Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Autumn 2021 TBR

On March 17, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this Top Ten Tuesday, participants need to list the top releases that they are looking forward to reading in Spring (or Autumn for us down here in Australia). This is a fun exercise that I have done for each of the preceding seasons, and it is always interesting to highlight the various cool sounding books that are coming out in the next few months.

For this list I have come up with 10 of the best novels that are coming out between 1 March 2021 and 31 May 2021. I have decided to exclude novels that I have already read, so that took a couple of key books off the list. Still, this left me with a rather substantial pool of cool upcoming novels that I am excited for, which I was eventually able to whittle down into a great Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). 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 some really impressive and enjoyable reads. I am actually really excited for the next three months as there are some incredible novels coming out, several of which I already know are going to be amongst the best books of 2021.

Honourable Mentions:

Blackout by Simon Scarrow – 30 March 2021

Crusader by Ben Kane – 27 April 2021

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – 4 May 2021

Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee – 1 June 2021

Top Ten List:

The Councillor by E. J. Beaton – 2 March 2021

The first entry on this list is a rather intriguing fantasy debut from Australian author E. J. Beaton. The Councillor looks set to contain a thrilling and clever tale about politics, murder and betrayal in a cool new fantasy realm. This book has a lot of potential and I am rather keen to check it out.

Star Wars: Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed – 4 March 2021

I had to include at least one Star Wars book on this list (it’s practically a tradition for me at this point), and while I was very tempted to include the new Thrawn Ascendency novel, Greater Good (especially after how much I enjoyed the previous book, Chaos Rising), I instead decided I am a little more excited for Star Wars: Victory’s Price. Victory’s Price is the third and final entry in Alexander Freed’s excellent Alphabet Squadron series which follows a rag-tag group of New Republic pilots in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. The last two books, Alphabet Squadron and Shadow Fall, have been really exceptional reads, and I am very excited to see how this amazing series ends.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst – 9 March 2021

Last year I was lucky enough to enjoy fantasy author Sara Beth Durst’s work for the first time when I checked out her 2020 release, Race the Sands, which featured a captivating conspiracy around monster racing. Race the Sands was an epic read that I deeply enjoyed and it ended up being one of my favourite books (and audiobooks) of 2020. As a result, I have been rather keen to check out Durst’s next standalone fantasy book, The Bone Maker. I actually started reading The Bone Maker today and have made a fair bit of progress already. So far it has been pretty amazing and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Breakout by Paul Herron – 9 March 2021

Another intriguing debut, Breakout is a fantastically fun sounding thriller which sees a mostly innocent man attempt to escape from the most secure prison in the planet, whilst it is in the process of getting flooded during a raging storm. This has so much potential for action-packed fun and I am sure it is going to be an absolute blast to read.

Firefly: Life Signs by James Lovegrove – 16 March 2021

Another fantastic tie-in novel that I am looking forward to reading this month is the awesome sounding Firefly: Life Signs. I have been really loving the awesome batch of Firefly novels that have been released recently (Big Damn Hero, The Magnificent Nine, Generations and The Ghost Machine), and Life Signs sounds particularly good, especially as they revisit an interesting, unused storyline from the show. This should be an outstanding read and I am looking forward to it.

The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell – 30 March 2021

Last year, Nick Martell had one of the best debuts of 2020 with The Kingdom of Liars, a clever and captivating fantasy novel, set in a world where magic steals people’s memories. The Kingdom of Liars was an exceptionally amazing read and I have been really keen to see how the sequel turns out. I have already heard some intriguing things about this book and I am hoping that it will be just as good, if not better, than Martell’s impressive first novel.

A Comedy of Terrors by Lindsey Davis – 30 March 2021

I am always very happy when a new Lindsey Davis novel is released, and her current body of work, the Flavia Alba Roman historical fiction series, has featured some exceptional novels in recent years (check out my reviews for The Last Nero, Pandora’s Boy, A Capitol Death and The Grove of the Caesars). The next book in the series, A Comedy of Terrors, has an incredible sounding story to it, with murder and treason occurring during a popular festival. I am extremely keen to unwrap this latest historical mystery and I am hoping for another clever and entertaining read.

Usagi Yojimbo: Homecoming by Stan Sakai – 14 April 2021

It has been a long year, but my favourite comic book series, the incredible Usagi Yojimbo series by the legendary Stan Sakai, is finally releasing another volume. The upcoming Usagi Yojimbo comic, Homecoming, is the second volume to be released completely in colour (the other being last years Bunraku and Other Stories), and has an intense sounding story and will no doubt be filled with exciting characters, impressive art work and Sakai’s trademark love for Japanese culture and heritage. I already know that I am going to deeply love this amazing comic and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence – 5 May 2021

Last year I finally got around to reading one of Mark Lawrence’s impressive fantasy novels, The Girl and the Stars, which followed a young women forced to survive in the dark and dangerous world beneath a desolate ice planet. I had an outstanding time reading this book and I am now extremely keen to read Lawrence’s next novel, The Girl and the Mountain. This cool sounding upcoming sequel looks set to continue the epic story started in The Girl and the Stars, and I am really excited to see what happens next.

Protector by Conn Iggulden – 18 May 2021

The final book on this list is Protector, the next novel from the always incredible Conn Iggulden, who is one of the best authors of historical fiction in the world today. Protector is the sequel to last year’s awesome read The Gates of Athens and is part of a great series that will chart the rise and fall of ancient Athens. This next book will continue to detail the war against the Persians while also highlighting some of the leading figures in the city, and I already know that this is going to be an exceptional and epic read.

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 pretty 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.

Book Haul – 5 February 2021

On February 5, 2021February 5, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul4 Comments

I have been having an absolutely fantastic couple of week for books, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers. As I am anticipating getting a few more books in the near future, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight some of the recent releases I have received before my new book pile got too big. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, several of which I have been eagerly awaiting for some time. I am extremely keen to read all of the books below and I cannot wait to check them out.

The Three Paradises by Robert Fabbri

The Three Paradises Cover

The first entry in this Book Haul post is one of my most anticipated books for 2021, The Three Paradises by the always amazing Robert Fabbri. The Three Paradises is the second entry in the Alexander’s Legacy series, which explores the brutal civil war that occurred after the death of Alexander the Great. The first entry in this series, To the Strongest, was an outstanding read and I cannot wait to see what chaos and bloodshed happens in this latest book.

The Kaiser’s Web by Steve Berry

The Kaiser's Web Cover

Next up we have another book I have been looking forward to for a long time, The Kaiser’s Web by bestselling author Steve Berry. The Kaiser’s Web is 16th entry in the long-running Cotton Malone thriller series, which follows the titular character, Cotton Malone, as he gets swept up in a series of history-based conspiracies. Due to how much I enjoyed the last two novels in the series, The Malta Exchange and The Warsaw Protocol, I am extremely keen to check this latest book out, especially as it has a very cool sounding plot to it.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary Cover

I only just did a Waiting on Wednesday article for Project Hail Mary a couple of days ago, but I have already received an early copy of this book. Project Hail Mary is the highly anticipated latest release from acclaimed science fiction author Andy Weir and features a fantastic space-based plot that sounds really impressive. I have heard some great things about this book and I am looking forward to checking it out before its release date in May.

God of Night by Tom Lloyd

God of Night Cover

The next book on this list is God of Night by the fantastic Tom Lloyd. God of Night will be the fourth book in The God Fragment series, which follows a group of rowdy and dangerous mercenaries armed with powerful magical guns as they sell their services across a chaotic fantasy continent. I loved Lloyd’s third book, Knight of Stars, and I am really keen to see how the series progresses.

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe

The Girls I've Been Cover

The Girls I’ve Been is a rather cool sounding young adult thriller that I am extremely keen to check out. This latest book from up-and-coming author Tess Sharpe follows a young, former con-artist, who is forced to revert to her old persona when she is held hostage in a bank robbery. I really like the sound of this fantastic concept and it looks set to be an amazing and clever read.

The Art of Death by David Fennell

The Art of Death Cover

This next book is another entry on this list that I am particularly keen to read as soon as possible. The Art of Death is an excellent sounding crime fiction novel that sees a deranged killer leaving the bodies of his victims around London, posed as unique art exhibitions. This sounds like a really fantastic and compelling novel and I am really looking forward to seeing how this story unfolds.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Winter's Orbit Cover

This next novel is a captivating and enjoyable science fiction debut filled with murder, intrigue and politics, as two aristocrats attempt to keep two planets from going to war. This sounds like a very interesting read and I look forward to seeing what this new author has come up with.

Run for Cover by Michael Ledwidge

Run for Cover cover

Bestselling thriller author Michael Ledwidge returns with the captivating Run For Cover, which follows a former Navy Seal as he investigates a series of murders while being hunted by a sinister cabal of powerful men. This sounds like a particularly awesome and thrilling read and I cannot wait to check it out.

Inscape by Louise Carey

Inscape Cover

Next up we have a gritty and impressive sounding science fiction thriller set in a dark dystopian future with Inscape. Inscape is the debut novel of Louise Carey and looks set to be an excellent and exciting novel that I am very keen to try out.

The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick

The Mask of Mirrors Cover

Next up we have The Mask of Mirrors, the first book from the fantasy team of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, who are writing together under the M. A. Carrick pseudonym. The Mask of Mirrors is an impressive sounding fantasy thriller that has a lot of buzz surrounding it. I am going to make a real effort to get to this book soon and I am extremely interested in seeing what sort of captivating tale these two authors have come up with.

The Hunting by Stephen Leather

The Hunting Cover

The final entry in this Book Haul post is the very fun sounding book The Hunting by Stephen Leather. The Hunting follows a doctor who, after being mistaken for a terrorist, is captured by a big game hunter with a grudge and set loose in his personal reserve as human prey. I absolutely love the sound of this outrageous novel and I already know I am going to read this in no time at all.

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.

Waiting on Wednesday – Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

On February 3, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday9 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 latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at the next intriguing novel from acclaimed author Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary, a book that has the potential to be one of the biggest science fiction releases of 2021.

Project Hail Mary Cover

Andy Weir is a fantastic bestselling author and self-professed space nerd who has written some amazing-sounding science fiction novels over the last couple of years, including Theft of Pride and Artemis. Weir is probably best known for his epic release, The Martian, which was later adapted into the major motion picture of the same name. Each of his main novels has an intriguing science fiction or space element to them, especially as the author focuses on the science and utilises it to great effect within the story.

Weir’s next big release will be Project Hail Mary, which will present an ambitious and exciting new science fiction tale set in the depths of space. Project Hail Mary, which is set for release in early May 2021, will apparently contain an excellent science fiction adventure with some intriguing mystery and thriller elements to it. I have already heard some great things about this book from some fellow reviewers and it sounds like is going to be an exceptional and impressive read.

Synopsis:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission – and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crew mates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realises that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian – while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.