Tag: The Forsaken Trilogy

Top Ten Tuesday – Series or Authors I Need to Catch Up On

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 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.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants need to list their top series that they need to catch up on.  I felt this was a very interesting list to get involved with, as there are several awesome series out there that I’ve partially read, or whose authors I’m already familiar with that I need to read more from.  I ended up coming up with 10 excellent entries for this list, as well as some great honourable mentions.  I honestly really need to explore each of these series a lot more and hopefully including them here will inspire me.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Empire series by Anthony Riches

An exciting and well-written historical fiction series set in ancient Rome.  I’ve read a few books in this series, including the 11th book River of Gold, but I’ll probably jump back to the start and read the series in its entirety.

 

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin

A big series with a lot of baggage around it.  I’ve already read A Game of Thrones, but I really need to read all the other book, especially as I’m curious about how the show diverged from the book plot.  The size of these books and how long they will take me to read them are generally the main reason I haven’t dived into this series yet, although I would probably try if the next book in the series ever gets released.

 

Flavia Albia/Falco series by Lindsey Davis

I’ve currently a few books behind on the Flavia Albia series, which I hope to catch up to at some point.  I also really need to read Davis’ original Falco series set before it.

 

Warhammer: The Horus Heresy by various authors

An incredibly complex and elaborate Warhammer series that serves as an extended origin story for the current Warhammer 40,000 canon.  I’ve so far only touched the edges of this combined series, and I hope to take the time and probably read the entire thing at some point (although it’s another major time investment).

Top Ten List:

The Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan

First on this list we have the very awesome Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan.  An exceptional fantasy series that follows revolution and civil war involving gunpowder snorting mages, The Powder Mage trilogy is a major series with some epic action behind it.  I’ve already started this series by powering through the first book, Promise of Blood, which was an outstanding five-star read.  However, I never got the chance to dive into the rest of the books, which is something I’ve really regretted.  I fully intend to read the rest of The Powder Mage novels at some point, and this will probably lead me to the sequel Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy.  An excellent first entry for this list, and one which is a real reading priority for me.

 

Warhammer 40,000: Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett

In this next entry we have a series that I’ve already made a fair bit of progress with, the Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett.  One of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow the exploits of a regiment of regular human soldiers, attempting to survive in the grimdark Warhammer universe.  I have had an exceptional time with this series, which has featured some amazing books like First and Only, Necropolis, The Guns of Tanith and Straight Silver.  I have so far read seven Gaunt’s Ghosts books, but stopped after Sabbat Martyr, which served as a the end point for an arc within the series.  I honestly needed a break after some key deaths in the last few Gaunt’s Ghosts books, and I’ve been distracted with some other Warhammer novels the last few years.  I will hopefully start diving into this series again soon, as it is a key series that any Warhammer fan really needs to check out, and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

 

Infinite Timeline by Jeremy Robinson

One of the more unique series on this list is the elaborate Infinite Timeline series by science fiction thriller author Jeremy Robinson.  Initially made up of several seemingly standalone novels with unique storylines, Robinson sought to make a connected universe, when the protagonists of each book eventually interacting and working together to face a larger threat.  I managed to read several books in this series, including Tribe, The Dark and Mind Bullet, but due to coming in a little late, I never got the chance to really sink my teeth into it.  I’m hoping to go back and read more from this series in the future, although Robinson is keeping me distracted with some of his more recent releases.  Overall, though, this was a very cool series concept, and I hope I get the chance to read all the thrilling stories within, especially the awesome sounding Khaos.

 

The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson

One of the big fantasy series I really need to continue is the iconic The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. One of the author’s biggest series (literally), The Stormlight Archives follows several unique characters in a ravaged fantasy realm of spirits and complex magical items.  I really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Way of Kings, which does a wonderful job of setting up the series and which remains the longest audiobook I have ever listened to. However, the insane length of each book in the series is a major reason why I haven’t had the time to keep going with this series.  I’m hoping to eventually scratch together some time to listen to The Stormlight Archive, and I’m very curious to see how this series continues.  I’m also keen to check out Sanderson’s Mistborn series at some point, as I’ve heard it’s exceptional.

 

Batman by Tom King

I don’t have a lot of unfinished comic series on my lists, but one I definitely still need to finish off is Tom King’s run on Batman.  An extended run of 85 issues, King stewardship of Batman produced some particularly powerful storylines that really dove into the character of Batman and the minds of his damaged rogue’s gallery.  I loved every volume of this series I have so far read, although I haven’t had the chance to get into some of the later volumes.  This is a mistake I really must fix, especially as these remaining volumes feature some key moments in the wider Batman mythos.

 

Warhammer Fantasy: Gotrek and Felix series

Probably one of the most iconic series released in the wider Warhammer universe, are the fantasy Gotrek and Felix books.  Following a doomed dwarf slayer, determined to find death in glorious battle, and his human companion as they adventure across the cursed Warhammer Fantasy realm, the Gotrek and Felix books are a fantastic series I had an amazing time getting into.  I’m currently about seven books into this series, having powered through great entries like Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer and Giantslayer.  I’ve stalled a little with the series because Giantslayer was the last Gotrek and Felix book written by original author William King.  I’ve heard that the rest of the series is pretty awesome, and I need to make the jump into the next arc written by Nathan Long.

 

The Great Leveller Trilogy (The First Law series) by Joe Abercrombie

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am massive fan of Joe Abercrombie and his extended First Law series, including the books in the Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds).  However, I have consistently failed to read the loosely connected Great Leveller trilogy that sits between the original First Law trilogy and the later Age of Madness trilogy.  Made up of three standalone books, Best Served Cold, The Heroes and Red Country, this trilogy is apparently some of Abercrombie’s best writing and I’ve always kicked myself for not reading it sooner.

 

Forsaken trilogy by R. J. Barker

One of the series I haven’t quite started but need to get into is the Forsaken series by R. J. Barker.  Barker is a very talented author who has been writing some amazing and varied series over the last few years, including his Wounded Kingdom (Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) and Tide Child trilogies (The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake).  I’m also currently nearing the end of his latest novel, Mortedant’s Peril, which is so damn good and is really convincing me to read more of Barker’s work.  As such, I feel that I need to mention the Forsaken books here, which is a series that I completely failed to read, despite having every intention to check out.  Filled with heroes, gods, failed prophecies and continuous winter, all three Forsaken books sounded incredible, but I never had the time to read them.  This is something I need to fix, and this entire trilogy is very high of my must-read list, especially as everything Barker writes is so damn addictive and complex.

 

Sigma Force by James Rollins

Years ago, I had the pleasure of reading some of the earlier books in James Rollins’ Sigma Force series.  A fun thriller series that followed a secretive special forces team as they investigate several unusual events around the world; the Sigma Force books are a major action series with some very crazy cases.  I have long meant to get back into the Sigma Force books, and I really want to start from the beginning and follow it through to some of it’s outrageous sounding latest entries.  I have a feeling that I will have an exceptional time starting this series again, and I’m curious to see just how weird things get in the Sigma Force books.

 

The Buccaneers trilogy by R. A. Salvatore

I’m currently behind on a couple of series and trilogies released by legendary fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, but the one I most want to check out is The Buccaneers.  A compelling series set in Salvatore’s Corona universe, The Buccaneers trilogy serves as a both a continuation of some storylines started in the classic Demon War Saga, as well as the more recent The Coven trilogy (Child of a Mad God, Reckoning of Fallen Gods and Song of the Risen God).  I’m very curious to check out this more nautical themed fantasy series, and it will be interest to see how Salvatore’s awesome overarching narratives continue.  A fantastic series that serves as an excellent final entry for this list.

 

Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, there are some amazing series out there that I need to get back into.  I’m pretty happy with how this list came together, and hopefully I will be able to find the time to go back and read this series soon.  Let me know what series and authors you need to catch up on in the comments below.

Waiting on Wednesday – Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

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.  For this latest entry I look at one of my most anticipated fantasy releases of 2023 with Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker.

Gods of the Wyrdwood Cover

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There have been some outstanding fantasy works in the last few years and I have been lucky enough to experience a range of talented authors and fantastic stories.  However, few authors have engaged me with their creativity, cleverness and ability to bring complex characters to life than the phenomenal and continually improving author, R. J. Barker.  Barker debuted back in 2017 with his debut novel, Age of Assassins that kicked off The Wounded Kingdom trilogy.  Following an assassin and his master as they attempt to unravel a political conspiracy in a dark castle, Age of Assassins was an awesome book that served as a great introduction to Barker’s writing style.  However, Age of Assassins was only the start, as he soon followed up this first book with two epic sequels, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins, both of which saw the aging protagonist become involved in several elaborate plots and battles as he tries to keep his king/best friend alive.  Both these novels were extremely good and Barker seemed to markedly improve with each book, with King of Assassins being an exceptional, five-star read in my opinion, especially with its many dark twists.

As such, by the end of The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, I was very impressed with Barker as an author, however, Barker was just getting started.  In 2019, only two years after his debut, Barker unleashed a second trilogy with The Tide Child series.  Set in a whole new fantasy world, The Tide Child trilogy was an intriguing nautical-based dark fantasy that followed a crew of a condemned ship, made of dragon bone, as they attempt to survive the dark machinations of a corrupt government while attempting to bring back the ancient sea dragons previously hunted to extinction.  This incredible trilogy stated with The Bone Ships (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), an excellent and powerful read that perfectly introduced the trilogy’s main characters and showcased just how far Barker had come as an author as he seamlessly dived into a whole new sub-genre of fantasy fiction by pulling together an epic tale on the high seas.  The following two novels, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), were incredible sequels the expertly continued the great story while providing some powerful development to the main character.  Everything was given a dramatic and fitting ending in the final novel and The Tide Child series ended up being one of the very best trilogies I have ever read.

Naturally, after how exceptional his first two trilogies have been, I have been quite eager to see what this talented author would do next and I am deeply excited to see what new and elaborate fantasy setting and scenario he brings together.  Well, after a couple of years of waiting, my fantasy fiction prayers are about to be answered as a brand-new R. J. Barker series is set to start in June 2023.

This new Barker series will be known as the Forsaken trilogy and will once again be set in a new dark fantasy world.  The first book in this Forsaken series will be the 2023 release, Gods of the Wyrdwood, which they just released an epic cover for.  This new book has a very intriguing narrative to it and I have been very excited by all the cool details that have been revealed.

Plot Synopsis:

In a world locked in eternal winter and haunted by prophecy, a young boy trains for years to become the Chosen One, only for another to rise and claim his place in the start of an unmissable epic from a rising star in fantasy.

The northlands of Crua are locked in eternal winter, but prophecy tells of the chosen child – who will rule in the name of their God, and take warmth back from the South. Cahal du Nahere was raised to be this person: the Cowl-Rai, the saviour. Taken from his parents and prepared for his destiny.

But his time never came.

When he was fifteen he ceased to matter. Another Cowl-Rai had risen, another chosen one, raised in the name of a different God. The years of vicious physical and mental training he had endured, the sacrifice, all for nothing. He became nothing.

Twenty years later, and Cahal lives a life of secrecy on the edges of Crua’s giant forests – hiding what he is, running from what he can do. But when he is forced to reveal his true nature, he sets off a sequence of events that will reveal secrets that will shake the bedrock of his entire world, and expose lies that have persisted for generations.

So Barker is going to put his own unique spin on the classic ‘Chosen One’ storyline, yeah now that is something I can really get behind.  I already knew that I was going to love this awesome book, but damn me if that above awesome synopsis hasn’t gotten me extra excited.  I am extremely intrigued with the idea of the story following a chosen child who is replaced and made obsolete by another rising chosen champion, especially as it going to play into the larger storyline and the character’s growth so extremely well.  I can just imagine how much chaos the character is going to unleash when he reveals his existence to the world, and I am sure that every damn second of it is going to be glorious.  Thrown in an inventive and cool new fantasy world from Barker, this time an ice-locked wilderness, and I am very damn sure that this is going to be another exceptional novel.

Look, based on how much I raved about Barker at the start of this article, I doubt anyone is too surprised that I have some very high hopes for Gods of the Wyrdwood.  This author has produced some truly epic and exceptional works over the years, and it honestly seems to me that everything he touches turns to gold.  As such, I was already pretty damn excited for this book, and the powerful plot synopsis and the very striking cover has only reinforced this.  As such, I fully expect Gods of the Wyrdwood to be one of the very best books of 2023 and I intend to grab it the second that it comes out.  Everything about this book, from the story to the author, is already very outstanding and my mind, and I cannot wait to see what magic Barker weaves in this promising upcoming trilogy.

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