Top Ten Tuesday – Novels From the First Half of 2023 That I Still Need to Read

On July 18, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was to list books with one-word titles. While this was an interesting topic, and one that I might look at again in the future, I am instead going to continue my literary examination of the first half of 2023 by looking at the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.

While I have already enjoyed some amazing reads in 2023, there are still quite a few impressive novels that have come out in the first half of the year that I have yet to read. Many of these were on my most anticipated reads lists for 2023 (both fantasy and other), and while I was really excited for them, I have honestly not had a chance to check all of them out. Therefore, I am going to use this freebie session to shame myself in the hopes that it gets me into gear to finally get around to checking out these epic reads. This was a very easy list to pull together for me, as many of these books had been weighing on my mind for a while. All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get a chance to read all of them soon.

Honourable Mentions:

Lenny Marks Get Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne

The Last Highway by R. J. Ellory

The Helpdesk by Shane Dunphy

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

Top Ten List:

The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding

The first entry on this list is the big one, both literally and figuratively with The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding. One of my most anticipated fantasy books of 2023, The Shadow Casket is the sequel to Wooding’s epic fantasy novel from a few years ago, The Ember Blade. The Ember Blade was an exceptional book that got an easy five-star rating from me and which really stuck in my mind. I have been waiting ages for a sequel to come out, and it is very surprising to me that I haven’t tried to read The Shadow Casket yet. This is mainly because The Shadow Casket is such a brick of a book and I will need to spend ages getting through its audiobook version. However, I fully intend to make the effort before the end of the year as I know it will be really worth it.

Star Wars: The High Republic: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang

I’ve been a little neglectful with my Star Wars reading this year as I haven’t read the latest High Republic book, Cataclysm by Lydia Kang. Set in the second phase of the massive High Republic sub-series of fiction, Cataclysm follows on from Convergence and Path of Deceit and showcases the events that lead to the rest of the High Republic series. I really need to get my butt into gear and read this book, especially as Phase Three is coming later this year, and I am very curious to see how this excellent series continues.

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan

I had hoped to have read The Sword Defiant, the new fantasy novel from acclaimed author Gareth Hanrahan at this point in the year, but I missed out on getting a copy. Following a legendary hero and his companions who were corrupted by their evil opponent’s cursed magic swords after their great victory, The Sword Defiant sounded like an extremely epic and compelling book that I know I will have a good time with. I am going to try and get a copy of The Sword Defiant before the end of 2023, especially as I know it will turn out to be an amazing book.

City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita

An intriguing murder mystery that sees an intrepid protagonist conduct a dangerous investigation in a mysterious settlement, City Under One Roof is a fantastic sounding 2023 debut that caught my eye last year and I have been meaning to read for some time. I really love the sound of its cool plot and hope I can check it out at some point.

Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb

An outstanding fantasy debut with a compelling murder mystery centre, Seven Faceless Saints is an excellent sounding novel from new author M. K. Lobb, and one that I really wanted to check out when it first came out. I unfortunately couldn’t fit it into my reading schedule, although I am still hoping to later this year. Seven Faceless Saints sounds like a pretty awesome read and I really hope I can find the time to read it.

The Winter Solider: Cold Front by Mackenzi Lee

An intriguing Marvel tie-in novel focusing on the Winter Soldier, Cold Front really needs to get to the top of my to-read list.

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

I still need to check out the awesome historical thriller that Dennis Lehane wrote earlier this year, Small Mercies. I am a big fan of Lehane’s previous novels and Small Mercies sounds extremely good, focusing on murder, disappearance and desegregation in 1970s Boston.

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

After blowing the fantasy community away with his 2022 novel, The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan had a sequel come out this year with The Tyranny of Faith, that looked set to continue his excellent combination of murder mystery and fantasy fiction. I have had The Tyranny of Faith high on my reading list for months, but I still haven’t had the time to check it out. This is a mistake that I really need to rectify soon, as The Tyranny of Faith will probably end up being one of the top fantasy books of the year.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

A fun sounding book about a group of authors getting killed at a murder mystery writers retreat, why have I not made time for this awesome novel yet?

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim

The final book I want to highlight on this list is Spice Road by Australian author Maiya Ibrahim. Spice Road is an outstanding sounding fantasy debut set in a Middle Eastern inspired kingdom which has a really compelling plot behind it. I really need to check this book out and I hope that I can fit this cool debut into my reading schedule soon.

Well, that is the end of this latest list. As you can see, there are a bunch of exceptional novels from the first half of the year that I need to check out. All the above books sound incredibly epic, and I know that I will have a brilliant time getting through all of them. So, I am going to have to try a lot harder to start reading through them as soon as I can. In the meantime, let me know which books released in the first half of the year you most regret not reading in the comments below. Make sure to also check out my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week where I look at my favourite pre-2023 novels that I have already enjoyed this year.

WWW Wednesday – 26 April 2023

On April 26, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

Fire With Fire by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

I just started reading the cool crime fiction novel, Fire With Fire, by Australian author Candice Fox today and it is off to a pretty good start. Fox is a pretty impressive author and I have had a great time with some of her recent releases. Her new book sees two desperate parents take over a police forensic lab and hold all the evidence within hostage to finally get information about their missing daughter. While I haven’t made too much progress with this book yet, I am loving the cool scenario and I think that Fire With Fire has a lot of awesome potential.

Warhammer 40,000: Warboss by Mike Brooks

I am still in a mega Warhammer 40,000 mood so I thought I would try and get through some recent releases from the franchise, and the one that stood out to me the most was Warboss by Mike Brooks. This fantastic novel follows several Ork characters as they duke it out to become Warboss of their massive warband after the unfortunate death of their previous leader. I have made a great deal of progress into Warboss so far and it is proving to be one of the funniest and more entertaining books I have enjoyed all year, especially on the audiobook format. I will hopefully finish this off in the next couple of days, but I can already tell that Warboss is a particularly great addition to the amazing Warhammer canon.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale (eBook)

I managed to finish off the awesome tie-in book The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale which I received on Netgalley. Featuring a cool story about Doctor Doom taking on the Red Skull, The Tyrant Skies was a ton of fun and I loved getting through it.

Warhammer 40,000: Honour Guard by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I managed to read more of Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts series this week, as I finished of the fourth book Honour Guard. This was an amazing addition to the series with a good focus on characters and I really powered through it. Make sure to check out my review for it in last week’s Throwback Thursday.

Warhammer 40,000: The Guns of Tanith by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

After having fun with Honour Guard I also quickly listened to the fifth Gaunt’s Ghosts book, The Guns of Tanith, which was just as awesome as the previous novels from Abnett. Featuring an intense and captivating narrative that really dove into the heart of the regiment, The Guns of Tanith was a brilliant read and I am planning to get a review for it up tomorrow night.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

I’ve had to delay reading Battle Scars a couple of times over this last few weeks, but I’m still hoping to read this cool Star Wars books soon, especially as we are so close to the new Star Wars Jedi game coming out. I am very curious to see how Sam Maggs captures the feel of both the game and the extended Star Wars universe and this sounds like it will be a fun and interesting read.

Echo Lake by Joan Sauers

I am also planning to dive into the awesome Australian crime fiction novel, Echo Lake, in the next week or so. Featuring an intriguing murder mystery in an iconic Australian setting, Echo Lake sounds pretty great and I always enjoy seeing crime fiction set close to where I live.

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

I am also very keen to start reading the upcoming Mark Lawrence novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, in the immediate future. An epic and impressive sounding fantasy novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn will probably be one of the top releases of 2023 and I am very excited to get to grips on a brand new Mark Lawrence series.

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

WWW Wednesday – 19 April 2023

On April 19, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale (eBook)

I have made a lot of progress on the awesome tie-in book The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale which I received on Netgalley. Featuring a cool story about Doctor Doom taking on the Red Skull, The Tyrant Skies is a ton of fun and I am having an outstanding time getting through it. I am hoping to finish it off in the next day or so, and this is definitely a great book for all Marvel fans.

Warhammer 40,000: Honour Guard by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I was in the mood for something I knew I could quickly get through and have an epic time with, so I decided to listen to another of Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts books. The last three Gaunt’s Ghosts books, First and Only, Ghostmaker and Necropolis, have all been outstanding military fiction novels set in the epic Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I am eager to see how the series continues. This fourth book, Honour Guard, sees the Ghosts engage in a brutal campaign to save some threatened holy relics, while Imperial Guard politics seeks to destroy them from within. This is an interesting addition to the series with a good focus on characters and I am really powering through it. I should finish it off tomorrow at the latest and I might try to feature it in a Throwback Thursday post this week.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz (Trade Paperback)

I quickly got through the new Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz, The Last Orphan, last week, and it ended up being an amazing read. Loaded with action and spy craft, this latest book saw Evan Smoak, the titular Orphan X, forced to choose between his freedom and his principles when the President captures him to undertake a controversial assassination mission. A great novel that is really easy to get through.

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

I managed to finish off the audiobook version of the epic fantasy novel, City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky, on the weekend and boy did that turn out to be an exceptional novel. Set in an occupied city, City of Last Chances featured a huge cast of unique characters as they get into all manner of trouble in some weird and funny situations. I had such a great time with this epic book as each new chapter presented the reader with a new, captivating, character-driven story that came together to form an elaborate overarching plot. This was such an outstanding book that it got a very easy five-star rating from me and it is definitely one of my top books of 2023. Make sure to check out my recently published review for City of Last Chances.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

I’m still hoping to read this cool Star Wars books next, especially as we are so close to the new Star Wars Jedi game coming out. I am very curious to see how Sam Maggs captures the feel of both the game and the extended Star Wars universe and this sounds like it will be a fun and interesting read.

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

WWW Wednesday – 12 April 2023

On April 12, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

I just started reading the latest Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz, The Last Orphan, which is proving to be a lot of fun. I have deeply enjoyed this exceptional series over the last few years and so far, The Last Orphan is another outstanding read. This new book sees Evan Smoak, the titular Orphan X, forced to choose between his freedom and his principles when the President captures him to undertake a controversial assassination mission. The first 50 pages of The Last Orphan have been really exciting and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I am still listening to the audiobook version of the epic fantasy novel, City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky, although I have made a ton of progress in the last week. Set in an occupied city, City of Last Chances follows a huge cast of unique characters as they get into all manner of trouble in some weird and funny situations. I have really gotten into this amazing novel, especially as each new chapter presents the reader with a new, captivating, character-driven story. All these stories are coming together really well to form an elaborate and epic overarching plot, and I have had an incredible time with the entire book. I really cannot wait to see where Tchaikovsky takes this awesome story next and this is already shaping up to be one of the top books of 2023 for me. I will hopefully finish this audiobook off in the next few days, and I am really loving everything about City of Last Chances.

What did you recently finish reading?

Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis

I only managed to finish off one book this week, Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis. Luckily this proved to be a particularly awesome book and one I had a great time reading. Davis produced another exceptional historical crime fiction story in Fatal Legacy, and I loved the elaborate and funny mystery contained within.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

I think I might try and dive into this cool Star Wars books in the next week, especially as we are so close to the new Star Wars Jedi game coming out. I am very curious to see how Sam Maggs captures the feel of both the game and the extended Star Wars universe and this sounds like it will be a fun and interesting read.

The Tyrant Skies by David Annadale

Another awesome tie-in book that has really caught my attention is the early copy of The Tyrant Skies I received on Netgalley. Featuring a cool story about Doctor Doom taking on the Red Skull, The Tyrant Skies sounds like something I will have an outstanding time with and I am hoping to quickly knock it out in the next week or so.

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

Book Haul – 10 April 2023

On April 10, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book Haul1 Comment

I have been having an absolutely fantastic couple of weeks for book, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including some books that have the potential to be the top novels of 2023. I am extremely keen to check out all of the books below and they should make for some amazing reads.

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

First up, I recently received a copy of the cool new Star Wars novel, Battle Scars by Sam Maggs. A tie-in to the Star Wars Jedi video games, Battle Scars is being released in conjunction with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and serves as a bridging novel between it and the first game, Fallen Order. This should be an outstanding book for fans of the games and I look forward to seeing what interesting story Sam Maggs has come up with.

Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell

The next book I received a copy of was Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell. This is Abell’s debut novel and sees a London detective trying to retire in the country until he uncovers a dark murder in his new small town. This sounds like a fun take on classic British crime fiction novels and I will be interested to see both the murder mystery and the changing settings within the book.

Homecoming by Kate Morton

An intriguing, multi-generational mystery novel by a talented Australian author, this will no doubt be an excellent read.

Search History by Amy Taylor

Australian author Amy Taylor makes her unique fiction debut with Search History, which sees a woman get obsessed with diving into her new boyfriend’s history online, only to discover a dark secret about his past relationships. This sounds like a very fun book that will no doubt critique our overuse of social media.

Ascension by Nicholas Binge

A freaky and compelling science fiction thriller that follows a group of scientists sent to investigate a mysterious mountain that rose out of the ocean, only to discover dark secrets and dangerous self-reflection. I am very curious to see what happens in Ascension and it sounds like quite the fascinating read.

The next several books are all ones I received in advance through NetGalley. This is actually the first time I have really used NetGalley (I know, I’m behind the times), and I am loving that I got early copies of several outstanding books.

Witch King by Martha Wells

I was very happy to get an early copy of one of the hottest upcoming fantasy books of 2023 with Witch King by Martha Wells. Wells is such a beloved author at the moment and I am very intrigued to read one of her books, especially this one which follows a trapped demon who finds himself at the mercy of a lowly mage as he tries to remember how he got into this situation. This sounds like such a fun and awesome book and I look forward to diving into it soon.

Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Another upcoming book I was particularly pleased to get a copy of is Killer Traitor Spy by Australian author Tim Ayliffe. The fourth book in his John Bailey series, Killer Traitor Spy once again dives into international espionage in Australian politics, this time with a focus on the lasting impact of the Cold War. I have deeply enjoyed Ayliffe’s previous books, including The Greater Good, State of Fear and The Enemy Within, and I look forward to seeing how his next book turns out.

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale

I also decided to dive into the world of tie-in novels associated with Marvel Comics, which included getting a copy of The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale. This book will see everyone’s favourite villain, Doctor Doom, take on the insidious Red Skull in a battle for dominance and control. I know I am going to love this epic book and I am hoping to dive into it soon.

Mockingbird: Strike Out by Maria Lewis

I also grabbed a copy of the fun sounding book Mockingbird: Strike Out by Maria Lewis. This intriguing novel will follow the great character of Bobbie Morse, AKA Mockingbird, as she travels to England to investigate a world-ending plot. This should be another fantastic read and I look forward to diving into the Marvel canon with this outstanding sounding read.

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