Book Haul – 10 February 2025

On February 10, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I’ve had a excellent couple of weeks 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.

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney

The first recently received book I want to highlight in this post is the new Mark Greaney novel, Midnight Black. The 14th entry in the author’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black follows on from the cliffhanger at the end of the previous novel, The Chaos Agent, and sees the dangerous spy protagonist attempt to rescue his love interest from a Russian prison camp. One of my most anticipated books of 2025, Midnight Black sounds really cool, and I cannot wait to see what brutal action and over-the-top chaos emerge in this amazing read.

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The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers

The next book I want to highlight in this book haul post is the intriguing Australian thriller debut, The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers. Set in the iconic landscape of the Blue Mountains, The Reunion will see five former friends return to the site of a fateful incident 10 years before where one of their friends died during a hike. Set to feature old secrets and lies re-emerge, The Reunion has a ton of potential, and I think it will end up being one of my top debuts of 2025.

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The Medici Return by Steve Berry

I was very happy to receive a copy of The Medici Return by Steve Berry. The latest entry in the long-running Cotton Malone series (of which I have become very fond of), The Medici Return will see the series’ titular protagonist investigate a deadly conspiracy involving an old debt owed to the historical Medici family by the Catholic church, which could impact the entire future of Italy. I cannot wait to see what elaborate narrative Berry has pulled together for The Medici Return and I know I am going to have an amazing time with this book.

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The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins

One of the more intriguing novels I recently received was the cool Australian legal thriller, The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins. The sequel to Jenkin’s fun and clever first novel, How To Kill A Client (one of my favourite debuts of 2023), The Bluff looks set to be another compelling read as the big-city lawyer protagonist investigates a deadly cover-up in small-town Australia.

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Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Easily one of the more intriguing thrillers of 2025, I was very happy to get a copy of the new Harlan Coben book, Nobody’s Fool. A follow-up to Coben’s classic novel, Fool Me Once, Nobody’s Fool will see returning character Sami Kierce forced to face his past after an old girlfriend he thought long dead returns, initiating an impossible mystery. I really like the sound of this amazing book, and I cannot wait to read another incredible novel from Coben.

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You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

A very fun and meta thriller that will see several bestselling murder mystery and thriller authors caught up in a classic whodunnit situation when they are summoned to the private of a famous and mysterious author. I love books that attempt to place their own twist on the iconic old-school mystery novels, and You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego sounds like it is going to be something very special.

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Count My Lies by Sophie Stava

An intriguing upcoming debut thriller that will see a chronic liar caught up in a dark situation thanks to her bold stories. This could be a very cool read and I look forward to checking it out.

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Grave Empire by Richard swan

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the new fantasy novel from Richard Swan, Grave Empire. One of the most anticipated fantasy novels of 2025, Grave Empire takes readers to a new age of the Empire of the Wolf and presents a whole different raft of threats and challenges. This sounds like a really cool book and one I hope I get the chance to check out this year, although as I still haven’t finished off the preceding The Empire of the Wolf trilogy, I worry I won’t be able to enjoy Grave Empire as much.

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Barren Cape by Michelle Prak

I was very happy to get an early copy of the fantastic thriller novel, Barren Cape, from Australian author Michelle Prak. This awesome novel will see a desperate person squatting in an abandoned and isolated resort, which will backfire on her in some dark ways. I am extremely curious to see how Barren Cape turns out, and I think I am going to have a lot of fun with this book.

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Nightshade by Michael Connelly

Last, but definitely not least, is the new upcoming Michael Connelly book Nightshade. I was very, very lucky to receive an early copy of Nightshade and I am very excited to check it out, especially as all my recent experiences with Connelly’s books have been extremely positive. Introducing a new Connelly protagonist who operates on Catalina Island, Nightshade looks set to be a particularly impressive book and I am very excited to check it out.

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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 – Novels from the First Half of 2024 that I Still Need to Read

On July 9, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List6 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 return to a previous list you’ve done as part of a Throwback Freebie. However, I decided to instead continue my literary examination of the first half of 2024 by looking at the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.

While I have already enjoyed a substantial number of outstanding novels in 2024, there are still quite a few impressive novels from the first half of the year that I have yet to read. Many of these were on my most anticipated books lists for 2024 (both fantasy and other), and while I was really excited for them, I have honestly not had a chance to check all of them out yet. Therefore, I am going to use this freebie session to shame myself in the hope that it gets me into gear to finally check out these epic reads. This proved to be an easy list to pull together, as many of these books have been weighing on my mind for a while. All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get the chance to read all of them soon.

Honourable Mentions:

The Burning Land by David Hair

An epic fantasy novel that I know I would have an amazing time reading.

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The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan

One of the big fantasy releases of 2024. I left this book as an honourable mention, mainly because I haven’t read the preceding book in the series yet, and I would need to do that before even contemplating reading The Trials of Empire. Still, this seems like a big gap in my 2024 reading schedule, and I should try to get up to date with this series ASAP.

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Past Crimes by Jason Pinter

A cool and exciting science fiction thriller that sees true-crime documentaries get way too interactive in the future.

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Top Ten List:

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Probably the book I am most surprised about not having read yet is the new Flavia Albia novel from Lindsey Davis, Death on the Tiber. An excellent and intriguing historical murder mystery, Death on the Tiber is the latest book in one of my favourite series and looks set to throw the protagonists into another complex murder in ancient Rome. I always have so much fun with this series, so it’s very surprising that I haven’t read it yet. This will hopefully be resolved soon, as it will likely be one of my top books of the year.

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Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Another major book from the first half of 2024 that I really need to check out is Service Model by acclaimed science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky. The second of four books Tchaikovsky has coming out this year, Service Model will follow a rebellious robot who gains sentience and becomes determined to destroy the crumbling remnants of human society. I have no doubt this is going to be an epic read, and I am going to try very hard to read it as soon as humanly possible.

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How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

One of the more compelling murder mystery novels from the first half of 2024, How to Solve Your Own Murder sounds like an extremely fun read, and I must try to check it out.

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

I have had a lot of fun with several Warhammer books in 2024 so far, but the key one I’ve missed out on reading is Lords of Excess by debuting author Rich McCormick. Part of the Renegades subseries that highlights Chaos Space Marine warbands, Lords of Excess follow the hedonistic Emperor’s Children as they attempt to bring their twisted version of perfection to an isolated world. I love the sound of this book, especially as you know more chaos and destruction is likely on the way, and it is always fun to read a Warhammer book told from the villain’s perspective. I might honestly try to start listening to the audiobook version of Lords of Excess in the next week or two, especially as I need another Warhammer 40,000 fix.

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The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom

Another major historical fiction book from the first half of 2024 that I need to check out is the epic novel, The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom. Sidebottom is a fantastic author, and I have had a wonderful time with all his recent books set in the Roman empire. The Shadow King will see Sidebottom examine Alexander the Great’s empire in an intriguing new way, and I know that I will find the whole thing deeply fascinating and exciting. As such, I will hopefully make time to read The Shadow King soon, especially as I will be very disappointed not to read this book by the end of 2024.

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The Instruments of Darkness by John Connolly

John Connolly is an author who I have been meaning to read for years. I had hoped that his latest book, the intense and dark legal thriller The Instruments of Darkness, would have been a good opportunity to enjoy his work for the first time, but I have yet to have the time to read it. I am still optimistic that I will be able to read The Instruments of Darkness soon, as it sounds like a very complex and powerful novel.

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Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart

A very fun sounding thriller about a retired assassin in a killer support group who is dragged back into the world of contract killing against his will. I honestly fell in love with Assassins Anonymous’s fun sounding plot the moment I read the synopsis and I have been meaning to grab a copy since it came out. Hopefully I get one soon, as this sounds like such an exciting and awesome book.

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Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller

While there were a few Star Wars novels out in the first half of this year, the one I most regret not reading is The Living Force by John Jackson Miller. Set just before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Living Force is a compelling entry to the canon that focuses on the various members of the Jedi Council. I love the sound of this awesome book and I am hoping to listen to it in the future, as it should be a fantastic novel.

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The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill

An intriguing and captivating murder mystery from a very talented Australian author, The Mystery Writer sounded like a very impressive novel, and I have had some great experiences with Sulari Gentill in the past. I look forward to checking this book out at some point in the future and I am sure it will be an outstanding read.

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Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

The final book from the first half of 2024 that I want to highlight here is the fantasy debut Five Broken Blades. Following five dangerous rogues tasked with killing a tyrannical king, Five Broken Blades sounds like a very awesome book, and I have heard some great things about it. I currently have the audiobook version of Five Broken Blades ready to go and I am hoping to listen to it soon, especially as I am in the mood for some fun and fierce fantasy fiction.

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

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

On January 30, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List7 Comments

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

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

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

Honourable Mentions:

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

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

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Thick as Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

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

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The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

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

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The Hunters by David Wragg

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

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Top Ten List:

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker

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

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Star Wars: The High Republic: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang

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

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The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan

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

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The 9th Man by Steve Berry and Grant Blackwood

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

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The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

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

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Defiant by Brandon Sanderson

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

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Storming Heaven by Miles Cameron

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

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Generation Ship by Michael Mammay

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

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Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks

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

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Slayers by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson

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

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

Top Ten Tuesday –Most Anticipated Fantasy/Science Fiction Books Releasing in the First Half of 2024:

On January 9, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction16 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For the first Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of the year. This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year. Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am doing two versions of this list, this first one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and another that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.

2024 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year. I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely keen for. This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors. I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be in the fantasy and science fiction space, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 which I have some descent details about. Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult. I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy and science fiction reads of 2024. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Burning Land by David Hair – 1 February 2024

An intriguing and awesome sound fantasy adventure that will see a group of knights go rogue to try and find the truth about the supposedly holy order that they serve.

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The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan – 13 February 2024

While I am sure that The Trials of Empire is going to be high up on many people’s to-read list for 2024, I’m going to keep it as an honourable mention mainly because I haven’t had the chance to read the second novel, The Tyranny of Faith, yet. I am hoping to read The Tyranny of Faith before The Trials of Empire comes out, so I can enjoy this awesome sounding novel later this year.

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Exit Black by Joe Pitkin – 20 February 2024

An intriguing science fiction thriller about a futuristic space hotel for the wealthy taken over by terrorists. Should be very, very fun.

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Top Ten List:

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett – 13 February 2024

One of the most anticipated fantasy releases of 2024, The Tainted Cup is an awesome and intricate novel that will force two unusual detectives to investigate a death apparently committed by impossible magic. Robert Jackson Bennett is an outstanding author, and I look forward to immersing myself in his new elaborate world.

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Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 28 March 2024

An intriguing science fiction thriller set in a massive prison on an alien world, Alien Clay will follow a scientist’s attempts to uncover the secrets of the planet while also dodging the prison’s dangerous warden. I have really grown to enjoy Tchaikovsky’s writing, especially after his amazing 2023 novels, City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, and I have no doubt that Alien Clay will be a fun and impressive read.

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The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence – 9 April 2024

After deeply impressing me with the incredible and inventive The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (one of my favourite books of 2023), Mark Lawrence continues The Library trilogy in a big way with The Book That Broke the World. Continuing to follow his intriguing protagonists as they attempt to uncover the crazy secrets of the impossible library at the centre of their lives, The Book That Broke the World looks set to provide more peak Lawrence creativity and imagination and I cannot wait to see what happens next in this amazing series.

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Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller – 9 April 2024

I’ve been a bit remiss with my Star Wars reading lately, and I’m hoping to make that up this year by checking out the cool new novel by John Jackson Miller, Star Wars: The Living Force. Set before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Living Force will follow Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and all twelve members of the Jedi Council as they investigate how Jedi are perceived in the universe. Authored by one of the top authors of tie-in fiction, The Living Force should be a pretty awesome read and I am deeply intrigued about a story focusing on the Jedi Council and their politics.

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Extinction by Douglas Preston – 23 April 2024

One of the more entertaining and awesome upcoming books of 2024 is Extinction by veteran thriller and science fiction author Douglas Preston. Set in a resort where ancient animals have been brought back to life with genetic manipulation (when does that ever go wrong), the book will see guests murdered and kidnapped by a gang of eco-terrorists. Sounding like a fantastic mix of Die Hard and Jurassic Park, I love everything about Extinction, and I am hoping to read it soon.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward – 23 April 2024

It wouldn’t be one of my lists without at least one Warhammer 40,000 novel, which has been such an epic franchise for me lately. While there are several great Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in 2024, the one from the first half of the year that appeals to me the most is Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward. Hayward’s debut novel, Deathworlder will pit two of this universe’s best jungle fighters against each other, as the human Catachan troopers attempt to navigate a world actively being consumed by the insidious alien Tyranids. This will probably end up being a disturbing and grim survivalist adventure, and I know I will love every second of it.

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The Silverblood Promise by James Logan – 7 May 2024

One of the books I’m particularly excited for this year is the excellent fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. This awesome novel will follow a disappointing and caddish heir to a noble house who is thrust into a leadership position and must find out who is responsible for his father’s death in a deadly city of rogues and liars. I love the sound of this book and it has the potential to be one of the best debuts of 2024.

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The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton – 21 May 2024

An awesome science fiction murder mystery that I am really looking forward to in 2024 is the intriguing and complex The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. Set in the last human settlement after a mysterious apocalypse, the book will see a deadly murder occurs that threatens the entire colony. To stay alive the protagonists will need to solve the murder before their sanctuary is destroyed, however, the settlement’s security protocols have been activated and erased everyone’s memory of the night in question, even the killers. Bound to be one of the most compelling and unique murder mysteries of 2024, I am very hyped for The Last Murder at the End of the World, and this should be an exceptional read from Turton.

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Necrotek by Jonathan Maberry – 28 May 2024

One of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, returns with an awesome and intense new book in 2024, with Necrotek. Maberry, who deeply impressed me with his 2023 releases, Son of the Poison Rose and Cave 13 (both of which were amongst my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), has a great writing style and I look forward to seeing how it translates across to the science fiction genre with Necrotek. Featuring a dark and horror themed narrative, Necrotek will be Maberry’s first pure science fiction novel, and I cannot wait to dive into his elaborate tale of eldritch space horrors, ancient alien technology, and immortal souls being lodged in deadly machinery. I have no doubt this will be one of my favourite books of 2024 and I am so damn excited for it.

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Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 4 June 2024

Another outstanding Adrian Tchaikovsky novel coming out in the first half of 2024 is the epic sounding Service Model. Following a service robot who gains sentience and decides to rebel against its human masters, Service Model has a particularly entertaining plot behind it that looks to be quite amusing while also serving as a critique humanity’s growing reliance on technology. This honestly sounds like one of the funniest books of the year, and I look forward to seeing even more outrageous adventures, witty comedy and intense social commentary from one of science fiction’s top authors.

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Well, that’s the end of this first list. As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year. All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads. 2024 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year. I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2024. Make sure to also check out my other Top Ten List that looks at the top upcoming books of 2024 from the other genres.

Top Ten Tuesday – Novels From the First Half of 2023 That I Still Need to Read

On July 18, 2023 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. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was to list books with one-word titles. While this was an interesting topic, and one that I might look at again in the future, I am instead going to continue my literary examination of the first half of 2023 by looking at the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.

While I have already enjoyed some amazing reads in 2023, there are still quite a few impressive novels that have come out in the first half of the year that I have yet to read. Many of these were on my most anticipated reads lists for 2023 (both fantasy and other), and while I was really excited for them, I have honestly not had a chance to check all of them out. Therefore, I am going to use this freebie session to shame myself in the hopes that it gets me into gear to finally get around to checking out these epic reads. This was a very easy list to pull together for me, as many of these books had been weighing on my mind for a while. All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get a chance to read all of them soon.

Honourable Mentions:

Lenny Marks Get Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne

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The Last Highway by R. J. Ellory

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The Helpdesk by Shane Dunphy

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Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

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Top Ten List:

The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding

The first entry on this list is the big one, both literally and figuratively with The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding. One of my most anticipated fantasy books of 2023, The Shadow Casket is the sequel to Wooding’s epic fantasy novel from a few years ago, The Ember Blade. The Ember Blade was an exceptional book that got an easy five-star rating from me and which really stuck in my mind. I have been waiting ages for a sequel to come out, and it is very surprising to me that I haven’t tried to read The Shadow Casket yet. This is mainly because The Shadow Casket is such a brick of a book and I will need to spend ages getting through its audiobook version. However, I fully intend to make the effort before the end of the year as I know it will be really worth it.

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Star Wars: The High Republic: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang

I’ve been a little neglectful with my Star Wars reading this year as I haven’t read the latest High Republic book, Cataclysm by Lydia Kang. Set in the second phase of the massive High Republic sub-series of fiction, Cataclysm follows on from Convergence and Path of Deceit and showcases the events that lead to the rest of the High Republic series. I really need to get my butt into gear and read this book, especially as Phase Three is coming later this year, and I am very curious to see how this excellent series continues.

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The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan

I had hoped to have read The Sword Defiant, the new fantasy novel from acclaimed author Gareth Hanrahan at this point in the year, but I missed out on getting a copy. Following a legendary hero and his companions who were corrupted by their evil opponent’s cursed magic swords after their great victory, The Sword Defiant sounded like an extremely epic and compelling book that I know I will have a good time with. I am going to try and get a copy of The Sword Defiant before the end of 2023, especially as I know it will turn out to be an amazing book.

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City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita

An intriguing murder mystery that sees an intrepid protagonist conduct a dangerous investigation in a mysterious settlement, City Under One Roof is a fantastic sounding 2023 debut that caught my eye last year and I have been meaning to read for some time. I really love the sound of its cool plot and hope I can check it out at some point.

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Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb

An outstanding fantasy debut with a compelling murder mystery centre, Seven Faceless Saints is an excellent sounding novel from new author M. K. Lobb, and one that I really wanted to check out when it first came out. I unfortunately couldn’t fit it into my reading schedule, although I am still hoping to later this year. Seven Faceless Saints sounds like a pretty awesome read and I really hope I can find the time to read it.

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The Winter Solider: Cold Front by Mackenzi Lee

An intriguing Marvel tie-in novel focusing on the Winter Soldier, Cold Front really needs to get to the top of my to-read list.

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Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

I still need to check out the awesome historical thriller that Dennis Lehane wrote earlier this year, Small Mercies. I am a big fan of Lehane’s previous novels and Small Mercies sounds extremely good, focusing on murder, disappearance and desegregation in 1970s Boston.

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The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

After blowing the fantasy community away with his 2022 novel, The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan had a sequel come out this year with The Tyranny of Faith, that looked set to continue his excellent combination of murder mystery and fantasy fiction. I have had The Tyranny of Faith high on my reading list for months, but I still haven’t had the time to check it out. This is a mistake that I really need to rectify soon, as The Tyranny of Faith will probably end up being one of the top fantasy books of the year.

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The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

A fun sounding book about a group of authors getting killed at a murder mystery writers retreat, why have I not made time for this awesome novel yet?

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Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim

The final book I want to highlight on this list is Spice Road by Australian author Maiya Ibrahim. Spice Road is an outstanding sounding fantasy debut set in a Middle Eastern inspired kingdom which has a really compelling plot behind it. I really need to check this book out and I hope that I can fit this cool debut into my reading schedule soon.

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Well, that is the end of this latest list. As you can see, there are a bunch of exceptional novels from the first half of the year that I need to check out. All the above books sound incredibly epic, and I know that I will have a brilliant time getting through all of them. So, I am going to have to try a lot harder to start reading through them as soon as I can. In the meantime, let me know which books released in the first half of the year you most regret not reading in the comments below. Make sure to also check out my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week where I look at my favourite pre-2023 novels that I have already enjoyed this year.

WWW Wednesday – 15 March 2023

On March 15, 2023 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?

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Trade Paperback)

I am still getting through the new Grady Hendrix horror book, How to Sell a Haunted House, which has so far proven to be quite the compelling read. Following a woman trying to sell her parent’s haunted house, this fantastic book is building up to its big horror reveals while also feature some compelling family drama. I cannot wait to see how this entire novel ends up and I am having an excellent time reading it at the moment.

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Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

I just started listening to the awesome fantasy novel Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry. The sequel to Maberry’s epic and exceptional 2022 novel, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose continues to follow Maberry’s doomed protagonist as he attempts to navigate the dark and deadly new fantasy realm he finds himself in. Sure to be one of the best books and audiobooks of 2023, I am very excited to see how this epic book turns out and I am sure it will feature a ton of deadly action, brutal depravity, and some major twists.

Amazon Book Depository

What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer: Giantslayer by William King (Audiobook)

I managed to quickly finish off Giantslayer last week and it turned out to be a very fun addition to the Gotrek and Felix series. Make sure to check out my Throwback Thursday post from last week covering it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Caves of Ice by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I also managed to get through the fun Warhammer 40,000 novel, Caves of Ice. The sequel to the first Ciaphas Cain novel, For the Emperor, Caves of Ice sees Mitchell’s iconic Warhammer protagonist engage in another desperate battle for survival, this time on an ice planet loaded with all manner of aliens and monsters. A highly entertaining and action-packed novel, I am hoping to write a Throwback Thursday review about it later this week.

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Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann

The latest fun addition to the High Republic sub-series of Star Wars fiction, The Battle of Jedha is a full-cast audio production that sees all out war engulf the Jedi holy city of Jedha. An intriguing and explosive addition to the High Republic series, The Battle of Jedha is well worth a listen and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

Amazon Book Depository

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

I am still planning to dive into the fantasy/crime fiction hybrid novel, The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan, next. The sequel to Swan’s highly regarded debut, The Justice of Kings, The Tyranny of Faith will contain another powerful adventure, filled with magic, mystery and political intrigue.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

WWW Wednesday – 8 March 2023

On March 8, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

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?

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Trade Paperback)

How to Sell a Haunted House Cover

I have just started the new Grady Hendrix horror book, How to Sell a Haunted House, which looks set to be quite a fun and compelling read. I am only a very short way into this book at the moment, but I am so far enjoying the intriguing story about a woman trying to sell her parent’s haunted house. Knowing Hendrix, this will end up being an excellent homage to classic haunted house movies, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

Amazon Book Depository

Warhammer: Giantslayer by William King (Audiobook)

Giantslayer Cover

I was in the mood for some classic Warhammer Fantasy action so I dived back into the always fun Gotrex and Felix series, with the 7th book in the series, Giantslayer. Following the series’ fun duo as they land upon a deadly island, full of monsters, wizards and deadly foes, Giantslayer is an amazing and entertaining addition to the series and one I had a great time getting through. I only have a little left of this audiobook to listen to and I will probably end up finishing it first thing tomorrow.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Burner by Mark Greaney (Audiobook)

Burner Cover

Greaney once again shows why he is one of the best spy thriller authors in the world today with his latest Gray Man book, Burner. An epic and action-packed read that had me hooked from the very beginning, I will hopefully get a review for this one up soon.

Amazon Book Depository

Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman (Trade Paperback)

Unnatural History Cover 2

Another fantastic and very clever murder mystery novel from the master Jonathan Kellerman. Unnatural History had an excellent and compelling mystery to it and I loved how everything came together.

Amazon Book Depository

Cold People by Tom Rob Smith (Trade Paperback)

Cold People Cover

A complex and unique science fiction read that sees a group of human refugees get up to all sort of genetic chaos in Antarctica. A great read that I am really glad I got the chance to read.

Amazon Book Depository

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

The Tyranny of Faith Cover

I am planning to dive into the fantasy/crime fiction hybrid novel, The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan, next. The sequel to Swan’s highly regarded debut, The Justice of Kings, The Tyranny of Faith will contain another powerful adventure, filled with magic, mystery and political intrigue.

Amazon Book Depository

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

I am hoping to start listening to the awesome fantasy novel Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry next. The sequel to Maberry’s epic and exceptional 2022 novel, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose will continue to follow Maberry’s doomed protagonist as he attempts to navigate the dark and deadly new fantasy realm he finds himself in. Sure to be one of the best books and audiobooks of 2023, I am very excited to finally listen to Son of the Poison Rose.

Amazon Book Depository

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 – My Favourite Australian Books of 2022

On January 25, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, List26 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were supposed to list their top new-to-me authors that they read in 2022, however, I am going to do something differently here at The Unseen Library. I already completed and published this list last week as I knew in advance that I would be doing an alternate list today. The reason for this, and the reason I delayed putting this list up by a day, is because tomorrow, 26 January, is Australia Day, so I thought I would take this opportunity to once again highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors that I read in 2022.

Each year, a ton of talented Australian authors produce an impressive and exciting range of fiction from across the various genres, many of which I am lucky enough to get copies of from the local publishers. I tend to read and review a lot of novels by Australian authors, most of which turn out to be some outstanding reads that I deeply enjoy. As such, for the last few years on Australia Day I have taken to highlighting my favourite pieces of Australian fiction for the last few years (check out my 2019, 2020 and 2021 lists). I really love how much awesome Australian fiction there is now, and this list is the perfect way to highlight some of the best recent Australian authors.

Now I tend to take a bit of a different approach to Australian fiction than some other bloggers, as I focus on books written by Australian authors rather than novels purely set in Australia or featuring Australian casts. To qualify for this list, a novel had to be released in 2022 and written by an Australian author, which I am defining as anyone born in Australia or who currently lives here (Australia is very good at adopting talented people as our own). This resulted in a long list, including several novels that I considered to be some of the best reads of last year. I was eventually able to whittle this novel down to the absolute cream of the crop and came up with a fantastic top ten list (with my typical generous honourable mentions). I really enjoyed how this list turned out, especially as it features novels from a range of different genres, all of which were very awesome Australian books.

Honourable Mentions:

Retribution by Sarah Barrie

Following on from her brilliant 2021 thriller, Unforgiven, Sarah Barrie continued to impress with her dark and compelling new release, Retribution, which follows an unconventional rookie cop as she takes on the worst of Sydney’s underworld.

Amazon Book Depository

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

One of the hottest fantasy debuts of 2022, The Justice of Kings, was written by English expat turned Australian author Richard Swan. An excellent blend of fantasy fiction, political intrigue and crime fiction, The Justice of Kings lives up to its hype and comes highly recommended.

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36 Streets by T. R. Napper

A gripping and truly unique cyberpunk thriller set in futuristic Hanoi, 36 Streets is a great read from an awesome Australian talent.

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The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth

Kate Forsyth continued her dominance of the historical drama world with an amazing novel set on Crete during World War II. Providing a compelling examination of the Nazi occupation of Crete while following two Australian soldiers who both fall for the same woman, The Crimson Thread was an outstanding and powerful read that is really worth checking out.

Amazon Book Depository

Top Ten List:

Headcase by Jack Heath

Let’s start this list off with one of the best crime fiction books of 2022, the grizzly and deeply entertaining novel Headcase by the always impressive Jack Heath. Heath is swiftly becoming one of my absolute favourite authors, and his amazing books, Hideout and Kill Your Brother have appeared on my 2020 and 2021 top Australian book lists respectfully. His latest novel, Headcase, might be one of his best and while I still need to write a review for it, it is an exceptional read. Following Heath’s cannibalistic protagonist as he investigates the mysterious death of an apparent Chinese astronaut in the NASA facility in Houston, Headcase is a brilliant and shocking read that is an absolute blast from start to finish. I had so much wicked fun with this book, and it is a very worthy addition to this list.

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Call of Empire by Peter Watt

The latest book from one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Peter Watt, is another easy inclusion on this list as he continues his outstanding Colonial series with Call of Empire. The fifth book in the Colonial series (which has previously featured The Queen’s Colonial, The Queen’s Tiger, The Queen’s Captain and The Colonial’s Son), Call of Empire continues to follow an intriguing Australian family whose members are drafted into several major wars towards the end of the 19^th century. Providing an intriguing view at Australia’s earliest military actions, Call of Empire was another awesome action-adventure novel from Watt that is a ton of fun to read.

Amazon Book Depository

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Talented Australian thriller writer Megan Goldin continued to impress in 2022 with another complex and powerful read, Stay Awake. Building on the success of such books as The Escape Room and The Night Swim, Stay Awake featured a unique story of a woman who awakens in New York covered in blood and with no memory of the last two years. Hunted by a killer and unsure of what has happened to her life, the protagonist must uncover who is behind the murders before she falls asleep and loses her memories once again. Clever, powerful and deeply intense, Stay Awake was another exceptional read from Goldin and I cannot wait to read her next book later this year.

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One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold

Actor turned fantasy author Luke Arnold returned in 2022 with a particularly awesome urban fantasy novel, One Foot in the Fade. The third book in his Fetch Phillips series, One Foot in the Fade perfectly continues the story started in Arnold’s previous books The Last Smile in Sunder City and Dead Man in a Ditch. Set in a dark fantasy world where all the magic has been destroyed, One Foot in the Fade continues to follow Arnold’s damaged and obsessed protagonist, Fetch Phillips, as he tries to bring back the magic and save the former magical creatures he doomed. Taking the character on a deadly adventure where he battles monsters, greedy humans and his own dark determination, One Foot in the Fade was one of Arnold’s best books yet and I cannot wait to see how he continues to grow as an author.

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The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis

Next up we have The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis, which was a very easy choice to include on this list. An extremely powerful and captivating read, The Unbelieved follows a tired detective who investigates a series of sexual assaults in a quiet Victorian town, only to come up against sexism, corruption, and a long-established code of silence. Petraitis did something really special with The Unbelieved and I was instantly hooked by its complex story and intense examinations of how sexual crimes are perceived by rural Australians. Not only was this one of the best debuts of 2022, but it also appeared on my top books of 2022 list as well. A highly recommended read from an exceptional new talent.

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The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

Another book by an Australian author that appeared on my top books of 2022 list was The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer. Rimmer, who deeply impressed me in 2021 with her outstanding novel, The Warsaw Orphan, once again dove into the darkness of Nazi Germany with The German Wife. Following the struggles of a German family transported to America as part of Operation Paperclip, The German Wife explores their complex life, from the prejudice they suffer in America for being former Nazis, to the terrible truth about how their country betrayed them and forced them to become monsters. One of the best historical dramas of 2022, The German Wife is such a great book, and I cannot wait to find out how Rimmer’s next book will break my heart in 2023.

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Wake by Shelley Burr

While there were quite a few good Australian crime debuts in 2022, one of my favourites was the awesome and captivating Wake by Shelley Burr. Set in a dying rural town, Wake sees a private investigator and a damaged survivor attempt to solve an infamous mystery of a missing girl who disappeared from her bedroom years ago without anyone noticing. However, nothing is as it seems, and the characters are dragged through an emotional roller coaster as they attempt to discover the truth. An insanely great debut, Wake was an epic read with a very clever mystery to it.

Amazon Book Depository

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

Another hot debut of 2022 from an awesome new Australian author was the powerful and complex young adult fantasy book, Only a Monster by Vanessa Len. Following a teen protagonist who discovers she is really a monster who can travel through time, Only a Monster is a powerful and surprisingly dark read which I could not get enough of.

Amazon Book Depository

Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell

Few Australian crime fiction reads of 2022 contained as many shocks and intriguing examinations of gender as Daughters of Eve by debuting author Nina D. Campbell. A series of murders in Sydney quickly turns into a nation-wide crisis once it becomes known that violently abusive men are being killed off by a women’s movement known as the Daughters of Eve. Sharp, fast-paced, and featuring a cynical, if accurate, examination of how men would react in this situation, Daughters of Eve was an outstanding book from an amazing new talent.

Amazon Book Depository

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

The final Australian book on this list is the very fun and utterly hilarious murder mystery book, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. Set at a very hostile family reunion in an isolated Australian ski resort, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is clever and addictive homage to classic whodunnits, only this time every suspect is already a killer in some way. Stevenson really taps into his comedy background to produce an amazingly entertaining novel that perfectly combines mystery, humour, and awesome references to the golden age of crime fiction. A masterful novel that perfectly showcases Stevenson’s talents as a rising Australian author.

Amazon Book Depository

Well, that is the end of this latest list and I am really happy that I got a chance to highlight some of the cool Australian releases of 2022. The above books represent an outstanding collection of fiction from talented Australian authors, and each of them comes highly recommended by me. I had a lot of fun coming up with this list and I cannot wait to find out what the best Australian books of 2023 are going to be. Until then, stay tuned for more epic reviews and lists, and make sure you let me know who your favourite Australian authors are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On January 4, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction12 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated fantasy novels coming out in the first half of 2023. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into a second list due to all the awesome and impressive reads from these genres coming out extremely soon.

2023 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year. I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely excited for. This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors. I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be fantasy wise, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2023 which I have some descent details about. Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult. I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy reads of 2023. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann – 3 January 2023

The High Republic is set to continue in a big way in the coming days with the full-cast audiobook, The Battle of Jedha that will see a massive confrontation break out between the various Force cults on Jedha.

Amazon Book Depository

Engines of Chaos by Richard S. Ford – 4 April 2023

The follow-up to Ford’s 2022 novel, Engines of Empire, Engines of Chaos will continue to explore Ford’s great steampunk fantasy world and the massive revolution brewing within.

Amazon Book Depository

The Will of the Many by James Islington – 23 May 2023

A fun upcoming fantasy read that will put a darker face on the classic magic school story.

Amazon Book Depository

Top Ten List

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry – 10 January 2023

2023 is off to a very strong start on the fantasy front with the next upcoming book from the always amazing Jonathan Maberry, Son of the Poison Rose. The follow-up to one of the best books and audiobooks of 2022, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose will continue to follow broken warrior Kagen Vale as he attempts to save his kingdom from the reign of the murderous Witch-king. Set to feature more adventures, deadly action and complex characters, Son of the Poison Rose is another guaranteed five-star book, and I cannot wait to see what happens in this complex series next.

Amazon Book Depository

Downfall by Louise Carey – 10 January 2023

One of the best, underrated science-fiction series of the last couple of years has been Louise Carey’s Inscape trilogy. Featuring the excellent novels, Inscape (one of my favourite debuts of 2021) and Outcast, this great series follows two damaged protagonists through a dark dystopian future of advanced technology and warring corporations. Carey ended her second novel, Outcast, on a great cliff-hanger and I am really keen to find out how she plans to conclude this amazing trilogy with Downfall.

Amazon Book Depository

Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb – 7 February 2023

A fantastic and fun upcoming young adult fantasy read that will set two different protagonists on a deadly mission to uncover a murderer within a corrupt fantasy city. An intriguing fantasy mystery that has already grabbed my attention.

Amazon Book Depository

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan – 14 February 2023

After wowing the world with his 2022 novel, The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan will continue his epic Empire of the Wolf series this year with The Tyranny of Faith. Following two supernatural peacekeepers in a deadly fantasy empire, The Tyranny of Faith will once again feature the great combination of mystery, politics, intrigue and magic that made The Justice of Kings such a great book. I have no doubt this will be one of the most popular fantasy novels of 2023 and I look forward to reading it very soon.

Amazon Book Depository

The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding – 16 February 2023

One of the fantasy books that I am most excited for in 2023 is The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding. The follow up to his epic novel, The Ember Blade, I have been waiting for years for The Shadow Casket to come out and I luckily, I only have a month left before I can dive into to. The Ember Blade was an exceptional and massive read and the sequel will see the surviving protagonists continue to try and ignite a rebellion against their despotic occupiers. Sure to be one of the very best fantasy books of 2023, I am so very glad that I can finally continue this exceptional series.

Amazon Book Depository

Star Wars: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang – 4 April 2022

I have been deeply enjoying the current phase of the outstanding High Republic Star Wars series, and the next major entry is coming out in April with Cataclysm by Lydia Kang. While we don’t currently have a lot of plot detail about Cataclysm, it will no doubt continue the elaborate prequel narrative of this second phase and should produce an epic read. All the books in this second phase have been really good and I am confident that will continue with Cataclysm.

Amazon Book Depository

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan- 2 May 2023

After absolutely killing it with his highly acclaimed Black Iron Legacy series, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan is once again looking to set the fantasy world on fire with The Sword Defiant. An outstanding upcoming book with a very cool cover to it, The Sword Defiant will follow a legendary hero has he attempts to rally his former companions on a new quest to save the world. However, the dark swords they claimed during this first mission together has corrupted them all, leading to a deadly and tragic new mission that will pit the protagonist against his former friends. The Sword Defiant has an outstanding plot behind it and I feel it has the potential to be one of the very best books of 2023.

Amazon Book Depository

The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – 11 May 2023

It is always a very safe bet that Mark Lawrence will have one of the best fantasy/science fiction books of a year and I am already hyped up for his next novel, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn. Set in a massive fantasy library, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn is the first entry in a bold new fantasy series, filled with adventure, blood and knowledge, and I cannot wait to dive into it later this year.

Amazon Book Depository

Witch King by Martha Wells – 30 May 2023

One of the biggest names currently in science fiction, Martha Wells returns to her fantasy roots in 2023 with Witch King. Set to follow a deadly demon who awakens from his trap to find himself being controlled by a lesser mage, Witch King has a fun and entertaining plot to it, and I have a feeling I am really going to love this amazing upcoming read.

Amazon Book Depository

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker – 27 June 2023

The final entry on this list could be one of the very best as one of the hottest and most wildly inventive fantasy authors of the current age presents an amazing new story with Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker. Barker has consistently been one of the very best fantasy authors of recent years with The Wounded Kingdom (featuring Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) and The Tide Child (featuring The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake) trilogies. Each of Barker’s books have been outstandingly complex and powerful dark fantasy reads, so I am very excited for Gods of Wyrdwood which will set up The Forsaken Trilogy. While we currently don’t have a cover for Gods of the Wyrdwood, the plot sounds pretty damn exceptional as it will follow a former chosen one, whose destiny was stolen from him as he once again forced into the spotlight. Sure to be one of the most compelling and powerful reads of 2023, Gods of the Wyrdwood is going to be so damn epic.

Amazon Book Depository

Well that’s the end of this second list. As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year. All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads. 2023 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this. I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2023.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Debuts of 2022

On December 13, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List25 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants were encouraged to list the top ten books on their winter/summer 2022-23 to-read list. However, as I already did that a few weeks ago, I thought I would instead continue my foray into highlighting the absolute best books of 2022. This is an end of year tradition I do annually with several Top Ten Tuesday Lists, and I started again this year with last week’s list about the best pre-2022 releases I read this year. In a continuation of my end of year highlights, for this week’s list I have decided to look at my absolute favourite debut novels of the year.

I mentioned multiple times throughout the year that 2022 was a pretty awesome year for debuts and boy did I mean it. There were an incredible number of new authors releasing some impressive and entertaining debut novels this year, and I was lucky enough to receive a huge bundle of them to review. I always love checking out new authors as they produce their first book or take a foray into a whole new genre, and I was blown away with some of the talent this year. As such, I am really glad that I can highlight some of the absolute best in this Top Ten list.

To be eligible for this list, the book had to be either the first novel from a new author released in 2022, or a novel that was extremely different from an author’s previous work (their debut in the genre). I ended up reading a huge collection of debuts this year, so I had a bit of a hard time coming up with the list, as there were a lot of good options. I was eventually able to whittle it down to a manageable list of 10, with my typical generous Honourable Mentions section. The result was an excellent list that I feel perfectly captures my favourite debuts of the year and highlights them accordingly. So, let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Maid by Nita Prose

The Maid Cover

A wickedly clever thriller about an atypical maid who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Best enjoyed for its fantastic central character, Nita Prose really showed she’s got a lot of potential as a writer, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Amazon Book Depository

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles

No Country for Girls Cover

A classic and entertaining road-trip thriller set in the Western Australian outback. Fun, compelling and intense, this was a great read that I had an awesome time reading.

Amazon Book Depository

Black Drop by Leonora Nattrass

Black Drop Cover

A captivating and haunting murder mystery in late 18^th century London, Black Drop combines fascinating historical political intrigue with a great mystery narrative. Highly recommended!

Amazon Book Depository

Black River by Matthew Spencer

Black River Cover

A dark murder mystery in the heart of Sydney, Black River was a captivating Australian thriller with some awesome twists to it.

Amazon Book Depository

Top Ten List:

Her Perfect Twin by Sarah Bonner

Her Perfect Twin Cover

Few debuts impressed me in 2022 as much as Her Perfect Twin by outstanding new author Sarah Bonner. A complex and highly clever thriller, Her Perfect Twin follows a repressed woman who finally snaps and kills her perfect twin sister. Taking over her twin’s life to hide the murder, the protagonist decides to use this opportunity to escape her abusive husband. However, the onset of COVID-19 keeps her trapped at home and forces her into a twisty battle of wits with her husband who knows way too much about what she’s done. A fantastic and addictive thriller that will have you hooked all the way to the final twist, Her Perfect Twin was a particularly epic novel that I cannot rave about enough.

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The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis

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There were a ton of great Australian crime fiction debuts in 2022, but one of my absolute favourites was The Unbelieved by new author Vikki Petraitis. Following a damaged cop as she attempts to find peace in small town Australia, the protagonist soon discovers that her new town is afflicted by several sexual predators and the women are afraid to speak out. A powerful and deeply intense read that provides an exceptional commentary on the public perception of sexual violence in modern society, The Unbelieved was an extraordinary Australian debut that comes extremely highly recommended.

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The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

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One of the most popular debuts of 2022 is probably the cool fantasy book, The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan. Swan’s first foray in fantasy fiction, The Justice of Kings is a brilliant and captivating read that follows a criminal investigation in a dark fantasy universe. Combining distinctive fantasy elements with an excellent mystery storyline, The Justice of Kings got a lot of well-deserved love this year and is an outstanding book to check out.

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Wake by Shelley Burr

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The Australian crime fiction debut hits keep on coming, this time with the amazing and well-written outback thriller, Wake, by epic new author Shelley Burr. Set years after an infamous disappearance of a young girl in a broken small town, Wake sees the victim’s sister and an ambitious private investigator with his own agenda team up to finally solve the mystery. However, the answers they both seek cause far more harm than they ever imagined and result in a deep and amazing read.

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Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild

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Murder has never been more fun in the hilarious thriller debut, Blood Sugar. Talented new author Sascha Rothchild presents a fantastic and outstanding character-driven read about a young woman who has an unfortunate habit of killing the worst people around her. However, when someone close to her dies of natural causes, her entire life will be torn apart as the police try to pin it on her. I had an exceptional time reading this clever and funny book, and you are guaranteed to love it.

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Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

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One of the best fantasy debuts of 2022 had to be the exceptional young adult read, Only A Monster by Australian author Vanessa Len. Following a young girl who discovers that she’s a life-sucking monster, the protagonist must learn to control her powers while also being hunted by her boyfriend, a ruthless and relentless monster hunter. Impressively inventive and just a little heartbreaking, I had an exceptional time reading Only a Monster and Len clearly has a very bright future in fantasy fiction.

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Seventeen by John Brownlow

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If you are looking for a ton of action and a relentlessly entertaining protagonist, look no further than the exciting thriller debut, Seventeen by John Brownlow. This book follows the world’s greatest assassin, Seventeen, who finds himself forced to go after the only person on the planet more deadly than himself, his retired predecessor Sixteen. Featuring a high-octane battle of elite assassins, Seventeen is an outstanding read that I could not get enough of.

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Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell

Daughters of Eve Cover

One of the first debuts I read in 2022 was one of the best with the outstanding Australian crime fiction read, Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell. After several despicable men are killed around Australia, the police are forced to investigate a mysterious group who are determined to get justice for women by any means necessary. A clever mystery that also serves as a great examination of gender inequalities in Australia’s legal and criminal systems, Daughters of Eve was an exceptional read that had me hooked the entire way through.

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Essex Dogs by Dan Jones

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There was no way I could exclude the epic historical fiction debut, Essex Dogs by Dan Jones, from this list. Following a loyal band of mercenary soldiers who get recruited for the English invasion of France at the start of the Hundred Years War, Essex Dogs is a powerful, character driven epic that I had so much fun with. Loaded with cool battles and a ton of historical detail, Dan Jones really knocked his debut out the park, and I can’t wait to see how he follows it up.

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Dead Man’s Hand by James J. Butcher

Dead Man's Hand Cover

The final debut on this list is the compelling and awesome urban fantasy novel, Dead Man’s Hand. Written by the son of legendary fantasy author Jim Butcher, James J. Butcher, Dead Man’s Hand is a wonderful and memorable read that sees a failed witch team up with a retired monster hunter to find a deadly killer. Featuring an ultra-snarky protagonist, some cool magical elements, and an outstanding murder mystery, Dead Man’s Hand was a terrific debut and I look forward to seeing more from Butcher in the future.

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Well, that is the end of this list. As you can, there were some incredible debut novels that came out this year and I had a blast getting through all of them. Each of the above debuts are really worth checking out, and I had an amazing time exploring these talented authors’ first forays into fiction. I am really excited to see what these authors produce next, and I have a feeling that quite a few are going to become major names in their genres.