Tag: Sequel

Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer9 Comments

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 12 October 2024)

Series: Lucille von Shard series – Book Two

Length: 12 hours and 52 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Denny Flowers presents one of the most ambitious and captivating Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2024, with the brilliant and deliciously cynical read, Above and Beyond.

As a massive fan of all things Warhammer 40,000 fiction, I have been spending awful lot of time diving into all the recently released novels and audiobooks from the franchise (see the ever-expanding Warhammer tab to the right).  As such, I have become quite familiar with the newer authors contributing to this massive expanded grimdark universe, and there are several rising stars that my radar is firmly fixed on.  This includes the very impressive Denny Flowers, who honestly has the potential to become one of the best authors in this franchise.  While he has so far only written three books (including this one), every single new novel from Flowers is a step above the last, and I have really gotten attached to his fantastic imagination and writing style.  His first book, Fire Made Flesh, was an awesome book, and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2021.  However, Fire Made Flesh was quickly overshaded in my mind by the author’s brilliant second book, Outgunned.

Outgunned was an outstanding read that dove into the darker side of the already grim Warhammer 40,000 universe in all the right ways.  Following a propaganda expert as he attempts to create an epic film based around a legendary fighter ace, Outgunned proved to be an excellent read, especially once the protagonist beings to understand just how jaded his chosen subject is.  However, a rampaging ork invasion and elaborate political intrigue on a miserable swamp planet brings events even further to a head, and the protagonists endure a gruelling and desperate battle to survive.  I really loved Outgunned thanks to its unique narrative, and it has had a proud place in my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novel list.  Due to how impressive I found Outgunned to be, I was very excited when I heard that a sequel was out this year and made sure to grab Above and Beyond the first chance I could.

Kile Simlex is a broken man.  Once one of the most successful propagandists in the Imperium of Man, Simlex’s films used to inspire untold millions in the name of the God Emperor, ensuring innumerable new recruits to humanity’s armies.  However, a cursed assignment to the swamp planet of Bacchus showed him the realities of war and innate corruption of the Imperium, while his chosen subject, the eternally cynical fighter ace Lucille von Shard, proved to be both a skilled fighter and a deadly disappointment.

Years later, Simlex is now a shadow of his former self.  Emotionally and physically scarred from his experiences on Bacchus, Simlex’s attempts to show the Imperium’s citizens the real horrors of war ensured that he was dismissed from his lofty position.  Now forced to toil as lowly scribe, Simlex has grown bitter as his footage from Bacchus was used to create a crass and untrue popular film which elevated Flight Command von Shard to the status of legendary hero.  However, Simlex is about to find his chance of redemption when he once again becomes involved with the dangerous von Shard family.

Attempting to live in obscurity, Simlex’s life is turned upside down when Shard’s brother, Commissar Tobia von Shard enters his office.  Commissar von Shard has intercepted a cryptic message sent to Simlex from Shard asking for help, and the commissar is determined to deliver assistance, one way or another.  Forced to accompany the commissar on his journey, Simlex travels to Deighton, a world in open rebellion, to discover a war being fought using propaganda films and heroic shots of Shard in action.  However, the real Shard is a shadow of her former self, worn down by war, guilt and her status as a hero, and determined to push Simlex away.  But with a deadly xenos pilot seeking to destroy her legacy, and a manipulative new propagandist controlling events from on high, Simlex and Shard both need to work together to survive.

Denny Flowers honestly gets better with every single book he writes as Above and Beyond was a particularly impressive and powerful piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Providing Flower’s own distinctive take on the glorious wars of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Above and Beyond was a memorable, addictive and emotionally charged novel that had me hooked the entire way through with its complex context and brilliantly damaged characters.  This was such an exceptional read, and I have very little choice but to give it a well-deserved five-star rating.

Above and Beyond has an excellent and exciting narrative that both stands on its own, while also serving as a compelling sequel to Outgunned.  Shown from the perspective of former propagandist Kile Simlex, whose actions following the previous book have resulted in a substantial fall from grace, Above and Beyond sees him forced back into the chaos of war after his former muse, Lucille von Shard, apparently seeks his help.  Forcibly recruited by Shard’s commissar brother, Simlex traves to the planet Deighton, and finds himself caught up in an unusual war, as brutal Imperial soldiers fight against rebelling civilians, while expansive propaganda campaign drives the carnage to new heights.  This first part of the story is very well done, as it catches up the reader quickly to both the events of Outgunned and the subsequent fallout of Simlex’s actions, while also setting up the new storyline.

The rest of Above and Beyond’s story turns out to be exceedingly intense and compelling, as Flowers tells a particularly unique Warhammer 40,000 narrative.  While there is a focus on aerial combat and action, Above and Beyond is mostly a gritty and complex thriller, with the protagonist attempting to uncover various secrets and counter deceitful and dangerous opponents.  This results in an intense character-driven tale as you follow the tired, traumatised, and pessimistic protagonist as he attempts to uncover dark secrets while also coming into deep emotional conflict with Shard.  Flowers takes the narrative in some great directions, especially thanks to a mysterious xenos opponent, some outstanding supporting characters, and a brilliant combination of plot lines.  There are some heartbreaking scenes of tragedy, moments of powerful personal growth, a few very clever twists and a ton of compelling action, all leading up to a fantastic conclusion.  While I won’t go into too much detail here, it was all sufficiently epic, and you find yourself coming out of Above and Beyond extremely satisfied, especially as Flowers continues to develop his major protagonists in some moving and captivating ways.  The author also leaves a few storylines and questions open to explore in some potential future entries, and that is something I am particularly keen for.

Flowers has a unique style for his Lucille von Shard Warhammer 40,000 novels, and it is one that I have really come to appreciate.  Exclusively told from the perspective of main character Kile Simlex, Flowers seeks to show an alternate side to the many wars of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, one that paints the supposedly good Imperium in a harsh and selfish light.  While novels that show the many inequities and issues of the Imperium and the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe are nothing new (indeed it’s an excellent recurring theme), I felt that Flowers took it up to 11 in Above and Beyond, and I loved how superbly and relentless cynical the book got.  Flowers’s dive into the inevitable propaganda side of humanity’s war engine once again proved to be particularly fascinating, and it allowed for some fascinating sequences that highlight human nature and alternate views of the truth.  This focus on propaganda, the impacts of fighting, and the dark secrets of the Imperium, leads to a brilliantly dark, character-driven novel that goes in some excellent directions.  I appreciate how this was more of a down-to-earth, politically charged, military thriller, rather than a full-on action epic, although there still are some great flight combat sequences against shadowy foes.  This compelling and distinctive vein of storylines and themes helped to turn Above and Beyond into one of the more memorable Warhammer books of 2025, and I honestly could not stop listening to it.

I cannot emphasise enough what a clever Warhammer 40,000 novel Above and Beyond was, as Flowers dives right into the corrupt heart of this grimdark universe.  Readers are gifted with a brutally honest look behind the Imperial military curtain, and I loved seeing the protagonist’s continued realisation at just how much corruption and lies there are.  The examination of the role that propaganda plays in keeping the manipulative system in place was also very cool, especially as the book devolves into a war of misinformation and counter-films rather than a typical firefight.  This includes various scenes that show depictions of camera shots or video editing, which were not only fascinating and darkly fun, but helped ensure that Above and Beyond was a particularly distinctive read.  Throw in some intriguing looks at another major faction, whose manipulative influence on several fronts really increase the intensity of the plot, and there is a lot for veteran Warhammer 40,000 fans to sink their teeth into.

As with most Warhammer 40,000 novels, Above and Beyond can be enjoyed as a standalone novel by most readers, as does not take long to get absorbed in its haunting and powerful story.  Flowers does a great job recapping and re-examining key events from Outgunned here, which allows readers to follow the continuing storylines without issue.  Readers also don’t need an abundance of pre-knowledge about the universe to enjoy the story, although I really do appreciate how Flowers captured the gothic and dark feel of the fantastic setting surrounding the entire franchise.  However, to get the most enjoyment out of Above and Beyond, you should check out Outgunned first.  The first book in the series did an excellent job introducing the main protagonists and setting them on a dark adventure that left them damaged and with a new view of the universe around them.  Above and Beyond perfectly examines the aftermath of this first adventure, and the result is extremely moving and a little heartbreaking.  The changes in the characters’ personalities and mentalities from the first book is beautifully done, and so much of Above and Beyond’s plot and impact is focused on how both Simlex and Shard are dealing with their trauma.  Reading Outgunned first helps you appreciate Flower’s clever character writing in Above and Beyond just a little bit more, and I know I got a lot more emotional impact from this sequel because of my experiences with the first Lucille von Shard novel.

So much of Above and Beyond’s impact lies in its exceptional characters, all of whom have brilliant arcs in this book.  The most prominent of these is series protagonist and perspective character, Kile Simlex.  Once a gifted propogandist who made films without thought or question, Simlex is now a bitter shell of his former self.  His revelations about how corrupt the Imperium is and his attempt to show it with a film have led to him losing everything, and his ire has turned towards Shard, who he believes opened his eyes.  Despite being physically and mentally battered, Simlex still has his principles, which he desperately tries to maintain even when faced with danger and the insanity of the von Shards.  I loved seeing Simlex attempting to deal with his trauma throughout Above and Beyond, and it was refreshing for a Warhammer 40,000 series to dive into the consequences of the dark events that the characters witness.  Simlex proved to be a great perspective character, and I liked his insights on the world around him, especially as it is coloured with more cynicism and insight into reality of the Imperium and the wars they fight.  His appreciation for the art of film making, which includes multiple instances of him assessing other people’s propaganda creations, adds an interesting artistic edge to the book, although Flowers often utilises this to get even more cynical.  I also enjoyed the return of the protagonist’s remaining seer-skull, an ancient servo-skull designed for filming and projecting, which offers some intriguing alternate insights into the Simlex’s mind, while also containing a fun hidden twist.  Cleverly continuing the character’s storylines from the first book, while also diving into the trauma surrounding him, I felt that Flower’s writing of Simlex here was particularly good in Above and Beyond and ensured that he was an awesome centre to the entire book.

The other main protagonist of the book is Flight Commander Lucille von Shard, who enters this book as one of the Imperium’s most revered and famous fighter aces.  However, after the events of Outgunned, Shard is a changed woman, broken by her experiences and the various terrible things she has witnessed/participated in.  At the same time, she has been forcibly painted as a renowned hero of the Imperium and now finds herself with the unwanted responsibility of being a figure who inspires others to fight and die.  As such, the Shard Simlex finds in Above and Beyond is a shell of her former self, forced to play along as a propaganda figure without doing any real flying.  Despite this, Shard retains all her trademark arrogance and antagonism, and she plays off Simlex perfectly, especially as both characters blame each other for their current lives.  Flowers did an amazing job turning one of his most confident characters into a shattered being, and Shard’s change in personality in Above and Beyond is both moving and understandable.  While Shard tries to be as unlikable and hostile as possible, there is always a sense of loss and despair around her that ensures you are committed to finding out her story.  Combine that with her still excellent piloting abilities and Shard is such an outstanding alternate protagonist to Simlex, and I really appreciate the intense character work that Flowers puts into her.

Aside from Simlex and Shard, Above and Beyond is loaded up with other complex and intriguing characters, whose intense and unique contributions to the plot are quite impressive.  This includes Flight Sergeant Plient, who previously appeared in Outgunned.  Shard’s loyal mechanic and confidant, and one of Simlex’s only friends, Plient serves as the innocent voice of reason between the two protagonists and is probably the only truly good character in Above and Beyond.  Flowers perfectly reutilised Plient here, and it was fantastic to see how he grounded both the story and the quarrelling main characters.  The easiest character in the book to like, Plient was so damn good, although that should have honestly been a sign of things to come.

I also loved how we got to see more members of the infamous von Shard family.  A mysterious group of siblings who all serve at various levels of the Imperium, the von Shards are all larger-than-life characters who Simlex seem unable to get away from.  This includes the suitably heroic Commissar Tobia von Shard, whose recruitment of Simlex leads to much of the plot.  An ultra-inspiring figure, Commissar von Shard is the complete opposite to his sister in many ways, caring only for duty, honour, and serving the Imperium.  Despite his apparent dogmatic personality, there is a lot of practicality and cunning in the Commissar, which allows him to be even more effective than his office would usually allow.  The other von Shard sibling in this book, Rile von Shard, is a secretive member of the Inquisition, who melded well with his siblings, and I really appreciated the fun, competitive relationships that formed between them.  I did feel that this second von Shard was overshadowed by his unlikely companion, who honestly was one of my favourite figures in the book, although I won’t go into too much detail about him here.  Throw in some truly distinctive Warhammer 40,000 antagonists, including a mysterious xenos pilot was some brilliant monologues and an unhinged master propogandist trying to literally direct the war on Deighton, and Above and Beyond is loaded with exceptional characters, each with their own intriguing and moving arcs.  This is probably Flowers’s best character work yet, and I am so damn keen to see some of these recurring figures again and any future entries to the series.

As with most Warhammer novels, I chose to check out Above and Beyond on audiobook rather than a physical copy.  I personally have so much love for the audiobook format when it comes to Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and the various grimdark elements and over-the-top figures feel so much more enhanced when you have them read out to you.  Above and Beyond was a particularly impressive example of this, as the wonderful audiobook production expertly highlighted all the best bits of this fantastic novel.  I especially enjoyed the return of Phillip Sacramento as narrator, and he did another exceptional job with Above and Beyond.  Sacramento has a very distinctive voice that I felt capture the cynical and complex tone of Above and Beyond perfectly.  His portrayal of Simlex was particularly good, and I loved how he portrayed the protagonist’s emotional range and inbuilt trauma.  I also really enjoyed the voice that Sacramento used for the aeldari characters featured in Above and Beyond, especially for the main antagonist.  Sacramento gave this elusive and ancient character a cruel, arrogant and exceedingly confident voice that honestly reminded me of the Grand Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars.  I felt that this voice perfectly fit the antagonist, and his monologues were so much fun as a result.  With awesome voice work like this, the Above and Beyond audiobook was exceedingly exceptional, and I would strongly recommend it as the best way to enjoy this book, especially as it is so damn easy to power through its near 13-hour runtime.

Denny Flowers continues to showcase why he is one of the best new authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction with the exceptional novel Above and Beyond.  A highly intelligent and powerful read that expertly builds a moving and exciting story around its damaged protagonists, Above and Beyond is Flowers’s best book yet, and I honestly could not turn away from it.  An addictive read from start to finish, Above and Beyond pulls no punches in showing off the grimdark future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and you will fall in love with its brilliant characters and entertaining tone.  One of my top books of the year so far, Above and Beyond comes highly recommended, especially to true fans of Warhammer fiction.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out the awesome upcoming sequel to a great fantasy novel I read in 2024, with Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland.

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Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of reading the fantasy debut, Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland.  An exciting, intense and clever character-driven fantasy novel with some strong romantasy elements, Five Broken Blades was a fantastic read that saw several of the biggest liars in a fantasy kingdom team up to take down their immortal king.  Essentially one big heist novel with over-the-top characters, excellent action, tons of intrigue and a whole lot of personal issues, Five Broken Blades was a deeply enjoyable book, and I had a brilliant time getting through it, especially in its audiobook format which featured multiple excellent narrators.

While I didn’t love absolutely everything about Five Broken Blades (I’m not a huge romantasy fan, although Corland kept these elements fairly subtle), I did get really caught up in the narrative and I am very curious to see how it is going to continue.  As such, I am eager to get my hands on the upcoming sequel, Four Ruined Realms, which looks set to send the protagonists on another deadly heist.  Set for release in early January 2025, Four Ruined Realms has a great plot behind it, and I’m looking forward to finding out how Corland builds on the clever twist and cliffhanger at the end of Five Broken Blades.

Plot Synopsis:

The lies are bigger and the plots more treacherous when your favourite backstabbers return in the mind-blowing sequel to instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Mai Corland’s epic adventure fantasy Five Broken Blades.

The King of Yusan may be the greatest liar of them all.

His sister’s ring is in his sights, and he will do anything to get what he wants. Even manipulating the five blades to steal it…

Bonded by deceit, the blades must rely on their skills to pull off King Joon’s pursuit or risk his legendary wrath.

A foreign rule of law stands between them and Quilimar, the Queen of Khitan. Now they have one month to steal the powerful Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. But that impossible task might be easier than trusting one another, even though their lives, their families, and the realms depend on it.

They can all agree on one thing: the king can’t win. But can they beat him at his own game?

Because for the blades, this time it’s not just personal, it’s revenge. Lies may have torn them apart, but now vengeance will bring them together.

The lies have only just begun…

Four Ruined Realms sounds like a very fun read, and I cannot wait to see how Corland’s protagonists fair during their next heist.  There are so many cool elements from the first book that need to be continued here, including the consequences of their various lies and manipulations, their own unique desires that often run counter to each other, and the fact that they now all want vengeance on King Joon, the man who brought them together in the first place.  I cannot wait to see how the characters interact in Four Ruined Realms, especially now that all their cards are on the table, and I am sure there will be even more backstabbing and betrayals along the way.  As such, I am imagining that Four Ruined Realms will be another intense, clever and captivating read, that continues to explore the excellent protagonists, while also presenting an exciting new target for them.

Due to how much I enjoyed the first book in this series, there is no way that I won’t be grabbing Four Ruined Realms when it comes out early next year.  I am very curious to see how Corland continues this story, and the author has really hooked me with her various cool characters.  This will probably be one of the first books of 2025 I read in the new year, and I am hoping to grab it on audiobook again after the great experiences I had with the format for Five Broken Blades.  No matter how I read it though, I have no doubt that Four Ruined Realms is going to be an outstanding and addictive fantasy read.

Sentinel by Mark Greaney

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller3 Comments

Publisher: Sphere (Trade Paperback – 25 June 2024)

Series: Josh Duffy – Book Two

Length: 475 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for some awesome thriller action?  Look no further than the latest novel from the always impressive Mark Greaney, Sentinel.

Thriller author Mark Greaney has been on a real roll lately.  Not only does he continue to impress with his iconic Gray Man spy thriller series, but he just released a second book in his Josh Duffy series, with Sentinel.  Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Greaney, having had an exceptional time with his Gray Man novels, including The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless, Seirra Six, Burner and The Chaos Agent.  I was also very excited to receive a copy of Sentinel, especially after having really enjoyed the first Josh Duffy novel, Armored.  Following a former military contractor who finds himself caught up in dangerous escort missions in foreign countries, the Josh Duffy books are a lot of fun, and I had an amazing time with the intense and action-packed Armored, which saw all hell break loose in Mexico.  Sentinel is a very worthy sequel to Armored, as the protagonist and his family, find themselves caught up in a deadly coup.

After a lifetime of military contract work, Josh Duffy has found more stable employment as part of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, protecting diplomats and ambassadors in Washington.  When his State Department wife, Nikki, is transferred to Ghana, Josh and their two children join them, hoping to start up a new life in the stable African nation.  However, things are about to get explosive as a group of Chinese spies have begun to implement an elaborate scheme to overthrow the Ghanaian government and replace it with one less friendly to the West.

Unaware of these machinations, both Josh and Nicole find themselves accompanying a group of American, European and Ghanian politicians and officials to an important dam as part of a vital diplomatic mission.  However, their simple photo-op quickly turns into a deadly firefight as the officials and their bodyguards find themselves under unexpected attack from a large army of rebels and their Chinese hired mercenary minders.

Cut off from help and with the rest of the country in chaos thanks to the Chinese led coup, Josh finds himself fighting to save both himself and his protectees from the forces arrayed against them.  Forced on the run, Josh attempts to lead everyone to safety and work out who is responsible for the destruction going on around them.  But when an old enemy from his past reappears, Josh finds himself forced to choose between his mission and his family.

This was a fantastic and very exciting new novel from Greaney, that provides readers with a particularly awesome experience.  Loaded with excellent and realistic action, Sentinel is an amazing book to get through, and I loved how intense it turned out to be.

The plot of Sentinel proved pretty damn impressive, as the author serves up an exciting, action-packed thrill ride.  I have always appreciated Greaney’s ability to create complex scenarios to set his thrillers around, and Sentinel was a particularly good example of this, with an engineered coup in Ghana serving as the basis for the plot.  The author does an excellent job setting the scene for this coup right at the start of Sentinel before transitioning the reader across to protagonist Josh Duffy and his family.  Much of the first half of the book is split between the Duffys getting used to their roles in Ghana, and the antagonists moving the pieces around to finally initiate the plan, and readers come away very invested in both, while waiting for the inevitable carnage.

Once the antagonists begin to put their plans in motion, Sentinel turns into a particularly intense read.  The action flies thick and fast around the protagonists, as all-out war descends on them and they are forced to fight for their survival.  Greaney loads the centre of Sentinel with a continuous string of firefights and high-energy action set pieces, and the reader is left constantly on the edge of their seat as they watch the carnage unfold.  The plans of the antagonists are constantly changing thanks to the actions of Duffy and others, and I loved how frenetic and complex the narrative got.  At the same time, Duffy comes across an old adversary who begins to make the fight personal, and the protagonists soon find themselves targeted by everyone involved in the conspiracy.  All the action leads up to a big final confrontation, as the protagonists are predictably forced to try and save their family.  This leads to an additional great fight sequence, and the reader comes away sated from all the action and fights, as well as satisfied with the comeuppance to the antagonists.  While part of a larger series, Sentinel’s narrative ensures that this is a fantastic standalone novel, and you can have so much fun with this excellent read.

As with all Greaney’s books, Sentinel was a clever and well-crafted thriller novel that has an excellent flow to it.  Serving as a sequel to the first book but standing on its own merits, Sentinel is highly action-orientated, perhaps more so than the author’s Gray Man books.  As a result, there are a ton of high-octane battle sequences and firefights, as the protagonists constantly find themselves fighting for their lives.  These scenes are extremely well written, and Greaney has a real talent for showcasing multi-layered fight sequences featuring multiple figures.  A lot of this is down to the way in which Greaney effectively shifts the perspective between the various combatants, both protagonist and antagonist, so the reader gets a great view of all sides of the battle.  The author also does an effective job setting up a compelling and intriguing narrative frame for this action in early pages of the book, and you really get drawn into the complex narrative that has some interesting political and social takes on the country of Ghana.  The excellent use of perspective changes helps to really highlight the complexity of the antagonist’s schemes, and it proved fascinating to see their plans in constant motion, especially when impacted by the actions of the protagonist.  As such, readers really get drawn into the elaborate plot of Sentinel and are treated to a ton of awesome action sequences guaranteed to get the blood flowing.

Sentinel also features a bevy of great characters, including scheming foreign agents, deadly mercenaries, and all manner of good guys.  Greaney as always does an excellent job of splitting the plot between multiple perspective characters, and the reader is given a good sense of each of these figures, as well as the role they play in the larger plot.  Naturally most of the focus goes to returning protagonists, Josh Duffy and his wife Nikki, who are constantly at the centre of the action.  Due to this being the second book in the series, Greaney focuses less on these two characters’ backstories, and instead examines the current state of their family, and their attempts to forge a new life working together.  While Josh is generally the main character, Nikki serves as a good supporting figure him, and they prove to be a fun husband and wife duo, especially when their family is in danger.

Other characters of note include Ghanian elite police officer, Isaac Opoku, who finds himself caught up in the major assassination plot impacting the Duffys.  Isaac is an excellent and likeable supporting protagonist who provides some local insights into events, and whose impromptu team up with Josh proves to be quite entertaining.  I also loved the inclusion of South African mercenary Conrad Tremaine, who serves as the book’s primary antagonist.  A maniac working to ensure the larger plan goes off, Tremaine serves as a great foil to Josh, especially as the two have a contentious history.  The various interactions between the two are a ton of fun, and I liked how Greaney set up and then utilised this fantastic villain.

Sentinel by Mark Greaney was an outstanding and deeply exciting action thriller which is guaranteed to keep your attention.  Featuring some fantastic fight sequences and a compelling plot, Sentinel was another impressive book from Greaney, and one I had a hard time putting down.  An excellent sequel to Armored, Sentinel comes highly recommended, and I hope that Greaney continues this series in the future.

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Waiting on Wednesday – A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight a particularly awesome upcoming fantasy novel with the gripping second entry in the Shadow of the Leviathan series, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett.

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Earlier this year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the captivating novel, The Tainted Cup, by veteran fantasy author Robert Jackson Bennett.  An intriguing fantasy murder mystery set in a realm beset by giant monsters, The Tainted Cup was an outstanding read that saw two unlikely investigators, including an eccentric genius and her grounded assistant, attempt to discover the truth behind a brutal death caused by a tree spontaneously growing from someone’s chest.  Expertly combining a clever crime fiction story with unique fantasy elements and a hilarious set of main protagonists, The Tainted Cup was an outstanding read that got a full five-star rating from me.  Indeed, The Tainted Cup topped the list of my favourite books from the first half of the year and will likely go down as one of the very best fantasy novels of 2024.

Due to how impressive I found The Tainted Cup to be, you can probably appreciate that I am very keen to see how the series continues.  Luckily it looks like I won’t have to wait too long to see what happens next, as the sequel, A Drop of Corruption, is coming out in February 2025.  Set to once again to pit Bennett’s protagonists against an elaborate magical mystery, A Drop of Corruption sounds extremely epic, and I love the cool new story concept being promised for it.

Plot Synopsis:

The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire’s greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

This sounds like another particularly outstanding story from Bennett, and I know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.  The mystery premise for A Drop of Corruption is particularly striking, as Bennett produces a high-stakes locked room mystery, where the solution to the crime is likely to be some elaborate form of magic or mutation.  In addition, we have the return of the first book’s excellent, mismatched protagonists, whose unusual partnership will likely result in some fantastic humour, while also presenting the reader with a brilliant investigative method.  I have no doubt that Bennett will turn these elements into another extremely special story, and I look forward to seeing how he resolves the main investigation, and how it ties into the greater mysteries infecting his fantasy setting.

Based on how impressive the first book in the series turned out to be, I am already extremely excited for A Drop of Corruption.  However, the epic plot synopsis above also sounds very cool, and I cannot wait to see what madness and mystery Robert Jackson Bennett unleashes next.  A Drop of Corruption will probably be one of the very best fantasy novels of 2025, and I am so very keen to get my hands on this incredible upcoming book.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Blackfire Blade by James Logan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an excellent upcoming fantasy sequel with the awesome sounding book, The Blackfire Blade by James Logan.

Earlier this year I was very lucky to receive a copy of the debut novel of new fantasy author James Logan, The Silverblood Promise, the first book in his The Last Legacy series.  An exciting, compelling and very fun novel, The Silverblood Promise was a great fantasy novel that set a desperate son on an adventure to a foreign city following clues that may reveal who killed his father.  However, to find the answers he needs, he first needed to perform a series of heists, face off against dangerous criminal elements, contend with ancient and mysterious mystical forces, and stop an elaborate conspiracy, all while dealing with the eccentric population of this new city.

This proved to be a very entertaining and impressive debut from Logan, and The Silverblood Promise ended up being one of my favourite books from the first half of 2024.  As such, I have been keeping a keen eye out for any details about a potential sequel, especially as I was curious about how the author planned to continue the fantastic story, and I was very excited when I finally got some much-needed details about Logan’s next book, The Blackfire Blade.

I was very lucky that details about The Blackfire Blade were recently released on the Novel Notations blog, which also featured a cover and synopsis reveal.  It looks like this upcoming second book in The Last Legacy series is currently set for release in early 2025, and it will take the protagonists from the first book to a whole new city of intrigue, mystery and hidden danger.

Plot Synopsis:

Winter has come early to Korslakov, City of Spires, and Lukan Gardova has arrived with it. Most visitors to this famous city of artifice seek technological marvels, or alchemical ingenuity. Lukan only desires the unknown legacy his father has left for him, in the vaults of the Blackfire Bank.

But when Lukan’s past catches up with him, his key to the vault ends up in the hands of a mysterious thief known only as the Rook. As Lukan and his companions race to recover the key, they soon find themselves trapped in a web of murder and deceit. In desperation, Lukan requests the help of Lady Marni Volkova, scion to Korslakov’s most powerful family.

Yet Lady Marni has secrets of her own. Worse, she has plans for Lukan and his friends. Plans that involve a journey into Korslakov’s dark past, in search of a long-lost alchemical formula that could prove to be the city’s greatest discovery . . . or its destruction. 

This sounds like another awesome book from Logan and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.  I love that the author is committing to the repeating story concept of having his protagonist visit a different fantasy city each book as part of his larger quest to find his father’s killers.  This allows Logan to expand out his fantasy world in some interesting ways each book, while also having his protagonists get drawn into local intrigues and conspiracies that may have some connection to a larger plot.  I think it’s going to create an excellent series, and if the compelling story this produced for The Silverblood Promise is any indication, The Blackfire Blade is going to have another exciting narrative behind it.

Based on the synopsis above, it looks like readers are for an amazing treat with The Blackfire Blade.  A spire-filled city of crazy technology and alchemy is going to be an interesting change of pace from the background setting of The Silverblood Promise, and I’m intrigued to see how Logan changes the story as a result.  I also love the various crime and intrigue elements that the protagonists are going to run into, especially with new thieves, ambitious nobles, and a mysterious alchemical compound.  It looks like the protagonists will really have to dive into the history of the city and understand it’s soul to get what they want, which should result in quite a compelling and entertaining narrative.

Based on how good The Silverblood Promise was, there is no way I am not grabbing a copy of The Blackfire Blade the second it comes out next year.  James Logan’s first Last Legacy book was a very impressive debut, and I really got caught up in the fantastic story and complex characters.  I look forward to seeing how the story continues in this upcoming sequel, and I cannot wait to see what cool narrative results from the book’s new background setting.  I have no doubt that The Blackfire Blade is going to be a particularly awesome sequel, and it is already one of my most anticipated releases for 2025.

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Thriller, Young Adult6 Comments

The Girl in Question Cover

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (Trade Paperback – 9 April 2024)

Series: The Girls I’ve Been – Book Two

Length: 442 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

In the mood for a clever, emotionally charged young adult thriller with some real heart behind it?  Look no further than one of the best books of 2024 so far, The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe.

Back in early 2021 I had the very great pleasure of reading an outstanding young adult thriller that had caught my eye thanks to its intriguing narrative and the promise it was being turned into a Netflix series.  That book was The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, which proved to be an extremely impressive read I had a wonderful time getting through.  The Girls I’ve Been followed Nora O’Malley, a young teenager with a dark past as a con artist, who had managed to escape her abusive mother and gangster stepfather and find happiness with her older sister in a small town.  Caught up in a bank robbery, Nora was forced to bring back her old tricks to save her friends, only for her actions to reveal her location to those hunting her.  The Girls I’ve Been was such a great read, and I had such an amazing time getting through it.  As such, I was very excited when I heard that Sharpe was releasing a sequel this year with The Girl in Question, one of my most anticipated books of 2024, which continued the story from the first novel in a big way.

Former con artist Nora O’Malley is enjoying life while she can.  Having recently finished high school, Nora is excited for the careers and futures that her girlfriend Iris and her best friend Wes are planning for.  However, Nora knows that her own future is bleak and unlikely to be long.  Her secret past has been exposed, and with her murderous stepfather Raymond now free from prison, it’s only a matter of time before he comes to kill her.

Determined not to live in despair while waiting to die, Nora agrees to accompany Iris and Wes on a summer hiking trip.  The long trek through the woods is everything Nora could want to relax, even with Wes’s new girlfriend, Amanda, tagging along, and she is able to put the thoughts of imminent death out of her head.  That is, until Amanda is taken hostage in the night and their camp comes under attack from Raymond’s vengeful goons.

Split up in the woods without backup, help or leverage, Nora, Iris and Wes’s chances seem dire.  But these are no ordinary teenagers.  All three have gone through hell in their lives and none are willing to give up on each other.  Working together to fight back, the three friends seek to survive together.  However, there are unknown players in the woods, and Nora will need to use all her skills at manipulation to keep herself and her friends alive.  But nothing is as it seems, and deep secrets amongst the trio could break them apart well before they are hunted down.

The Girl in Question was another excellent young adult thriller from Tess Sharpe that expertly built on the story from the first book, while taking the characters in some interesting directions.  Sharp, clever, and highly intense, The Girl in Question is guaranteed to keep you on your toes as you get drawn into the action.

Sharpe comes up with a great story for The Girl in Question, taking the protagonists through hell and back as they attempt to survive the dangerous forces coming for them.  Set a couple of years after the events of The Girls I’ve Been, The Girl in Question starts with an intriguing prelude that hints at events to come, before diving into the main story, with Nora and her friends planning a trip into the forest.  Sharpe does a good job of exploring the aftermath of the first book, the strong relationships between the main characters, and the general apprehension felt by the protagonist about her potential upcoming doom.  There are also several hints that the protagonists know far more than they should, and they have secrets they are keeping from everyone.  Soon the characters find themselves stuck in the woods, which quickly results in chaos as the bad guys find them and prepare to kill them.

This first third of the plot is really intriguing and fun, but the action really kicks in for the last two thirds of the book.  Sharpe does a great job of utilising the dark situation the protagonists are stuck in, and I loved the feeling of isolation and desperation that they feel.  There is also a good use of flashbacks throughout this early part of the book to explore more of Nora’s past with the antagonist, especially as it introduces a couple of the goons running around the woods.  All three of the main protagonists react in some great ways, and I loved seeing them take charge and fight back, while also dealing with their own personal issues.  This works until around halfway through, whereupon Sharpe reveals a pretty massive twist that changes the entire direction of the story and makes you realise nothing was what you thought.  There is a great extended flashback that sets up some very interesting character development, before the action returns to present and results in some intriguing interactions.  Sharpe throws in some great moments and reveals leading towards the conclusion, and I for one was very hooked as the elaborate and thrilling story continued.  The final confrontation was everything you would hope it to be as Sharpe ensures that everyone gets what they deserve, one way or another.  Throw in a few fun and often dark final twists and turns, including some well-deserved revenge, and this proves to be quite a fantastic read that I really could not get enough of.

Unlike a lot of other sequels that I read, I felt that The Girl in Question didn’t massively work as a standalone novel; people really need to check out the previous novel first.  While Sharpe does do a decent recap of The Girls I’ve Been for new readers, so many story elements from the first book are referenced in the sequel that you’d be much better off getting through that previous novel in advance.  However, no matter what, you are in for a treat with The Girl in Question, as Sharpe produces a powerful thriller that expertly utilises all the best elements from the first book.  The great changes in perspective, especially between the two main characters, the short, sharp, action-packed chapters, as well as the excellent flashbacks and fun little lists thrown in between chapters work together well to tell a great story.  You really get a great sense of the action, and the slow build towards the various twists works well, especially with the occasional hint of what is to come.  I loved how Sharpe maintained a very quick story pace, and there is honestly not a quiet moment where something thrilling or emotionally charged is taking place.

Like the previous novel in the series, The Girl in Question proves to be an excellent piece of young adult fiction that will appeal to a wide teenage audience and beyond.  While most of the story focus is on the characters or the over-the-top crime thriller elements, Sharpe does take the time to discuss issues relevant to teenagers, like the uncertainty of the future, complicated friendships, and abusive parents, the latter of which is a recurring theme amongst the main characters.  I really appreciated how Sharpe doesn’t talk down to her teenage audience when it comes to these elements, or the dark crime fiction inclusions, and these readers will no doubt love this gritty novel and its fantastic story.

At its heart, The Girl in Question is driven by its compelling central cast, as Sharpe continues to explore the lives of three damaged teenagers as they attempt to overcome their respective pasts, and the dark threats of the future coming for them.  As with the first book, a large amount of the character focus revolves around protagonist Nora O’Malley, the daughter of a notorious con artist who was used as a tool in her mother’s ploys before breaking free in dramatic fashion.  Ever since the events of the last book, Nora has been living in fear as her location has been leaked and her vengeful stepfather is likely coming for her.  This ensures a healthy dose of fatalism in Nora, and she is forced to choose between her instinct to run and her current connections and relationships.  Nora proves to be a real firecracker of a protagonist, and I like how dark she can get as she tries to protect those closest to her.  Determined, manipulative and deadly, Nora walks a thin line between the criminal she was raised to be and the caring person her friends turned her into and must come to terms with what her natural inclination to deceive costs those around her.  I really enjoyed following Nora as a central protagonist and Sharpe takes her storyline in some interesting directions.

In addition to Nora, the other two main characters are Nora’s girlfriend Iris, and their best friend Wes.  Both these characters have grown a lot closer to Nora since the last book, as the trauma of their pasts and the bank robbery they find themselves stuck in have ensured they have become a tight unit.  Of the two, Iris gets most of the focus, and she ends up narrating nearly half the book.  Iris is an interesting counterpoint to Nora, especially as she is a little more innocent and unused to the dangers of Nora’s life and worries about being helpless.  Despite that, she proves to be quite formidable as the book progresses, and indeed she might be the most dangerous member of the group.  Wes, on the other hand, is a solid and compelling addition to the group, serving as the man of action who is desperately trying to keep his friends safe from the dangers around him.  While he is not focused on as heavily as Nora and Iris, Wes is a major figure, and it was interesting to see how his friendship with the two girls has changed him, as well the trauma surrounding him from his abusive father.  The bond between these three characters is a major part of The Girl in Question’s strength, and it was great to see them work together as the novel progressed.  This bond is tested in places, especially as they are forced to lie to each other, but this was an overall nice character dynamic that produced an epic read.  Other characters of note include Wes’s girlfriend, Amanda, whose own secrets plays in an interesting role in the plot, one very good dog, an ambitious FBI agent who takes a stroll in the woods for her own ends, and a bevy of great antagonists, including the big-bad Raymond.  These characters all add so much to the book, and I loved the powerful story arcs around them all.

Tess Sharpe has produced another outstanding young adult thriller with The Girl in Question.  Perfectly following on from the previous novel, The Girl in Question was a powerful, clever and compelling read that had me hooked the entire way through.  This was such an amazing book and I look forward to seeing what unique and powerful young adult adventures Sharpe comes up with in the future.

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Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer16 Comments

Da Big Dakka Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 24 February 2024)

Series: Warhammer 40,000: Ufthak Blackhawk – Book Two

Length: 9 hours and 25 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Amazon

I have been really punching out the Warhammer reviews this week, and the final one I want to bring up is the exceedingly fun novel Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks.

Mike Brooks is an outstanding author, who has been killing it with his amazing novels in the Warhammer 40,000 universe with elaborate tales featuring some unique figures.  I really enjoyed his dark novel, Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom, and The Lion: Son of the Forest was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.  However, out of all of Brooks’s books, the most entertaining, exciting and outright funny are his novels that focus on the ork faction.  Orks are always a fantastic group in Warhammer fiction, but Brooks has some amazing insights into these rowdy creatures.  His previous ork novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, have both been awesome, but I honestly think his latest book, Da Big Dakka, is his best yet.

Ufthak Blackhawk, big boss of Da Tekwaaagh! is in trouble.  Sent far away into the stars by his Warboss, Da Meklord, to find loot and a good scrap, Ufthak has found barely anything to steal or fight, and now Da Meklord wants his tribute.  Determined to find one big score, Ufthak is awarded a unique opportunity when his new grot servant reveals the webway, mysterious ancient portals which can lead to all sorts of unusual places.  However, he has no way of entering the webway, that is until someone opens it for him.

Dhaemira Thraex is a powerful and ambitious drukhari archon, who seeks to empower her cabal and become leader of her section of the dark city of Commorragh.  To that end, Dhaemira brings Ufthak and his horde into Commorragh, hoping to use the threat they present to unite her rivals behind her.  Confident of a swift victory against the unorganised orks, it quickly becomes apparent that Dhaemira has underestimated the danger she has unleashed.

After years of fighting and getting stronger, Ufthak is no longer the simple ork he once was.  Instead, he is now a monstrous foe who excels at killing, and who has a plan to get everything he wants.  But can even the new and improved Ufthak stand against the worst that the twisted and malevolent drukhari have to throw at him, especially when treachery sprouts within his own ranks in the most unlikely of places?

Mike Brooks presents one of his funniest and most exciting novels yet as Da Big Dakka hits all the right notes for me.  Utterly hilarious, loaded with over-the-top characters, and featuring two extremely awesome factions from the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Da Big Dakka had me hooked from the moment I started listening to it and refused to let go until the very last laugh.

Da Big Dakka had a great story behind it, and I liked how Brooks set it up as a direct sequel to Brutal Kunnin (which I read recently in preparation for the release of this book), while also featuring elements from Warboss.  Da Big Dakka is more of a dark comedy than a serious Warhammer 40,000 novel, which is to be expected when you have a book focused on the orks.  The premise behind Da Big Dakka is simple: the orks under the command of the evolving Ufthak Blackhawk have found themselves inside the drukhari city of Commorragh and must pit their savage battle skills and crude intellect against the subtle tactics of their drukhari hosts.

The drukhari, whose scenes are primarily told from the perspective of Dhaemira Thraex, initially see the orks as a minor threat, and they are more concerned with their intrigues to take them seriously.  However, underestimating the orks never works out for anyone, and soon Ufthak has launched a series of insane and unpredictable counterattacks that force the drukhari to work together.  As this happens, Ufthak finds himself being secretly undermined by one of his grots, Snaggi Littletoof (who previously appeared in Warboss), who his determined to lead a grot uprising and finds himself in all manner of trouble as a result.  All three of these storylines come together in a big way towards the end of the book, as all the schemes, outrageous plans and badly organised rebellions, are decided in one big brawl.  The final results of Da Big Dakka are pretty damn awesome, as there are some deliciously ironic comeuppances, interesting character development, and entertaining hints about what Brooks plans to do in the future.

While there are notable similarities between Da Big Dakka and the previous novel, Brutal Kunnin, as the book follows a similar thread of orks rampaging across a new world facing off against arrogant enemies, it’s hard not to fall in love with this book.  You can clearly see that Brooks has evolved his style since Brutal Kunnin, and this sequel was a much stronger novel.  A lot of this was down to the inclusion of one of the best characters from Warboss, who added in an extra comedic angle to the plot that vibed wonderfully with the other storylines.  Brooks also amped up the petty political intrigue and plotting with the non-ork parts of the book, with the drukhari serving as an excellent antithesis to the orks.  There was also a great deal more character development when it came to the protagonist, which helped to strengthen a lot of the plot.  This split between these three main point of view characters was pretty damn perfect, and their alternating views of events helped to produce a very strong story.

In addition, there was excellent added complexity to Da Big Dakka’s humour, which I had a brilliant time with.  While most of the comedy is based around the over-the-top antics of the orks, there is also some darker, more subtle comedic elements spread throughout the plot which plays off the other jokes extremely well.  A lot of this based around ironic events, in-universe jokes, and hilarious betrayals, which really added up as the book progressed.  I found myself laughing out loud multiple times while listening to Da Big Dakka, and this was one of the funnier books of 2024.  Throw in a ton of over-the-top fight scenes, most of which serves to enhance the already epic story, and you have an outstanding and captivating book with pure fun at its heart.

One of the things that I always enjoy about Warhammer 40,000 fiction is the shear range of different stories and styles that can be told.  Da Big Dakka for example is a much more light-hearted book that focuses on two alien races that don’t always get a lot of focus in the extended fiction.  As such, this book has a great deal of appeal for those unfamiliar with Warhammer, as Brooks is required to dive into these factions without weighing the reader down with too much heavy plot.  New readers can easily enjoy this book without any real pre-knowledge or conceptions about the Warhammer 40,000 universe and still have an outstanding time with the unique story and characters.  It can also be readily enjoyed by those who haven’t read the preceding two novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, as Brooks makes the story very accessible.  Naturally, established fans and those who have read Brooks’ prior novels will get a lot more out of Da Big Dakka, mainly because there is some interesting progression of character arcs, and because Brooks provides outstanding look at the orks and the drukhari.

As with his previous two novels, I was deeply impressed with how Brooks portrayed the orks in Da Big Dakka.  The orks are always a very entertaining bunch, and their hooligan-esque actions, desire to fight, and unique outlook on life makes for some fun reading.  Pretty much every book that features an ork character is bound to be more on the comedic side, and Brooks delivers this in spades, loading up the story with a ton of funny observations, in-jokes and outrageous behaviours that proved to be exceedingly entertaining.  Brooks really amps up the unpredictable nature of the orks in Da Big Dakka, and there was a good recurring theme about being underestimated.  While Brooks went a little light on describing ork technology and the different clans, mainly because he’s covered that before, there was an interesting look at ork psychology and biology which showcased why they fight and how it benefits them.  The author also featured a great look at the ork sub-race known as the grots, who have an expanded role in this book.  Smaller, weaker and extremely bullied members of the ork race, the grots serve as a snivelling slave caste, and offer some fun comedic relief.  A good part of the plot revolves around the grots and their cowardly nature, and it was really entertaining to see Brooks’s take on their mindset and place in ork society, especially when one of their number tries something different.  Honestly every scene featuring a major ork character was entertaining or interesting in some way or another, and I really love how well Brooks portrays this awesome faction.

While Da Big Dakka is mostly dedicated to the orks, Brooks also spends a ton of time focusing on one of the more intriguing factions in the canon, the drukhari.  Previously known as the dark eldar, the drukhari are one of the more underutilised groups in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and it was great to see them here.  Essentially evil space elves, the drukhari live in an extra-dimensional city and require the pain of others to survive (think the Cenobites from Hellraiser).  As Da Big Dakka is primarily set in a section of their city and features a drukhari as a main character, Brooks showcases a lot of the drukhari lore in this book, which was really cool.  This book features an in-depth look at the drukhari, with their unique units, weaponry and vehicles strongly featured.  However, Brooks goes even deeper than that, focusing on the politics of the drukhari characters, the various alliances that bind them, and entire basis of their existence.  I loved the fascinating examination of why they require pain to survive, as well as their thoughts on mortality, and this became a key part of the book’s plot.  You get a real clash of styles between the two factions, and the orks are constantly frustrated by the hit-and-run tactics of the drukhari (or the spikiez, as the orks know them).  I also loved how cool the city of Commorragh proved as a background to the plot, and Brooks features several unique drukhari structures and locations that made for some great battlefields.  The entire final sequence takes place in one of their arenas, and it was very fun to see the protagonist face off against some of the drukhari captives.  I honestly really loved that Brooks featured the drukhari here, and I hope we see more Warhammer authors use them in the future as they are so underutilised.

I also must highlight the excellent character work featured within Da Big Dakka, as Brooks featured some amazing figures whose unique insights added so much to the impact of this book.  The primary character is the ork big boss, Ufthak Blackhawk, who previously served as the protagonist of Brutal Kunnin.  Since we last saw him, Ufthak has literally grown into his role as a boss, as his victories have transformed Ufthak into a massive monster.  This physical growth has also resulted in him becoming smarter, and a lot of his storyline revolves around him utilising this new intellect for the first time.  It also makes him more ambitious and insightful, and it was fascinating to see him interact with the other characters in the book, especially the main drukhari figure.  Indeed, the one scene where they have a frank conversation was probably one of my favourites in the entire book, with Ufthak proving to be her intellectual match.  Despite this newfound and somewhat unwanted ability to think, Ufthak is still an ork at heart and he acts accordingly, with lots of destruction and carnage coming from him alone.  Ufthak is also a major source of comedy as his cynical, hilarious, and often surprisingly accurate insights into the drukhari, his fellow orks, and the other races of the galaxy, are so funny.  It will be interesting to see what adventures Brooks has planned for Ufthak in the future, as he is clearly positioning him to be a major recurring figure in his books.

Aside from Ufthak, the other two major characters of the book are the drukhari archon, Dhaemira Thraex and the grot Snaggi Littletoof, both of whom add some great alternate elements to the story.  Dhaemira is a ruthless drukhari strategist, who revels in schemes, plots and ambitious powerplays.  The person ultimately responsible for much of the carnage in Da Big Dakka, Dhaemira proves to be a fantastic figure to follow, especially as the reader gets most of their view of the drukhari from her.  Dhaemira proves to be an excellent alternative protagonist to Ufthak, mainly because the two are so different, and it was fascinating to see their clash of styles and personality, even though they have more common ground then you would expect.  I really loved Dhaemira’s narrative, which goes in some interesting directions, including an unlikely romance, and it really played off the ork perspective chapters so well.

The final key ingredient to this mix was Snaggi Littletoof, the self-proclaimed Grotboss and prophet of Gork and Mork.  Snaggi, who previously appeared in Warboss, is determined to lead a grot rebellion to overthrow the orks and place him in charge.  Unfortunately, Snaggi is held back due to the stupidity of his minions, as well as his own inaccurate sense of self-importance.  His entire storyline of attempted rebellion was a welcome addition to the plot as it served an interesting middle ground between Ufthak’s direct actions and Dhaemira’s more subtle plots.  It also added some excellent additional humour, as Snaggi’s various schemes to take over the ork band, go in some interesting directions that often balance unlikely success with massive failure.  This fantastic combination of characters was so much fun, and I really loved how well Brooks introduced them and balanced them out throughout Da Big Dakka.

I checked out this Warhammer novel in its audiobook format, which is the best way to enjoy the over-the-top action and big personalities of this franchise.  Da Big Dakka is a great example of this, and I love how all the amazing scenes and fun fights really come to life when they are read out to you.  In Da Big Dakka’s case, a lot of this is due to narrator Harry Myers, who is quickly becoming one of my favourite Warhammer audiobook voice actors.  Not only has he really impressed me in Brooks’s previous ork audiobook, Warboss, but Myers was also brilliant narrating two of my all-time favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky and The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley.  Myers has such an amazing and booming voice and a great British accent that really fits the hooligan-aesthetics of the orks.  He effectively works through a series of voices in Da Big Dakka, that includes the commanding voice of main character Ufthak Blackhawk, and the high-pitched whiny voices of the various grots.  While his voice wasn’t always the most effective for conveying the subtle mannerisms of the ethereal drukhari, Myer still did an excellent job portraying them throughout this book, and I loved how efficiently and entertainingly he moved the plot along.  I honestly don’t think I would have had as much fun with Da Big Dakka without Myers’s narration, and with a run time just short of nine and a half hours, this is a very easy audiobook to get through and enjoy.

Mike Brooks continues to impress me with his outstanding and epic contributions to the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, especially as he so clearly grows as an author with each book he writes.  His latest novel, Da Big Dakka, is a captivating and deeply hilarious piece of Warhammer fiction that tells an awesome story, while also expertly using the franchise’s most unique factions.  Wildly entertaining, incredibly funny, and subtly clever, Da Big Dakka was particularly fun to read and comes highly recommended.  I cannot wait to see what wonderous piece of Warhammer fiction Mike Brooks will write next, as I know I am going to love it.

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War Cry by Ian Ross

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction8 Comments

War Cry Cover

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (Trade Paperback – 25 January 2024)

Series: de Norton trilogy – Book Two

Length: 387 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Ready to dive into an intense and fantastic historical adventure, then look no further than the epic new novel from Ian Ross, War Cry.

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the epic novel, Battle Song.  Written by author Ian Ross, who had made a name for himself with his Roman historical fiction, Battle Song was an outstanding and compelling novel that really blew me away.  Set during Simon de Montfort’s rebellion against the English crown, Battle Song followed a rogue knight and his squire, as they attempt to find the best side to fight on.  I had an outstanding time with Battle Song, especially as Ross combined a unique story with intriguing historical background and some great characters.  Battle Song ended up being one of my favourite books of 2023, and I had such a great time getting through it.  As such, I have been eager to see how Ross was going to follow Battle Song up and I recently got my hands on the sequel War Cry.  One of my most anticipated reads for 2024, War Cry proved to be an outstanding book that I quickly powered through.

England, 1265.  Following his decisive victory at the Battle of Lewes, the English lord Simon de Montford is now the de-facto ruler of England.  Holding the king and the crown prince prisoner, de Montford has ambitious plans to increase the power of the nobles while he champions the rights of the common people.  However, de Montford’s control is not absolute, with several powerful lords still loyal to the royal family and desperately seeking to restore their rule.  Worse, many of de Montford’s allies in the initial rebellion have grown wary of his power and ambitions.

As the political climate of England once again changes, the recently knighted Adam de Norton finds himself reclaiming his ancestral lands.  Finally having everything he always longed for, Adam looks to settle down and enjoy the prosperous future set out before him.  But the dual loyalties of England weigh heavily around him, and soon rumours of a new rebellion emerge, dragging Adam back to war.

Returning to the service of de Montford, Adam seeks to prove his worth in battle.  However, despite owing everything to de Montford, Adam begins to wonder if he should truly be fighting this war.  As the war progresses, Adam finds himself pushed to the limit and his loyalties tested, especially when he finds himself on the opposite side of his former mentor and master, Robert de Dunstanville.  Can Adam survive the brutal civil war unfolding around him, or has he chosen the wrong side of the conflict?

This was an awesome book from Ian Ross, who provided an outstanding follow up to his previous epic read.  War Cry had an amazing and powerful story behind it, which honestly had me hooked the entire way through.  I had such a great time with this book, and I ended up powering through it in only a short couple of days.

War Cry featured a powerful, brutal, addictive narrative that expertly ties together a personal story, while also diving into a particularly unique and fascinating period of English history.  This story is told exclusively from the perspective of returning protagonist Adam de Norton, who, after his adventures in the first book, has become a knight with his family estates returned to him.  The initial scenes of War Cry follow Adam as he attempts to restore his lands, while also facing conflict from several intriguing new enemies.  However, he is also soon forced to navigate the new political situation of England.  Despite his desire to stay out of the war, Adam is compelled by honour to return to the side of Simon de Norton as his rivals rise in rebellion against him.

This leads to an intriguing narrative that follows the subsequent campaigns that occurred in the period after de Norton’s rise to power.  Adam finds himself caught up in several key conflicts and events, including the escape of a certain hostage, a quick siege, and a collection of deadly battles across the breadth of the country.  At the same time, Adam is also caught up in several personal dramas, as he tries to reconcile his loyalties to de Norton, his friendship with Robert de Dunstanville, and his forbidden romance with Joane.  Ross did a great job of blending the historical and the personal together, and you get a great simultaneous look at the protagonist’s struggles, while also seeing the events of the war progress around him.  Thanks to the historical record, events get grimmer and grimmer for the protagonist as War Cry continues and you get really invested in seeing how everything unfolds, especially if you aren’t familiar with this particular English civil war.  Everything leads up to another climatic battle, where Adam and many of the supporting characters of the book meet their fates, one way or another.  The book ends on a pretty unique and dark note, and you will come away shocked at the cliffhanger, while also longing for more.

I really enjoyed how War Cry came together, as this epic piece of historical fiction was designed to hit hard and keep you on your toes.  I particularly loved some of the book’s unique historical elements, as Ross continued to explore the Simon de Norton rebellion against the English crown, which was such a major highpoint of Battle Song.  This unique civil war was a brilliant backdrop for the series, and Ross meticulously covers all the key events that followed de Norton’s victory at the Battle of Lewes here in War Cry.  You really get invested in this historical element of the book, especially as Ross expertly showcases some of the deadliest battles and places his protagonist right in the middle of them.  All these fight scenes are extremely well written, and Ross excels at highlighting the chaotic feel of battle, as Adam constantly finds himself amid a brutal melee of battle, especially during the final fight, and one particularly intense sequence on a bridge.  However, War Cry is much more than a rendition of a compelling historical war, it is also a deeply personal tale of love, loyalty, honour, and friendship, as the protagonist attempts to come to terms with his complex life and relationships while caught up in the battles.  As such, there is a little something for everybody in War Cry, and most fans of historical fiction will absolutely love this book.  War Cry was also a very worth sequel to Battle Song, and I cannot emphasise just how well Ross built on his original narrative and provided a gripping continuation in this sequel.

As with Battle Song, War Cry features a compelling combination of characters, including a mixture of fiction and real historical figures caught up in the war.  Ross did a great job of blending the two groups together, and I loved the range of unique knights and lords that emerged and the compelling interactions that followed.  There is a real focus on twisted loyalties and uncertain honour as many of the characters change alliances throughout the book, desperate to be on the winning side.  I did think that Ross might have at times included too many supporting characters, especially when it came to the various knights and lords, as you sometimes get worn down with a flurry of knightly names and titles that proves hard to remember.  However, this is generally a minor issue, especially when most of the character focus is reserved for recurring protagonists from the first book.

I really enjoyed seeing more of protagonist Adam de Norton, who is such a compelling centre for much of the plot.  After witnessing his exploits as a squire in the first book, it was great to finally see Adam as a knight in War Cry, even though that causes him more trouble than he hoped for.  Constantly dragged through battle after battle thanks to his still somewhat naïve sense of duty, Adam finds his loyalties fraying at times as he tries to stay true to who he is.  This proves hard as he is once again going up against the more self-centred views of his mentor, while also harbouring a forbidden love that he knows he cannot act on.  Several other characters also shine throughout War Cry, although my favourite is probably Robert de Dunstanville, Adam’s former mentor and friend.  While we get less of Robert in War Cry than I expected, he still proves to be a fascinating figure, serving as Adam’s dark conscience and trying to get him to do the smart thing rather than the right thing.  The two come to blows at several points throughout War Cry, and it was fascinating to see how their relationship has changed now that Adam has become his own man.  Robert also has some of the more fascinating character arcs.  After finally getting he wanted, he is still unhappy, and his attempts to reverse that cause only heartache for him.  I really enjoyed seeing these characters and more develop even further in War Cry, and there are some surprising fates for several of them that I honestly did not see coming.  It will be interesting to see what happens to the remaining protagonists in the future, and I really hope we get a third book soon as I am very invested in their stories.

Overall, War Cry by Ian Ross was an outstanding piece of historical fiction that I cannot recommend enough.  Expertly continuing Ross’s outstanding 2023 novel, Battle Song, War Cry thrusts the reader into the bloody centre of a fascinating English historical war, while also focusing on some complex and likeable characters.  Loaded with battle, intrigue and relatable protagonists, War Cry proved to be highly addictive, and I had an incredible time getting through it.

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The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Thriller16 Comments

The Murder Inn Cover

Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 13 February 2024)

Series: The Inn – Book Two

Length: 307 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The superstar writing team of James Patterson and Candice Fox produce another wildly entertaining and captivating read with the impressive and over-the-top thriller, The Murder Inn.

As one of the world’s best-known authors, James Patterson needs very little introduction, especially with a huge range of exciting thrillers and gripping murder mysteries to his name.  Patterson has been particularly prolific in recent years, as he has been writing collaboratively with talented authors to create a range of unique reads.  I have had a wonderful time reading some of the more recent Patterson collaborative books, including Blow Back with Brendan DuBoise, The Perfect Assassin with Brian Sitts, Lost with James O. Born, Death of the Black Widow with J. D. Barker (one of my favourite books of 2022) and the short story collection 3 Days to Live (featuring three additional authors).

One of my favourite authors that Patterson regularly collaborates with is Australian writer Candice Fox.  Fox is one of Australia’s best thriller authors with some great books to her name, including the excellent Crimson Lake series, and impressive standalone thrillers like Fire With Fire, Gathering Dark and The Chase.  Patterson and Fox have written several books together in the past, including the highly addictive read, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, which saw two mismatched women forced to investigate a brutal crime after finding out they’re sisters.  I really enjoyed the intriguing story this fantastic writing team cooked up and I have been keen to read more from this pairing for a while.  I finally got my chance this week as I just got my hands on an early copy of the upcoming thriller by Patterson and Fox, The Murder Inn.  The sequel to their previous novel, The Inn, The Murder Inn was a particularly fun and enjoyable book that I powered through in no time at all.

Former Boston police officer Bill Robinson has found his life getting increasingly complicated ever since he set up his little coast-side guesthouse.  Known as The Inn by the Sea, the picturesque dwelling in Gloucester, Massachusetts, has become something of a safe house for several unusual long-term boarders, including his former FBI agent girlfriend, the town’s sheriff, disturbed veteran Nick Jones, an elderly former gangster, and other mysterious or outrageous residents.  However, trouble always seems to find the occupants of the Inn, especially when secrets from their complex pasts resurface.

Bill Robinson once again finds himself on the receiving end of this trouble after attending a funeral for former police colleague Mark Bulger.  While Robison has fond memories of his dead friend, Bulger was a particularly crooked cop, whose secret stash of stolen evidence could put many dangerous people away, including notorious drug lord Norman Driver.  When Driver’s thugs come looking for it, the Bulger widow, Shauna, finds herself caught in the crossfire, but she quickly proves that she isn’t the frail old lady everyone thinks she is.

As Shauna embarks on a one-woman crusade against Norman Driver, Robinson tries to help, but his actions only put him and the Inn in the crosshairs of the crime lord.  At the same time, he also finds himself trying to uncover the secrets surrounding his best friend, Nick Jones.  Nick has been receiving threatening messages regarding his former squad in Afghanistan, whose dark deeds might soon come to light.  Caught between criminals, dangerous vigilantes, and a dark killer stalking Nick, the Inn soon finds itself under siege, and not everyone will survive the night.

This was an extremely awesome and compelling read from Patterson and Fox that had me hooked the entire way through.  Featuring a great story, loaded with action, intrigue and fun characters, The Murder Inn was an outstanding novel and one that proves near impossible to put down.

The wonderful team of Patterson and Fox came up with an excellent narrative for The Murder Inn that really draws you in quickly.  Initially starting with background on side-character Nick Jones, The Murder Inn soon introduces several intriguing storylines as protagonist Bill Robinson finds himself drawn into the various troubles of his residents and friends.  What starts as a funeral for a friend soon sees Robinson drawn into a war against a crime lord, as his friend’s widow, the wildly entertaining Shauna Bulger, finds a stash of evidence and then goes to war in the name of justice.  At the same time, Robinson finds himself drawn into Jones’s military past, as the consequences of a deadly massacre come to light.  Throw in a mysterious guest, personal dramas surrounding the various characters, and other dark secrets emerging, and this proves to be a full and compelling story.  This explosive mixture of storylines comes together extremely well as the book continues, and I loved how each of the major characters are expertly explored, especially Shauna and Nick, which allows you to get really drawn into their personal histories and demons.  Thanks to a series of betrayals and dark secrets, you are never quite sure who is going to survive this dangerous story, and the constant threat and brushes with death upped the ante in a huge way.  I loved some of the great twists and turns that emerged, and Patterson and Fox ensured that parts of the story got wonderfully over-the-top in all the right ways, especially when it comes to key character deaths.  This was such a fun and exciting story to read, and I managed to blow through it so damn quickly.

Unsurprisingly, The Murder Inn utilised Patterson’s typical writing style, which I think worked extremely well for this impressive and enjoyable story.  The use of a huge number of short, sharp chapters really draws the reader in and sets an incredibly fast pace for the story.  Due to how quick these chapters are, and the exciting and constantly evolving story that accompanies it, you honestly have a hard time putting this book down; especially as it is so tempting to read a couple more pages just to see what is going to happen next.  This frenetic pace really increases the impact of the story in places, and I loved how well the authors continued to transition between multiple point-of-view characters.  The intriguing range of perspectives increased the complexity of the plot, especially as you get to see events through the eyes of all the affected characters, including the villains, and I loved the amazing storylines that emerged as a result.  Thanks to this, it proves very hard to stop reading The Murder Inn once you start, and the authors reward you with a ton of great action and some joyfully over-the-top moments.  Despite being a sequel, The Murder Inn is essentially a standalone novel, and no knowledge of the previous book is needed to enjoy it.  This was such a great story, and the team of Patterson and Fox made sure to display in the best way possible.

Patterson and Fox came up with some great characters for The Murder Inn, and there are some amazingly likeable protagonists showcased throughout the plot.  A lot of this focus revolves around protagonist Bill Robinson, the proprietor of The Inn by the Sea and a former cop who is trying to find redemption after a questionable police career.  Bill is a great straight man for much of the chaos going on in this book, and his dedication to helping his friends no matter what, made him a very likeable figure.  I liked how Robinson’s chapters were the only ones told from the first-person perspective, especially as it gave those chapters some additional importance, and the change of pacing surrounding that was quite fun.  It also allowed the reader to get a better look at the nice romance arc surrounding the protagonist, and it was great to see him finally get some happiness, if only temporarily.  Robinson’s friend, Nick Jones, also gets a lot of focus in The Murder Inn, as one of the primary storylines revolves around him.  Jones, an army veteran, is deeply traumatised by his time in Afghanistan, especially after a dark mission made him question everything.  Already damaged by his time in the war and the paranoia that followed, Nick finds himself coming to terms with his past in a big way here, and his battle for redemption is a powerful part of the book.

Probably my favourite character in The Murder Inn was new character Shauna Bulger.  The widow of a dirty cop, Shauna finds herself in a dark situation when criminals break into her house, searching for her husband’s secrets.  Rather than lying down for them, Shauna fights back and this awakens something primal in her that sees her wage war on the local criminals.  Shauna proves to be a hilariously badass vigilante, and it was interesting to see how she finally processed years of trauma into such a violent and over-the-top response.  Her counterpart, the crime lord Norman Driver, proves to be an outstanding villain for the story, and I loved how despite being a dangerous man with a dark history, even he was overwhelmed by the unusual inhabitants of the Inn and the other deadly people coming for him.  Throw in the other great residence of the Inn, many of whom have interesting history and stories that will no doubt get explored in future books in the series, and you have an amazing cast you can’t help but fall in love with.

Overall, The Murder Inn was an exciting, awesome and captivating read that was everything I hoped it would be and more.  James Patterson and Candice Fox once again from to be an effective writing team, and I loved the impressively insane and compelling story they came up with here that I absolutely absorbed.  A wonderfully entertaining novel that any thriller fan will have an amazing time with, The Murder Inn is really worth reading.

The Murder Inn Cover 2

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Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K. J. Parker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Fantasy, Five-Star Books7 Comments

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle Cover

Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 21 November 2023)

Series: Corax – Book Two

Length: 321 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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One of the funniest fantasy authors in the game presents a fantastic second entry in his closely released Corax trilogy with the hilarious and brutally brilliant Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.

In 2023, fantasy author K. J. Parker (a pseudonym of author Tom Holt), had an incredible blast of creativity as he managed to release an entire trilogy within the space of a month with the outstanding Corax series.  Set to follow an infamous battlefield salvager, the titular Saevus Corax, as he finds himself getting dragged into all manner of unusual scenarios, this series sounded so damn fun.  I was particularly intrigued, especially as these books were set in the same universe as his epic The Siege series, which featured Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (one of my favourite books of 2019), How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It (one of my favourite books of 2020) and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (one of my favourite books of 2022).

While I managed to get all three of Parker’s Corax books last year, I only had the chance to read the first novel, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead before 2023 ended.  This first entry in the trilogy was pretty damn incredible, and I loved the wonderful and highly entertaining story it contained, especially as it was masterfully layered with Parker’s trademark humour.  Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead got an easy five-star rating from me, and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2023.  As such, I really want to get through the other two Corax books as soon as possible so I quickly powered through the second one, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, last weekend.  Saeuvs Corax Captures the Castle was another outstanding read that I had such I wonderful time with.

Several years after his last outrageous adventure when he was crowned a king against his will, Saevus Corax is back to what he knows best, battlefield salvage.  While it is not the most glamorous work, it provides a living for his large crew of outcasts and rogues, as they tour their world’s many scattered battlefields, rescuing and repurposing everything they can recover from the dead.  However, a nemesis with a personal grudge will send Corax on a dangerous path he might have no escape from.

When several of his men are kidnapped, Corax’s only apparent chance to save them is to capture a delipidated castle in the middle of nowhere.  Utilising his unconventional tactics and knowledge of warfare, Corax begins his impromptu siege, only to discover that his old flame, the beautiful con artist Stauracia, is in charge of the castle’s defence, and she has no intention of losing to Corax again.

But why is Corax’s new unwelcomed employer so determined to capture the castle, and what are they hoping to achieve by using Corax’s motley crew?  The truth has the potential to plunge the whole world into war if Corax can’t keep it under wraps.  However, Corax soon finds himself distracted by revelations from his past, as he finds hope being dangled before his eyes.  Can Corax survive this latest misadventure and the dastardly rivals it brings, or has he finally met his match?

The second Corax book proved to be just as funny, addictive, and inventive as the first awesome entry, and I had such an outstanding time with Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.  Placing his wonderfully witty and world-weary protagonist on the course for more unusual conflict, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle had me fully hooked from the very first word and I just had to give it another full five-star rating.

Parker came up with a pretty clever and memorable narrative for Saevus Corax Capture the Castle, which proved to be a lot of fun to read.  Starting with another entertaining look at one of the group’s salvage jobs, the book soon places Corax’s entire group in a bad situation when members of the salvage band are kidnapped, and the only way to get them back is by capturing a castle.  So begins a battle of wits as Corax pits his innate knowledge of war and human nature against the manipulation of his old foe Stauracia, as they both try and work out why they have been charged with looking after an isolated castle.  This impromptu siege between two groups of people who do not actually want to be there proves to be quite entertaining, and it serves as a fun focus for the first half of the book.  This first half also features several flashbacks into Corax’s past, especially the events that have occurred since Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, which provides some interesting motivations and looks at the connections between Corax and the book’s main antagonist.

Thanks to some deeply personal manipulations, there is an interesting and dramatic plot change in the second half of Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, as Corax finds himself motivated to journey alone to a forbidden nation.  This change from a siege to an independent journey actually works really well in the context of the story, and it builds on a lot of cleverly hidden elements and clues from the earlier plot.  You are really on the edge of your seat during this second part of the book, especially as Corax is in the direst of scenarios, and I loved seeing him use his understanding of people to get out of trouble.  The ending of this misguided quest proves to be very clever and a little heartbreaking, as Corax finds what he is looking for, but it’s not what he wants.  It does allow him a few bits of knowledge that let him destroy his opponents back home and get the payday, although nothing is every that simple for Corax.  I liked the intriguing tone that Parker left this second book on, especially as like the first book, the protagonist soon realises that he’s happiest when back doing what he does best.

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle features the exact same writing style as the first book in the series, which you tend to notice when you read these books in quick succession.  I personally liked this continuation of style, especially as it is what made me a fan of Parker in the first place, and it results in quite an entertaining story.  Told in a chronicle format from the perspective of main character Saevus Corax, the book is his account of events, filled with his commentary, observations and memories, to tell an intriguing tale.  Corax proves to be a very fun narrator, and his ultra-cynical take on the world has an entertaining influence on the story which is hard not to enjoy.  The resulting mixture of betrayals, manipulations and unconventional warfare really comes together into quite a comprehensive and fun story thanks to this great narration, and I was chuckling the entire way through.

The series continues to utilise the unique world that Parker came up with for both the Corax books and The Siege novels, and the fun references to some of the prior events are quite amusing.  As I mentioned in my review for Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, this series is in some ways more of an alternate history novel rather than a fantasy book, as it does not feature any magic or unnatural elements.  Instead, we get a world of war, politics, and domineering nations, which acts as a satirical mirror of our own history.  I would still prefer some form of map up front to keep track of where the characters are going and where some of the nations being discussed are in relation to each other, but you can get by without one.  While there are a few mentions of the previous novel in the series, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is for the most part a standalone novel, and anyone interested in a particularly fun tale can dive in here no problem.  However, I would personally suggest going from the start of the trilogy, if for no other reason than some of the jokes in this sequel are a little funnier after Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, and you get the full understanding of the unique relationship between Corax and Stauracia.  It also solves one of the main mysteries from the first book, and it would not surprise me if a couple of story elements from this novel are featured in the third and final novel in the series.

As you would expect from a first-person perspective novel like this, most of the focus is on the titular Saevus Corax, whose unique adventures we are following.  Corax is a very typical Parker protagonist, in that he is an intelligent and cynical being who would rather live a simple life doing what he does best, but instead finds himself thrust into complex and dangerous events.  This proves to be a fun character dynamic, and I loved seeing the often-exasperated Corax forced to deal with people trying to outsmart and manipulate him while he is just trying to do the right thing.  Luckily his strong ability to understand how people think and then use that to outplay them often keeps him out of trouble, and it is quite entertaining to see him casually stop a clever enemy plan, just because they are doing exactly what he would.  His distrustful, intense, and often very honest outlook on life really impacts how the reader sees the world he lives in, and you really grow to appreciate his take on events, especially as he knows everyone is out to get him.  However, readers do get to see another side of Corax in this second book, especially as you get to see how his one previous attempt at romance worked out, and the impacts its tragic ending has on him cause him to act out in some big ways.  As such, this is a very intriguing book for this great character, and I had a wonderful time seeing him develop even further.

Aside from Corax, the cast of Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is pretty fun, as Parker comes up with an interesting group of self-centred, occasionally loyal, but mostly treacherous figures to partner up with our favourite rogue.  The most prominent of these is Stauracia, who was both a secondary antagonist of the first novel and the protagonist’s love interest.  Stauracia is a con-artist who has run afoul of Corax and his group before, and who finds herself forced to work both with and against them in this novel.  Smart, manipulative, and utterly lovely, Stauracia is the perfect foil for the more subdued Corax, and they have some amazing chemistry in this book.  I loved the unique relationship that bloomed between them that is often driven more by dislike or mistrust than anything else, but both of them come away a bit better from knowing the other.  Other major characters include the group of unlikely companions that make up Corax’s battlefield scavengers.  Their constant bickering makes for a fun background to many scenes, and I like how they are usually annoyed with Corax’s antics, although they keep following because no-one else could do the job better.  Throw in a great villain, whose prior connections to Corax result in some brutal plots against him, and the cast of Saevus Corax Capture the Castle are extremely entertaining, and I loved seeing the unique narrative that formed around them.

Overall, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle was a highly fun and utterly amazing novel from K. J. Parker that I cannot recommend enough.  Featuring all the humour, entertaining cynicism and clever characters that made the first Corax book so incredible, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle serves as an outstanding sequel that continues the series in an awesome way.  An outstanding and epic read, this was such a great book and I cannot wait to read the final Corax novel as soon as I can.

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