Tag: Rebellion

Quick Review – Crusade by Richard Cullen

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Quick Review3 Comments

Publisher: Boldwood Books (ebook – 10 February 2025)

Series: Chronicles of the Black Lion – Book Two

Length: 369 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

If you’re in the mood for some excellent and exciting historical fiction, look no further than the outstanding read Crusade by fantastic author Richard Cullen.  Cullen, who also writes as fantasy author R. S. Ford (see my review for his book Engines of Empire), provides a fantastic second entry in his Chronicles of the Black Lion historical series with Crusade.  An amazing sequel to his 2024 novel, Rebellion, Crusade continues to follow his protagonist, Estienne Wace, former squire to William Marshal, on another powerful journey, this time into the Fifth Crusade.


Plot Synopsis:

Egypt 1219AD.

Abandoning the safety of England for the perilous shores of the Levant, Estienne Wace is thrust into the turmoil of the Fifth Crusade. Burning with righteous purpose, he is determined to reclaim the Holy Land in the name of Christ.

War rages along the banks of the Nile as a crusading army besieges the Saracen city of Damietta, certain that the price they pay in blood will return the glory and treasures they crave. But as the Black Lion roars, and the siege grinds on, Estienne’s unwavering faith is tested more and more by the grim reality of this brutal conflict.

As the siege turns on a knife edge, Estienne finds himself thrust upon a journey across the merciless desert. Stripped of everything, and forced into a dangerous alliance, he will grapple with the true meaning of faith, honour, and the price of salvation, in a land where nothing is as he once believed.


Crusade was a captivating and worthy sequel to Rebellion that provided readers with the intriguing next chapter in the life of Cullen’s main character.  Easily read as a standalone historical adventure or a continuation of the author’s previous book, Crusade starts off strong and keeps the action coming quick and fast, as the protagonist is thrown into battle to seize the Saracen city of Damietta.  There are some awesome sequences here, as Cullen produces some high-quality and intense medieval combat scenes that allow the reader to feel every hack and thrust of the protagonist’s sword.  At the same time, the author also provides the reader with some introspection, as the protagonist has his first doubts about the crusade he has sworn to fight for.

Cullen quickly moves the reader into one of the more memorable parts of Crusade, as the protagonist finds himself separated from his crusader brethren and is instead captured and sold into slavery.  Forced to cross the desert, Estienne faces innumerable hardships as he attempts to escape, including slavers, the elements, a surprise band of Mongolian raiders, and a gigantic and vengeful warrior who has sworn to hunt down and kill him.  This proved to be a really fun part of the book, as the author provides innumerable perils, while also introducing or expanding on several interesting supporting characters.  You really get stuck into Crusade’s story here, and it sets up the final third of the book extremely well, as a doubtful Estienne takes part in the final conflicts of the Fifth Crusade.  Cullen features these final battles nicely, especially with some dual perspectives from Estienne’s gigantic rival, and you get some interesting closure as the final battles of the crusade emerge.  Everything ends on a hopeful note, and you are left wondering what adventures will appear next in the series as the protagonist embarks on a new journey.

As with Rebellion before it, one of the things that I personally enjoyed about Crusade was Cullen’s excellent use of historical elements as he dove into the compelling events surrounding the Fifth Crusade.  One of the lesser utilised crusades in historical fiction, the Fifth Crusade saw the armies of Christendom invade Egypt, with a combined force of multiple nations and knightly orders.  This was a clever historical event to set a story in, especially as it fits in right after the First Barons’ War, which was the focus of Rebellion.  Cullen clearly did his research when it came to this conflict, and I liked how he fit his protagonist in amongst the key events of the crusade.  Estienne proves to be a good witness to the major conflicts of the war, and his subsequent wanderings in the desert also provided some interesting historical context, especially with the appearance of the Mongolians and other desert groups.  I deeply appreciated this cool examination of this period, and I love that Cullen is taking the opportunity to feature some less well-known conflicts with his books.  It will be interesting to see what wars or key historical events Cullen will set his next entry in the Chronicles of the Black Lion series around, but I am sure I will find it fascinating.

Richard Cullen continues to impress with his cool historical fiction.  Crusade proved to be a great addition to Chronicles of the Black Lion series, and I enjoyed its excellent action, compelling historical inclusions and intriguing narrative.  I look forward to seeing where Cullen will take his series next, and I am having fun with these awesome books.

Amazon

Quick Review – Rebellion by Richard Cullen

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction7 Comments

Publisher: Boldwood Books (ebook – 26 October 2024)

Series: Chronicles of the Black Lion – Book One

Length: 290 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Prepare for an exciting and compelling historical adventure from excellent author Richard Cullen with the amazing read Rebellion.

Back in 2024 I was lucky to receive a copy of the awesome historical fiction novel Rebellion by Richard Cullen.  Cullen, who entered the historical fiction genre a couple of years ago with his Wolf of Kings series, may be better known to some readers as fantasy author Richard S. Ford, who has written several compelling series over the year, including The Age of Uprising series (check out my review for the first book in that series, Engines of Empire).  His latest release, Rebellion, is the first book in his Chronicles of the Black Lion series, that takes readers back to the early 13th century and deadly rebellions against the crown.

Plot Synopsis:

1213AD.

King Richard the Lionheart is dead, and his brother, John Lackland, sits uneasily upon the throne of England.

Across the sea, Prince Louis, heir to the powerful King Philip Augustus of France, looks to King John’s crown with a covetous eye.

But King John must be wary of rebellion, as well as invasion, for even his own barons would see their king unseated, and the French pretender put in his place.

Thrust amid this tumult is young Estienne Wace, orphan squire to Earl William Marshal – the greatest knight to ever serve the kings of England, and one of the few men who still holds faith in King John’s rule.

Raised by Marshal as his ward, Estienne must prove himself worthy of his adopted father’s name, but acceptance may be the least of his troubles. War is looming, as usurpers emerge from every quarter, determined to steal England’s crown from its most wretched king.

Rebellion was an outstanding novel that successfully wrapped around a character-driven tale of adventure and honour with a compelling historical background to form a fantastic and exciting read.  Told primarily from the perspective of Estienne Wace, new squire to legendary knight, lord, and royal regent Wiliam Marshal, you see the chaotic events that defined the last few years of King John’s reign, including the First Barons’ War, in compelling detail.  For the most part Cullen tells a classic historical coming of age/adventure tale around Estienne, as the young man first learns the ropes of being a squire, and then the reader follows him through several major battles and historical events, either as a fighting participant or a curious observer.  This allows for quite a bit of action and excitement, and the young protagonist soon learns the true horrors of war as he grows closer to the Marshal family.

This proves to be a fascinating and very intense historical narrative, and the author enthrals the reader with a great combination of fascinating historical detail, a ton of cool action, and some compelling character work as he features an intriguing mixture of new characters and many established historical figures.  I found this combination to work extremely well, and it proved interesting to follow the protagonist as he witnessed the turbulent history of the period and the dark conflicts it birthed.  The action flies thick and fast as the story continues, and I loved the awesome array of detailed sequences that emerged, including a lengthy and desperate siege.  The author also makes excellent use of some great alternate points of view as the story continues, including a jealous rival to the protagonist, and you are gifted with a compelling and highly intense look at the battles and politics unfolding.  While for the most part the main storyline around Estienne is typical historical fiction fare, Cullen throws in some interesting, if not entirely unsurprising, reveals at the end which should lead to some interesting developments in the future.  All this helped to produce a very cool story, and its one that I had a hard time putting down at times.

While I love all the above inclusions, my favourite part of Rebellion was the excellent historical details that Cullen worked his cool narrative around, especially as the author has clearly done his research on the subject.  It helped that Cullen chose to set his story around a truly fascinating period of English history that hasn’t been too over-utilised in other pieces of historical fiction.  As such, readers are gifted with deeply compelling look at the later years of King John’s reign as he lost land and refused to abide by the Magna Carter, and the resulting war that emerged as his various lords rebelled and tried to crown Prince Louise of France as King.  Cullen expertly places Estienne in the middle of many of the key events of this period, and through his eyes you get the full picture of the events that led up the war, as well as how it unfolded.  I honestly found this to be extremely fascinating, mainly because this war is often overshadowed by other events in English history, and you don’t see it utilised too often in modern fiction.  It was pretty damn interesting to see just how close England came to being ruled by a French king, and I honestly didn’t know that the French landed an army in England during this period, nor that Dover was besieged, and it was extremely cool to see it all unfold throughout the plot of Rebellion.

I personally also enjoyed how much Cullen focused on the awesome historical figure of William Marshal in this book, including examining the role that he played in stopping the war and saving England.  Marshal, a legendary knight who served several kings, is shown as an older man torn between duty and family, as he tries to save the cruel King John while his son chooses to support the rebelling barons.  I have always loved the history surrounding William Marshal and Cullen does a beautiful job bringing this aging example of knightly duty and honour to life and showcasing the complex roles he tried to balance for the sake of England.  This portrayal of Willaim Marshal, and indeed all the historical detail in the book, helps to make Rebellion a particularly captivating historical read, and I really appreciated how Cullen worked it all into the story.

Overall Rebellion was an awesome, fascinating and deeply addictive historical fiction novel that I could not get enough of.  Richard Cullen did a brilliant job of bringing this historical adventure together, and I had a wonderful time with the cool action and compelling history contained within it.  This is a very fun and exciting read that this very easy to get hooked on, and I ended up having an outstanding time with Rebellion.  Indeed, I enjoyed it so much that I have already grabbed an early copy of the sequel, Crusade, and I am hoping to read it soon.

Amazon

Revenge of Rome by Simon Scarrow

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction5 Comments

Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 12 November 2024)

Series: Eagles of the Empire – Book 23 

Length: 411 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

The action continues in one of my favourite Roman historical fiction series with the outstanding and captivating read, Revenge of Rome by Simon Scarrow.

I have long extolled the ability of Simon Scarrow, who is one of the top current authors of historical fiction, as well as a personal favourite writer of mine.  I have had a blast reading and reviewing many Scarrow books over the years, including his Berlin Wartime Thriller series (see my reviews for Blackout and Dead of Night), as well as several great standalone reads.  However, his main body of work is the exceptional Eagles of the Empire series.  One of the premier Roman historical fiction series, the Eagles of the Empire books follow two elite Roman officers as they fight their way across multiple wars, provinces and battlefields.  I have been a fan of this series from the beginning, and the books within it have been a key part of my yearly review schedule, including The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome, Death to the Emperor and Rebellion.  As such, the latest book in the series, Revenge of Rome, has been a highly anticipated read for me, and I have been very keen to get my hands on it.  The 23rd novel in the series, Revenge of Rome, follows on immediately after the events of Death to the Emperor and Rebellion, which covered the main events of Boudica’s uprising, and deal with the deadly aftermath of this massive conflict.

Britannia, 61 AD.  Following the final stand of the Roman army that broke the massive rebel horde, the uprising against Rome has ended but there is still no peace in Britannia.  Boudica, the warrior queen who sparked the rebellion, has escaped and still holds the eagle standard of the defeated Ninth Legion.  With the eagle in hand, Boudica and her Iceni tribe are living proof that Rome can be beaten and while she survives the flames of rebellion continue to smoulder.

Desperate to hunt Boudica down and make her pay for her crimes, Rome assigns two veterans to end the threat she poses, Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro.  Survivors of countless battles and campaigns Cato and Macro are the perfect soldiers to take down Boudica, especially as they share a long history with her.  Determined to do their duty, even with their conflicted feelings, Cato and Macro lead their troops into the lands of the Iceni to either capture or kill Boudica.

However, Boudica is no easy prey to capture.  Despite her defeat, she still has many skilled warriors fighting under her banner, each of whom holds great hatred for the Romans.  Worse, the war has made Boudica both cruel and cunning, and she soon engages in a brutal war of attrition, determined to break the Romans before they can overwhelm her.  To succeed, Cato and Macro will need all their cunning, grit and experience to finally bring Boudica down.  But can even these wily Roman officers contend with the wrath of an entire nation and their vengeful queen, or will Britannia rise once more to destroy the Roman invaders?

Revenge of Rome was another excellent and exciting entry in the Eagles of the Empire series that proved to be an absolute blast to get through.  A very intense, character driven read that focuses on an interesting period of Roman history, Revenge of Rome was an outstanding book that really drew me in.

Scarrow did an amazing job continuing the intense story from the last two books, and I frankly feel that this has been some of his best writing in years.  Starting off with a cool alternate look at the main battle from Rebellion, Revenge of Rome primarily explores the events immediately following the massive uprising and the destruction wrought on the Roman settlements.  Once again following Cato and Macro as they are given an impossible task, Scarrow presents a back-to-basics narrative as the two officers train up a new regiment (from the Second Legion, which was a nice callback to the first few books), to lead it into combat against the rebelling tribes.  The first half of the book follows Cato’s initial strategy of diplomacy and scouting, as he tries to figure out how to defeat Boudica with limited troops.  At the same time, Boudica works to reignite her rebellion, causing chaos amongst the other tribes and scoring some early victories.  This proves to be an intriguing first half of the book, especially as it nicely sets up the rest of the narrative, while also examining the aftermath of the rebellion, and the initial attempts of the Romans to regain control.

While the first half of Revenge of Rome was exciting, the best action occurs in the second half as Cato and Macro lead their troops against the Iceni and attempt to find their hideout.  There are some great small-scale conflicts the further we get along and Scarrow did an effective job showcasing Boudica as a truly dangerous foe.  Everything nicely leads up to the final battle, where the protagonists discover the Iceni’s fortress in the swamps (thanks to an excellent plot line about Cato trying to win back the hearts and minds of the locals) and engage in a deadly siege.  The action flies thick and fast here, and there are some awesome fight sequences as both sides initiate some clever tactics.  I really got caught up in the final battles and flew through the last 100 pages or so which detailed the siege.  While there is a natural focus on the brutal combat, Scarrow also provided some powerful character moments which helped to make Revenge of Rome even more intense and moving.  Scarrow ends everything on a final, if hopeful, note and it looks like the Eagles of the Empire series will be entering a new phase.  It will be interesting to see where Scarrow goes next, and I look forward to seeing how a certain new character is worked into the plot.

Scarrow always utilises a great and consistent style with the Eagle of the Empire books, which allows for some fantastic and exciting stories.  Revenge of Rome is no different, as we are presented with a compelling tale that sees the Romans taking on the local tribes of Britannia in a deadly game of cat and mouse.  I felt that Scarrow did a great job amping up the character emotions in Revenge of Rome, especially as we get some great alternate views of the main antagonist, Boudica, and her vengeful crusade.  The resulting carnage is well-written and intense, and Scarrow is very effective at portraying historical combat through his writing.  I really love the detail in which Scarrow showcases both the Romans and the Britannia tribes, and the compelling action sequences make for some brilliant reading.  The historical period featured within Revenge of Rome also proved to be very interesting, as Scarrow dives into the aftermath of Boudica’s rebellion and the state of Britannia at the time.  I really appreciated this fascinating focus; especially as most historical fiction authors tend to only portray the main rebellion and leave it at that.  I felt that Scarrow also did an outstanding job capturing the emotions of both the Roman soldiers and the surviving tribes throughout the book, and it was really intriguing to see some of the politics and logistics involved in the aftermath of the deadly occurrences of the previous novels.  Like most books in the series, Revenge of Rome can easily be read as a standalone novel, as Scarrow writes an inclusive narrative that cycles back to key events of previous books when necessary.  However, to get the full emotional impact of Revenge of Rome I would recommend first reading the prior two novels, Death to the Emperor and Rebellion, as their stories are extremely well linked.  However, even if you only read Revenge of Rome, you are in for a great historical adventure with some intriguing features.

I also felt that Revenge of Rome had some very strong character work in it as Scarrow brings back his classic protagonists alongside a few intriguing additions.  After 23 books, Cato and Macro are still the same characters we’ve come to know and love, although Scarrow does find ways to keep them fresh.  While Cato is his usual tactical and empathetic self, especially when it comes to finding ways to defeat the enemy, Macro is in his full-on non-commissioned officer mode, serving as the hard-boiled soldier’s soldier.  Thanks to some over-the-top drill sergeant scenes, Macro quickly steals focus, and he is the more entertaining of the two protagonists.  Scarrow also throws in some especially emotional sequences for Macro, as he deals with the continued conflict against his former love interest, Boudica, his guilt for the damage she caused, and the secrets she revealed to him in the previous novel.  One of these secrets comes to fruition nicely in the final part of the book, and it will be interesting to see how the evolves going forward.

Aside from Cato and Macro, there is a great array of additional interesting characters scattered throughout the novel who have their moment to shine.  This includes multiple Roman figures, many of whom previously appeared in previous novels.  Of these, I particularly enjoyed Scarrow’s portrayal of a young Tribune Agricola.  Agricola, a real historical figure destined to become a famous general, is shown here as a brash young officer eager for command.  His ongoing storyline of learning the ropes under Cato and Macro proves to be a lot of fun, and I liked the inference that Agricola’s later success can be attributed to the harsh early tutorage of the protagonists.  However, out of the all the supporting characters, I felt that Scarrow did his best work with Boudica.  Boudica, who has appeared in several earlier Eagles of the Empire books, has one of her best outings in Revenge of Rome.  Despite losing in Rebellion, Boudica is still a determined revolutionary, turned vengeful from the Romans treatment of her and her daughters.  As such, she is unrecognisable compared to her previous appearances as an ally to Cato and Macro, and she proves to be one of their most dangerous enemies.  I felt that Scarrow really captured her revenge-darkened heart in Revenge of Rome, and there are some great scenes where she continues to take her war up another notch.  It was honestly really moving to see her in this final showdown against the protagonists, and I appreciated how effectively Scarrow focused on this iconic historical figure in this latest book.

Simon Scarrow once again deeply impressed me with an Eagles of the Empire novel as Revenge of Rome was another captivating and exciting novel, loaded with awesome historical action.  An excellent addition to the series that provides an outstanding wrap-up of one of Scarrow’s best storylines, Revenge of Rome comes very highly recommended, and I look forward to seeing where the author takes the series next.  In the meantime, we have A Death of Berlin to look forward to from Scarrow early next year, which should be another dark and complex Berlin Wartime Thriller.

Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Pre-2024 Novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List11 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. This week participants of Top Ten Tuesday get a freebie to list whatever topics they want.  So, I am going to take this opportunity to start my annual end-of-year lists here by looking at my favourite pre-2024 novels that I read this year.

Each December I have a lot of fun looking at some of the best and most impressive books and comics that I have read throughout the year in a series of Top Ten Lists.  While these lists will mostly focus on books that came out in 2024, for the last few years I have also taken the time to list out some of the best older novels that I have read in the last 12 months.  There are some excellent novels that were released pre-2024 out there that I haven’t had the chance to read before and it is always fun to go back and explore them.  I ended up reading a bunch of awesome older books throughout 2024, including some incredible novels that got easy five-star ratings from me and are really worth checking out.

To come up with this list I had a look at all the novels I read this year that had their initial release before 2024.  This proved to be a momentous task, as I read a ton of older books this year, including quite a few Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.  Despite the awesome array of older novels and audiobooks I enjoyed this year, I eventually managed to pull together a fantastic list that covered some of the best books released before 2024 that I read.  As I have in previous years, I combined novels that are part of the same series into a single entry, just to diversify it up a bit.  While I might be cheating in places, this list honestly reflects the best pre-2024 novels I read throughout the year, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000 Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks – 2021

A highly entertaining read from a great rising star of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Brutal Kunnin was particularly funny, and it allowed me to read it’s 2024 sequel, Da Big Dakka, in all it’s hilarious glory.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000 Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer – 2022

A fantastic Warhammer 40,000 debut from a couple of years ago, Witchbringer was an awesome novel that I was really happy to finally check out.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 2023

I got Rebellion, the 2023 entry in one of my favourite historical series, a bit late last year and it ended up being an early January 2024 read for me as a result.  A captivating and action-packed novel, Rebellion was amazing and comes highly recommended.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett – 1989

I had a ton of fun re-reading one of my favourite Discworld novels this year with Guards! Guards!.  One of Terry Pratchett’s best books, Guards! Guards! was just as amazing as I remembered it, and I still laugh at its elaborate narrative and exceptional humour.  While I have read Guards! Guards! before, I’m including it on this list as it was the first time I listened to the new audiobook version with Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy.  An incredible listen that I cannot recommend enough.

Amazon

 

Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett – Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr – 2002

As with last year’s pre-2023 book post, this list could have been dominated by the works of Dan Abnett if I hadn’t combined a few posts together.  That is because I am still making progress on his Gaunt’s Ghosts series, which is one of the seminal pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Following the common soldiers of the Tanith First and Only, better known as Gaunt’s Ghosts, this series is a gritty series about camaraderie and the horrors of war for the common human soldier in the grim future of the Warhammer universe.  I managed to get through two exceptional entries in the series this year, Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr, both of which were epic in their own way.  Featuring great characters, dark moments, and some particularly realistic depictions of war, these novels were so damn good, and I loved every second I spent listening to them.  I am hoping to dive even deeper into this series next year, and I know I am going to love it.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Double Eagle by Dan Abnett – 2004

One of the absolute best Warhammer 40,000 novels I enjoyed in 2024 was another classic read from Dan Abnett, Double Eagle.  A spin-off from his Gaunt’s Ghosts series (The Guns of Tanith specifically), Double Eagle was an exceptional and highly intense read that followed various Imperial pilots as they fight a brutal air war above a contested planet.  Essentially the Battle of Britain in the grimdark future, Double Eagle was utterly addictive, and I loved every single second I spent listening to it.  A must read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans, Double Eagle is just incredible, and I am looking forward to the sequel, Interceptor City, which is coming out soon.

Amazon

 

Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell – The Traitor’s Hand (2005), Death or Glory (2006), Duty Calls (2007) and Cain’s Last Stand (2008)

Another long-running Warhammer 40,000 series I read in 2024 was the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell.  Following the heroic Commissar Cain as he fights in multiple battlefields, the Ciaphas Cain books are a particularly fun Warhammer 40,000 series due to the hilarious protagonist who is a lot more cowardly and practical than most people realise.  I read four books in this series this year, mainly because they are so easy to listen to and enjoy.  This includes The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls and Cain’s Last Stand.  All four were extremely good and featured distinctive and entertaining stories, with the last three featuring a great, loosely connected storyline.  If I had to choose a favourite it would probably be Death or Glory, that set a young Ciaphas Cain on his path to hero status when he accidently leads a band of human survivors Mad Max style to victory.  An outstanding series I will probably read more of in 2025.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons – 2010

As I’m on a roll with awesome older Warhammer 40,000 novels, the next book on this list is the impressive Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons.  A particularly dark addition to the canon, Dead Men Walking pits Lyon’s favourite Imperial Guard faction, the Death Korps of Kreig (who Lyons also writes about in Kreig and The Siege of Vraks), against the unstoppable metal-coated Necrons, resulting in a devastating battle against two equally unrelenting foe.  Cleverly told from the perspective of the normal humans caught in the crossfire of this brutal war, Dead Men Walking showcases just how dark Warhammer 40,000 fiction can get, and I loved the entire captivating and ironic story.

Amazon

 

Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher – Skin Game (2014) and Peace Talks (2020)

After a couple of years of having a brilliant time exploring the Dresden Files books, I finally finished off the series this year by reading Skin Game and Peace Talks.  Two excellent and compelling entries in the series, these books were particularly awesome in all the right ways.  My favourite of the two was Skin Game, which saw the wizard protagonist forced to team up with his worst enemies to complete an impossible magical heist.  However, the other book, Peace Talks, was also particularly moving and exciting, especially as it set up Butcher’s other 2020 novel Battle Ground, which is where I entered the Dresden Files series.  I have had such an incredible time reading the Dresden Files books over the years, and I hope we start to get some new entries in it soon.

Amazon

 

The Outsider by Stephen King – 2018

One of the books I was particularly happy to read in 2024 was the intense and brilliant Stephen King novel The Outsider.  A complex, dark and shocking horror thriller, The Outsider starts off with a great concept when a local hero is accused of a terrible crime and all the evidence irrefutably shows that he did it.  The problem, the accused claims to be innocent and he has an impossibly airtight alibi.  I loved the fantastic and powerful story King wove around this idea, and I honestly could not stop listening to it.  Probably one of the better King books I have so far read, The Outsider was so damn good and still cannot get over its exceptional story.

Amazon

 

The Sandman – Act III by Neil Gaiman – 2022

After having a great time listening to the first audiobook adaptations of The Sandman in previous years (see my reviews for Act I and Act II), I managed to listen to the third act this year.  An intriguing continuation of the story, Act III featured an excellent and addictive story, told by an all-star full cast of excellent actors and voice talent.  I had such an outstanding time listening to the complex tales contained within this latest adaptation of The Sandman and I really cannot recommend it enough as an awesome way to enjoy this brilliantly dark and inventive series.  I hope we eventually get a fourth act of The Sandman at some point, as I really need closure around how the series ends.

Amazon

 

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker – 2023

After having an exceptional time with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead last year (one of my favourite books of 2023), I made sure to read the simultaneously released sequels, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder in 2024.  Both were clever and hilarious reads that followed the series’ smart, cynical and unlucky protagonist through a series of complex adventures.  These sequels were extremely well written and planned out, and I loved how the overarching series came together.  I cannot recommend the final two Corax books enough, and together with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, they form and exceptional and extremely smart trilogy.

Amazon

 

Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell – 2023

The final book I want to feature on this list was the captivating fantasy novel, Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell.  A loosely connected prequel to de Castell’s new Court of Shadows series, which started this year with Play of Shadows, Crucible of Chaos was an outstanding read that I am glad I went back to check out.  Set in the author’s Greatcoats universe, Crucible of Chaos follows an unlikely magistrate as he journeys to an isolated monastery to arbitrate a religious dispute that has broken out on the grounds.  However, upon arriving he discovers that the situation has irrevocably deteriorated, and he must investigate a terrible murder amongst on the storm rocked island, whilst dealing with armed factions and dark magic.  A particularly impressive read that cemented my new-found appreciation for de Castell’s writing, Crucible of Chaos is an outstanding novel and a fantastic final entry on this list.

Amazon

 

And that is the end of this list.  As you can see, I have managed to read a huge number of epic pre-2024 releases this year.  Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend all of them, especially if you are in the mood for some fun fantasy or science fiction adventures.  I look forward to reading many more older books in 2025, and it will be interesting to see what makes my next version of this list then.  I imagine it will also end up being very Warhammer heavy, as I have plans to finish off the Gaunt’s Ghosts and Ciaphas Cain series, and I will probably also dive into a bunch of other awesome series from the franchise.  Make sure to check back in next week for some other end-of-year lists as I continue to highlight some of my favourite reads from 2024.

WWW Wednesday – 23 October 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 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:

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik (Trade Paperback)

I just started reading the intriguing new Naomi Novik book, Buried Deep and Other Stories.  A collection of short stories from the acclaimed fantasy author, Buried Deep and Other Stories features an intriguing array of tales from Novik’s various fantasy worlds, including the setting of her next big series.  I have already gotten through the first story and it proved to be a lot of fun.  I will hopefully get through the rest of the book pretty quickly and I look forward to seeing what other great adventures it contains

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers (Audiobook)

I was still in a massive Warhammer 40,000 mood this week, so I started listening to Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers, which I had been really looking forward to.  The sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Outgunned, Above and Beyond places the protagonists of the first book, a disgraced propaganda expert and a legendary, if exceedingly cynical, pilot, in a new dangerous situation.  A compelling mixture of action, intrigue, and eccentric characters, all while providing a particularly dark look at the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Above and Beyond is an exceptional read and one I will hopefully knock off very soon.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Trade Paperback)

Another outstanding novel from Connelly.  Featuring three fantastic major protagonists, The Waiting had some very clever mysteries in it, and this was one of the best crime fiction reads of 2024.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer (Audiobook)

Another outstanding Warhammer 40,000 novel that focused on a unique faction in the game, Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer was a particularly intriguing and compelling novel that I could not get enough of.  Review to hopefully follow soon.

Amazon

 

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler (Trade Paperback)

One of the funniest and most compelling fantasy novels of 2024.  I loved this comedic take on the classic heroic tale, especially as Wexler made it very over-the-top in all the right ways.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Richard Cullen (ebook)

An excellent and exciting historical fiction novel that focused on an intriguing period of English history.  I had a lot of fun with Rebellion, especially as I was in the mood for a fun and entertaining historical adventure.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

I’m planning to read the intriguing young adult fantasy novel The Heart of the World by Australian author Amie Kaufman next.  The sequel to The Isles of the Gods, The Heart of the World will take Kaufman’s teenage protagonists on a dark and intense journey as they try to stop a destructive war.

Amazon

 

The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

I am also planning to start reading the new John Gwynne book, The Fury of the Gods, in the next week.  The final book in Gwynne’s epic and exceptional Bloodsworn Saga (see my reviews for The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods), The Fury of the Gods has so much awesome potential and it will probably end up being one of my favourite fantasy books of 2024.

Amazon

 

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

Book Haul – 22 October 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I’ve had another excellent week for books, as I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from local publishers and Netgalley.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year.  I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.

The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

I was very, very happy to receive the latest epic fantasy novel from John Gwynne, The Fury of the Gods.  The third and final book in the Bloodsworn trilogy, The Fury of the Gods will follow on from the exceptional reads, The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods.  Set to showcase the final battle between several bands of warriors and the reborn gods, The Fury of the Gods will easily be one of the top fantasy books of 2024 and I am extremely keen to check it out, especially after once again witnessing this glorious cover art.

Amazon

 

The Ghosts of August by Peter Watt

Another excellent book I was happy to get my hands on was the fantastic Australian historical fiction novel, The Ghosts of August by Peter Watt.  The sixth and final book in Watt’s excellent Colonial series, The Ghosts of August will continue to follow members of an Australian family as they battle their way through various key historical events.  This final book will be set around World War I and should prove to be another outstanding read.  I have had a lot of fun with this series over the last few years (see my reviews for The Queen’s Colonial, The Queen’s Tiger, The Queen’s Captain, The Colonial’s Son and Call of Empire), and I have no doubt Watt will end this series on a great note.

Amazon

 

Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

As an early Christmas gift, I was lucky enough to get a copy of the new Benjamin Stevenson book, Everyone This Christmas has a Secret.  Following on from his previous awesome novels, Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, Everyone This Christmas has a Secret is a short, but intriguing entry in the series that will see the protagonist attempt to work out which performer at a Christmas show is a murderer.  I know that I am going to have a ton of fun with this book, and its sure to be one of the top Australian novels of 2024.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Richard Cullen

An exciting historical fiction release, Rebellion is a great new novel from Richard Cullen that follows an uprising against King John by his nobles.  I loved the sound of this cool book, and I actually started reading it today.  It’s proving to be a very exciting and compelling historical read that focuses on a fantastic period of history.

Amazon

 

Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

One of the books I recently received with the most potential is the epic novel, Blood Over Bright Haven.  An intrigue laden book about politics and study in a magical university, Blood Over Bright Haven sounds really cool and I am very keen to get through its fantastic sounding plot.  I’m also interested in reading something from author M. L. Wang, especially after hearing some good things about her previous novel, The Sword of Kaigen, and I look forward to seeing how this book turns out.

Amazon

 

The Great Library of Tomorrow by Rosalia Aguilar Solace

The final book I recently received was The Great Library of Tomorrow by Rosalia Aguilar Solace.  An intricate fantasy novel about a multidimensional library, The Great Library of Tomorrow looks set to be a fascinating read and I am looking forward to diving into it.

Amazon

 

 

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

Top Ten Tuesday – Top Pre-2024 Novels That I read in the First Half of the Year     

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature 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 to lists books which you thought required either more or less of certain elements to make them better.  While this is an interesting concept, I’m instead going to do something different and will provide two separate lists here that continue my them of recapping the first half of 2024.  The first of these lists will look at the very best pre-2024 novels that I read in the first half of the year.

I have had a lot of fun recapping some of the best recent books and audiobooks released in the first half of 2024 in previous weeks, but I also need to talk about some of the books that came out before 2024 that I also read this year.  I am a big fan of going back and checking out older series and books, and there are so many excellent pre-2024 novels that I haven’t had a chance to read before.  This has been particularly true recently, as I have spent a lot of time this year pouring through novels and audiobooks with a variety of older release dates and featuring them in my Throwback Thursday posts.  I honestly might have enjoyed too many of these older books, as I am way behind in my 2024 readings now, but I think it was more than worth it as there were some exceptional reads there, including a bunch that got five-star ratings from me.  Due to the sheer number of pre-2024 books I have already read this year, as well as their amazing quality, I felt that it would be interesting to do a list highlighting them now.

To come up with this list I had a look at all the novels I read this year that had their initial release before 2024.  This list includes a range of pre-2024 releases, including quite a few that I had been meaning to read for a while.  To make it a little more difficult for myself, I decided to limit myself to only one book from each author for the main list, which did reduce the choices I had.  Thank to this I was eventually able to cull this down to a workable Top Ten list, with a descent honourable mentions section.  Due to my current obsession, this list is extremely Warhammer 40,000 heavy, which I’m fine with because they are awesome books, so I apologise in advance if some of my choices are a little predictable.  This proved to be a fun list to pull together, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000: Sabbat Martyr by Dan Abnett – 2003

An intense and epic Warhammer read that blew me away, especially as it provided a fitting end to several key characters.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Cain’s Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell – 2008

Commissar Cain “bravely” faces his toughest challenge ever in this very clever and hilarious book.

Amazon

 

Cold Days by Jim Butcher – 2012

A fantastic, high-stakes addition to the always impressive Dresden Files series.

Amazon

 

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher – 2020

Another intriguing Dresden Files novel, Peace Talks was a great read that masterfully set up its explosive sequel, Battle Ground.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Straight Silver by Dan Abnett – 2002

First up we have a great entry in the fantastic Gaunt’s Ghosts series, Straight Silver.  I have been slowly making my way through this exceptional Warhammer 40,000 series by Dan Abnett and Straight Silver might be my favourite entry so far.  Forcing the stealth-orientated Ghosts to fight in stagnate trench warfare, Straight Silver is a dark and compelling entry in the series that also does a good job setting up the following Sabbat Martyr.  I deeply enjoyed this book, and it was a great pre-2024 novel to check out this year.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Death or Glory by Sandy Mitchell – 2006

There were several awesome entries in the Ciaphas Cain series that I checked out this year, including The Traitor’s Hand and Duty Calls, all of which were very fun and loaded with action.  However, my favourite had to be Death or Glory, which sees a younger Cain crash-land on an ork controlled planet and is forced to fight his way across it.  Essentially turning into a Mad Max inspired adventure with the cowardly Cain leading the charge, Death or Glory was pretty damn hilarious and I loved every second I spent with it.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000 Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons – 2010

One of the most intense pre-2024 novels I’ve read this year is Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons.  A great novel that focused on Lyons’ beloved Death Korp of Krieg (check out his later novel, Krieg), Dead Men Walking saw the implacable Krieg soldiers face off against the unstoppable necrons.  Essentially a battle between two faceless and unfeeling armies, with the poor civilians of the invaded planet caught in the middle, Dead Men Walking was an outstanding read that showed a particularly dark side to the already crazy Warhammer universe.

Amazon

 

Skin Game by Jim Butcher – 2014

While Cold Days and Peace Talks were very good additions to the Dresden Files series, my favourite book from Butcher I read this year was Skin Game.  One of the most highly regarded Dresden Files novels, Skin Game sees wizard protagonist Harry Dresden forced to work with his worst enemy to complete an impossible magical heist.  Clever, exciting and loaded with memorable moments, Skin Game was one of the best books Butcher has ever written and I cannot recommend it enough.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks – 2021

Mike Brooks has been on a real roll with his amazing Warhammer 40,000 fiction lately, and I made sure to jump back and check out one of his older novels this year, Brutal Kunnin.  A captivating and fast-paced read, Brutal Kunnin focuses on the always entertaining ork faction, as they attack a heavily defended planet.  Mostly focused on the innate humour that surrounds the orks, Brutal Kunnin was an excellent book that will have you laughing the entire way through.  It also sets up Brooks’ 2024 release, Da Big Dakka, and is a must-read as a result.

Amazon

 

The Sandman Act III by Neil Gaiman – 2022

I had to continue the intricate and utterly brilliant full-cast audiobook adaptation of the classic The Sandman comics with the third entry, which made for some great listening during some road trips I recently had.  Continuing the stories set up in Act I and Act II, this third volume had another amazing story that was expertly portrayed with the extensive, high-profile vocal cast who brought it together.  A magnificent audiobook that you will not be able to stop listening to.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer – 2022

An outstanding Warhammer debut from a few years ago I’ve been meaning to read for ages, Witchbringer was a very clever read from Fischer that saw a sanction psychic defend a regiment who all fear and hate her.  An amazing read with some interesting examinations of Warhammer 40,000 lore.

Amazon

 

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle/Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker – 2023

A quick double entry I had to include here was the second and third Corax novels, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker.  Continuing from the amazing Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, these two books continue to follow the titular master of battlefield loot as he attempts to survive an array of scams and cons being run around him.  Both books are very entertaining, and contain Parker’s typical wit, intensity and cynical outlook on human nature.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 2023

The latest entries from one of my favourite historical fiction series that I had to read earlier this year rather than when it first came out.  A particularly epic book, Rebellion had a great story loaded with Roman historical action and adventure.

Amazon

 

Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien De Castell – 2023

After loving the amazing 2024 novel, Play of Shadows, I had to dive back into the loosely connected novel from Sebastien De Castell, Crucible of Chaos.  Released at the end of 2023, Crucible of Chaos had an exceptional story that saw an injured investigator and duellist travel to an important monastery to try and discover what drove all the monks crazy.  An elaborate and highly entertaining novel, Crucible of Chaos got an easy five-star rating from me and is guaranteed to make you a fan of De Castell and his extended Greatcoats universe.

Amazon

 

 

And that is the end of this list.  As you can see I have managed to check out a bunch of epic pre-2024 novels in the first half of this year.  Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend them, especially if you are in the mood for some fun fantasy or science fiction adventures.  I look forward to reading more older books in 2024, although I should probably slow down a little and check out my recent releases.  However, I imagine it I will probably continue several of these series, especially the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, so be prepared to see more Throwback Thursday posts featuring.  Make sure to check out my other recent lists about the first half of 2024, especially my other Top Ten Tuesday post tonight, and let me know what cool older books you have already checked out this year.

Book Haul – 22 January 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul1 Comment

As we have been getting into 2024, I have been having an excellent couple of weeks for book, and I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers and Netgalley.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including several of my most anticipated novels of 2024.  I truly believe that some of these books have to potential to be some of my top reads of the year and I cannot wait to dive into them. 

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman

The Ghost Orchid Cover (2)

Let us start this Book Haul post off strong with the fantastic murder mystery, The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman.  The latest book in Kellerman’s long-running Alex Delaware series, The Ghost Orchid will see the author’s entertaining protagonists investigate a chilling double homicide with many potential suspects.  I am a major fan of Kellerman’s at the moment, especially after amazing recent reads like The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History, and I have no doubt that The Ghost Orchid will be just as awesome.

Amazon

 

Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz

Lone Wolf Cover 2

Another amazing book I was very happy to get a copy of was Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz.  The latest book in Hurwitz’s excellent Orphan X series, Lone Wolf will see the author’s rogue spy/vigilante protagonist go up against his most dangerous opponents yet.  This series is another favourite of mine (see my reviews for  Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan), and I am extremely keen to see what happens to the complex protagonist next.

Amazon

 

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

The Murder Inn Cover

The outstanding team of James Patterson and Candice Fox return with the intriguing crime fiction novel, The Murder Inn, which serves as a sequel to their previous novel, The Inn.  The Murder Inn will see two murderers head towards the titular troubled inn, but which one of them is there for help, and which one is looking to kill again?  I love the sound of this book and I am hoping to read The Murder Inn very soon.

Amazon

 

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox

Devil's Kitchen Cover

Australian thriller author Candice Fox is on a roll in 2024 as in addition to her above joint book with James Patterson, she is also releasing the epic standalone thriller, Devil’s Kitchen.  Set around an elite group of firefighters who are also secretly a notorious crew of bank robbers, Devil’s Kitchen has an incredible story behind it, and I cannot wait to dive into this awesome novel.  Likely to be one of the best books by an Australian author in 2024.

Amazon

 

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

The Silverblood Promise Cover

I was particularly happy to receive an early copy of The Silverblood Promise by James Logan.  Logan’s debut novel The Silverblood Promise is an outstanding sounding fantasy book, that will force the disgraced heir of a noble house to go up against a city of criminals after his father is murdered.  I really love the sound of this epic novel and it is one of my most anticipated fantasy releases of 2024.

Amazon

 

Past Crimes by Jason Pinter

Past Crimes Cover

A cool and unique sounding science fiction novel, Past Crimes by Jason Pinter was one of the more interesting novels that I came across in recent days and I am hoping to check it out soon.

Amazon

 

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

Hollywood Hustle Cover

One of the more compelling novels I recently received was Hollywood Hustle, an excellent debut crime fiction read from actor Jon Lindstrom.  Hollywood Hustle tells the story of a washed-up actor who finds himself caught up in a dangerous situation when his daughter is kidnapped.  I’m actually reading Hollywood Hustle right now, and it is proving to be a fantastic book.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow

Rebellion Cover

The last two books on this list are some fantastic historical fiction novels I bought in the wake of Christmas.  The first of these is Rebellion, the latest book in Simon Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire series, which is one of my favourite historical fiction series.  Rebellion was a pretty epic book, and I actually just reviewed it last night here.  Highly recommended, especially if you are the mood for some historical action.

Amazon

 

Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones

Wolves of Winter Cover

The other historical fiction book I bought was the intriguing Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones.  The sequel to Jones’ excellent debut, Essex Dogs, Wolves of Winter will continue to follow the author’s damaged group of mercenaries as they continue to fight the French in the Hundred Years War.  This cool sequel will see them caught them caught up in the siege of Calais, while their own dark demons from the past threaten to consume them.  I love the sound of this book and if it’s as good as Essex Dogs, I’m going to really love reading it.

Amazon

 

 

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

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction8 Comments

Rebellion Cover

Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 14 November 2023)

Series: Eagles of the Empire – Book 22

Length: 398 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

One of my favourite historical fiction authors of all time, Simon Scarrow, returns with another epic adventure that places his long-running Roman protagonists right in the middle of the deadliest fight imaginable with Rebellion.

I have made no secret of the fact that I am a massive fan of Simon Scarrow, especially when it comes to his main Roman historical fiction series.  While I have deeply enjoyed Scarrow’s books set in other periods, such as his awesome Berlin Wartime thrillers Blackout and Dead of Night, it is Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire series that I come back to every time.  Following two veteran Roman officers who manage to find themselves sent to every battlefield imaginable, the Eagles of the Empire books have dominated the historical fiction market for over 20 years, and I have had such an incredible time reading every entry in this series.  Eagles of the Empire has been a staple series for this blog ever since I started The Unseen Library, and I have reviewed multiple entries, including The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome and Death to the Emperor.  Due to how much fun I have with these fantastic historical adventures, I always make time to read the latest Eagles of Empire book each year, and I finally managed to read the late 2023 entry, Rebellion.  The 22nd book in the series, Rebellion was an exceptional and bloody read that places Scarrow’s protagonists in their most dangerous battle yet.

AD 60, Britannia.  The Roman province of Britannia is in utter turmoil as the queen of the Iceni tribe, Boudica, leads her people in total rebellion after suffering the greed and cruelty of Rome too long.  Despite the best efforts of retired centurion Macro, Boudica’s growing force of Britons managed to destroy the veteran’s colony of Camulodunum, and now her army is emboldened to take back the entire province in a bloody spree of vengeance.

Campaigning on the other side of the province, Governor Suetonius desperately attempts to lead his army back to Londinium as soon as word reaches him about the uprising.  Forced to move ahead with a smaller force, led by Prefect Cato, Suetonius hopes to rally the rest of the troops in Britannia to make time for his army to arrive.  However, Suetonius is unprepared for the savagery of the desperate rebels and the incompetence of the officers he left behind, and he soon finds himself hopeless outnumbered.

As the Roman forces attempt to salvage the situation, Cato finds himself lost without his longtime comrade Macro beside him.  Convinced that Macro died at Camulodunum, Cato is determined to avenge his friend no matter the cost.  But Macro’s fate is far more complicated than the Roman’s realise, as he has been taken prisoner and is trapped in Boudica’s camp where everyone wants him dead.  As the Roman host desperately makes their final stand against the rebelling tribes, can these two grizzled soldiers survive this bloody battle, or has their luck finally run out?

Scarrow once again presents a fast-paced and powerful piece of historical fiction that proves impossible to put down.  Focusing on a particularly fascinating and iconic piece of history, Rebellion is an outstanding novel that once again thrusts Scarrow’s beloved protagonists right into the middle of the carnage.

The author had to achieve a lot in Rebellion, especially after the epic cliffhanger the prior novel, Death to the Emperor, left us on.  The events leading up to Boudica’s rebellion have been in play since the author’s very first book, and it was only a matter of time before Scarrow showcased it in this series.  Death to the Emperor did a really good job setting the rebellion in motion, and Scarrow needed to majorly capitalise on that in this latest novel.  Luckily, he was more than up to the task, presenting a captivating story that covers the key events of the rebellion.

After starting with a fun and bloody introduction that helps to highlight just how much trouble the Romans are in, Rebellion swiftly returns to the protagonists.  The first part of the book is told primarily from Cato’s perspective, as he accompanies the Roman general and a small force back to the imperilled capital in a desperate march.  This sets up a lot of the later narrative, especially as you get a sense of how out of position the Romans are and how desperate events have become.  Rebellion’s plot got even more interesting when the story spent several chapters focussing on Macro.  Now, I never for a second believed that Macro had been killed in the previous book, so I do not consider it a spoiler to mention that he was a major part of Rebellion.  His scenes were easily the highlight of the first half of Rebellion, especially as he endured being a prisoner of the rebelling tribes and his former lover, Boudica.  These scenes are so tense and emotionally charged, as Macro is forced to watch his comrades be butchered all around him, while also learning some surprising secrets.  Despite the horrors he witnesses, Macro still manages to be a bullish and utterly frustrating figure for his captors, and I loved seeing the various ways he tries to fight back.  Naturally, these two separate storylines converge as the book continues, although things only get darker once Cato and Macro are back together.

The second half of Rebellion is so damn fast-paced, exciting and intense that I honestly read the whole thing in a single night.  Everything about this second half is very impressive, as the characters go through hell time and again.  Much of this involves an extended chase sequence as the Romans are forced to flee the advancing wrath of Boudica.  The sheer desperation, despair and sacrifice involved in many of these scenes is extremely moving, and Scarrow did not sugarcoat just how brutal and bloody things got at the hands of the rebelling Britons.  The continued perspective spilt between Cato and Macro during these sequences works great, and Scarrow really captures just how fraught the situation is.

While I loved this long chase sequence and the brawls involved with it, the main highlight of Rebellion was always going to be the final battle between the Romans and Boudica.  Scarrow takes his time setting up this battle, which really heightens the anticipation, as the characters make their preparations and reflect on the fight to come.  The conclusive battle was everything you would hope it to be, and Scarrow showcases the epic confrontation, one of the bloodiest in Roman British history, in fantastic detail.  The action is intense, fast and shocking, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat waiting to see how events would unfold and whether the protagonists would survive.  Everything comes to a powerful and desperate finish, and readers will be thrilled by how this entire novel comes together.

As with most books in Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire series, Rebellion can be read as a fun standalone novel, although in this case reading one or two of the previous entries might be beneficial.  This is because most of the storylines from the last few books have involved the events that led to Boudica’s revolt, and it was great to see it finally see this ongoing arc finally come to fruition.  At the very least, I would advise people to read the prior novel, Death to the Emperor, before getting into Rebellion.  Death to the Emperor was one of Scarrow’s best recent book in the series, and it ends with the battle for Camulodunum and a cliffhanger regarding Macro.  The two books form a powerful pairing, and I strongly believe that the impact of Rebellion was enhanced by reading the events of Death to the Emperor first.  However, if you choose to dive into Rebellion as a standalone, you will still be in for a good time because Scarrow ensures that the plot is very accessible and easy to follow for new readers.  This proves to be an awesome Eagles of the Empire book as a result, and I look forward to the next entry in the series, especially after some of the cool revelations that came out in this impressive novel.

I loved the historical aspects of Rebellion as Scarrow does an amazing job of exploring the events of Boudica’s revolt in detail.  As I mentioned above, the set-up for the revolt was handled flawlessly in Death to the Emperor, and Scarrow did a great job following it up with the main event here in this sequel.  Many of the key aspects of this conflict, including the sacking of Londinium, the forced march of the Roman army, and the general panic of the citizens in Britannia are shown in impressive detail, and Scarrow does a great job of setting the scene and showing just how close the Romans were to defeat.  The author does not pull any punches when it comes to how bad things got, and the inhuman actions both sides committed really raised the stakes of the book.  Scarrow also does an outstanding job of filling in historical details that were not effectively covered by the surviving sources.  For example, I liked his take on the destruction of the Ninth Legion at the start of the book, which was reminiscent of the Teutoburg Forest massacre.  Scarrow further enhances the story by providing an intriguing potential viewpoint on both sides of the revolt.  Interactions between Cato, Macro, and several different Briton characters really highlight how both sides thought they were in the right, and the differing views around the conflicts amped up the emotions of the story.  However, it was his fantastic depiction of the final battle that I particularly enjoyed.  Despite its fame, reliable details about this battle are scarce and I think that Scarrow presented a very reasonable depiction, showing the tactics the desperate Romans likely used.  This battle really came to life thanks to Scarrow’s outstanding storytelling, and you can just envision the fight between the tightly formed Roman legionaries and the massed hordes of Britons.  All this historical detail was just superb, and I loved how authentic and brutal it helped to make Rebellion.

In addition to the amazing and compelling historical elements, Rebellion also featured some moving character work.  The plot of Rebellion featured an interesting combination of long-running protagonists, real-life historical figures, and new characters introduced for this book.  I think this cool combination of characters worked extremely well, and it helped to tell an amazing and complex story.  Naturally, most of this focus goes towards the characters of Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro, who we have had so many adventures with over the years.  Cato is again showcased as the young but tough veteran campaigner and tactician, and I liked his intriguing storylines in Rebellion as he was involved in all the major battles and conversations.  While I am not sure that every key idea for Rome’s victory needed to come from Cato, it did allow him to serve a vital role in Rebellion, providing the reader with the best overview of Rome’s tactics and strategies during the war.

Due to Cato’s role as the leader, much of the more emotionally charged character work was left to the usually impassive and unflappable Macro.  Macro actually goes through a lot in Rebellion, as after losing several friends in Death to the Emperor, he is captured by the Britons.  Despite his steely resolve and fighting spirit, this imprisonment leaves its mark on Macro, especially when as he learns some disturbing secrets.  Macro also bears a certain amount of guilt in Rebellion, as he feels responsible for Boudica’s uprising, and he worries about all the deaths he seems to have caused.  I love this moving and powerful look at Macro, and it was great that Scarrow can still give him some additional depth this far into the series.  Throw in compelling and intriguing looks at the two opposing leaders of this war, Boudica and Roman Governor Suetonius, as well as some other great characters, many of whom do not survive the entire book, and Rebellion proved to be an exception novel that expertly showcased its amazing cast.

Simon Scarrow once again wows me with his outstanding Roman historical fiction novel, Rebellion.  This latest exceptional Eagles of the Empire book was everything I hoped it would be as Scarrow expertly places his protagonists in bloody heart of Boudica’s revolt.  Loaded with action, intriguing historical detail, and fantastic emotionally charged character moments, Rebellion had me hooked from the very beginning, and I loved every second I spent reading it.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 17 January 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

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:

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom (ebook)

Hollywood Hustle Cover

I just started reading the fun debut thriller from actor Jon Lindstrom, Hollywood Hustle.  Following a washed-up actor as he tries to recover his kidnapped daughter, Hollywood Hustle is an interesting book, and I loved the sound of its cool plot.  I’ve only made a little progress on Hollywood Hustle so far, but I am enjoying its compelling story.  I will probably knock Hollywood Hustle off fairly quickly and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

Amazon

 

Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Cold Days Cover

I am still going with the extremely awesome Dresden Files novel Cold Days by Jim Butcher, and I should knock it off in the next day or so.  Cold Days is the 14th book in the series and sets a recently resurrected Harry Dresden against all the manipulations and intrigue of the Winter Court.  A deeply addictive read, I am loving Cold Days and I am hoping to feature it in a post later this week.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow (Trade Paperback)

Rebellion Cover

I managed to finish off the new Eagles of the Empire book by Simon Scarrow, Rebellion this week and boy was it awesome. The latest book in one of my favourite historical fiction series, Rebellion was clever, dark and moving, and I cannot recommend it enough.  Review to follow in the next day or so.

Amazon

 

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K. J. Parker (Trade Paperback)

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle Cover

I had a lot of fun over the weekend reading the second of three Saevus Corax books that entertaining author K. J. Parker released last year, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.  An outstanding sequel to Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead (one of my favourite books of 2023), Saevus Corax Captures the Castle was another hilarious read that thrusts Parker’s smart, but unlucky, protagonist into the middle of an elaborate and complex conspiracy.  Highly recommended.

Amazon

 

Extinction by Douglas Preston (ebook)

Extinction Cover

The allure of Extinction’s fantastic plot proved to be too much for me, and I dove into the early copy I received of this awesome book by veteran author Douglas Preston.  Following a murder investigation in an elite resort full of genetically resurrected mega-fauna, Extinction was a captivating and over-the-top read that had me hooked the entire way through.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer

Warhammer 40,000 - Witchbringer Cover

I am still planning to listen to the Warhammer 40,000 audiobook Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer next.  Witchbringer has been on my radar for a while, but I couldn’t get a copy of it until recently.  As such, I am hoping to make up for lost time by finally getting through this amazing sounding book that will follow a psyker, one of the most reviled beings in the Warhammer 40,000 setting, who is forced to return to assist the regiment she used to lead.  Witchbringer sounds like a very awesome piece of Warhammer fiction, and I cannot wait to experience its fantastic story.

Amazon

 

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

The Murder Inn Cover

I have a few books I wouldn’t mind reading in the next week, but I will probably start with the excellent crime fiction book, The Murder Inn by the team of James Patterson and Candice Fox.  An outstanding sounding novel, The Murder Inn should be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to checking it out.

Amazon

 

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