WWW Wednesday – 26 April 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? 

Fire With Fire by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

Fire With Fire Cover

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.

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Warhammer 40,000: Warboss by Mike Brooks

Warhammer 40,000 - Warboss Cover

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.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale (eBook)The Tyrant Skies Cover

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.

Amazon

 

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

Warhammer 40,000 - Honour Guard Cover

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.

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

The Guns of Tanith Cover

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.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

Star Wars - Battle Scars Cover

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.

Amazon

 

Echo Lake by Joan Sauers

Echo Laker Cover

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.

Amazon

 

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

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.

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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 – Books on my Autumn 2023 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was around Bookish People I’d Like to Meet, however, I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months.  This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and as this is the first Tuesday of Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere), this is the ideal time to put this up.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 March 2023 and 31 May 2023.  There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most anticipated book of the year (as well as my most anticipated fantasy/science fiction books of the year).  Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions).  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 Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads.  I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best books of 2023.

Honourable Mentions:

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson – 7 March 2023

The Kind Worth Saving Cover

The intriguing new novel from the entertaining Peter Swanson (Rules for Perfect Murders and Nine Lives), The Kind Worth Saving sounds very cool and I’ve heard some great stuff about it from fellow reviewers.  I might try to read the preceding novel, The Kind Worth Killing, before I get to The Kind Worth Saving, but we’ll see how it goes.

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A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson – 18 April 2023

A Hunger of Thorns Cover

A cool young adult fantasy read from the always impressive Australian author Lili Wilkinson.  I had a lot of fun with her last two young adult books, After the Lights Go Out and The Erasure Initiative, and I imagine this one is going to be a ton of fun as well.

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Empire by Conn Iggulden – 25 May 2023

Empire Cover

Intense and detailed historical fiction from legendary author Conn Iggulden, this will be an exceptional read that I am quite excited for.

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Top Ten List:

Battle Song by Ian Ross – 28 March 2023

Battle Song Cover

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Fire With Fire by Candice Fox – 4 April 2023

Fire With Fire Cover

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Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner – 6 April 2023

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

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Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis – 11 April 2023

Fatal Legacy Cover

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Usagi Yojimbo: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai – 18 April 2023

Usagi Yojimbo - Volume 38 - The Green Dragon Cover

The release dates for this comic keeps getting knocked back, but I’m really hoping that I will be able to get this epic new volume in April.

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The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst – 25 April 2023

The Lake House Cover Better

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The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan – 2 May 2023

The Sword Defiant Cover

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The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – 11 May 2023

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

An epic Mark Lawrence novel set in a massive fantasy library; do I need to say any more?

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The Will of the Many by James Islington – 23 May 2023

The Will of the Many Cover

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Witch King by Martha Wells – 30 May 2023

Witch King Cover

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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.  Each of the above should be extremely epic, 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 few books to get through soon and they should all be pretty awesome.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated fantasy novels coming out in the first half of 2023.  Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into a second list due to all the awesome and impressive reads from these genres coming out extremely soon.

2023 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year.  I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely excited for.  This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors.  I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be fantasy wise, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2023 which I have some descent details about.  Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult.  I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy reads of 2023.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann – 3 January 2023

Star Wars - The Battle of Jedha Cover

The High Republic is set to continue in a big way in the coming days with the full-cast audiobook, The Battle of Jedha that will see a massive confrontation break out between the various Force cults on Jedha.

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Engines of Chaos by Richard S. Ford – 4 April 2023

Engines of Chaos Cover

The follow-up to Ford’s 2022 novel, Engines of Empire, Engines of Chaos will continue to explore Ford’s great steampunk fantasy world and the massive revolution brewing within.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington – 23 May 2023

The Will of the Many Cover

A fun upcoming fantasy read that will put a darker face on the classic magic school story.

Amazon     Book Depository

Top Ten List

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry – 10 January 2023

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

2023 is off to a very strong start on the fantasy front with the next upcoming book from the always amazing Jonathan Maberry, Son of the Poison Rose.  The follow-up to one of the best books and audiobooks of 2022, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose will continue to follow broken warrior Kagen Vale as he attempts to save his kingdom from the reign of the murderous Witch-king.  Set to feature more adventures, deadly action and complex characters, Son of the Poison Rose is another guaranteed five-star book, and I cannot wait to see what happens in this complex series next.

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Downfall by Louise Carey – 10 January 2023

Downfall Cover

One of the best, underrated science-fiction series of the last couple of years has been Louise Carey’s Inscape trilogy.  Featuring the excellent novels, Inscape (one of my favourite debuts of 2021) and Outcast, this great series follows two damaged protagonists through a dark dystopian future of advanced technology and warring corporations.  Carey ended her second novel, Outcast, on a great cliff-hanger and I am really keen to find out how she plans to conclude this amazing trilogy with Downfall.

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Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb – 7 February 2023

Seven Faceless Saints Cover

A fantastic and fun upcoming young adult fantasy read that will set two different protagonists on a deadly mission to uncover a murderer within a corrupt fantasy city.  An intriguing fantasy mystery that has already grabbed my attention.

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The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan – 14 February 2023

The Tyranny of Faith Cover

After wowing the world with his 2022 novel, The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan will continue his epic Empire of the Wolf series this year with The Tyranny of Faith.  Following two supernatural peacekeepers in a deadly fantasy empire, The Tyranny of Faith will once again feature the great combination of mystery, politics, intrigue and magic that made The Justice of Kings such a great book.  I have no doubt this will be one of the most popular fantasy novels of 2023 and I look forward to reading it very soon.

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The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding – 16 February 2023

The Shadow Casket Cover

One of the fantasy books that I am most excited for in 2023 is The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding.  The follow up to his epic novel, The Ember Blade, I have been waiting for years for The Shadow Casket to come out and I luckily, I only have a month left before I can dive into to.  The Ember Blade was an exceptional and massive read and the sequel will see the surviving protagonists continue to try and ignite a rebellion against their despotic occupiers.  Sure to be one of the very best fantasy books of 2023, I am so very glad that I can finally continue this exceptional series.

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Star Wars: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang – 4 April 2022

Star Wars - Cataclysm Cover

I have been deeply enjoying the current phase of the outstanding High Republic Star Wars series, and the next major entry is coming out in April with Cataclysm by Lydia Kang.  While we don’t currently have a lot of plot detail about Cataclysm, it will no doubt continue the elaborate prequel narrative of this second phase and should produce an epic read.  All the books in this second phase have been really good and I am confident that will continue with Cataclysm.

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The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan- 2 May 2023

The Sword Defiant Cover

After absolutely killing it with his highly acclaimed Black Iron Legacy series, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan is once again looking to set the fantasy world on fire with The Sword Defiant.  An outstanding upcoming book with a very cool cover to it, The Sword Defiant will follow a legendary hero has he attempts to rally his former companions on a new quest to save the world.  However, the dark swords they claimed during this first mission together has corrupted them all, leading to a deadly and tragic new mission that will pit the protagonist against his former friends.  The Sword Defiant has an outstanding plot behind it and I feel it has the potential to be one of the very best books of 2023.

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The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – 11 May 2023

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

It is always a very safe bet that Mark Lawrence will have one of the best fantasy/science fiction books of a year and I am already hyped up for his next novel, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn.  Set in a massive fantasy library, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn is the first entry in a bold new fantasy series, filled with adventure, blood and knowledge, and I cannot wait to dive into it later this year.

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Witch King by Martha Wells – 30 May 2023

Witch King Cover

One of the biggest names currently in science fiction, Martha Wells returns to her fantasy roots in 2023 with Witch King.  Set to follow a deadly demon who awakens from his trap to find himself being controlled by a lesser mage, Witch King has a fun and entertaining plot to it, and I have a feeling I am really going to love this amazing upcoming read.

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Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker – 27 June 2023

The final entry on this list could be one of the very best as one of the hottest and most wildly inventive fantasy authors of the current age presents an amazing new story with Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker.  Barker has consistently been one of the very best fantasy authors of recent years with The Wounded Kingdom (featuring Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) and The Tide Child (featuring The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake) trilogies.  Each of Barker’s books have been outstandingly complex and powerful dark fantasy reads, so I am very excited for Gods of Wyrdwood which will set up The Forsaken Trilogy.  While we currently don’t have a cover for Gods of the Wyrdwood, the plot sounds pretty damn exceptional as it will follow a former chosen one, whose destiny was stolen from him as he once again forced into the spotlight.  Sure to be one of the most compelling and powerful reads of 2023, Gods of the Wyrdwood is going to be so damn epic.

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Well that’s the end of this second list.  As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year.  All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads.  2023 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this.  I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2023.