Book Haul – 24 April 2022

On April 24, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I’ve just had a rather good week for book collecting, which included a particularly big parcel from one publisher that was filled with awesome reads. As these books included some pretty amazing novels, including a couple that I was extremely excited to get, I figured I would do a Book Haul post to gloat about, I mean, lovingly highlight, the latest additions to my collection. All the below books sound really cool and I can’t wait to get through them all.

The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne

The Hunger of the Gods Cover

So let us start this Book Haul off with the book I was most excited to get, the epic The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne, one of my most anticipated reads for 2022. The sequel to Gwynne’s brilliant The Shadow of the Gods (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), this outstanding novel continues the impressive, Norse inspired, dark fantasy Bloodsworn Saga in a big way by setting reborn gods against each other as savage warriors battle for revenge, glory and survival. I have already started this awesome novel and it is turning out to pretty damn good, and this is probably going to get another five-star rating from me. Also, just check out that incredible cover!!!!!

The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

The German Wife Cover

I was also lucky enough to receive historical drama The German Wife from Australian author Kelly Rimmer, who blew me away last year with her moving novel, The Warsaw Orphan. I actually have already read this great book and it was another powerful historical drama that presents a complex portrayal of life under the Nazis and the lasting consequences of the choices people make.

Desperate Undertaking by Lindsey Davis

Desperate Undertaking Cover 2

I was very, very happy to receive the latest Flavia Albia novel from historical fiction author Lindsey Davis, Desperate Undertaking. The Flavia Albia books are some of my favourite historical fiction novels and they are a brilliant and much anticipated addition to my yearly reading schedule (some of the best ones include The Third Nero, Pandora’s Boy, The Grove of the Caesars). I just started reading Desperate Undertakings today and I am already loving its great story about a serial killer who is murdering members of ancient Rome’s theatre scene in some elaborate, play inspired ways. This already shaping up to be one of the better entries in this long-running series and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

The Man in the Bunker by Rory Clements

The Man in the Bunker

Another great book I was excited to get is the latest entry in the Tom Wilde series, The Man in the Bunker by Rory Clements. Set at the end of World War II, this interesting read will follow protagonist Tom Wilde as he attempts to determine whether Hitler died in the bunker or actually escaped. Sure to be a great historical thriller, I cannot wait to read this book.

One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold

One Foot in the Fade Cover

Australian author Luke Arnold’s Fetch Phillips urban fantasy series continues with the third book, One Foot in the Fade. The intriguing follow-up to Arnold’s first two novels, The Last Smile in Sunder City and Dead Man in a Ditch, One Foot in the Fade will once again follow protagonist Fetch Phillips as he continues to try and bring magic back to his city. This time he must deal with mysterious falling angels landing on the street which will no doubt leave to another awesome mystery.

Wake by Shelley Burr

Wake Cover

One of the most interesting novels I received as part of this haul is the compelling new debut from Canberran author Shelley Burr, Wake. Set in small town, outback Australia, Wake is an incredible mystery thriller which sees a determined investigator attempt to solve an impossible disappearance. I deeply love the sound of this extremely compelling and very dark narrative and I look forward to finding out the clever secrets contained within.

Skyward Flight by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson

Skyward Flight Cover

I was quite excited to receive a copy of Skyward Flight, the ultimate companion to Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series. I have a lot of love for the Skyward novels which follows a determined teenage fighter pilot who is determined to save her planet from an alien invasion. Made up of Skyward (one of my favourite books of 2018), Starsight (one of my favourite books of 2019) and Cytonic, this has been an awesome series to read, and Skyward Flight will provide some further context to the existing books. Collecting the three novellas, Sunreach, ReDawn and Evershore, which Sanderson cowrote with Janci Patterson, the stories in this book focus on the supporting cast from the first two novels and showcases what happens while the protagonist is trapped in another dimension. I have been meaning to explore these novellas for a while and this big volume looks to be the ultimate opportunity to finally do that.

Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild

Blood Sugar Cover

Easily the most uniquely entertaining sounding book I received in this haul was the fantastic murder mystery book, Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild. The debut novel from Rothchild, Blood Sugar tells the tale of a killer, Ruby, who finds herself accused of four separate murders. However, Ruby only committed three of the murders, and now the crime she didn’t commit may finally bring her down.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

Potrait of a Thief Cover

Another great debut novel I was excited to get was Portrait of a Thief from Grace D. Li. This book is billed as a heist novel that also looks at unique friendships and culture as five Chinese American students attempt to steal valuable Chinese artworks from an American museum. I love the idea of a heist story that also looks at five character’s relationships with both their home and adopted countries, and I am very keen to try this novel out.

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride

No Less the Devil Cover

The final book I received was No Less the Devil from bestselling author Stuart MacBride. Serving as the latest entry in the Oldcastle series, No Less the Devil will focus on both a hunt for a notorious serial killer and a mysterious case of another killer caught up in a shadowy conspiracy. This sounds like a great, dark mystery and I am curious to try out Stuart MacBride’s work for the first time.

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.

WWW Wednesday – 28 April 2021

On April 28, 2021April 28, 2021 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?

Crusader by Ben Kane (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the latest exciting novel from historical fiction author Ben Kane, Crusader. Crusader is the sequel to last years fantastic book, Lionheart, which explored the early years of England’s famous King Richard the Lionheart. This latest book looks at Richard’s role in the Crusades and is so far proving to be a very intriguing and compelling read. I have only made a little bit of progress with this novel, but hopefully I can finish it off soon.

The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick (Audiobook)

I started listening to The Mask of Mirrors a few days ago and I am really glad that I decided to do so. The Mask of Mirrors is the first novel from author M. A. Carrick (the joint pen name of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms) and features an excellent fantasy crime story that follows a young women attempting to con nobles while getting wrapped up in dangerous events overcoming a magical city. I have made some decent progress with this book and have started to really get wrapped up in the clever and impressive narrative. Due to its long runtime I still have a fair bit to go with The Mask of Mirrors, but hopefully I will finish it off before next week.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements (Trade Paperback)

Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown by Joe Schreiber (Audiobook)

An epic and exciting Star Wars novel that was a lot of fun to read. Check out my review for it here.

Firefly: Life Signs by James Lovegrove (Hardcover)

What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good by Timothy Zahn (Audiobook)

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 – 21 April 2021

On April 21, 2021April 21, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

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?

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements (Trade Paperback)

I finally got the chance to start reading A Prince and a Spy, the latest historical thriller from awesome author Rory Clements. A Prince and a Spy is the fifth book in the fantastic Tom Wilde series, which follow the titular protagonist as he finds himself embroiled in a series of thrilling espionage missions before and during World War II. The last several novels, including Nucleus, Nemesis and Hitler’s Secret have all been excellent reads, and I have been quite keen to check out this latest book for a while. A Prince and a Spy has an intriguing story, based around the death of the King’s brother, the Duke of Kent, in an air accident during the war. Clements has come up with a really cool thriller story here and I am deeply enjoying this awesome and clever read.

Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown by Joe Schreiber (Audiobook)

I was in the mood to check out an older Star Wars novel and I eventually settled on the awesome Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown by Joe Schreiber. Lockdown, which is part of the Star Wars: Legends range, is the second Star Wars book from Schreiber I have read after the insanely fun, zombie filled Death Troopers. This book follows the iconic Darth Maul before the events of The Phantom Menace as he finds himself trapped in a deadly prison, forced to compete in a series of pit fights. This is an extremely fun and captivating read that I should hopefully finish off in the next day or so. I am really enjoying this great book and interested readers are in for a fantastic time if they decide to check it out.

What did you recently finish reading?

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman (Audiobook)

What do you think you’ll read next?

Firefly: Life Signs by James Lovegrove (Hardcover)

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 – 14 April 2021

On April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

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?

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman (Audiobook)

Serpentine Cover

I was in the mood for a good crime fiction novel so I thought I would check out the latest book in Jonathan Kellerman’s long running Alex Delaware series. I have really enjoyed the last two entries in this cool series, The Wedding Guest and The Museum of Desire, and this latest book has an intriguing plot to it involving a complex cold case. I have made a good amount of progress with this audiobook already and should finish it off soon. It is proving to be an excellent and exciting read and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

What did you recently finish reading?

Turn a Blind Eye by Jeffrey Archer (Hardcover)

Turn a Blind Eye Cover

The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell (Audiobook)

The Two-Faced Queen Cover

What do you think you’ll read next?

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements (Trade Paperback)

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

WWW Wednesday – 7 April 2021

On April 8, 2021 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?

Turn a Blind Eye by Jeffrey Archer (Hardcover)

I just started reading the latest book in Jeffrey Archer’s William Warwick series, Turn a Blind Eye, which follows on from Nothing Ventured and Hidden in Plain Sight. This is a great crime fiction series with some fun historical fiction elements to it and I am really enjoying this latest entry in the series. I am hoping to finish it off in the next few days and I am looking forward to seeing how it ends up.

The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell (Audiobook)

I wasted no time in listening to The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell when it came out and I am deeply enjoying it so far. The Two-Faced Queen is the sequel to Martell’s outstanding 2020 debut, The Kingdom of Liars, which was easily one of my favourite books, audiobook and debut novel of 2020, and continues the epic and captivating story started in the first novel. I am just over halfway through The Two-Faced Queen at the moment and so far it is just as awesome, if not better than The Kingdom of Liars. I cannot wait to see how all the intricate storylines unfold and this is definitely one of the better books I have read so far this year.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Chase by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

The Three Paradises by Robert Fabbri (Trade Paperback)

Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron: Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed (Audiobook)

Later by Stephen King (Audiobook)

What do you think you’ll read next?

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements (Trade Paperback)

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 – 6 April 2021

On April 6, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul1 Comment

It has been a while since I have done a Book Haul post, but seeing that I received several interesting books today, I thought I would quickly do one to highlight some of the best books I have gotten in the last few weeks, especially as I am expecting some additional books in the coming weeks. Each of the below books sound extremely cool and captivating, and I cannot wait to see how they all turn out.

The Chase by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

The Chase Cover

The first book on this haul is the impressive new release from Australian author Candice Fox, The Chase, a cool thriller set around a mass escape from a maximum security prison. I have actually already read this book and it was pretty amazing, containing a clever and exciting story with some great twists to it. I will hopefully get a review together for this one soon but it is really worth checking out.

Turn a Blind Eye by Jeffery Archer (Hardcover)

Turn a Blind Eye Cover

Next up we have the latest novel from bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, Turn a Blind Eye, the third book in the William Warwick series. The William Warwick books are a fantastic and entertaining series which follows the titular character, William Warwick, a notoriously honest copper, as he attempts to stop some of the worst criminals in London. The first two entries in this series, Nothing Ventured and Hidden in Plan Sight, have both been fun reads and I look forward to seeing Warwick attempt to solve his latest crime.

Judas Horse by Lynda La Plante (Trade Paperback)

Judas Horse Cover

I was also lucky to receive a copy of the new Lynda La Plante crime novel, Judas Horse. La Plante is an author whose work I have been really enjoying in recent years, mainly with her Jane Tennison series (check out my reviews for Good Friday, Murder Mile, The Dirty Dozen and Blunt Force). Judas Horse is the second book in La Plante’s new Jack Warr series and features an intriguing plot about detectives using an informer to lure out a group of bank robbers. I am rather keen to see what La Plante’s other series are like and I cannot wait to see what happens in Judas Horse.

Artifact Space by Miles Cameron (ebook)

Artifact Space Cover

I was incredibly grateful to recently receive an advance proof of Mile Cameron’s upcoming science fiction debut, Artifact Space. Artifact Space is an intriguing and fantastic sounding science fiction read that features mysterious disappearances, impossibly large ships and alien races. I am hoping to dive into this one soon and based on how amazing some of Cameron’s latest fantasy novels have been (Cold Iron and Dark Forge), this should prove to be quite an exceptional read.

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements (Trade Paperback)

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This is another book that I have been looking forward to for a while. A Prince and a Spy is the latest book from excellent historical crime fiction author Rory Clements, and will be the fifth book in the Tom Wilde series of World War II novels (check out my reviews for Nucleus, Nemesis and Hitler’s Secret). This latest book contains a fantastic sounding mystery, centered around the mysterious real-life death of the Queen’s uncle. I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds and I am expecting an impressive and clever read.

Brother Red by Adrian Selby (Trade Paperback)

Brother Red Cover

I was also lucky enough to receive a copy of Brother Red, the latest novel from intriguing fantasy author Adrian Selby. I am not as familiar with Selby as I am with most of the other authors featured in this post, but I have heard some great stuff about his previous books from other reviewers. Brother Red looks set to be a captivating standalone fantasy adventure and I look forward to learning some more about this cool author.

Crusader by Ben Kane (Trade Paperback)

Crusader Cover

The final book in this Book Haul post is Crusader from top historical fiction author Ben Kane. Crusader is the second book in Kane’s latest series which follows the life of the legendary Richard the Lionheart. The sequel to last year’s impressive Lionheart, Crusader should be another amazing read and I look forward to checking it out.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Release for the First Half of 2021

On January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 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 the first Top Ten Tuesday list of the year, participants need to list their most anticipated releases for the first half of 2021.

Despite only just starting, 2021 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months. This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series. The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to.

Due to how many awesome books are currently set for release between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2021, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together. There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential. Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. I have mentioned several of these books before in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, and some of them also appeared on my recent Summer TBR list. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2021.

Honourable Mentions:

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements – 21 January 2021

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020): Volume One – Fortune and Fate by Alyssa Wong and Marika Cresta – 26 January 2021

Firefly: Life Signs by James Lovegrove – 16 March 2021

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good by Timothy Zahn – 27 April 2021

Top Ten Tuesday (By Release Date):

Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz – 26 January 2021

Exciting thriller writer Gregg Hurwitz is set to return later this month with the latest entry in his awesome Orphan X series. I have deeply enjoyed the previous two books in this series, Out of the Dark and Into the Fire, and Prodigal Son looks like it will have a fun and fantastic story to it.

The Three Paradises by Robert Fabbri – 2 February 2021

This next novel on this list is The Three Paradises, the second entry in the Alexander’s Legacy series that examines the wars fought in the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death. The Three Paradises serves as a sequel to the excellent 2020 novel, To the Strongest, and it should turn out be a fun and entertaining read.

Relentless by Mark Greaney – 23 February 2021

Following on from his 2020 hit, One Minute Out (which was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), outstanding thriller author Mark Greaney returns with Relentless, the 10^th entry in his Gray Man series. In his latest novel, Greaney’s assassin protagonist will attempt to get to the bottom of a lethal conspiracy involving several missing intelligence agents. I have extremely high hopes for this book and I think it has the potential to be one of the top books of 2021.

Star Wars: Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed – 2 March 2021

While there are several awesome pieces of Star Wars fiction coming out in the first half of 2021, the one that I am most excited for is Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed, the third and final book in his Alphabet Squadron series. The previous two entries in the series, Alphabet Squadron and Shadow Fall, have been some of the strongest Star Wars novels in recent years and I have deeply enjoyed this intense, character driven series. This final entry will feature the final showdown between two rival groups of pilots and should be quite the emotional thrill ride.

Breakout by Paul Herron – 9 March 2021

Breakout is an intriguing thriller novel that I really like the sound of. Breakout will follow an imprisoned former cop’s attempt to escape a flooded supermax prison filled with the most dangerous convicts in the country. This cool sounding book has the potential to be one of the most awesome and exciting releases of the year and I am really looking forward to reading it.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst – 9 March 2021

I had the very great pleasure of reading Sarah Beth Durst’s standalone fantasy novel, Race the Sands, last year, which proved to be one of the best books of 2020. Since then, I have been keeping a close eye out for any new books from this acclaimed fantasy author and I was very excited when I saw she was releasing another standalone novel in a few short months. This upcoming book will follow a group of damaged fantasy heroes, many years after their legendary victory over a great evil. The Bone Maker sounds like it will be an incredible, character driven epic and I am deeply excited for it.

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

In 2020 I was blown away by Nick Martell’s impressive and clever fantasy debut, The Kingdom of Liars, which saw a fantastically flawed protagonist attempt to find the truth in a corrupt kingdom where magic costs people their memories. This was an extremely compelling and exciting novel, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the upcoming sequel, The Two-Faced Queen, which I believe will be another outstanding read.

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 35: Homecoming by Stan Sakai – 14 April 2021

It should as no surprise to anyone familiar with me that the entry I am most excited about is a Usagi Yojimbo comic. The Usagi Yojimbo series is easily my favourite comics of all time and each year I eagerly await the one new volume that comes out. This upcoming volume, Homecoming, will be the 35^th overall volume of the series and the second volume published fully in colour (the first being 2020’s Bunraku and Other Stories). Homecoming sounds like it is going to have some major storylines that will see Usagi return to his childhood village, where many enemies and painful memories await him. I have no doubt whatsoever that I am going to absolutely love this latest Usagi Yojimbo comic and it is going to be one of the best things I read all year.

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

Last year I was lucky enough to get a copy of my first Mark Lawrence novel, The Girl and the Stars, which contained an epic and impressive fantasy storyline set deep beneath the ice of an unforgiving world. I deeply enjoyed this novel, and I am quite excited to check out the sequel, The Girl and the Mountains, which looks set to continue the fantastic and captivating narrative from the first book.

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik – 29 June 2021

The final entry on this list is The Last Graduate by bestselling author Naomi Novik. The Last Graduate will serve as a sequel to A Deadly Education, a fun and addictive fantasy novel that was one of my favourite books of 2020. I had an outstanding time reading A Deadly Education (I powered through it in about a day), and I cannot wait to see how Novik continues this incredible story.

That is the end of this list. I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2020-21 TBR

On December 15, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

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

For this list I have come up with 10 of the best novels that are coming out between 1 December 2020 and 28 February 2021. I have decided to exclude novels that I have already read, or I am currently reading, so that took a couple of key books off the list. Still, this left me with a rather substantial pool of cool upcoming novels that I am excited for, which I was eventually able to whittle down into a great Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have previously discussed a number of these books before a number of my Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be some really impressive and enjoyable reads.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 1 – Fortune and Fate by Alyssa Wong and Marika Cresta – 26/01/2021

Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson – 1/02/2021

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman – 2/02/2021

City of Vengeance by D. V. Bishop – 9/02/2021

Top Ten List:

A Fool’s Hope by Mike Shackle – 3/12/2020

The first entry on this list is A Fool’s Hope by Mike Shackle, the sequel to Shackle’s epic debut, We are the Dead. I have been hearing some great things about his book already and I am really looking forward to checking it out. The trade paperback version of this novel is apparently not available down here in Australia until February 2021, but the audiobook version is already out, so I might grab that instead.

Colonyside by Michael Mammay – 29/12/2020

Colonyside is the third book in the amazing Planetside series by impressive science fiction author Michael Mammay. I have really enjoyed the first two novels in this series, Planetside and Spaceside, both of which were among my favourite books of 2018 and 2019 respectfully, and I cannot wait to see how the third entry in this excellent science fiction thriller series turns out.

Star Trek: Picard: The Dark Veil by James Swallow – 5/01/2021

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to read the first Star Trek: Picard novel, The Last Best Hope, which did an awesome job of bridging the gap between The Next Generation and Picard television series. Now acclaimed tie-in fiction author James Swallow presents the second Picard book, The Dark Veil, which will follow Captain William Riker and his crew as he gets drawn into the chaotic events the precede the Picard series. I had an amazing time reading the previous Picard novel and I have high hopes that this new upcoming book is going to be just as enjoyable.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule – 5/01/2021

Now what would a Top Ten List on this book be without a Star Wars tie-in novel featured somewhere. Luckily there are several great upcoming Star Wars novels set for release in the next three months that I am quite excited to check out. Most of these novels are part of The High Republic range of Star Wars novels and comics, which are going to be set 200 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. Of these, the one I am most interested in reading is Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. Light of the Jedi is set to be the main introductory novel to this new range of Star Wars fiction, and I am very curious to see what happens in this new period of the expanded universe. This new novel is written by one of the top authors of Star Wars fiction, Charles Soule, whose work on Star Wars comics such as the Dark Lord of the Sith comics (check out my review for Volume 2: Legacy’s End and Volume 3: The Burning Seas), has been rather incredible, and I am very excited to see what happens in this new book.

A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements – 21/01/2021

The fifth book in Clement’s exciting Tom Wilde historical thriller series, A Prince and A Spy looks set to be an excellent novel to start off 2021 with. I have really enjoyed the previous entries in the Tom Wilde series, including Nucleus, Nemesis and Hitler’s Secret, and this upcoming book sounds particularly exciting as it contains a conspiracy set around the death of the Queen’s uncle during World War II.

Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz – 2/02/2021

I am particularly looking forward to checking out Prodigal Son, the upcoming sixth book in Hurwitz’s Orphan X series. The Orphan X book are an awesome and wildly thrilling series that sets an elite and incredibly deadly former government assassin go up against a series of dangerous opponents across America. I have really enjoyed the last two novels in the series, Out of the Dark and Into the Fire, and I cannot wait to see how Prodigal Son turns out.

The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick – 27/01/2021

The Mask of Mirrors is an intriguing upcoming fantasy debut that I think has a lot of potential and should make for a compelling and entertaining read.

The Three Paradises by Robert Fabbri – 1/02/2021

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Robert Fabbri, returns with the second entry in his Alexander’s Legacy series, The Three Paradises. The first book in this series, To the Strongest, was a lot of fun and I am very keen to see where this crazy historical story goes next.

Relentless by Mark Greaney – 23/02/2021

Top thriller author Mark Greaney returns with the 10^th novel in his Gray Man series, Relentless, that sees his protagonist, assassin Court Gentry, investigate a new conspiracy around the world. Greaney has been killing it over the last couple of years, especially with the previous two entries in the Gray Man series, Mission Critical and One Minute Out, and this upcoming book looks set to be another fantastic and captivating novel.

The Kaiser’s Web by Steve Berry – 23/02/2021

The final entry on this list is The Kaiser’s Web, the 16^th upcoming entry in the long-running Cotton Malone series. The Cotton Malone books are an exciting and interesting collection of novels that feature a series of fascinating history-based conspiracies. I have been really getting into this series over the last couple of years, and the last two novels, The Malta Exchange and The Warsaw Protocol, have contains some excellent and intriguing adventures. The Kaiser’s Web features another cool sounding plot and I cannot wait to dive into this latest adventure.

Well that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. All of the above books should be pretty epic, and I cannot wait to read them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months.

Waiting on Wednesday – A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements

On October 21, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I look at an awesome upcoming historical thriller, A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements.

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Rory Clements is an outstanding and talented author who has written several exciting and clever historical thrillers throughout his career. I have been a fan of Clements for a while now and I have enjoyed several of his books in the past. In particular, I have been really getting into his current body of work, the Tom Wilde series, of which I have so far read all four books: Corpus, Nucleus, Nemesis and Hitler’s Secret. Each of these novels has been really cool, presenting complex and compelling thriller storylines set before and during the events of World War II. So far in this series the protagonist, dashing American history professor Tom Wilde, has managed to avert an armed coup against King George VI, stopped the Nazis gaining nuclear secrets, thwarted an attempt to kill the Kennedy family and infiltrated Germany at the height of the war to save Hitler’s secret daughter. However, Clements is far from done, and in his new book, A Prince and a Spy, Wilde will investigate another curious event from history.

Plot Synopsis:

Sweden, 1942 – Two old friends meet. They are cousins. One is Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England. The other is Prince Philipp von Hesse, a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolf Hitler.

Days later, the Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the north of Scotland. The official story is that it was an accident – but not everyone is convinced.

There is even a suggestion that the Duke’s plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent north to discover the truth . . .

This new novel from Clements sounds really interesting, and I am looking forward to seeing how this cool story pans out. Based on my prior experiences with Clements’s Tom Wilde novels, I know that the author is able to craft a great historical thriller around clever plot idea, and I am quite intrigued to find out what sort of story he can come up with around the death of Prince George, Duke of Kent. I have to admit that I am a little unfamiliar with the late Duke of Kent and his untimely demise, but he seems to be a rather striking historical figure thanks to his colourful personal life and his status as the first British Royal to die in military service in hundreds of years, as well as being the only member of the Royal Family to die due to World War II. I have no doubt Clements will weave together something extremely interesting memorable out of this notable historical event and I am very curious to see what it is.

A Prince and a Spy is currently set for release on 21 January 2021 and I think it is going to be one of the better novels to start the new year with. It certainly sounds like Clements has come up with another compelling entry in his awesome Tom Wilde historical thriller series, and I am really looking forward to seeing what sort of clever and exciting adventure he has comes up with in this new novel.