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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
