Tag: Sandy Mitchell

Warhammer 40,000: The Greater Good by Sandy Mitchell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, WarhammerLeave a comment

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 January 2013)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Nine

Length: 9 hours and 50 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Continue to follow the legendary and complex Commissar Ciaphas Cain into death and danger, with another amazing book in Sandy Mitchell’s awesome Warhammer 40,000 series, The Greater Good.

After recently reviewing the eighth book in Sandy Mitchell’s iconic Ciaphas Cain series, The Last Ditch, I just had to continue following the fun adventures of the Imperium’s most charismatic yet cowardly commissar, Ciaphas Cain.  As such, the moment I finished The Last Ditch, I immediately read the ninth book in the series, The Greater Good, which had a very interesting scenario behind it that builds on several previous storylines from the series.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, legendary hero of the Imperium of Man and self-declared fraud, is once again thrust into mortal danger when he is assigned to bolster the defences of the human planet of Quadravidia, against the high-tech attacks of the Tau.  Amid the expected brutal fighting against the advanced aliens, Cain is surprised when the Tau not only recognise him amongst the fighting but also single him out to request an unexpected ceasefire right on the cusp of a Tau victory.

Expecting the worst from this unlikely turn of events, Cain is unsurprised when the Tau reveal that an even greater threat is moving towards the sector, a hive fleet of Tyranids.  With neither side capable of fighting both each other and the ravenous Tyranids, the Imperium and the Tau agree to an uneasy truce, with both sides agreeing to coordinate their offensive against the incoming hive fleet.

Accompanied by a Tau ambassador, Cain, his trusty aid Jurgen, and the Imperial fleet journey to the vital Forge World of Fecundia, a potential target for the incoming Tyranids.  Using Fecundia as a base of operations, the Imperium are hopeful the Tyrands will focus their attack on the Tau controlled planets.  However, the chances of Cain remaining out of the fight are always slim, and the commissar soon discovers the existence of a secret facility hidden on the planet, one guaranteed to draw the Tyranids to Fecundia.

Caught between an invading fleet of ravening aliens, and the troubled politics of Fecundia, Cain must rally the defenders for another deadly battle.  However, the secrets lurking within the hidden facility look set to doom them all, and Cain must discover just how far the rot goes in Fecundia, before the entire world is devoured.

The Greater Good was another excellent and highly entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel from Sandy Mitchell that combines excellent and action-packed storytelling, with a fantastic and humorous protagonist.  Featuring an outstanding story, The Greater Good was a ton of fun from start to finish, and it served as an amazing continuation of one of the best Warhammer 40,000 series out there.

I quite enjoyed the plot of The Greater Good, although it did go in some different directions to what I was expecting.  From the cover and the official plot synopsis, I assumed this novel was going to feature humans and Tau fighting side by side on the initial planet the book is set, after temporarily setting aside their differences.  Instead, the plot is primarily set on a secondary planet of Fecundia, with the only Tau being a controversial ambassador providing some interesting alternative insights.  While this was still a fun and exciting narrative, it did run the risk of being a bit too similar to some of the previous Ciaphas Cain novels that focused on Tyranid invasions.

I felt that Mitchell compensated well for this change in direction, by drawing together an interesting read about infiltration, isolated battles and the Imperium’s research in the Tyranids as they attempt to find ways to defeat them.  Revisiting key story elements from the previous two Ciaphas Cain novels, the protagonist soon finds himself trapped amid a series of controversial and dangerous experiments that begin to attract the Tyranid hive fleet.  After a series of exciting set pieces, including a great extended sequence with the protagonist trapped in an alien filled desert, you reach the final third of the book which primarily takes place in the secret research centre.  Unsurprisingly, things go wrong, and Cain and Jurgen are forced into a seemingly hopeless situation as they fight enemies on all sides.  There were some good twists here, especially around potential betrayals, and while the culprit is easy to predict, there is an excellent amount of uncertainty and red herrings to keep you guessing.  The entire story comes together in an awesome way, filled with Mitchell’s usual excellent fight sequences and humour, and this proved to be a compelling and satisfying addition to the larger series.

Long-term fans of this Warhammer 40,000 series will know that Mitchell has a set format for the Ciaphas Cain books that blends clever character-driven humour with the usual grim action and lore of the universe.  This was also the case for The Greater Good, which features the usual chronicle style told from the protagonist’s perspective, bolstered by funny external commentary from a fictional editor, who also adds in some entertaining in-universe texts for some additional context.  While this style and certain narrative elements are very familiar, especially if you read a few of these books in a row, The Greater Good was still an awesome novel, and Mitchell did make it stand out by adding in some intrigue with Tyranid infiltrators, as well as some curious looks at diplomacy between the Imperium and the Tau.  I quite enjoyed seeing the conflicts that emerged between the various factions of this impromptu alliance, especially as Cain and the Imperial Guard had more issues with their Adeptus Mechanicus and Space Marine allies than the Tau.  Add to that Mitchell’s usually impressive humour and wonderful action set pieces, and The Greater Good was an overall outstanding novel that I quickly powered through.

While most of the Ciaphas Cain books work well as standalone reads that are very accessible to new readers, The Greater Good stood out as it had more of a connection to the previous entries in the series.  There were a lot of heavy references to the events of For the Emperor, The Emperor’s Finest and The Last Ditch, with key plot elements and some returning characters coming into the play during The Greater Good’s narrative.  As someone who enjoyed all the previous books, it was nice to see the consequences and aftermath of these prior adventures be utilised in this entry’s plot, and I think that long-term fans will really appreciate it.  These references also helped to dispel some of the usual issues this series has with reusing descriptions and thoughts from the previous books.  While much of the plot is geared towards established fans, new readers can still easily follow The Greater Good’s plot without too much issue, as Mitchell does an excellent job of recapping these previous adventures.  As such, The Greater Good proves to be an amazing overall entry in the Ciaphas Cain series, especially as it remains accessible and enjoyable to readers of varying experiences.

As always, I must give a shoutout to the outstanding cast of this novel, especially as there is an interesting array of unique characters contained within.  This includes a great mix of familiar and new characters, with much of the action focused on the titular Commissar Ciaphas Cain, who remains the usual complex rogue we’re so familiar with.  It is always fun to see Cain struggle with his imposter syndrome and supposed cowardice, and Mitchell ensures that the protagonist is the main source of the book’s humour thanks to his self-centred narration and hilarious insights into the usual grimdark universe.  Cain’s aide Jurgen remains an excellent source of additional entertainment, while Inquisitor Amberly Vail is once again perfect as the overarching editor of the story, providing her sarcastic insights and corrections to Cain’s actions and conclusions.  Throw in a captivating combination of new or minor characters, including a frustrated general, a calculating Tau ambassador, some returning Space Marines and a cunning Tech Priest with her own agenda, and the cast of The Greater Good is exceptional and drives the story into some fascinating places.

After hyping up the audiobook versions of all the previous Ciaphas Cain entries, I doubt anyone will be too surprised that I decided to check out The Greater Good on this format.  All Warhammer 40,000 novels are damn awesome on audiobook, and The Greater Good is a particularly epic example of this.  Coming in with a runtime just short of 10 hours, The Greater Good audiobook is an amazing listen that is easy to get addicted to, especially as the excellent use of several outstanding narrators really helps to enhance and highlight Mitchell’s unique writing style.

The Greater Good audiobook features an impressive six separate narrators, all of whom will be quite well known by Warhammer audiobook enthusiasts.  As with the rest of the series, most of the work is done by returning narrators Stephen Perring and Penelope Rawlins, both of whom have a key role in this production.  Perring serves as the entertaining and flippant voice of Cain as he recounts this adventure in his own words, while Rawlins is the voice of Inquisitor Vail as she provides her editorial notes throughout the plot and introduces other intermissions.  These two have long proven themselves to be perfect main narrators for the Ciaphas Cain books, and they fulfilled their roles in The Greater Good extremely well, full grasping the complexity of their respective characters.  The other four narrators for this audiobook, Matthew Hunt, Andrew James Spooner, John Banks and Tara Rawson, have minor but entertaining roles in this audiobook, providing voices for the various in-universe history texts and other books/messages that appear at various parts of the book, which allows for some additional comedy.  This mixed narration comes together extremely well throughout the entirety of The Greater Good, resulting in a particularly epic listen.  As such, I would once again recommend that potential readers of this Ciaphas Cain novel check out the audiobook version, as there is frankly no better way to enjoy The Greater Good.

With yet another clever, exciting and hilarious take on the epic Warhammer 40,000 universe, the ninth Ciaphas Cain novel, The Greater Good, was an outstanding addition to the series that I had a wonderful time listening to.  Utilising his tried and tested writing style, Sandy Mitchell produces another compelling and entertaining read that proves to be highly addictive and a lot of fun to get through.  I really enjoyed this excellent entry in the Ciaphas Cain series, and I am hoping to finish off this series by the end of the year.

Amazon

Warhammer 40,000: The Last Ditch by Sandy Mitchell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer1 Comment

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 February 2012)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Eight

Length: 9 hours and 29 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Amazon

The mighty hero of the Imperium returns for another rip-roaring and highly entertaining Warhammer 40,000 adventure, with The Last Ditch by Sandy Mitchell, a wonderful Ciaphas Cain novel that proves exceptionally hard to put down.

I have been in a real Warhammer 40,000 mood lately, so I decided to continue my exploration of the franchise by diving back into one of its best and most hilarious series with another Ciaphas Cain novel by Sandy Mitchell.  The Ciaphas Cain series are particularly awesome Warhammer 40,000 novels that follow the adventures of the legendary human hero Commissar Ciaphas Cain as he faces down the many horrors the grimdark Warhammer universe has to offer.  However, what sets the series apart from other series in the franchise is the fantastic tongue-in-cheek way in which the supposed hero of the series sees himself as a substantial coward concerned more with his own survival, and whose heroic exploits are down more to luck and chance.  This results in a fantastic collection of books, each one of which throws the protagonist into danger despite his best efforts, often resulting in a series of hilarious and over-the-top adventures.  I have had an outstanding team reading the previous entries in the series, including For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls, Cain’s Last Stand and The Emperor’s Finest, and I have been eager to read the eighth novel in the series, The Last Ditch for some time.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, famed hero of the Imperium of Man, is at the height of his legendary career, fighting back the many enemies of humanity despite his best attempts to stay out of battle.  However, despite his reputation usually landing him in the most challenging of conflicts, Cain’s next mission seems to be relatively straightforward.  Once again accompanied by the Valhallan 597th regiment of Imperial Guard, Cain is tasked with eradicating a simple ork infestation on the frozen planet of Nusquam Fundumentibus.  However, not even Cain’s most pessimistic musings of the future can prepare him for the horrors to come.

Travelling aboard a disreputable freighter, Cain and his soldiers are forced to make a deadly crashlanding on Nusquam Fundumentibus, right into the middle of an ork horde.  Engaged in a desperate fight for their lives against the greenskins, the Imperial Guard are blind to other threats hiding on the planet, threats that are far more insidious than a group of rampaging orks.

As the conflict continues and several isolated communities on the planet start to go dark, Cain soon becomes aware that something apart from the orks are stalking the citizens of Nusquam Fundumentibus.  Something ancient and malevolent lies hidden beneath the ice of the planet, and the new war has finally woken them up.  Outnumbered and outmatched, the Imperial Guard need to pull a desperate and no doubt suicidal plan to survive.  Luckily, they have a bonified hero to lead the charge, even if he’d rather be anywhere else in the galaxy.

The always outstanding Ciaphas Cain series continues in impressive form, as Sandy Mitchell adds further depth to some of the more entertaining and gripping novels in the Warhammer 40,000 franchise.  Combining intense action with the protagonist’s unique insights into the grimdark Warhammer universe, The Last Ditch was a brilliant addition to the series that I couldn’t get enough of.

Mitchell once again came up with an outstanding narrative for The Last Ditch that grabs your attention early on and keeps you hooked to the very end.  I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about reading The Last Ditch, as it looked like Mitchell was going to rehash the similar ice-world story found in Caves of Ice.  However, this book has a very different narrative, while still maintaining all the familiar story elements that make this series to dependable to read.  Starting off on a different footing with a fun transport arc that ends in deadly tears, The Last Ditch has an explosive first third (literally), which provided a lot of initial drama and risk.

The Last Ditch’s story quickly dives into even more awesome action, as the protagonist is reluctantly forced into action against the orks, while other dangerous threats lurk beneath the surface.  I liked how Mitchell did a good job building up tension in advance of the reveal about the true antagonists of the novel, with the reader knowing that something worse was coming thanks to Cain’s prescient narration from the future, and the author used this time to expand on his new setting.  The eventual sequence revealing this enemy had a great horror vibe to it as Cain explored tight quarters underground, and it led naturally into an extended campaign.  The rest of the book is a good mixture of connected action scenes, as Cain and the other characters slowly work out just how desperate the situation is and attempt to take steps to address it.  This works well as an overarching narrative, and you really appreciate the scope of the situation and the protagonist’s continued accidental heroics as he tries to run away.

All this perfectly leads up to a final big sequence, where the desperate protagonists are forced into a particularly brutal fight with little hope of survival.  Unsurprisingly, this requires Cain to engage in another suicide mission, which leads to some of the best action scenes in the entire book.  This entire last section of The Last Ditch is a particularly awesome thrill ride which I powered through so very quickly to see how everything came to an end.  Readers come away very satisfied from The Last Ditch, which honestly was one of the stronger books in this cool series, and I really enjoyed how Mitchell continues to entertain with his amazing and entertaining Warhammer 40,000 premise.

Mitchell maintains pretty much the same writing style for The Last Ditch he has previously utilised in the other Ciaphas Cain books, which allows for a very impressive light read.  It is told primarily in a chronicle/journal format written by an older Cain, which recounts the events of this adventure through the narrow focus of the protagonist’s unreliable memory.  This allows for a fun and self-centred take on events that examines Cain’s reluctant action while also loading up the story with some entertaining humour that provides a great satirical look at the usually grimdark Warhammer 40,000 universe.  This main narrative of action, adventure and supposedly cowardly behaviour is cleverly interspersed with a range of entertaining footnotes, commentary and in-universe texts that have been provided by the account’s patient, if sarcastic, editor, Inquisitor Amberly Vail.  This combination of narrative elements not only cleverly provides readers with and informative and light-hearted look at events taking place outside of Cain’s selfish storytelling, but it also pumps up both the humour and the stakes of the plot, especially as you become aware of the planet-wide impacts of the central adventure.

As with all the books in the series, The Last Ditch does work well as a standalone novel that readers can enjoy without any previous knowledge of the other Ciaphas Cain books, or indeed the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe.  While this novel is set in the middle of Cain’s personal chronology and makes mentions of several previous adventures, readers should have no trouble following along, with the point of these references made clear quickly through the writing and context.  Established fans of the series will also have a lot of fun with this book, especially as Mitchell continues Cain’s adventures with the Valhallan 597th, and there are a lot of entertaining familiar beats with this newer entry.  Like many of the previous books, The Last Ditch does have some repetition issues, with Mitchell reusing a lot of basic story ideas and phrases in Cain and Vail’s descriptions that returning readers will notice.  However, I felt that this entry was distinctive enough, especially with a more horror vibe to it, that any readers can come in and easily enjoy it.  This allows The Last Ditch to remain an awesome addition to the overall series, and it’s one I personally had an outstanding time getting through.

I also must once again highlight some of the great character work in this novel, especially when it comes to the main character of Commissar Ciaphas Cain.  A complex figure and self-professed coward, Cain spends most of the book trying to come up with ways to avoid combat and survive the inevitable danger his reputation and own bad lack force him to participate in.  With a very cynical and self-deprecating writing style, Mitchell always tries to emulate classic, comedic and craven military figures like Flashman or Blackadder with his depictions of Cain.  However, despite the protagonist’s best efforts to showcase himself as a dishonourable coward, his resultant heroic actions and Inquisitor Vail’s notes help to show the reader that his is somewhat lying to both us and himself, as he continues to be an inspirational figure.  This allows for quite a complex and relatively light-hearted read, as you are constantly wondering just how honest the protagonist is being with his observations and descriptions of his actions.  This all blends well with Cain’s witty and sarcastic humour, which lightly lampoons the usually serious Warhammer 40,000 universe and ensures that you are constantly entertained as you follow Commissar Cain into danger once again.

The rest of the cast of this novel are also a ton of fun, especially as many fan favourite characters from the previous novels are well utilised here.  This includes Cain’s faithful aide, Jurgen, who continues to toe the line between gormless soldier and ultra-effective sidekick, and is a very entertaining inclusion in any of these books.  Inquisitor Amberly Vail once again has a big impact, despite her actual appearance in the novel being quite negligible, and her no-nonsense overarching commentary allows for quite an amusing read.  The returning members of the Valhallan 597th regiment were a welcome inclusion, and it is always cool to see the close relationship that Cain has with these soldiers after so many adventures.  Throw in a young gung-ho commissar that Cain is forced to school, and a planetary governor trying to stay in control of her planet amongst the chaos of war, and the cast of The Last Ditch was pretty exceptional and continues Mitchell’s habit of showcasing entertaining and complex supporting characters.

I have long extolled the impressive virtues of the audiobook format when it comes to Warhammer 40,000 fiction, as it is just so much fun having the over-the-top stories read out loud.  Some of the very best Warhammer books in this format are the Ciaphas Cain audiobooks, due to their elaborate casts and the fantastic way their narrators capture the unique style of the series.  This is particularly true for The Last Ditch, which was another absolute joy to listen to, as its amazing narrators perfectly captured both the humour and complex action.  Coming in with a decent run time of nine and a half hours, listeners can absolutely fly through The Last Ditch audiobook, which once again features all the awesome elements that the rest of the series had.  This includes the use of several different narrators, with the incredible vocal talents of Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins, Emma Gregory, Toby Longworth and Andrew James Spooner, all adding a lot to the impact of this fun and fantastic story.

Perring is particularly awesome as he voices the main plot of The Last Ditch from the perspective of Cain.  Voicing the protagonist’s conflicted memories of the events, Perring perfectly captures the complex personality of the main character, while also providing a fun take on the action and adventure occurring around the protagonist.  Perring has a great range of different voices for this part of the book, with each of the characters getting a very fitting tone that showcases their separate personalities, including many recurring voices the narrator used in previous audiobooks in the series.  Perring is once again supported by Penelope Rawlins, who voices the character of Inquisitor Amberley Vail as she edits Cain’s memoirs.  Rawlins really dives into the sarcastic character of Inquisitor Vail in these supporting parts of the book, providing a calm, indulgently humorous voice that fits the fun feel of the series.  Rawlins’s interruptions and inclusions as Vail complement Perring’s narration extremely well, adding some great  humour to the plot without ruining the flow of the main story.  These two narrators work together extremely well to bring out much of the book’s humour, and I love how they both have kept coming back to this series to ensure some excellent continuity.

While Perring and Rawlins do the main narration, the additional narrators each have a fun supporting role in proceedings.  Emma Gregory probably gets the most use of the three as she once again voices the memoirs of an ambitious officer in Cain’s regiment, retelling events in a particularly bombastic way.  Gregory deliberately over-acts her part of the audiobook to show off the brash personality of the memoir’s author, and you have to love the pomp and self-importance that Gregory adds to her voice work in these scenes.  The other two, Longworth and Spooner, both of whom are well-established narrators of Warhammer fiction in their own right, have a lot of fun with more minor supporting roles in The Last Ditch, and their cool, if short, inclusions added some fun variety to the experience.  The overall result was another excellent listen that really enhances the fun and impact of the story and the larger franchise.  I honestly think that the Ciaphas Cain series has some of the best audiobooks, and The Last Ditch perfectly showcased how well these books come across in this fun format.

With all the fun action, humour and great focus on a fantastically flawed protagonist fans have come to know and love, Sandy Mitchell continues his exceptional Ciaphas Cain Warhammer 40,000 series with The Last Ditch.  A wonderful and deeply entertaining read, The Last Ditch was a joy to read from start to finish and I had such a brilliant time with it.  Indeed, I enjoyed The Last Ditch so much that I immediately dove into the next book in the series, The Greater Good, the second I finished it.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 21 January 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post 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:

A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver (ebook)

I’m still going with the fantastic 2026 debut thriller, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver this week. While I didn’t get as much reading time to enjoy this book as I had hoped, it is still proving to be an amazing book that follows the titular sociopath as she attempts to maintain her perfect, busy life after brutally killing someone in her house. I’m hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days, and I cannot wait to see where the crazy story goes next.

Amazon

 

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

After years of waiting, we finally have a new entry in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, the epic new release, Twelve Months, which I started reading today.  One of my most anticipated releases of 2026, Twelve Months sees the highly damaged wizard protagonist try to survive the turbulent year following the destructive battle for Chicago, forced to complete multiple quests while also overcoming his grief.  I am already flying through this outstanding novel in its audiobook format, and I am loving every single second I spend reading Twelve Months.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer 40,000: The Last Ditch by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I ended up quickly finishing off the addictive Ciaphas Cain book, The Last Ditch. The eighth book in Sandy Mitchell’s amazing series, The Last Ditch combined awesome action and excellent humour with great Warhammer elements.  Review to follow soon

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Greater Good by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I instantly jumped from The Last Ditch to the next book in the series, The Greater Good, which proved to be another incredible Warhammer 40,000 audiobook. A slick and clever read that kept you hooked all the way to the end, The Greater Good was an outstanding novel from one of the very best Warhammer authors.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman (ebook)

I’m hoping to read the entertaining young adult novel, Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman next, which sounds like a ton of high-octane fun.

Amazon

 

Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana (ebook)

I’m also hoping to start the intriguing debut fantasy novel, Dawn of the Firebird, this week. I think this new book has a ton of potential and I can’t wait to get into it.

Amazon

 

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

WWW Wednesday – 14 January 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post 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:

A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver (ebook)

I had a lot of fun this week starting the fantastic 2026 debut thriller, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by new author M. K. Oliver. An amazing book that follows the titular sociopath as she attempts to maintain her perfect, busy life after brutally killing someone in her house, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage is proving to be a very entertaining read, and I’m really enjoying it. While I haven’t made a ton of progress on A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage yet, I’m hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days, and I cannot wait to see where the crazy story goes next.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Last Ditch by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

Even after finishing two other Warhammer 40,000 novels in quick succession, I was still in the mood for more books from my favourite franchise, so I decided to dive back into the always reliable and addictive Ciaphas Cain series, with The Last Ditch. The eighth book in Sandy Mitchell’s amazing series, The Last Ditch follows the supposedly cowardly Commissar Cain as he finds himself thrown into another deadly situation in the grimdark future. I have a lot of love for this amazing series, especially as it combines awesome action and excellent humour with great Warhammer elements.  I’m currently powering through The Last Ditch, which is proving to be another outstanding book from Mitchell, and I cannot wait to see where it goes next.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

On the Edge by Kate Horan (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the excellent Australian crime fiction novel, On the Edge by Kate Hora, this week.  A compelling and moving novel that makes great use of its small-town setting, On the Edge was an excellent piece of Australian fiction that is worth checking out.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Vagabond Squadron by Robbie MacNiven (Audiobook)

I also managed to get through the impressive novel Vagabond Squadron by Robbie MacNiven (whose previous novel Oaths of Damnation I deeply enjoyed). An exciting read that follows an elite squadron of transport pilots who are forced through hell in the grimdark battlegrounds of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Vagabond Squadron was extremely good, and I had such an exceptional time getting through it.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Trespassers by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

I’m still hoping to read the late 2025 young adult thriller The Trespassers in the next week. This new thriller from Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is an amazing sounding novel that will follow a group of teens as they try to cover up the events of a deadly party in the Alaskan wilderness.  I have been looking forward to reading The Trespassers for a while, especially after deeply enjoying Alvarez’s previous young adult thrillers, Lies Like Wildfire and Friends Like These, and I am sure this is going to be another gripping novel.

Amazon

 

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

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Pre-2025 Novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List6 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. This week participants of Top Ten Tuesday get a freebie to list whatever topics they want.  So, I am going to take this opportunity to start my annual end-of-year lists here by looking at my favourite pre-2025 novels that I read this year.

Each December I have a lot of fun looking at some of the best and most impressive books and comics that I have read throughout the year in a series of Top Ten Lists.  While these lists will mostly focus on books that came out in 2025, for the last few years I have also taken the time to list out some of the best older novels that I have read in the last 12 months.  There are some excellent novels that were released pre-2025 out there that I haven’t had the chance to read before and it is always fun to go back and explore them.  I ended up reading a bunch of awesome older books throughout 2025, including some incredible novels that got easy five-star ratings from me and are really worth checking out.

To come up with this list I had a look at all the novels I read this year that had their initial release before 2025.  While I struggled due to an overabundance of choice, I eventually managed to pull together a fantastic list that covered some of the best books I read this year released before 2025. I did have to put one restriction on my choices for this year’s list, primarily because I read quite a few novels from authors, Matt Dinniman and Terry Pratchett, and I could have filled this top ten list with books from these two alone.  As such, I limited myself to three books from each author, which ensured a bit more diversity in this list.  With this rule in place, I feel that this list still reflects the best pre-2025 novels I read throughout the year, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000: Crossfire by Matthew Farrer – 2003

An intense classic novel from the Warhammer 40,000 franchise with a great crime fiction twist.

Amazon

 

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso – 2024

An intricate fantasy novel that makes excellent use of a clever, time-loop scenario

Amazon

 

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis – 2024

Flavia Albia returns for another ancient Rome mystery, this time hunting down an organised crime boss that she has a dark history with.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett – 1992

I had a lot of fun re-reading several Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett in 2025, including the impressive and thought-provoking Small Gods.  One of Pratchett’s absolute best Discworld books, Small Gods provides a clever and hilarious look at religion and how it impacts the human condition, all while following two of the author’s most relatable protagonists.  There is so much to love about Small Gods, and it was a pleasure to read it once again, especially with the new audiobook format that featured narration from Andy Serkis.

Amazon

 

Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett – 1993

Another outstanding Discworld book I enjoyed in 2025 was the second entry in the City Watch sub-series, Men at Arms.  The sequel to Pratchett’s earlier release, Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms sees the unlikely heroes of the Ankh-Morpork city watch attempt to stop a deranged killer wielding the Disc’s first firearm.  A very impressive crime fiction novel that makes full use of the iconic city of Ankh-Morpork as a gritty background setting, Men at Arms was another early classic from Pratchett, that I will never get tired of re-reading.

Amazon

 

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett – 1996

The final book from Pratchett that I want to highlight on this list is the third City Watch book, Feet of Clay.  Following the returning protagonists from Men at Arms as they attempt to solve a series of brutal murders connected to Ankh-Morpork’s golem population, as well as stop the poisoning of the patrician.  Probably the best crime fiction novel that Pratchett ever wrote, Feet of Clay is an exceptional book that still brings me joy whenever I read it.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Titanicus by Dan Abnett – 2008

It wouldn’t be a reading year for me without some older Warhammer 40,000 novels thrown into the mix.  One of my favourites of these was the epic novel Titanicus by the legendary Dan Abnett.  A spin-off of his Gaunt’s Ghosts series, Titanicus follows a sprawling war between the gigantic Titan war machines, as they rain destruction and death across an entire planet.  Massive in scope and featuring some outstanding battle sequences, Titanicus was an outstanding read and one I had such an incredible time getting through.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Emperor’s Finest by Sandy Mitchell – 2010

I also continued my dive into another awesome older Warhammer 40,000 series this year with The Emperor’s Finest by Sandy Mitchell.  A particularly hilarious entry in the entertaining Ciaphas Cain series, The Emperor’s Finest once again follows the galaxy’s smartest, if most cowardly, commissar, as he attempts to avoid deadly danger in space, only to inadvertently end up facing even worse monsters or deadly situations.  I laughed myself silly throughout The Emperor’s Finest and it was a great entry in one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 series.

Amazon

 

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman – 2020

Those who are familiar with this blog will already know that 2025 started my obsession with the incredible Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman, as I dove into several of these novels which were all released before 2025.  I ended up powering through the entire series on audiobook in a couple of weeks, it was that damn good, and I just had to include a few entries from this series on this list as a result.  This includes the very first book in the series, Dungeon Crawler Carl, which serves as a powerful introduction to the elaborate narrative and setting.  I love how well Dungeon Crawler Carl sets the entire adventure up, and you get a perfect taste of the author’s unique humour and crazy imagination with this incredible read.  Highly recommended, although be warned, once you start reading this book, you won’t be able to stop.

Amazon

 

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton – 2022

The highly entertaining and inventive science fiction novel, Mickey7, proved to be excellent entertainment for a road trip earlier this year.  A fantastic novel that I’ve been meaning to read for a while, Mickey7 featured a great story about an expendable member of a distant space colony, who gets in trouble when an extra clone of him is created.  I really enjoyed this awesome novel and it really worth going back and checking out.

Amazon

 

The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt Dinniman – 2022

After already featuring the first Dungeon Crawler Carl novel on this list, I was spoiled for choice about which other entries from the series to feature here, especially as I read them all this year.  however, in the end the choice was rather easy for me as I had to feature one of the very best books from Dinniman with the fifth book in the series, The Butcher’s Masquerade.  Featuring an elaborate plot that sees the increasingly damaged protagonists transported to a new level filled with alien hunters who plan to butcher them for sport, The Butcher’s Masquerade was another exceptional entry in the series.  Between its epic story, amazing humour, crazy moments, and impressive emotional depth, The Butcher’s Masquerade was a true standout amongst an already incredible series, and I just had to feature it here.

Amazon

 

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman – 2023

The third Dungeon Crawler Carl novel I decided to feature on this list was the sixth book, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, which I honestly think was one of the most impressive entries in the series.  Perfectly building on the plot from the previous novels, Dinniman turned what could have been a fun bridging novel into an emotionally charged and traumatic read that really dived into several of the series’ outstanding characters.  Funny, exhilarating and absolutely heartbreaking, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride features some of Dinniman’s best writing, and I honestly could not get enough of the elaborate scenarios and shocking moments in this book.  The crown jewel of one of the best ongoing series you need to read.

Amazon

 

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga – 2024

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the very exciting 2024 thriller The Ascent by Adam Plantinga.  A compelling read that saw a damaged former cop attempt to climb up through a chaotic and deadly rioting prison, The Ascent was a very impressive novel, and one I flew through extremely quickly.  I really enjoyed this great book, and I’m hoping to read the sequel, Hard Town, sometime soon.

Amazon

 

And that is the end of this list.  As you can see, I have managed to read a huge number of epic pre-2025 releases this year.  Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend all of them, especially if you are in the mood for some fun fantasy or science fiction adventures.  I look forward to reading many more older books in 2026, and it will be interesting to see what makes my next version of this list then. Make sure to check back in next week for some other end-of-year lists as I continue to highlight some of my favourite reads from 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels – June 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List, Warhammer12 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 focuses on Bookish Wishes, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to.  So instead I’m going to spend this week’s Top Ten Tuesday updating a regular list of mine where I highlight my absolute favourite Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.

Warhammer is a long-running extended universe that is based around a series of miniature table-top games.  Started by Games Workshop decades ago, Warhammer in its various forms has a large and dedicated following to it, and there are several existing or defunct games associated with the franchise.  The most iconic of these is the Warhammer 40,000 franchise which is set millennia in the future and details a grim-dark universe where multiple factions engage in massive wars and unique battles.  Thanks to years of extended lore, there are a ton of Warhammer 40,000 books and comics out there, with a massive team of great authors contributing more and more to it all the time. 

Due to how much I love this franchise and how many books I have been reading from it, around this time two years ago, I went out of my way to list my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books, which ballooned into a 20-entry feature.  This proved to be a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed highlighting the top Warhammer 40,000 books I read, so much so that I updated it around a year ago.  While I was happy with how these first two lists panned out, I was only really scratching the surface of this massive collection of fiction, as there are a ton of other epic Warhammer 40,000 books out there.  I’ve spent the last year or so getting even further into this franchise, and I have read several additional awesome books, which includes some brand-new favourites.  As such, I figured this would be a good time to update my previous list and feature even more epic pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

As with my previous list about Warhammer 40,000 fiction, I have loaded this entry up with my top 20 favourite books, including several great books I discovered in the last year.  There are some amazing Warhammer 40,000 novels here, and it was interesting to see what new pieces of fiction made it onto the latest version of this list.  I had some very hard decisions to make, and several books that I featured last time needed to be cut, which wasn’t easy to do.  I did once again decide to compact several books from the same series (and written by the same author) into a single entry to increase variety, which I think worked out well.  Overall, I’m very happy with how my Top 20 list turned out and there are so many exceptional and epic novels I would strongly recommend.

Top 20 List (no particular order):

Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

The first entry on this list is the iconic and epic Eisenhorn trilogy by legendary Warhammer author Dan Abnett.  Generally considered one of the most influential authors of Warhammer fiction, Abnett has written several key series and novels in this canon and the Eisenhorn books are some of his finest work.  Made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, this series follows the titular Inquisitor Eisenhorn who investigates several complex conspiracies while trying to keep the Imperium of Man safe.  However, along the way he starts making dark compromises and deals to fight the forces of Chaos, which slowly corrupts him.  Providing an outstanding mixture of elaborate stories, impressive characters and some epic moments, the Eisenhorn trilogy is damn near perfect, and I have had a wonderful time getting through it.  Easily one of the best Warhammer series out there, the Eisenhorn novels are a must-read, and there is a reason why most fans recommend it as a brilliant starting Warhammer 40,000 fiction starting point.

Amazon

 

Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley

Ghazghkull Thraka - Prophet of the Waaagh! Cover

For readers looking for something a little less human-focussed, Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! is the perfect book.  A unique retelling of iconic ork character Ghazghkull Thraka’s origin story, this fantastic novel presents a powerful and instantly compelling story that shows a far deeper side to the ork boss and his followers.  Crowley expertly utilises a series of distinctive perspectives to tell a particularly striking story, and I loved the fun combination of serious elements and humorous undertones.  I had a brilliant time with this novel, and it ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022.  Highly recommended, especially on audiobook due to the amazing team of talented narrators the recruited to voice it.

Amazon

 

Assassinorum: Kingmaker by Robert Rath

Assassinorum Kingmaker Cover

Another Warhammer 40,000 novel from 2022 that topped my best of lists was the insanely good Assassinorum: Kingmaker by talented author Robert Rath.  Following three ultra-elite assassins, Kingmaker showcases their mission to assassinate a king and bring a new era to a feudal Imperial Knight planet.  The only problem is that their target is permanently bonded to a giant mecha, and there are far darker secrets hidden on the planet than they realised.  This book was highly addictive from the very start, and I cannot emphasise how impressively amazing the narrative was.  You really get attached to the major characters, and I loved all the epic mecha-on-mecha fights than ensued.  A top read from one of the franchises fastest rising stars.

Amazon

 

The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley

The Wraithbone Phoenix Cover

One of the things that I most love about Warhammer 40,000 fiction is the sheer range of different stories that can be featured in this universe.  Probably the best example of this is the Warhammer Crime subseries that set a series of powerful crime fiction novels in a futuristic and corrupt Warhammer 40,000 city.  The first one of these that I read was The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley, which features a fast-paced, crime thriller romp as several teams of over-the-top criminals fight to recover a mysterious McGuffin, the titular Wraithbone Phoenix.  The story primarily focuses on the hilarious team of thieving ratling (a futuristic halfling/hobbit) and an enlightened Ogryn (ogre), who find themselves caught in the middle of the heist and hunted by everyone.  Fun, intense and surprisingly moving, this was an amazing book, and readers should also check out Worley’s short audiobook, Dredge Runners, which serves as an exceptional prequel.

Amazon

 

Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill

Storm of Iron Cover 2

From cool crime fiction to brutal sieges, my next entry is the awesome epic Storm of Iron by the legendary Graham McNeill.  Storm of Iron is a powerful and intense read that chronicles a deadly futuristic siege of a legendary citadel by the Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines, the galaxy’s most accomplished siege experts.  What follows is a brutal and lengthy siege novel that sees both sides engage in a hellish campaign to try and survive.  Cleverly showcasing both sides and providing some great context to the antagonists, this is a particularly fun book that is easily one of the best siege novels I have ever read.

Amazon

 

Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks

Da Big Dakka Cover

One of the more entertaining additions to this list is Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks.  Brooks is one of the most talented rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, especially with books like The Lion: King of the Forest and Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom.  While I enjoy his serious work, my favourite book of his is Da Big Dakka.  An intriguing and ultra-entertaining follow-up to his ork novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, Da Big Dakka sets a deadly ork warband against the lethal Drukhari in a battle of wits, carnage and pain.  Hilarious and clever from start to finish, I cannot recommend this book enough as it had me laughing all the way through.

Amazon

 

Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds

Kal Jerico - Sinner's Bounty Cover

There are many great Warhammer 40,000 novels on this list, but only one that I can truly blame for my current love of the franchise, and that’s Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds.  Set in the Necromunda sub-series/game, Sinner’s Bounty presents a whole new adventure from one of the franchise’s best characters, bounty hunter Kal Jerico, as he follows a notorious criminal into the darkest parts of the massive Necromunda hive city.  A massively entertaining romp that features multiple teams of bounty hunters, an army of mutants, and all manner of monsters in the dark sewers of the city, Sinner’s Bounty is so much damn fun and I loved seeing my favourite character back in action.  I hope we get more Kal Jerico books in the future, but in the meantime Sinner’s Bounty an amazing read that perfectly showcases one of the franchises best settings and protagonists.

Amazon

 

The Infinite and The Divine by Robert Rath

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

Another outstanding novel from Robert Rath that I had to feature here is, The Infinite and The Divine.  Focussed on two compelling and brilliant Necron characters, The Infinite and The Divine showcases the legendary feud between them as they spend thousands of years battling over a recovered artefact and its secrets.  Devolving into quite a petty scrap at times, The Infinite and The Divine is one of the funniest and cleverest Warhammer 40,000 books out there as it makes excellent use of humour, intense lore, and some very serious moments to tell a unique and memorable tale.  I had an exceptionally fun time with The Infinite and The Divine, and it is a fantastic novel for all Warhammer fans.

Amazon

 

Gaunt’s Ghosts series – Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Necropolis Cover

There was no way I could exclude Dan Abnett’s other iconic series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books from this list.  Generally considered one of the key pillars of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and essential reading for all newcomers to the franchise, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow the Tanith First and Only, a small regiment from a destroyed planet fighting for redemption in a deadly crusade.  Containing great characters, compelling storylines, and a gritty examination of the common Imperial soldier’s life, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books are extremely captivating and I have had a great deal of fun with them.  When I featured the Gaunt’s Ghosts books in this list last time, I had made some descent progress into the series with books like First and Only, Ghostmaker, Necropolis, Honour Guard and The Guns of Tanith, as well as the prequel novel, The Vincula Insurgency.  I have since had the pleasure of reading another two books in the series with Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr, both of which exceptional reads, especially as they really moved the overall narrative of the Gaunt’s Ghosts books along, while hitting the reader with some major tragedy.  While I still have several more Gaunt’s Ghosts books to go, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Warhammer series out there and I would strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this cool universe. 

Amazon

 

Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier

Lord of the Night Cover

A classic Warhammer 40,000 novel that I have a lot of love for is the dark and compelling Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier.  A unique read that sees a lone Night Lords traitor Space Marine terrorise an entire giant city in the hunt for a legendary artefact, Lord of the Night is a complex, character driven novel that really dives into the villain’s perspective.  Loaded with twists, compelling protagonists and a legendary game of cat and mouse, Lord of the Night is an outstanding read that I’m glad I got the chance to read.

Amazon

 

Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

One of the things that I love about the Warhammer 40,000 franchise is the way in which the Black Library finds and encourages new authors, with several impressive writers making their overall debut with a cool Warhammer 40,000 book.  One of the best recent examples of this was the outstanding novel, Renegades: Lord of Excess by new author Rich McCormick.  A particularly intense and bonkers novel that follows members of the hedonistic Emperor’s Children Chaos Space Marines as they conquer a planet with the goal of making it perfect, Lord of Excess was fantastically over-the-top read that dove into the downsides of excess and obsession.  One of my favourite books, audiobooks and debuts of 2024, Lord of Excess is so damn good, and I cannot wait to see what Rich McCormick writes next.

Amazon

 

Double Eagle/Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

Dan Abnett’s domination of this list continues with the author’s exceptional dive into combat flying and aerial aces in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Spinning off from the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Abnett wrote the impressive novel Double Eagle in 2004, which followed several pilots fighting in the same system-spanning war as the Tanith First and Only.  A particularly gripping novel, Double Eagle made excellent use of it’s Battle of Britain themes and motifs by showing the impact that atmospheric fighter craft can have in an interstellar war and is probably one of Abnett’s best novels.  However, the fun didn’t stop with Double Eagle, as Abnett recently released a long-awaited sequel, Interceptor City.  A particularly powerful read that followed the long-retired protagonist of Double Eagle as she is dragged back into combat, Interceptor City was another exceptional read, that took the awesome aerial combat from the first book and cranked it all the way up to 11.  Both books are incredible, and I can already tell you that Interceptor City is going to end up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025.

Amazon

 

Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Last year I made sure to highlight the amazing first novel in the Ciaphas Cain series, For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell, which I stated was one of the funniest Warhammer novels I have had the pleasure of reading.  However, I was only just scratching the surface of the long-running and beloved Ciaphas Cain series which follows the adventures of Commissar Ciaphas Cain, who is either one of the Imperium’s greatest heroes or a manipulative coward who actively tries to avoid combat, only to end up in even worse situations.  Mitchell paints a pretty hilarious picture around this scenario, and the result is a series of spectacular and side-splittingly funny novels.  I have had a ton of fun getting through several more books in the series, with books like Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls, Cain’s Last Stand and The Emperor’s Finest proving to be extremely awesome.  I still have several more entries to go in this series I can’t wait to see all the fantastic and entertaining ways that Cain will run into trouble in the future books.

Amazon

 

The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

Robert Rath makes yet another appearance on this list with his latest novel, The Fall of Cadia.  A truly epic read that recounts the dire events of the canon-changing, Imperium wrecking, final battle of the 13th Black Crusade, The Fall of Cadia is a remarkable book that Warhammer 40,000 fans will not be able to put down.  Filled with massive battles, unique moments, and so many larger-than-life characters, The Fall of Cadia perfectly captures one of the more essential moments in recent Warhammer 40,000 lore.  Rath is really proving himself to be one of the absolute best authors of Warhammer fiction, as The Fall of Cadia ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.

Amazon

 

Outgunned and Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

While Denny Flowers’ first book, Fire Made Flesh, was a great Necromunda novel, it pales in comparison to his Lucille von Shard novels.  Another cool series that focusses on a flying ace, the Lucille von Shard novels are a very different collection of Warhammer 40,000 books as they look at the dark side of the lies, propaganda and badly run wars that are rife within the Imperium.  The series started with the amazing novel Outgunned which follows an Imperial propaganda specialist who arrives on a swampy battlefield to film inspiration footage of a legendary fighter pilot as she battles an ork invasion, only to discover that his preferred subject is an arrogant drunkard, and everyone is dying for a corrupted planet.  A brilliant and intense novel that not only featured a ton of great aerial combat, but which also dives into some very dark places that shows just how far humanity has fallen in the far future Outgunned was such a great read, and Flowers exceeded himself last year with the excellent sequel Above and Beyond.  Once again following the damaged protagonists of the first book as they find themselves locked in a dark conspiracy of alien lies and deadly propaganda, Above and Beyond was an exceptional read, and one that highlights Denny Flowers as one of the most impressive rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

Amazon

 

Flesh and Steel by Guy Haley

Flesh and Steel Cover

The Warhammer Crime hits keep on coming with Flesh and Steel by renowned author Guy Hayley.  This compelling read acts a bit of an odd-couple, buddy cop story when two very different detectives are forced to team up to investigate a dismembered body left across a city border.  Mixing some fantastic comedy with some pretty dark and horrific elements, Flesh and Steel provided one of the best character-focused stories in the Warhammer Crime range and I was deeply impressed with how everything unfolded.  A key Warhammer Crime read and one that I have a great deal of affection for.

Amazon

 

Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons

Dead Men Walking Cover

Another book that highlight’s the unique human soldiers of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is the moving and tragic novel, Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons.  Featuring a battle between two unrelenting foes, Dead Men Walking pitted the Death Korps of Krieg against the Necrons in a brutal, all-out war with no true winners.  Cleverly told from the perspective of the poor unfortunates caught in the middle of the fighting, Dead Men Walking is an outstanding and dire novel that really highlights how desperate the Warhammer 40,000 universe can be.  The book that cemented Lyons as the master of the Death Korps of Krieg (check out his other novels Krieg and Siege of Vraks), Dead Men Walking was a dark riot from start to finish that will stick with you for a very long time.

Amazon

 

Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Day of Ascension Cover

A great example of the impressive talent that this franchise attracts can be seen in the 2022 novel, Day of Ascension, written by highly renowned author Adrian Tchaikovsky, making his Warhammer debut.  Day of Ascension was a short and sweet novel which sets the robotic and callus Adeptus Mechanicus against a revolution started by a dangerous Genestealer Cult.  Featuring Tchaikovsky’s flair for highlighting alien mindsets and cultures, there are some very clever divergent perspectives in this novel, and I loved diving into the distinctive minds of two very different types of human hybrids.  Successfully introducing a great talent to the franchise, Day of Ascension is a brilliant read and one that I had an epic time with.

Amazon

 

Titanicus by Dan Abnett

While I know that I’ve overdosed this list with Dan Abnett entries, I had no choice but to also include the awesome read Titanicus, which I had the pleasure of reading earlier this year.  Also set around the same conflict featured in the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Titanicus sees an important Forge World invaded by a traitor Titan force, determined to destroy it.  When reinforcements from a crusading Imperial Titan regiment arrives to repel the invaders, all out Titan warfare erupts on the planet as the giant god machines of the grimdark future engage in planet shaking combat.  A particularly impressive novel that showcases a destructive, planet-wide war on multiple fronts, Titanicus is one of the definitive novels about the Titan legions in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I cannot recommend this additional Abnett novel enough.

Amazon

 

Bloodlines by Chris Wraight

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final entry on this list is the insanely good Warhammer Crime novel, Bloodlines by Chris Wraight.  Following a cynical, veteran detective as he is dragged into a problematic missing person’s case, Bloodlines soon devolves into a hard tale of rich privilege and gangster violence as the protagonist refuses to stop investigating a crooked corporation.  Probably one of the best pure crime fiction novels in this range, I loved the clever conclusion to the narrative and Bloodlines is an outstanding read, and one I am particularly keen for a sequel for (the protagonist has some dark secrets that need to come into the light).  Highly recommended.

Amazon

 

And that’s the end of my list.  All 20 of the above books/series come very highly recommended, and each of them would make an excellent addition to any budding Warhammer 40,000 fan’s collection.  I really loved that I was able to update this awesome list with several new books, and I have no doubt I will have even more to add next year when I update it again, especially as there are some great Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in 2025.  I hope I’ve inspired at least one reader to embark on a Warhammer 40,000 adventure, and you honestly won’t be disappointed.

Warhammer 40,000: The Emperor’s Finest by Sandy Mitchell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer4 Comments

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 7 December 2010)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Seven

Length: 10 hours and 14 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Dive once again into the crazy adventures of the Warhammer 40,000 universe’s most undeserving hero, with the awesome Ciaphas Cain novel, The Emperor’s Finest by Sandy Mitchell.

I was recently in the mood for something familiar and fun to enjoy during a gap in my audiobook listening schedule, and the first thing that came to mind was another entry in the highly entertaining and addictive Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell (a pseudonym of author Alex Stewart).  One of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 series, the Ciaphas Cain books chronicle the adventures of the dashing and doubtful hero of the Imperium of Man, Commissar Ciaphas Cain, a man who sensibly seeks to avoid the many, many terrifying dangers of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but who constantly finds himself dragged into the deadliest of situations, often because of his vastly inflated legend.  I have had a wonderful time making my way through the series, with books like For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls and Cain’s Last Stand, proving to be extremely compelling and highly entertaining.  As such, I knew well in advance of reading The Emperor’s Finest that I was going to have a brilliant time with it, and Mitchell did not disappoint.  The seventh entry in this outstanding series, The Emperor’s Finest, had an outrageous and fantastic plot behind it that throws you into the action right away.

A dangerous and terrible foe stalks several human worlds in the galaxy, and only one man is unlucky enough to face it: Commissar Ciaphas Cain.  Despite being relatively early in his illustrious career, Cain has already gained a reputation for heroics and bravery, a combination that conspires to get the Commissar into far more trouble than he wants.  However, one of his most dangerous adventures occurs when he is surrounded by the finest warriors humanity has to defend them.

Rescued from an exploding Necron ship, Cain finds himself in the care of Space Marines of the Reclaimers chapter and soon becomes their Imperial Guard liaison as part of a new campaign.  Assigned to supress a civil war on the important agricultural world of Viridia, the Reclaimers are keen to engage the enemy, and Cain finds himself reluctantly dragged in their wake, forced to once again play the rousing hero and bring the loyalists of Viridia into line.  However, as the Reclaimers begin their bloody work, it soon becomes apparent that the traitors of Viridia are far more deadly than expected, when a nefarious genestealer cult is revealed at the heart of the warring factions.

As the Space Marines engage the genestealers, the defenders of Viridia determine that they must have snuck into the system when a massive, drifting space hulk briefly appeared.  Determined to eradicate the source of this unholy threat to the Imperium, the Reclaimers lead an ambitious expedition into the warp to track down the space hulk and obtain its secrets, and Cain is naturally required to follow along.  With murderous genestealers and ravaging orks in front of him, and the far more terrifying threat of an ambitious husband-seeking noblewoman at his back, Cain and his trusty aide, Jurgen, are flung once again into the fray and must find a way to extricate themselves from the new dangers all around them.  But if anyone can survive the oncoming terrors of the space hulk, it’s the soon to be legend of the Imperium.

Sandy Mitchell continues to delightfully show just how ridiculous and entertaining the Warhammer 40,000 universe can be with this outstanding entry in his Ciaphas Cain series.  Featuring an intense plot loaded with some fantastic characters, The Emperor’s Finest takes Cain on a grand adventure filled with action, questionable heroics, and boundless fun.

As with the rest of the books in the Ciaphas Cain series, The Emperor’s Finest features a brilliant and highly entertaining story loaded with funny coincidences, complex characters and highly dangerous situations.  Following on from the immediate aftermath of the Ciaphas Cain short story, Echoes of the Tomb, the initial story sees Cain once again thrust into danger, this time supporting the Reclaimers’ attempts to wipe out a genestealer-led revolution on the planet of Viridia.  This first part of The Emperor’s Finest is a somewhat typical Ciaphas Cain narrative, with the reluctant Cain dragged into a dangerous situation thanks to his own inflated reputation.  This ensures a ton of excellent action and over-the-top scenarios, as Cain jumps from danger to danger, with many of his decisions to avoid trouble resulting in him finding an even worse scenario.  Mitchell enhances this fun by also forcing Cain to contend with supporting character, Mira DuPanya, whose entertaining exploits, foppish nature, aristocratic arrogance, and determination to stick with Cain leads to some great moments, including an unlikely romantic subplot with the protagonist.

While this was a great introduction, the plot focus of The Emperor’s Finest changes about a third of the way through into a space adventure, when the Reclaimers set out to find and cleanse the space hulk that initially corrupted Viridia, and Cain is dragged along.  This allows for some excellent space adventures, especially when Cain and the Space Marines burst out into ork space, resulting in a great boarding action sequence.  Mitchell really leans into some fun interpersonal clashes between the book’s three main characters here, especially as Cain and the always dependable Jurgen find themselves at their wits end with Mira, who continues to be a real highlight of the plot.  All this leads to the excellent final third of The Emperor’s Finest, which sees Cain and Jurgen trapped alone aboard the space hulk, facing off against genestealers and orks.  A frenetic and fast-paced extended sequence, the space hulk scenes feature some of the book’s best action, and it was fun to see Cain and Jurgen working as an effective team to achieve Cain’s goal of not dying.  Mitchell plunks in some really awesome, fast-paced sequences here, and the reader is left hanging on until the end as they wait to see how Cain escapes this time.  Everything wraps up with some final fun moments, with Cain once again coming out on top through happy accident, and I was thoroughly entertained with how the self-contained storylines around Mira came to an end.

Unsurprisingly, Mitchell continued to utilise the same writing style that made the rest of the Ciaphas Cain series so entertaining, with the main narrative primarily told in a journal format, written by an older Cain.  Filled with self-deprecating humour and his own narrow insights into events, the novel paints a rather compelling and frank picture of events, which Mitchell ensures is loaded with action, adventure, and a certain level of ridiculousness.  This main narration is cleverly interspersed with entertaining footnotes, commentary and in-universe texts provided by the account’s editor, Inquisitor Amberly Vail, which ensures that the story becomes even more cynical and humorous, abet with some excellent additional insights into the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  I personally found The Emperor’s Finest to be one of the funnier Ciaphas Cian novels, and I chuckled my way through several scenes, especially those where Cain’s greatest threat proves to be an ambitious and heavily armed love interest.  I really love Mitchell’s great writing style for these books, which are honestly some of the more light-hearted entries in the larger Warhammer 40,000 canon, and I felt that it helped to turn the already awesome action story of The Emperor’s Finest into a truly entertaining narrative.  While the overall general adventure narrative is relatively basic, especially after some of the preceding books that had a little more depth, this was still a great read, and those in the mood for comedy, action and amusing characters in the always grim dark Warhammer 40,000 universe are going to have fun with this seventh Ciaphas Cain book.

As with the rest of the series, The Emperor’s Finest works extremely well as a standalone novel, with no prior knowledge of the rest of the Ciaphas Cain series needed to enjoy this cool narrative.  Indeed, as The Emperor’s Finest is set relatively early in the character’s personal chronology, only a couple of the previous books are referenced or mentioned, although the short story, Echoes of the Tomb, set directly before the events of this novel, is discussed a few times.  As such, The Emperor’s Children could potentially be used as a good entry point into the larger series, especially as you get some great comedic moments and interactions in this book.  While The Emperor’s Finest does suffer from some repetition issues due to Mitchell reusing some phrases, descriptions and broad story arcs, I feel that there were enough unique elements in this book to make it stand out from the rest of the series.  This includes the inclusion of Space Marines characters for the first time in a Ciaphas Cain book, as well as the inclusion of some fun new supporting figures who add a lot of humour to the plot.  As such, I felt that The Emperor’s Finest was an outstanding addition to the overall series, and one that will appeal to both new readers and established fans of the series.

An always amazing highlight of the Ciaphas Cain novels are the great characters, and The Emperor’s Finest is an excellent example of this, featuring a fun cast of outrageous figures.  This includes protagonist and main point-of-view character, Commissar Ciaphas Cain, who is a particularly complex figure in the Warhammer 40,000 canon.  Always described by the protagonist himself as a coward and a false hero, Cain spends most of the book trying to come up with ways to avoid combat and survive the inevitable danger his reputation and own bad lack force him to participate in.  Written in a very cynical and self-deprecating manner, Mitchell always tries to emulate classic figures like Flashman or Blackadder with his depictions of Cain.  However, despite Cain’s own constant assurances that he is no hero, he often proves to be quite a skilled fighter and leader, routinely defeating the enemy through clever strategies or natural talents, and you soon figure out that the character is actually a good Commissar, even if he doesn’t believe it.  As such, Cain is a brilliantly contrary character, and it always fun to see him in action, especially in these earlier adventures where even he isn’t sure whether he’s brave or a hero.  Throw in the protagonist’s usual witty humour, sarcastic comments and overall cynical nature, which throws some entertaining shade on the entire Warhammer 40,000 universe, and Cain is a brilliant and surprisingly likeable central character that is so much fun to follow.

Aside from Cain, The Emperor’s Finest features some excellent supporting characters, including some recurring figures from the main series.  This includes Cain’s faithful aide Jurgen, a seemingly gormless and thoroughly unsanitary soldier, who is also an effective and lethal sidekick and in many ways is the true hero of the series.  While some elements of his nature are hidden due to this book being set early in the series’ timeline, Jurgen still has several moments to shine in The Emperor’s Finest, and I love how well he plays off Cian.  Another great recurring figure is Inquisitor Amberly Vail, who serves the essential role as the overarching narrator of the book as well as the person behind the footnotes.  Despite not physically appearing as a character in The Emperor’s Finest, Vail’s impact on the overarching book is undeniable, and I love hearing her commentary on Cain’s exploits while also calling out all his lies and mistakes.  Mitchell also features several stoic Space Marine characters, whose surly presence adds some interesting colour to proceedings, and whose apparently inability to see through Cain is quite amusing.

While Jurgen and Vail are great in their roles as always, I think that new character Mira DuPanya honestly stole the show in The Emperor’s Finest.  The spoiled daughter of Viridia’s governor, Mira is shown to be an early thorn in Cain’s side as she decides to accompany him into battle with her troops, despite being unqualified to lead anyone.  The early conflict between the two quickly turns into an unconventional romance, which Cain humorously regrets the entire way through, especially when Mira’s true intentions are revealed.  Mitchell honestly did a masterful job of portraying Mira in the most spoiled and foppish light, and for once Cain isn’t the most selfish character in the plot.  The hilarious interactions that occur between Mira and several of the recurring cast is often comedic gold, and I felt that this character’s presence alone helped to make The Emperor’s Finest one of the funnier books in the series.  An overall amazing cast of characters that I couldn’t get enough of.

I almost don’t need to say it at this point, but I of course checked out The Emperor’s Finest on audiobook, which frankly is the very best way to enjoy a Ciaphas Cain/Warhammer 40,000 novel.  Once again featuring an impressive cast of entertaining narrators, The Emperor’s Finest had a brisk run time of just over 10 hours, which I honestly flew through because I was having such a fun time with this audiobook.  The multiple narrators really help to capture the entertaining and crazy nature of the narrative, with Stephen Perring doing his usual exceptional job leading the narration.  His voice work in the main story, as told from Cain’s perspective, is very entertaining, and I love the extremely fitting voices that once again accompany the recurring protagonists of Cain and Jurgen, with Jurgen’s sticky tones being particularly fun.  Thanks to its compelling cast, Perring also had some additional interesting voices to feature in The Emperor’s Children, including a group of Space Marines, who Perring gives an appropriately intimidating and booming voice. However, Perring’s most entertaining, if ridiculous voice, belonged to Cain’s new love interest, Mira, upon whom Perring bestows a very grating and overly aristocratic voice, that really fits the spoiled princess persona the character had.  I honestly chuckled my way through some of the outrageous dialogue between the two, especially with Perring’s tones making them even more ridiculous.

In addition to Perring, the voice cast of The Emperor’s Finest also features the returning Penelope Rawlins, as well as additional narrators Andrew James Spooner and Helen McAlphine.  Rawlins once again does an amazing job voicing Inquisitor Vail’s notes on Cain’s account of this mission, and I loved the sarcastic yet informative tone that Rawlins has long attributed to this compelling figure.  Rawlins’s inclusions work perfectly alongside the main narration of Perring, and the way that her subtle and comedic comments are inserted into the flow of the story in this format is always extremely fun.  Throw in some excellent work from Spooner and McAlphine, who bring the contextual articles, interviews and exerts from in-universe texts to life in an amusing and striking fashion, and The Emperor’s Finest once again features some outstanding narration that really enhances Mitchell’s already awesome story.  I have so much love for how the Ciaphas Cain novels come across on audiobook, and The Emperor’s Finest once again shows why this is the very best way to enjoy this series.

Seven books in and the always fun Ciaphas Cain series remains one of the best Warhammer 40,000 series.  Sandy Mitchell did an outstanding job continuing the series with The Emperor’s Finest, which provides even more great action, fantastic comedy, and amazing character interactions.  An excellent and captivating read from start to finish, The Emperor’s Finest comes highly recommended, and I can’t wait to dive even further into the series when I get a chance.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 29 January 2025

On 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:

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris (ebook)

I started reading the excellent debut thriller An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris. Set around a woman with the ability to redistribute life force, the book sees her come up with her own guide to taking life as she attempts to balance the karmic scales. I haven’t made too much progress with An Ethical Guide to Murder yet, but the first 50 pages of it were a lot of fun. I will hopefully power through this book in the next few days, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young (Audiobook)

I was still in a Warhammer 40,000 mood this week, so I started reading the intense novel, Leontus: Lord Solar.  The second Warhammer 40,000 book from Young, who previously impressed me with his debut novel Longshot, Leontus: Lord Solar follows a legendary general as he leads a ragtag human army behind alien lines.  A very compelling and exciting read, I am powering through the audiobook version of Leontus: Lord Solar and I should finish it soon.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis (Trade Paperback)

Death on the Tiber Cover

I finally managed to finish reading the 2024 Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber.  The latest book in Davis’ long-running Flavia Albia historical murder mystery series, Death on the Tiber saw the protagonist investigate another complex murder in ancient Rome, this time while dealing with demons from her past.  I had an exceptional time with this book, and it proved to be an amazing addition to the series.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Emperor’s Finest by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I also powered through the entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Emperor’s Finest this week. Part of the amazing Ciaphas Cain series, The Emperor’s Finest follows a highly pragmatic protagonist as he finds himself thrust into the horrors of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Another very awesome entry in the series, The Emperor’s Finest is very funny and I had such a great listening to it.

Amazon

 

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton (Audiobook)

Thanks to a productive road trip I also finished listening to the entertaining science fiction novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.  An excellent book that follows the misadventure of duplicated clones who no longer want to die, Mickey7 is proved to be an outstanding book and I’m glad I read it before the movie came out.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The next book I am planning to read is the new incredible novel from Adrian Tchaikovsky, Days of Shattered Faith.  The third book in Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Days of Shattered Faith will follow two mismatched diplomats as they try to understand a crazy new city.  I had so much fun with the previous entries in this series, City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, both of which were amongst my favourite books of 2023 (with City of Last Chances being one of the best audiobooks of 2023), and I have no doubt Days of Shattered Faith is going to be just as epic.

Amazon

 

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

WWW Wednesday – 22 January 2025

On 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:

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis (Trade Paperback)

Death on the Tiber Cover

I finally managed to start reading the 2024 Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber.  The latest book in Davis’ long-running Flavia Albia historical murder mystery series, Death on the Tiber sees the protagonist investigate another complex murder in ancient Rome, this time while dealing with demons from her past.  I am having an exceptional time with this book, and I am hoping to knock it off tonight.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Emperor’s Finest by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I was in the mood for something fun this week, so I started listening to another entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Emperor’s Finest.  Part of the amazing Ciaphas Cain series, The Emperor’s Finest follows a highly pragmatic protagonist as he finds himself thrust into the horrors of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Another very awesome entry in the series, The Emperor’s Finest is very funny and I am powering through it.

Amazon

 

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton (Audiobook)

I also started listening to the entertaining science fiction novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton this week while on a road trip.  An excellent book that follows the misadventure of duplicated clones who no longer want to die, Mickey7 is proving to be an outstanding book and I’m very glad I decided to check it out.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga (Paperback)

I powered through the awesome thriller The Ascent by Adam Plantinga this week.  One of the more exciting debuts of 2024, The Ascent followed former cop forced to fight his way out of a rioting prison.  This was an incredible and deeply thrilling novel that I had a brilliant time read, make sure to check out my review for it here.

Amazon

 

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland (Audiobook)

I also managed to finish off the 2025 fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland this week.  The sequel to the awesome Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms sees a group of deadly killers and rogues once again try to work together to pull off an impossible mission.  Loaded with action, fun characters, and some entertaining tension, Four Ruined Realms was a very worthy sequel to Five Broken Blades. Review to follow soon.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris

I have several awesome books to read next, but I think I’m going to check out the excellent thriller An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris. Set around a woman with the ability to redistribute life force, the book sees her pull together her own guide to taking life as she attempts to balance the karmic scales. I really love the sound of this book, and I cannot wait to read it.

Amazon

 

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

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Pre-2024 Novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List11 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. This week participants of Top Ten Tuesday get a freebie to list whatever topics they want.  So, I am going to take this opportunity to start my annual end-of-year lists here by looking at my favourite pre-2024 novels that I read this year.

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

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

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000 Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks – 2021

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

Amazon

 

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

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

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 2023

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

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett – 1989

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

Amazon

 

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

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

Amazon

 

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

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

Amazon

 

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

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

Amazon

 

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

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

Amazon

 

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

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

Amazon

 

The Outsider by Stephen King – 2018

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

Amazon

 

The Sandman – Act III by Neil Gaiman – 2022

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

Amazon

 

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

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

Amazon

 

Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell – 2023

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

Amazon

 

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