This new entry in the series will see Ledger and his team deal with a new world-ending threat, with old enemies returning, seeking revenge.  I really love the sound of this new book, and I already know it’s going to get a five-star rating from me.

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A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 13 March 2025

After wowing me last year with Revenge of Rome, one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow looks set to continue one of his other cool series with the third Berlin Wartime thriller, A Death in Berlin.  Following on from Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will once again place Scarrow’s complex protagonist, the last honest detective in Berlin, as he tries to investigate dark crimes in the shadow of World War II and the crimes of the Nazi regime.  I have deeply enjoyed the previous Berlin Wartime thrillers, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate story Scarrow has for us this time.

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The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 15 April 2025

The awesome team of thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison return with the third book in their Tales of the Lawless Land series, The White Fortress.  Continuing the story started in The Lawless Land and its sequel The Last True Templar, The White Fortress will once again follow the author’s excommunicated knight protagonist and his adventurous wife as they become embroiled in dangerous quests across 14th century Europe.  This time, the pair end up in Croatia, where they become involved in a deadly plot involving a prophecy and a lost codex written by Marco Polo.  I have had an amazing time with the first two books in the series and I cannot wait to see how this wonderful pair of authors continue their ambitious and thrilling historical series.

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Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of my most anticipated upcoming murder mysteries is the new Michael Connelly novel, Nightshade.  While the cover for Nightshade has yet to be released, the plot synopsis sounds really cool as Connelly introduces a new police protagonist assigned to the idyllic Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles who is forced to investigate a sinister murder when a body washes up on the shore of the island.  I love the idea of exploring a new Connelly character, especially one based around a cool setting, and this should end up being an excellent and strong murder mystery from this always compelling author.

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Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is probably the one I am most excited for this year with the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch.  I have been having such a great time getting into Stephen King’s incredible books these last few years, and some of his most recent releases, such as Later, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers and You Like It Darker, have completely enthralled me. However, my favourite Stephen King books have so far been his compelling dives into crime fiction. Starting with the dark and powerful Mr Mercedes and featuring the three outstanding Bill Hodges books, King has expanded his crime fiction works by focussing on the unique protagonist of Holly Gibney. The subsequent Holly Gibney focused books, The Outsider (one of my favourite horror novels) and Holly (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), were extremely exceptional, and I have loved the brilliant, yet shocking, narratives they contained.  As such, I am very, very keen to read the upcoming Holly Gibney book, Never Flinch.  Set to follow this great protagonist as she deals with two dangerous opponents, a serial killer and a stalker, Never Flinch sounds incredible, and I have no doubt this will be one of the best things I read in 2025.

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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 books that should prove to be incredible reads.  I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain.  While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.  Also, make sure to check out my other Top Ten List with the top upcoming fantasy and science fiction books of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books of 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List43 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and feature bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  As we roll into the new year I am going to list my absolute favourite books of 2024, which is something I look forward to every year.  This is a continuation of several lists I have done in recent weeks that highlighted the authors and books that have most impressed me this year.  Previous lists looked at topics like my favourite pre-2024 novels, as well as my favourite audiobooks, sequels, and new-to-me authors of 2024.  However, this list is the big one as it covers my absolute favourite releases of the year, of which there are quite a few.

I think we can all agree that 2024 has been another rollercoaster year for the world, but thankfully readers got a little bit of solace as this was an amazing year for books, with a huge range of incredible releases coming out across the genres.  Not only did several outstanding new series start but we had some exceptional debuts, and some big continuations of established works.  I have had an amazing time reading or listening to some outstanding books this year and quite a few releases have become instant favourites.  I must admit that I somewhat struggled to pull this list together, as there were so many books that deserved to be mentioned.  Therefore, because I am a very soft touch, and because the quality of the books I read this year was so impressive, I have decided to expand this list out to 20 entries (just like I have the last five years, I’m a very soft touch).  These 20 books are my absolute favourites from 2024, and I would strongly recommend every one of them to anyone interested in a great read.

To make it onto this list a book only needed to be released here in Australia during 2024.  I have naturally excluded anything I have not read yet, even though there were quite a few awesome-sounding books I sadly didn’t squeeze into my reading schedule.  I decided to leave off my usual Honourable Mentions section as the extra 10 entries make it unnecessary.  There will be a bit of crossover between the below entries and some of my previous lists.  For example, several of these novels appeared on my Top Ten Favourite Audiobooks of 2024 list and my Top Ten Favourite Books from the First Half of 2024 list, which I ran back into July.  Overall, I am very happy with how this Top 20 list turned out and I think it contains a pretty good range of novels that showcase the different types of books that I chose to read this year.  So, without further ado, here is the list.

 

Top Twenty List:

The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry

Let’s start this list off with the exceptional fantasy novel, The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry.  The third and final book in the Kagen the Damned trilogy, The Dragon in Winter follows on from the exciting and impressive reads,  Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and  Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  Featuring an outstanding and action-packed dark fantasy storyline that saw the damned and damaged series protagonist attempt to finally get his vengeance during the final battles of a brutal war.  Intense, powerful and loaded with some dramatic character moments, The Dragon in Winter was an awesome end to one of my favourite fantasy trilogies and I was enthralled the entire way through this great book.

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We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Richard Osman has really become a notable fixture on these end of year lists thanks to his brilliant and hilarious Thursday Murder Club books (The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed and The Last Devil to Die).  This year he presented readers with a new treat in the standalone thriller, We Solve Murders.  Featuring the exceptional humour and fantastic writing that made the Thursday Murder Club books so much fun, We Solve Murders is a clever and addictive international thriller focused on a great new group of protagonists.  Witty, charming and extraordinarily compelling, We Solve Murders was another incredible novel from Osman that I cannot recommend enough.

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Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

2024 proved to be an outstanding year for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I had the pleasure of reading multiple fantastic novels from this franchise.  One of the best was the captivating and cynical novel, Above and Beyond.  The sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Outgunned, Above and Beyond reunites Flower’s damaged protagonists, a broken propaganda expert and a crass heroic pilot, for another outrageous adventure.  Cleverly examining the role propaganda plays in the wars of the grim future, Above and Beyond ended up being a very exciting and powerful thriller that I could not get enough off.  An incredible novel from one of the fastest rising Warhammer authors (make sure to also check Flower’s novella in Da Red Gobbo Collection).

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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of reading The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett.  An intriguing combination of fantasy and crime fiction, The Tainted Cup focussed on an unusual investigative duo in a monster besieged fantasy kingdom as they attempt to uncover the truth behind a series of brutal magical killings.  The Tainted Cup proved to be an exceptional and intelligent novel I could not put down as Jackson effortlessly combined complex fantasy elements with his brilliant murder mystery narrative.  One of the most inventive books of 2024, The Tainted Cup was something truly special, and I cannot wait to dive into the sequel, A Drop of Corruption, in the new year.

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The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney

I had a brilliant time in 2024 continuing Mark Greaney’s awesome Gray Man spy thriller series with The Chaos Agent.  Setting his iconic spy protagonist against a dangerous and terrifying new enemy, The Chaos Agent had a fantastic story behind it that proceeded to get very crazy once some memorable weapons are unleashed.  An amazing entry in one of the best thriller series out there, The Chaos Agent was epic from start to finish and leaves readers on a major cliffhanger that I am looking forward to seeing resolved in 2025 with Midnight Black.

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The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

One of the more unique novels of 2024 had to be The Gathering by C. J. Tudor.  A powerful and clever murder mystery set in a world where vampires exist, The Gathering follows a government vampire expert who travels to an isolated town to determine whether a recent murder was as vampire kill and whether the local colony should be exterminated.  Blending a great small-town murder narrative with an inventive world history featuring vampires, The Gathering was such a compelling and dark book, and I loved every single second I spent reading it.

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Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell

While I have previously enjoyed some of Sebastien De Castell’s great fantasy fiction before with The Malevolent Seven, this year I dove into his Greatcoat’s universe with the relentlessly entertaining novel, Play of Shadows.  The first book in his new Court of Shadows series, Play of Shadows followed a fugitive actor who gains the ability to manifest the spirt of a notorious historical villain whenever he appears on stage.  Suddenly caught in a massive city-wide conspiracy, the protagonist needs to survive to tell the spirit’s true story and soon finds out just how deadly the theatre can be.  A truly fantastic and fun novel that I couldn’t stop reading, Play of Shadows had such a unique and powerful story behind it that perfectly fit into the author’s existing universe.  A highly recommended novel, especially when read in concert with the outstanding prequel, Crucible of Chaos, that was released just in advance of Play of Shadows.

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The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven

Awesome crime fiction author M. W. Craven had a great 2024, as he released two books including the outrageous thriller Nobody’s Hero.  However, my favourite novel of his was the sixth book in the Washington Poe series, The Mercy Chair.  Following the author’s cynical protagonist and his unusual team as they investigate the brutal murder of a controversial religious leader, The Mercy Chair contained an exceptionally intense narrative as the protagonists uncover a raft of shocking secrets that will shake you to your very core.  A dark and twisty British murder mystery, The Mercy Chair was a truly remarkable read that had me hooked from start to finish thanks to its barrage of clever reveals.  One of the best pure murder mysteries of 2024.

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NecroTek by Jonathan Maberry

In addition to The Dragon in Winter, Jonathan Maberry also released the dark and compelling science fiction novel, NecroTek.  A cool dive into pure science fiction, Maberry utilised his usual style to effectively tell a massive tale of survival in strange space as the protagonists encounter Lovecraftian horrors and must fight them using necromancy-infused alien technology.  Intense, compelling, and loaded with some powerful human moments, NecroTek was another impressive novel from Maberry in 2025 that I had to feature here as well.

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The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

John Gwynne brought his epic Bloodsworn Saga to an end in a big way with The Fury of the Gods.  The final book in the trilogy that has previously featured the amazing reads The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods, The Fury of the Gods was a very awesome read that saw all the various character arcs finally come together as everyone picked a side in massive war between gods and mortals.  Making full use of the series’ Viking aesthetic, The Fury of the Gods was an exceptional fantasy epic from start to finish, and I deeply enjoyed how Gwynne brought everything together.

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Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This was a bumper year for Adrian Tchaikovsky as he released several amazing books across the science fiction and fantasy genres.  Of the ones I have so far read my favourite was Service Model.  An intriguing and captivating novel that follows a robot exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland, this book was filled with great humour and cynical take on the future of humanity.  Service Model ended up being a very highly entertaining novel that I cannot recommend enough, especially to readers looking for something particularly clever and funny.

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Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 39: Ice and Snow by Stan Sakai

A surely unsurprising inclusion on this list is the latest Usagi Yojimbo comic, Ice and Snow by Stan Sakai.  One of my favourite comic series, I always make sure to grab the new Usagi Yojimbo volume each year and they always prove to be quite exceptional.  Ice and Snow was a particularly epic entry in the series, as the protagonists face off against a raft of supernatural foes, including Usagi’s dark nemesis Jei.  Beautifully drawn and incredibly fun to read, Ice and Snow was another brilliant and beautiful comic that I powered through the second I got my hands on it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

The other Warhammer 40,000 novel I wanted to include on this list was the twisted Renegades: Lord of Excess.  The debut novel of Rich McCormick, Lord of Excess followed a warband of the hedonistic Emperor’s Children traitor Space Marines as they take over an isolated planet.  McCormick perfectly captures the obsessive nature of his colourful characters, and I loved seeing the villain’s perspective in this deliciously dark novel.  I had an incredible time with this warped and complex character driven novel, and McCormick is an impressive new talent to keep an eye on.

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The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston

After wowing me with amazing books like The Traitor God, God of Broken Things and The Maleficent Seven, Cameron Johnston continues to get even better as an author with his 2024 release, The Last Shield.  Essentially a gender-bent, fantasy fiction Die Hard, The Last Shield sees a group of bandits and traitors take over a royal palace to rob its vault filled with powerful magical artifacts.  The only hope the inhabitants have is the wounded commander of the palace guard, who fights back from the many hidden passages to save those she loves.  Clever, compelling and loaded with so much incredible action, The Last Shield was a highly addictive read that I really couldn’t put down and Johnston is swiftly becoming one of my favourite dark fantasy authors.

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King’s Enemy by Ian Ross

Ian Ross brought his incredible de Norton historical fiction series to a gripping end with King’s Enemy.  Following on from Battle Song and the other 2024 release War Cry, King’s Enemy saw the recently knighted protagonist, Adam de Norton, declared a traitor and king’s enemy for the role he played in Simon de Montford’s rebellion.  Determined to fight back after losing everything, de Norton journeys towards the last bastion of resistance against the crown and finds himself engulfed in one of the most famous sieges in English history.  A fantastic and captivating novel loaded with adventure, action and some fascinating historical detail; King’s Enemy was an outstanding book that is really worth checking out.

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A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan

Acclaimed fantasy author Anthony Ryan followed up his Covenant of Steel series (The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor) in a big way with the new book, A Tide of Black Steel.  Featuring an exciting and intriguing new narrative that expands Ryan’s existing setting, A Tide of Black Steel was an epic fantasy novel that I had so much fun with, especially on audiobook.

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Darkside by Michael Mammay

Another awesome novel that is particularly cool on audiobook is Darkside by Michael Mammay.  The fourth book in the author’s excellent Planetside series (Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside), Darkside follows a maverick former military officer when he investigates a missing persons case at a mining operation on an isolated moon.  Featuring intrigue, mystery and warring corporations, Darkside was another exceptional read from Mammay and one I really got hooked on.

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You Like it Darker by Stephen King

I just had to highlight the exceptional short story collection You Like It Darker by the legendary Stephen King on this list.  Featuring 12 short stories from King, You Like it Darker was a horror-themed thrill ride from start to finish as the author wowed me with his versatility and unique narratives.  This volume contains some noteworthy short stories, including a sequel to Cujo and an outstanding story about the downsides of psychic visions, all of which grabbed my imagination and refused to let go.  I loved every second I spent with You Like It Darker, and I cannot wait to experience more Stephen King awesomeness in 2025, especially with the epic upcoming book Never Flinch.

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Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

One of the most inventive and powerful fantasy novels I read this year was Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang, which, while technically released as an independent novel last year, I’m counting it as a 2024 release as that’s when it officially came out here in Australia.  I have so much love for Blood Over Bright Haven, as Wang centres a complex and emotionally charged narrative around an intriguing and unique magical system.  The result is an intense and memorable book that hits the reader with some amazing twists.  I honestly have still not recovered from all the big reveals of this book, and it was all I needed to read to become a major fan of this awesome author.

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Deep Black by Miles Cameron

The last book I want to highlight on this list is the massive and captivating science fiction epic Deep Black by Miles Cameron.  The sequel to the exceptional Artifact Space, Deep Black continues to follow a gigantic human trading space vessel as it attempts to survive a complex conspiracy to destroy it.  Featuring some impressive science fiction detail, powerful action sequences, and an elaborate plot, Deep Black was an outstanding read and a worthy final entry for this best-of-2024 post.

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Well, those are my 20 favourite books of 2024. It turned out to be quite a good list in the end, and I am very glad that I was able to highlight so many fantastic books.  2025 is set to be another excellent year for amazing reads, and I will be examining some of my most anticipated books next week.  In the meantime, let me know what your favourite books of 2024 were in the comments below, and make sure you all have a happy and safe New Years.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks of 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List23 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this list involved listing the ten top books you hope that Santa would bring you this year.  While this is a fun sounding topic, I am instead going to continue my annual end of year wrap up of the best books I read in 2024.  In previous weeks I have highlighted some of the best pre-2024 novels, best new-to-me-authors and best 2024 sequels I read in the last year.  However, this week I am going to look at something near and dear to my hear, the best audiobooks of 2024.

Readers of this blog only need to check out my extensive audiobook category to the right to know that I have a lot of love for the audiobook format.  In my opinion, the audiobook is often the best way to experience a good book and in many cases this format makes a novel far more enjoyable.  As a result, I listened to quite a few audiobooks this year, and while a good chunk of them were books released before 2024 and featured in my Throwback Thursday posts, most were released this year.  There were some truly outstanding and impressive audiobooks released in 2024 and I knew going in that I was going to have an extremely hard time coming up with a final version of this list.

For this list I have only included audiobooks released in 2024 that I have listened to, which left me with a long list of extremely impressive audiobooks which I wanted to include in this post.  To help cut this down, I considered a range of factors, including the quality of the original novel, the skill of the narrator, production value, pacing and other features.  Looking at all this I was eventually able to cut the list down to the absolute best 10 audiobooks, with my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I had to make some very hard decisions here, and I ended up excluding several extremely good audiobooks from the main list.  Still, I think it really represents the best audiobooks I enjoyed this year and there are some amazing productions below.

Honourable Mentions:

The Chaos Agent, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

An excellent continuation of the Gray Man series once again read out by Jay Snyder.

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Five Broken Blades, written by Mai Corland and narrated by Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Roger Yeh, Donald Chang, Jaine Ye and Sophie Oda

A fun fantasy novel that was perfectly brought to life by a brilliant team of narrators.

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Goodbye Girl, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis

One of my favourite Star Wars narrators, Jonathan Davis, made this excellent legal thriller particularly awesome to listen to.

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Warhammer 40,000: Da Red Gobbo Collection, written by Mike Brooks, Denny Flowers and Rhuairidh James, narrated by Harry Myers

Three fantastic authors present an array of outstanding Warhammer 40,000 stories around a legendary figure, Da Red Gobbo, all of which is narrated by the highly talented Harry Myers.

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Top Ten List:

NecroTek/The Dragon in Winter, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

First up on this list we have a double entry, as we were lucky enough to get two books from one of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry.  Made up of the dark science fiction adventure, NecroTek, and the brilliant fantasy epic, The Dragon in Winter, both of which were particularly awesome.  I chose to combine these two audiobooks into a single entry here, due to the fact they both shared the same narrator in the legendary Ray Porter.  Porter, who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, is synonymous with Maberry at this point, having lent his voice to most of the author’s books while always providing an exceptional performance.  I love how well Porter’s narration enhances Maberry’s exceptional novels, and it makes these audiobooks extremely special.  As such, I had to include them here, and both NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter come highly recommended as some of the best audiobooks of the year.

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We Solve Murders, written by Richard Osman and narrated by Nicola Walker

After wowing us with the first four Thursday Murder Club books (The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed and The Last Devil to Die), Osman went on a different path this year with the clever and fast-paced thriller, We Solve Murders.  A particularly fun book that combines Osman’s classic humour with a brilliant and intense story, We Solve Murders was another exceptional read that I couldn’t get enough of, especially in its audiobook format.  Thanks to the impressive narration of actress Nicola Walker, We Solve Murders was an extremely awesome listen that made the elaborate narrative became even more fantastic.  A truly great audiobook production that you won’t be able to stop listening to it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond, written by Denny Flowers and narrated by Phillip Sacramento

I have a few Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks on this list, but one of the most unique and compelling was Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers.  The sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Outgunned, Above and Beyond brought together a damaged propaganda expert and a broken hero into a cynical and entertaining adventure that really dives into the dark side of the Warhammer universe.  Funny, powerful and featuring an outstanding story, Above and Beyond was so damn good, and it was even better when listened to on audiobook.  Phillip Sacramento perfectly captures the grim themes of Flowers’ writing with his narration, and you soon become enthralled in following the book’s damaged characters on their new adventure.  An exceptional and amazing listen, you will not be dissatisfied with this Warhammer 40,000 audiobook.

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The Fury of the Gods, written by John Gwynne and narrated by Colin Mace

John Gwynne brings his epic Bloodsworn Saga fantasy series to a powerful end with the brutal and impressive The Fury of the Gods.  Finalising a series of great character arcs and pushing his protagonists into one particularly deadly war, The Fury of the Gods was everything I could have hoped for, and I loved how it wrapped up the storylines previously raised in The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods.  I had a fantastic time with this novel, and I particularly enjoyed the cool audiobook version that was narrated by Colin Mace.  Mace brings so much energy to this narrative, and his excellent take on the characters turns this into an outstanding listen.

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Darkside, written by Michael Mammay and narrated by R. C. Bray

One of the most awesome and fun science fiction audiobooks of 2024 had to be Darkside by Michael Mammay.  Mammay, who previously impressed me with his previous books, Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside, produced an intriguing fourth entry to his Planetside series with Darkside, as his maverick protagonist investigates a new conspiracy driven by corrupt corporations.  This fourth entry was such a great listen on audiobook, especially as it featured the return of the always incredible R. C. Bray as narrator.  Bray, who has such a distinctive voice and style, helps to make this audiobook even more special, and I had so much fun with Darkside as result.

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Warhammer 40,000: Lord of Excess, written by Rich McCormick and narrated by Richard Reed

Another particularly cool Warhammer 40,000 audiobook in 2024 was Renegades: Lord of Excess.  The debut novel of Rich McCormick, Lord of Excess followed a band of hedonistic Chaos Space Marines as they conquer an isolated planet, only to have everything come crashing down around them.  A fascinating and captivating addition to the Warhammer 40,000 canon, Lord of Excess was an amazing read from McCormick, and like most Warhammer 40,000 books is deeply benefited from its audiobook format.  Not only does the outrageous story really come to life when read out, but narrator Richard Reed ensures all the larger-than-life characters are perfectly showcased.  A truly outstanding Warhammer audiobook that I had such a great time with.

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Point Nemo, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by R. C. Bray

Few audiobooks were as epic this year as Point Nemo by Jeremey Robinson, which was also narrated by R. C. Bray.  A fast-paced and highly awesome science fiction thriller, Point Nemo had an outstanding plot behind it that followed a band of adventurers as they attempted to uncover the secrets of an island created from alien spores.  The story and action of Point Nemo are very amazing on their own, but I felt that the narration of Bray added even more to it, and I was very impressed by all of Bray’s amazing performances this year.  An exceptional listen that I cannot recommend enough.

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A Tide of Black Steel, written by Anthony Ryan and narrated by Steven Brand

Acclaimed fantasy author Anthony Ryan followed up his Covenant of Steel series (The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor) in a big way with the new book, A Tide of Black Steel.  Featuring an exciting and intriguing new narrative that expands Ryan’s existing setting, A Tide of Black Steel was an epic fantasy novel that I had so much fun with, especially on audiobook.  It helped that the narrator of the Covenant of Steel audiobooks, Steven Brand, once again lent his voice to proceedings, and the resulting production was a powerful and amazing production that I couldn’t stop listening to.

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Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Harry Myers

The final Warhammer audiobook I need to feature on this list is the outstanding and hilarious Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks.  The sequel to Brooks’ previous novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, Da Big Dakka follows a rowdy group of orks who raid the most dangerous city in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  A clever read that I laughed the entire way through, especially with the fantastic narration of Harry Myers, who always perfectly captures the rowdy orks and their eccentric enemies.  This was a really impress audiobook and I had a wonderful time listening to it.

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Crucible of Chaos, written by Sebastien de Castell and narrated by Joe Jameson

I am slightly cheating with this final entry as Crucible of Chaos came out in 2023.  However, due to its late December 2023 release, as well as it’s connection to the early 2024 novel, Play of Shadows, I have decided to include it as part of this list.  Crucible of Chaos was an exceptional book from talented fantasy author Sebastien de Castell, that saw an unlikely investigator and his noble steed attempt to uncover the cause of insanity and chaos in a famous monastery.  A clever and funny read, Crucible of Chaos was an impressive audiobook, and I had a lot of fun with how Joe Jameson, another favourite narrator of mine, brought it too life.

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Well that is the end of this latest Top Ten list, and as you can see, I have been lucky enough to listen to some awesome audiobooks this year (although I clearly focused a little too much on Warhammer fiction).  All the above audiobooks are extremely good and I would highly recommend each of them in their audiobook format.  Let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2024 were in the comments below, and make sure to check back next week to see what my overall favourite novels of the year were.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2024

On 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.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list their most anticipated books for Summer (Winter for the Northern Hemisphere).  However, as I have already done this list a few weeks ago, I decided to continue with my annual end-of-year lists that I have been working on the last few weeks.  I have already covered my favourite new-to-me authors I read in 2024, as well as the best pre-2024 novels I read this year, but in this week’s list I am going to highlight the best sequels I read in 2024.  This is a relatively new topic that I only started exploring in 2023, however I had fun doing it last year so decided to replicate it again now.

Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career.  I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels.  I read a ton of sequels every year and I felt that it was about time that I highlighted the very best sequels of the year in a specific post.

To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released in 2024 that I had the pleasure of reading.  I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines.  For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead.  I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and definitely highlights my favourite sequels released in 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

The superstar team of James Patterson and Australian author Candice Fox had a great time returning to the unusual group of protagonists living at The Inn by the Sea, with their entertaining thriller, The Murder Inn.  The sequel to their previous novel, The Inn, The Murder Inn is a highly entertaining read and a great novel for fans of both these authors.

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The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

A fast-paced and emotionally charged young adult fantasy novel from Australian author Amie Kaufman that finishes the story started in The Isles of the Gods.

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The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham

The highly entertaining novel, The Wrong Hands, was a very fun book that followed on from Billingham’s first DS Declan Miller book, The Last Dance.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

The first book on this list is one of my favourite sequels of 2024, Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers.  The follow-up to Flowers’ previous awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Outgunned, Above and Beyond reunites two of Flower’s complex and traumatised protagonists, a newly cynical propaganda expert and a broken war hero, and throws them into hell.  Taking them into another adventure laden with intrigue, lies and manipulation, Above and Beyond was Flowers’ best novel yet, and I loved how effectively it continued the epic story from Outgunned.

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Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven

M. W. Craven had a brilliant year in 2024, as not only did he release the exceptional and dark murder mystery, The Mercy Chair, but he also presented the fantastic novel, Nobody’s Hero. A sequel to his 2023 novel, Fearless, Nobody’s Hero is a beautifully over-the-top thriller loaded with brutal action and so much fun. Providing a very interesting continuation to several storylines started in Fearless while also standing on its on with its excessive plot, Nobody’s Hero is a great book and a wonderful sequel.

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War Cry by Ian Ross

Ian Ross continued his exciting historical adventures this year with War Cry, the fantastic follow-up to his captivating read, Battle Song.  Battle Song, one of my favourite books of 2023, introduced readers to a young squire who participated into one of England’s more intriguing historical civil wars, and featured an exceptionally addictive story.  Ross continued the series in a big way with his sequel, War Cry, that dragged his protagonist, now a knight, into the next stage of war, and all the tragedy that contains.  I had a great time with this sequel, and it really moved the overarching story along in a big way.  Special mention also needs to go to the third book in the series King’s Enemy, that also came out this year, and which ended the series in an excellent manner.

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The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

Back in 2021 I had the very great pleasure of reading the particularly intense and clever young adult thriller, The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, that followed a teenage former con artist caught up in a bank robbery.  I really loved The Girls I’ve Been, and I was very happy that Sharpe released a sequel this year in The Girl in Question.  Another captivating and exciting read that I really got hooked on, especially with its distinctive style and damaged teenage protagonists, The Girl in Question was an outstanding sequel that comes highly recommended.

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Deep Black by Miles Cameron

The most recent sequel I have picked up was Deep Black by Miles Cameron, which contains a massive and complex science fiction adventure.  The sequel to his previous novel, Artifact Space, Deep Black continues the great narrative of exploration and interstellar mystery, as the crew of a massive human trading vessel attempts to learn more about a series attacks trying to destroy it.  Cameron’s inventiveness and great character work is on full display in Deep Black, and I loved how he continued the outstanding story started in Artifact Space.

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Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell

I’m slightly cheating with the next entry on this list, Play of Shadows, as it is technically the first book in de Castell’s new Court of Shadows series.  However, at the same time Play of Shadows is also a loosely connected sequel to de Castell’s previous novel, Crucible of Chaos, which was released in advance of Play of Shadows as a prequel.  As such, I am counting Play of Shadows as a sequel, and frankly the book was so good I want to highlight it as many times as I can in the coming weeks.  An entertaining, compelling and unique fantasy novel, Play of Shadows saw a young actor unravel an ancient conspiracy infecting his city when he gains the ability to manifest the spirt of a notorious historical villain while on the stage.  A brilliant, witty and highly addictive read, Play of Shadows really impressed me, and I am so very eager to see how this series continues in the future.

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Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

Another outstanding sequel I was happy to read this year was the intricate spy thriller Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont.  A particularly authentic spy novel set in Paris, Dark Arena serves as a sequel the Beaumont’s debut, The Frenchman (one of my favourite debut novels of 2021), and follows members of France’s intelligence community as they attempt to unravel a deadly plot impacting all of Europe.  A gripping read that served as a great continuation to The Frenchman, Dark Arena is an amazing sequel that is worth checking out.

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Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks

I had a lot of fun with Warhammer fiction in 2024, and that includes the outstanding Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks.  The direct sequel to Brooks’ hilarious Warhammer 40,000 novel, Brutal Kunnin, Da Big Dakka showcases the continued adventure of Brooks’ ork protagonist as he brings war, fighting and brutal fun to all corners of the galaxy.  This second book pits the orks against a tricky new foe in the most dangerous city in the universe, and the result is as hectic and bloody as you would expect.  Pure chaotic fun that any fan of Warhammer 40,000 fiction can enjoy.

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The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence

Another highly complex and powerful fantasy novel from the always impressive Mark Lawrence, The Book That Broke the World is a great follow-up to the 2023 novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.  Continuing the elaborate narrative from the first book, while also expanding out the twists, turns and intricate details, The Book That Broke the World was a very smart novel that serves as a very satisfying sequel to The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and is very much worth checking out.

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Sentinel by Mark Greaney

The final sequel I want to highlight on this list is the action-packed novel, Sentinel.  The follow-up to the action-thriller, Armored, Sentinel throws the protagonist of the first book into an elaborate coup in Africa, with his family’s safety also at risk.  A highly exciting and compelling novel, loaded with impressive action and an elaborate narrative, Sentinel was an awesome sequel and I look forward to seeing how Greaney will continue this series in the future.

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Well, that’s it for this list.  As you can see, I have read several outstanding sequels this year and had a wonderful time doing so.  Every entry above was an epic novel, and I loved how they each successfully continued impressive story threads started in the previous novel.  All these books come highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see how these talented authors add to their already awesome series in the future.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2024/25 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List7 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 get a Thanksgiving Freebie to focus on whatever topic they want.  As such, I am going to take this opportunity to look ahead for the next three months.  That is because today is the last Tuesday before December 2024, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read in Summer (Winter for folks in the Northern Hemisphere).  This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 December 2024 and 28 February 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 my most anticipated books for the second half of 2024 lists (fantasy and science fiction and other genres), 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 2024 and 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Gunnawah by Ronni Salt – 1 January 2025

An intriguing Australian crime fiction debut from an awesome new author.  Gunnawah will probably be one of the first books I read in 2025.

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The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers – 11 February 2025

Another awesome sounding Australian crime fiction debut that will feature the beautiful and iconic Blue Mountains as a background setting.

 

Battle Mountain by C. J. Box – 25 February 2025

I had a lot of fun with the latest book in C. J. Box’s entertaining Joe Pickett thriller series, Three-Inch Teeth, and I’m curious to see how the series continues next year.

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Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 27 February 2025

A complex and compelling upcoming science fiction novel from the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett – December 2024

First on this list I had to include the upcoming Warhammer 40,000 novel, Interceptor City by Dan Abnett.  The long-awaited sequel to Abnett’s classic novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City will present readers with even more aerial combat awesomeness as he brings back one of his complex protagonists for another massive war.  Set in his large inter-connected Sabbat Worlds Crusade series, Interceptor City sounds extremely epic, and if its anywhere as good as Double Eagle, this will end up being one of my top books of the years.  I’m not 100 per cent sure when Interceptor City is out in Australia, but I should be able to get a copy of it in December so I’m happy including it on this list.

 

Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 5 December 2024

Another exceptional book to end 2024 with is the new Adrian Tchaikovsky book, Days of Shattered Faith.  The third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Days of Shattered Faith returns to his chaotic fantasy world, where a tyrannical nation attempts to bring perfection and correctness by any means necessary.  This latest book will see two diplomats attempt to navigate a complex city filled with gods, necromancy and intrigue, while also trying to work around the constrictions of their own inflexible government.  The previous two books in this series, City of Last Chances (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2023) and House of Open Wounds (one of my favourite books of 2023) have been unbelievably exceptional, and I cannot wait to see what hilarious insanity occurs in this next amazing novel.

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Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland – 7 January 2025

One of the first books out in 2025 that I am excited for is the cool fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms.  The sequel to Corland’s brilliant 2024 fantasy debut, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms will see the author’s murderous and duplicitous protagonists try to pull off another impossible heist with everything they care about on the line.  However, after all the lies in the previous book, none of the protagonists trust each other, especially with even more betrayals on the horizon.  This should be an outstanding read, and I am hoping to grab Four Ruined Realms on audiobook, especially as it features several talented narrators.

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Grave Danger by James Grippando – 14 January 2025

I’m looking forward to some fantastic legal thriller excitement in January with the next book from acclaimed author James Grippando, Grave Danger.  The next book in the author’s Jack Swyteck series, Grave Danger features a new intriguing case that sees the protagonist become involved in a contentious international custody case.  However, things become even more complicated when Jack’s FBI agent wife is dragged into events, and the protagonist finds himself navigating a massive international conspiracy.  I really love the sound of this awesome book, and after having so much fun with Grippando’s previous novel, Goodbye Girl, I know I am going to love Grave Danger.

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Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2025

It isn’t the start of my reading year if I don’t have the new Alex Delaware novel (see my reviews for The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead, Unnatural History and The Ghost Orchid).  The next entry in the series, Open Season, will see Kellerman’s iconic protagonists return for a particularly complex case, when a spree killer starts taking out Hollywood hopefuls.  Open Season sounds extremely awesome, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz – 11 February 2025

I always love how the start of the new year brings fresh thrillers from some of my favourite authors, and that includes Gregg Hurwitz.  A talented author with a flair for action, Hurwitz has really impressed me in recent years with his Orphan X series (Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse, The Last Orphan and Lone Wolf).  The next book in the series will see Hurwitz’s elite, but damaged, spy protagonist go to war with his only friend, with even more dangerous forces lurking on the horizon.  This should be another exciting and addictive addition to the Orphan X series, and I cannot wait to see what amazing action Hurwitz features in his new book.

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The Medici Return by Steve Berry – 11 February 2025

Another great thriller series I enjoy reading early each year are the Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry.  A distinctive series that combines modern day thriller storylines with historical conspiracies and secrets, the Cotton Malone books are always a ton of fun, and I love some of the compelling topics that Berry cleverly explores.  The next book in the series, The Medici Return, has an outstanding sounding narrative behind it that involves an ancient, massive debt owed by the Vatican, that could change the future of both Italy and the Catholic church.  This is one of the more intriguing plots that Berry has come up with and I cannot wait to unwrap the many mysteries in this cool upcoming thriller.

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Warrior by Simon Turney – 13 February 2025

Following on from his outstanding 2024 novel, Invader, Turney looks set to continue his great Agricola series in the new year with Warrior.  Following the early life of famous Roman general Agricola, Warrior will see the young officer attempt to survive the deadly politics of the realm in the dying days of Nero’s rule.  Warrior will no doubt be an exciting and captivating historical fiction novel, and I cannot wait to see how this fantastic series continues.

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Midnight Black by Mark Greaney – 18 February 2025

In recent years I have become a massive fan of Mark Greaney’s Gray Man series, which is probably my favourite spy thriller series now (check out my reviews for The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless, Sierra Six, Burner and The Chaos Agent).  Following the titular Gray Man, a legendary killer attempting to survive in a complicated world, the Gray Man series is so damn good, and I love the complex scenarios that Greaney envisions.  The next book in the series, Midnight Black, will see the Gray Man go to war with Russia after the woman he loves is captured and held in a prison camp.  Likely to be a particularly intense and bloody addition to the series, I am so excited for Midnight Black, and it is one of my most anticipated thrillers of 2025.

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

The final book I want to highlight in this post is the epic upcoming Star Wars novel, The Mask of Fear.  The first entry in the planned Reign of the Empire trilogy, The Mask of Fear will follow several key characters from the Star Wars franchise, including Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera and Bail Organa, during the first year of the Emperor’s rule.  I love this period of Star Wars history and there is so much potential here to show the early days of the Rebel Alliance and the tyranny they seek to overthrow.  It helps that Alexander Freed is a particularly impactful Star Wars writer, and after enjoying his Alphabet Squadron trilogy (Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price), I know that this is going to be an exceptional book.  I cannot wait for this epic Star Wars novel, and it is a very worthy final entry on this list.

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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.  Each of the above should be extremely epic, 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 few books to get through soon and they should all be awesome.

Waiting on Wednesday – Midnight Black by Mark Greaney

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday6 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.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a particularly epic 2025 thriller I know I’m going to absolutely love, with Midnight Black by Mark Greaney.

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I have been on a massive Mark Greaney kick this year, primarily because the talented Greaney has released two amazing thrillers.  This includes the action-packed read Sentinel (the sequel to his previous novel Armored), which I just reviewed, and his big release of 2024 The Chaos Agent.  An intense and compelling read, The Chaos Agent was one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2024, and it will likely top my end of year best-of lists.  I deeply enjoyed The Chaos Agent, and I felt it was a particularly good entry in Greaney’s long-running Gray Man series.

The Gray Man books are an outstanding spy thriller series that follows an elite assassin and former CIA asset as he faces off against an array of dangerous enemies and contemporary thriller plots.  Starting off with the particularly awesome The Gray Man, the series has grown from strength to strength since then and I have been a huge fan of some of the more recent entries.  This includes Mission Critical, One Minute Out (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), Sierra Six (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Burner (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).

Due to how impressive this series has been in the past, I am always keen to grab the new Gray Man novel when it comes out each year, and they usually end up being a major highlight for the early parts of the year.  I am particularly interested on getting my hands on the sequel to The Chaos Agent however, as Greaney ended this latest book on a great cliffhanger designed to drag the reader back again.  Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait, as the next book in the series, Midnight Black, is coming out in late February 2025.  The 14th entry in this outstanding series, Midnight Black has an exceptional plot behind it that sounds so damn good.

Plot Synopsis:

With his lover imprisoned in a Russian gulag, the Gray Man will stop at nothing to free her in this latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

A winter sunrise over the great plains of Russia is no cause for celebration. The temperature barely rises above zero, and the guards at Penal Colony IK22 are determined to take their misery out on the prisoners – chief among them, one Zoya Zakharova.

Once a master spy for Russian foreign intelligence, then the partner and lover of the Gray Man, Zakharova has information the Kremlin wants, and they don’t care what they have to do to get it.

But if they think a thousand miles of frozen wasteland and the combined power of the Russian police state is enough to protect them, they don’t know the Gray Man. He’s coming, and no one’s safe.

So, I really don’t think I need to explain why a book set around a pissed off Gray Man storming a Russian penal colony is going to be awesome.  Greaney did a great job of setting up this scenario in the previous book, and now all he has to do is sit back and ensure the action and intrigue flows heavily during the Gray Man’s assault on the camp and all of Russia in Midnight Black.  The author has done a remarkable job of exploring impossible survival scenarios for his protagonist in the past, and I have a feeling that this one is going to be particularly cool and gruesome, primarily because this will be the highest stakes for his protagonist yet.

Honestly there is no way that I wasn’t going to grab Midnight Black when it comes out next year, and the simple yet awesome scenario that Greaney has set up above is making me very, very excited.  I have no doubt whatsoever that Midnight Black is going to feature some particularly impressive action sequences, and I am imagining the Gray Man storming through all of Russia to get to his goal.  Midnight Black is probably the thriller I am most excited to get my hands on in 2025and I cannot wait to see how Greaney tops his previous books as he grants us more Gray Man goodness.

Sentinel by Mark Greaney

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller3 Comments

Publisher: Sphere (Trade Paperback – 25 June 2024)

Series: Josh Duffy – Book Two

Length: 475 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for some awesome thriller action?  Look no further than the latest novel from the always impressive Mark Greaney, Sentinel.

Thriller author Mark Greaney has been on a real roll lately.  Not only does he continue to impress with his iconic Gray Man spy thriller series, but he just released a second book in his Josh Duffy series, with Sentinel.  Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Greaney, having had an exceptional time with his Gray Man novels, including The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless, Seirra Six, Burner and The Chaos Agent.  I was also very excited to receive a copy of Sentinel, especially after having really enjoyed the first Josh Duffy novel, Armored.  Following a former military contractor who finds himself caught up in dangerous escort missions in foreign countries, the Josh Duffy books are a lot of fun, and I had an amazing time with the intense and action-packed Armored, which saw all hell break loose in Mexico.  Sentinel is a very worthy sequel to Armored, as the protagonist and his family, find themselves caught up in a deadly coup.

After a lifetime of military contract work, Josh Duffy has found more stable employment as part of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, protecting diplomats and ambassadors in Washington.  When his State Department wife, Nikki, is transferred to Ghana, Josh and their two children join them, hoping to start up a new life in the stable African nation.  However, things are about to get explosive as a group of Chinese spies have begun to implement an elaborate scheme to overthrow the Ghanaian government and replace it with one less friendly to the West.

Unaware of these machinations, both Josh and Nicole find themselves accompanying a group of American, European and Ghanian politicians and officials to an important dam as part of a vital diplomatic mission.  However, their simple photo-op quickly turns into a deadly firefight as the officials and their bodyguards find themselves under unexpected attack from a large army of rebels and their Chinese hired mercenary minders.

Cut off from help and with the rest of the country in chaos thanks to the Chinese led coup, Josh finds himself fighting to save both himself and his protectees from the forces arrayed against them.  Forced on the run, Josh attempts to lead everyone to safety and work out who is responsible for the destruction going on around them.  But when an old enemy from his past reappears, Josh finds himself forced to choose between his mission and his family.

This was a fantastic and very exciting new novel from Greaney, that provides readers with a particularly awesome experience.  Loaded with excellent and realistic action, Sentinel is an amazing book to get through, and I loved how intense it turned out to be.

The plot of Sentinel proved pretty damn impressive, as the author serves up an exciting, action-packed thrill ride.  I have always appreciated Greaney’s ability to create complex scenarios to set his thrillers around, and Sentinel was a particularly good example of this, with an engineered coup in Ghana serving as the basis for the plot.  The author does an excellent job setting the scene for this coup right at the start of Sentinel before transitioning the reader across to protagonist Josh Duffy and his family.  Much of the first half of the book is split between the Duffys getting used to their roles in Ghana, and the antagonists moving the pieces around to finally initiate the plan, and readers come away very invested in both, while waiting for the inevitable carnage.

Once the antagonists begin to put their plans in motion, Sentinel turns into a particularly intense read.  The action flies thick and fast around the protagonists, as all-out war descends on them and they are forced to fight for their survival.  Greaney loads the centre of Sentinel with a continuous string of firefights and high-energy action set pieces, and the reader is left constantly on the edge of their seat as they watch the carnage unfold.  The plans of the antagonists are constantly changing thanks to the actions of Duffy and others, and I loved how frenetic and complex the narrative got.  At the same time, Duffy comes across an old adversary who begins to make the fight personal, and the protagonists soon find themselves targeted by everyone involved in the conspiracy.  All the action leads up to a big final confrontation, as the protagonists are predictably forced to try and save their family.  This leads to an additional great fight sequence, and the reader comes away sated from all the action and fights, as well as satisfied with the comeuppance to the antagonists.  While part of a larger series, Sentinel’s narrative ensures that this is a fantastic standalone novel, and you can have so much fun with this excellent read.

As with all Greaney’s books, Sentinel was a clever and well-crafted thriller novel that has an excellent flow to it.  Serving as a sequel to the first book but standing on its own merits, Sentinel is highly action-orientated, perhaps more so than the author’s Gray Man books.  As a result, there are a ton of high-octane battle sequences and firefights, as the protagonists constantly find themselves fighting for their lives.  These scenes are extremely well written, and Greaney has a real talent for showcasing multi-layered fight sequences featuring multiple figures.  A lot of this is down to the way in which Greaney effectively shifts the perspective between the various combatants, both protagonist and antagonist, so the reader gets a great view of all sides of the battle.  The author also does an effective job setting up a compelling and intriguing narrative frame for this action in early pages of the book, and you really get drawn into the complex narrative that has some interesting political and social takes on the country of Ghana.  The excellent use of perspective changes helps to really highlight the complexity of the antagonist’s schemes, and it proved fascinating to see their plans in constant motion, especially when impacted by the actions of the protagonist.  As such, readers really get drawn into the elaborate plot of Sentinel and are treated to a ton of awesome action sequences guaranteed to get the blood flowing.

Sentinel also features a bevy of great characters, including scheming foreign agents, deadly mercenaries, and all manner of good guys.  Greaney as always does an excellent job of splitting the plot between multiple perspective characters, and the reader is given a good sense of each of these figures, as well as the role they play in the larger plot.  Naturally most of the focus goes to returning protagonists, Josh Duffy and his wife Nikki, who are constantly at the centre of the action.  Due to this being the second book in the series, Greaney focuses less on these two characters’ backstories, and instead examines the current state of their family, and their attempts to forge a new life working together.  While Josh is generally the main character, Nikki serves as a good supporting figure him, and they prove to be a fun husband and wife duo, especially when their family is in danger.

Other characters of note include Ghanian elite police officer, Isaac Opoku, who finds himself caught up in the major assassination plot impacting the Duffys.  Isaac is an excellent and likeable supporting protagonist who provides some local insights into events, and whose impromptu team up with Josh proves to be quite entertaining.  I also loved the inclusion of South African mercenary Conrad Tremaine, who serves as the book’s primary antagonist.  A maniac working to ensure the larger plan goes off, Tremaine serves as a great foil to Josh, especially as the two have a contentious history.  The various interactions between the two are a ton of fun, and I liked how Greaney set up and then utilised this fantastic villain.

Sentinel by Mark Greaney was an outstanding and deeply exciting action thriller which is guaranteed to keep your attention.  Featuring some fantastic fight sequences and a compelling plot, Sentinel was another impressive book from Greaney, and one I had a hard time putting down.  An excellent sequel to Armored, Sentinel comes highly recommended, and I hope that Greaney continues this series in the future.

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WWW Wednesday – 7 August 2024

On 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:

A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist (ebook)

I just started reading the new Raymond E. Feist novel, A Darkness Returns.  An intriguing high fantasy novel, A Darkness Returns sets up a cool new series from Feist that brings together two of his prior series set on different worlds.  I am already really enjoying this book, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

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Warhammer 40,000: Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)

I was still in a big Warhammer mood this week, so I decided to listen to the latest Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives.  Written by Mike Brooks, who has released several amazing Warhammer novels in recent years, this new book will follow members of the canon’s most duplicitous race, as they battle for power and their immortal souls.  I’ve only made a little bit of progress on this book so far, but I am very intrigued by its cool plot.  Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives is a relatively short Warhammer audiobook, so I will probably finish it off in the next couple of days, and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Outsider by Stephen King (Audiobook)

I quickly finished off the audiobook of The Outsider by Stephen King this week, and boy was it epic.  One of the better Stephen King novels I have so far read, I cannot wait to review it.

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Sentinel by Mark Greaney (Trade Paperback)

Sentinel Cover

A sequel to Greaney’s previous novel, Armored, Sentinel was an intense and deeply exciting action read that proves hard to put down.

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Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick (Audiobook)

A fantastically over-the-top Warhammer 40,000 novel that follows the very best of the bad guys. I just finished this audiobook off, and it was pretty damn awesome.  Easily one of the best debuts I have so far read this year.

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The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey (Trade Paperback)

The team behind The Expanse, James S. A. Corey, produced another exceptional science fiction read with The Mercy of the Gods. Epic in scope and plot, this was one of the very best science fiction books of 2024.

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Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell (Trade Paperback)

An intriguing murder mystery novel set in the Marvel universe and following the damaged figure of Jessica Jones as she investigates an unusual crime.  Breaking the Dark was an outstanding read, and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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What  do you think you’ll read next?

Confessions of the Dead by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

If I manage to get through my current book this week, I will probably start reading the compelling sounding thriller, Confessions of the Dead next.  A dark and chilling read, Confessions of the Dead has a lot of potential, and I cannot wait to check it 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 – Ten Favourite Books From Ten Series

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List3 Comments

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

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

Honourable Mentions:

The Gray Man – Gray Man series by Mark Greaney

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

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

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

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

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

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Thrawn – Star Wars: Thrawn series by Timothy Zahn

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

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Guards! Guards! – Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

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

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

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

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

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

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Code Zero – Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry

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

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Magician – The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist

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

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

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

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Changes – Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher

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

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Seasons – Usagi Yojimbo series by Stan Sakai

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

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

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

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

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

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