Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite New-to-Me Authors I read in 2025

On December 10, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 Comment

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 was books set in a snowy place, which while interesting, is something I am putting aside for the moment as I want to continue with my end of year best-of lists, which I started last week when I looked at pre-2025 novels I read this year. instead, this week I will be looking at new-to-me authors I discovered in 2025. This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 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. 2025 was a particularly good example of this as I powered through an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me. 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 2025 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the author had to be someone whose work I checked out for the first time in 2025. All new-to-me authors were eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut authors as I am going to cover them in another list. Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a ton of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 21 new authors in 2025. 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, 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 absolute best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Adam Christopher – Star Wars: Master of Evil

A talented Star Wars author whose latest book has an interesting look at the newly created Darth Vader. I’m only a little way into Master of Evil now, else Christopher would have likely made the Top Ten list

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Matthew Farrer – Warhammer 40,000: Crossfire

An author of some classic Warhammer 40,000 novels, including the exciting early Warhammer crime fiction novel Crossfire. I’m hoping to read more from Farrer next year, especially as I have the two sequels to Crossfire siting on my shelf.

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Joe Hill – King Sorrow

Joe Hill is another new-to-me author I have to keep on the honourable mentions list as I’m only partway through his latest book, King Sorrow. Still, I am really enjoying my first experience with Hill’s writing, and King Sorrow is shaping up to being one of the more compelling novels of 2025.

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Ryan North – Star Trek: Lower Decks

A fun author who is currently leading the Lower Decks comic series. I loved the first volume of this comic, and I’m hoping to read more soon.

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Top Ten List:

Matt Dinniman – Dungeon Crawler Carl series

Without a doubt the biggest new-to-me author in 2025 had to be Matt Dinniman, especially as I fell in love with his epic Dungeon Crawler Carl series. A cool LitRPG series that sees the remnants of humanity forced to fight down multiple levels of a dungeon as a form of entertainment for the rest of the galaxy, the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is pretty damn exceptional, especially as it is loaded up with intense action, awesome mechanics, over-the-top humour, complex characters, and so many entertaining moments. I ended up chain listening to the entire series this year, and all seven books in the series, including Dungeon Crawler Carl, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, The Gate of the Feral Gods, The Butcher’s Masquerade, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride and This Inevitable Ruin are exceptional five-star reads, and once you start reading this series, you won’t be able to stop. Dinniman is an author I will be reading more of going forward, especially as he has two books coming out in 2026, with a new Dungeon Crawler Carl book, and his standalone novel Operation Bounce House.

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Lamar Giles – Star Wars: Sanctuary

I got back into Star Wars fiction in 2025 in a big way, with my favourite book so far (noting I have only made a little progress on Master of Evil) being Sanctuary by Lamar Giles. Giles really impressed me with his first Star Wars novel, especially as Sanctuary was an entertaining addition to the Bad Batch animated series. Following several of the titular clones on another bonkers adventure, Sanctuary was a great novel from Giles, and I loved his fantastic humour, amazing take on the established characters, and the outstanding new villains who were a highlight of the book. I hope Giles writes more Star Wars fiction going forward, as his first full novel in the franchise was really incredible.

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Scott Mariani – The Pilgrim’s Revenge

I started reading veteran thriller author Scott Mariani this year, primarily because he started a cool historical fiction series this year, starting with The Pilgrim’s Revenge. An exciting and detailed novel that followed a peasant who chases after King Richard’s crusade to get revenge of the men who killed his wife, The Pilgrim’s Revenge was an outstanding historical novel and a great introduction to Mariani’s writing. I’ve already got a copy of the sequel to The Pilgrim’s Revenge, and I’m hoping to read it before the end of the year.

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Adam Plantinga – The Ascent

Another cool thriller author I read for the first time in 2025 was new writer Adam Plantinga, after I finally got the chance to read his debut from last year, The Ascent. A gritty and bloody thriller that sees several entertaining characters attempt to escape through several levels of an out-of-control prison, The Ascent was an extremely exciting and gripping novel that I had an absolute blast with. I’m keen to read more from Plantinga going forward, especially the sequel to The Ascent, Hard Town, and I cannot wait to see what he writes next.

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Jackson Ford – The Bone Raiders

I had the very great pleasure of reading my first book from Jackson Ford this year, with The Bone Raiders. A fun author who has previously come up with some outstanding scenarios for his books, Ford is an author I have been meaning to read for a while, and there was no way I could avoid the awesome sounding The Bone Raiders. Following a group of grassland warriors who attempt to defeat an invading army by taming giant fire-breathing lizards, The Bone Raiders was an amazing read that I got really hooked on. I will be grabbing the sequel to The Bone Raiders, Sisters of the Lizard, next year, especially as it sounds just as crazy as the first book.

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Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – Badlands

For the next entry on this list, I am featuring the pairing of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. While I have read something from Preston before, with last year’s exciting novel Extinction, 2025 was the first year that I read something written by both authors. This long-running writing team’s new novel was awesome crime fiction novel Badlands, which saw the protagonists investigate several suspicious deaths linked by Native American artefacts each victim was holding. Part of Preston and Child’s Nora Kelly series, Badlands was a great read, and I loved the crazy ending and entertaining twists.

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Gabriel Bergmoser – High Rise

Gabriel Bergmoser provided all the Australian action I could need when I checked out his 2025 novel, High Rise. An ultra-violent read that sees a former cop and his estranged daughter try to escape from a building full of killers and bounty hunters, High Rise was a very exciting read that I powered through extremely quickly. I really loved this book, and Bergmoser is now an author I will be keeping a close eye on for new, cool novels.

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R. F. Kuang – Katabasis

I finally got around to reading something from R. F. Kuang, who has been on my to-read list for a while. Kuang, who has written several very interesting previous books, presented one of the more unique fantasy novels of 2025 with Katabasis, an intriguing and complex book about two academics journey to Hell to recover their professor’s soul. I really enjoyed this impressive and inventive novel, and Kuang really lived up to the hype around her intricate books.

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Edward Ashton – Mickey7

A fun road trip gave me my first experience of science fiction author Ashton Edward this year, as I read his entertaining novel, Mickey7. A fun and clever novel about an inadvertent extra clone on a space exploration mission, Mickey7 has always sounded like an amazing read, and I was very glad I got the chance to read it this year. An excellent and highly recommended novel that is worth checking out.

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Krysten Ritter (with Lindsay Jamieson) – Retreat

The final new to me author this year is actress Krysten Ritter, who presented her second novel Retreat. A wonderful and compelling thriller about a con artist who takes over a client’s rich social life, only to encounter murder, plots and snobby neighbours, Retreat was a great read with some fun twists to it. I ended up really enjoying this book from Ritter, and it will be interesting to see what other cool novels this actress/author will produce in the future.

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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 2025. 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 2025 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2025 list.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2024

On December 10, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List14 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 was books to read during a storm, which while interesting, is something I am putting aside for the moment as I want to continue with my end of year best-of lists, which I started last week when I looked at pre-2024 novels I read this year. instead, this week I will be looking at new-to-me authors I discovered in 2024. This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 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. 2024 was a particularly good example of this as I powered through an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me. 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 2024 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the author had to be someone whose work I checked out for the first time in 2024. All new-to-me authors were eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut authors as I am going to cover them in another list. Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a ton of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 24 new authors in 2024. 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, 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 absolute best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

Don Bentley – Capture or Kill

Thanks to him taking over the Mitch Rapp series this year with the exciting read Capture or Kill, I got my first taste of thriller writer Don Bentley, who impressed me with his fantastic first entry in the series.

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Mark Billingham – The Wrong Hands

I had fun with my first Mark Billingham novel, The Wrong Hands, which showed the authors quirky side in this entertaining crime fiction read.

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Lainie Anderson – The Death of Dora Black

Australian author Laine Anderson impressed with this excellent Australian historical crime fiction read, based around Australia’s first female police officer.

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James Patterson and Nancy Allen – The No.1 Lawyer

While I have read many things from James Patterson before, 2024 is the first time I enjoyed anything he wrote with co-author Nancy Allen. Allen, whose legal thriller fiction I haven’t read before, worked well with Patterson to create an exciting and captivating novel with The No.1 Lawyer.

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Top Ten List:

Steven B. Fischer – Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer and Broken Crusade

The first new-to-me author that I want to feature on this list is Warhammer 40,000 writer Steven B. Fischer. I was lucky enough to read two books from Fischer this year, including his debut from a couple of years ago, Witchbringer, as well as his 2024 release, Broken Crusade. Both books were particularly good examples of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I love the author’s intense style and ability to dive into two different, unique factions. Fischer is a Warhammer author to watch in the future and I look forward to seeing what cool stories he comes up with next.

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M. L. Wang – Blood Over Bright Haven

I am particularly happy that I decided to read something from M. L. Wang this year, as she has been on my radar for a while now. An intriguing author, Wang has so far written two acclaimed adult fantasy novels with amazing plots behind them. I read one of them this year with Blood Over Bright Haven, and boy was it something special. Set around a particularly inventive magical system, Blood Over Bright Haven follows two very different protagonists as they uncover a dark secret at the heart of a magical city. I was really blown away with this book, especially as Wang loads it up with shocking twists, and this ended up being one of the top fantasy books of 2024.

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C. J. Box – Three-Inch Teeth

I had a lot of fun getting to know well-established thriller author C. J. Box this year when I was grabbed a copy of the latest book in his Joe Pickett series, Three-Inch Teeth. Following his game warden protagonist as he investigates a series of bear attacks, the book quickly turns into something special when an old nemesis returns, disguising a series of revenge-fuelled murders using an unlikely contraption. I had an outstanding time with Three-Inch Teeth, and I fully plan to grab the next Joe Pickett novel when it comes out in 2025.

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Douglas Preston – Extinction

One of the wildest novels I had the pleasure of reading in 2024 was my first Douglas Preston book, Extinction. Preston goes all out with this amazing science fiction thriller, that sees a series of grizzly murders take place within a nature park filled with living mammoths and other cloned pre-historic creatures. I powered through this outstanding read, especially as Preston really amps up the craziness and intensity shortly into Extinction, and I honestly loved every second I spent with this book.

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Gary Kloster – Warhammer 40,000: Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge

Another fantastic new-to-me author from the vast Warhammer 40,000 franchise I discovered this year was Gary Kloster who wrote the epic read, Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge. Focussing on the iconic Dark Angels chapter of Space Marines, Enmity’s Edge was a particularly clever and addictive Warhammer read that drew readers in with its elaborate conspiracy and fantastic characters. This proved to be an extremely cool addition to the canon, and I am very, very glad that I decided to read it.

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Django Wexler – How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

Easily the funniest new author I checked out in 2024 was Django Wexler, who blew me away with his hilarious comedic fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. Featuring an outstanding plot about a human trapped in a time loop within a fantasy realm who, after hundreds of painful attempts at being the hero, decides to win by becoming the evil dark lord instead. Thanks to his cracked protagonist, outrageous scenario, and entertaining use of the time-loop concept, Wexler had me in stiches the entire way through How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and I have so much love for this book as a result. The sequel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, is out in May next year, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

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J. D. Barker – Behind a Closed Door

Now this next entry is slightly cheating, as J. D. Barker is someone who I have technically read before. However, as all the Barker books I have previously read were co-written with other authors, such as James Patterson (Confessions of the Dead and Death of the Black Widow), I felt that it was appropriate to include him on this list after reading one of his solo novels for the first time with Behind a Closed Door. A gripping, distinctive and highly adult thriller, Behind a Closed Door was an intense novel that I felt really showcased Barker’s own unique writing style. This was a very fun book, and I look forward to seeing what other devious narratives he comes up with in the future.

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C. J. Tudor – The Gathering

I had been meaning to read something from awesome author C. J. Tudor for years, especially I have heard nothing but good things about her impressive thrillers and horror novels. I finally got a chance in 2024 with The Gathering, which ended up being one of the best books from the first half of the year. Set in an alternate version of America where vampires are second-class citizens, The Gathering follows an investigation into an apparent vampire attack in an isolated town, which could result in the extermination of the entire local vampire settlement. A particularly epic and clever horror thriller that made full use of its inventive concept, The Gathering was such a great read, and I plan to grab every new Tudor book that comes out from now on.

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James Grippando – Goodbye Girl

It looks like I have a new awesome legal thriller author to become obsessed with after checking out my first book from James Grippando, Goodbye Girl. The latest book in Grippando’s long-running Jack Swyteck series, Goodbye Girl was a captivating and memorable legal thriller that dived into the world of online piracy in a surprisingly nautical way. Featuring some entertaining court sequences and a fantastic crime fiction plot, Goodbye Girl was a lot of fun to get through and comes very highly recommended. Grippando is another new-to-me author I am planning to add to my must-read list each year, and I am already excited for his next Jack Swyteck book, Grave Danger, which is out very soon.

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Robbie MacNiven – Warhammer 40,000: Oaths of Damnation

The final new-to-me author I want to highlight on this list is Robbie MacNiven, who impressed me with his 2024 Warhammer 40,000 release. MacNiven, who has written a couple of series I am very interested in exploring, had fun diving into a unique Chapter of Space Marines with the compelling novel Oaths of Damnation. A fantastic novel loaded with epic Space Marine action; Oaths of Damnation was an outstanding read that made MacNiven a very easy choice for this list.

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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 2024. 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 2024 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2024 list.

Top Ten Tuesday – Top New-to-Me Authors That I Read in the First Half of 2024

On July 31, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

In addition to highlighting some of the best pre-2024 novels I read in the first half of this year, I am also taking this opportunity to list the best New-to-Me authors I have so far read this year.

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. 2024 is so far proving to be a great 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 2024 so far 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 2024. If I had not read anything from this author before last year or if their book was a debut, it was eligible to appear here. 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, but I think the below entry really highlights the best new-to-me authors I have enjoyed so far in 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

Rich McCormick – Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lords of Excess

An excellent debuting author who released the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Lords of Excess. I am still currently in the process of reading Lords of Excess (which is why I’m leaving McCormick as an honourable mention for now), but I love the clever story this new author has come up with.

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Mark Wales – Outrider

Former soldier turned media personality Mark Wales produced a very cool debut with the Australian thriller Outrider.

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Paul Morgan – The Winter Palace

I had fun with my first Paul Morgan novel, The Winter Palace, which contained a great story about star-crossed lovers in occupied Poland.

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Jon Lindstrom – Hollywood Hustle

Actor Jon Lindstrom made a fantastic writing debut this year with the cool thriller Hollywood Hustle.

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Top Ten List:

Douglas Preston – Extinction

I had an awesome time getting to know science fiction thriller author Douglas Preston this year with his new novel, Extinction. A crazy and over-the-top novel, Extinction followed a compelling murder investigation which takes place in a luxury park loaded with clones of pre-historic animals.

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James Logan – The Silverblood Promise

An outstanding and bold fantasy debut from a great new author.

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C. J. Box – Three-Inch Teeth

A highly entertaining and exciting thriller from an author I’m glad I checked out.

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C. J. Tudor – The Gathering

An excellent murder mystery novel set in a world with complex human and vampire settlements.

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Victoria Hayward – Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder

An outstanding and dark debut with lots of action, adventure and carnage.

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James Grippando – Goodbye Girl

I ended up very wowed by the cool legal exploits of author James Grippando with this fantastic novel.

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J. D. Barker – Behind a Closed Door

While I have read some of Barker’s collaborations, Behind a Closed Door was the first solo novel from the author I have experienced, and it found it to be an thrilling and clever read.

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Steven B. Fischer – Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer

A talented author with a real flare for complex characters whose first novel, Witchbringer, I should have read much sooner.

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James Patterson and Nancy Allen – The No.1 Lawyer

The No.1 Lawyer was a great introduction to the writing style of the Patterson/Allen collaboration, and I loved the impressive and captivating story contained in this book.

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C. A. Parker – Song of the Samurai

An excellent debuting historical fiction author who utilised their unique passions in this debut novel.

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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 have checked out so far in 2024. I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce additional epic and incredible reads. It will be interesting to see what other great New-to-Me authors I will get to experience in the rest of 2024, and I am sure there are going to be some exceptional new books from them.

Top Ten Tuesday – Top New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2022

On January 18, 2023 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 topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was Bookish Goals for 2023. While this was an interesting topic, I have a slightly different Top Ten Tuesday schedule planned and instead I will be moving forward the official topic from next week and looking at New-to-Me Authors I discovered in 2022. This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020 and 2021 versions), and it is one that I always have fun doing.

Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes some that were written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with. 2022 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 this year. Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional reads, some of which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2022, and I really feel the need to highlight them here. As a result, this list may feature a bit of overlap with my top books, pre-2022 books and audiobooks lists of 2022 that I have previously published on this blog.

To appear on this list, the book had to be one I read last year and be written by an author who I was unfamiliar with before 2022. If I had not read anything from this author before last year, it was eligible for this latest list, although I did exclude debut novels as I had another list prepared for them. Despite this, I ended up with a massive list of potential inclusions on this list, as it appears that I read a ton of great new authors in the last year. Despite my best efforts, I had a very hard time whittling this list down, so in the end I decided to face the inevitable and leave it as a top 20 list. While I still had to exclude several great authors whose books I really liked, I think that I came up with a good overall list that represents which authors I am really glad that I decided to try out for the first time last year.

Top Twenty List:

Andy Clark – Steel Tread

One of the first new-to-me authors I check out in 2022 was Andy Clark, who immediately blew me away with his impressive writing skill in the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Steel Tread. A gritty and character driven war story set in the close confines of a tank, Steel Tread was an exceptional read and one that I was instantly addicted to. Easily one of the top Warhammer books of 2022, I loved Steel Tread so much and I will be diving back into Andy Clark’s catalogue of Warhammer novels when I get a chance.

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Sarah Barrie – Unforgiven and Retribution

I actually enjoyed two books from talented Australian crime fiction author Sarah Barrie this year, her 2021 book Unforgiven and the sequel Retribution. Both were excellent dark crime thrillers that saw a damaged vigilante go after the very worst criminals Sydney had to offer. I deeply enjoyed both books and their unique style has made Barrie a must-read Australian author from now on.

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Adrian Tchaikovsky – Day of Ascension

It seems ridiculous that it took me until 2022 to finally read something from acclaimed science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky, but that’s what happened. While I have had the opportunity to read some of his other established series before, my first experience with Tchaikovsky’s writing was his debut Warhammer 40,000 novel Day of Ascension. A complex and captivating read that sees a Genestealer Cult rise to overthrow a despotic government. This was an outstanding book that combined Tchaikovsky’s unique writing style with the iconic Warhammer 40,000 setting. I loved the gruesome and impressive story that resulted and I will have to make an effort to read more of Tchaikovsky’s books in the future.

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Boyd and Beth Morrison – The Lawless Land

This was an interesting entry that actually features two new-to-me authors with the writing duo of thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison. Together these talented authors wrote one of my favourite books of 2022, The Lawless Land, an exciting and deeply entertaining historical epic that followed a fallen knight on a quest around war-torn Europe. I had so much fun with The Lawless Land, which featured intrigue, betrayal, duels, jousts, war and so much more, and I ended up coming away a big fan of this brother/sister writing team. There is a sequel to The Lawless Land coming out later this year, and I will make damn sure to get a copy of it when it comes out.

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Steve Lyons –Krieg

Steve Lyons was a new-to-me author who particularly impressed me this year with his compelling and concise Warhammer 40,000 audiobook exclusive, Krieg. Following one of the more iconic regiments of Imperial Guard in the franchise, the Death Korps of Krieg, Krieg is an excellent read that combines a harrowing modern war tale with an intriguing dive into the history of the planet Krieg and its deadly soldiers. A tight and effective audiobook, Krieg comes highly recommended and I had an outstanding time listening to it.

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Dan Koboldt – Silver Queendom

I was very lucky to enjoy the latest works from awesome fantasy author Dan Koboldt this year with Silver Queendom. A deeply entertaining fantasy heist read, Silver Queendom was a lot of fun and I will be making a huge effort to read more of Koboldt’s work in the future, especially if he comes up with a sequel to this great book.

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Justin D. Hill – The Bookkeeper’s Skull

Justin D. Hill is a very well-known author in Warhammer circles, and I was very happy to finally read one of his books this year with the Warhammer Horror novel, The Bookkeeper’s Skull. A compelling read that told a harrowing tale of murder and mutilation on a cursed farm, The Bookkeeper’s Skull was a great horror read centred around a clever mystery. I was really impressed with the dark and tangible feeling of dread that hung over everything, and I think it really speaks to the author’s skill that he was able to tell such a compelling read in such a concise book. I cannot wait to try out some of Hill’s other books in 2023, and I already know I am going to love them.

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Neil Gaiman – The Sandman

I finally got around to reading something from epic author Neil Gaiman and boy was it a doozy of a tale. I actually listened to the audiobook adaptation of his iconic The Sandman comic, which was such an incredible and dark story. Following the immortal Dream, The Sandman features a complex and captivating tale all read out by an all-star cast. Gaiman really showcases his incredible, if slightly insane, inventiveness in this comic and I loved how well this new format portrayed this fantastic story.

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Robert Rath – Assassinorum: Kingmaker

Few 2022 Warhammer books impressed me as much as the excellent and highly addictive Assassinorum: Kingmaker by new-to-me author Robert Rath. A complex and action-packed tale of assassins, royal politics and mecha warfare, Assassinorum: Kingmaker is very over-the-top, even for a Warhammer 40,000 novel, and I loved every damn second of it. The entire intense story came together perfectly and Robert Rath is definitely an author I will be reading more Warhammer books from in the future.

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Gillian McAllister – Wrong Place Wrong Time

Gillian McAllister had a brilliant year in 2022 when she released her compelling science fiction thriller, Wrong Place Wrong Time. A twisty and complex novel that saw a mother forced back through time as she attempts to uncover the dark story behind the murder her son committed. This was such a clever read and I have a feeling that McAllister is an author I am going to see a lot of in the future.

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Ben Counter – Van Horstmann

A lucky find in a second-hand bookshop introduced me to the writings of Ben Counter when I grabbed a copy of his Warhammer Fantasy novel Van Horstmann. An intense and entertaining read that followed a magical student’s quick slide into darkness, Van Horstmann was one of the better Warhammer Fantasy books I have ever had the pleasure of reading and I cannot wait to see what other delicious and impressive reads Counter has produced for the Black Library.

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Zoraida Cordova – Star Wars: Convergence

Outstanding new Star Wars author, Zoraida Cordova, ensured that the second phase of The High Republic sub-series started off in a big way with her amazing Star Wars novel Convergence. An exciting and powerful novel that perfectly sets up future storylines while following several complex characters, Convergence was a brilliant read and one that really sets up Cordova as an author to watch out for.

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C. L. Werner – Runefang

Another new-to-me Warhammer Fantasy author I deeply enjoyed in 2022 was C. L. Werner, who wrote the gritty adventure novel Runefang. An awesome book, Runefang followed a band of doomed heroes on a quest to recover a legendary sword to stop an undead horde, in a great, classic fantasy narrative. Loaded with twists and surprise deaths, Runefang was an excellent read and Werner really shows off his talents with this great book.

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Justin Woolley – Catachan Devil

I had to include Justin Woolley on this list, especially after I had such a fun time with his Warhammer 40,000 book, Catachan Devil. A compelling and thoroughly entertaining story that completely explored the legendary Catachan Imperial Guards regiment, Catachan Devil was a brilliant, soldier-focused story that is really worth a read. I look forward to seeing what other brilliant books Justin Woolley has coming out, especially if they are as good as Catachan Devil.

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Jon Hollins – Fool’s Gold

One of the more entertaining new authors I tried out in 2022 was fantasy writer Jon Hollins (Jonathan Wood), as I started his epic Dragon Lords trilogy with Fool’s Gold. A comedic and relentless fantasy heist book, Fool’s Gold followed a group of desperate adventurers as they attempt to steal a tyrannical dragons hoard. However, when their plans go terribly wrong, they find the fate of the entire realm resting on their shoulders and must come up with an even more elaborate plan to survive. A sharp and very, very fun book, Fool’s Gold was pretty damn awesome and I cannot wait to see what craziness Hollins featured in his other Dragon Lords novels.

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Graham McNeill – Storm of Iron

One Warhammer author I am particularly glad I got the chance to read in 2022 was Graham McNeill with his awesome standalone novel, Storm of Iron. A brutal and captivating siege tale that sees a giant army of Chaos Space Marines besiege an impregnable space fortress, Storm of Iron was a blast from start to finish and was near impossible to put down. I always intended to read all of McNeill’s books at some point, but Storm of Iron ensured that I will be moving most of his novels to the very front of my to-read pile.

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M. L. Spencer – Dragon Mage

I finally got around to reading M. L. Spencer’s Dragon Mage in 2022, a book I have had my mind on for a while. Dragon Mage was an elaborate and classic fantasy tale about heroes and dragons which really showcased Spencer’s imagination and writing talent and took the reader on a complex, character-driven ride. A great book from an exceptional author.

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Alec Worley – Dredge Runners and The Wraithbone Phoenix

Another exceptional new-to-me Warhammer author I read for the first time in 2022 was Alec Worley, who really impressed me with his outstanding work. I actually read two things from Worley this year, the fun novella Dredge Runners and the exciting and compelling full novel The Wraithbone Phoenix. Both books followed a unique duo of criminals in a futuristic Warhammer city as they engage in a series of bungled heists and cons against a range of outrageous foes. Both of these entries were pretty damn exceptional, and Worley really showcased his amazing writing ability with them. A very talented author who I am very glad I came across.

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Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland – Path of Deceit

The cool team of Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland pulled out an awesome and solid young adult Star Wars book with Path of Deceit. Serving as an outstanding prequel to the previous High Republic novels, Path of Deceit was an amazing novel from these authors, and I had a wonderful time reading some from this cool team for the first time.

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Edoardo Albert – Kasrkin

I doubt anyone is too surprised that the final author on this list, Edoardo Albert is yet another writer of Warhammer fiction. I was very happy to come across Albert’s latest novel in 2022, Kasrkin, which follows an elite unit of soldiers as they brave a desert planet, only to face off against a series of dangerous foes. Tight, action-packed, and making excellent use of its Warhammer 40,000 elements, Kasrkin did a good job of highlighting Albert’s superb ability and I had an outstanding time with this great book.

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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 2022. 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 2022 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting list.

Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2021

On January 18, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List14 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 was 2021 releases I was excited to read but didn’t get to, however, I addressed that topic in my post last week. So instead of covering that, this week I will look at my favourite new-to-me authors that I discovered in 2021. This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019 and 2020 versions), and it is one that I always have fun doing.

Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes some that were written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with. 2021 was a 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 this year. Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional reads, some of which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2021, and I really feel the need to highlight them here. As a result, this list may feature a bit of overlap with my top books, pre-2021 books and audiobooks lists of 2021 that I have previously published on this blog.

To appear on this list, the book had to be one I read last year and be written by an author who I was unfamiliar with before 2021. If I had not read anything from this author before last year, it was eligible for this latest list, although I did exclude debut novels as I had another list prepared for them. Despite this, I ended up with a massive list of potential inclusions on this list, as it appears that I read a ton of great new authors in the last year. Despite my best efforts, I had a very hard time whittling this list down, so in the end I decided to face the inevitable and leave it as a top 20 list. While I still had to exclude several great authors whose books I really liked, I think that I came up with a good overall list that represents which authors I am really glad that I decided to try out for the first time last year.

Top Twenty List:

William King – Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, and Dragonslayer

Well, let us start this list off with an author I read multiple books from in 2021 with William King. I was in a real Warhammer mood in 2021, and as part of the that I decided to check out the iconic Gotrek and Felix series that was initially written by King. This great series follows a deranged dwarf Slayer and his reluctant human companion as they travel around the Warhammer Fantasy world looking for a monster bad enough to give Gotrek the heroic death he desperately wants. I really love this amazing series and I ended up reading the first four of King’s Gotrek and Felix books in 2021, Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer and Dragonslayer, each of which were a lot of fun. I have even kept reading King’s books in 2022, having only recently read and reviewed the fifth Gotrek and Felix novel, Beastslayer. I fully intend to keep reading this series this year when I get a chance, and I reckon I will finish off King’s entire run on this series extremely soon.

Jeremy Robinson – The Dark and Mind Bullet

The other new-to-me author who I read more than one book from in 2021 was Jeremy Robinson, an awesome author known for his over-the-top science fiction and horror books. I was initially drawn to Robinson’s interesting dark horror read, The Dark, which sets a group of protagonists against a deadly demonic invasion, and which had a brilliant story to it. I ended up enjoying it so much that I decided to check out any other books that Robinson had coming out in 2021 and that led me to his latest release, Mind Bullet, which follows a psychic assassin who finds himself being hunted by a cadre of unconventional and superpowered hitmen. I had an absolute blast reading these cool books, and the both received easy five-star ratings from me. Due to how much fun I had with these books I plan to read a hell of a lot more from Robinson this year, especially as he has some cool releases on the way.

Tess Sharpe – The Girls I’ve Been

One of the more interesting authors I checked out in 2021 was young adult author Tess Sharpe who wowed me with her cool novel, The Girls I’ve Been. This fantastic novel followed a teenage former con-artist who is forced to revert to her old ways to save herself and her friends from vicious bank robbers. Clever, compelling and deeply thrilling, I have so much love for this novel and I cannot wait to see what cool books Sharpe rights in the future.

John Gwynne – The Shadow of the Gods

One of the best new-to-me authors I read last year was legendary fantasy author John Gwynne. Gwynne, who has written some very highly regarded dark fantasy books in the past presented The Shadow of the Gods last year, which was the first book in his new Bloodsworn Saga series. I initially hadn’t planned to read this book but after hearing so many positive reviews about it I changed my mind and was extremely glad that I did. The Shadow of the Gods was an epic and captivating read that featured action and adventure in an awesome, Viking-inspired fantasy landscape. This was such an incredible book (with a really amazing cover) and it made me an instant fan of this author. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next, and I really need to go back and read some of Gwynne’s earlier series.

Mara Timon – Resistance

I was also lucky enough to read the fantastic historical thriller Resistance towards the end of last year written by relatively new author Mara Timon. Resistance was a sequel to Timon’s 2020 debut City of Spies and contains a great story about a female spy dropped into occupied Normandy shortly before the D-Day landings. This was an excellent spy thriller and I look forward to seeing what other cool books Timon writes in the future.

Nate Crowley – The Twice-Dead King: Ruin

Another great new-to-me author of Warhammer fiction I read last year was the insanely talented Nate Crowley who presented his first The Twice-Dead King novel, Ruin. Ruin followed a banished Necron prince as he attempts to save his former empire from internal corruption and destructive outside forces. Breathing amazing life into essentially dead characters, this was a fantastic and intense Warhammer read that I had a great time with. I cannot wait to see how the series continues in 2022 and I will also try to read some of Crowley’s other cool Warhammer releases.

Kotaro Isaka – Bullet Train

I was very excited to check out a book from Japanese thriller author Kotaro Isaka last year with Bullet Train. A translation of his 2010 novel Maria Beetle, this book featured a complex and quirky tale about several assassins trapped on the same bullet train. I had an incredible time with this book, especially as Isaka loaded it with some amazing twists and very unique characters. Thanks to the success of this book, and the cool upcoming (if somewhat whitewashed) film adaptation of Bullet Train, several of the author’s other novels are being translated and I look forward to seeing what other crazy adventures he has come up with.

Kelly Rimmer – The Warsaw Orphan

Another great new author I found in 2021 was historical drama writer Kelly Rimmer whose latest book, The Warsaw Orphan, was an outstanding and powerful read. Set in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation, this book follows a group of people who attempt to save Jewish children from the Ghetto. A heartbreaking and riveting read, The Warsaw Orphan was an amazing book and I will be keeping an eye out for more of Rimmer’s stuff in the future.

Andy Weir – Project Hail Mary

One of the best books I had the pleasure to read in 2021 was Project Hail Mary, an impressive and clever science fiction novel by bestselling author Andy Weir. I have been meaning to read some of Weir’s books for years, especially after seeing the movie adaptation of The Martian, but I never got the chance. As such I was extremely keen to read his latest book when it came out last year and boy did Project Hail Mary deliver. Containing an epic and brilliant story filled with realistic science, I loved every second I spent reading this book and I honestly could not put it down. I am now a firm fan of the author and I fully intend to read the rest of Weir’s works as soon as possible.

Josh Reynolds – Kal Jerico: Sinner’s Bounty

There was no way that I couldn’t check out fantastic author Josh Reynolds this year especially after I saw that he had brought back one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 characters, Kal Jerico. This cool new book, Sinner’s Bounty, sets the titular bounty hunter and his friends on an insane journey into the depths of their Hive City to retrieve a wanted man. Forced to contend with rival bounty hunters, monsters, mutants, and gangs, this was an amazing read and I will be checking out more of Reynolds’ Warhammer books in the future, especially if they feature Kal Jerico.

Sarah Bailey – The Housemate

I was very lucky to grab a novel from amazing Australian author Sarah Bailey this year. Her latest book, The Housemate, was a brilliant novel that saw a disturbed reporter attempt to solve a notorious crime that had been haunting her for years. Incredibly powerful, compelling and intense, this was one of the best Australian books of 2021 and I will be very interested to see what other cool books Bailey writes in the future.

Steve Cavanagh – The Devil’s Advocate

Easily one of the more entertaining books I read in 2021 was the fun and wildly addictive legal thriller by Steve Cavanagh, The Devil’s Advocate. The sixth book in his Eddie Flynn series, The Devil’s Advocate was a great novel that saw its former conman turned defence attorney protagonist attempt to stop a murderous prosecutor determined to send an innocent man to death row. I had an amazing time with this compelling and over-the-top read, and I now really want to go back and read the rest of the awesome novels in this cool series.

Anthony Ryan – The Pariah

Another instant favourite new author I checked out last year was impressive well-established fantasy author Anthony Ryan. Ryan is another author who I have been meaning to read for a while and it turns out I have been really missing out. His latest book, The Pariah, was an excellent and compelling first entry in a great new series that follows a young scribe as he journeys around a fantasy world trying to find his purpose. An epic first book, I cannot wait to see how this series continues and I know I am going to love it.

John Grisham – The Judge’s List

Perhaps one of the biggest names on this list is bestselling author John Grisham, who has been at the top of the crime fiction genre for decades. Grisham is one of those massive authors whose work I have been meaning to read for a very long time but never got the chance. Well, that all changed last year when I received a copy of his latest book, The Judge’s List, which sets some clever protagonists against a dangerous serial killer who is also a sitting judge. I had an incredible time with The Judge’s List, and I am fully planning to check out the rest of Grisham’s catalogue to see what I have been missing out on.

Dan Abnett – First and Only

Wow there were so many awesome new-to-me Warhammer authors I checked out last year and one of the best was Dan Abnett. Abnett has written a ton of awesome Warhammer novels over the years, but the first book of his I decided to check out was First and Only, the initial book of his iconic Gaunt’s Ghosts series. Following a regiment of Imperial Guard soldiers as they fight through a gauntlet of traitors, rivals and conspiracies, this was an outstanding novel and I cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of this impressive series.

A. W. Hammond – The Paris Collaborator

I had a great time checking out thriller author A. W. Hammond for the first time in 2021. Hammond, who also writes under the name Alex Hammond, produced an exceptional and fun historical thriller last year with The Paris Collaborator. Set in the last days of the German occupation of Paris, this cool book follows a French investigator who is hired to find several missing men around the city. Filled with cool action, intense twists and some excellent historical moments, this was a great read and I will be keeping an eye out for more of Hammond’s novels in the future.

Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman – All of Us Villains

I am slightly cheating here by including two authors in the one entry, but as this was the first time I had read anything from either of them and they were collaborating on the same book, I think I can make an exception. These two authors were Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, a great team of established authors who collaborated for the first time to create the amazing All of Us Villains. All of Us Villains was an excellent and entertaining young adult fantasy book that followed seven champions forced into a magical death tournament with the entire world watching. Loaded with amazing characters and brutal magic, this was an awesome book and I am extremely glad I decided to check out this intriguing team of authors last year.

Max Barry – The 22 Murders of Madison May

I had been meaning to read something from talented Australian author Max Barry for a while, especially as he has written some great and compelling sounding science fiction reads. I finally got a chance last year when I received a copy of Barry’s latest book, The 22 Murders of Madison May. This was a cool book that saw a women attempt to stop a deranged stalker from killing every version of his obsession, actress Madison May, in the multiverse. I deeply enjoyed this complex and entertaining story and I will have to grab some more stuff from Barry in the future.

Grady Hendrix – The Final Girl Support Group

One author I have been hearing a lot of buzz around over the years is Grady Hendrix, who has written several intriguing and unique horror hybrid novels. Due to all the positive stuff I have heard about this author I decided to check out one of their books last year with their 2021 release, The Final Girl Support Group. Set in a world were the survivors of iconic slasher scenarios have formed a support group, this cool novel follows these paranoid and damaged protagonists as they attempt to survive a new monster who is determined to kill them. An impressive homage to iconic slasher films that cleverly deconstructs the genre, this was a very fun read and I am extremely glad I decided to check out Grady Hendrix last year.

S. R. White – Prisoner

The final top new-to-me author I read last year was Australian author S. R. White, who released their second novel Prisoner. This was an enjoyable and captivating Australian murder mystery novel that had a very gritty and realistic feel to it, especially in some impressive interrogation scenes. An excellent novel from a great new author I will have to read more of in the future.

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 2021. 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 2021 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting list.