Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss

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 is an indie freebie. While this is an interesting topic, it’s not one that I had a lot of good examples for, so instead I’m going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because it’s the start of Spring 2026, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Spring (Autumn for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 September 2026 and 30 November 2026 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I even have some early copies of a some of them (I’m hoping to read them soon). I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2026.

Honourable Mention:

Adam & Eve by Jeffrey Archer – 6 October 2026

The final book from the legendary Jeffrey Archer.

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SHOT by Shelley Burr – 27 October 2026

A gritty and intense Australian thriller from an outstanding rising crime fiction star.

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Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi – 3 November 2026

The always highly inventive John Scalzi presents another crazy science fiction novel, with the weird but no doubt entertaining Monsters of Ohio

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Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford – 10 November 2026

An upcoming fantasy novel with an excellent sounding plot and an awesome cover.

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Top Ten List:

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor – 10 September 2026

The first book I want to feature on this list is the horror thriller Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor. A compelling and unique standalone novel that sees a family encounter unusual behaviour and dark secrets in the supposedly tranquil town of Serenity Falls. I am extremely curious to see where Tudor takes this new story, but I’m very confident that I’m going to enjoy Serenity Falls, especially after having a blast with Tudor’s previous novel The Gathering.

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Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse – 15 September 2026

I’m going to get my Star Wars fiction itch scratched in a few weeks when I get the chance to read Edge of the Abyss. The second book in the Reign of the Empire series, Edge of the Abyss serves as a sequel to The Mask of Fear and will examine the early days of the Rebel Alliance from the perspective of several key figures from the Star Wars extended universe. This second entry is written by Rebecca Roanhorse, and I cannot wait to see how Roanhorse dives into this amazing period of the Star Wars canon.

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We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman – 15 September 2026

There was no way that I couldn’t include the incredible upcoming novel We Chase Shadows on this list. The next book from the hilarious Richard Osman, We Chase Shadows is a sequel to the outstanding novel, We Solve Murders (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024) and will see the unlikely protagonists of the first book investigate a new global conspiracy. Sure to feature Osman’s trademark blend of incredible storytelling, great characters and impressive humour, We Chase Shadows will likely be one of my favourite books of the year, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

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The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler – 29 September 2026

One of the more exciting and fun sounding books coming out in the next month is The Only Way Out is Up by the very talented Django Wexler. An intriguing progressive fantasy novel that will follow a young man and his constructed companion as they attempt to survive in an elite fighting tournament, The Only Way Out is Up has so much potential, and I know that I’m going to have a blast reading it.

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King’s Ransom by Matthew Reilly – 29 September 2026

While there are some great crime fiction reads coming out in the next three months, the one I predict is going to be the most over-the-top and enjoyable is King’s Ransom by Australian author Matthew Reilly. The sequel to Reilly’s outrageous 2025 novel, The Detective, King’s Ransom will see returning protagonist, the unusual Sam Speedman, compete against several other elite private detectives to solve a particularly deranged crime. Sure to be an exceptional and highly addictive read, I cannot wait to get my hands on King’s Ransom.

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The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman – 13 October 2026

Possibly the most anticipated fantasy novel still left for release in 2026 is The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman. The sequel to Buehlman’s beloved The Blacktongue Thief, The Thrice-Bound Fool will see the two protagonists from the first novel, a secretive thief and a deadly knight, traverse a dangerous fantasy landscape, trying to stay ahead of an array of lethal assassins. Set to be an intense and highly addictive dark fantasy read, I have no doubt The Thrice-Bound Fool is going to be something special.

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Ghosts of the Void by Jonathan Maberry – 13 October 2026

A must read for me in the next three months is the final book in Jonathan Maberry’s NecroTek series, Ghosts of the Void. Following on from the exceptional first two books in the trilogy, NecroTek and Cold War, Ghosts of the Void will see a group of human scientists and their fallen comrades attempt to escape ancient space gods as they fight a seemingly unwinnable war. I cannot wait to see how this dark and powerful trilogy comes to an end, and I have no doubt that Maberry will load up plenty of twisted tragedy.

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The Hollow by Michael Connelly – 3 November 2026

After already impressing this year with Ironwood, legendary crime fiction author Michael Connelly has another amazing sounding book coming out later this year with The Hollow. The first book in several years to feature his iconic protagonist, Harry Bosch, as the sole main character, The Hollow will see an older Bosch investigate a dark secret from his childhood. Set to be a particularly intense and momentous entry in Conelly’s shared crime universe, The Hollow has the potential to be a particularly impressive novel, and I look forward to reading it.

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The Wolves of War by John Gwynne – 3 November 2026

Next up we have is the upcoming fantasy novel, The Wolves of War by John Gwynne. Another compelling fantasy adventure novel with a Viking-inspired story, The Wolves of War sounds like an exceptional read in a cool new world. After deeply enjoying Gwynne’s previous Bloodsworn Saga (The Shadow of the Gods, The Hunger of the Gods and The Fury of the Gods), I am very confident that I’m going to have an amazing time with this fantasy epic, which I will probably try to enjoy on audiobook.

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The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 5 November 2026

The final book on this TBR list is the next entry in the always awesome Eagles of the Empire series, The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow. A very intriguing new addition to one of my favourite series, The Sword of Rome will see two veteran Roman officers thrown into a new chaotic battle for survival, with their families held hostage back at Rome to ensure they succeed. Sure to be a particularly epic book in an outstanding series, I cannot wait to read The Sword of Rome.

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

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. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight the next big major Star Wars novel I’m excited for with Edge of the Abyss by the very talented Rebecca Roanhorse.

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Last year I had the great pleasure of reading the excellent Star Wars novel, The Mask of Fear by Alex Freed. The compelling first entry in the new Reign of the Empire trilogy, The Mask of Fear showed an interesting vision of the early Empire in the aftermath of Revenge of the Sith. Following several key characters from the expanded franchise, The Mask of Fear was a great combination of politics, cultural examinations and a spy thriller narrative, that was highly relevant in the modern climate. I had an excellent time with The Mask of Fear, and I was curious to see how they were going to continue this series going forward.

It turns out that they are going to shake things up in the second Reign of the Empire book, as not only are inserting a significant time skip, but they are bringing in a whole new author with Rebecca Roanhorse. Roanhorse, who is best known for her The Sixth World and Between Earth and Sky series, has dabbled with Star Wars fiction previously, having written Resistance Reborn in 2019. Edge of the Abyss will be her second foray into the Star Wars universe, and I’m curious to see how she has developed since writing Resistance Reborn.

Set for release in September 2026, Edge of the Abyss looks set to further showcase the overwhelming tyranny of the Empire, as well as the rise of the Rebel Alliance, as three of the main characters from The Mask of Fear continue their fight for freedom, alongside other compelling figures from the expanded universe.

Plot Synopsis:

In this thrilling sequel to The Mask of Fear, set one year before season one of Andor, truth becomes a weapon of the Empire.

Over a decade into the Empire’s reign, life under imperial rule has become routine. The days of the Republic have long passed into memory – if they are remembered at all.

Within the Senate, Mon Mothma and Bail Organa face dwindling influence, for there is no difference between the will of the Emperor and the direction of his Empire. Bail increasingly shifts his focus to support clandestine resistance efforts, knowing a successful fight against the Empire will come from beyond the halls of power. Meanwhile, Mon Mothma sees once chance to take a stand when she makes a horrifying discover about the lengths the regime will go to weaponize truth and loyalty. The Empire’s newest target: the next generation raised under the Emperor’s deepening shadow, including Mon and Bail’s daughters.

Across the galaxy, disparate rebel factions are rendered outcasts, branded criminals, and pitted against each other. On Ghorman, an idealistic student group seeks to make meaningful change, unaware of the ISB agent who seeks to sabotage them from the inside. Leaders like Saw Gerrera and Anto Kreegyr squabble and bargain to survive one more day against the crush of Imperial might. Trust is rare and betrayal quick. A distracted, disorganised resistance is one that is easy to snuff out.

There are few heroes…and no alliances.

When one of Gerrera’s partisans is captured by the Empire, time is running out for senators, outcastes, spies, and all those that desire a better tomorrow. What the prisoner knows could held the Empire eradicate any whisper of resistance, end any rebellion before it can truly begin – and ensure that the Empire’s truth is all the galaxy will ever know.

Now this a very interesting sounding novel, with the author looking set to further dive into politics, espionage and rebellion, as a continuation of the wider narrative of the Reign of the Empire series. It also looks like there are going to be some compelling lore expansions in Edge of the Abyss which will no doubt really appeal to major fans of the Star Wars universe and it’s expanded lore. It seems that Roanhorse is going to really dive into the very early days of the Rebellion, while providing her own take on some of the key characters from The Mask of Fear. Roanhorse is also intending to further explore the divergence in tactics between Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, and I have no doubt the clash between the honourable realism of Bail and the the fading political idealism of Mon is going to be a major source of drama for much of the plot.

One of the more appealing aspects of Edge of the Abyss to me is the jump forward 10 years from the early days of the Empire to the heights of its power a year before the start of the Andor television series. Showcasing the conflicted and disorganised rebels with different goals, like Saw Gerrera and the briefly mentioned Anto Kreegyr, has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to seeing their differing agendas. I’m hoping that the appearance of those two characters also means that Luthen Rael from Andor is also going to show up, and I’m wondering if we’ll see his first interactions with Mon Mothma here. Throw in some mentions of Ghorman, which was such a tragic setting in the second season of Andor, and Edge of the Abyss looks set to contain a lot of juicy hints references for established Star Wars fans.

Overall, I really like the sound of this awesome upcoming Star Wars novel. Rebecca Roanhorse will be an excellent new addition to the larger Reign of the Empire series, and I’m very curious to see where she takes the story in Edge of the Abyss. I’m sure that Edge of the Abyss is going to provide all the intriguing dives into the larger Star Wars universe that I will need in 2026, and I cannot wait to check it out.

The Unseen Library

Tag: Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss

Waiting on Wednesday – Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse