Waiting on Wednesday – Darkside by Michael Mammay

On May 22, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, 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. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight a particularly awesome science fiction thriller coming out later this year that I am very excited for, Darkside by Michael Mammay.

Darkside Cover

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The second half of 2024 is looking particularly awesome, as there are a ton of outstanding books coming out before December. While I have my eye on quite a few fantasy and science fiction novels in this period, one that has especially caught my eye is the outstanding sounding novel, Darkside by Michael Mammay, which will bring me back to the author’s epic and impressive Planetside series.

The Planetside series is an excellent science fiction series that features high-stakes military thriller storylines in the far future. I have been a big fan of this series since the beginning, when, by chance, I chose to listen to the first book in the series, Planetside. Mammay’s debut novel, Planetside was an outstanding book that saw a retired military colonel, Carl Butler, sent to an alien planet to find a missing officer. However, he soon finds himself involved in an elaborate conspiracy as alien forces and members of his own side try to stop him. I had an awesome time with Planetside and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2018, especially as Mammay ended everything with a pretty epic final twist.

Mammay followed up Planetside the next year with the fantastic thriller Spaceside, that saw the protagonist deal with the many consequences of his previous adventure, and which also ended on a bang. This was another amazing read and Spaceside ended up being one of my favourite books of 2019. The exciting series continued in 2021 with Colonyside as Butler was once again dragged into a dangerous conspiracy on a planet, this time involving a corrupt company and dangerous alien fauna. An outstanding novel that had me on edge the entire time, Colonyside was a pretty awesome book, and unsurprisingly was one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2021.

While I haven’t been able to make time to check out some of Mammay’s other intriguing science fiction novels, the Planetside series is something that I will not be able to ignore, so I was very excited when I found out that Mammay was releasing a fourth book, Darkside, later this year. Set for release in September, Darkside will see the return of the Butler as he is forced into another elaborate adventure, this time on a moon where everyone wants to kill him.

Plot Synopsis:

In this thrilling, action-packed fourth installment in the Planetside series from acclaimed science fiction author Michael Mammay, retired Colonel Carl Butler gears up for another military investigation, full of danger, corporate intrigue, and tech people would kill for—perfect for fans of John Scalzi and Craig Alanson.

Colonel Butler has paid his dues and just wants to enjoy his retirement on a remote planet. But the galaxy has had other plans. He has been roped into searching for a politician’s missing son and an industry magnate’s missing daughter. He has been kidnapped, violated numerous laws, and caused the destruction of colonial facilities. He’s famous—or infamous, depending on who you ask—praised and reviled in equal measure across the galaxy for his exploits.

And he is determined to never let the government drag him into another investigation.

But when a runaway twelve-year-old girl whose father has gone missing asks him for help, well…it’s a lot harder to say no.

The girl’s father, Jorge Ramiro, was supposed to have been on Taug, a moon orbiting the gas giant Ridia 5, working on a dig with a famous archaeologist. But now there’s no sign of him and no record of him being there. Mining operations on the moon are run by two different consortiums, Caliber and Omicron—both of which have tried to kill Butler in the past. Butler doesn’t believe in coincidence.

Landing on Taug with his right-hand man Mac, computer genius Ganos, and an elite security squad, Butler soon finds that they’ve charged back into the crosshairs—because Ramiro is not the only who has disappeared, and the perpetual darkside of this moon is hiding more than the truth about a missing archaeologist…

Now this is going to be good. Mammay has built up quite an interesting narrative around Butler during the first three books in the series, and this fourth entry, Darkside, will make great use of them. While forcing Butler, who by this point is one of the most infamous and controversial figures in the galaxy, into yet another sinister investigation is par for the course in this series, I am very much looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Not only will we have a cool new environment, a mysterious moon with alien archaeology, but we will see Butler have to contend with multiple old enemies in the form of two companies he has crossed paths with before.

As such, I see Darkside playing out as a very elaborate mystery thriller as Butler tries to figure out which of his enemies are behind this new plot, while both companies try to kill them. Watching the direct old soldier go up against intrigue, politics and dangerous schemes is going to be a ton of fun, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate story emerges, especially as these conspiracies are never simple. I am also intrigued to see how Butler has evolved since his last adventure, especially as every time he’s in action, he seems to do something utterly destructive. This reputation is a bit of a double-edged sword for the protagonist, and I am sure it will come into play in some interesting ways, especially if his opponents seek to exploit it again. There are so many other cool elements that could come into play here, and I have no doubt this is going to be epic.

Honestly, there is no way that I am missing Darkside later this year when it comes out. I am way too invested in the Planetside series by Michael Mammay and I am very intrigued to see how it continues, especially as the protagonist is still dealing with the fallout of his previous adventures. I have no doubt whatsoever that Darkside is going to be an impressive and outstanding read, and it will probably end up being one of my top books of the year. I am already in love with the cover and I cannot wait to see how this novel unfolds. At this point I am planning to check out Darkside on audiobook, mainly because it will likely feature the narration of the always epic R. C. Bray, and I know that will make this amazing novel that much better.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read in 2023 but Didn’t Get To

On January 30, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List7 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were required to list their top New-to-Me Authors they discovered in 2023. However, I already published a list on this topic a few weeks ago, so instead I will be listing the top books I meant to read in 2023 but that I didn’t get a chance to. This was actually the official topic of last week’s Top Ten Tuesday, which I missed because I was doing a special post on my favourite Australian novels of 2023. I look forward to making up for this list here, which is likely to be my final list highlighting the top books and authors of 2023.

2023 was a pretty awesome year for books and I had such an outstanding time getting through a solid collection of debuts, exciting sequels and fun older novels, most of which were epic and impressive reads. However, no matter how hard one tries, there are always a couple of books each year that fall through the cracks and that you don’t get the chance to read, either due to time constraints, lack of access or from being too overwhelmed with other reads. As a result, this is a list loaded with regret, as each book I mention below is one that I really wish I had taken the time to explore.

To complete this list, I pulled together some of the more interesting and compelling sounding novels that I did not get a chance to read in 2023. Each entry was released last year, and while I knew that they were coming out, I did not get a chance to read any of them. In many cases, I have these books sitting on my shelf, silently and constantly judging me, and I will have to try and read them to stop their bookish glares. I was eventually able to cull my list of regret down to 10 entries with an honourable mentions section. The final list is an interesting collection of books from across the genres, and includes several major 2023 releases I did not get the chance to look at.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson

An intriguing Star Wars book that follows the life of a fallen Jedi who becomes a notorious Inquisitor.

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Thick as Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

Thick of Thieves was a great sounding fantasy novel that I regret not reading, especially after enjoying Kuhn’s first book, Among Thieves.

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The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

A particularly fun sounding novel from last year about crime fiction authors being murdered at writing retreat that I really wish I had read.

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The Hunters by David Wragg

An outstanding fantasy novel that I know I would have loved.

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Top Ten List:

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker

Without a doubt, the book I most regret not reading in 2023 was Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker. An incredible and unique sounding fantasy read that would follow a former-chosen one in a dark new fantasy world, Gods of the Wyrdwood had so much potential behind it. Unfortunately, I just never seemed to be in the mood or have the time to read it, which is so mindboggling to me as I absolutely loved all of Barker’s previous novels. Barker’s The Wounded Kingdom trilogy (made up of Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) and The Tide Child trilogy (made up of The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake) are some of the best fantasy trilogies I have ever had the pleasure of reading, so it is very surprising that I didn’t read Gods of the Wyrdwood yet. I have a copy of Gods of Wyrdwood at home now and I am hoping to read it in the next month or two, especially so I can enjoy the upcoming sequel from Barker.

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Star Wars: The High Republic: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang

I have mentioned a few times recently that I have fallen behind in my reading of Star Wars fiction and this really became apparent in 2023 when I did not read Cataclysm by Lydia Kang. A key book in the High Republic extended series, Cataclysm continues the epic main story featured in several outstanding books I have previously read. As such, it is probably the most important Star Wars book I can read right now, especially if I want to keep going with the High Republic. I hope I get the chance to catch up on this series in 2024, as I have been really enjoying the unique narratives in these prequel reads.

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The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan

Another exciting fantasy novel I really regret not reading last year is The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan. A compelling and exciting sounding book about legendary heroes corrupted by the swords they wrested from their great evil enemy, The Sword Defiant sounded so damn cool, and I had high hopes for it the moment I saw its plot synopsis. Unfortunately, I did not get a copy of The Sword Defiant when it first came out and I have not had a chance to get one since. I really should make an effort though, as I know I would have loved this book.

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The 9th Man by Steve Berry and Grant Blackwood

I have been having a lot of fun with Steve Berry’s iconic Cotton Malone thriller series the last few years, with epic books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom, really impressing me with their elaborate and compelling narratives. As such, I should have made more of an effort to read Steve Berry’s other 2023 novel, The 9th Man, when it came out. Co-written with Grant Blackwood, The 9th Man was the first book in a spin-off series featuring one of the main supporting characters from the Cotton Malone books. Featuring Berry’s typical blend of historical conspiracy and modern day thriller storyline, The 9th Man sounded very fun and I am confident I would have deeply enjoyed this excellent novel. The 9th Man is another book I am planning to try and read soon, as Berry and Blackwood have a sequel coming out later this year.

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The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

After having such a great time with Swan’s first fantasy novel, The Justice of Kings, I meant to read the sequel, The Tyranny of Faith last year. Continuing Swan’s intriguing tale of a roaming Justice who brings law and order to their world with magic, swordsmanship and legal work, The Tyranny of Faith further explored the elaborate conspiracy that Swan set up in the first book. I really did intend to read The Tyranny of Faith, but I could never fit it into my reading schedule. I am hoping to change that soon, especially as the third book in the series is out very soon.

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Defiant by Brandon Sanderson

One of my most anticipated books for the end of 2023 was Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. The final book in Sanderson’s excellent Skyward young adult science fiction series (made up of Skyward, Starsight and Cytonic), Defiant sounded pretty damn epic and it wraps up an outstanding series. Unfortunately, there was just not enough time to read Defiant before 2023 ended. I will definitely try to finish off this series this year, and I cannot wait to see how Sanderson finishes everything off.

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Storming Heaven by Miles Cameron

Another major sequel I should have read last year was Storming Heaven by Miles Cameron. The intriguing follow-up to Cameron’s outstanding 2022 novel, Against All Gods, Storming Heaven continued to explore the author’s new world of murderous gods and rebelling humans. I had such a great time reading Against All Gods and I plan to make an effort to read Storming Heaven this year, hopefully before Cameron’s next intriguing novel comes out.

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Generation Ship by Michael Mammay

I really enjoyed Mammay’s original first three books, Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside, but since he released those, I just have not been able to make time for his other excellent, standalone science fiction novels. I was particularly annoyed at myself for not reading his 2023 novel, Generation Ship, which sounded like such a fantastic read. Focussing on a massive generation ship at the end of its long voyage, this book explores the various issues that arise as they near their destination, including an unknown alien planet, unsuccessful colonisation efforts, and a class uprising from the crew. Generation Ship sounded so damn good, and I really wish I had the time to listen to it last year as I know I would have loved it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks

I read a lot of Warhammer 40,000 fiction in 2023, but there are still some great books from this franchise I wish I had checked out. The main one of these is Renegades: Harrowmaster by excellent author Mike Brooks. Brooks has deeply impressed me in the last year, and his other 2023 Warhammer 40,000 novels, Warboss and The Lion: Son of the Forest, were so damn good. Renegades: Harrowmaster, which also came out in 2023 (at least on audiobook), sounded extremely awesome, as it follows the infamous Alpha Legion, the most mysterious, secretive and manipulative group of warriors in the canon. I love the sound of this great book, and I really wish I could have listened to Harrowmaster last year. I am hoping to read this book at some point in 2024, although this might have to wait as I also want to read another novel from Brooks first, Brutal Kunnin.

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Slayers by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson

The final entry I want to include on this list in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer audio drama production, Slayers. Written by author Christopher Golden and actor Amber Benson, Slayers serves as a sequel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and explores the multiverse surrounding the shows. As a massive Buffy fan, I love the idea of any sort of official continuation and I was pretty excited for this audio production, especially as it features the voices of several key actors from the show. Unfortunately, there were just too many other books I needed to read before the end of 2023 and I could not fit it in. I have plans to try to listen to Slayers in the next month or so, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

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Well, that is the end of my latest list and it looks like I have a lot catch-up reading to do if I am going to make a dent in it. There are some truly amazing-sounding novels on this list and I fully intend to get through all of them at some point, although with all the outstanding books coming out in 2024, it might take me a little time. In the meantime, let me know what books you most regret not reading in 2023 in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Audiobooks I Need to Listen to by the end of 2023

On November 8, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List2 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 were requested to list book titles that they thought would make great newspaper headlines. While this was a fun and unique sounding topic, it wasn’t one that I felt I could contribute to at this time, although I might come back to it in the future. So instead, I return to my favourite medium of enjoying literature and do another list about audiobooks. In particular, I take this opportunity to look at what remaining 2023 audiobooks I need to listen to before the end of the year.

2023 has been a pretty awesome year for fiction and I have already enjoyed several epic audiobooks which have really brought some elaborate stories to life (make sure to check out my list of top audiobooks from the first half of 2023). We now have just under two months left in 2023 and I still have a ton of epic audiobooks that I need to listen to before the year is out. So, to motivate me, I decided to come up with a list highlighting the top 2023 audiobooks I still need to listen to, including some major releases from this year.

To qualify for this list, an audiobook just needed to be released sometime in 2023. I decided to include a mixture of audiobooks I already have copies of, as well as a couple of 2023 audiobooks that still need to be released and which I need to make room in my listening schedule. I already knew somewhat in advance which main audiobooks I needed to include, but it was very satisfying and helpful to list it out like this. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000: Genefather by Guy Haley

Warhammer 40,000 - Genefather Cover

An epic Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I really want to listen to, although I will probably try to get through Haley’s previous novel, The Great Work, first.

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Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson

A fun Star Wars audiobook that focuses on an intriguing new villain.

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Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

Sword Catcher Cover

A major and compelling fantasy novel I really wanted to read this year, hopefully I can try to listen to it at some point.

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The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay

The Lie Maker Cover

A great sounding thriller from an author I’ve been meaning to check out for a while.

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Top Ten List:

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

Murtagh Cover

Having just been released, Murtagh is the audiobook I am hoping to listen to next. The sequel to Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, Murtagh will follow a major morally grey supporting character as he embarks on his own quest. I loved Paolini’s original Inheritance Cycle and I cannot wait to explore his impressive fantasy world again, especially as they got Gerard Doyle back as narrator.

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Slayers by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson

Slayers Cover

I am a massive fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series and I was very excited when I heard about the Slayer audio adventure. Written by the team of author Christopher Golden and actress Amber Benson, Slayers is a compelling audio sequel to the original series that features many members of the original cast, including James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter and Anthony Head. I am very excited to check this epic audio exclusive out and I am hoping to get into it soon.

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Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker

Gods of the Wyrdwood Cover

One of the books that I most regret not reading so far in 2023 is the awesome new fantasy novel from R. J. Barker, Gods of the Wyrdwood. Barker has really impressed me with his previous series and I have been eager to dive into Gods of the Wyrdwood for a while, although I haven’t had a chance to do so yet. I am planning to grab an audiobook copy of Gods of the Wyrdwood in the next few weeks and try to enjoy it that way. I already know I am going to love this outstanding novel and it easily has the potential to be one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

Out of all the Warhammer 40,000 books released in 2023, the one that has some of the most raw potential is the recently released novel, The Fall of Cadia. Written by the very talented Robert Rath (The Infinite and the Divine and Assassinorum: Kingmaker), The Fall of Cadia will follow one of the most infamous events in Warhammer 40,000 history, the destruction of the planet Cadia during the 13^th Black Crusade. Set to feature a powerful and elaborate war story of epic proportions, The Fall of Cadia sounds like an outstanding book and I cannot wait to listen to this amazing tale unfold in its audio format.

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Generation Ship by Michael Mammay

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I’m in the mood for some compelling science fiction before the end of 2023 so I will try and listen to the new Michael Mammay novel, Generation Ship. Mammay has written some amazing science fiction thrillers in the past, including his epic Planetside series (Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside), and Generation Ship has a great standalone plot about an ill-fated journey to colonise a planet. I love the sound of this audiobook and I hope I get the chance to listen to it.

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The 9^th Man by Grant Blackwood and Steve Berry

The 9th Man Cover

Earlier this year I had an exceptional time listening to the new Cotton Malone novel by Steve Berry, The Last Kingdom, which was a pretty epic audiobook. As such, I was very excited when I saw that Berry had released a Cotton Malone spin-off novel, The 9^th Man, which focuses on one of the series’ main supporting characters. Co-written by Grant Blackwood, The 9^th Man sounds like an fantastic read, and I am hoping to get through another great history/thriller hybrid before 2023 ends.

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Warhammer 40,000: Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons

Dead Men Walking Cover

Another awesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I’m hoping to listen to in 2023 is Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons. A sequel to his previous audiobook, Krieg, Dead Men Walking will pit the relentless soldiers of the Death Korps of Krieg against the metallic alien Necrons. Essentially a book about two fearless and unrelenting foes destroying each other, Dead Men Walking promises to be a particularly grim addition to the series and I for one am very excited for it.

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Defiant by Brandon Sanderson

Defiant Cover

I had to include one of the most anticipated young adult science fiction novels of the year on this list with Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. The fourth and final book in Sanderson’s Skyward series, Defiant finishes off the elaborate adventure contained in Skyward, Starsight and Cytonic. Featuring warring aliens, compelling teenage protagonists, elaborate universes, and some of the best fighter pilot combat you are likely to read, this is an excellent series and I cannot wait to see how it ends.

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House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky

House of Open Wounds Cover

After enjoying Tchaikovsky’s earlier 2023 fantasy novel, City of Last Chances, I am extremely eager to listen to the sequel, House of Open Wounds, which comes out in early December. Set to follow an outstanding protagonist as he takes place in a crazed military medical hospital with the most unusual healers, House of Open Wounds sound amazing and I cannot wait to check it out. While I would love to listen to House of Open Wounds on audiobook, I might be forced to read an electronic version of it instead, but I will see how I go. No matter what though, this should be an exceptional read.

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Star Wars: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang

The final book on my list is the cool Star Wars: The High Republic novel, Cataclysm by Lydia King. I’ve been pretty slack with getting through Star Wars fiction lately and I really need to keep going with the High Republic series, which I have already invested a lot of time in. As such, I decided I needed to include the very early 2023 release, Cataclysm on my list. Cataclysm looks set to end the second phase of High Republic sub-series, and I am very eager to check it out, especially as it leads to the dark third and final phase of the series. I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to fit it into my audiobook listening schedule before the close of 2023, but I’ll try, especially as this sounds like an amazing novel.

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Well that’s the end of my list. As you can see, there are still a ton of audiobooks I need to listen to in 2023, including some pretty major releases. Each of the above sound really awesome, and they all honestly have potential to be one of the top books or audiobooks of 2023. I really need to sit down and power through some of the above, and I cannot wait to find out just how awesome each of them is.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books With One-Word Titles

On August 16, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 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 involved listing characters from different books that the participants believe should team up. While this is certainly a unique list, it wasn’t anything I felt I could contribute to, so I instead went back and did the July 18 topic of books with one-word titles, which I missed a few weeks ago.

This is a simple, yet interesting topic that requires people to list their favourite books whose title is a single word. This actually proved to be a rather difficult list for me to pull together, mainly because there are so many good books out there that have a single word title to them. To make this easier, I tried to limit myself to only one entry from each author or series, although I did fail that in places. Even with this limitation, I still ended up by a ton of books to use, so I went big and instead make this a full 20 book list. I am pretty happy with how this turned out, so let us see what made the cut.

Top Twenty List:

Xenos by Dan Abnett

A fantastic and complex thriller set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. All three books in the Eisenhorn trilogy (including Malleus and Hereticus) could be used here, but I decided to feature the first book only as it expertly sets the great series up.

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Legend by David Gemmell

A classic and exceptional piece of fantasy fiction that features one of the best sieges you’ll ever read.

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Burner by Mark Greaney

There are several great books in Mark Greaney’s outstanding Gray Man series that have a one-word title, however, my favourite is probably the most recent entry Burner, which was an impressive read from start to finish.

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Homeland by R. A. Salvatore

Quite a few of Salvatore’s fantasy books only have one word in the title, however I had to include his very best book, Homeland, which serves a perfect origin story for his most iconic character.

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Tombland by C. J. Sansom

A gripping and exceptional historical murder mystery/legal thriller, Tombland was one of the best books of 2018.

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Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I had to include at least one of the books from Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle on this list, as it is one of my very favourite fantasy series. While all four books in the series could be featured here, I decided to go with Eragon, mainly because it serves as such an excellent introduction to this entire fun series.

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Devolution by Max Brooks

A very captivating and entertaining horror that cleverly features sasquatches as a terrifying and intriguing monster.

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Bloodlines by Chris Wraight

One of the best novels in the outstanding Warhammer Crime series.

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Magician by Raymond E. Feist

One of the seminal pieces of fantasy fiction out there, Magician is a brilliant read that honestly got me into the genre years ago.

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Thrawn by Timothy Zahn

A highly entertaining novel that perfectly reintroduces the iconic Star Wars character of Grand Admiral Thrawn to the current canon.

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Outgunned by Denny Flowers

A powerful and moving Warhammer 40,000 novel that shines a whole new light on a unique battlefield in the chaotic future.

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Blackout by Simon Scarrow

An excellent and intense murder mystery set in Nazi controlled Berlin by one of my favourite historical fiction authors.

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Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

The first book in Sanderson’s awesome Skyward series, Skyward is a powerful and addictive read about a young girl who attempts to become a pilot to save her planet. The sequels, Starsight and Cytonic, are also very good, and would have been worthy additions to this list.

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Later by Stephen King

A quick, compelling and highly entertaining read from the master of fiction, Stephen King.

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Necropolis by Dan Abnett

One of the best entries in the exceptional Gaunt’s Ghosts series of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, Necropolis is an outstanding siege novel that I powered through in no time at all.

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Relentless by Jonathan Maberry

While I was tempted to feature the first book in the Rogue Team International series, Rage, I decided to instead go with the sequel Relentless, as it has a much darker story with some major character moments.

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Planetside by Michael Mammay

A brilliant debut novel that followed a gruff solider as he investigated a sinister disappearance on an alien planet. This was such a great read, and the sequels, Spaceside and Colonyside, would also be worthy additions here.

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Redshirts by John Scalzi

A hilarious and captivating novel that cleverly parodies classic Star Trek tropes by telling a story from the perspective of a doomed redshirt.

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Recursion by Blake Crouch

One of the most intriguing and captivating science fiction novels I have ever read, I have so much love for this outstanding novel and its cool time travel concepts.

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Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn

The final book I want to finish here is the fantastic standalone Star Wars novel, Scoundrels. Set in the now defunct Star Wars Legends canon, Scoundrels is an awesome heist book featuring your favourite rogues, Han, Lando and Chewie.

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Well that’s the end of this latest list. As you can see, there are a ton of brilliant books out there at feature a single-world titles and it is amazing the sheer variety of different novels I have read over the years that use this naming convention. I think the above list does a great job capturing my absolute favourite single-word title novels, and I would strongly recommend all the above for anyone looking for an exceptional read.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read in 2022 but Didn’t Get To

On January 10, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 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 Waiting on Wednesday, participants were required to list their most anticipated books for the first half of 2023. However, as I covered this last week with two separate lists (one for fantasy and science fiction, and one for other genres), I am instead mixing things up and instead featuring the top books of 2022 that I wanted to read but didn’t get a chance to.

2022 was a great year for novels and I had an outstanding time getting through a solid collection of cool new releases and older novels, which were pretty much all epic and impressive reads. However, no matter how hard one tries, there are always a couple of books each year that I did not get a chance to read, either due to time constraints, lack of access or from being overwhelmed with other books that I really wanted to read. As a result, this is a list that is rather tinged with regret, as each book I plan to mention below is one that I really wish I had taken the time to read.

To complete this list, I pulled together some of the more interesting and compelling sounding novels that I did not get a chance to read in the last year. Each entry was released last year and while I knew that they were coming out, I did not get a chance to read any of them. In many cases I have these books sitting on my shelf at this moment, silently and constantly judging me, and I think I will have to try and read them to stop their bookish glares. I was eventually able to cull my list of regret down to 10 entries with an honourable mentions section. The final list is an interesting collection of books from across the genres and includes a couple of big 2022 releases I did not get a chance to look at.

Honourable Mentions:

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden

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Three-Edged Sword by Jeff Lindsay

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The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence

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Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham

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Top Ten List:

Kingdoms of Death and Ashes of Man by Christopher Ruocchio

A joint entry to start things off as there were actually two books in the excellent Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio released in 2022. Unfortunately, I missed both, but hopefully I get chance to read them in 2023 as this is an extremely good series to get into.

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An Empty Throne by Robert Fabbri

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The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay

Amazon Book Depository

The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish

Amazon Book Depository

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Amazon Book Depository

Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher

Amazon Book Depository

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

Amazon Book Depository

Khaos by Jeremy Robinson

Amazon

Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer

Amazon Book Depository

The Starless Crown by James Rollins

Amazon Book Depository

Well, that is the end of my latest list and it looks like I have a lot catch-up reading to do if I am going to make a dent in it. There are some truly amazing-sounding novels on this list and I fully intend to get through all of them at some point, although with all the outstanding books coming out in 2023, it might take me a little time. In the meantime, let me know what books you most regret not reading in 2022 in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday –Novels from the First Half of 2022 I Still Need to Read

On July 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 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 freebie so I thought I would continue my literary examination of the first half of 2022 by looking at the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.

While I have already enjoyed some amazing reads in 2022, there are still quite a few impressive novels that have come out in the first half of the year that I have yet to read. Many of these were on my most anticipated reads lists for 2022 (both fantasy and other), and while I was really excited for them, I have honestly not had a chance to check all of them out. Therefore, I am going to use this freebie session to shame myself in the hopes that it gets me into gear to finally get around to checking out these epic reads. This was a very easy list to pull together for me, as many of these books had been weighing on my mind for a while. All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get a chance to read all of them soon.

Honourable Mentions:

Queen’s Hope by E. K. Johnston

The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish

An Empty Throne by Robert Fabbri

Road of Bones by Christopher Goldin

Top Ten List:

The Omega Factor by Steve Berry

I am probably going to listen to an audiobook version of The Omega Factor next, so hopefully this will not be on my to-read list for too much longer.

The Martyr by Anthony Ryan

Following on from last year’s epic read, The Pariah, I have been extremely keen for this book, and I know I am going to love it. I got a physical copy of The Martyr a few weeks ago but I have not had a chance to pick it up yet. I was actually holding out for an audiobook version of The Martyr (I really enjoyed The Pariah audiobook last year), although apparently The Martyr’s audiobook isn’t out till September. Not sure if I will be able to wait that long to find out what happens in this cool sequel, although it might be worth it to enjoy it in audiobook. No matter what though, I will be reading The Martyr before the end of the year.

The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence

I definitely need to find out how this cool series from the sensational Mark Lawrence ends and this will be a major reading priority for me during the next six months.

Star Wars: Midnight Horizon by Daniel Jose Older

I have been trying really hard to keep up with the impressive new High Republic sub-series of Star Wars tie-in novels, and Midnight Horizon ended up being one of the first ones I have missed. This is a real shame as it is apparently quite a good book, and I am very curious to see what else happened in this universe around the same time as the main novel, The Fallen Star. I should really carve out a few days to listen to Midnight Horizon before the next batch of High Republic books come out later this year, especially as I know that I am going to have a great time with it.

In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan

I was very excited to check out this new novel from highly acclaimed fantasy author Brian McClellan, and I have plans to read this in the next few weeks. I am already hearing some excellent stuff about this book though and I am sure that if McClellan keeps up his usually impressive writing style, it will be an outstanding read.

Kingdoms of Death by Christopher Ruocchio

There is no way that I am going to miss out on the fourth book in the Sun Eater Sequence, especially after having such a good time with Empire of Silence, Howling Dark and Demon in White. However, the trick is finding the time to read or listen to this big book amongst all the other novels on my reading list. I reckon I’ll have to try soon though, as Ruocchio apparently has the fifth book in the series, Ashes of Man, coming out in December.

The Starless Crown by James Rollins

Another awesome fantasy novel from the start of the year that I need to check out! The Starless Crown is supposed to be a very good read, and I will have to try and fit it in at some point in the next few months.

Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley

I have been having a great time with some of the recent Warhammer 40,000 novels, especially those that focus on the ordinary human soldiers, such as Steel Tread, Krieg, and The Vincula Insurgency. However, due to the sheer number of Warhammer novels released each year, I haven’t had a chance to read them all (I’m only one man), and this includes the very cool sounding Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley. Following a regiment of the elite Catachan jungle fighters as they engage in a brutal battle, this sounds like an extremely awesome and action-packed read and I look forward to checking it out as soon as I can.

Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham

One half of the writing team behind The Expanse series returned to his fantasy roots at the start of the year with Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham. A massive and sprawling fantasy epic that serves as the introduction to a new series, Age of Ash is a key book I missed earlier this year and I will hopefully fix that mistake before the end of the year.

The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay

The final book that I most regret not reading in the first half of 2022 is The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay, who has previously wowed me with his Planetside trilogy (made up of Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside). This latest novel from Mammay, which I have honestly just not had time for, sounds very fun, as it follows a new science fiction protagonist in a Kelly’s Heroes-esque escapade on a futuristic battlefield. I really need to take the time to read this outstanding book, especially as Mammay has just released a new audiobook that I will also try and enjoy this year.

Well, that is the end of this latest list. As you can see, there are a bunch of exceptional novels from the first half of the year that I need to check out. All the above books sound incredibly epic, and I know that I will have a brilliant time getting through all of them. So, I am going to have to try a lot harder to start reading through them as soon as I can. In the meantime, let me know which books released in the first half of the year you most regret not reading in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Audiobook for a Road Trip (June 2022)

On June 21, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List4 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 Tuesday revolved around Bookish Wishes, however, I am going to do something a little different and instead head back to my favourite format, audiobooks, with a list revolving around suggested books to listen to on road trips.

A couple of years ago I did a fun list where I presented my top ten suggestions for audiobooks that would be awesome for a road trip. Road trips are always a great time to listen to some fantastic books, and I have personally had a great time listening to audiobooks while driving. I actually just got back from a big road trip a few weeks ago where my wife and I listened to several impressive audiobooks as we made our way around Australia. These cool audiobooks, several of which made the list below, proved to be incredibly entertaining, and the long hours of driving just flew by as a result. So, I thought that this would be a great time to update this list, especially as I have listened to some more epic audiobooks since the last time, I wrote this list.

People familiar with my blog will know that I am a big fan of audiobooks; in many ways, they are some of the best way to enjoy a book from a talented author. However, not all good audiobooks make for great entertainment on a road trip. With that in mind, I have scrolled through some of my favourite audiobooks to find the ones I think would be the best for anyone taking a long trip. To make this list, the audiobooks I chose had to not only be amazing novels but also had to have an excellent narration and the ability to keep a driver or passengers’ attention on a long trip. While I know that some people are going to be experiencing particularly long trips, I tried to feature audiobooks with shorter runtimes so that those who are taking shorter excursions (say a roundtrip of eight or nine hours) can get through an entire book without trying to make time at home to finish it off. That being said a few longer novels did end up making the cut, but all of these are great for longer trips. I also tried to avoid any novels that would require a great deal of prior knowledge or hard-to-obtain background information so that everyone in the car could enjoy the book without any need for explanation or lectures from those people more familiar with the series. To that end, I have tried to avoid any novels that are later entries in a series or which require some form of assumed knowledge about a franchise. I also tried to avoid anything that was a particularly extreme example of a genre (like fantasy or science fiction), and instead looked to include novels that would appeal to a wider group of readers. While I have included a couple of tie-in novels, I tried to use those books that require only a smidge of familiarity with their respective franchise to enjoy, and I am confident anyone can easily enjoy any book I ended up featuring.

While I did have quite a few criteria to meet, I was eventually able to come up with a good list for this topic, including several honourable mentions. I am pretty happy with how this list turned out and I have personally really enjoyed each of the below audiobooks. I honestly believe that all of them would make for a great listen during an extended bit of travel or a road trip and each of them comes highly recommended.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, written by Sarah Kuhn and performed by a full cast – 5 hours and 35 minutes

One of the most purely entertaining and impressive Star Wars audio production, Doctor Aphra is a wonderful listen that covers the storyline of a particularly fun character from the comics. A great story combined with an awesome cast, including Emily Woo Zeller perfectly capturing the fantastic main character.

Tomorrow, When the War Began, written by John Marsden and narrated by Suzi Dougherty – 7 hours and 20 minutes

An old favourite of mine, Tomorrow, When the War Began is the exceptional introduction to the brilliant Australian young adult Tomorrow series by John Marsden. This audiobook is very easy to get into and you will swiftly fall in love with this amazing series.

The Salvage Crew, written by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and narrated by Nathan Fillion – 8 hours and 21 minutes

Come for the Fillion and stay for the unique science fiction story.

Planetside, written by Michael Mammay and narrated by R. C. Bray – 8 hours and 38 minutes

An insanely addictive science fiction thriller, Planetside is a particular favourite of mine and the audiobook, featuring the voice of the excessively talented R. C. Bray, is a great listen that will appeal to everyone.

Top Ten List:

World War Z, written by Max Brooks and performed by a full cast – 12 hours and 9 minutes

It is appropriate that the first entry on this list be the book that inspired me to go back and revisit this topic with the impressive World War Z by Max Brooks. I had been meaning to read World War Z for ages and finally got a chance with my recent road trip when we listened to the massive, full-cast audiobook version of this iconic zombie novel. I instantly fell in love with the complex story and elaborate take on a zombie apocalypse, especially as the entire novel was enhanced by an incredible cast of narrators. Fantastic actors like Mark Hamill, Alan Alda, Alfred Molina and more, did an incredible job telling this brilliant and powerful story, and the entire production is just perfect. A truly awesome audiobook that made a massive drive go by extremely quickly. Highly recommended!

Redshirts, written by John Scalzi and narrated by Wil Wheaton – 7 hours and 41 minutes

If you want to laugh your way through a quick road trip, then you should think about listening to quirky science fiction author John Scalzi’s Redshirts. A comedic and meta homage to classic Star Trek, Redshirts imagines a fictional, Enterprise-esque spaceship that faces episodic danger that always leads to the death of its lower ranked crew members. When the crew start to notice just how deadly their job has become, they go to extraordinary lengths to avoid it, even if that means escaping to the strangest of places. Incredibly funny, but with some real heart to it, Redshirts is a great book to listen to, especially with its narration from Wil Wheaton himself.

The Thursday Murder Club, written by Richard Osman and narrated by Lesley Manville – 12 hours and 25 minutes

One amazing mystery novel that would keep me very entertained on a long trip is British comedian Richard Osman’s debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club. Following four senior citizens as they attempt to solve complex murders around their retirement village, The Thursday Murder Club has an excellent mixture of mystery, humour and likeable characters, and proves to be quite the addictive read. Throw in the perfect narration from actress Lesley Manville, and you have an exquisite listen that is guaranteed to keep you alert and happy all the way to your destination.

Any Discworld novel, by Terry Pratchett

It is no secret that we at The Unseen Library love the incredible Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, with every novel in this impressive series being extremely compelling, clever and hilarious, all at once. Thanks to the series’ great audiobook adaptations, I honestly could have filled every single entry on this list with Discworld books and called it a day. However, as I am limiting this to a single entry, I will instead recommend either a standalone novel, such as Moving Pictures, Pyramids or Small Gods, or one of the cool City Watch novels like Guards! Guards! All of these would be exceedingly high on my list of potential books to listen to on a road trip, and I know I would be very entertained the entire way through.

The Dark and Mind Bullet, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by R. C. Bray – 10 hours and 25 minutes (The Dark) and 11 hours and 42 minutes (Mind Bullet)

Just like with my Favourite Books of 2021 list last year, I couldn’t decide on which Jeremy Robinson novel to feature over the other. Both of Robinson’s 2021 releases, The Dark and Mind Bullet, would be perfect for a road trip as they have some very intense and exciting stories to them. While Mind Bullet probably has the narrative that would appeal to the most passengers, its connections to Robinson’s other may confuse new readers. The Dark on the other hand is a much more standalone read, although its darker, horror tones may have less of a fanbase. Both novels however are very, very good reads and their audiobook versions, which feature the incredible voice of R. C. Bray (one of my favourite audiobook narrators), would serve as outstanding entertainment for any long drive.

Legend, written by David Gemell and narrated by Sean Barrett – 13 hours and 13 minutes

Anyone interested in a fantasy epic for their road trip experience would be extremely smart to check out the classic novel, Legend, by the late, great David Gemell. Legend, Gemell’s iconic debut, imagines the ultimate fantasy siege with a massive, unbeatable army besieging an impregnable stronghold garrisoned by a small force of heroes. This outstanding fantasy battle plays out perfectly as an audiobook and you will be enthralled throughout your entire road trip.

Star Wars: Scoundrels, written by Timothy Zahn and narrated by Marc Thompson – 13 hours and 57 minutes

If you wanted to try out a Star Wars story for a long drive than your best bet is probably going to be the Star Wars Legends novel Scoundrels by the superbly talented Timothy Zahn. Despite no longer being canon, Scoundrels has one of the most appealing, fun, and compelling stories out there as it follows several of our favourite scoundrels, including Han, Chewie and Lando, as they embark on an elaborate heist. Containing one of the best Star Wars stories out there, as well as the amazing talents of narrator Marc Thompson, Scoundrels will ensure a very entertained car.

The Gray Man, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder – 11 hours and 11 minutes

If you’re the sort of person who wants non-stop action for their road trip than you really should load up Mark Greaney’s impressive first thriller, The Gray Man. Following a legendary spy/assassin as he runs a gauntlet of bad guys throughout Europe, this slick novel never slows down and you will love all the thrills, twists and elaborate situations. Set to be a major film in the next few months, an upcoming road trip would be the perfect opportunity to read ahead and the fantastic narration from Jay Snyder really brings the story to life.

Storm Front, written by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters – 8 hours and 1 minute

I had to recommend the Harry Dresden series somewhere on this list and the best option to listen to is probably the first novel Storm Front. Serving as the perfect introduction to Jim Butcher’s urban fantasy series, Storm Front has a great story to it and you have to love the narration from outstanding actor James Marsters. It won’t take long for you to become addicted to this series on your road trip and before you know if you’ll have listened to every single magical adventure.

The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, adapted by Dirk Maggs and performed by a full cast – 11 hours and 2 minutes

The final entry for this list is another production we listened to on our recent road trip, the audio adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic The Sandman comic. Performed by an extremely awesome team of actors, including James McAvoy, Taron Egerton, Kat Dennings, Michael Sheen and more, this is a perfect way to enjoy this complex comic and you will have a brilliant time with its elaborate and insanely inventive narrative. We powered through this on our road trip and have already started the second act of it, which would also be a great bit listen for a drive. A fantastic and epic comic turned into an even better audiobook.

Well, that is the end of this latest list. I think it turned out pretty well and if you have some upcoming travel planned you would do well to try out any of the above books. Other outstanding audiobook suggestions can be found in my best audiobooks lists of 2020 and 2021, so you’ll have plenty of ideas for your next drive. Let me know which of the featured audiobooks you enjoyed the most, as well as what productions you would recommend for a car trip in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Book Covers of 2021

On February 2, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, where I am going to list my absolute favourite book covers of the last year. This is actually the second Top Ten Tuesday post I am putting up today, mainly because I wanted to finish off all my best-of-2021 lists before we got too far into the new year. I have previously highlighted several other amazing books from last year in a range of lists, including My Favourite Books of 2021, Favourite Audiobooks, Favourite Debuts and Favourite Australian Fiction lists, and I think looking at awesome covers is a good way to wrap this all up.

Now, I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I think we can all agree that an awesome piece of cover art can really raise some interest in a novel. I can personally think of several examples where an epic cover absolutely grabbed me and convinced me to check out a novel that I ended up really loving. 2021 was a great example of this as there were some extremely cool and impressive covers that I thought were visually stunning. Most of these outstanding covers complemented and emphasised the amazing stories within, and in some places the cover artists really went all out to produce some truly epic statement pieces. As such, I thought I would quickly highlight some of the best covers here by producing a visually awesome list. To appear on this list, the book had to be released in 2021 and had to be generally impressive and amazing. I think I ended up choosing a great range of excellent covers, and I hope you enjoy all the pretty pictures below. I have tried to find out who did the cover art where possible, although for a couple of books (ones I got on audiobook and don’t have a physical copy of), I couldn’t find out who drew it. Apologies in advance for any artist I overlooked.

Honourable Mentions:

Lies Like Wildfire written by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, cover by MISHKO

The Dark written by Jeremy Robinson

Breakout written by Paul Herron, cover by Patrick Insole

The Mask of Mirrors written by M. A. Carrick, cover by Nekro and Lauren Panepinto

Top Ten Tuesday:

The Shadow of the Gods written by John Gwynne, cover by Marcus Whinney

My absolute favourite cover of 2021, this epic piece of art really grabbed my attention and forced me to read this impressive piece of fantasy fiction. I had a wonderful time with The Shadow of the Gods and the upcoming sequel, The Hunger of the Gods, also has an extremely awesome cover (easily going to be one of the best covers of 2022).

Star Wars: Visions: Ronin written by Emma Mieko Candon, cover by Ella Laytham and Kotaro Chiba

There were some cool pieces of Star Wars cover art out this year, but nothing could top the artistic masterpiece that appeared on Ronin. A tie-in to the Star Wars: Visions anime series, the cover of Ronin made perfect use of traditional Japanese artforms to create something exceptional. I loved the blend of Star Wars iconography and the classic Japanese wave form, and this was an absolute joy to behold.

The Pariah written by Anthony Ryan, cover by Lauren Panepinto and Jaime Jones

A clever and subtle bit of art that showcases the roguish protagonist of this fun fantasy novel. I think the artist did a great job of highlighting what was to come in The Pariah, and the cool detail around the character was very impressive. While I loved the art for The Pariah, I think that the cover on the upcoming sequel, The Martyr, is even better, and I can’t wait to grab it.

The Twice-Dead King: Ruin, written by Nate Crowley

Gosh artists must have so much fun coming up with art for Warhammer covers, as there are some amazing and fantastic elements contained in this extended universe. I particularly loved this cover from last year, which showcases the ancient and mysterious Necron race in all their glory. A great cover for a very entertaining tie-in novel.

The Warsaw Orphan written by Kelly Rimmer, cover by Christabella Designs

A simple and understated cover that does a wonderful job highlighting the upcoming dread and tragedy contained in this moving historical drama novel.

Colonyside, written by Michael Mammay, cover by Sebastien Hue

There have been some really great covers for the previous books in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series (Planetside and Spaceside), but I think that the one for Colonyside was the best. I love the above shot, especially as it perfectly captures the insane jungle planet that was such a distinctive setting of this book. A very fun cover!

Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner, written by Cavan Scott, cover by Katerina Balikova

While I also deeply enjoyed one of the covers for Cavan Scott’s other 2021 Star Wars release, The Rising Storm, I think that the cool art that adorned the front of Tempest Runner was even better. Tempest Runner, which was released as both a full-cast audio drama and a paperback, was a great read, and I loved how this cover did a fantastic job of capturing it’s entertaining and deadly central character.

Later, written by Stephen King, cover by Paul Mann

I loved the classic mystery novel feel that the artists choose to utilise for Stephen King’s early 2021 release, Later. This cover does a fantastic job capturing the unique tone of this cool horror/coming-of-age story and gives it a fun, crime fiction-tinged edge. This cover, as well as another couple of covers done by Gregory Manchess for the hardcover version, also fit the story really well, especially as they connect to the cheesy adventure novels that the protagonist and his mother produce.

Cytonic written by Brandon Sanderson, cover by Sam Green and Tomas Almeida

I have a lot of love for the cool covers that get used in the Gollancz versions of Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series (so far consisting of Skyward and Starlight). The cover for the third book, Cytonic, was particularly awesome, and I loved how it showcased parts of the very unique new setting of the third novel.

The Art of Death written by David Fennell, cover by Nick Stearn

A creepy and eye-catching piece of artwork that hints at the disturbing crimes contained in this fantastic 2021 crime fiction debut.

Well, that’s the end of this second list, I hope you enjoyed all the cool covers above. Make sure to me know what your favourite book covers of 2021 was in the comments below and I cannot wait to see what awesome and epic pieces of art will grace the front of 2022’s best reads.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2022 (non-fantasy)

On January 4, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List12 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 the first Top Ten Tuesday of 2022 participants get to list their most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of the year. This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year. I am actually planning to do two versions of this list, this one and another that will focus on some incredible upcoming fantasy novels, so make sure to check that out as well.

Despite only just starting, 2022 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 books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2022. 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. I have mentioned several of these books before in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, and some of them also appeared on my recent Summer TBR list. 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. I am also excluding a couple of upcoming books with real potential, mainly because a lot of details about them haven’t been released yet, such as the third book in Conn Iggulden’s Athenian series. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2022.

Honourable Mentions

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden – 25 January 2022

A fun and intriguing horror thriller.

Warhammer 40,000: Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 1 February 2022

One of the best sounding upcoming Warhammer 40,000 novels by impressive science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky.

City of the Dead by Jonathan Kellerman – 8 February 2022

Another fantastic Alex Delaware novel from leading crime fiction author Jonathan Kellerman, that follows on from his last amazing novels, The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire and Serpentine.

Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher – 28 June 2022

There are several interesting new Star Wars novels coming out in 2022 and one of the more intriguing ones is Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher (no cover available yet). Set in the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, Shadow of the Sith follows Luke and Lando as they attempt to uncover ancient Sith secrets and identify the new threat rising to destroy the New Republic.

Top Ten List:

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray – 4 January 2022

The impressive new High Republic subseries of Star Wars novels continues with The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray. Continuing the main storyline contained in previous novels Light of the Jedi and The Rising Storm, The Fallen Star looks set to contain an intense and captivating story as the Nihil launch their most devastating attack yet. I am hoping to start The Fallen Star this week and it should be a pretty epic read.

Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz – 8 February 2022

The seventh book in Hurwitz’s action-packed Orphan X series, Dark Horse has a great sounding story and is easily going to be one of the most exciting books of the year.

Usagi Yojimbo: Tengu War by Stan Sakai – 15 February 2022

One of my favourite comic series, Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai, has another great volume coming out early this year. Tengu War, the 36^th volume, looks set to feature several really cool stories in it and I already know I am going to love every page of this exceptional comic.

Sierra Six by Mark Greaney – 15 February 2022

Another epic thriller, Sierra Six will be the 11^th novel in the Gray Man series by amazing author Mark Greaney. I have deeply enjoyed the last few Gray Man novels (One Minute Out and Relentless were particularly good) and I am really looking forward to seeing how this incredible series continues.

The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay – 22 February 2022

After deeply impressing me with his debut Planetside series (made up of Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside), science fiction author Michael Mammay has a cool new novel up his sleeve with The Misfit Soldier. The Misfit Soldier will follow a conman and thief turned futuristic soldier as he attempts to pull off a heist in the middle of a warzone. I love the sound of this book and The Misfit Soldier should be an outstanding read.

An Empty Throne by Robert Fabbri – 1 April 2022

One of the most entertaining historical fiction authors in the world today, Robert Fabbri, will continue his amazing Alexander’s Legacy series with the third book, An Empty Throne. Following on from To the Strongest and The Three Paradises, An Empty Throne will explore the unique chaos that occurred following the early death of Alexander the Great and should be a lot of crazy fun.

Desperate Undertaking by Lindsey Davis – 7 April 2022

Another cool and entertaining historical fiction series continuing this year is the Flavia Albia series by veteran author Lindsey Davis. Set in ancient Rome, this cool series sees its titular protagonist investigate several strange murders around the city, often in hilarious circumstances. Several of the recent books, including Pandora’s Boy and The Grove of the Caesars, have been exceptional reads, and the new upcoming novel, Desperate Undertaking, has a great sounding story about a serial killer obsessed with architecture. Sure to be a gripping and clever read, I cannot wait to check it out.

Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen – 10 May 2022

Another awesome upcoming Star Wars novel is Brotherhood by Mike Chen. Set at the start of the Clone Wars, this novel will place Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in a dangerous situation as they attempt to uncover who is behind a terrorist attack on an alien planet. With some cool action and an interesting look at the relationship between former master and apprentice, this will be a great read, especially as it will likely tie into the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi television series.

Kingdoms of Death by Christopher Ruocchio – 17 May 2022

Impressive science fiction author Christopher Ruocchio will continue his massive Sun Eater space opera series this year with his fourth book, Kingdoms of Death. Following on from the outstanding Empire of Silence, Howling Dark and Demon in White, this latest novel will continue to chronicle the life of the universe’s greatest heroes and villains as he fights for humanity’s survival in the stars. This will be an incredible and powerful science fiction read and I cannot wait to see how Ruocchio continues his epic series.

The Omega Factor by Steve Berry – 7 June 2022

The final book on this list is another cool and impressive thriller by the legendary Steve Berry. Berry, who is best known for his Cotton Malone novels (such as The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol and The Kaiser’s Web), is introducing a new protagonist in The Omega Factor, who is thrust into a deadly historical conspiracy involving a missing piece of artwork. Set to expose a war between the Vatican and a secret order of nuns, this sounds like an awesome novel, and I am very excited to dive into another enjoyable Steve Berry novel

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 books of 2022.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books of 2021

On December 28, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn List130 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. In this final Top Ten Tuesday for the year, participants are tasked with listing their top books of 2021, which is something I look forward to every year. This is a bit of a continuation of a series of lists I have been doing over the last month which have highlighted some of the authors and books I have been most impressed with this year, including my favourite audiobook, favourite debuts and my top pre-2021 books I read this year. However, this list here is the big one as it covers my absolute favourite releases of the year, of which there are quite a few.

Just like with 2020, 2021 has been pretty shitty in places, but thankfully readers got a bit of solace from the fact that 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 several incredible trilogies conclude in a big way. I have had an amazing time reading or listening to so many 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 two years). These 20 books are my absolute favourites from 2021, and I would strongly recommend every one of them to anyone interested in a great read.

To make it onto this list a book needed to be released here in Australia during 2021 (one minor exception) and I had to have read it. I have excluded Never by Ken Follett, as I am only partway through it, and there are many awesome-sounding books I sadly didn’t squeeze into my reading schedule for this year, although I am sure that several of those would have made the cut. I decided to leave off my usual Honourable Mentions section as the extra 10 entries kind of make it unnecessary. There will be a bit of crossover between the below entries and some of my previous lists. Several novels also appeared on my Top Ten Favourite Audiobooks of 2021 list and my Top Ten Favourite Books from the First Half of 2021 list which I ran back into July. Overall, I am fairly happy with how this Top 20 list turned out and I think it contains a pretty good range of novels that really showcases the different types of books that I chose to read this year. So without further ado, here is the list.

Top 20 List (no particular order):

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

Let us start this list off strong with the awesome fantasy novel that I still haven’t gotten over, The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik. The sequel to her 2020 hit, A Deadly Education, The Last Graduate continues the impressive Scholomance series in a big way , making full use of its cool characters and uniquely dangerous magical school setting. There were some major developments in this second novel, including an epic and heartbreaking cliff-hanger that is guaranteed to make me pick up the final book next year.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Next we have one of the best science fiction reads of the year. Written by the exceedingly talented Andy Weir (of The Martian fame), Project Hail Mary is a very clever, entertaining and science heavy novel that sees a man travel to a distant star to find a way to save Earth when the sun starts to lose energy. A brilliantly written and deeply captivating read that features a great, surprise supporting character and an awesome twist around the protagonist. Highly recommended!

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan

I had a great time this year checking out new authors, and one of the best was fantasy author Anthony Ryan, who started his Covenant of Steel series with The Pariah. Featuring an epic and captivating tale that follows a young protagonist as he explores a war-torn, religiously ruled landscape, The Pariah was an impressive fantasy read that I could not put down, no matter how hard I tried. I deeply enjoyed this cool book and I cannot wait to grab the sequel, The Martyr, next year.

Relentless by Jonathan Maberry

For the fourth year in a row, one of Jonathan Maberry’s amazing books has achieved a spot on this list (Deep Silence was one of the best books of 2018, Rage was one of the best books of 2019 and Ink was one of the best books of 2020). Relentless, was one of his best, sending his legendary protagonist on deadly revenge mission against his worst enemies as they attempt a new world-ending master plan. I loved this latest science fiction/thriller hybrid from Maberry, especially due to the exceptional character work, and this was a captivating and exceedingly exciting read.

The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie

There was no way that I could exclude the incredible latest book from the legendary Joe Abercrombie, The Wisdom of Crowds, from this list. This exceptional fantasy read perfectly wrapped up the brilliantly dark Age of Madness series (which previously featured the excellent A Little Hatred and The Trouble With Peace). Featuring some of the best and most complex characters you are likely to see in fiction, and an intensely dark tale of revenge, betrayal and revolution, The Wisdom of Crowds is relentlessly entertaining without a single dull moment. I had an incredible time with this book and I cannot wait to see what Abercrombie comes up with next.

Usagi Yojimbo: Homecoming by Stan Sakai

Even after 35 volumes, Stan Sakai’s bestselling Usagi Yojimbo comic (which is one of my favourite all-time comic series) continues to shine with the exceptional Homecoming. Homecoming was another beautifully drawn and narratively rich volume that takes the protagonist on a dramatic journey back to his home village and the many pains that reside there. An exceptional and fun read; I cannot wait to get my hands of Sakai’s next volume, Tengu War, in a few short months.

The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell

After producing one of the absolute best debuts of 2020 with The Kingdom of Liars, talented rising author Nick Martell continued his impressive Legacy of the Mercenary King series with The Two-Faced Queen. Featuring deadly assassins, a vengeful queen and even a couple of murderous dragons, The Two-Faced Queen was even more exceptional than his first novel, deeply expanding the cool overarching narrative and adding in even more twists, reveals and surprises. This was one of the best sequels I have ever read, and readers will be quickly drawn into the book’s many mysteries, unique magic and deeply captivating storylines.

Star Wars: Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed

2021 was an amazing year for Star Wars novels, especially with the launch of the High Republic sub-series (Light of the Jedi and The Rising Storm were particularly good). However, one of the absolute best Star Wars books had to be the amazing Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed, which brought the compelling, star fighter focused Alphabet Squadron series to a beautiful end. Perfectly wrapping up the story contained in the first two novels, Alphabet Squadron and Shadow Fall, Victory’s Price was a powerful and intense character-driven war story that focused on five damaged Rebel pilots fighting in the war after the end of Return of the Jedi. This was easily one of the most exciting and moving Star Wars novels I have had the pleasure of reading and it is a must read for fans of the franchise.

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

After producing two brilliant reads last year (Fair Warning and The Law of Innocence), bestselling crime fiction author Michael Connelly continues his outstanding Ballard and Bosch sub-series with The Dark Hours. This amazing novel contained another fantastic murder mystery combined with several other great police procedural story lines to create an outstanding overall narrative, expanding the fun partnership established in Dark Sacred Night and The Night Fire. I deeply enjoyed this latest Connelly book and I powered through extremely quickly.

The Bone Ship’s Wake by R. J. Barker

One of the best current authors of fantasy fiction, R. J. Barker, brings his exceptional Tide Child trilogy to a moving and captivating end with The Bone Ship’s Wake. Perfectly following on from The Bone Ships and Call of the Bone Ships, this epic nautical fantasy perfectly wrapped up all the trilogy’s captivating story arcs and character development with some big, emotional moments. I loved every twist and devastating moment in this novel and, thanks to this captivating conclusion, the Tide Child series ended up being one of the best trilogies I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Colonyside by Michael Mammay

Amazing science fiction author Michael Mammay continued his brilliant Planetside series (made up of Planetside and Spaceside) with Colonyside. This latest novel dragged Mammay’s entertaining and gruff protagonist out of retirement once again to investigate a shady corporate mystery on an alien planet. This book swiftly devolves into an exceptional conspiracy storyline, filled with twists and giant monsters. I had such a wonderful time with this book that it was my one exception to the 2021 release date rule (it had a very late December 2020 release). An impressive and clever read.

The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

Another amazing new author I checked out this year was the insanely talented John Gwynne, who produced an incredible first entry in his Bloodsworn Saga, The Shadow of the Gods. This amazing first novel contained a brutal and compelling Norse-inspired fantasy tale that followed three awesome central characters as they engaged in their own deeply personal quests. Filled with some outstanding fantasy combat, amazing character moments and a deeply impressive narrative, this was an exceptional and addictive read that made me an instant fan of this author. I have no doubt that the sequel, The Hunger of the Gods, is going to top this list next year and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

The Dark/Mind Bullet by Jeremy Robinson

2021 was the year that I first tried out some books from compelling author Jeremy Robinson. I actually read two of his books, The Dark and Mind Bullet, both of which were amazing in their own way. While The Dark was a darkly compelling and slick horror read that showcased a brutal invasion from Hell, Mind Bullet was a funny and entertaining science fiction thriller that followed a psychic assassin being hunted by the world’s most unusual killers. Both were outstanding reads that got easy five-star ratings from me, so I had a very hard time choosing between them for this list. Therefore, I decided to include both, as I had such a great time with them and are equally worth checking out.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Comedian Richard Osman followed up his 2020 debut, The Thursday Murder Club, with another fun and entertaining murder mystery book, The Man Who Died Twice. This compelling and hilarious sequel thrust Osman’s elderly protagonists into another complex investigation, this time involving spies, stolen diamonds, and drug dealers. This book had some amazing moments and ended up being another fantastic read.

Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

I have been waiting a couple of years for Sanderson to continue his Skyward series and I was very happy to finally get my hands on Cytonic. The third entry in this impressive young adult science fiction series, Cytonic was an exciting and inventive read that continues the captivating tale started in Skyward and Starsight. Taking his eccentric protagonist to a fantastic and unique new setting, Sanderson produced an epic and moving narrative that had me glued from the very first second. There are some big, if sad, moments in this novel and I had a wonderful time listening to it. I am a little miffed that I might have to wait another couple of years for this series to come to an end, but if it is anywhere as good as Cytonic, it will be worth it.

The Housemate by Sarah Bailey

One of my favourite crime fiction books this year had to be the dark and exceptional Australian thriller The Housemate by Sarah Bailey. This wonderful and intense read contains a complex and multifaceted mystery that keeps the reader guessing while they watch the central protagonist become even more unhinged by the revelations from her past. I honestly could not put this great book down and I will be grabbing more of Bailey’s clever novels in the future.

Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

After wowing the world with his fantasy and historical fiction reads, author Miles Cameron had his science fiction debut this year with Artifact Space. This powerful and deeply captivating read transports the reader to a massive spacecraft on a multi-year trading mission. However, the protagonist, a girl with a past and a fake identity, soon finds that her ship is under attack from outside forces and must do everything to save her new home and friends. This was a compelling epic which perfectly shows how talented Cameron is, no matter the genre.

Billy Summers by Stephen King

The master of horror and thrillers, Stephen King, had a great year in 2021 releasing two brilliant reads. While I really must highlight his clever coming-of-age horror read, Later, his best book was the cool thriller, Billy Summers. Billy Summers is a compelling, character driven read that follows a skilled hitman, as he attempts to engage in his last kill, only to run into a ton of surprises and complications. A wildly enjoyable and captivating read that has convinced me to check out more Stephen King books next year.

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil by Timothy Zahn

The other really good Star Wars novel of 2021 was Lesser Evil, the third book in Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Ascendancy series. Set before his impressive Thrawn trilogy (made up of Thrawn, Alliances and Treason), Lesser Evil perfectly wraps up the Thrawn Ascendancy series (made up of Chaos Rising and Greater Good) while also exploring the early history and greatest victory/defeat of Zahn’s iconic Grand Admiral Thrawn. Featuring excellent characters, cool universe expansion and some of the best tactical space battles you are likely to see, Lesser Evil was an exceptional read and I really hope that Timothy Zahn has some more Star Wars novels in the works.

Relentless by Mark Greaney

Last, but definitely not least, was the latest epic Gray Man novel from Mark Greaney, Relentless. This awesome novel sets Greaney’s dangerous protagonist on another intense spy mission as he attempts to stop a terrorist attack in Germany. I deeply enjoyed this fast-paced, action-packed and captivating spy thriller, especially as Greaney went out of his way to produce a clever and realistic narrative. I had such a blast with Relentless and I cannot wait to see what deadly adventures occur in his next Gray Man novel.

Well, those are my 20 favourite books of 2021. 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. 2022 is set to be another excellent year for amazing reads, and I will be examining some of my most anticipated books for the first half of the year next week. In the meantime, let me know what your favourite books of 2021 were in the comments below, and make sure you all have a happy and safe New Years.