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

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The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish

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Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher

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Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom

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Khaos by Jeremy Robinson

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Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer

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The Starless Crown by James Rollins

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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 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.

WWW Wednesday – 5 October 2022

On October 5, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis (Trade Paperback)

I didn’t make as much progress with the new Star Wars release, The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis, this week as I would have liked. Still, I am about halfway through it at the moment, and I will make an effort to finish it off in the next day or so, especially as this is proving to be quite an interesting read. Set immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi, this book explores the relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia in the current Star Wars canon. Featuring both their wedding and their turbulent honeymoon, this is a must-read for all Star Wars fans, and I am already having a great time getting through it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill (Audiobook)

I was in the mood for some classic Warhammer 40,000 adventures so I decided to check out the awesome sounding Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill. An older Warhammer 40,000 novel, Storm of Iron depicts a massive siege that see the infamous Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines use all their craft to attack an impregnatable fortress. I have only just started listening to this book, but I know I am going to have an outstanding time with Storm of Iron.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Martyr by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)

I absolutely powered through the new Anthony Ryan book, The Martyr, in the last week and it really lived up to all my expectations and more. One of my most anticipated books of the year and the sequel to the impressive 2021 novel, The Pariah, The Martyr is a brilliant fantasy adventure about a young bandit turned scribe who finds his fate bound to a bold and pious warrior woman, who is set to bring real change to an intriguing fantasy realm. This second novel sees his quest get even more dangerous and complex, as he begins to understand the full implications of everything he is involved with, while also finding himself thrust into several deadly wars. This was a deeply captivating, powerful and exciting read that I had such an exceptional time getting through. A perfect follow-up to The Pariah, The Martyr is one of the best fantasy books of 2022 and comes highly recommended. Review to follow soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I am still planning to read the new Stephen King novel, Fairy Tale, next, which should prove to be pretty epic. An intense and dark novel about a dangerous fairy realm, this book is going to be awesome and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.

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Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

I am also hoping to read the next book in the epic Locked Tomb series by intriguing author Tamsyn Muir, Nona the Ninth. Part of an awesome series about damaged necromancers in a desolate far future, Nona the Ninth follows on from the impressive Gideon the Ninth (one of my favourite debuts of 2019) and Harrow the Ninth (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020). I have no doubt this is going to be one of the more unique and captivating books of 2022 and I can’t wait to read it.

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

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2022 TBR

On September 6, 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. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was around books I got for my personal library, however, I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months. This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and as this Tuesday is just before Spring (Autumn for folks in the Northern Hemisphere), this is the ideal time to put this up.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 September 2022 and 30 November 2022. There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most anticipated books of the year. Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads. I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best books of 2022.

Honourable Mentions:

Falling Sky by Harry Sidebottom – 13 October 2022

An epic adventure from one of the best current authors of historical fiction, Harry Sidebottom. Set to bring back his best protagonist for a ton of historical action and intrigue in the Alps, Falling Sky is going to be a lot of fun and I cannot wait to read it.

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The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham – 18 October 2022

After having a fantastic time with Grisham’s latest legal thrillers, The Judge’s List and Sparring Partners, I am quite keen to read something else from this iconic crime fiction author. Luckily his new book, The Boys from Biloxi, sounds very impressive and I know I am going to have a blast getting through it.

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Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez – 1 November 2022

Last year, Jennifer Lynn Alvarez greatly impressed me her first young adult thriller, Lies Like Wildfire, which ended up being one of the best debuts of 2021. I loved the complex and clever story that Alvarez featured in Lies Like Wildfire, and it looks like she’s set to continue her awesome young adult thriller ways with the upcoming Friends Like These, which explore the deadly consequences of a drunken party.

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Death to the Emperor by Simon Scarrow – 8 November 2022

I will of course be grabbing the latest historical fiction epic from one of my favourite authors, Simon Scarrow, when it comes out in November. Scarrow’s last few books have all been very exciting and I cannot wait to read Death to the Emperor when it comes out, especially as it sets his long-running Roman protagonists against a massed rebellion in Britain.

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Top Ten List:

Fairy Tale by Stephen King – 6 September 2022

First on this list is the upcoming fantasy novel from legendary author Stephen King, Fairy Tale. I have been deeply enjoying King’s last few books, such as the fantastic Later and the epic Billy Summers, and I am very keen to see King dive into a dark fantasy novel. Set around a young boy who finds himself drawn into a dark realm of fairies and magic, Fairy Tale promises to be an exceptional read, and I know I am going to have a blast with it.

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Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir – 13 September 2022

Since her impressive debut in 2019 with Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir has been one of the most intriguing science fiction authors out there. Not only was her first book a ton of fun with its dark story around a group of space-faring necromancers, but her sequel, Harrow the Ninth, was a truly exceptional read that ended up being one of the best books and audiobooks of 2020. I am exceedingly excited to see what happens in the third book, Nona the Ninth, and it looks let to continue the fantastic body-swapping antics of the previous two novels. Nona the Ninth is likely to be one of the best and most distinctive science fiction reads of 2022, and I am very excited for it as a result.

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Oath of Loyalty by Kyle Mills – 13 September 2022

There are some excellent long-running spy thriller series at there now, but one of my favourites is the action-packed Mitch Rapp novels. Originally written by Vince Flynn, the Mitch Rapp novels follow the titular spy and assassin as he lays waste to America’s enemies around the world. The last several novels, such as Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, and Enemy at the Gates, have been written by Kyle Mills and feature some amazing narratives to them. I have been having an outstanding time getting through this series recently, and the next novel, Oath of Loyalty, looks set to be another awesome read. Oath of Loyalty will continue the feud between Rapp and the new US president and will force Rapp to defend his family when they are sold out to a deadly and unstoppable group of assassins. I love the sound of this epic read and I know I am going to have an amazing time with it.

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The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman – 15 September 2022

There was no way I can possibly exclude the upcoming Richard Osman novel, The Bullet that Missed, from this list. The third book in the Thursday Murder Club, which follows on from the exceptional The Thursday Murder Club (one of the best debuts of 2020) and The Man Who Died Twice (one of the best books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet that Missed will bring back Osman’s fun group of crime solving senior citizens and set them on a new case. I love the sound of this amazing book and I can’t wait to start reading it.

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The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik – 20 September 2022

Easily one of my most anticipated books coming out in the next few months is The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik. The third and final book in Novik’s exquisite and epic Scholomance trilogy, The Golden Enclaves will finally provide some closure to readers following the impressive first two novels, A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate. Both books have had perfect, dark magical school narratives, and I have had such an incredible time reading them. However, I have been dying to check out The Golden Enclaves for a year now, especially after that brutal cliff-hanger at the end of The Last Graduate, and I am just going to absorb this book the moment I get my hands on it.

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Khaos by Jeremy Robinson – 18 October 2022

I have no doubt that one of the most exciting and action-packed novels of the next three months is going to be Khaos by Jeremy Robinson. Following on from Robinson’s fantastic and fun novels, Tribe, The Dark, and Mind Bullet, Khaos will set three groups of Robinson’s protagonists on a joint mission to Hades to free the gods and titans for an upcoming war. This book has so much damn potential and I can’t wait to see what chaos happens in Khaos.

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Usagi Yojimbo: Crossroads by Stan Sakai – 25 October 2022

After already being blessed with one volume of the incredible Usagi Yojimbo comic series this year with Tengu War!, I am exceeding happy that we are getting another volume with Crossroads. Crossroads looks set to enthrall readers with several great new stories, and I am very excited to see how Sakai continues his iconic comics. There is a very good reason why this is one of my favourite comic series of all time, and I cannot wait to get another volume extremely soon.

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The Voyage of the Forgotten by Nick Martell – 3 November 2022

Another epic trilogy that is coming to an end in the next few months is Nick Martell’s Legacy of the Mercenary King series with the third and final book, The Voyage of the Forgotten. I have been absolutely and incredibly impressed with Martell’s first two novels, The Kingdom of Liars and The Two-Faced Queen, both of which have been exceptional five-star reads. I am extremely excited for the final book, and I cannot wait to see how Martell will wrap up the multiple complex and captivating storylines. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that The Voyage of the Forgotten is going to be one of the top books of the year and it is going to be something truly epic.

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Desert Star by Michael Connelly – 8 November 2022

Another must-read I must include on this list is the next book from acclaimed crime-fiction author Michael Connelly. His new book, Desert Star, is the latest entry in his Ballard of Bosch series, which has already featured three amazing reads, Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire and The Dark Hours. This new book sets the great protagonists on another intriguing case, and I look forward to seeing how Connelly sets out his new great mystery.

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Star Wars: The High Republic: Convergence by Zoraida Cordova – 15 November 2022

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the new upcoming Star Wars novel, Convergence by Zoraida Cordova. Convergence is part of The High Republic sub-series and will set up the entire next phase of the High Republic. This new phase serves as a prequel to the previous High Republic novels, and I am very curious to see how everything ties together. This should be a very awesome Star Wars novel and I am sure I am going to have a lot of fun reading it.

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Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. Each of the above should be extremely epic, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a few books to get through soon and they should all be pretty awesome.

Book Haul – 1 September 2022

On September 1, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul1 Comment

I have been having an absolutely fantastic couple of weeks for books, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, some of which rank amongst my top books of 2022. I am extremely keen to check out all of the books below and they should make for some amazing reads.

Blowback by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

The first book I was lucky enough to receive was Blowback by the wonderful team of James Patterson and Brendan DuBois. A clever and interesting new thriller about a power-hungry US president who uses his position to launch an insane course of action against the rest of the world. This was an excellent and action-packed book that takes the reader on a very wild ride. I have already finished it off and I will hopefully get a review together for it soon.

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All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

I was also lucky enough to receive a copy of All of Our Demise, which I have just started reading. The sequel to last year’s fantastic All of Us Villains, the team of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman have done an excellent job of continuing the narrative here, expanding on the death tournament concept and taking the compelling, damaged protagonists on an even darker journey. I can’t wait to see how this epic book comes to an end, and I am very confident this will turn out to be one of the best young adult novels of 2022.

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Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

I was extremely happy to receive a copy of Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir out of the blue. The third book in The Locked Tomb series, Nona the Ninth continues the excellent storylines about spacefaring necromancers started in the previous two novels. I have loved the outstanding and elaborate first two entries in the series, Gideon the Ninth (one of my favourite debuts of 2019) and Harrow the Ninth (one my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), and I cannot wait to see how this complex series continues. I have very, very high expectations for Nona the Ninth and I know I am going to have an exceptional time reading it.

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The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

There are few books in 2022 I am as excited for as The Bullet that Missed by comedian Richard Osman. The sequel to The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite debuts of 2020) and The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet that Missed promises to be another exceptional and captivating mystery novel with some amazing characters and a fantastic sense of humour to it. I have no doubt that this will be another five-star book and I will hopefully read it soon.

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Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis

There have been some great Star Wars tie-in novels coming out this year but one of the ones I have been most interested in checking out is The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis. Set immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi, The Princess and the Scoundrel will show the wedding and honeymoon of Han Solo and Princess Leia, all set to the backdrop of the formation of the New Republic. I can’t wait to see what happens in this awesome sounding book and I reckon it will be one of the top Star Wars novels of 2022.

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Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris

I was very happy to also receive a copy of the new Robert Harris book, Act of Oblivion, which I reckon is going to be really interesting. Harris has been tearing it up with some fascinating historical fiction novels lately, including the 2020 release V2, and I really like the sound of Act of Oblivion. Based on real historical events, Act of Oblivion will follow two of the men responsible for the death of Charles I as they attempt to hide from the English in the American colonies. I love this impressive concept and I am very excited to see Harris’ take on these historical fugitives.

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Lion by Conn Iggulden

I was in the mood for some awesome historical fiction, so I went out and grabbed a copy of Lion by Conn Iggulden. The follow-up to Iggulden’s last two novels, The Gates of Athens and Protector, Lion will continue to tell the story of ancient Athens, this time showcasing the rise of Pericles. I have had an exceptional time reading the previous books in this series and I cannot wait to see how Iggulden continues it.

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No Country for Girls by Emma Styles

I was extremely intrigued by one of the cool books I received in the last week with the Australian thriller No Country For Girls by Emma Styles. Set in the Australian outback, this awesome sounding book will follow two strangers who get thrust into a deadly situation and must flee into the wild bush to survive. I really love the sound of this book’s amazing story and I am very curious to find out how this fantastic novel goes.

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The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

Another compelling novel I received was the young adult, historical murder mystery, The Killing Code by Australian author Ellie Marney. Set during World War II, this book follows several American codebreakers as they attempt to find out who is murdering their colleagues. The Killing Code has a fantastic and very appealing narrative, and I am very keen to check out Marney’s writing style.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Volume One by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Dan Duncan and more

The final book I recently grabbed was the awesome first volume of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW comics. I have been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise for a long time, primarily the television series, and I have been meaning to check out some of the comics for ages, especially considering how much I enjoy the related Usagi Yojimbo comics. As such I splashed out and grabbed volume one of the IDW run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is the current version of the comics. Including Issues #1-12 of the series, as well as a couple of character-focused issues, this proved to be an excellent introduction to this current series. I had a brilliant time getting through this comic, and it was interesting to see this new take on the characters and the universe. Featuring a great writing team in Kevin Eastman (one of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creators) and Tom Waltz, as well as art from Dan Duncan, this was an excellent and impressive comic, and I will try and do a Throwback Thursday post about it soon.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2022

On July 5, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List24 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 latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2022.

2022 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books, with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away. However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2022. To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to.

This proved to be a rather hard list to finalise, mainly because of how many awesome novels are coming out in the next six months. I honestly had enough awesome upcoming novels on my radar to turn this into a Top 20, but I decided instead to make some hard decisions, and I ended up cutting out several impressive upcoming releases, leaving me with a list mostly featuring books from some of my favourite authors. Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects which upcoming novels I am going to have the most fun reading. Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2022.

Honourable Mentions:

The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh – 21 July 2022

Oath of Loyalty by Kyle Mills (based on the books by Vince Flynn) – 13 September 2022

Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez – 1 November 2022

Death to the Emperor by Simon Scarrow – 8 November 2022

List (by release date):

Upgrade by Blake Crouch – 12 July 2022

An awesome sounding new science fiction thriller from the exceedingly talented Blake Crouch, this is sure to be an incredible read.

Glacier’s Edge by R. A. Salvatore – 9 August 2022

One of my all-time favourite authors, R. A. Salvatore, returns soon with another entry in his long-running Drizzt Do’Urden series. This new upcoming novel will serve as a sequel to his 2021 novel, Starlight Enclave, and sounds like another fantastic adventure novel.

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir – 13 September 2022

I am very excited to see that captivating science fiction talent, Tamysn Muir, will continue her impressive, space-necromancer-centric, The Locked Tomb series later this year with Nona the Ninth. Following on from the highly entertaining Gideon the Ninth (one of my favourite debuts of 2019) and the incredible Harrow the Ninth (one of my favourite book and audiobooks of 2020), Nona the Ninth has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to see how this trippy series continues.

The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman – 15 September 2022

There was no way that I was not going to include the latest entry in the hilarious and clever Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman on this list. The sequel to The Thursday Murder Club (one of the best debuts of 2020) and The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet that Missed looks set to bring back the titular team of retirees as they solve new murders around their retirement village. Easily going to be one of the funniest and most addictive reads of the year, I am very excited for more of Osman’s entertaining hijinks.

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik – 20 September 2022

There are few upcoming books that I am more excited to read than The Golden Enclaves, the third and final book in Naomi Novik’s epic The Scholomance series. Novik has really killed it with the first two books in this series, A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate, which followed a destructively gifted magical student as she tries to survive the deadliest magical school around. These first two books were both incredible reads, and I am very, very keen to see how this series ends in The Golden Enclaves, especially after the massive cliff-hanger Novik left The Last Graduate on. I have no doubt that this will live up to my extremely high expectations and this should prove to be pure and unadulterated awesomeness.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Convergence by Zoraida Cordova – 4 October 2022

I have been really enjoying the recent High Republic sub-series of Star Wars extended fiction, especially the main novels (Light of the Jedi, The Rising Storm and The Fallen Star), and whole new phase of The High Republic is about to start later this year. While I am a little hesitant about the massive backwards time-skip (the entire second phase is set a substantial time before the first High Republic phase), I am very curious to see what sort of story is set out in the Convergence by Zoraida Cordova, which will set the tone for this second phase.

Usagi Yojimbo: Crossroads by Stan Sakai – 11 October 2022

I am extremely happy to be getting another volume in one of my favourite comic book series, the Usagi Yojimbo comics, later this year with the upcoming volume Crossroads. This will be the second Usagi Yojimbo volume coming out this year (see my review for Tengu War!) and I am so very happy to get more Usagi action and excitement this year. I already know this is going to be a brilliant comic, and Crossroads will no doubt contain more impressive stories and eye-catching artwork.

The Voyage of the Forgotten by Nick Martell – 3 November 2022

Another deeply impressive fantasy series ending this year is Nick Martell’s The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings series, which finishes off with The Voyage of the Forgotten in a few months’ time. I have had such a brilliant time with this series, as both The Kingdom of Liars and The Two-Faced Queens have been truly epic and captivating reads with intense and complex stories. As such, I am extremely eager to read The Voyage of the Forgotten to find out how everything is going to end. While I am a little sad that this series will only contain three novels, I know that this finale is going to be an exceptional novel that will easily top my best of 2022 lists.

Desert Star by Michael Connelly – 8 November 2022

I have been having a ton of fun with Michael Connelly’s spectacular crime fiction novels lately and I am very excited to get another Ballard and Bosch book in a few months’ time with Desert Star. Following on from such great novels as Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire and The Dark Hours, this upcoming book has an impressive sounding story to it and I am very excited to get involved in another powerful Connelly mystery.

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 8 December 2022

The final book on this list is the highly compelling City of Last Chances by bestselling author Adrian Tchaikovsky. Set in a rebellious magical city, City of Last Chances sounds like an extremely cool and intriguing fantasy novel, and I am very curious to read more from this highly regarded author, especially after having a great time reading his Warhammer 40,000 debut, Day of Ascension, earlier this year. I look forward to seeing what amazing fantasy epic Tchaikovsky has planned for City of Last Chances, and I am sure it will end up being extremely great.

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 every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me. I cannot wait to see what awesome and exciting stories the entries on this list contain, and I think that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2022. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Waiting on Wednesday – Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

On February 9, 2022September 1, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, LGBT+, Science Fiction, 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. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at an incredibly cool upcoming novel with a ton of potential, Nona the Ninth.

Nona the Ninth Cover

Amazon Book Depository

Over the last few years I have been deeply impressed with the first series from exciting author Tamsyn Muir. Muir, who debuted back in 2019, has so far produced two amazing novels that are part of her Locked Tomb series of science fiction/fantasy novels. Set in the future, The Locked Tomb series follows a group of space-faring necromancers who seek awesome power by conducting dangers and mind-bending rituals. The first novel in this series, Gideon the Ninth, was a brilliant introduction to this series and it was one of my favourite debuts of 2019. Muir then followed it with the exceptional sequel, Harrow the Ninth, which brilliantly continued the series with some intense and clever twists and ended up being even better than Muir’s first outing. I absolutely loved Harrow the Ninth and it ended up being one of the best books and audiobooks I read in 2020.

Ever since the epic ending of Harrow the Ninth I have been eagerly waiting to see how Muir would continue this fantastic series, and it looks like we are getting close to finding out as details of the third book have just been released. The third book in this series will by Nona the Ninth, which is currently set for release in September 2022. Already equipped with another epic cover and a fascinating plot synopsis, Nona the Ninth has really grabbed my attention and I am very excited for it.

Synopsis:

Her city is under siege.

The zombies are coming back.

And all Nona wants is a birthday party.

In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona’s not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger’s body, and she’s afraid she might have to give it back.

The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever.

And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face…

Now that is a pretty cool synopsis that provides a lot of hints about what is to come. It looks like Muir is planning to do another trippy, out of body novel with Nona the Ninth, especially as her new main character is likely possessed by the protagonists of the previous two novels (trust me on that). Thrust into the middle of a necromantic war zone with a monstrous, deep-space entity out on the horizon, this will probably force the protagonist to make some dangerous, reality-altering decisions as she battles with the multiple personalities in her head. Throw in the already cool space necromance magical system and the return of some of the elaborate antagonists from the previous novel and I am sure that Nona the Ninth will have another exceptional story to it.

Look, there was honestly no way that I was going to pass this book up, especially after how deeply impressive and cool the previous two novels are. I am really hoping that Muir will continue to grow as an author here and if she manages to produce something that is as good, or even better than Harrow the Ninth, then this will end up being one of the best books of the year. I have some very high expectations for Nona the Ninth and I cannot wait to see how this complex and deeply addictive series will continue.