Top Ten Tuesday – Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

On March 12, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 Comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly task that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants need to list their favourite books that feature ordinal numbers in the title. As defined by The Artsy Reader Girl topic page, ordinal numbers are numbers that define an item’s place in a series, for example whether it’s the first, second, third, etc, book in the series.

This was a very interesting topic, which I was curious to try out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a lot of books I’ve read that specifically used a number in the title to correspond where it sat in the series. As such, I’ve been a little creative with this subject and included some more unusual examples, as well as books where the number in the title corresponds to where the novel sits in the series. I’ve also wasn’t too attached to putting the actual numbers in and have relied on a few number-based words (for example first instead of one, twice instead of two and so on). This produced an interesting list from a bunch of different authors, and I ended up liking the final result. So, let’s see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Fool Me Twice by Jeff Lindsay

The fun second book in Jeff Lindsay’s Riley Wolfe series. A special shoutout also needs to go the third and fourth entries in the series, Three-Edged Sword and The Fourth Rule.

The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell

The ultra-impressive second entry in Nick Martell’s The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings. I’ve left this as an honourable mention as the name really is a coincidence tied to a character’s title.

Top Ten List:

First Watch by Dale Lucas

My first choice for this list (pun intended), was the cool fantasy crime novel, First Watch by Dale Lucas. An interesting read with an excellent mystery premise behind it, First Watch was the great first book in a series and a fun inclusion here.

First and Only by Dan Abnett

Another ‘first’ book in a series that identified itself as such in the title was the cool Warhammer 40,000 novel, First and Only by Dan Abnett. Book one in the iconic Gaunt’s Ghosts series, First and Only was a great opening entry that perfectly introduced the series’ scenario and solider characters. An outstanding first book in one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 series.

Fool Me Once Harlan Coben

Another cool novel that proclaims’ where it sits in a series is the outstanding read, Fool Me Once from the always impressive Harlan Coben. Previously a standalone novel, Fool Me Once just became the first book in a series after Coben released a sequel in 2025 with Nobody’s Fool, allowing for its inclusion on this list.

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

I’m being slightly cheeky by including Patient Zero in this list, as it was technically book one in Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series. However, I think it’s appropriate because the premise of this novel is a team of elite operators attempting to hunt down and killing the first patient in a man-made zombie plague (i.e. the titular patient zero). In some ways, Patient Zero followed a similar trend as it was the first book in a series that quickly and relentlessly spread out into a massive, long-running franchise. As such, I’m going to include Patient Zero on this list, and it comes very highly recommended for those who like an extreme, science fiction thriller.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Moving onto the twos/twice, we have The Man Who Died Twice. The second book in Richard Osman’s exceptional Thursday Murder Club series, The Man Who Died Twice was an excellent novel and a wonderful sequel. A fun and hilarious inclusion for this list.

The Third Day, The Frost by James Marsden

I just had to include The Third Day, The Frost here, as it is one of my favourite Australian novels. While James Marsden took the name from a Shakespeare line, the title does also correspond with The Third Day, The Frost being the third book in the author’s iconic Tomorrow series. I have a lot of love for this novel, especially as this third entry is easily the best entry in this outstanding young adult war series. A highly recommended read and a very worthy novel to highlight in this post.

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

The next entry on this list is a little different, as the Four Ruined Realms is the second book in its series. However, as the four decreases from the five in the first book, Five Broken Blades, I think that it counts as an ordinal number as it does indicate to readers where Four Ruined Realms lies in the Broken Blades series. It helps that the third book in the series, Three Shattered Souls (which I still need to read), also negatively changed number to reflect its position in the series, relative to the five in the first book. As such, I think this is an acceptable inclusion for this list, and an interesting loophole I’m happy to exploit.

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

Due to the name of this blog, I generally try to include one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels on my lists, and for this Top Ten Tuesday I’m going to use The Fifth Elephant. A fun and highly entertaining fantasy crime fiction novel set out in an entertaining Transylvania parody setting, The Fifth Elephant is a good inclusion for this list as it is the fifth book in the City Watch sub-series. An excellent book that really expands the setting in some interesting directions for the rest of the Discworld series, The Fifth Elephant fits into this post perfectly, and I’m glad I could highlight Terry Pratchett’s legendary words again.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

This next entry is another slightly different inclusion, as The Malevolent Eight is really the second book in a series, rather than the eighth. However, I’m including it here because The Malevolent Eight is the sequel to Sebastien de Castell’s fun, parody-titled dark fantasy novel, The Malevolent Seven, which as you can imagine brought together seven malevolent adventurers for a job. The subsequent title of The Malevolent Eight helps to showcase this book as a sequel to The Malevolent Seven, and as such I think it counts as an ordinal number and a perfect inclusion for this list. A highly recommended read as well, The Malevolent Eight is a ton of fun and I deeply enjoyed getting through it last year.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

The final book that I want to include on this list is the highly entertaining legal thriller, Witness 8. A great read on its own, the eight in this title serves to refer to a malevolent witness who is manipulating the events of a trial for her own ends. However, Witness 8 also serves as the eighth book in Steve Cavanagh’s outstanding Eddie Flynn series, so it also works as an ordinal number inclusion. A very cool read whose title works on several levels, Witness 8 is an excellent novel for fans of crazy legal thrillers and the perfect book to end this post on.

As you can see, I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few cool books with ordinal numbers in their titles over the years. While I didn’t always follow the expected rules for this list, I quite like how it turned out, and I think it nicely shows off some of the unique novels that I have fun reading. I had a great time pulling this latest list together, especially as I needed to think hard about the books I wanted to feature here, and I think the results speak for themselves. Let me know what cool books you’ve enjoyed that had ordinal numbers in the title and make sure to check out some of the above awesome books when you get a chance.

Book Haul – 2 March 2026

On March 2, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

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

Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker

The first book I recently received was the cool and sure to be hilarious fantasy novel, Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead. The first book in a new trilogy by K. J. Parker, this novel will follow a compelling nun character, who solves her church’s various problems through murder. However, her latest mission at an important religious conference quickly goes terribly wrong when certain impossible guests show up. I love the sound of Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead’s plot, and I already know this book is going to be amazing, especially after how damn impressive Parker’s previous two trilogies were.

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell

I was also very lucky to receive an early copy of one of the most anticipated fantasy novels of 2026, Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell. The next book in de Castell’s Court of Shadows series (Play of Shadows and Crucible of Chaos), which is set in his larger Greatcoat universe, Our Lady of Blades will be another mostly standalone fantasy read, that explores conspiracies and crimes in the author’s fantasy realm. This next book sounds particularly impressive with an The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as it follows a masked duelist who seeks revenge on her city’s elite after her family was betrayed and destroyed. I cannot wait to finally dive into this cool novel, and I have very high hopes for this incredible sounding book.

Dead Fall Lake by S. R. White

I also just received the latest unique outback murder from author S. R. White, Dead Fall Lake. Following on from Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge, Dead Fall Lake will force its detective protagonist to investigate the murder of a local sports hero, whose body is found in a sinkhole he routinely freedived into. This has the potential to be an outstanding Australian murder novel as White has no doubt written another amazing and complex mystery.

City of Others by Jared Poon

I also recently grabbed a copy of one of my most anticipated debuts of 2026, City of Others by Jared Poon. A cool sounding urban fantasy novel set in Singapore, City of Others sounds like an outstanding read, and I have been looking forward to it for a while. I am hoping to keep up my roll of great 2026 debuts by reading City of Others soon, and I already know I’m going to love this cool book.

The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki

One of the more unique and striking novels I recently received was the intriguing fantasy novel, The Book of Fallen Leaves by debuting author A. S. Tamaki. A samurai inspired novel with some compelling dark fantasy elements, The Book of Fallen Leaves sounds very interesting, and I cannot wait to see what awesome world Tamaki has created in his first novel.

Star Trek: Red Shirts by Christopher Cantwell

I was very happy to receive an early copy of the new Star Trek comic miniseries, Red Shirts. A darker read that follows the expendable and doomed security officers of Starfleet, Red Shirts sounds like a particularly wild ride, and the above cover clearly shows that this isn’t going to be your typical, light-hearted Star Trek story. I am very curious to see how this comic turns out, and it looks set to be a particularly awesome read.

There Will Be Bodies by Lindsey Davis

I managed to finally get a copy of the Lindsey Davis novel; There Will Be Bodies. The 2025 entry in Davis’ Flavia Albia series, There Will Be Bodies promises to be another excellent read, that throws the protagonist into another investigation in the Roman Empire. This latest novel features a cool plot involving murders during the eruption of Pompeii, and I look forward to diving into this book when I get a chance.

The Debt by Glenn Cooper

Next up, I recently received a copy of the new novel from Glenn Cooper, The Debt. An intriguing thriller that features a cool plot about a debt owed by the Vatican, The Debt sounds like an excellent read, and I’m hoping to dive into it when I get a chance.

Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer

A unique, multi-generational Australian crime fiction by a very talented author.

I, Claudia by D. N. Potter

A highly entertaining novel of revenge, murder, and lethal marriage that sounds quite delightful. I, Claudia promises to be an excellent read, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

What Rhymes with Murder by Penny Tangey

The final book I recently received was the Australian cozy murder mystery, What Rhymes with Murder by Penny Tangey. Following a group of amateur sleuths who attempt to solve a murder that took place at their local library, What Rhymes with Murder sounds like a lot of fun, and I am hoping to read it in the next few weeks.

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

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Autumn 2026 To Be Read (TBR) List

On February 27, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn ListLeave a comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants have a Thanksgiving freebie which I am going to use to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the last Tuesday before Autumn 2026, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 March 2026 and 31 May 2026 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2026.

Honourable Mentions:

Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence – 26 March 2026

An intriguing new fantasy novel from the always impressive Mark Lawrence.

Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox – 28 April 2026

A cool outback thriller set to feature murder, mayhem and a ton of family drama, Redbelly Crossing sounds fun and I cannot wait to read my next Candice Fox book.

Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie – 28 April 2026

Another cool Australian thriller that looks set to feature some intriguing and disturbing dark twists.

Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know by K. J. Parker – 12 May 2026

Another 2026 release from the legendary and hilarious K. J. Parker. Details of this book are still a little scarce, and I haven’t had the chance to read the first book in the series yet, however, I have no doubt this is going to be a particularly funny

Top Ten List:

Red Empire by Jonathan Maberry – 10 March 2026

First up on this list we have a fantastic new novel from one of my favourite thriller authors, Jonathan Maberry, with the awesome sounding Red Empire. The fifth book in Maberry’s Rogue Team International series (which previously featured Rage, Relentless, Cave 13 and Burn to Shine), Red Empire will see the damaged protagonist engage with an old foe, with the fate of the world once again hanging in the balance. At the same time, darker secrets about the mysterious leader of the Rogue Team International organisation will finally come to light, secrets that Maberry fans like me have been anticipating for years. As such, Red Empire is extremely high on my to-read list for March, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Dead Fall Lake by S. R. White – 17 March 2026

One of the more unique authors of Australian crime fiction will continue with his fantastic tales of outback murder in his new novel, Dead Fall Lake. Following on from Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge, Dead Fall Lake will force its detective protagonist to investigate the murder of a local sports hero, whose body is found in a sinkhole he routinely freedived into. This has the potential to be an outstanding Australian murder novel as White will no doubt write another amazing and complex mystery.

Blindside by Michael Mammay – 24 March 2026

One of my favourite science fiction thriller series, the Planetside books by Michael Mammay, looks set to continue in 2026 with the cool new novel Blindside. Set in the future and following a retired military colonel as he disrupts the genocidal schemes of corrupt corporations, the Planetside books (including Planetside, Spaceside, Colonyside and Darkside), have been extremely impressive since day one. This new entry will see the protagonist and his team attempt to unravel a dark conspiracy surrounding him, as old enemies seek revenge. I already know that Blindside is going to be an incredible read, and I look forward to seeing what cool and twisty narrative Mammay has cooked up for us this time.

First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston – 14 April 2026

Over the last few years, one of the more unique authors of dark fantasy fiction has been the very inventive and entertaining Cameron Johnston, who has written some amazing books over the years, including his Age of Tyranny novels, The Traitor God and God of Broken Things, The Maleficent Seven, and The Last Shield (one of my favourite books of 2024). His next book looks to be his most ambitious yet, with the awesome First Mage on the Moon. As the name suggests, this fun new novel will see a group of mages attempt to use their magic to create a ship capable of travelling into space towards the moon in the hope of ending an ongoing war. I love the sound of this unique fantasy fiction plot and Cameron Johnston is sure to create something very special with this outstanding new book.

Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston – 21 April 2026

Legendary thriller author Douglas Preston teams up with his daughter Aletheia for a very cool and intriguing new novel. The sequel to Preston’s previous novel, Extinction, which featured a brutal murder committed by cloned neanderthals, Paradox looks set to continue the weirdness, as the two protagonists from the first book attempt to uncover a complex crime in the Colorado wilderness which leads to a deeper conspiracy. I am so very eager to read Paradox when it comes out, especially after loving everything about Extinction, and it will be interesting see how this father/daughter team continues this unique series.

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford – 5 May 2026

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading my first book from fantasy and science fiction author Jackson Ford, The Bone Raiders, which saw a group of grassland thieves attempt to train giant, fire-breathing lizards as the ultimate mounts to defeat an encroaching empire. A funny and exciting read, The Bone Raiders was a ton of fun, which Ford is looking to expand this year with the awesome sounding sequel, Sisters of the Lizard. Set to explore the consequences of their game changing actions from the first book, Sisters of the Lizard looks set to be another amazing novel from Ford that is guaranteed to keep me entertained.

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell -12 May 2026

One of the fantasy books I am mostly looking forward to in the next three months is Our Lady of the Blades by Sebastien de Castell. The next book in de Castell’s Court of Shadows series (Play of Shadows and Crucible of Chaos), which is set in his larger Greatcoat universe, Our Lady of Blades will be another mostly standalone fantasy read, that explores conspiracies and crimes in the author’s fantasy realm. This next book sounds particularly impressive with an The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as it follows a masked duellist who seeks revenge on her city’s elite after her family was betrayed and destroyed. I have been looking forward to Our Lady of the Blades for a while now, and it should prove to be one of the more interesting and captivating books of the year, especially when de Castell ties it into his larger series.

A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman – 12 May 2026

I had to feature the epic upcoming novel A Parade of Horribles, which is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The eighth book in Matt Dinniman’s exceedingly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles will continue to follow protagonists Carl and his sentient cat Princess Donut, as they attempt to survive the increasingly deadly and utterly bonkers dungeon formed from the detritus of a destroyed Earth. This next book sounds very fun, with a crazy set of race tasks, as well as hidden horrors coming up from the lower levels which will no doubt make this book even more outrageous. I have so much love for this series after become irreversibly addicted to it last year (highlights include Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Butcher’s Masquerade and The Eye of the Bedlam Bride), and I am so damn eager to see how this series will continue. I personally am planning to listen to A Parade of Horribles on audiobook (narrated by the insanely talented Jeff Hays), and I cannot wait to see how this new novel unfolds. This book is going to be epic, and I will be reading A Parade of Horribles the very second it is released.

Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker – 19 May 2026

Next is the epic upcoming fantasy novel from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril. An intriguing sounding urban fantasy, Mortedant’s Peril will follow a protagonist hunted throughout his city for reading the final thoughts of the wrong dead man. I have a lot of confidence that Barker is going to pull out something special with this new novel, especially after impressing with all his previous trilogies, and I am confident that Mortedant’s Peril is going to be a top book of 2026.

Ironwood by Michael Connelly – 19 May 2026

The final books I want to feature on this list is potentially one of the best crime fiction novels of 2026, with the next upcoming Michael Connelly book, Ironwood. The sequel to his 2025 novel Nightshade, Ironwood will once again focus on Connelly’s new protagonist Detective Stilwell, as he attempts to solve crimes from his banished post of Catalina Island. However, in this book, he finds himself teaming up with another Connelly protagonist, with Detective Renée Ballard serving as a supporting character. This should result in quite an intense and addictive crime fiction read, and I am particularly keen to read Ironwood as soon as I can.

Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2026, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do soon.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026

On January 7, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn List8 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated books for the first half of the year. This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books coming out in the next six months.

2026 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for awesome and impressive fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year. I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely keen for. This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors. Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am extending this list out to a Top Twenty list to cover all the big release coming out until July. I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be.

For this list, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2026 and 30 June 2026 which I have some descent details about. I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult. I made it a little easier on myself by only including one book per author, which helped considerably, and I was eventually able to break it down to the best 20 books and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fiction reads of the first half of 2026. So let us see what made the cut.

Top Twenty List:

The Right to Remain by James Grippando – 6 January 2026

Let’s start this list off with some awesome legal thriller fiction, with the cool new book from James Grippando, The Right to Remain. The 20^th book in the author’s Jack Swyteck series (of which I’ve previously enjoyed Goodbye Girl and Grave Danger), The Right to Remain will once again follow Grippando’s lawyer protagonist into a complex courtroom battle as he attempts to defend a man who literally refuses to say a single word in his own defence. The Right to Remain has a very interesting plot idea behind it and I cannot wait to check it out.

Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe – 6 January 2026

There are quite a few excellent Australian novels coming out in the first half of 2026, but one of the ones I’m most excited for is Dark Desert Road. A new novel from Australian author Tim Ayliffe, who has previously impressed with his John Bailey series, Dark Desert Road will serve as an interesting change of pace from the author, as he provides a more thriller-based narrative around a new protagonist, while also touching on some worrying contemporary issues in Australia. I am extremely curious to see how Dark Desert Road turns out, and I’m hoping to read this book very soon.

City of Others by Jared Poon – 13 January 2026

One very fun debut that I am excited for in the coming months is the amazing sounding fantasy novel City of Others by Jared Poon. A cool urban fantasy set in Singapore, City of Others will follow an overworked bureaucrat tasked with keeping the city’s supernatural population happy while also attempting to stop all of Singapore from disappearing. Due to its entertaining plot and interesting setting, I think this debut has a lot of potential and I am extremely excited to check it out.

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher – 20 January 2026

One of the fantasy novels that I am most excited to read in 2026 is Twelve Months, the long-awaited 18^th book in Jim Butcher’s iconic Dresden Files series. Set in the aftermath of the devastating Battle Ground (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Twelve Months will see the grieving wizard protagonist continue to protect Chicago from all manner of dark supernatural threats, while also forced to deal with the complex magical politics infecting his life. I cannot wait to see how this series continues, especially after power reading the entire series after loving Battle Ground (all of which was pretty damn epic, including Dead Beat, Changes and Skin Games, just to name a few). If Butcher continues to feature his usual complex characters, impressive narratives and clever worldbuilding, Twelve Months will easily be another exceptional read, and I am so damn eager to read this new Dresden Files offering.

30Seven by Jeremy Robinson – 20 January 2026

One of the more inventive authors of science fiction thrillers, Jeremy Robinson, is set to have a very successful 2026, with a couple of fantastic novels on the way. The first of these is the particularly awesome novel 30Seven, which has such an epic alien abduction plot. I love the sound of this book, especially as the protagonist will not only have to protect his child from the aliens, but also from a human serial killer who has been abducted alongside them. One of the more distinctive science fiction novels coming out, I already know that 30Seven is going to be awesome and I’m very excited for it.

Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker – 27 January 2026

The always entertaining K. J. Parker returns with a cool new comedy fantasy series in 2026, starting with the awesome book Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead. The first book in the Loyal Opposition trilogy, Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead will introduce the trilogy’s titular protagonist, a faithful nun who also serves as her church’s murderous fixer. Tasked with making a meddling princess disappear, Sister Svangerd infiltrates a famed religious conference, only to encounter religious intrigue, murder and revenge, that they need to navigate their mission around. I really love the sound of this book, and I cannot wait to see what over-the-top schemes and plots the protagonist will need to overcome. This is going to be such an epic book, and Parker already has a sequel set for release in May 2026 with Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know, which I also have very high hopes for.

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman – 3 February 2026

Over the last few years, I have come to really enjoy the compelling and unique mysteries of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series. Following two fun protagonists as they attempt to solve some of the more unusual murders in Los Angeles, the long-running Alex Delaware series always provides a fantastic mystery in the new year. Kellerman’s next book is the particularly intriguing sounding Jigsaw that will see the protagonists investigate two seemingly unconnected murders, neither of which are what they seem. I have had such a great time with the previous Alex Delaware novels, and I cannot wait to see how this new book turns out.

Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz – 10 February 2026

Greggy Hurwitz will continue to explore his complex former spy, turned vigilante protagonist Evan Smoake in the upcoming new Orphan X novel, Antihero. Following on from the traumatic events of Nemesis, Antihero will see a further damaged Evan attempt to save a woman in trouble. However, Evan finds himself with an unusual handicap, as his new client doesn’t want him to hurt anyone. I have no doubt that Antihero is going to be one of the more distinctive and emotionally charged entries in an always exceptional series, although I’m a little worried about what trauma Hurwitz puts his protagonist through next.

Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 February 2026

While the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky has several intriguing novels coming out in early 2026 (including the awesome sounding Green City Wars), the book of his I am most excited for is Pretenders to the Throne of God. The fourth book in Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Pretenders to the Throne of God will follow on from City of Last Chances (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2023), House of Open Wounds (one of my favourite books of 2023) and Days of Shattered Faith (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025). This new novel will once again follow a complex group of characters as they attempt to survive the dark expansion of a fanatical militaristic empire, this time centred around the siege of a magical city. The last three books in this series have been amongst the cleverest and most compelling pieces of fantasy fiction I have had the pleasure of reading, and I have no doubt that this upcoming book is going to be just as impressive.

The Hard Line by Mark Greaney – 24 February 2026

The thriller hits keep on coming in early 2026, as we also have a new Gray Man novel from Mark Greaney with The Hard Line. An amazing sounding continuation of this iconic thriller series, The Hard Line will see the protagonist forced to deal with family drama, while also contending with a vengeful assassin who may be even more skilled than he is. This sounds like another particularly incredible inclusion in one of the best ongoing spy thriller series out there, and I cannot wait to see all the elaborate action sequences and clever storytelling The Hard Line is sure to contain.

Red Empire by Jonathan Maberry – 10 March 2026

I doubt anyone familiar with my blog will be too surprised that a new Jonathan Maberry novel is making this list, especially after I have spent the last few weeks talking up Maberry’s most recent release, Cold War. Maberry’s next novel, Red Empire, will be the fifth book in the Rogue Team International series, which itself is a spinoff of the author’s epic Joe Ledger novels. Following on from excellent books like Rage, Relentless, Cave 13 and Burn to Shine, Red Empire will see the protagonists fight against an old enemy determined to unleash unimaginable destruction. This new novel from Maberry sounds pretty damn incredible, and I am very eager to read it, especially as the synopsis promises some big reveals regarding an enigmatic figure who has intrigued fans since the very first Joe Ledger book.

Blindside by Michael Mammay – 24 March 2026

One of the big science fiction novels I’m looking forward to reading in early 2026 is Blindside by the very talented Michael Mammay. Part of the author’s very impressive Planetside series, Blindside will see Mammay’s retired soldier protagonist, Colonel Carl Butler, engage in a new thrilling story when old enemies target those closest to him. However, this time the enemy is ready for Butler’s cowboy antics, and all hell looks set to be unleashed. I am extremely eager to get my hands on Blindside in March, especially after deeply enjoying all the previous Planetside novels like Planetside, Spaceside, Colonyside and Darkside, and I have no doubt this next book is going to be particularly captivating.

First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston – 14 April 2026

One of the more unique fantasy novels on this list is the very entertainingly titled First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston. Johnston, who has previously deeply impressed with over-the-top fantasy novels like The Maleficent Seven and The Last Shield, is going all out again with his new novel, which as the title suggests, will see a group of mages attempt to fly to their moon. Sure to be an extremely epic book that will combine magic with elaborate technology in a war-torn nation, First Mage on the Moon sounds like a particularly unique and crazy read, and I for one cannot wait to check it out.

Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie – 28 April 2026

One of the darker pieces of Australian fiction I am looking forward to in 2026 is the new book from Sarah Barrie, Dark Sanctuary. Barrie, who really impressed me with her Lexi Winter novels (Unforgiven, Retribution, Vendetta and Endgame), looks set to drop another elaborate and twisted thriller in Dark Sanctuary, and I love the cool synopsis for this book that will follow several people dragged into a series of connected crimes. I look forward to seeing what Barrie’s outstanding imagination has cooked up this time, and I feel that Dark Sanctuary has the potential to be one of the top Australian fiction releases of the year.

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford – 5 May 2026

One of the more unique entries coming out in the coming months is the very entertaining Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford. The fun follow-up to Ford’s amazing 2025 novel, The Bone Raiders, which saw a small group of raiders attempt to keep their freedom by taming giant, fire-breathing lizards to use as mounts, Sisters of the Lizard will continue these character’s adventures, as they face off against new foes and dangers. I already know this is going to be an amazing and highly exciting novel, and I cannot wait to see where Ford takes his unique and extremely funny narrative idea going forward.

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 12 May 2026

The next entry on this list was one I’d hoped to read last year, however, Our Lady of Blades got pushed back to 2026 (at least we got the bonkers novel The Malevolent Eight in 2025). Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait until Our Lady of Blades comes out, and it now looks set to be one of the top fantasy releases of 2026. The next book in de Castell’s Court of Shadows series (part of his larger Greatcoats universe), Our Lady of Blades will follow on from the loosely connected novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows. Featuring an intriguing story of revenge and redemption in a city obsessed with duels, Our Lady of Blades will feature de Castell’s trademark humour, complex storytelling, and expansion of his elaborate fantasy world. I look forward to seeing how Our Lady of Blades ties into the other Court of Shadows novels, and I have a feeling this is going to be a particularly impressive fantasy highlight of 2026.

A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman – 12 May 2026

While I was tempted to include Matt Dinniman’s other planned 2026 novel, Operation Bounce House, on this list, I instead had to feature the epic upcoming novel A Parade of Horribles (cover yet to be released), which is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The eighth book in Matt Dinniman’s exceedingly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles will continue to follow protagonists Carl and his sentient cat Princess Donut, as they attempt to survive the increasingly deadly and utterly bonkers dungeon formed from the detritus of a destroyed Earth. While most of the details about A Parade of Horribles’ plot have yet to be released (it will apparently have a cool race focussed plot, which gives me some awesome Mad Max flashes), you have to know it is going to be something particularly epic and incredible, especially as all the previous novels in the series have been utterly exceptional and brilliantly bonkers. I have so much love for this series after having become irreversibly addicted to it last year (highlights include Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Butcher’s Masquerade and The Eye of the Bedlam Bride), and I am so damn eager to see how this series will continue. I personally am planning to listen to A Parade of Horribles on audiobook (narrated by the insanely talented Jeff Hays), and I cannot wait to see how this new novel unfolds. If you haven’t experienced the Dungeon Crawler Carl series yet, do yourself a favour and check them out on audiobook before A Parade of Horribles comes out, you will not be disappointed!

Ironwood by Michael Connelly – 19 May 2026

One of the last crime fiction books I want to feature on this list has the potential to be one of the best with the next fantastic novel from Michael Connelly, Ironwood. The sequel to his intriguing 2025 novel Nightshade, Ironwood will once again focus on Connelly’s new protagonist Detective Stilwell, as he attempts to solve crimes from his banished post of Catalina Island. However, in this book, he finds himself teaming up with another Connelly protagonist, with Detective Renée Ballard serving as a supporting character. This should result in quite an intense and addictive crime fiction read, and I am particularly keen to read Ironwood as soon as I can.

Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker – 19 May 2026

The penultimate book I want to highlight is the epic new fantasy novel from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril. An intriguing sounding urban fantasy, Mortedant’s Peril will follow a protagonist hunted throughout his city for reading the final thoughts of the wrong dead man. I have a lot of confidence that Barker is going to pull out something special with this new novel, especially after impressing with all his previous trilogies, and I am confident that Mortedant’s Peril is going to be a top book of 2026.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett – 9 June 2026

Perhaps one of the most impressive and addictive new fantasy series from the last two years has been the Shadow of the Leviathan books by Robert Jackson Bennett. An extremely clever and compelling fantasy murder mystery series that sees the chaotic team of an over-enhanced investigator and her faithful assistant, solve impossible crimes in a nation constantly under attack from giant monsters. Both the previous books in this series, The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption, have been exceptional five-star reads, and I have been eagerly waiting for the next entry in the series ever since I finished the last page of the second Shadow of the Leviathan novel. This third upcoming book, A Trade of Blood (cover yet to be released), will see the protagonist attempt to stop a violent civil war by proving that a member of a powerful family is innocent of a gruesome murder. However, the protagonists soon find themselves dragged into a dark conspiracy against a ruthless opponent determined to destroy the nation. A Trade of Blood sounds just as incredible as the previous two Shadow of the Leviathan novels, and I cannot wait to unwind this latest narrative and it’s no-doubt elaborate and captivating fantasy-based mystery.

Well, that’s the end of this first list. As you can see, there are some mighty impressive novels coming out the first half of this year. All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads. 2026 is going to be an outstanding year for fiction, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year. I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out, and I think I am going to have an extremely incredible time reading these authors in 2026.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books of 2025

On December 31, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and feature bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. As we roll into the new year I am going to list my absolute favourite books of 2025, which is something I look forward to every year. This is a continuation of several lists I have done in recent weeks that highlighted the authors and books that have most impressed me this year. Previous lists looked at topics like my favourite pre-2025 novels, as well as my favourite audiobooks, sequels, and new-to-me authors of 2025. However, this list is the big one as it covers my absolute favourite releases of the year, of which there are quite a few.

I think we can all agree that 2025 has been another rollercoaster year for the world, but thankfully readers got a little bit of solace as this was an amazing year for books, with a huge range of incredible releases coming out across the genres. Not only did several new series start but we had some exceptional debuts, and some big continuations of established series. I have had an amazing time reading or listening to some outstanding books this year and quite a few releases have become instant favourites. I must admit that I somewhat struggled to pull this list together, as there were so many books that deserved to be mentioned. Therefore, because I am a very soft touch, and because the quality of the books I read this year was so impressive, I have decided to expand this list out to 20 entries (just like I have the last several years, I’m a very soft touch). These 20 books are my absolute favourites from 2025, and I would strongly recommend every one of them to anyone interested in a great read.

To make it onto this list a book only needed to be released here in Australia during 2025. I have naturally excluded anything I have not read yet, even though there were quite a few awesome-sounding books I sadly didn’t squeeze into my reading schedule. I decided to leave off my usual Honourable Mentions section as the extra 10 entries make it unnecessary. There will be a bit of crossover between the below entries and some of my previous lists. For example, several of these novels appeared on my Top Ten Favourite Audiobooks of 2025 list and my Top Ten Favourite Books from the First Half of 2025 list, which I ran back into July. Overall, I am very happy with how this Top 20 list turned out, and I think it contains a pretty good range of novels that showcase the different types of books that I chose to read this year. So, without further ado, here is the list.

Top Twenty List:

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

The first book I want to highlight on this list was one of my favourite fantasy novels of 2025 with The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. An exceptional and comedic dark fantasy from the master of grimdark fiction, The Devils is set in an alternate medieval Europe and follows several loveable monsters in the employ of the church as they attempt to enthrone a street thief as Empress of Troy. A gloriously over-the-top novel, The Devils was Abercrombie at his best, and I had an exceptional time getting through it.

Cold War by Jonathan Maberry

Diabolical dark fiction master Jonathan Maberry is an author who has appeared consistently on these end-of-year lists since I started them, and 2025 is no exception. Maberry had two books out in 2025, including the twisted thriller Burn to Shine. However, my favourite book of Maberry’s this year is the outstanding science fiction novel Cold War. The sequel to his 2024 release, NecroTek, Cold War was a gripping read that sees groups of stranded humanity facing off against Lovecraftian horrors in the future. Featuring an intriguing narrative split, awesome action and some classic Maberry horror, Cold War was another excellent novel, especially on audiobook.

Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow and Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai

It’s kind of inevitable the new volumes of the Usagi Yojimbo comic series are going to appear on this end of year list. One of my favourite comic series, the Usagi Yojimbo comics follow a rabbit ronin as he traverses an alternate version of feudal Japan. I have so much love for this series, and creator Stan Sakai released two exceptional volumes this year with The Crow and Ten Thousand Plums. Both were amazing and intricate reads, and I loved every second I spent reading them. Due to how impressive there were, I am combining these two volumes together into one entry, and as both comics are very worthy inclusions to this list.

Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Easily one of the more impressive and complex fantasy novels on this list is the incredible Days of Shattered Faith by the highly inventive Adrian Tchaikovsky. The third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosopher’s series, Days of Shattered Faith follows on from City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds and focuses on a new fantasy city beset by internal strife and dangerous diplomats. A unique read, Days of Shattered Faith was one of the best books of the year, and I loved every second I spent in Tchaikovsky’s latest complex cityscape.

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz

Acclaimed thriller author Gregg Hurwitz ensured readers were hooked this year with one of his best Orphan X novels, Nemesis. The 10^th book in the Orphan X series, Nemesis sees the relentless protagonist forced to go to war with his only friend in an emotionally charged and complex read. Filled with exceptional character moments, Nemesis was an especially compelling novel that keeps you hooked all the way to its powerful and heartbreaking end. I really loved Nemesis, although I way never forgive Hurwitz for what he put me through with this book.

Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

I had so much fun returning to the skies this year with the incredible Warhammer 40,000 novel, Interceptor City. The sequel to Dan Abnett’s iconic book Double Eagle, Interceptor City saw the first novel’s protagonist return for another harrowing tour of duty, this time flying fighter aircraft in the ruins of a gigantic city. Featuring some of the best aerial combat sequences you are ever going to read, Interceptor City was a true highlight of 2025 and a must-read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

The new master of fantasy crime fiction, Robert Jackson Bennett had another exceptional year, thanks to his new novel A Drop of Corruption. The sequel to his exceptional novel The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024), A Drop of Corruption sees an enhanced investigator and her loyal assistant, attempt to solve an impossible disappearance in an empire constantly under attack by giant monsters. Featuring a particularly elaborate and impressive murder mystery that makes full of it’s fantasy setting, A Drop of Corruption was unbelievably good, and I cannot get over how awesome and complex the story turned out. I love this series from Bennet so damn much and I cannot wait to read the third book in 2026.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The iconic Hunger Games franchise got a major boost in 2025, thanks to the outstanding prequel novel Sunrise on the Reaping. Set at the 50^th Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping follows a fan favourite as he tries to survive the deadliest games of all time. Suzanne Collins honestly outdid herself with this latest Hunger Games books, especially as she subverted all expectations and showcased a story with so many clever twists and manipulated surprises, all wrapped up with earthshaking tragedy. The Hunger Games series will never be the same again, and I am still not over just how far Collins went with this exceptional read.

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney

Mark Greaney continues to showcase why he is one of the very best authors of spy fiction with the amazing 2025 release, Midnight Black. A particularly exciting and intense entry in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black sees an exhausted version of Greaney’s long-running protagonist attempt the impossible, as he takes on the entire Russian state to free the women he loves. An extremely exciting and moving novel, Midnight Black was Greaney at his very best, and I powered through this book so damn quickly.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastian De Castell

This year, author Sebastian De Castell followed up his amazing fantasy novel, The Malevolent Seven, with an even more outrageous and frankly bonkers sequel, The Malevolent Eight. Following a group eight crazy individuals as they attempt to stop the warring armies of heaven and hell, The Malevolent Eight was utter chaos from start to finish, and I loved every second of it, vampiric kangaroo included. One of the funnier books of 2025, The Malevolent Eight comes highly recommended, especially for those who like their fantasy novels as cleverly weird as possible.

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Another excellent fantasy novel released in 2025 was the very impressive and elaborate book, The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. The author’s first foray into fantasy fiction, The Raven Scholar featured a fantastic tournament plot, with several champions competing to become the ruler of a divided realm. However, nothing is as it seems, and the contenders, including a damaged scholar dragged into the proceedings, are forced to contend with murder, intrigue and betrayal at every turn. A wonderful piece of fantasy fiction from a very talented new voice in the genre.

Never Flinch by Stephen King

The legendary Stephen King continues his domination of all thing’s fiction with the brilliant and deeply addictive Never Flinch. A sequel to the outstanding novel Holly, Never Flinch sees unlikely investigator, Holly Gibney, attempt to stop two deadly predators attempting to kill in her town, including a guilt-riddled serial killer and a troubled stalker. An excellent character-driven read, Never Flinch had me hooked very early on, and I still cannot get over how intense the last third of the book turned out.

Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan

I had to include the awesome new fantasy novel from Anthony Ryan, Born of an Iron Storm, on this list. The second book in the author’s Viking-inspired Age of Wrath series, Born of an Iron Storm perfectly followed on from last years A Tide of Black Steel (as well as Ryan’s previous Covenant of Steel trilogy), and treated readers to a powerful narrative shown through the eyes of four different heroes. Loaded with cool world-building, great characters, and an adventure-laden plot, Born of an Iron Storm was an amazing read, and one I couldn’t get enough of.

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

Richard Osman returned to his Thursday Murder Club series this year, with the latest book The Impossible Fortune. Following the retiree protagonists as they try to uncover the secret behind a mysterious vault and its missing owner, The Impossible Fortune was a wonderful novel, that really dove into its amazing character’s lives after the great tragedy of the previous Thursday Murder Club book. Osman perfectly reconnected with all his great characters again, and this ended up being a very clever and heartwarming read.

King Sorrow by Joe Hill

For the first time ever, I have two separate family members appear on this list, thanks to the amazing Joe Hill trying to outshine his father. Hill’s new book is the massive, but deeply captivating King Sorrow, an elaborate fantasy horror novel with an exceptional plot behind it. Following a group of damaged friends who inadvertently forge a Faustian bargain with an interdimensional dragon, King Sorrow follows these figures over multiple years, as each member of the group is forced to designate several victims for the dragon to hunt down and kill. A complex and very powerful novel with some amazing characters, King Sorrow proved to be an outstanding book to fall in love with, and I still cannot get over some of the outstanding twists and turns Hill imagined.

The Strength of the Few by James Islington

The much-anticipated fantasy novel, The Strength of the Few, lived up to all the hype surrounding it, and ended up being one of the top books from the end of 2025. The sequel to Islington’s exceptional The Will of the Many (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), The Strength of the Few was an extremely ambitious read that followed three separate versions of the same protagonist as he lives through simultaneous adventures of three parallel worlds. A particularly intricate and intelligent fantasy novel, The Strength of the Few was a true highlight of the year, and I cannot recommend this impressive fantasy series enough.

Artifact by Jeremy Robinson

The always impressive Jeremy Robinson produced another captivating, standalone science fiction horror read this year with the fantastic novel Artifact. Following a small group of likeable and isolated Alaskans who attempt to discover what went wrong at the secretive scientific research laboratory hidden at the outskirts of town, Artifact was an ultra-exciting read that went to some dark places. An outstanding novel that is really worth checking out on audiobook.

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

While I was spoiled for choice with Michael Connelly books in 2025 (including the great murder mystery Nightshade), my favourite was The Proving Ground. The latest Lincoln Lawyer novel, The Proving Ground saw the titular character attempt to take down an artificial intelligence company who he believes is partially responsible for a young girl’s murder. Clever, insightful and very addictive, The Proving Ground was a brilliant legal thriller and one I can’t stop thinking about.

Star Wars: Sanctuary by Lamar Giles

There were several amazing Star Wars books this year, including The Mask of Fear and Master of Evil, however, I had to focus on the amazing and highly entertaining novel, Sanctuary by Lamar Giles. A tie-in to the Bad Batch animated series, Sanctuary was an extremely entertaining and captivating read that saw the unruly clone protagonists attempt to pull off several easy-money gigs. Unsurprisingly, all their clever plans fall apart, and the protagonists and their trouble-causing cargo soon find themselves being chased by a brilliant ISB agent and a psychotic, uber-wealthy crime lord. Relentlessly entertaining and compelling, but with some real heart, Sanctuary was an exceptional Star Wars novel, and one I cannot recommend enough.

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the captivating urban fantasy novel, Whisper in the Wind. The fourth book in Australian author Luke Arnold’s Fetch Phillips series, Whisper in the Wind sees the very damaged protagonist once again dragged into a dangerous attempt to bring magic back to his devastated city. However, forced to contend with the city’s new elites, and their dark plans, Fetch finds himself pushed to his limit as his attempts at living a quiet life are blown to hell. A complex and wonderfully written novel, Whisper in the Wind is an impressive entry in one of the more compelling ongoing fantasy series, and Luke Arnold honestly gets better with every book he writes. A highly recommended read and a very worthy final inclusion on this list.

Well, those are my 20 favourite books of 2025. It turned out to be quite a good list in the end, and I am very glad that I was able to highlight so many fantastic books. 2026 is set to be another excellent year for amazing reads, and I will be examining some of my most anticipated books next week. In the meantime, let me know what your favourite books of 2025 were in the comments below, and make sure you all have a happy and safe New Years.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2025

On December 18, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 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 required participants to list their most anticipated books for Summer (Winter for the Northern Hemisphere). However, as I have already done this list a few weeks ago, I decided to continue with my annual end-of-year lists that I have been working on the last few weeks. I have already covered my favourite new-to-me authors I read in 2025, as well as the best pre-2025 novels I read this year, but in this week’s list I am going to highlight the best sequels I read in 2025. This is a relatively new topic that I have only explored in 2023 and 2024, however it’s proving to be a great topic that I’m keen to keep going back to.

Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career. I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels. I read a ton of sequels every year and I felt that it was about time that I highlighted the very best sequels of the year in a specific post.

To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released in 2025 that I had the pleasure of reading. I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines. For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead. I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and definitely highlights my favourite sequels released in 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Crusade by Richard Cullen

A great and very exciting historical fiction novel that serves as an excellent sequel to the first book in Cullen’s Chronicles of the Black Lion series, Rebellion.

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben provided an intense and clever sequel to one of his better-known novels, Fool Me Once, this year with the awesome new book, Nobody’s Fool

The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins

I had a lot of fun reading the compelling Australian crime novel, The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins, this year, which serves as an outstanding sequel to the author’s debut, How to Kill a Client.

Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka

One of the more entertaining sequels of the year was the hilarious and charming English release of Hotel Lucky Seven by iconic Japanese author Kotaro Isaka. A direct sequel to Bullet Train, Hotel Lucky Seven follows the previous book’s terminally unlucky protagonist as he finds himself trapped in a hotel full of outrageous assassins.

Top Ten Tuesday:

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

The first incredible 2025 sequel I want to highlight on this list is A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. An elaborate and deeply clever fantasy murder mystery novel, A Drop of Corruption serves as a sequel to The Tainted Cup, which was one of my favourite books of 2024. Following an unnaturally skilled detective and her loyal assistant as they investigate impossible crimes in a land constantly under attack from giant monsters, A Drop of Corruption, was an outstanding read that will keep you hooked until the end. Featuring an exceptional mystery that perfectly utilises elements from the universe started in The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption was one of the best books of the year and an incredible sequel.

Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

Possibly one of the most long-awaited sequel on this list is the awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Interceptor City. The sequel to Dan Abnett’s classic novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City sees the original protagonist return for another gritty war story, this time forced to fly amongst the ruins of a giant city. Featuring some of the best aerial combat sequences you are likely to read in fiction, Interceptor City was an exceptional read and it was amazing to see Double Eagle’s story continue in such a fantastic manner.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastian De Castell

I had a hilarious time getting through the highly entertaining and gloriously over-the-top fantasy novel, The Malevolent Eight. The sequel to De Castell’s outstanding novel, The Malevolent Seven, The Malevolent Eight follows eight crazy mages as they attempt to save their world from the combined armies of heaven and hell. A comedic treat that I couldn’t put down, this was an incredible fantasy sequel that comes very highly recommended.

Broke Road by Matthew Spencer

I had to feature the impressive Australian crime fiction novel Broke Road by Matthew Spencer on this list. Serving as an interesting follow-up to Spencer’s debut novel Black River, Broke Road is a gritty and complex murder mystery that sees a troubled detective and a rogue journalist investigate a shocking crime in regional Australia. I deeply enjoyed Broke Road and it ended up being a particularly amazing sequel that overshadowed Spencer’s original novel. One of the best pieces of Australian fiction in 2025, I cannot wait to see how Spencer continues to grow as an author.

Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan

Acclaimed fantasy author Anthony Ryan continues to greatly impress with his new fantasy novel, Born of an Iron Storm. The second book in Ryan’s Age of Wrath series, Born of an Iron Storm continues the excellent story started in A Tide of Black Steel, as four separate protagonists attempt to weather a dark invasion coming down upon their lands. A wonderful fantasy adventure sequel that makes full use of its Viking inspiration, Born of an Iron Storm was a powerful read that is really worth checking out.

Cold War by Jonathan Maberry

One of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, continued his distinctive and dark NecroTek science fiction series this year with the fantastic second entry Cold War. Set right after the events of the first book, NecroTek, Cold War was an inventive, intense and disturbing sequel that pitted human scientists and soldiers against the very worst Lovecraftian monsters. A great sequel that cleverly brings in some awesome new characters and further raises the stakes of the crazy plot, Cold War was an exceptional read that I honestly couldn’t stop listening to.

Never Flinch by Stephen King

I’m slightly cheating by including this next entry, however, I honestly count Never Flinch as a sequel as it is the second novel from Stephen King to feature his unique character, Holly Gibney, as protagonist. Following on from the success of Holly (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), Never Flinch sees the protagonist attempt to stop two deadly killers stalking their prey in her city. A particularly moving and intense book, Never Flinch was so damn good, and I’m very glad that King produced a second Holly Gibney focused novel.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

The always fun Django Wexler wrapped up his Dark Lord Davi duology in amazing fashion this year with Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me. Following a slightly insane fantasy protagonist who finds herself trapped in a deadly time loop, this entry was the wonderful sequel to Wexler’s 2024 novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. With the protagonist now a deadly Dark Lord, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me sees her attempt to save the human nation her minions want to conquer through an elaborate infiltration mission. Filled with mishaps, adventure and outrageous humour, Everybody Wants to Ruel the World Except Me was so damn fun, and I cannot recommend this sequel enough.

The Strength of the Few by James Islington

I had to feature the very impressive novel I just finished, The Strength of the Few by James Islington, on this list. The most elaborate sequel of 2025, The Strength of the Few, serves as a follow-up to Islington’s highly acclaimed 2023 novel, The Will of the Many. Upping the ante in a particularly inventive way, this great sequel sees the protagonist of The Will of the Many split across three separate versions of the same world, requiring three unique story arcs. A very ambitious novel that shows some true inventiveness, The Strength of the Few was an exceptional novel that serves as a worthy sequel to Islington’s previous epic book.

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

The final sequel I want to highlight on this list is Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland. The sequel to Corland’s 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms sees the murderous and mistrustful protagonists of the first book attempt to once again work together to pull off an impossible heist. Full of compelling characters, doomed romances and clever worldbuilding, Four Ruined Realms was an excellent novel, that worked extremely well as a sequel to Corland’s previous adventure. Four Ruined Realms comes highly recommended as a result, and I really need to check out the third and final book in the series before the end of 2025.

Well, that’s it for this list. As you can see, I have read several outstanding sequels this year and had a wonderful time doing so. Every entry above was an epic novel, and I loved how they each successfully continued impressive story threads started in the previous novel. All these books come highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see how these talented authors add to their already awesome series in the future.

Book Haul – Canberra Bookfair – September 2025

On October 4, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

During the last weekend I was able to attend the Canberra Lifeline Bookfair, an event that occurs several times a year and gives great opportunities to pick up secondhand books donated for charity. I ended up managing to pick up several pretty awesome books at this bookfair which I was very happy with. This includes multiple books I had been keeping an eye out for, as well as a few interesting novels that proved to be very welcome surprises. Due to these successes, I decided to do a bonus Book Haul post to show off just how varied the books you can potentially find at this bookfair can be.

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

One of the most talked about fantasy novels in recent years has to be The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. I heard a lot of awesome things about The Blacktongue Thief when it first came out, and I even did a Waiting on Wednesday post about it. Despite this, I kept failing to find a copy of The Blacktongue Thief, even though I was still extremely interested in reading it. As such, I was pretty damn happy to find a good secondhand version of this book on the weekend and I’m hoping to read it soon.

Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher

Another book I was particularly happy to find over the weekend was Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher. The second book in Butcher’s Unorthodox Chronicles, Long Past Dues is the awesome sounding sequel to the author’s debut novel, Dead Man’s Hand. I had a great time reading Dead Man’s Hand when it first came out, and I’m very excited to finally get my hands on the sequel.

Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell

I just had to pick up a copy of Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell when I saw it was available, especially after enjoying some of the author’s more recent novels. The first book in the author’s Greatcoats series, Traitor’s Blade sounds pretty amazing, and I’m curious to see how De Castell set up his entertaining universe.

Apocalypse Cow by Michael Logan

So, I’m not going to lie, I picked this one up purely because of the puns on the front page, which still makes me chuckle. A comedic novel about zombie cows is frankly something I’d never be able to turn down, and it sounds like Apocalypse Cow is a particularly funny read, which I am very keen to check out.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Armor by K. W. Jeter

While I haven’t explored the now defunct Legends canon of Star Wars fiction as much as I would have liked, I was very interested in this copy of The Mandalorian Armor by K. W. Jeter I found. The first book in a series that pits the infamous bounty hunters of Star Wars universe against each other, The Mandalorian Armor sounds pretty damn awesome, and I look forward to diving into it when I get a chance.

Warhammer 40,000: Grey Knights by Ben Counter

More fun Warhammer 40,000 fun from the always impressive Ben Counter, how could I possibly turn that down.

Footprints of Thunder by James F. David

The final book I picked up is the intriguing classic science fiction novel, Footprints of Thunder by James F. David. A compelling and thrilling novel that sees the modern world merged with the dinosaur inhabited past, Footprints of Thunder is an excellent book that I was very happy to find a good copy of. I think I actually read this book when I was younger, so it will be interesting to revisit it after all these years.

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

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2025 To Be Read (TBR) List

On September 2, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 Comment

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 Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week featured books with occupations in the title, which I actually completed last week, so instead I’m instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday of Spring 2025 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Spring (Autumn/Fall for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 September 2025 and 30 November 2025 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown by 9 September 2025

A deeply exciting thriller from the legendary Dan Brown that will once again present a compelling mystery from history.

The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025

An intriguing new legal thriller from the always impressive John Grisham.

King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 21 October 2025

The highly inventive Joe Hill will present a compelling new horror thriller with King Sorrow, an epic novel that sees a group of friends experience the downside of summoning a vengeful dragon.

Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath – 4 November 2025

One of top Australian releases of 2025, Kill Your Boss will follow Jack Heath’s previous outstanding novels, Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands.

Top Ten List:

Circle of Days by Ken Follett – 23 September 2025

The first book I want to highlight on this list is the upcoming historical fiction novel from Ken Follett, Circle of Days. A historical epic set around the construction of Stonehenge, Circle of Days will follow several complex characters as they live their lives in the shadow of an iconic construction. I have no doubt that Circle of Days will be one of the top historical fiction releases of 2025 and this is an excellent novel to start this list on.

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman – 25 September 2025

Few Spring releases have me as excited as The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman. The fifth book in the incredible Thursday Murder Club series by Osman, The Impossible Fortune will follow on from outstanding novels like The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and The Last Devil to Die (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023). Featuring a cool new case, The Impossible Fortune sounds like another entertaining entry in the series, and I cannot wait to see how the characters are going after the deep tragedy of The Last Devil to Die. This will likely top all my end of 2025 best-of lists, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson – 30 September 2025

One of the more entertaining novels coming out in the second half of 2025 is going to be the brilliant Australian thriller Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. The fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series (Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, and Everyone this Christmas has a Secret), Everyone in this Bank is a Thief will once again place Stevenson’s insightful and unlucky protagonist at the site of another crime as he is forced to investigate a murder while trapped as a hostage in a bank robbery. Blending classic murder mystery elements with a fun heist narrative, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is going to be a hilarious read, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

After already impressing with Burn to Shine, Maberry still has his second novel of 2025 coming out with Cold War. A follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek, Cold War will see a group of human scientists, soldiers and pilots trapped on the other side of the universe using death-powered alien mechs to fight against ancient cosmic horrors. Sure to be another complex and chilling novel, Cold War has a ton of potential and will likely be a top book of the year.

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly – 21 October 2025

The always reliable master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, has another awesome book coming out in 2025 with The Proving Ground. The next book in the author’s incredible Lincoln Lawyer series (which has previously featured books like The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk), The Proving Ground will team Mickey Haller with another Connelly protagonist, Jack McEvoy (the protagonist of books like Fair Warning), as he takes on a sinister AI company. Likely to combine great legal elements with a complex thriller narrative, I have a feeling this is going to be one of Connelly’s more captivating books, and I am very excited to get my hands on it.

Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 6 November 2025

For some additional historical fiction awesomeness in 2025, we still have the new Eagles of the Empire novel from Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome. Scarrow’s second book in 2025 after A Death in Berlin, Tyrant of Rome will follow on from the previous Eagles of the Empire novel, Revenge of Rome, as the protagonists return to Rome after ending Boudica’s rebellion. This time series protagonists Cato and Macro are dragged back into the excesses of Nero when they are chosen to take control of law and order throughout the city to keep the depraved emperor in power. I love this interesting change of direction away from the brutal war stories of the last few books and it is going to be fun to dive into over-the-top Roman politics.

The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 11 November 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended inventive worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline. I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now. Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade, is one of the big fantasy releases of the second half of the year. Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets. I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington. The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past. However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split across three separate realities, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures. I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 11 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades. The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous, loosely-connected novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows. Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold. Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for, especially after having a blast with de Castells other release for the year, The Malevolent Eight.

Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher. Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force. With a very intriguing and lore-heavy plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Adam Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2025, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do in the near future.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels from the First Half of 2025

On July 29, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 Comment

In addition to the highlighting some of the best Australian novels I read in the first half of 2025, I am also taking this opportunity to list some of the best new sequel novels that I have had the opportunity to read this year.

Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career. I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels. I read a ton of sequels every year, but I feel that the first half of 2025 has been particularly rich in the form of amazing follow-up novels from talented authors. Indeed, the sheer quality of some of the sequels coming out this year has been quite remarkable, and it has compelled me to dedicate this list to highlighting the very best.

To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released so far in 2025 that I had the pleasure of reading. I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines. For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead. I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and highlights my favourite sequels released in the first half of 2025.

Top Ten List:

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

The first book I had to highlight on this list was the deeply impressive and addictive fantasy/mystery hybrid, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. The sequel to one of my favourite books of 2024, The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption continues to follow the author’s unlikely detective protagonists as they investigate dark conspiracies in a monster-besieged empire. This second novel was particularly epic, featuring a complex investigation narrative well supported by Bennett’s unique fantasy elements. A deeply addictive read, A Drop of Corruption was a very easy choice for this list, and I cannot recommend this sequel enough.

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Next, we have the very cool sequel to Harlan Coben’s classic thriller, Fool Me Once, Nobody’s Fool. Bringing back one of the police protagonists of Fool Me Once, Nobody’s Fool was an intense and quick-paced read, that saw a damaged figure attempt to find answers for one of the more traumatising moments in his life. Loaded with cool twists and some great shocks, I flew through Nobody’s Fool in no time at all, and it was very interesting to see how Coben followed up his previous amazing read.

Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

A very outstanding sequel that ended up being one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2025 is the epic Warhammer 40,000 novel Interceptor City by Dan Abnett. The long-awaited follow-up to his iconic novel Double Eagle (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels), Interceptor City took readers back to the skies with another rich, aerial combat focused novel in the grim Warhammer 40,000 universe. This time forcing his protagonist to fly in claustrophobic conditions amongst the ruins of a massive fallen city, Interceptor City was Abnett at his finest, and you will not be able to put down this exceptional Warhammer 40,000 sequel.

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

Mai Corland provided a great second entry in her Broken Blades trilogy this year with her brilliant novel, Four Ruined Realms. The sequel to Corland’s 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms saw the author’s lethal protagonists forced to complete a deadly heist in an enemy nation. Loaded with lies, betrayals and complex drama, Four Ruined Realms was a very impressive continuation of the series, and I had a ton of fun getting through it.

Broke Road by Matthew Spencer

After impressing with his first novel, the Australian crime fiction read Black River, Matthew Spencer presented an incredible sequel this year with the dark and thrilling read, Broke Road. Setting his protagonists on another harrowing investigation, Broke Road was an intense read that cleverly built on the relationships introduced in Black River. A really amazing Australian sequel and one I’m very glad I got the chance to read.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

One of the more entertaining sequels of 2025 so far is the unhinged dark fantasy novel The Malevolent Eight. The sequel to Sebastien de Castell’s extremely fun novel, The Malevolent Seven, The Malevolent Eight proved to be particularly awesome, especially as de Castell dialled up the mayhem and kept the readers entertained with the resulting carnage. A very interesting and impressive novel, de Castell clearly had fun with The Malevolent Eight, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future, especially as he has another outstanding sequel coming out later this year with Our Lady of Blades.

The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins

Next up we have the really cool Australian fiction sequel, The Bluff by Joanne Jenkins. The interesting follow-up to Jenkin’s first novel, How to Kill a Client, The Bluff was a great rural crime fiction novel that cleverly recreated the events leading up to a brutal death. A fantastic, character-focused read loaded with twists, The Bluff was an excellent second novel from Jenkins, and one I had an amazing time reading.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

After blowing me away with the hilarious fantasy novel, How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler finished his story this year with the great sequel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me. Following Wexler’s slightly unhinged protagonist as she attempts to save everyone after achieving her goal of becoming an infamous Dark Lord, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was an awesome second and final book from the author that I couldn’t stop reading. Funny, addictive, and featuring some very interesting plot reveals, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was an outstanding read and an excellent sequel to Wexler’s previous book.

Never Flinch by Stephen King

I’m slightly cheating by including the next novel, Never Flinch by Stephen King, however, I view it as a sequel to his previous novel, Holly, as they are the first books primarily focussed on his memorable character Holly Gibney. An exceptional and powerful crime fiction read that saw Gibney contend with the worrying schemes of two obsessed hunters, Never Flinch was an outstanding novel that you won’t be able to get away from.

Crusade by Richard Cullen

The final sequel on this list is the excellent historical fiction novel Crusade. The second book in the Chronicles of the Black Lion series and works as a great follow-up to last year’s novel Rebellion. Taking his protagonist on a dangerous adventure set around the Fifth Crusade, Crusade was an exciting and captivating read that I had an amazing time with. A fantastic sequel and a great book to end this list on.

Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list. I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best sequels I have checked out so far in 2025. I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt that some of the third and fourth books in these respective series are going to be just as impressive. It will be interesting to see what other great sequels I will get to experience in the rest of 2025, and I am sure there are going to be some exceptional new books coming out soon. Indeed, the upcoming sequels The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso, Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan and The Strength of the Few by James Islington, are all currently very high on my to-read list, and I am sure they are going to be spectacular novels and deeply impressive sequels.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

On July 13, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Fantasy6 Comments

Publisher: Acardia (ebook – 27 May 2025)

Series: Malevolent series – Book Two

Length: 397 pages

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

The always entertaining Sebastien de Castell unleashes one of the funniest books of 2025 with the dark fantasy novel, The Malevolent Eight, a compelling and impressive sequel that I couldn’t get enough of.

Over the last couple of years, I have really become attached to the amazing Sebastien de Castell, a leading fantasy author with some outstanding stories under his belt. Known for his impressive and varied stories, including his Greatcoats, Spellslinger and Argosi novels, de Castell has a brilliant imagination, and I love the range of complex settings and narratives he brings to life. Some of my favourite de Castell books are from his recent The Court of Shadows fantasy murder mystery series, which serves as a sequel to his original Greatcoats books. These include the witty and entertaining Play of Shadows (one of my favourite books of 2024) and the particularly clever Crucible of Chaos (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024), both of which were real highlights of my reading calendar last year. However, for this review I’m going to focus on a far more entertaining series of de Castell’s that I have had a blast with.

This series is the Malevolent collection of books, which contain dark magic, over-the-top characters and ridiculous humour. Starting back in 2023 with The Malevolent Seven, this series followed seven morally questionable mercenary mages who come together into an unlikely team to defeat a group of dangerous wizard brothers. However, their attempt to do the right thing spectacularly backfires on them when they are tricked into allowing the hosts of heaven and hell to simultaneously invade, turning their realm into the battleground for their final war. I ended up having an exceptional time with The Malevolent Seven, and I really got drawn into it’s clever, if outrageous plot. Naturally I was keen to see how the series continued, and the recently released sequel, The Malevolent Eight, has long been on my to-read list.

After a great betrayal, the mortal realm is in peril as the heavenly Lords Celestine and the dark Lords Devilish have simultaneously invaded, determined to fight their long-anticipated final battle on this unclaimed ground. As both sides recruit as many additional human soldiers and followers as they can to their cause, the survival of humanity seems to lie in the hands of an unlikely group of rogue magic users. Unfortunately for everyone involved, humanity’s saviours are the damn fools who caused this calamity in the first place, the insane mages better known as The Malevolent Seven.

At the head of this misfit band is Cade Ombra, a man who has known power and betrayal from both the Celestine and the Devilish and is determined to allow humans to remain free from their dual influences. Forced to work with the most emotionally unstable group of mages and wonderists in the mortal realm, including a destruction-loving lighting slinger, a fallen angel, a righteous devil trying to serve the Celestine, an uncertain blood mage, a roguish rat admirer and their newest member, a vampiric kangaroo, Cade begins to wage a surprisingly moral war on both the Celestine and the Devish.

However, The Malevolent Seven aren’t the only beings attempting to disrupt the plans of the two invading armies. Another group of mages, as well as a mysterious woman from Cade’s past with unimaginable power, are also fighting for their own purposes, and looking good while doing so. Forced to contend against angels, devils, and ambitious mages, Cade will need to outthink all his enemies, while also ensuring that his own chaotic allies don’t make everything even worse. However, the harder he fights, the more Cade begins to realise that he may have to sacrifice everything, especially when it becomes clear that the origin of the apocalypse lies in his gilded past.

De Castell continues to deeply impress with this brilliant, if somewhat unhinged, novel, as The Malevolent Eight was an exceptional dark fantasy sequel that comes very highly recommended. Taking all the comedic craziness from the first book and amping it up to eleven, The Malevolent Eight was a perfect follow-up to de Castell’s previous narrative that takes the reader on an exceptional adventure you just won’t be able to look away from.

After having a ton of fun with the awesome first book in the series, I honestly wasn’t too sure what to expect with The Malevolent Eight’s story. However, not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine just how unhinged, wild and downright insane this sequel’s plot would get as de Castell pumped the narrative all the way up to 11 and beyond. Starting with a fun and particularly bloody sequence that not only reintroduces the unruly protagonists but also showcases the dark scenario that they find themselves in for this book, the readers are quickly thrust into The Malevolent Eight’s plot, and frankly after the first series of crazy events, you find yourself pretty hooked as the self-proclaimed Malevolent Seven’s attempt to fight both the armies of heaven and hell. However, as the story progresses, the unconventional heroes soon find that there are far more dangerous beings involved in this war, including a mysterious mage with previously unknown destiny-altering magic.

Determined to find out more about their new opponent, Cade leads The Malevolent Seven to both the Lords Celestine and Devilish to find out what they know and soon begins to understand his unfortunate role in the outbreak of the apocalypse. After some hilarious interactions with both sets of lords, the protagonists embark on a series of missions, only to encounter betrayals, hidden secrets, the consequences of Cade’s lies, capture, revelations and a surprisingly humorous torture sequence. This leads up to the big conclusion of the story, as the protagonists find themselves in the middle of a battle against three separate sides trying to claim their world for various purposes, all while manipulative figures work from the sidelines. This big finale for The Malevolent Eight gets a little overcomplicate and convoluted, especially as we dive into alternate realms and different realities, but the entire thing is highly entertaining to behold. It finishes off on an interesting conclusion, which has a nice hopeful note to it (especially in comparison to the previous book), while also hinting at some dark events to come. This is an overall quite entertaining and wild story that really highlights de Castell’s creativity and ability to craft over-the-top narratives.

I deeply enjoyed the wonderful style that de Castell utilised in The Malevolent Eight, as the author pulls together a chaotic and hilarious dark fantasy that hits a lot of over-the-top notes at the same time. Perfectly told from the single perspective of main character Cade Ombra, The Malevolent Eight is a balls-to-the-wall blast, loaded with insane action, excessive blood, crazy moments and fantastic humour. De Castell keeps the pace of the story moving pretty fast throughout The Malevolent Eight, and the reader absolutely powers through the fantastic combination of carnage, intrigue, and hidden motivations. Working well as a sequel to the previous book, The Malevolent Eight cleverly returns to the author’s fun setting, which has been drastically altered due to the rival inter-dimensional armies fighting across it. Serving as the perfect background to such an entertaining and oddball dark fantasy narrative, de Castell makes perfect use of the changed setting and existing book history to go all out with his narrative. While a seemingly simple and insane book on the surface, de Castell also adds in some impressive extra depth to the story, including through its complex magic system and the inclusion of several alternate realms that allow or some interesting inclusions from the author’s wider fictional reserves. There is also a great moral greyness to the entire setting, as even the most noble of people or beings in this setting is generally pretty flawed or evil in their own way, and I frankly loved how cynical things got at times.

While this is a rather dark story, loaded with brutal combat and destructive magic, de Castell keeps the overall tone of The Malevolent Eight pretty light thanks to the excellent use of humour. This is an insanely funny book, and while there is a certain subtly to some of the comedy contained within, for the most part de Castell utilises over-the-top scenarios (such as a swearing kangaroo), unhinged dialogue (the one swearword said kangaroo can say) and silly over-reactions for his comedy, which frankly fits the overall crazy feel of The Malevolent Eight. The author gets a consistent amount of humour out of all the crazy antics of his characters, which stays pretty damn funny all the way through and never gets too tiring or overplayed. Highlights of The Malevolent Eight’s humour for me included a very cleverly written demonic contract that spelled out the terms of a deal with the protagonists with some unique caveats, a particularly entertaining torture sequence where the protagonist causes more discomfort for his torturers than himself, ill-timed relationships with the book’s apparent antagonist, and so many crazy conversations between the seemingly sane point-of-view protagonist and every single person he encounters. While I’m slightly salty about de Castell’s description of the Australian accent being “halfway between some poncy foreign nobleman and an inebriated fishmonger” (ok fine, it was pretty funny), this was quite a hilarious read, and I honestly laughed out loud multiple times in public as I read through this crazy comedic book.

One of the things I appreciated about The Malevolent Eight is the way in which de Castell made it accessible to all readers, even though who didn’t read the preceding novel. While those who have checked out The Malevolent Seven are probably going to get the most out of this novel, especially as they can continue the hilarious character arcs from the first book, I feel that new readers can easily jump into The Malevolent Eight without any real context and still follow the story perfectly. Indeed, I quite enjoyed how well de Castell cleverly and effectively recapped the events of the previous book, especially after a two-year gap between reading The Malevolent Seven and The Malevolent Eight. Established de Castell fans will probably appreciate the references to the author’s other series, as a new major character in the novel is from the author’s Spellslinger universe and utilises that series’ unique magic to great effect in this novel. While those readers who have read the Spellslinger books will no doubt find this inclusion really cool, people who are less familiar with this series can still follow The Malevolent Eight’s plot without any issue, especially as the events of the other series don’t really come into play here. As such, I would recommend The Malevolent Eight to any fantasy readers looking for a dark comedic turn, although for the sake of completeness, try The Malevolent Seven first.

As with The Malevolent Seven, this excellent sequel features a fantastic cast of compelling damaged characters whose unique and often quite outrageous stories helped to ensure The Malevolent Eight was an impressive read. Cleverly building on the storylines of the previous book, The Malevolent Eight features the immoral characters who make up titular Malevolent Seven attempting to be heroes in this book, often with mixed results. This includes main protagonist and point-of-view character Cade Ombra, the leader of group and a man with quite a complex past. Shown in the previous book to be a power hunger survivor with a conscience, The Malevolent Eight really dives into his characterisation even further as you look at his past as an arrogant holy warrior and his eventual fall from grace to work with demons. His complex past becomes a key part of The Malevolent Eight’s plot, especially as much of the current issues lie in his past mistakes, and it was quite moving to see Cade attempt to make amends, especially as it gets him into even more trouble. Despite this, Cade is still a massive bastard at times, and his manipulative nature and evil strategic mind are some of his greatest weapons. Serving as the apparent straight man to a group of crazy friends, Cade sees himself as the sole voice of reason in the entire book, and it was fascinating to see his compelling perspective unwind throughout the book, especially when he faces certain realities about his friends and what he must do for redemption.

The rest of the cast of The Malevolent Eight is pretty crazy in comparison to Cade (at least from his perspective), and it was so much fun to see these outrageous personalities interact with each other. My favourite supporting character is still the rude and crude Corrigan Blight, a thunder mage who serves as Cade’s unwieldly second. Despite his outward appearance as an idiot controlled by his element (I mean, he is), Corrigan is a surprisingly deep figure and his ability to act as Cade’s conscious really highlights their great friendship. The rest of the returning members of The Malevolent Seven, which includes a rat mage, a fallen angel, a holy demon and an uncertain blood mage, are slightly less well featured in this book, although de Castell does dive into their uncharacteristic attempts to be heroes, and their always fun interactions as a group allowed for some amazing moments. I also must mention the newest member of team, Temper, a giant, swearing, vampiric kangaroo who has joined the team since the events of the first book. Temper was quite a surprising figure to behold, and de Castell cleverly keeps the kangaroo’s origins somewhat hidden from the reader for much of the plot, allowing you to really enjoy his random presence without thinking too much about it. This main cast was so much fun, and de Castell tops it off with a new magic user from Cade’s dark past with surprising connections to the Spellslinger universe, Cade’s former demonic benefactor whose intrigue, and paella, is to die for, and a variety of high demon lords and celestial beings whose motivations are never black and white. These characters, and more, ensure that The Malevolent Eight is an exceptional read from start to finish, and I deeply enjoyed seeing these crazy characters in action.

Sebastien de Castell was in rare form with his impressive new dark fantasy novel, The Malevolent Eight. A bold sequel that takes all the best elements from the first book and amps them up to a hilarious new height, The Malevolent Eight was an extremely entertaining read, with some brilliant comedic charm that worked well with the damaged characters and very dark fantasy elements. Outrageous and excessive in all the best ways, The Malevolent Eight was such a great read and I couldn’t get enough of de Castell’s latest ultra-fun offering. Make sure to also keep an eye out for de Castell’s other 2025 novel, Our Lady of Blades, later this year, which I strongly feel is going to be even more amazing.