Tag: Martha Wells

Top Ten Tuesday – Top New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List16 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 looked at books on ones Summer 2023-24 to-read list.  However, due to wanting to get a start on my end of year best of lists, I actually covered this topic a couple of weeks ago.  Instead, I will be moving forward the official topic from 30 January 2024 and looking at New-to-Me Authors I discovered in 2023.  This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 versions), and it is one that I always have a lot of fun doing.

Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes books written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with.  2023 was a particularly good example of this as there were an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me.  This included some debuting authors, as well as more established writers whose work I only got around to reading this year.  Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional novels, including one or two which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2023 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the book had to be one I read this year and be written by an author who I was unfamiliar with before 2023.  If I had not read anything from this author before last year, it was eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut novels as I am going to cover those in another list.  Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a massive amount of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 31 new authors in 2023.  After some hard work, I was able to whittle this down to a manageable top ten list, with my usual generous honourable mentions section.  I am really surprised at some of the impressive and enjoyable authors I had to exclude from this list, and I was honestly tempted to increase this to a top twenty list.  I managed to resist and I think the below entry really highlights the best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2023.  It does crossover a little bit with my top pre-2023 books list I published last week, but I am still pretty happy with it. 

Honourable Mention:

Marsheila Rockwell – The Hunger

The Hunger Cover

My first book from Rockwell was a zombie-filled book set in the Marvel Universe, need I say more?

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Darius Hinks – Leviathan

Warhammer 40,000 - Leviathan Cover

Hinks wowed me with this dark and brutal Warhammer 40,000 read, that saw an entire world slowly digested by an advancing alien fleet. 

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Martha Wells – Witch King

Witch King Cover

I have been meaning to read one of Martha Wells’ books for years, especially her science fiction works, but this cool fantasy release proved to be an excellent introduction to an intriguing author.

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Gav Thorpe – Grudge Bearer, 13th Legion and Kill Team

13th Legion Cover 2

I read several great Gav Thorpe books for the first time this year, including novels from both the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy ranges.  My favourites were probably the Last Chancer novels, 13th Legion and Kill Team, although the standalone fantasy novel Grudge Bearer was also really fun. 

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Top Ten List:

James Islington – The Will of the Many

The Will of the Many Cover

James Islington is a name that is going to be coming up a lot in my end of year lists the next few weeks, mainly because the first novel of his I checked out was so damn epic.  That book is The Will of the Many, a complex and addictive fantasy novel that pits a fugitive prince against a conquering empire.  Featuring a compelling and unique magical system, a great setting, fantastic characters and an elaborate narrative loaded with betrayal, secrets, plots, survival and an amazing magical school storyline, The Will of the Many had everything I could have asked for and more.  One of the easiest five-star ratings I gave in 2023, I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel next year.

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John French – Cypher: Lord of the Fallen

Cypher - Lord of the Fallen Cover

There are going to be a few Warhammer 40,000 authors on this list, mainly because I dedicated a lot of 2023 to going back and reading some classic novels from this awesome franchise.  One of the cleverest Warhammer 40,000 novels I read this year is John French’s Cypher: Lord of the Fallen, which saw the universe’s most notorious fugitive infiltrate the most secure place imaginable, the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra.  Featuring a uniquely written story, loaded with sneaky misdirects, twists, and the most unreliable narrator imaginable, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen proved to be an outstanding introduction to author John French, and I had such a brilliant time with this amazing read.

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Ian Ross – Battle Song

Battle Song Cover

Easily my favourite new-to-me historical fiction author in 2023 was Ian Ross.  I have heard some amazing things about Ross’s Roman historical fiction novels before, and I eagerly grabbed a copy his latest novel, Battle Song, when it came out.  An exciting and powerful read about a lesser-known English civil war, Battle Song followed two amazing protagonists during the height of the knightly age and the result was an action packed and historically rich novel.  I have so much love for Ross after reading Battle Song and I am eagerly awaiting the upcoming sequel, War Cry.

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Guy Haley – Flesh and Steel

Flesh and Steel Cover

One major Warhammer 40,000 author I had an amazing time getting to know this year was Guy Haley, who has a range of great books under his belt.  I mainly got to know Haley thanks to his impressive Warhammer Crime novel Flesh and Steel.  One of the most unique buddy cop novels you are ever likely to read, Flesh and Steel was an outstanding book and it definitely made me want to check out more of Haley’s works.  I have several Haley’s audiobooks currently loaded onto my phone and I am hoping to enjoy them all next year.

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Sebastien De Castell – The Malevolent Seven

The Malevolent Seven Cover

One of the most relentlessly entertaining new authors I checked out for the first time in 2023 was acclaimed fantasy writer Sebastien De Castell.  Known for his dark and elaborate fantasy worlds, I had my first introduction to De Castell when I read his hilarious and bloody novel The Malevolent Seven.  Setting seven unusual and maligned battle wizards on a path to becoming unlikely heroes, The Malevolent Seven was an incredible read that I absolutely powered through.  I really hope that De Castell releases a sequel to The Malevolent Seven soon and I must make an effort to read some of his other amazing fantasy novels/series.

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Marc Collins – Grim Repast

Warhammer 40,000 - Grim Repast Cover

One of the main new-to-me authors who encouraged me to check out more Warhammer Crime novels in 2023 was the very talented Marc Collins who wowed me with the gritty novel, Grim Repast.  Following a damaged detective as he attempts to stop an influential and murderous cult in a downtrodden mega-city, Grim Repast was an impressive novel and one that really showcased just how good an author Collins is.

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M. W. Craven – Fearless

Fearless Cover

An exceptional crime fiction author I read for the first time this year was bestselling writer M. W. Craven.  While Craven is probably best known for his Washington Poe series, my first experience of his works was the outrageous 2023 novel Fearless.  The start of a compelling new series that follows an arrogant, and literally fearless, drifter with a price on his head, Fearless was a blast from start to finish and Craven clearly had a great time coming up with this action-packed read.  I had a ton of fun with Fearless and Craven has a sequel set for next year that I am very excited for.

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Sandy Mitchell – For The Emperor and Caves of Ice

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Well before 2023, I had heard some amazing things about Sandy Mitchell’s Ciaphas Cain series, which was apparently made up of the funniest Warhammer 40,000 novels out there.  Naturally I had to check this series out whilst I was on my 2023 Warhammer reading spree and I ended up enjoying the first two entries, For The Emperor and Caves of Ice.  Well, the rumours about how funny these books are proved to be very true as For The Emperor and Caves of Ice were both hilarious and clever novels that made full use of their grim background setting.  Following a cowardly officer who somehow gained a reputation as a legendary hero, these books see the titular Cain attempt all manner of schemes to survive and stay out of the fighting, only to be thrust into the most dangerous situations imaginable.  Very entertaining and featuring a particularly clever wit, the Ciaphas Cain books really showcased Mitchell’s exceptional writing skills and I cannot recommend this series enough, especially in its audiobook format.

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Anthony McCarten – Going Zero

Going Zero Cover

I had to mention screenwriter and author Anthony McCarten on this list, as I was lucky enough to read a copy of his 2023 release Going Zero, which was so much fun.  Following a unique competition that sees multiple people attempt to hide from a new nationwide surveillance system, Going Zero went in some very interesting directions and ended up being a particularly entertaining and unique thriller.  An amazing read that served as a great introduction to McCarten.

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Chris Wraight – Bloodlines

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final entry on this list is Chris Wraight, who gave me one of my favourite Warhammer Crime novels in Bloodlines.  A gripping and memorable novel that makes excellent use of a both its classic police procedural storyline and the unique Warhammer 40,000 setting, Bloodlines was such a brilliant read and one that really deserves an immediate sequel.  Wraight really impressed me with this great novel and I need to go back and check out the rest of his contributions to the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list.  I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best new authors I checked out in 2023.  I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce more epic and incredible reads.  Make sure to let me know which new authors you enjoyed in 2023 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2023 list.

Witch King by Martha Wells

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, LGBT+5 Comments

Witch King Cover

Publisher: Tor (ebook – 30 May 2023)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 432 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Acclaimed science fiction author Martha Wells returns to fantasy fiction in a big way with a cool new epic novel, Witch King.  This was an excellent and intriguing new read that I had a wonderful time reading, especially as I finally got to check out something from Wells, who has been on my to-read list for a while.  Wells is a veteran author who has several intriguing novels and series throughout her storied career, including her Ille-Rien, Books of the Raksura and Emilie, and well as tie-in books in the Star Wars and Stargate franchises.  While I am interested in reading her Star Wars book, Wells is best known for her Murderbot Diaries series, which follows a deadly security robot who has gained sentience and finds itself involved in serval complicated situation with various humans.  This series gets a lot of love in review communities and has been on my radar for a while.  However, instead I managed to get a copy of Wells’ new fantasy novel, Witch King and decided to have a read of that.  Featuring an intriguing and compelling story, Witch King was an awesome novel that I found myself really hooked on.

Kai is having a very bad day.  Awakening after an unknown period of imprisonment in a specially designed underwater cell, Kai is annoyed to find an arrogant magic user attempting to bind him to their will.  However, Kai is no mere demon, he is Kaiisteron, the Witch King, a legendary figure who, with the help of his heroic friends, saved the world from the nefarious Hierarchs and the led the current nations to freedom.

Now freed from his tomb and inhabiting the body of the mortal who foolishly tried to control him, Kai needs to find out who trapped him and why.  Accompanied by his long-time friend, the witch Ziede, and Sanja, the young woman intended to be sacrificed to him, Kai emerges once again into the world, trying to figure out what is changed and who benefited from his absence.  However, nothing is as it seems, and Kai and Ziede soon discover that their other friends and comrades have also gone missing.

Determined to get to the truth, Kai, Ziede and Sanja begin their search for answers, but soon find themselves under attack from all corners.  Dangerous magic users, powerful angelic creatures and lethal killers are all hunting for them, and everyone seems to have their own agenda.  To survive, Kai and Ziede will need to dive into their dark history, and the legendary war they fought years ago.  But the secrets they uncover will reveal dark truths about people they thought were their friends, and soon they will be forced to face the terrible consequences of their past mistakes.  Can these legendary figures survive in a world that turned against them to find their loved ones, or has their adventure finally come to an end?

This was a pretty awesome read from Wells.  Witch King has a gripping and intense story that really gets your attention early on and wows you with its elaborate world and interesting characters.  I had a great time reading this book, and while I struggled to get through it quickly, I ended up really enjoying it and I am very interested in seeing how Wells follows it up.

I really enjoyed the great story contained within Witch King, although you have to be prepared for Wells to drop you into some heavy plot right away.  There is not a lot of introduction to the characters or the world at the start of the book; instead you have to build up your own picture of events initially based on what’s going on.  This kind of makes the first few chapters a little harder to follow at times, although there is some fun action, interesting events, and great characters to grab your attention.  Wells eventually provides some of the details you need as the story continues, especially as she starts to split the story into two separate timelines, the current one and one set years in the past.  The modern timeline continues to show the characters as they get to the bottom of why they’re imprisoned and why everyone is after them, while the past timeline shows the earlier days of their history, as well as the legendary war that made them famous and which is still impacting everyone who was involved.  Both of these timelines are told from the perspective of Kai, and it provides a great overarching narrative, especially as you get to see two different sides to the same characters.  The older timeline also provides some much needed context for the modern day storyline, and Wells did a great job of balancing events from the two timelines to tell an intriguing and elaborate story.

Both awesome narratives continue at a great pace and Wells loads both up with some outstanding moments.  Out of the two, I enjoyed the chapters set in the past the most, especially as the young and inexperienced Kai was so very different from his confident and lethal persona in the future.  There was also a greater sense of desperation, oppression, and an overlay of hope in these prequel scenes which really spoke to me.  I also felt that it gave the reader a pretty good supplementary introduction into several of Witch King’s best characters, including Kai and Ziede, both of whom have some fun, complex, and LGBT+ positive arcs.  I loved seeing them as younger characters experiencing some of the worst, and most defining, moments of their lives, and Wells did an outstanding job of building that up.  However, most of the most important action occurred in the present-day storyline, and Wells writes a fantastic and powerful narrative about lost friends and relentless enemies that proved to be very compelling.  There are some great twists and turns here, most of which are rooted in their adventures in the past, and I loved some of the powerful moments that occurred.  Wells features several impressive battle scenes that make full use of the cool abilities of her magical characters, and it was particularly fun seeing Kai in action with his deadly abilities.  Both storylines come to a great conclusion that perfectly complement each other, and I liked the symmetry with the past and present, especially as it relates to the protagonists.  The final twist of the novel was pretty good and I liked how the modern-day storyline was set up to allow the narrative to continue if Wells chooses to.  However, if this was only a standalone novel, it worked really well, and I loved how impressive and fun this fantastic narrative turned out.

In addition to featuring a compelling and well-written narrative with great characters, Wells also comes up with a very distinctive and intriguing fantasy setting for Witch King, which I had a fantastic time exploring.  The world itself is a bit dark and damaged, having seen wars, magical upheaval and conquests, and it serves as a great background for the complex story.  Wells does an outstanding job of utilising some unique elements, such as demons, angelic warriors, dark magic users and mysterious tyrants to bolster the plot and produce some distinctive and exciting sequences.  This is often further enhanced by the author’s great use of the split timeline, as readers get to compare and contrast the settings and abilities of the characters after the massive time difference.  Some of the settings are really outstanding as well, with my favourite being a sinister palace first introduced in the prequel timeline.  This palace makes for an excellent backdrop for most of the early timeline’s plot, and the subsequent visit to it in the present also produces some fantastic and elaborate scenes, especially as actions in the past alter it in some very dramatic ways.  While most of these unique fantasy and world elements are impressive and fun in many ways, I did think that Wells could have done a bit of a better job introducing them.  The author really did just drop readers into the middle of the world at the start of the story with very little explanation and it takes a while to build up a full understanding of all the politics, factions, races, and basis for magic that are relevant to the plot.  While this did lead to the occasional bought of confusion during the early chapters of the book, once you get deeper into the plot (especially after the first few prequel chapters), you really grow to appreciate the elaborate world and the inventiveness Wells put into it.

Overall, Witch King was a pretty awesome and captivating fantasy read, and it was one that served as a great introduction to Martha Wells for me.  The exciting and compelling plot really drags the readers in, and the use of great characters, clever storyline splits, and an epic fantasy landscape proves to be an effective combination.  I really hope that Wells continues some of the storylines set up in Witch King in the future, and I look forward to reading more from the author if she does.

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WWW Wednesday – 21 June 2023

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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?

Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner (Trade Paperback)

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

I just started reading the cool thriller, Her Sweet Revenge, today and so far it is proving to be rather interesting.  Following two women whose past and secrets keep coming back to haunt them, this intriguing novel is starting off strong and I am curious to see how it continues.  I also had a ton of fun with Bonner’s fantastic debut, Her Perfect Twin, last year, and I have very high hopes that Her Sweet Revenge will be just as good.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington (Audiobook)

The Will of the Many Cover

I am still listening to the outstanding epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I have made a ton of progress on this audiobook in the last week and I am currently about halfway through it at the moment.  This book is living up to all my expectations and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the most impressive fantasy releases of the year.  I am exceedingly excited to find out how this novel ends and I am hoping to finish it off by this time next week.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I finally managed to finish off Witch King this week.  A compelling and gritty fantasy read set in an interesting new fantasy world, this was an awesome book and I am glad that I got the chance to read it.

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Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I also managed to read the awesome historical fiction novel, Falling Sky this week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Harry Sidebottom, Falling Sky followed a determined Roman general during a Roman civil war in Gaul.  This outstanding novel was pretty amazing and I am really glad that I got the chance to read it. 

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

 

In the next week I am hoping to read the epic upcoming Australian thriller, Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe.  Set to examine past and present of espionage in Australia, Killer Traitor Spy should be a fantastic read, especially I have deeply enjoyed Ayliffe’s previous books, including The Greater Good, State of Fear and The Enemy Within.  Killer Traitor Spy has the potential to be one of the best Australian novels of 2023 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.

WWW Wednesday – 14 June 2023

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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?

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I managed to make a bit of progress with the new fantasy novel from Martha Wells this week, Witch King.  Following a demon and his companions as they investigate strange events in an elaborate fantasy realm, Witch King is a great book and I am really getting drawn into the story.  My delay with this book has mostly been due to outside factors, but I’m hoping to finish it off in the next day or so.  So far this proving to be an outstanding read and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington (Audiobook)

The Will of the Many Cover

I finally managed to start listening to the cool epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington today. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling sounding novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I am only a short way into the novel at the moment, but it is so far proving to be a pretty awesome book.  This looks set to be of the biggest fantasy releases of the year and I am hoping to knock it off in the next couple of weeks.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Proven Guilty Cover

I managed to finish off and review Proven Guilty last week, which ended up being another epic entry in the Dresden Files series.  I have been having a ton of fun with this series, and I enjoyed Proven Guilty so much that I also managed to get through White Night in a few days as well.  Check out the review for Proven Guilty here.

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White Night by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

White Night Cover

White Night was pretty damn epic as well, and I have so much love for this cool series at the moment. I am planning to do a Throwback Thursday review of White Night later this week, so make sure to check back here to read it.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I hoping to quickly dive into the fun historical fiction novel, Falling Sky in the next week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Falling Sky will follow a determined Roman general as he attempts to win a dangerous battle in the Alps while also countering treachery in his own camp. I have been meaning to read this book for a while and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

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Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

I might also try and read the awesome sounding thriller, Her Sweet Revenge, this week if I get the chance.  I had a ton of fun with Bonner’s fantastic debut, Her Perfect Twin, last year, and I have very high hopes that Her Sweet Revenge will be just as good.

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

WWW Wednesday – 7 June 2023

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?

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I haven’t made a lot of progress with the new fantasy novel from Martha Wells this week, Witch King.  While I am enjoying this book, I honestly haven’t had a lot of reading time, instead focusing more on writing and other stuff.  I am hoping to get a bit of reading done on it this weekend, so we’ll see how it goes.

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Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Proven Guilty Cover

After all the fun I had last week with Dead Beat, I decided to dive into another of Jim Butcher’s epic Dresden Files this week with Proven Guilty.  The 8th book in the series, Proven Guilty sees wizard Harry Dresden investigate a series of mysterious magical murders committed by monsters from horror films. This is proving to be another excellent read and I will hopefully finish it off in the next day or two and do a Throwback Thursday post about it.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

I managed to finish off the recent Warhammer 40,000 novel The Lion: Son of the Forest this week, and boy was it epic.  Written by rising Warhammer author Mike Brooks, The Lion: Son of the Forest follows the return of the legendary founder of the Dark Angels Space Marines as he awakens in a changed universe. This was an exceptional read and you can check out my review for it here.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I am still hoping to quickly dive into the fun historical fiction novel, Falling Sky in the next week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Falling Sky will follow a determined Roman general as he attempts to win a dangerous battle in the Alps while also countering treachery in his own camp. I have been meaning to read this book for a while and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

I’m also hoping in the next week to start listening to the cool epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling sounding novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I love the sound of The Will of the Many and it looks set to be one of the biggest fantasy releases of the year.

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

WWW Wednesday – 31 May 2023

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? 

Witch King by Martha Wells (Ebook)

Witch King Cover

I started reading the epic new fantasy novel from Martha Wells this week, Witch King.  Following a demon who awakens after being murdered to a bold new world, Witch King is a very interesting novel that I am having a great time reading.  I have only gotten about 50 pages in so far, but I am deeply enjoying it’s complex narrative and I look forward to seeing how the entire thing turns out.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

I decided to listen to the fantastic recent Warhammer 40,000 novel The Lion: Son of the Forest this week.  Written by rising Warhammer author Mike Brooks, who previously impressed me with Huron Blackheart and Warboss, The Lion: Son of the Forest follows the return of the legendary founder of the Dark Angels Space Marines as he awakens in a changed universe. The return of this character is one of the more significant events of recent Warhammer 40,000 history and Brooks has produced an amazing story around this.  I am loving the complex and emotionally rich story which is really highlighting Brooks’ fantastic writing ability as one of the rising stars of Warhammer fiction.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Battle Song by Ian Ross (Trade Paperback)

Battle Song Cover

I managed to finish reading the awesome historical adventure, Battle Song by Ian Ross.  Following a young squire as he reluctantly follows his new amoral master to tourneys and war in 13th century Europe, Battle Song was a compelling and highly exciting novel, and one that I am hoping to review soon.

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Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Dead Beat Cover

Another epic and awesome entry in the Dresden Files series, Dead Beat was an exceptional read and I have already reviewed it for last week’s Throwback Thursday.

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The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell (Trade Paperback)

The Malevolent Seven Cover

I had a lot of fun powering through the wildly entertaining fantasy novel, The Malevolent Seven, this week.  Following seven damaged and immoral magicians as they set off on a doomed assassination mission, The Malevolent Seven is a great book that was so much damn fun to read. Review to follow soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Falling Sky Cover

I am still hoping to quickly dive into the fun historical fiction novel, Falling Sky in the next week.  Written by one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Falling Sky will follow a determined Roman general as he attempts to win a dangerous battle in the Alps while also countering treachery in his own camp. I have been meaning to read this book for a while and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

Amazon

 

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

I’m also hoping in the next week to start listening to the cool epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. Set in a deadly magical school, The Will of the Many is a thrilling sounding novel filled with politics, mystery, and an intriguing magical system. I love the sound of The Will of the Many and it looks set to be one of the biggest fantasy releases of the year.

Amazon

 

 

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

Book Haul – 10 April 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul1 Comment

I have been having an absolutely fantastic couple of weeks for book, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including some books that have the potential to be the top novels of 2023.  I am extremely keen to check out all of the books below and they should make for some amazing reads.

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

Star Wars - Battle Scars Cover

First up, I recently received a copy of the cool new Star Wars novel, Battle Scars by Sam Maggs.  A tie-in to the Star Wars Jedi video games, Battle Scars is being released in conjunction with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and serves as a bridging novel between it and the first game, Fallen Order.  This should be an outstanding book for fans of the games and I look forward to seeing what interesting story Sam Maggs has come up with.

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Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell

Death Under a Little Sky Cover

The next book I received a copy of was Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell.  This is Abell’s debut novel and sees a London detective trying to retire in the country until he uncovers a dark murder in his new small town.  This sounds like a fun take on classic British crime fiction novels and I will be interested to see both the murder mystery and the changing settings within the book.

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Homecoming by Kate Morton

Homecoming Cover

An intriguing, multi-generational mystery novel by a talented Australian author, this will no doubt be an excellent read.

Amazon

 

Search History by Amy Taylor

Search History Cover

Australian author Amy Taylor makes her unique fiction debut with Search History, which sees a woman get obsessed with diving into her new boyfriend’s history online, only to discover a dark secret about his past relationships.  This sounds like a very fun book that will no doubt critique our overuse of social media.

Amazon

 

Ascension by Nicholas Binge

Ascension Cover

A freaky and compelling science fiction thriller that follows a group of scientists sent to investigate a mysterious mountain that rose out of the ocean, only to discover dark secrets and dangerous self-reflection.  I am very curious to see what happens in Ascension and it sounds like quite the fascinating read.

Amazon

 

The next several books are all ones I received in advance through NetGalley.  This is actually the first time I have really used NetGalley (I know, I’m behind the times), and I am loving that I got early copies of several outstanding books.

 

Witch King by Martha Wells

Witch King Cover

I was very happy to get an early copy of one of the hottest upcoming fantasy books of 2023 with Witch King by Martha Wells.  Wells is such a beloved author at the moment and I am very intrigued to read one of her books, especially this one which follows a trapped demon who finds himself at the mercy of a lowly mage as he tries to remember how he got into this situation. This sounds like such a fun and awesome book and I look forward to diving into it soon.

Amazon

 

Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

Another upcoming book I was particularly pleased to get a copy of is Killer Traitor Spy by Australian author Tim Ayliffe.  The fourth book in his John Bailey series, Killer Traitor Spy once again dives into international espionage in Australian politics, this time with a focus on the lasting impact of the Cold War.  I have deeply enjoyed Ayliffe’s previous books, including The Greater Good, State of Fear and The Enemy Within, and I look forward to seeing how his next book turns out.

Amazon

 

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale

The Tyrant Skies Cover

I also decided to dive into the world of tie-in novels associated with Marvel Comics, which included getting a copy of The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale. This book will see everyone’s favourite villain, Doctor Doom, take on the insidious Red Skull in a battle for dominance and control. I know I am going to love this epic book and I am hoping to dive into it soon.

Amazon

 

Mockingbird: Strike Out by Maria Lewis

Mockingbird - Strike Out Cover

I also grabbed a copy of the fun sounding book Mockingbird: Strike Out by Maria Lewis.  This intriguing novel will follow the great character of Bobbie Morse, AKA Mockingbird, as she travels to England to investigate a world-ending plot.  This should be another fantastic read and I look forward to diving into the Marvel canon with this outstanding sounding read.

Amazon

 

 

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 – Books on my Autumn 2023 TBR

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List5 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 Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was around Bookish People I’d Like to Meet, however, I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months.  This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and as this is the first Tuesday of Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere), this is the ideal time to put this up.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 March 2023 and 31 May 2023.  There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most anticipated book of the year (as well as my most anticipated fantasy/science fiction books of the year).  Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions).  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 Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads.  I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best books of 2023.

Honourable Mentions:

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson – 7 March 2023

The Kind Worth Saving Cover

The intriguing new novel from the entertaining Peter Swanson (Rules for Perfect Murders and Nine Lives), The Kind Worth Saving sounds very cool and I’ve heard some great stuff about it from fellow reviewers.  I might try to read the preceding novel, The Kind Worth Killing, before I get to The Kind Worth Saving, but we’ll see how it goes.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson – 18 April 2023

A Hunger of Thorns Cover

A cool young adult fantasy read from the always impressive Australian author Lili Wilkinson.  I had a lot of fun with her last two young adult books, After the Lights Go Out and The Erasure Initiative, and I imagine this one is going to be a ton of fun as well.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Empire by Conn Iggulden – 25 May 2023

Empire Cover

Intense and detailed historical fiction from legendary author Conn Iggulden, this will be an exceptional read that I am quite excited for.

Amazon     Book Depository

Top Ten List:

Battle Song by Ian Ross – 28 March 2023

Battle Song Cover

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Fire With Fire by Candice Fox – 4 April 2023

Fire With Fire Cover

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner – 6 April 2023

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis – 11 April 2023

Fatal Legacy Cover

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Usagi Yojimbo: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai – 18 April 2023

Usagi Yojimbo - Volume 38 - The Green Dragon Cover

The release dates for this comic keeps getting knocked back, but I’m really hoping that I will be able to get this epic new volume in April.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst – 25 April 2023

The Lake House Cover Better

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan – 2 May 2023

The Sword Defiant Cover

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – 11 May 2023

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

An epic Mark Lawrence novel set in a massive fantasy library; do I need to say any more?

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Will of the Many by James Islington – 23 May 2023

The Will of the Many Cover

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Witch King by Martha Wells – 30 May 2023

Witch King Cover

Amazon     Book Depository

 

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 pretty awesome.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction12 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated fantasy novels coming out in the first half of 2023.  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 a second list due to all the awesome and impressive reads from these genres coming out extremely soon.

2023 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year.  I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely excited for.  This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors.  I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be fantasy wise, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2023 which I have some descent details about.  Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult.  I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy reads of 2023.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann – 3 January 2023

Star Wars - The Battle of Jedha Cover

The High Republic is set to continue in a big way in the coming days with the full-cast audiobook, The Battle of Jedha that will see a massive confrontation break out between the various Force cults on Jedha.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Engines of Chaos by Richard S. Ford – 4 April 2023

Engines of Chaos Cover

The follow-up to Ford’s 2022 novel, Engines of Empire, Engines of Chaos will continue to explore Ford’s great steampunk fantasy world and the massive revolution brewing within.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Will of the Many by James Islington – 23 May 2023

The Will of the Many Cover

A fun upcoming fantasy read that will put a darker face on the classic magic school story.

Amazon     Book Depository

Top Ten List

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry – 10 January 2023

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

2023 is off to a very strong start on the fantasy front with the next upcoming book from the always amazing Jonathan Maberry, Son of the Poison Rose.  The follow-up to one of the best books and audiobooks of 2022, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose will continue to follow broken warrior Kagen Vale as he attempts to save his kingdom from the reign of the murderous Witch-king.  Set to feature more adventures, deadly action and complex characters, Son of the Poison Rose is another guaranteed five-star book, and I cannot wait to see what happens in this complex series next.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Downfall by Louise Carey – 10 January 2023

Downfall Cover

One of the best, underrated science-fiction series of the last couple of years has been Louise Carey’s Inscape trilogy.  Featuring the excellent novels, Inscape (one of my favourite debuts of 2021) and Outcast, this great series follows two damaged protagonists through a dark dystopian future of advanced technology and warring corporations.  Carey ended her second novel, Outcast, on a great cliff-hanger and I am really keen to find out how she plans to conclude this amazing trilogy with Downfall.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb – 7 February 2023

Seven Faceless Saints Cover

A fantastic and fun upcoming young adult fantasy read that will set two different protagonists on a deadly mission to uncover a murderer within a corrupt fantasy city.  An intriguing fantasy mystery that has already grabbed my attention.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan – 14 February 2023

The Tyranny of Faith Cover

After wowing the world with his 2022 novel, The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan will continue his epic Empire of the Wolf series this year with The Tyranny of Faith.  Following two supernatural peacekeepers in a deadly fantasy empire, The Tyranny of Faith will once again feature the great combination of mystery, politics, intrigue and magic that made The Justice of Kings such a great book.  I have no doubt this will be one of the most popular fantasy novels of 2023 and I look forward to reading it very soon.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding – 16 February 2023

The Shadow Casket Cover

One of the fantasy books that I am most excited for in 2023 is The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding.  The follow up to his epic novel, The Ember Blade, I have been waiting for years for The Shadow Casket to come out and I luckily, I only have a month left before I can dive into to.  The Ember Blade was an exceptional and massive read and the sequel will see the surviving protagonists continue to try and ignite a rebellion against their despotic occupiers.  Sure to be one of the very best fantasy books of 2023, I am so very glad that I can finally continue this exceptional series.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Star Wars: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang – 4 April 2022

Star Wars - Cataclysm Cover

I have been deeply enjoying the current phase of the outstanding High Republic Star Wars series, and the next major entry is coming out in April with Cataclysm by Lydia Kang.  While we don’t currently have a lot of plot detail about Cataclysm, it will no doubt continue the elaborate prequel narrative of this second phase and should produce an epic read.  All the books in this second phase have been really good and I am confident that will continue with Cataclysm.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan- 2 May 2023

The Sword Defiant Cover

After absolutely killing it with his highly acclaimed Black Iron Legacy series, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan is once again looking to set the fantasy world on fire with The Sword Defiant.  An outstanding upcoming book with a very cool cover to it, The Sword Defiant will follow a legendary hero has he attempts to rally his former companions on a new quest to save the world.  However, the dark swords they claimed during this first mission together has corrupted them all, leading to a deadly and tragic new mission that will pit the protagonist against his former friends.  The Sword Defiant has an outstanding plot behind it and I feel it has the potential to be one of the very best books of 2023.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – 11 May 2023

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

It is always a very safe bet that Mark Lawrence will have one of the best fantasy/science fiction books of a year and I am already hyped up for his next novel, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn.  Set in a massive fantasy library, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn is the first entry in a bold new fantasy series, filled with adventure, blood and knowledge, and I cannot wait to dive into it later this year.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Witch King by Martha Wells – 30 May 2023

Witch King Cover

One of the biggest names currently in science fiction, Martha Wells returns to her fantasy roots in 2023 with Witch King.  Set to follow a deadly demon who awakens from his trap to find himself being controlled by a lesser mage, Witch King has a fun and entertaining plot to it, and I have a feeling I am really going to love this amazing upcoming read.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker – 27 June 2023

The final entry on this list could be one of the very best as one of the hottest and most wildly inventive fantasy authors of the current age presents an amazing new story with Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker.  Barker has consistently been one of the very best fantasy authors of recent years with The Wounded Kingdom (featuring Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) and The Tide Child (featuring The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake) trilogies.  Each of Barker’s books have been outstandingly complex and powerful dark fantasy reads, so I am very excited for Gods of Wyrdwood which will set up The Forsaken Trilogy.  While we currently don’t have a cover for Gods of the Wyrdwood, the plot sounds pretty damn exceptional as it will follow a former chosen one, whose destiny was stolen from him as he once again forced into the spotlight.  Sure to be one of the most compelling and powerful reads of 2023, Gods of the Wyrdwood is going to be so damn epic.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Well that’s the end of this second list.  As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year.  All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads.  2023 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this.  I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2023.