Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 21 September 2023.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews for Holly, The Last Devil to Die and Starter Villain.
Tag: Starter Villain
Quick Review – Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Publisher: Tor (ebook – 23 September 2023)
Series: Standalone
Length: 256 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
As we are getting towards the end of 2024, it’s probably about time I got around to writing something about one of the more hilarious and wildly entertaining books I checked out last year, the outstanding novel Starter Villain by John Scalzi.
John Scalzi is an outstanding science fiction author who has produced some intriguing and thoughtful books over the years. Best known for his Old Man’s War series that followed the science fiction adventures of old human military volunteers whose minds are transferred to younger, genetically modified body, Scalzi is a highly inventive writer who creates some elaborate and powerful scenarios. While he has written some very compelling science fiction series, I best know Scalzi from his standalone books where he and turns some outrageous ideas into wonderful tales of humanity. My favourite is Redshirts, a fantastic and very clever Star Trek parody that imagines life aboard an Enterprise-esque ship from the point of view of the expendable lower-decks crew. I also had a ton of fun with Scalzi’s 2022 novel, The Kaiju Preservation Society, which showcased the intriguing adventures of an organisation dedicated to preserving kaiju in a parallel universe. All these books were very fun, which is why I made sure to grab a copy of the 2023 release, Starter Villian, which had a great plot behind it.
Plot Synopsis:
Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place.
Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat.
This was a highly entertaining novel from Scalzi, who provides his own unique take on supervillains in all the best ways. Starting off with a very comical funeral scene, Starter Villain only gets better from there as the protagonist, Charlie, finds his life unexpectantly changed when he inherits his uncle’s supervillain business and associated wealth. Scalzi provides a fantastic introduction to the unique new world of super science and sinister business practices, and you are soon caught up in Charlie’s unlikely rise to the top. The first half of the book is loaded with intriguing scenes as Scalzi lets his imagination run wild, and you have a fantastic time learning about sentient cats, crude talking dolphins constantly going on strike, and the other unlikely inventions and people that now make up Charlie’s life. This compelling introduction to the world works well in setting up the second half of the story, as Charlie meets a cabal of similar uber-rich supervillains who all seek to exploit him. When a series of events outside of his control force him into a battle of survival against these supervillains, Charlie needs all his new allies and his own unique ideas to win the day, even if victory isn’t quite what he imagined.
Starter Villain was such a lovely and impressive read, and I loved seeing Scalzi utilise his humour into something more terrestrial, yet still out of this world. Featuring the author’s typical fast pace, Starter Villain hits the ground running and throws you right into the middle of Scalzi’s fantastic and memorable ideas. The resulting story is clever, addictive, and features some amazing twists, all of which is very awesome to see unfold. While there is a lot of mad science, Scalzi does try to ground the supervillain antics, and I loved the author’s thoughts on how such an organisation could exist in the modern world and what sort of nefarious actions they would participate in. Naturally this means corporations and the uber-wealthy, which is depressingly accurate if you consider recent events, although this does mean that the antagonists are very easy to dislike and entirely unredeemable. The author loads in so much clever humour around the general supervillain scenario, and I loved the fantastic jokes about the profession, the inventions that are being created, and the unusual ways they stay in power. A lot of jokes about supervillains also provide some excellent commentary on current society, which cynical people like me will enjoy (a joke about a potential Australian recruit to the supervillain cabal hit close to home, which was just perfect). This is a hilarious and well-put together read that expertly showcases the author’s inventive spirit.
I also want to mention the fantastic range of complex and eccentric characters featured throughout Starter Villain, who helped to make the story even more unique and funny. Most of the book’s focus goes around the protagonist, Charlie, who finds himself thrust into a new world of dangerous rich elites and supervillain logic. Charlie proves to be a great central figure for Starter Villain’s plot, mainly because he plays a great everyman character whose reaction to the narrative’s crazy events mirrors that of the reader. While slightly bland compared to the other outrageous characters, Charlie does experience some excellent growth, especially as he learns to take responsibility and to appreciate the life he has. I also enjoyed how Charlie, despite being new to the supervillain lifestyle, was able to work out solutions to his organisation’s big problems often by being his typical thoughtful self. The rest of the characters in Starter Villain are all allowed to go wild due to having Charlie as the perspective protagonist, and I loved the array of talking dolphins, unusual scientists, murderous goons and rich manipulators that Charlie had to either work with or overcome. My favourite figures were easily the highly intelligent sentient cats, who really run the company and who have been manipulating Charlie his whole life. Scalzi has a lot of fun showcasing the cunning cats in charge, and I felt this whole awesome crew of characters helped to turn Starter Villain into an extremely fun read.
Overall, Starter Villain was an amazing read from John Scalzi that proves impossible not to love. Featuring the author’s infectious humour and love for inventive scenarios, Starter Villain was such a great book, and I deeply enjoyed the author’s take on supervillain fiction. Clever, unique and so much fun, Starter Villian is an exceptional read, and I really wish I had written a review for it sooner. I will have to pick up my Scalzi game in the future, and not only have I got a copy of Old Man’s War to read at home, but I am eagerly awaiting his next book, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, which features a very, very interesting sounding story about the moon literally transforming into cheese, an idea I have so much love for and cannot wait to check out.
WWW Wednesday – 9 August 2023
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?
Dark Corners by Megan Goldin (Trade Paperback)
I just started reading the exciting new thriller from awesome Australian author Megan Goldin, Dark Corners. A sequel to her previous gripping read, The Night Swim, Dark Corners follows a famed true-crime podcaster when she is called in to investigate a mysterious disappearance that will force her to go undercover in an influencer convention. This is already proving to be a fascinating and compelling read and I look forward to unwinding Goldin’s latest impressive puzzle.
The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding (Audiobook)
This week I also started listening to a massive fantasy release from earlier in the year with The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding. The sequel to his epic 2018 novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket follows a desperate band of revolutionaries as they attempt to overthrow an evil empire, while also dealing with dangerous supernatural threats. The first book in this series was a powerful and elaborate novel and I have been really looking forward to this sequel for years. I have made a fair bit of progress so far, and The Shadow Casket is already proving to be everything I hoped it would be. I look forward to discovering just how epic and impressive Wooding has made this sequel, although it will probably take me a couple of weeks to get through this lengthy audiobook.
What did you recently finish reading?
Starter Villain by John Scalzi (ebook)
A very fun and hilarious novel about a rookie supervillain, Starter Villain is John Scalzi at his best, and I managed to power through this book in a single day.
Warhammer 40,000: Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French (Audiobook)
A particularly intriguing, intense and complex Warhammer 40,000 novel, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen was a short, but very sweet, audiobook, that I cannot recommend enough. Review to follow soon.
Fearless by M. W. Craven (Trade Paperback)
A very exciting and over-the-top action thriller that followed a cool new protagonist on a deadly revenge mission. Fast-paced, intense and so damn violent, this was a very awesome read.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
I am hoping to start reading Never a Hero by Vanessa Len in the next week. The sequel to her impressive debut from last year, Only a Monster, Never a Hero looks set to be one of the best young adult novels of 2023 and I am very excited to start reading it.
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 – 2 August 2023
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?
Starter Villain by John Scalzi (ebook)
I just started reading my early copy of Starter Villain by John Scalzi, and so far it is a ton of fun. The latest standalone novel from the always entertaining Scalzi (check out my reviews for his previous awesome books, Redshirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society), Starter Villain follows the chaos surrounding a protagonist who inherits a supervillain company. I have already had several great laughs thanks to this book and I will probably finish it off in the next day or so.
Warhammer 40,000: Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French (Audiobook)
I also started listening to the recently released Warhammer 40,000 novel, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French today. Following a notorious, yet mysterious, rogue as he runs around the Imperial Palace, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen is proving to be an intriguing and action-packed addition to this awesome franchise and I really glad I got the chance to dive into it. This is a relatively short audiobook so I will probably finish this off in the next couple of days as well and I am looking forward to seeing how this intense story unfolds.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison (ebook)
I managed to finish off the early copy of The Last True Templar I got through Netgalley this week and it ended up being a very awesome novel. Written by the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison, The Last True Templar is the sequel to one of my favourite books from last year, The Lawless Land, which I had such an epic time with. This sequel was an outstanding read that combined compelling historical detail with an intriguing thriller storyline. I am hoping to get a review up for it soon and I am very glad I got the opportunity to read this upcoming book in advance.
The Traitor by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)
I finally managed to finish off the audiobook version of The Traitor this week, and boy was it everything I wanted it to be and more. The third and final book in Anthony Ryan’s The Covenant of Steel trilogy, The Traitor, follows on from the exceptional novels, The Pariah and The Martyr, and had an epic story of betrayal, insanity and war. This was easily one of the best fantasy books I have read in 2023 so far and I deeply enjoyed how Ryan finished off this brilliant trilogy. Review to hopefully follow soon.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Fearless by M. W. Craven
The next book that I am planning to check out is the cool sounding thriller, Fearless by author M. W. Craven. Fearless has a fun and action-packed plot behind it and I look forward to diving into the excitement later this week.
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 – 26 July 2023
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 True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison (ebook)
I made a good start on the early copy of The Last True Templar I got through Netgalley this week and it is proving to be quite the awesome novel. Written by the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison, The Last True Templar is the sequel to one of my favourite books from last year, The Lawless Land, which I had such an epic time with. This sequel continues to follow the protagonists from the first book, an excommunicated knight and a fraudulent noblewoman, as they journey throughout medieval Europe, this time getting involved in an insidious plot surrounding the destroyed Knights Templar. I am already about a quarter of the way through The Last True Templar at the moment and I will easily finish it off in the next few days. This cool book has a very exciting plot to it and I cannot wait to see where the clever historical thriller elements take me.
The Traitor by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)
I am still going strong with the audiobook version of The Traitor and it is living up to all of my expectations. The third and final book in Anthony Ryan’s The Covenant of Steel trilogy, The Traitor, follows on from the exceptional novels, The Pariah and The Martyr, and was one of my most anticipated novels of 2023. Following a former criminal turned scribe, soldier and knight, The Traitor sees the protagonist torn between love and the greater good in a particularly harrowing adventure. I am about halfway through The Traitor at the moment and things are really starting to get dark and very intense. I cannot wait to see how this epic series comes to an end and I’m sure I won’t be fully prepared for every dark twist and turn that is to come. This will probably end up being one of my favourite books of 2023 and I am hoping to finish The Traitor off by this time next week.
What did you recently finish reading?
Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini (Trade Paperback)
I managed to finish off the new science fiction novel from Christopher Paolini, Fractal Noise this week and it ended up being a very awesome read. A prequel to his previous novel, To Sleep In A Sea of Stars, Fractal Noise was a compelling and harrowing space exploration novel that really draws you in. Make sure to check out my review for it here.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
I hoping to start reading my early copy of Starter Villain by John Scalzi in the next week. The latest standalone novel from the always entertaining Scalzi (check out my reviews for his previous awesome books, Redshirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society), Starter Villain will follow the chaos surrounding a protagonist who inherits a supervillain company. I have no doubt this is going to be a very fun read and I cannot wait to check it out.
Warhammer 40,000: Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French
If I manage to get through The Traitor in the next week my plan is to listen to another recently released Warhammer 40,000 novel, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French. Following a notorious, yet mysterious, rogue as he runs around the Imperial Palace, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen sounds like an awesome addition to this already fun franchise and I cannot wait to dive into its amazing story.
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.
Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2023. I am planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more, and this one that will focus on upcoming fantasy and science fiction books.
2023 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books (something I will cover in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday), with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away. However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2023. To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to. I already have a couple of these books in advance, but I think it’s worth including them here, especially as I still need to make time to read them.
I had initially intended to only do a single list featuring all the genres, however, I ended up with way too many awesome upcoming novels on my radar. So, to fairly feature them all, and to save myself from some hard decisions, I decided to split this post into two and do separate lists, starting with this one on fantasy and science fiction. I still had to cut out several impressive upcoming releases, but I was a lot happier with how these lists turned out, especially as I was able to feature so many epic upcoming reads that I am going to have the most fun reading. Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated fantasy and science fiction releases for the second half of 2023.
Honourable Mentions:
Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French – 18 July 2023
The Hunters by David Wragg – 20 July 2023
Thick as Thieves by M. J. Kun – 25 July 2023
Creed: Ashes of Cadia by Jude Reid – 1 December 2023
Top Ten List (by release date):
King of the Spoil by Jonathan D. Beer – 4 July 2023
First up we have the intriguing upcoming Warhammer Crime novel, King of the Spoil. Sent in a grim, crime-ridden mega city, King of the Spoil sounds like a ton of fun and I always love when they combine intense crime fiction elements with the awesome Warhammer 40,000 universe.
The Traitor by Anthony Ryan – 11 July 2023
One of my most anticipated fantasy releases of the year is The Traitor by Anthony Ryan. Finishing off Ryan’s exceptional Covenant of Steel trilogy, The Traitor looks set to be an amazing read and I am very excited to see what happens the series’ great protagonist. The first two books in this trilogy, The Pariah (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and The Martyr (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), were pretty damn epic and I cannot to finish this brilliant trilogy off.
Longshot by Rob Young – 15 August 2023
An intense sniper battle in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, need I say more?
Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry – 29 August 2023
Now I could have probably featured this book in the thriller list, but if I know Jonathan Maberry the science fiction, paranormal and horror elements of Cave 13 are going to be pretty impressive. The third book in his Rogue Team International series, following on from Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019) and Relentless, Cave 13 will see Maberry’s troubled protagonist, Joe Ledger, investigate a cave full of ancient scrolls with the potential to destroy the world. This is the second book from Maberry in 2023 (the first being the five-star read, Son of the Poison Rose), and I have no doubt this is also going to be an exceptional novel. I have so much love for Maberry’s unique science fiction thriller novels and Cave 13 will probably be one of my favourite books of the year.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi – 19 September 2023
One of the funniest science fiction authors out there, John Scalzi (Redshirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society) is releasing an amazing upcoming book about supervillains later this year with Starter Villain. Following a new protagonist thrust feet first into the supervillain business, Starter Villain sounds like a ton of fun and I already have a copy of it.
Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead by K. J. Parker – 3 October 2023
The always clever and hilarious K. J. Parker returns with an entertaining new fantasy series this year that starts off with Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead. Following a protagonist who specialises in looting battlefields, this amazing novel is going to be so much damn fun and I know I am going to love every second that I spend reading it, especially after how impressive Parker’s The Siege trilogy was (Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World).
Storming Heaven by Miles Cameron – 24 October 2023
Last year one of the always unique author Miles Cameron released a great fantasy book with Against all Gods, that set a group of desperate heroes against a corrupt pantheon of cruel gods. I had an outstanding time with Against all Gods and I am very excited that Cameron has a sequel coming out in a few months with Storming Heaven. Set to continue the war between mortals and gods, Storming Heaven sounds extremely epic, and I cannot wait to see what happens next with this series.
Defiant by Brandon Sanderson – 1 November 2023
After wowing us for years with this impressive young adult science fiction series, Sanderson looks set to bring his Skyward series to an end in a few months with the final book, Defiant. Following a skilled fighter pilot and her sentient ship as they attempt to save the remnants of humanity from an alien horde, the Skyward series (made up of Skyward, Starsight and Cytonic) has been pretty damn exceptional. I am really excited to see how Sanderson finishes of the Skyward books and I have no doubt that he will pluck the heartstrings and hit all the action buttons as he does so.
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini – 7 November 2023
12 years after he finished off iconic Inheritance Cycle, legendary fantasy author Christopher Paolini returns to the world of Alagaësia with the new novel, Murtagh. I have a lot of nostalgic love for the Inheritance Cycle novels, especially thanks to their great characters and impressive worldbuilding, and it is one of the series that I constantly revisit again and again when I want a comfort read. As such, I am very, very curious to see how Paolini will revisit it and I look forward to seeing how he has developed as a writer since then. It helps that this new upcoming book will centre around one of the best figures from the original novels, the anti-hero Murtagh, and I cannot wait to continue his story, especially as he’ll start Murtagh as the most hated being in all Alagaësia. I have a lot of hope for Murtagh and I already know I am going to love it.
House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 7 December 2023
The final book I want to highlight on this fantasy and science fiction list is the awesome upcoming novel, House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This book has been on my radar for a while, especially after I had fun with Tchaikovsky’s previous reads, Ogres and Day of Ascension. However, House of Open Wounds became a must-read book for me the moment that I saw it was a sequel to his previous novel City of Last Chances, which is one of the best fantasy novels I have read all year. House of Open Wounds will bring back one of Tchaikovsky’s best characters from City of Last Chances, Yasnic, a failed priest with a box of orphan Gods, and will see him join an unorthodox military medical unit that uses unusual and illegal methods to heal the wounded. I’m currently envisioning this as a fantasy version of M*A*S*H, and if my previous experiences of Tchaikovsky’s brilliant writing are any indication, this is going to be an exceptional read.
That is the end of this list. I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out, and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming fantasy and science fiction books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me. Make sure to also check out my next list where I dive into upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more. Let me also know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.
Book Haul – 25 June 2023
I have been having an excellent 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 and from Netgalley. 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.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
First up, I was very happy to receive a copy of the upcoming John Scalzi novel, Starter Villain. Scalzi has been killing it with his brilliant and satirical novels recently, including Redshirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society, and this new book sounds pretty damn cool. Following someone who inherits a supervillain business and all the problems that entails, Starter Villain sounds like a ton of fun and I cannot wait to check it out.
Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer
I was also very happy to receive a copy of the new Jeffery Archer book, Traitors Gate. The sixth book in Archer’s Willaim Warwick series, Traitors Gate will see the protagonists of the series attempt to stop an attempted heist of the Crown Jewels. This series is always a ton of fun to read (see my reviews for Nothing Ventured, Hidden in Plain Sight and Turn a Blind Eye) and this sounds like an awesome and compelling new plot.
Fearless by M. W. Craven
The next book I’ve recently received is the fantastic sounding new thriller from M. W. Craven, Fearless. Following an elite government agent turned drifter who is dragged back into action when someone tries to hunt him down. Fearless has a ton of potential and should turn out to be an amazing thrill ride that I know I am going to really enjoy.
The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer
I was very, very happy to receive a copy of the new novel from Australian author Kelly Rimmer, The Paris Agent. Rimmer has been on fire the last few years, producing some of the best historical drama novels out there, including The Warsaw Orphan (one of my favourite Australian books of 2021) and The German Wife (one of my favourite books of 2022). This latest novel from Rimmer is also set during World War II and will look at the always dependable topic of female spies sent into Nazi occupied France. I know that Rimmer is going to produce another intense and hard-hitting novel with The Paris Agent and I am very keen to see what happens here.
Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
Vanessa Len will follow up her exceptional 2022 debut, Only a Monster, with the exciting new upcoming release, Never a Hero. Only a Monster was a brilliant young adult fantasy novel that saw a young woman find out that she was a literal monster with time travel abilities and was forced into a desperate adventure for her own survival. I had a lot of fun with Only a Monster (one of my favourite debuts and Australian novels of 2022) and I cannot wait to see how Len follows it up with Never a Hero.
The Hunger by Marsheila Rockwell
Ok, I will admit that I mostly requested a copy of this book because of the cover. The Hunger is an awesome upcoming Marvel Comics tie-in novel set in the Marvel Zombies universe. Written by Marsheila Rockwell, this cool novel will see an eclectic group of heroes attempt to stop the zombie apocalypse, only to cause far bigger issues with their meddling. This novel sounds like it is going to be so damn amazing and I am very excited to read it.
The Berlin Traitor by A. W. Hammond
A compelling thriller set in post-war Berlin, The Berlin Traitor is a great new novel from A. W. Hammond and I look forward to trying something from this author.
Altered Sense by Max Jeffries
The final book I received a copy of was the interesting Australian thriller, Altered Sense by Max Jeffries. Following a man who starts to receive dark visions after a blow to the head, Altered Sense looks to be a quick and exciting novel and I hope I get the chance to read it.
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.
Waiting on Wednesday – Starter Villain by John Scalzi
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 this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the more entertaining sounding books of 2023 with the fun new release from John Scalzi, Starter Villain.
There are few authors in the world right now that are more inventive and more hilarious that the always imaginative John Scalzi. Best known for his Old Man’s War and The Interdependency series, Scalzi has made a name for himself by producing captivating reads that make excellent use of high-concept science fiction elements. I have only had the opportunity to read a few of his books yet, but the ones that I have were pretty damn epic. This includes the incredible and brilliant standalone novel Redshirts, which serves as the ultimate parody of Star Trek by focusing on an Enterprise-esque spaceship whose ordinary crew start to realise that something very wrong is happening when all of them start brutally dying in ridiculous situations. This was an outstanding read and my love of Redshirts led me to read his 2022 release, The Kaiju Preservation Society. A clever new take on monster movies, The Kaiju Preservation Society saw a young man join a mysterious scientific organisation that protects giant monsters in an alternate dimension. I absolutely powered through both of these books, and I love the incredible scenarios Scalzi comes up with.
Needless to say, I am a pretty big fan of Scalzi at this point, but I was even more excited when I saw that his next book was going to take on the superhero/supervillain genre with the fantastic upcoming book Starter Villain. Set for release in September 2023, Starter Villain is another hilarious sounding novel that sees a young protagonist enter the world of capes and capers when they unwillingly become a supervillain.
Plot Synopsis:
Following the bestselling The Kaiju Preservation Society, John Scalzi returns with Starter Villain, another unique sci-fi caper set in the strangest of all worlds, present-day Earth.
Inheriting your mysterious uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might imagine.
Sure, there are the things you’d expect. The undersea volcano lairs. The minions. The plots to take over the world. The international networks of rivals who want you dead.
Much harder to get used to…are the the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats.
And the fact that in the overall organization, they’re management…
Ok, so there is absolutely no way that I am not going to have a ball of fun when I read Starter Villain later this year. I’m already a big fan of comic books and superheros and any great parody or deconstruction of this genre is always a blast to read. Having this parody written by John Scalzi, who is planning to focus on the supervillain side of things, is an incredible recipe for success and one that I am pretty damn excited for. This synopsis is already painting a pretty awesome picture of what Starter Villain is going to feature, including lairs, minions and sentient, sinister cats, which I am always down for. This is going to be such an entertaining and amazing book and I cannot wait to get my hands on Starter Villain later this year.
The Unseen Library 