Top Ten Tuesday – Novels from the First Half of 2024 that I Still Need to Read

On July 9, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List6 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature 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 return to a previous list you’ve done as part of a Throwback Freebie. However, I decided to instead continue my literary examination of the first half of 2024 by looking at the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.

While I have already enjoyed a substantial number of outstanding novels in 2024, there are still quite a few impressive novels from the first half of the year that I have yet to read. Many of these were on my most anticipated books lists for 2024 (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 yet. Therefore, I am going to use this freebie session to shame myself in the hope that it gets me into gear to finally check out these epic reads. This proved to be an easy list to pull together, as many of these books have been weighing on my mind for a while. All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get the chance to read all of them soon.

Honourable Mentions:

The Burning Land by David Hair

An epic fantasy novel that I know I would have an amazing time reading.

The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan

One of the big fantasy releases of 2024. I left this book as an honourable mention, mainly because I haven’t read the preceding book in the series yet, and I would need to do that before even contemplating reading The Trials of Empire. Still, this seems like a big gap in my 2024 reading schedule, and I should try to get up to date with this series ASAP.

Past Crimes by Jason Pinter

A cool and exciting science fiction thriller that sees true-crime documentaries get way too interactive in the future.

Top Ten List:

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Probably the book I am most surprised about not having read yet is the new Flavia Albia novel from Lindsey Davis, Death on the Tiber. An excellent and intriguing historical murder mystery, Death on the Tiber is the latest book in one of my favourite series and looks set to throw the protagonists into another complex murder in ancient Rome. I always have so much fun with this series, so it’s very surprising that I haven’t read it yet. This will hopefully be resolved soon, as it will likely be one of my top books of the year.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Another major book from the first half of 2024 that I really need to check out is Service Model by acclaimed science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky. The second of four books Tchaikovsky has coming out this year, Service Model will follow a rebellious robot who gains sentience and becomes determined to destroy the crumbling remnants of human society. I have no doubt this is going to be an epic read, and I am going to try very hard to read it as soon as humanly possible.

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

One of the more compelling murder mystery novels from the first half of 2024, How to Solve Your Own Murder sounds like an extremely fun read, and I must try to check it out.

Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lords of Excess by Rich McCormick

I have had a lot of fun with several Warhammer books in 2024 so far, but the key one I’ve missed out on reading is Lords of Excess by debuting author Rich McCormick. Part of the Renegades subseries that highlights Chaos Space Marine warbands, Lords of Excess follow the hedonistic Emperor’s Children as they attempt to bring their twisted version of perfection to an isolated world. I love the sound of this book, especially as you know more chaos and destruction is likely on the way, and it is always fun to read a Warhammer book told from the villain’s perspective. I might honestly try to start listening to the audiobook version of Lords of Excess in the next week or two, especially as I need another Warhammer 40,000 fix.

The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom

Another major historical fiction book from the first half of 2024 that I need to check out is the epic novel, The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom. Sidebottom is a fantastic author, and I have had a wonderful time with all his recent books set in the Roman empire. The Shadow King will see Sidebottom examine Alexander the Great’s empire in an intriguing new way, and I know that I will find the whole thing deeply fascinating and exciting. As such, I will hopefully make time to read The Shadow King soon, especially as I will be very disappointed not to read this book by the end of 2024.

The Instruments of Darkness by John Connolly

John Connolly is an author who I have been meaning to read for years. I had hoped that his latest book, the intense and dark legal thriller The Instruments of Darkness, would have been a good opportunity to enjoy his work for the first time, but I have yet to have the time to read it. I am still optimistic that I will be able to read The Instruments of Darkness soon, as it sounds like a very complex and powerful novel.

Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart

A very fun sounding thriller about a retired assassin in a killer support group who is dragged back into the world of contract killing against his will. I honestly fell in love with Assassins Anonymous’s fun sounding plot the moment I read the synopsis and I have been meaning to grab a copy since it came out. Hopefully I get one soon, as this sounds like such an exciting and awesome book.

Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller

While there were a few Star Wars novels out in the first half of this year, the one I most regret not reading is The Living Force by John Jackson Miller. Set just before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Living Force is a compelling entry to the canon that focuses on the various members of the Jedi Council. I love the sound of this awesome book and I am hoping to listen to it in the future, as it should be a fantastic novel.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill

An intriguing and captivating murder mystery from a very talented Australian author, The Mystery Writer sounded like a very impressive novel, and I have had some great experiences with Sulari Gentill in the past. I look forward to checking this book out at some point in the future and I am sure it will be an outstanding read.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

The final book from the first half of 2024 that I want to highlight here is the fantasy debut Five Broken Blades. Following five dangerous rogues tasked with killing a tyrannical king, Five Broken Blades sounds like a very awesome book, and I have heard some great things about it. I currently have the audiobook version of Five Broken Blades ready to go and I am hoping to listen to it soon, especially as I am in the mood for some fun and fierce fantasy fiction.

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 am going to have to try a lot harder to start reading through them. 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.

Top Ten Tuesday –Most Anticipated Fantasy/Science Fiction Books Releasing in the First Half of 2024:

On January 9, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction16 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. For the first Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of the year. This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year. Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am doing two versions of this list, this first one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and another that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.

2024 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 keen 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 in the fantasy and science fiction space, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 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 and science fiction reads of 2024. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Burning Land by David Hair – 1 February 2024

An intriguing and awesome sound fantasy adventure that will see a group of knights go rogue to try and find the truth about the supposedly holy order that they serve.

The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan – 13 February 2024

While I am sure that The Trials of Empire is going to be high up on many people’s to-read list for 2024, I’m going to keep it as an honourable mention mainly because I haven’t had the chance to read the second novel, The Tyranny of Faith, yet. I am hoping to read The Tyranny of Faith before The Trials of Empire comes out, so I can enjoy this awesome sounding novel later this year.

Exit Black by Joe Pitkin – 20 February 2024

An intriguing science fiction thriller about a futuristic space hotel for the wealthy taken over by terrorists. Should be very, very fun.

Top Ten List:

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett – 13 February 2024

One of the most anticipated fantasy releases of 2024, The Tainted Cup is an awesome and intricate novel that will force two unusual detectives to investigate a death apparently committed by impossible magic. Robert Jackson Bennett is an outstanding author, and I look forward to immersing myself in his new elaborate world.

Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 28 March 2024

An intriguing science fiction thriller set in a massive prison on an alien world, Alien Clay will follow a scientist’s attempts to uncover the secrets of the planet while also dodging the prison’s dangerous warden. I have really grown to enjoy Tchaikovsky’s writing, especially after his amazing 2023 novels, City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, and I have no doubt that Alien Clay will be a fun and impressive read.

The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence – 9 April 2024

After deeply impressing me with the incredible and inventive The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (one of my favourite books of 2023), Mark Lawrence continues The Library trilogy in a big way with The Book That Broke the World. Continuing to follow his intriguing protagonists as they attempt to uncover the crazy secrets of the impossible library at the centre of their lives, The Book That Broke the World looks set to provide more peak Lawrence creativity and imagination and I cannot wait to see what happens next in this amazing series.

Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller – 9 April 2024

I’ve been a bit remiss with my Star Wars reading lately, and I’m hoping to make that up this year by checking out the cool new novel by John Jackson Miller, Star Wars: The Living Force. Set before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Living Force will follow Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and all twelve members of the Jedi Council as they investigate how Jedi are perceived in the universe. Authored by one of the top authors of tie-in fiction, The Living Force should be a pretty awesome read and I am deeply intrigued about a story focusing on the Jedi Council and their politics.

Extinction by Douglas Preston – 23 April 2024

One of the more entertaining and awesome upcoming books of 2024 is Extinction by veteran thriller and science fiction author Douglas Preston. Set in a resort where ancient animals have been brought back to life with genetic manipulation (when does that ever go wrong), the book will see guests murdered and kidnapped by a gang of eco-terrorists. Sounding like a fantastic mix of Die Hard and Jurassic Park, I love everything about Extinction, and I am hoping to read it soon.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward – 23 April 2024

It wouldn’t be one of my lists without at least one Warhammer 40,000 novel, which has been such an epic franchise for me lately. While there are several great Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in 2024, the one from the first half of the year that appeals to me the most is Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward. Hayward’s debut novel, Deathworlder will pit two of this universe’s best jungle fighters against each other, as the human Catachan troopers attempt to navigate a world actively being consumed by the insidious alien Tyranids. This will probably end up being a disturbing and grim survivalist adventure, and I know I will love every second of it.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan – 7 May 2024

One of the books I’m particularly excited for this year is the excellent fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. This awesome novel will follow a disappointing and caddish heir to a noble house who is thrust into a leadership position and must find out who is responsible for his father’s death in a deadly city of rogues and liars. I love the sound of this book and it has the potential to be one of the best debuts of 2024.

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton – 21 May 2024

An awesome science fiction murder mystery that I am really looking forward to in 2024 is the intriguing and complex The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. Set in the last human settlement after a mysterious apocalypse, the book will see a deadly murder occurs that threatens the entire colony. To stay alive the protagonists will need to solve the murder before their sanctuary is destroyed, however, the settlement’s security protocols have been activated and erased everyone’s memory of the night in question, even the killers. Bound to be one of the most compelling and unique murder mysteries of 2024, I am very hyped for The Last Murder at the End of the World, and this should be an exceptional read from Turton.

Necrotek by Jonathan Maberry – 28 May 2024

One of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, returns with an awesome and intense new book in 2024, with Necrotek. Maberry, who deeply impressed me with his 2023 releases, Son of the Poison Rose and Cave 13 (both of which were amongst my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), has a great writing style and I look forward to seeing how it translates across to the science fiction genre with Necrotek. Featuring a dark and horror themed narrative, Necrotek will be Maberry’s first pure science fiction novel, and I cannot wait to dive into his elaborate tale of eldritch space horrors, ancient alien technology, and immortal souls being lodged in deadly machinery. I have no doubt this will be one of my favourite books of 2024 and I am so damn excited for it.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 4 June 2024

Another outstanding Adrian Tchaikovsky novel coming out in the first half of 2024 is the epic sounding Service Model. Following a service robot who gains sentience and decides to rebel against its human masters, Service Model has a particularly entertaining plot behind it that looks to be quite amusing while also serving as a critique humanity’s growing reliance on technology. This honestly sounds like one of the funniest books of the year, and I look forward to seeing even more outrageous adventures, witty comedy and intense social commentary from one of science fiction’s top authors.

Well, that’s the end of this first 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. 2024 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 year. 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 2024. Make sure to also check out my other Top Ten List that looks at the top upcoming books of 2024 from the other genres.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2023-24 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

On November 28, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 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 Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week looked at books set in specific location or period of the blogger’s choice. However, as I’m mucking around with my Top Ten List schedule, I actually did this list last week when I covered my favourite books set in the Roman Empire. As a result, I have a topic free this week and as we are just about to enter Summer (Winter for those up in the Norther Hemisphere) I decided to move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to-be-read (TBR) for the following three months. This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I honestly should have pulled this together a couple of weeks ago.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 December 2023 and 29 February 2024. 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 the top books from each respective 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 reads of their respective years.

Honourable Mentions:

Midnight by Amy McCulloch – 2 January 2024

Midnight Cover

A cool science fiction mystery that I’m keen to sink my teeth into.

The Burning Land by David Hair – 1 February 2024

The Burning Land Cover

The compelling start to a new fantasy series.

The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green – 6 February 2024

The Holy Terrors Cover

A fun sounding horror book that parodies reality television.

Top Ten List (by release date):

House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 7 December 2023

House of Open Wounds Cover

Let us start this list off with a book I actually started reading today, House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A dark and complex fantasy novel that follows the deranged inhabitants of an experimental magical healing unit in a hostile army, House of Open Wounds is the sequel to Tchaikovsky’s City of Last Chances, which is one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023. I’m currently around 150 pages into House of Open Wounds and I am loving the complex, multi-character narrative that sees a huge cast of distinctive and troubled figures attempt to survive in a cruel world. Featuring a brilliant story and Tchaikovsky’s trademark inventive setting, House of Open Wounds is an amazing read and one I look forward to reviewing in the coming weeks.

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga – 2 January 2024

The Ascent Cover

A fun and action-packed debut thriller that will see a former cop attempt to survive a rioting prison filled with deadly convicts. The Ascent is going to be a very entertaining book and I am sure I will have a blast getting through it.

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont – 3 January 2024

Dark Arena Cover

An awesome book coming out very early in 2024 is Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont. The sequel to one of my favourite debuts from 2021, The Frenchman, Dark Arena looks set to continue Beaumont’s compelling and detailed depiction of French espionage, this time hunting down a mysterious group of operators seeking to destabilise Europe.

Goodbye Girl by James Grippando – 9 January 2024

Goodbye Girl Cover

A fun upcoming legal thriller from a new-to-me author that will see a lawyer get dragged into a contentious case involving internet piracy, music contracts and bad romances. However, the case gets even more complicated when both the protagonist’s client, and the ex-husband suing her, are charged with the same murder. I love the sound of the amazing plot for the next upcoming book by James Grippando and Goodbye Girl should prove to be an excellent read.

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2024

The Ghost Orchid Cover

A series I have really grown to love reading at the start of each year is the amazing long-running Alex Delaware murder mystery series by Jonathan Kellerman. Following a psychiatrist and a detective who team up to solve unusual murders in L.A., the Alex Delaware books are really impressive pieces of crime fiction and I always get drawn into Kellerman’s amazing narratives such as those of The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History. The next book in the series, The Ghost Orchid, will see the protagonists investigate a double homicide of two wealthy lovers with troubled pasts. Sure to be a complicated mystery with loads of compelling suspects, I cannot wait to dive into The Ghost Orchid and it should be something special.

Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz – 13 February 2024

Lone Wolf Cover

Gregg Hurwitz look set to continue his outstanding Orphan X series in early 2024 with the excellent sounding Lone Wolf. This series, which has featured awesome books like Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan, follows a fugitive government assassin codenamed Orphan X, who attempts to save people as a secretive vigilante. This latest book will see an emotionally compromised Orphan X go up against a mysterious billionaire and a deadly serial killer, which is sure to result in an outstanding story. I am very excited for this novel and it should turn out to be pretty awesome.

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox – 13 February 2024

The Murder Inn Cover

An intriguing new thriller from the winning team of the legendary James Patterson and Australian author Candice Fox. The sequel to one of their previous collaborations, The Murder Inn looks set to be an intense and quick paced book, loaded with intrigue and murder.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett – 13 February 2024

The Tainted Cup Cover

I had to feature the awesome upcoming fantasy novel The Tainted Cup by the always impressive Robert Jackson Bennett. The start of an intriguing new series from Bennett, The Tainted Cup will see an intriguing duo investigate a mysterious magical death, one that could change everything and doom their entire nation. The Tainted Cup sounds like a wonderful character driven fantasy book with a great murder mystery element to it, and Bennett has proven to be an exceptional author in the past. As such, I am very keen for The Tainted Cup, and I feel it has the potential to be one of the top fantasy books of 2024.

The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney – 20 February 2024

The Chaos Agent Cover

Perhaps the book I’m most excited for at the start of 2024 is The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney, which will serve as the 13^th novel in his epic Gray Man series. I have had a blast with this series over the years, and previous novels like The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless, Sierra Six and Burner have all been exceptional reads, loaded with action, clever narratives and damaged characters. The Chaos Agent looks set to continue this trend with an intriguing new adventure which will force the protagonist to go up against old friends and new enemies as he tries to stop a plot involving artificial intelligence.

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry – 20 February 2024

The Atlas Maneuver Cover

The final entry I want to highlight on this list is the fantastic upcoming thriller The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry. The latest book in Berry’s long-running Cotton Malone series (make sure to check out my reviews for previous entries like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom), The Atlas Maneuver will see the protagonist become involved in an insidious financial attack linked to looted Japanese war gold and a long-simmering war between the CIA and the world’s oldest bank. Sure to feature Berry’s trademark blend of an exciting and suspenseful modern thriller and fascinating historical secrets, I already know I am going to love The Atlas Maneuver and it is going to be so much fun.

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.