Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 20 February 2025.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Daily website.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Four Ruined Realms, Unhallowed Halls and An Ethical Guide to Murder.
Tag: Science Fiction
Waiting on Wednesday – The Infinite State by Richard Swan
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an intriguing upcoming science fiction novel from a particularly impressive author, with The Infinite State by Richard Swan.
Few fantasy authors have been as successful in recent years as writer Richard Swan. A very talented author with some unique stories under his belt, Swan has gained a lot of positive attention in recent years with his Empire of the Wolf series, which started in 2022 with The Justice of Kings. A complex series that examined law and order in a crumbling fantasy empire, the Empire of the Wolf books proved to be very popular, enough so that Swan is currently following up the original trilogy with his The Great Silence sequel series, which examines a whole new era for his established world.
While I am more familiar with his fantasy fiction work, Swan also has a bit of experience with science fiction, which is what this Waiting on Wednesday post is primarily going to focus on, as he has an intriguing new novel in the genre coming out later this year. That book is The Infinite State, a complex upcoming read that will take a compelling look at space fascism and one woman’s attempt to bring the whole twisted system down. Set for release in late July 2026, The Infinite State has a fascinating plot idea behind it, which I am very curious to check out.
Plot Synopsis:
Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan is back with a blistering and fraught science fiction epic.
In this blistering science fiction epic, Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating examination of totalitarianism.
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller’s husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus – governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire – he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled – each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine’s newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she’s not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
1984 meets The Man in the High Castle in gripping sci-fi The Infinite State from Richard Swan, which begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot – entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of a fascist state.
Now this sounds like quite an interesting and socially relevant science fiction novel, and it’s one that I am currently quite excited for. A complex narrative about overthrowing fascism and trying to create your own democratic world has a lot of potential, and it will be cool to see the interplay between science fiction elements and political intrigue in The Infinite State’s plot. Swan has long proven his ability to create complex and layered fiction worlds and empires, but I’ll be curious to see him dive into the future and explore the dark possibilities that exist there. There is a lot of possibilities contained within a setting like this, and I’m sure that the resulting story will be particularly interesting and addictive.
Based on my previous positive experiences with Richard Swan, as well as the compelling new narrative suggested in the above synopsis, The Infinite State has definitely piqued my curiosity, is currently very high on my to-read list for the second half of the year. Sure to combine complex intrigue and machinations with a dark futuristic setting, The Infinite State looks set to be a particularly awesome 2026 novel, and I cannot wait to check it out.
Canberra Weekly Column – Fantasy and Science Fiction – 20 November 2025
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 20 November 2025.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Seven Recipes for Revolution, The Feeding and Cold War.
Waiting on Wednesday – Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an outstanding upcoming thriller filled with weird science and outrageous themes with the very cool sounding Paradox by the father/daughter team of Douglas and Aletheia Preston
Back in 2024 I had the very great pleasure of reading my very first novel from Douglas Preston with the outstanding novel Extinction. A fantastic thriller that saw two very different cops try to solve a bloody disappearance that took place in an exclusive mountain resort filled with genetically modified clones of mammoths and other pre-historic creatures, Extinction was a very fun book packed full of over-the-top twists and some very chaotic moments. Thanks to Preston’s impressive and action-packed story, that featured murderous neanderthal clones amongst other entertaining moments, Extinction proved to be an extremely captivating and addictive read that I powered through so very quickly.
The awesome and frankly insane Extinction made me a big fan of Preston, and I’ve been trying out some of his other cool releases, including the amazing thriller Badlands, that Preston wrote with his long-time collaborator Lincoln Child. However, I’ve always been curious to see if the somewhat open-ended narrative of Extinction could be expanded on, especially with the murderous neanderthals now out in the wild, filled with vengeful thoughts about homo sapiens destroying their species. Well it turns out that Preston was also curious to see where his story to go, as we have a sequel to Extinction coming out soon with the very intriguing sounding Paradox.
Serving as the second book in the Cash & Colcord series, Paradox will see Preston bring on his daughter Aletheia as a writing partner, as he follows the protagonists from the first book into a new investigation, while the genetic consequences of the first book continue to lurk in the shadows. I love the sound of this awesome sequel, and if it is anywhere near as epic and excessive as the first book in the series was, then I know I’m going to love it. As such, I have very high hopes for Paradox, and I feel like it is going to be a particularly enjoyable read.
Plot Synopsis:
The new powerhouse team of Douglas Preston & Aletheia Preston are joining together to “enter the world” of the New York Times bestselling Extinction.
One of the holiest relics in Christendom, inexplicably defaced…
A paranoid old prospector, ritualistically murdered…
A controversial exobiologist, tortured and dismembered…
When a reclusive man is found dead under grisly circumstances in the Colorado wilderness, CBI Agent Frankie Cash and Eagle County Sheriff Jim Colcord, whom we met in the New York Times bestseller, Extinction, team up again on their most enigmatic and dangerous case yet. Their investigation uncovers a trail of bizarre killings, baffling money transfers, and a fanatical secret society.
And all the while, the resurrected Neanderthals, who vanished into the Colorado mountains, seem to be biding their time for something…spectacular.
The Feeding by Anthony Ryan
Publisher: Orbit/Blackstone Publishing (Audiobook – 14 October 2025)
Series: Standalone/Book One
Length: 10 hours and 13 minutes
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Acclaimed fantasy author Anthony Ryan continues to explore the horror genre with the fantastic post-apocalyptic vampire novel, The Feeding, an awesome and deeply addictive read that you won’t be able to read fast enough.
Anthony Ryan is an author I’ve talked a lot about in recent weeks, primarily because his outstanding fantasy novel, Born of an Iron Storm. The impressive second novel in the author’s Age of Wrath series, Born of an Iron Storm was one of my favourite books, audiobooks and sequels of 2025, and I am currently very excited for the third and final entry in the series, currently titled Upon a Forge of Battle, which is coming out later this year. However, before we get to that I need to also highlight Ryan’s second book of 2025, the awesome horror novel The Feeding. Released here in Australia under the pen-name A. J. Ryan, The Feeding is Ryan’s second major horror release after Red River Seven in 2023. This new horror novel had a great plot behind it, as a desperate protagonist attempts to survive a twisted landscape filled with dangerous monsters.
Plot Synopsis:
Layla has spent her entire life in the Redoubt, one of the last bastions of humanity in a ravaged world. She’s never been beyond the Redoubt’s walls; only Crossers, with their special training and survival skills, are permitted to venture into the shadow-haunted wastelands.
When Layla’s father falls ill, she knows she needs to find a cure. But no such medicine can be found within the Redoubt. Instead, her only chance is to pass a series of gruelling trials to become a Crosser, and then to strike out into the wilderness.
Where the feeders are.
Internationally bestselling fantasy author Anthony Ryan – writing as A. J. Ryan – delivers a nerve-shredding horror novel where humans are no longer top of the food chain.
The Feeding was another extremely awesome novel from Ryan that I ended up powering through in no time at all. A clever and intense vampire horror novel, The Feeding effortlessly keeps your attention with its impressive worldbuilding and fast-paced story. I had such an incredible time with this book, and I deeply enjoyed seeing what Ryan could do in the horror space.
The plot of The Feeding was a great, grungy post-apocalyptic read that was a very interesting change of pace from the sprawling fantasy epics I’m used to from Ryan. Featuring a much more fast-paced story, Ryan quickly and effectively introduces you to The Feeding’s protagonist, Layla, and the dark world she inhabits. A lowly scavenger in the dying walled city of Redoubt, Layla finds herself desperate enough to become a Crosser, the city’s elite runners who leave Redoubt to trade in the wasteland, to find medicine for her dying father. This leads to an excellent extended early section of the book where the protagonist needs to go through a compelling Selection process, featuring several trials designed to whittle down the applicants and ensure only true survivors can go over the wall. This early sequence does an excellent job of hammering home just how dangerous the world outside of Redoubt is, as well as giving some intriguing insights into what the feeders, this universe’s vampire substitute, are capable of. This first part of the book really sets the tone for the rest of the novel, and I was frankly hooked on The Feeding the second we got to Selection.
I felt that the second half of The Feeding, which takes place primarily beyond the walls, lives up to the expectations Ryan sets up in the first part of the book. The protagonist and an interesting band of supporting characters enter the desolate wasteland and soon encounter all manner of horrors from wild feeders, even wilder humans, and the general abandonment of the outside world. Ryan also starts working in an excellent overarching narrative threat that stalks the protagonists from a distance. While you can easily guess at who or what this threat is, as well as a certain supporting character’s connections to it, the full impact and intensity of this looming danger keep hitting the protagonists hard and fast. There are some brutal losses as the plot continues, and you are constantly on edge as everything closes in and the stakes keep on rising.
Everything leads up to an intense finale, as after another dark confrontation the protagonist finds herself at her most desperate. Forced to rely on an unlikely ally, Layla attempts the impossible and soon finds herself stuck in the middle of someone else’s dark tale. The raw intensity of the plot really grabs your attention at this point, and you are so very eager to see how the book will continue. Ryan also throws in some interesting additional worldbuilding as the novel heads towards the conclusion, which provides some answers to the questions you’ve built up throughout The Feeding, while also ensuring you’re even more curious about what else is out in the wasteland. After a gritty final confrontation, as well as some last-minute tragedy, Ryan ends The Feeding on a mostly hopeful and heartfelt note, which includes an excellent family moment bonding over a classic. This proved to be an excellent end to The Feeding’s standalone narrative, although Ryan does leave the story open for a potential sequel going forward, which I personally would be curious to see.
Ryan pulls together a tight, complex and character-driven narrative in The Feeding that I think worked extremely well. Grabbing the reader’s attention early, Ryan does an excellent job painting the post-apocalyptic scene, and I loved the complex world of walled cities and vampire-infested wastelands that emerged. The combined tension of mass human desperation and the dark overwhelming threat of feeders surrounding the city ensures that the reader knows how deadly this version of the world is from the beginning, which ensures you are really invested in the protagonist’s personal journey. The feeders themselves prove to be outstanding vampiric antagonists for much of the plot, especially with the combination of feral beast gamma feeders and more intelligent betas and alphas, providing some variation in the threat they posed. Ryan crafts together some outstanding and scary sequences involving the feeders as the novel continues, and your pulse is guaranteed to race every time they appear, especially once the death toll starts to rise. Combine that with Ryan’s proven ability to write good action scenes, of which there are some fantastic moments, as well as some excellent and compelling supporting characters (try not to get too attached though), and this really was a fantastically written novel. I was honestly really impressed with how Ryan transitioned from his usual fantasy style to this powerful and moving horror novel, while also retaining his typical imagination and intense storytelling ability.
As has become my habit with all the previous Anthony Ryan novels I’ve enjoyed, I ended up listening to The Feeding on audiobook, which I’ve always found compliments the author’s writing style and worldbuilding extremely well. This proved to once again be the case for The Feeding, with the format really enhancing the tension and fast-paced sequences loaded into this great horror story. It helped that they got another very skilled narrator in the form of Devon Sorvari, who took on the role of the one perspective protagonist extremely well. While it did take me a chapter or two to completely appreciate Sorvari’s narration style, once I got into her groove, I begun to really appreciate her take on the story and the intriguing characters. Sorvari perfectly captures the damaged and determined spirit of the main character Layla throughout The Feeding, and the alternate accents and voices she brings for the rest of the cast also work really well. Sorvari also keeps the pace of The Feeding constantly going, and the way she can enhance the tension of the audiobook through her voice work ensures you are constantly on the edge of your seat as you listen to it. Thanks to this excellent narration, I got through the audiobooks roughly 10-hour runtime extremely quickly, and this proved to be a particularly amazing audiobook to listen to.
Anthony Ryan continues to greatly impress with his captivating and highly entertaining horror novel The Feeding. Featuring an outstanding vampire-focused narrative in a complex post-apocalyptic world, The Feeding was a very fun and emotionally charged read, that I couldn’t get enough of. I had such a brilliant time with The Feeding, and it comes very highly recommend as a result. I will be seeking out more of Ryan’s dives into the horror genre going forward, and I cannot wait to see what other creepy tales he has planned.
Cold War by Jonathan Maberry
Publisher: Blackstone Audio (Audiobook – 14 October 2025)
Series: NecroTek – Book Two
Length: 19 hours and 33 minutes
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The insanity and complex storytelling of Jonathan Maberry’s incredible NecroTek series continues in 2025 with the impressive and deeply intense sequel Cold War.
2025 has been a pretty awesome year for fans of Jonathan Maberry, as we have not only gotten the new Joe Ledger/Rogue Team International novel, Burn to Shine, but Maberry also continued his excellent NecroTek series. Released in collaboration with the iconic Weird Tales magazine, the series started last year with the amazing novel, NecroTek (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), this series saw Maberry combine compelling science fiction elements with his love for Lovecraftian horror, when, in the near future, a space station of scientists and soldiers is transported across the galaxy and forced to fight eldritch horrors. As the book continued, several of the human characters to become the titular NecroTeks, undead pilots of gigantic alien war machines, who are forced to risk the destruction of their souls to fight back against the monsters coming for them. Due to how powerful, compelling, and occasionally scary this novel got, I have been keen for the sequel, Cold War, for quite some time, and I made sure to check it out the amazing audiobook version of it a few weeks ago.
Plot Synopsis:
In NecroTek, Asphodel space station was accidentally teleported to the far side of the galaxy, where they became embroiled in a never-ending war against ancient cosmic horrors.
But there is much more to the story …
On Earth, scientists uncover an alien spacecraft buried for millions of years beneath Antarctic ice. Inside are terrible secrets and a creature desperate to escape.
Soon the scientists studying the Artifact begin to have terrifying dreams, driving many of them to madness and acts of shocking violence. Dr. Evie Cronin and her team struggle to find answers, fully aware that they may only be found out among the stars. Their investigation brings them to the orbit of Jupiter moments before the WarpLine gun misfires. Destiny is a vicious and devious thing.
On Asphodel Station, the newly created ghost-driven NecroTek fighting machines are engaged in a desperate battle for survival against the deadly shoggoth fleets. But a new and far more dangerous race of creatures is poised to attack, both with their own fleets and with nightmares forced into the minds of the dwindling human defenders.
The group of scientists from Antarctica and the survivors on Asphodel are pitted against an unstoppable enemy. If they fail, Asphodel Station will fall, and the Outer Gods will be free to wage a war of conquest across the galaxy—to Earth itself.
Jonathan Maberry once again delivers an impressive read with his outstanding and complex Cold War. Featuring an intense, character driven story that takes its protagonists to hell and back, Cold War was a powerful, horror-laden science fiction novel that refuses to let you go. I loved this book so much, and it gets a very easy five-star rating from me, and I have recently featured it on my recent favourite sequels and audiobooks lists of 2025.
Maberry produced a very exciting and captivating narrative for Cold War that goes in a very different direction than I would have expected after NecroTek, but which works as a very effective and expansive sequel. Initially showcasing the events in the aftermath of NecroTek and the first big battle for Asphodel Station, the reader is quickly and effectively reintroduced to the key characters from the first book and given an update on how they have continued to adapt to being transferred across the universe. The early chapters of Cold War also take the reader back in time a few years before the events of the first book, when a group of scientists uncover an ancient alien artifact in the Antarctic snow, keeping it secret from the world and all the protagonists of the first book.
Cold War’s narrative soon develops an interesting and noticeably uneven split in the storylines. While a good chunk of Cold War continues to showcase the figures on Asphodel and their multiple struggles, including the slow reveal of a new terrifying group of antagonists, much more focus is given to the Antarctic research plot line, with longer chapters dedicated to this part of the book. While this move away from the established plot is surprising, I personally thought it was very clever, as it allowed Maberry to further expand both the cast and the lore around the threats humanity was facing, while also bringing the story back to Earth. The cool exploration and first-contact scientific elements of this Antarctic storyline were also deeply compelling, and I got extremely absorbed in this part of Cold War’s narrative as the book continued. While there was more of a focus on the Earth-based narrative, the story around Asphodel was still very impressive, with some complex character development, multiple ultra-exciting sequences of space combat, and a growing sense of dread as dark forces stalk the protagonists.
The final third of Cold War sees the book’s two separate storylines come together in very direct way, which allows many of the unique characters developed in both NecroTek and Cold War to come together. While the transition to this part of the book is quite sudden, it allows for a very exciting end run of the book, as Maberry pumps up the action, and takes the protagonists through hell and back. Maberry brings out all his best horror writing as the now combined cast are forced to contend with a terrifying array of monsters and eldritch creatures, including another zombie substitute (Maberry loves his zombies). All the storylines from the first half pay off in this final part of Cold War, and while there aren’t too many surprises, you’re constantly on your feet as you wait to see who’s going to survive and which side characters are going to get killed off. The author leaves Cold War on a very interesting note, and I’m already extremely curious to see where he takes the NecroTek series going forward.
Maberry utilised his distinctive and well-honed thriller writing style in Cold War, which combined nicely with the science fiction story and the overarching horror vibes to create a brilliantly intense and fast-paced read. Once again breaking the story up into a series of short and sharp alternating perspective subchapters, Maberry constantly jumps Cold War’s story between multiple key protagonists, as well as some antagonists, to produce a wonderfully layered and powerful narrative that constantly has multiple awesome interlocking storylines on the go. This quick-paced style works well to enhance both the book’s horror and science fiction elements, and the constant jumps also increase the tension of the plot and produce some excellent action sequences, including some truly unique and ultra-impressive space combat sequences. There were also some new delightfully terrifying horrors determined to kill the protagonists both in their dreams and real life cleverly introduced in this novel, and Maberry did an amazing job building them up as a threat the entire book. Maberry also effectively splits his book into two separate narratives for much of Cold War’s runtime, with alternating chapters diving between the events in the present at Asphodel Station and the prequel storyline in Antarctica. This cool split really changed the feel and focus of Cold War compared to NecroTek, and while Maberry allowed both storylines to run mostly independently, they also worked well to support each other. All these great writing techniques and narrative choices allowed Cold War to really stand out as a sequel, and I liked how much stronger Cold War turned out as a result.
While Cold War does work extremely well as a sequel, with the author’s excellent storytelling choices and alternating timelines really adding a lot to the story from NecroTek, it does mean that this book is probably not as accessible to new readers as some of Maberry’s other works. Maberry does do his usual excellent job of recapping key events in the text as the book continues, so new readers do get a pretty good idea of what happened and who the key figures are. However, the full emotional impacts of events, as well as the significance of some of the revelations coming to light in Cold War’s big prequel narrative in Antarctica really aren’t going to hit readers as hard if they haven’t read the first book. Indeed, Cold War might be best read by established fans of Maberry, who will appreciate the author’s continued utilisation of Lovecraftian elements, as Maberry continues to showcase his love for the classic horrors with some fun science fiction twists. Experienced Maberry readers will also be more used to the author’s extreme content, as Cold War is as dark and disturbingly over-the-top as many of his books, with some very adult horror moments. Readers should also be on the lookout for easter eggs to some of Maberry’s works, including a fun reference to the antagonist of the Joe Ledger novel Dogs of War. As such, this is very much a book for those readers familiar with the author, although I think new fans would be in for an excellent time.
As with most of Maberry’s writing, one of Cold War’s big strengths is its excellent contingent of complex and often highly damaged characters, whose unique interactions and experiences during these terrifying times frame the book’s captivating narrative. Cold War contains an interesting mixture of returning figures from NecroTek and a new batch of protagonists who end up taking over a good part of the plot. This includes Professor Evie Cronin, the leader of the expedition who discovers the alien artifact in Antarctica. Evie serves as a great new major protagonist for the series, and Maberry’s choice to set much of Cold War’s narrative around her, ensures that the NecroTek books continue to have a strong scientific basis to their narratives. The author really tries to capture the shock, excitement and fear that would accompany the discovery of an alien ship through Evie’s experiences in Cold War, and she serves as a relatable and likeable major focus for much of the book’s plot. Maberry also works in a nice romance angle between Evie and shooter Jenny Spears, that serves as a big emotional part of Cold War’s plot, and which added to the stakes and impact of some of the high-tension sequences. Of the remaining new characters introduced in Cold War, my favourite was probably Dr Torquil Brollachan, a government scientist who takes over the investigation of the alien artifact. A complex and guarded figure, Dr Brollachan serves as an interesting foil to Evie and his secret motivations and dangerous priorities turns him into a bit of a Dr Frankenstein figure at times (an apt comparison that Dr Brollachan would appreciate), resulting in some fantastic reveals in the second part of the book.
While these new characters are impactful and have some very compelling storylines around them, their inclusion does mean that the cast introduced in NecroTek don’t get as much time to shine as they previously did. Still Maberry keeps many of their storylines going, and all of them serve as a key part of the book’s plot. This includes the main character from the first book, Dr Lars Soren, whose steady presence continues to be a great part of Cold War, and I enjoyed how Maberry further explored his cosmic philosophy ideas in the interludes. The continued inclusion of the dead characters brought back as NecroTeks was also very compelling, with their experiences, including that of Bianca Petrescu, providing some complex existential elements to the plot. I also liked how Maberry choice to focus a lot more on pilot character Lieutenant Commander Veronica Roland, better known as Calisto, who was forced to step up and lead the human pilots defending Asphodel Station. Calisto’s struggle to become a leader, as well as the distinctive and beautifully written fighter combat sequences, are another amazing highlight, and I appreciated how well her scenes were written in this sequel. Throw in the entertaining Irish necromancer, Lady Jessica, who spends much of the book recovering from the events of NecroTek, and the cast of Cold War was a very awesome part of this book, and I personally cannot wait to see where all their captivating and haunting personal stories go from here.
Like I have with all the other Maberry novels I have had the pleasure of reading, I ended up enjoying Cold War on audiobook, which I find is the best way to enjoy the author’s thrilling narratives. I always find that Maberry’s dark tales and intricate and exciting writing style always translate nicely to the audiobook format, and they tend to be some of the best listens each year. Indeed, as I mentioned above, Cold War was one of my favourite audiobooks of 2025, and I ended up powering through this new audiobook’s 19-and-a-half-hour-long runtime. Much of Cold War’s epic success on audiobook once again lies in the narration of Maberry’s long-time audiobook collaborator, Ray Porter. Porter, who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, always perfectly matches the dark and sinister tones of Maberry’s writing, and I really love the sense of menace and intensity he brings to audiobooks like Cold War, as he conveys the underlying threat and fear Maberry weaves into his tales. Porter also expertly delivers all the book’s awesome action, great humour, and other deeper emotions, to the listener and there is always a great synchronisation between Porter’s narration and the intent of Maberry’s writing. Porter also has an outstanding array of distinctive voices for the book’s characters, and I love how he always manages to bring the best out of Cold War’s complex casts. All these voices, including for the various new characters introduced in this sequel, were extremely fitting for their respective cast member, and I appreciate how effectively Porter portrays each figure’s emotions. Porter also does an exceptional job voicing the sinister monsters and other eldritch figures haunting the protagonists, and the impressive array of creepy voices really emphasises the dark nature of Cold War’s story to the listener. All this results in quite an exceptional listen, and it’s one that I cannot recommend enough. Honestly, I don’t think it’s going to be possible for me to ever not enjoy a Maberry novel on audiobook, especially if Porter is narrating, and there is a reason these epic listens always top my best audiobook lists each year.
Maberry’s outstanding NecroTek series continues in extremely strong fashion with the extremely captivating Cold War. Cleverly expanding on the story from the first novel, NecroTek, Cold War effortlessly kept up the terrifying tension as multiple compelling characters continue to experience the dark horrors the universe has in store for them. I had an exceptional time with Cold War, and I have no problem letting you know that this book will be appearing in my favourite novels of 2025 later this week. I’m also extremely excited as a Maberry fan for 2026, as not only do we have the new Joe Ledger book, Red Empire, coming out in March, but the NecroTek series will also thankfully be continuing, with a third novel, Ghosts of the Void, tentatively set for release towards the end of the year.
Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio (Audiobook – 11 November 2025)
Series: Star Wars
Length: 15 hours and 27 minutes
My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Prepare for a dive to the dark side with the captivating and impressive new Star Wars novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher.
2025 has been a pretty good year for Star Wars fiction, with several awesome new books introduced to the existing canon. My favourites have so far been The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed and Sanctuary by Lamar Giles, although I have also just finished the outstanding and deeply compelling new release, Master of Evil. The second Star Wars book from tie-in fiction author Adam Christopher, whose Stranger Things novel, Darkness on the Edge of Town, I previously had the pleasure of reading, Master of Evil is an exciting and complex book that I have been looking forward to for a while. A very interesting read set in one of the best periods of Star Wars lore, Master of Evil had a great plot behind it, as well as a particularly epic cover.
Plot Synopsis:
After Revenge of the Sith, a newly forged Darth Vader hunts for the secrets of life and death under the watchful eye of Emperor Palpatine.
In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld—the power to conquer death itself.
On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force.
Vader is determined to follow this vision, even if it means defying his master’s orders. Yet he finds the Emperor is suspiciously supportive of his mission, even sending Vader to the Diso system to investigate rumors of a Force-wielding shaman able to raise the dead. At his side are a cadre of the Emperor’s scarlet-robed Royal Guard, led by Colonel Halland Goth—a decorated soldier with a very personal interest in Vader’s mission.
Even as the Emperor’s true motivations reveals themselves, Vader falls deeper into obsession. His journey takes him far across the galaxy, chasing rumors and phantoms. But no matter how far he travels, he cannot escape the shadows within his own soul. Haunted by the echoes of his past, Vader circles the true resolution to his quest: only once all weakness is purged can he become a master of evil.
Adam Christopher presents one of the more unique and compelling Star Wars novels of 2025, with the awesome and complex Master of Evil. Following several highly damaged characters as they move towards a dark collision course, Master of Evil had me hooked very early on, and I had an outstanding time with this novel, especially on its audiobook format.
I really enjoyed the exciting story Christopher came up with for Master of Evil, which drags the reader in with captivating Star Wars lore and some very personal character elements. Starting off with an interesting prologue set around Count Dooku, the story soon skips to immediately after the events of Revenge of the Sith, focusing on the early days of the Empire. While some early scenes are shown from the perspective of Vader, much of the novel is primarily shown through the eyes of new character Colonel Halland Goth, a Royal Guard assigned to Vader. Tasked with reporting back on Vader’s actions, Goth accompanies him on his quest to find a Force-wielding shaman and learn more about the dark side of the Force. While there is less of a direct focus on Vader and his inner thoughts than you’d expect based on the synopsis, Christopher does an excellent job of setting up Vader as a sinister and conflicted personality in this novel, especially with a cool scene on the planet Diso, where Vader clashes with the shaman.
Following this first part of the book, the middle of Master of Evil slows down a little, as Christopher continues to develop his new characters and their motivations, as well as set up an interesting investigation arc as Goth tries to find out who or what Vader is. There is a less direct Vader here, but I really got stuck into this part of the book and enjoyed the author’s compelling examination of his protagonists and their personal growth, as well as the early politics of the Empire and the manipulations of the Sith. This eventually leads to an extended final third of Master of Evil, where several different groups attempt to find an abandoned Separatist spaceship filled with various secrets. There is an excellent mixture of storylines here, with Goth chasing Vader and his chance of survival, other interested parties trying to get the treasure of the ship, and Vader accessing dark power hidden within. While much of Vader’s adventures are told through the eyes of others, including clone troopers assigned to him, there are several fantastic scenes here where we directly see Vader access the dark side of the force hidden in the ship. These scenes are particularly powerful, as we are given direct access to Vader’s conflicted mind, and the resulting Force visions give some outstanding insights to his psyche. The other big character-driven storylines of Master of Evil also go in some fascinating directions, and Christopher loads them with action, self-discovery and tragedy, all of which is quite moving and addictive. The conclusion of Master of Evil is particularly emotionally charged, and the novel ends on some complex notes that dedicated Star Wars fans are going to really appreciate.
I felt that Adam Christopher did an excellent job pulling together a compelling, character-driven Star Wars novel that was part adventure, part intriguing lore dive, that makes full use of its setting and examination of complex figures from the films. The excellent story moves along at a swift clip throughout the entire book, and you really get dragged into the well-balanced mix of action, intrigue and emotionally charged pieces of Star Wars lore. While parts of the book are a little slower to build up future story elements, for the most part Master of Evil was a very compelling novel that didn’t have any real wasted space. Despite some reservations I had before I read this book that Master of Evil was going to be way too lore-heavy for casual readers, I felt that Christopher produced a Star Wars novel that was actually pretty accessible. Anyone with a good basic knowledge of Star Wars (or who has at least watched the original and prequel trilogies) will be able to follow this story along closely and have an excellent time with it.
While I do think that Master of Evil is accessible to new readers, Christopher does feature some deep cuts into Star Wars lore that will primarily appeal to established fans of the series and its associated tie-in books and comics. There are a lot of references to various bits of Star Wars fiction set before and after the events of Master of Evil, and Christopher has fun mentioning other books and comics. For example, there are multiple references to the events of Charles Soule’s Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comic, the first volume of which mostly takes place just before this novel. Indeed, Christopher replicates one of the key sequences from this comic in one of Master of Evil’s opening scenes, which honestly made for a gripping read, especially on the audiobook format. There are also a ton of clever references to the main films either side of this book, Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, including some re-enactments of a couple of major scenes from another character’s perspective. I also loved some of the vision sequences associated with Vader’s hunt for the dark side where he envisions alternate versions of established events, many of which come out in darker and more sinister ways. This combines well with the book’s fascinating look at the early Empire era of Star Wars history, and this was a very awesome novel for those readers who love a lot of lore in their tie-in fiction.
While I had a lot of fun with the story, Christopher’s obvious strength as a writer in Master of Evil was the impressive and complex characters that he was able to utilise in the plot. This excellent book featured an array of compelling characters throughout the plot, including a mixture of new protagonists and some iconic figures from the films. I personally really liked the dynamics of characters that emerged, even if there were less appearances from established figures as I would have expected. These new characters ended up providing a great outsiders perspective for the reader, and it was fascinating to see their associated views about the Empire and Darth Vader, especially when they start digging deeper into the mysteries of the Sith.
Of these characters, the most prominent is Commander Halland Goth, a Royal Guard, who finds himself enmeshed in the chaos of Vader’s quest. Halland proved to be a compelling and complex character, whose evolution of perspective throughout Master of Evil was a powerful part of the book’s emotional depth. A loyal soldier who wants to serve the Empire, Halland is slowly dying due to a painful disease, which forces him to make various compromises to achieve his goals. However, the more he comes to see of Vader and the true nature of the Empire, the more Halland changes, and Christopher wrote a good redemption arc around this protagonist as the book continued. While Halland is a great character, my favourite was his loyal protocol droid TC-99, also called Nines. Nines, who has been heavily modified by Halland, has a very distinctive personality, which is a mixture of the established timid protocol droid mentality, and that of a close confidant to Halland ready to help him as he slowly dies. Nines quickly steals the show with his sassy humour, caring personality and various quirks, as well as his ability to upload other droid minds and skills to help Halland achieve his goals. Throw some other fun supporting characters including a manipulative ISB agent, a couple of clone troopers uncertain of their place in the new Empire, and two conflicted minor Force users, and this was an exceptional cast of new characters that Christopher wraps a unique narrative around.
While much of this book’s focus is on the new characters, this is still a Darth Vader novel, and he unsurprisingly turns out to be an excellent part of this book. While there is a lot less direct focus on Vader and his perspective of events as you’d expect, he was still a consistent presence in the novel as he went about his own goals. While I know some readers will dislike the minimalisation of Vader’s direct appearances in the plot, I personally enjoyed how Christopher set him as a mysterious and intimidating monster whose thoughts you can’t easily guess at. It was fascinating to see all the other characters have no idea how to deal with him or his role in the Empire, and the constant threat and fear that felt as they talked to him was palpable at times. While he was mostly shown from other characters’ viewpoints, there were a few chapters that do feature Vader’s direct perspective, which tended to be some of the book’s best sequences. Many of these direct scenes involved Force visions or explorations of the Vader’s psyche, and it was quite powerful to see him interact with figures from the past in his mindscape. Christopher tries to show a somewhat conflicted Vader in Master of Evil, one who has embraced his desire for power, but who still has some flashes of good in him, occasionally helping his subordinates. Despite that, some of the later scenes show Vader making a very final choice about his place in the galaxy, which allowed for some impressively heartrending moments. As such, I felt that Christopher did an exceptional job of showcase this iconic figure and his unique motivations in Master of Evil, and he served as a great dark centre to the story.
While I did receive a physical copy of this novel, I instead sought out an audiobook copy of Master of Evil. Master of Evil is a particularly good example of how epic a Star Wars audiobook could be, as Christopher’s amazing story is deeply enhanced by the combination of an outstanding narrator and the wonderful use of classic Star Wars sound effects and music. I always enjoy how well the iconic audio features from the films are utilised in Star Wars audiobooks, and especially impressive in Master of Evil. The always awesome score from John Williams was perfectly inserted into various chapters of the books, often at climatic and key moments of the plot, and the resulting boost to the emotional impact of these scenes is always quite impressive to behold. The inclusion of various distinctive Star Wars sound effects was particularly important to the ambience of Master of Evil, with crowd noises, blaster fire, spaceship sounds and the thrum of the lightsaber helping to drag the listener into the plot. However, the most effective sound effect utilised in Master of Evil are the respirator sounds of Darth Vader. The iconic breathing sounds add some major impacts to the story, especially in the scenes where the various perspective protagonists are attempting to describe the intimidating nature of this awesome villain, and there is a certain level of dread that invades the audiobook whenever Vader can be heard. The sudden appearance or lack of this sound in scenes involving Vader is also quite impactful, and I really appreciated how the effect was modulated and altered to back up some key story details.
While the impressive music and sound effects are a major factor in why Master of Evil’s audiobook is so damn good, much of the credit for its success needs to go to narrator Marc Thompson. Thompson is easily one of the best regular Star Wars audiobook narrators (and one of my favourite overall audiobook narrators) due to his outstanding vocal range and ability to replicate many key characters from the films and television series, and he has previously impressed me with his work on Thrawn, The Rising Storm, Scoundrels and Dark Disciple, just to name a few. His work in Master of Evil was just as exceptional as always, perfectly voicing the book’s cast, and moving the story along at an exciting and tense pace. I felt his voice for some key Star Wars characters, such as the Emperor and Count Dooku, was particularly impressive, and he also managed an outstanding Darth Vader, with the help of some vocal enhancements. His excellent voice work was particularly useful for several sequences where iconic quotes from the films were read out in the context of this story, giving them the emotional weight they had in the original films. There were even some moments where Thompson needed to have alternative character say these lines (for example, Anakin and Obi-Wan switching dialogue from one of their Revenge of the Sith scenes in a vision), and the narrator’s take on both actors’ dialogue was just perfect. Even some of the voices that Thompson used for the new members of the cast, such as Holland Goth, were powerful and effective, and I liked how he presented them. My favourite was the voice he used for Nines, which was entertainingly similar to Alan Tudyk’s K-2SO from Rogue One. I particularly loved how well Thompson changed Nines’s voice to reflect the different droid personalities he uploaded into himself, and it helped turn Nines into one of the more entertaining, and heartfelt, characters in the book. This unsurprisingly outstanding performance from Marc Thompson let me effortlessly fly through Master of Evil’s 15-and-a-half-hour runtime, especially with the cool music and sound effects, and I had such a great time listing to this audiobook. As such, the Master of Evil audiobook comes very highly recommended, and it is a guaranteed hit, especially for those who already know and love the Star Wars audiobooks.
With some outstanding action and cool characters, Master of Evil proved to be an excellent and compelling Star Wars novel, and one I had an amazing time getting through. Adam Christopher excelled at diving into some interesting bits of Star Wars lore, and I really enjoyed his fantastic take on this compelling period of Star Wars history. While some readers will probably be disappointed in chapter’s focusing directly on Darth Vader, Christopher still tells an impressive narrative for those who are open to it. An overall awesome new Star Wars novel that resulted in one of the better audiobooks of 2025.
Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers
Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 July 2025)
Series: Warhammer 40,000
Length: 6 hours and 55 minutes
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
One of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 authors, Denny Flowers, returns with one of the more entertaining novels of 2025 with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok.
Denny Flowers is an interesting rising author of Warhammer 40,000 fiction who has so far written several particularly notable books. Starting with his cool debut, Fire Made Flesh, Flowers went on to write his two exceptional Lucille von Shard novels, Outgunned and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), both of which are among some of my favourite pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction. I also had a great time with Flowers’s inclusions in Da Red Gobbo Collection, Da Gobbo’s Demise and Da Wrong Type of Green, two hilarious entries that focused the always entertaining orks and grotz. These short stories were quite hilarious, and it made me very excited when I saw that Flowers had a new Warhammer 40,000 novel focusing on the orks coming out this year with Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok.
Plot Synopsis:
“I made Ghazghkull. Not the Gods. Me.”
Grotsnik comes to the aid of Beastboss Bakum on Hive Prome, and it soon becomes apparent that the Mad Dok is feverishly working on something that could change the fate of ork-kind forever.
READ IT BECAUSE
How wild does a painboy have to be to earn the nickname “Mad Dok”? Find out as you follow Grotsnik – with eager scalpel in hand – as he plans his latest galaxy-changing creation. What could it be?
THE STORY
Da Mad Dok Grotsnik, creator of Ghazghkull Thraka, is a painboy beyond legend. What – and who – he harbours in his formidable brain is a mystery to every ork but himself, and an army of orderlies provides him with a constant supply of flesh with which to tinker.
So, when Grotsnik comes to the aid of Beastboss Bakmun, whose rampage on Hive Prome teeters on the brink of going out not with a Waaagh! but with a whimper, Bakmun can’t believe his luck.
Following a series of increasingly unlikely accidents, however, it soon becomes apparent that the Mad Dok is working on something in the depths of his colossal Painwagon. Something big. Something that could change the fate of ork-kind forever, surpassing Grotsnik’s own forging of the Prophet of the Waaagh!…
Denny Flowers continues to showcase why he is one of the fastest-rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction with this highly entertaining and addictive new novel. Perfectly taking on the always entertaining Warhammer orks, including the over-the-top titular character, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok was an absolute hoot from the very beginning, and I laughed my way through the entire epic story. One of the most hilarious novels of 2025, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok gets a five-star rating from me due to the pure fun it contained.
Flowers comes up with an exceedingly fun narrative for Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, which I ended up getting through in a very short amount of time. As the title suggests, this novel follows the machinations of Grotsnik, an ork dok partially responsible for the creation of the legendary Ghazghkull Thraka, the boss of bosses for all ork-kind. However, on the outs with his creation, Grotsnik joins up with a small band of orks led by Beastboss Bakmun, who is attempting to invade a mysterious human city. Amongst this new band of orks is the aptly named Valtun the Patient and his clever grot Ikor, both of whom are very suspicious about Grotsnik’s intentions in joining them, especially once various members of the warband start going missing. What follows is a hilarious series of events as Grotsnik gathers the material for his grand ambitions, while dealing with the strange humans and monsters within the city they are invading, as well as the unique intentions of other ork characters. Primarily told through the perspective of Valtun and Ikor, who find themselves stuck in Grotsnik’s murderous orbit, these perspective protagonists slowly learn more about the titular character’s intentions, as well as the unique modifications he has made to himself, which turns him into something truly sinister.
Flowers moves this story along at a very quick pace full of funny interactions, crazy battles and the typical brutish humour that all fans of the orks will appreciate. The action-packed and regularly over-the-top scenes that emerged were so damn fun, and there is honestly not a single slow moment in this book. At the same time, Flowers installs a clever story throughout Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok, mostly based around the maniacal machinations of the titular character and his attempt to outsmart the suspicious Valtun. It all leads up to a very entertaining ending that completely changes your perspective of Grotsnik’s intentions, while also leaving some of the remaining characters in ironic situations. I personally loved where the multiple character arcs ended up at the end of this book, and while Valtun and Ikor were both great central figures, Grotsnik really stole the show with his weird behaviour, insane experiments, and the hilarious interactions he had with his unsuspecting patients/victims. An overall awesome and well-written story that is guaranteed to suck you in with its exceptionally crazy characters and entertaining storytelling.
As with a lot of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, Flowers’s Da Mad Dok book is probably best read by established fans of the franchise, who will have a lot of fun seeing the titular character come to life. Grotsnik’s unique mentality and connection to the most iconic ork character, Ghazghkull Thraka, makes him a very interesting figure to follow for those in love with the Warhammer canon, and Flowers clearly had a lot of fun utilising him in his story. However, Flowers has already proven himself to be a very good at making his previous Warhammer 40,000 novels accessible to all readers, and this book is no exception. Most people with a general knowledge of Warhammer lore and fiction can easily dive into Da Mad Dok’s narrative, and the inherent humour of the characters and the ork faction will keep them coming back for more. I personally loved Flowers’s latest dive into the orks, and his takes on this crazy faction and some of their more distinctive members were both entertaining and accurate to the lore. As such, Da Mad Dok has a ton of appeal, and I think most readers are going to have an exceptional time with it.
As has become my habit with all things Warhammer, I ended up listening to Da Mad Dok on audiobook, which is easily the best way to enjoy this fantastic and fun novel. Coming in with a run time just under seven hours, Da Mad Dok is a very easy audiobook to power through, especially thanks to the great narration of Harry Myers. Myers, who has really impressed me with books like Day of Ascension and The Wraithbone Phoenix, has an outstanding voice for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, which really fits the over-the-top nature of the universe. He is particularly good at doing ork voices, such as in Da Big Dakka, Warboss and Da Red Gobbo Collection audiobooks, so I was very happy that he leant his voices to Da Mad Dok. Myers uses some very fun and excessively gruff voices to bring the various ork characters to life, and the multiple laddish tones he employs are very fitting and very funny. I cannot emphasise just how good Myers’s voice for these outrageous figures is, and I especially love how he changes from his deeper voices for the orks, to the more petulant and squeaky voice for the grot characters. There is even a cool voice he uses for one of the more intimidating and iconic members of the cast towards the end of the book, which sounds particularly epic thanks to some vocal enhancement. This great combination of voices, as well as Myers’s entertaining overall narration was extremely awesome, and it really enhanced Flowers’s already fantastic story. I honestly cannot recommend this Warhammer 40,000 audiobook enough, and it ended up being one of my favourite listens of the year.
Thanks to the outstanding humour and overall craziness of its characters, Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok was a truly wonderful Warhammer 40,000 novel that is very easy to fall in love with. Denny Flowers excelled at showcasing both the orks in general, and the cruelty and insanity of the titular characters, and the resulting intense and exciting story was a true joy to listen to. An overall exceptional read, I cannot wait to see what epic Warhammer fiction Flowers writes next.
Waiting on Wednesday – Pretenders to the Throne of God and Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight the two upcoming books from impressive author Adrian Tchaikovsky that I’m most looking forward to in 2026.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is an extremely talented science fiction and fantasy author who has been wowing audiences with his incredible imagination since 2008, producing an insane number of books during that period. Known for his Shadows of the Apt, Children of Time, Echoes of the Fall and Final Architecture series, as well as several awesome standalone novels, Tchaikovsky has a truly outstanding catalogue of works to his name, and there are some true classics captured there. I personally have had the pleasure of reading several of his latest great books, with entries like Service Model (one of my favourite books of 2024), Alien Clay, the novella Orges and the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Day of Ascension (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels), proving to be quite amazing.
Some of my favourite books from Tchaikovsky have been the awesome novels of his Tyrant Philosophers series. A gripping, brilliant and highly amusing series, the Tyrant Philosophers novels are set in a cool fantasy world filled with magic, gods and demons, all with a fun Tchaikovsky twist to them. Featuring some excellent overlapping characters and events, all set around the dark impact of the Palleseen, an empire of perfection seeking fanatics, who have been conquering the world through elaborate military and diplomatic action. All three current books in the series have been quite exceptional, including 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), as well as the third book in the series Days of Shattered Faith (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2025). I really love these elaborate and highly entertaining novels, and we’re luckily only a short way away from the next book in the series, Pretenders to the Throne of God.
Set for release in February 2026, Pretenders to the Throne of God will once again focus on the Palleseen expansion as they engage in a deadly siege to expand their power and influence. Featuring an outstanding plot, Pretenders to the Throne of God has the potential to be another outstanding novel, especially as we’ll get to see the next chapter of a certain character’s troubled journey.
Plot Synopsis:
Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller returns to a world steeped in magic – and the Tyrant Philosophers’ campaign to bring reason, logic and ‘perfection’ to it.
As the Palleseen’s campaign to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world rages on, Eres Ffenegh – ‘the City on the Back of a Crab’ – is the next state slated for conquest. But its citizens won’t give up sovereignty easily.
The siege has dragged into winter and the defenders – both locals and Pal renegades – hold an uneasy alliance against the enemy at the gates, while the Pal army is looking over its shoulder for the next self-destructive dictate of their government back home.
Within the city, Devil Jack, a good man apprenticed to the notorious conjurer known as the Widow, is driven to bargaining with hell to get back what he’s lost. Meanwhile Kiffel ea Leachan is the city’s champion, a child of privilege who’s just lost everything to the invaders. Both must try to survive the siege and make their own destinies in a world that’s cut them loose.
Outside the city, Pal reinforcements have arrived to take the city, but it’s the sort of help that might just damn them all…
This sounds like a very interesting continuation to the Tyrant Philosopher’s series, and it’s one that I’m particularly keen on. Readers of this blog will know that I love a good siege novel, and I’m going to be very keen to see Tchaikovsky’s take on siege craft in Pretenders to the Throne of God. No doubt this new book is going to feature a lot of interesting perspectives of the siege from both sides of the wall, and I cannot wait to see what over-the-top array of magical battles, as well as complex political intrigues will engulf both sides of the battle.
While the overarching story of Pretenders to the Throne of God sounds very promising, I personally I am very keen to see how Tchaikovsky continues the tale of one of his best characters, known in this novel as Devil Jack. The man known as Jack has served as a primary character of all three previous Tyrant Philosopher’s novels, with fate throwing him into different roles and facing dangerous hardships. However, after losing the demon he loved in Days of Shattered Faith, it looks like the formerly happy Jack is going to go through a rather dark place in this sequel. I’m almost a little afraid to see how Tchaikovsky will torture Jack in this upcoming novel, but I have no doubt that his character arc is going to be one of the most emotionally charged of the entire novel. Add in the rest of the complex characters I known Tchaikovsky has dreamt up for this new book, and Pretenders to the Throne of Gods is going to have some outstanding depth based around its protagonists, and probably it’s villains.
Based on how very impressive the previous Tyrant Philosophers books have been, I have very high hopes for Pretenders to the Throne of God in the new year, and it’s going to be something truly special. One of my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2026, Pretenders to the Throne of God is going to be incredible.
In addition to the next epic Tyrant Philosopher’s novel, there is another outstanding sounding Tchaikovsky novel that I am very excited to read in the new year, the very fun sounding Green City Wars. Set for release in June 2026, Green City Wars will see Tchaikovsky present an intriguing and thriller with a unique twist, the protagonist is a talking racoon living in a world of genetically engineered animal helpers.
Plot Synopsis:
In a city of sunshine and secrets, the shadows belong to the animals. One genetically-engineered raccoon races to expose a deadly conspiracy – before it tears his whole world apart.
In a solar-powered future, humans live in luxury, served by unseen Little Helpers – artificially enhanced animals who maintain their perfect green cities. The animals’ golden rule: ‘Do Not Bother the Humans.’ Yet beneath this tranquil facade, a complex underworld of animal politics, crime and conflict thrives.
Enter Skotch, a freelance raccoon investigator. His biggest problem was a lack of work. Now his work may get him killed. And his latest case? Finding a fugitive mouse scientist. But powerful forces are also after the mouse, and they’re willing to kill for his secrets. Can Skotch navigate this treacherous web, outsmart rat gangsters, beat a deadly weasel assassin and keep his pelt intact? More importantly, can he find his quarry before the elusive rodent breaks Rule One in the most apocalyptic way – and shatters their fragile world.
I love the sound of this upcoming novel, especially as I’m keen to see Tchaikovsky take on the noir genre in his own entertaining way in Green City Wars. The idea of sentient animal protagonists alongside humans in serious fiction is always very interesting, and the above synopsis has seriously put me in mind of the Welkin Weasels series by Gary Kilworth (a favourite of my childhood). However, Tchaikovsky has put a fun dark twist on it, with the animals being genetically engineered slaves to humanity. I’m assuming that the whole story will be a compelling crime fiction novel with some great science fiction twists, overlayed with some amusing critiques of humanity, which sounds so very fun.
While featuring one of Tchaikovsky’s more unusual plot ideas, I think that Green City Wars has a ton of potential and I’m very excited for it. I have no doubt that this awesome standalone novel is going to be particularly funny, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.
Overall, it is quite clear that Adrian Tchaikovsky has some outstanding novels coming out in the new year, and these are just the main ones I’m currently excited for. The author also has plans for some other exciting releases in 2026, and I’m going to make a real effort to read as many as possible. Stay tuned to see how they all turn out.
Warhammer 40,000: Crossfire by Matthew Farrer
Publisher: Black Library (Paperback – 1 January 2003)
Series: Warhammer 40,000: Shira Calpurnia – Book One
Length: 320 pages
My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
I finally got around to reading the awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Crossfire. A classic entry in the Warhammer 40,000 canon with a cool crime fiction twist, Crossfire was a great novel that serves as an excellent first entry in Farrer’s Shira Calpurnia trilogy.
In the grim future of the 41st millennium, order and control of the massive Imperium of Man is maintained through the strictest interpretation of Imperial law, with no room for variation or leniency. The ultimate arbitrators of this law are the dedicated members of the Adeptus Arbites, elite law bringers, trained to weed out corruption, dissent and disloyalty wherever they are deployed.
Shira Calpurnia Lucina, recently promoted arbitor senioris of the Adeptus Arbites, has been assigned to the bustling dockyards of the Hydraphur system. A glistening gem of Imperial rule dedicated to providing material to the navy, Hydraphur is a seemingly unlikely place for dissention. But this elite planet harbours dark secrets which come to the surface after a deadly assassination attempt is made in public against Calpurnia amid the distraction and celebration of a major religious festival.
Attempting to uncover who would want her killed after only just arriving on world, Calpurnia begins her relentless investigation. However, this is no simple case, and soon Calpurnia finds herself forced to navigate the many plots and schemes of the Hydraphur elite. With more attacks striking close to her and the fate of the whole planet seemingly in the balance, Calpurnia must uncover all Hydraphur’s secrets before the assassins stalking her finally succeed.
Crossfire was an excellent and compelling Warhammer 40,000 novel from Farrer that proved very fun to get through. Featuring a fantastic plot that is one of the earlier examples of a crime fiction narrative melding with the iconic Warhammer 40,000 universe, Crossfire was a great read and one that is worth checking out.
I liked the captivating story that Farrer came up with for Crossfire, which quickly gets the reader’s attention with a powerful introduction to the protagonist, as she quickly finds herself under fire from a lethal assassin. Serving as a good start to the main investigation arc, the plot follows the protagonist as she attempts to uncover the identity of the assassin, while also learning more about the planet of Hydraphur. While a very lore-heavy story, Farrer keeps the plot going quickly and effectively, especially as there are soon more apparent attacks against the protagonist, each of which give her more clues to follow to try and find the mastermind of the plot against her. At the same time the protagonist gets bogged down in dealing with various other interested parties on Hydraphur, including the planet’s local elites, agents of the Imperial church, the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Inquisition, each of whom have their own interests in finding out who is trying to kill Calpurnia.
While Farrer keeps up a good pace for Crossfire as the plot continues, I do think that he might have overloaded the narrative with details about Hydraphur’s society, as well as the various plots that infest it. While these serve as good red herring motives for the protagonist to follow, it did overcomplicate the plot at times, which slowed things down even amid some great action sequences. Despite this, the overall narrative for Crossfire was quite strong, and you get hooked into the continued investigation, especially as the author kept raising the stakes of the case. After some exciting scenes, everything leads up to the big final confrontation, as the protagonist fully unwinds all the conflicting conspiracies they’ve been forced to encounter. The conclusion was a sufficiently intense and over-the-top fight, which you need in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I liked the clever way the protagonist was able to turn the tables on the antagonist, even if the set-up for it was a little heavy handed. An overall excellent Warhammer 40,000 plot that nicely tells its own story, while also introducing the character for the larger trilogy.
I’ve previously had a lot of fun with previous Warhammer 40,000 novels that utilise strong crime fiction elements in their story telling, such as Bloodlines by Chris Wraight and Grim Repast by Marc Collins, as there are some outstanding crime narratives in this grimdark universe. Crossfire is an interesting early example of this utilisation of crime fiction in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I felt that Farrer did a pretty good job of building a compelling investigation around this fantastic setting. The resulting story is a layered and intense read that sees the protagonist slowly unwind the case amid various battle sequences and other dark distractions. The relevant clues, hints and misleading details are well scattered throughout the plot, and I felt there was a good amount of foreshadowing to some of the key plot reveals. While some story elements and conspiracies came a little out of nowhere, for the most part this was a concise and ordered novel, well told through the perspective of the protagonist. Farrer excelled at fitting a ton of interesting and heavy lore elements in the plot, and I particularly appreciated how well he utilised his setting throughout the story. The various plots and schemes of planet’s noble families and prominent organisations, as well as the elaborate religious festival the novel is set around (ceremonial details of which are cleverly included at the start of each chapter), are expertly worked into the larger plot, and it was fascinating to see how they impacted the story and drove the investigation.
One of the more entertaining elements of Crossfire I enjoyed was the narrative’s compelling characters. The focus is primarily around series protagonist Shira Calpurnia Lucina, the arbitor senioris through whose eyes we see the story unfold. Calpurnia serves as an interesting central figure, especially as she provides an outsider perspective to the complex setting. While Farrer writes Calpurnia as a somewhat bullish and highly determined figure that is initially hard to appreciate, I felt that this was an intentional choice by the author, which reflects the typical attitudes of the Arbites in the general Warhammer 40,000 setting. Forcing her to deal with the more subtle techniques needed for the politically delicate Hydraphur brought in some interesting conflict for Calpurnia, as well as producing some interesting character growth. Despite this, the outsider status of Calpurnia continues to be a compelling plot feature throughout Crossfire, which Farrer utilised extremely well with his writing. The rest of the cast, while less prominent, adds some complexity to the plot, and I enjoyed the compelling array of fellow Arbites members, the gentry of Hydraphur, and other prominent figures in the planet’s hierarchy. I particularly enjoyed the motivations of the book’s eventual antagonist, which had a great hint of madness behind it, and this was an overall excellent group of characters.
While I really enjoyed Crossfire’s compelling story, I must admit that this wasn’t the easiest Warhammer 40,000 novel to read. The plot details of Crossfire are very dense, and it takes a lot of effort to absorb and follow the story. I felt this was especially noticeable in the small-print paperback version I had, and you really had to focus to take everything in. As a result, this one probably wouldn’t be a recommended starting point for a new Warhammer reader. Farrer utilises a lot of intricate details about the Warhammer 40,000 universe that even people casually familiar with the franchise are going to struggle to follow at times. While most new readers can probably follow along well enough through context, I would suggest it’s best enjoyed by veteran fans who will probably have a lot more fun with it.
Overall, Crossfire by Matthew Farrer was an awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, and one that I was glad I finally got the opportunity to read. A compelling crime fiction novel that makes great use of Farrer’s complex setting, Crossfire proved to be an exciting and interesting read. While not the easiest novel to get through at times, Crossfire proved to be an excellent piece of Warhammer fiction and I’m hoping to get through the rest of the Shira Calpurnia trilogy soon.
The Unseen Library 