WWW Wednesday – 7 August 2024

On August 8, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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:

A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist (ebook)

I just started reading the new Raymond E. Feist novel, A Darkness Returns. An intriguing high fantasy novel, A Darkness Returns sets up a cool new series from Feist that brings together two of his prior series set on different worlds. I am already really enjoying this book, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

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Warhammer 40,000: Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)

I was still in a big Warhammer mood this week, so I decided to listen to the latest Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives. Written by Mike Brooks, who has released several amazing Warhammer novels in recent years, this new book will follow members of the canon’s most duplicitous race, as they battle for power and their immortal souls. I’ve only made a little bit of progress on this book so far, but I am very intrigued by its cool plot. Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives is a relatively short Warhammer audiobook, so I will probably finish it off in the next couple of days, and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Outsider by Stephen King (Audiobook)

I quickly finished off the audiobook of The Outsider by Stephen King this week, and boy was it epic. One of the better Stephen King novels I have so far read, I cannot wait to review it.

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Sentinel by Mark Greaney (Trade Paperback)

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A sequel to Greaney’s previous novel, Armored, Sentinel was an intense and deeply exciting action read that proves hard to put down.

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Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick (Audiobook)

A fantastically over-the-top Warhammer 40,000 novel that follows the very best of the bad guys. I just finished this audiobook off, and it was pretty damn awesome. Easily one of the best debuts I have so far read this year.

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The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey (Trade Paperback)

The team behind The Expanse, James S. A. Corey, produced another exceptional science fiction read with The Mercy of the Gods. Epic in scope and plot, this was one of the very best science fiction books of 2024.

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Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell (Trade Paperback)

An intriguing murder mystery novel set in the Marvel universe and following the damaged figure of Jessica Jones as she investigates an unusual crime. Breaking the Dark was an outstanding read, and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Confessions of the Dead by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

If I manage to get through my current book this week, I will probably start reading the compelling sounding thriller, Confessions of the Dead next. A dark and chilling read, Confessions of the Dead has a lot of potential, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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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.

Book Haul – 8 July 2024

On July 8, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I have been having another excellent couple of weeks for books, and I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels primarily from Netgalley. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.

The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey

The Mercy of Gods Cover

The first recently received book I want to highlight in this Book Haul is the very intriguing The Mercy of Gods. The new novel by James S. A. Corey, the writing team behind the legendary Expanse books, The Mercy of Gods is a bold new novel that will see the best and brightest from a human planet abducted by aliens to take place in a competition to inherit the galaxy. The Mercy of Gods sounds so damn interesting, and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the top science fiction books of 2024. One of my most anticipated books of the year, I cannot wait to read it.

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The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston

The Last Shield Cover

The next book I was lucky enough to receive was one of my most anticipated fantasy novels, The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston. A dark fantasy novel that will apparently serve as a gender-bent Die Hard focused around a brutal heist of magical artefacts, The Last Shield sounds pretty damn incredible, and I am very, very excited to read it.

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Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

Witness 8 Cover

Another exceptional novel I was extremely happy to get my hands on was Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh. The latest book in Cavanagh’s long-running Eddie Flynn series, Witness 8 will be a fun and unique legal thriller that will see the lawyer protagonist attempt to defend an innocent client being framed by a deranged witness. I have so much love for this awesome series, and this is easily one of my most anticipated upcoming thrillers of 2024.

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Terra Incognita by Simon Turney

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I was surprised to see that Simon Turney had a second historical novel coming out in 2024, especially after enjoying his fantastic book Agricola: Invader, earlier this year. However, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially as Terra Incognita sounds very cool. Set to follow a group of Roman soldiers sent by Nero to discover the source of the Nile River, Terra Incognita is going to be a fantastic historical adventure that I cannot wait to check out.

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The Out-of-Town Lawyer by Robert Rotstein

The Out-of-Town Lawyer Cover

I have been having a lot of luck with legal thrillers in 2024, and my next foray into this genre is The Out-of-Town Lawyer by acclaimed author Robert Rotstein. Set to follow a travelling lawyer who returns to his hometown to represent a woman in a particularly controversial trial, The Out-of-Town Lawyer sounds deeply compelling, and I am curious to see how it will turn out.

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A Good Deliverance by Toby Clements

A Good Deliverance Cover

Another fantastic historical novel I recently received was the interesting novel, A Good Deliverance by Toby Clements. Set to follow a fictionalised life story of the man responsible for the established stories of King Arthur and Camelot, A Good Deliverance is going to be one of the more unique historical fiction novels of 2024. I have read several of Clements’ books in the past, and I look forward to diving into this powerful and fascinating new novel.

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Danube Legion by Laurence Read

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Another particularly cool historical fiction novel I recently received was Danube Legion by Laurence Read. An interesting take on the classic Roman military fiction narrative, Danube Legion will focus on the logistics behind the deployment of a Roman legion, rather than the battle itself. I love the fantastic concept behind this book, especially as it will deal more with intrigue, politics and personal tales than all-out-battle, and I look forward to seeing how it works out.

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The Knife and the Serpent by Tim Pratt

The Knife and the Serpent Cover

The final recently received novel I want to highlight in this Book Haul post is The Knife and the Serpent by Tim Pratt. A fun and exciting science fiction adventure novel, The Knife and the Serpent has a wonderful sounding story behind it, and I am hoping to read it soon.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2024 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On June 25, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction13 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 this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2024. 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.

2024 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 2024. 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 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 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons – 9 July 2024

An intriguing fantasy heist novel that will see a fugitive girl and her dragon work with a team to break into a heavily guarded vault in a floating dragon castle.

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Saturation Point by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 30 July 2024

Another unique science fiction read from the highly inventive Adrian Tchaikovsky.

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Good Boys by Jeremy Robinson – 20 August 2024

Jeremy Robinson looks to impress with his second book of 2024, the alien focussed novel, Good Boys.

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Star Wars: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes – 15 October 2024

An awesome Star Wars novel that will focus on the legendary Mace Windu.

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Top Ten List:

Deep Black by Miles Cameron – 1 August 2024

The first upcoming book I want to highlight on this list is the excellent science fiction novel, Deep Black by Miles Cameron. A sequel to his previous novel, Artifact Space, Deep Black will follow a massive interstellar trading ship, known as a Greatship, as it tries to make its treacherous journey home. Set to combine elaborate science fiction elements with a compelling thriller storyline, Deep Black should be an outstanding read.

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The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey – 6 August 2024

The masterminds behind The Expanse series return with a bold new book, The Mercy of Gods. The Mercy of Gods will see vestiges of humanity stolen away by an advanced alien species so that they can compete in elaborate games to become their new master’s favoured race. This book sounds so damn awesome, especially as it will combine intricate alien political intrigue with some amazing science fiction elements. Set to introduce the next big science fiction series, The Mercy of Gods is going to be something epic and I was lucky enough to receive a copy of it earlier today.

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The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston – 13 August 2024

After wowing me with books like The Traitor God, God of Broken Things and The Maleficent Seven, Cameron Johnston returns in 2024 with another awesome dark fantasy novel, The Last Shield. Set to be a gender-bent, dark fantasy Die Hard, The Last Shield sounds pretty damn incredible and there is no way I won’t love this book.

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The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry – 20 August 2024

One of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, has been having an amazing couple of years across multiple genres. While I still need to read his science fiction novel from earlier this year, NecroTek, I am particularly excited for his next book, The Dragon in Winter. The third and final book in Maberry’s Kagen the Damned series, The Dragon in Winter looks set to be one of the absolute best dark fantasy novels of 2024 as the doomed protagonist finally faces off against his nemesis. The first two books in this series Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), were dark, extremely over-the-top, and excessively addictive, and I cannot wait to see how this dark series concludes.

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A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist – 20 August 2024

Legendary author Raymond E. Feist returns with A Darkness Returns, the first book in his new The Dragonwar Saga. This new series sounds really cool, especially as it will pull together his iconic Riftwar Cycle with his recent Firemane Saga (King of Ashes, Queen of Storms and Master of Furies). In particular, the plot of this book will split between the two different fantasy worlds of the respective series, as the protagonist attempt to save them from both mundane and dangerous interdimensional threats.

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A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan – 24 September 2024

One of the fantasy books I am really looking forward to this year is the awesome sounding new novel from Anthony Ryan, A Tide of Black Steel. Set in the same universe as the author’s epic The Covenant of Steel series (made up of The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor), A Tide of Black Steel will expand on the compelling fantasy world introduced in the first trilogy and take the reader on an intriguing new adventure. I am very excited to read this book, and I look forward to seeing how Ryan will connect this new novel with his previous series.

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Darkside by Michael Mammay – 24 September 2024

One of my favourite science fiction thriller series returns with the upcoming book Darkside by Michael Mammay. The fourth entry in the amazing Planetside series, Darkside follows on from the exceptional novels, Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside, and will bring back Mammay’s retired solider protagonist for another intrigue laden adventure. This time the protagonist will be forced to go up against two corrupt corporations he has previously annoyed, while investigating another missing person’s case at a mining operation on an isolated moon. Mammay has deeply impressed me over the years with his outstanding writing, and Darkside is going to be a particularly gripping read.

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The Fury of Gods by John Gwynne – 24 October 2024

John Gwynne looks set to bring his epic The Bloodsworn Saga to an end in a big way with the upcoming novel, The Fury of the Gods. Concluding an extremely epic trilogy, that includes The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods, The Fury of the Gods will showcase the final battle between warring mortals and returning gods, as all hell literally threatens to break out throughout Gwynne’s intriguing new fantasy nation. I have deeply enjoyed this amazing, character-driven series of the last few years, and I look forward to seeing how Gwynne wraps everything up. Also, it needs to be said that The Fury of Gods has the best cover out of all the books I am highlighting tonight.

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The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso – 26 November 2024

Another favourite fantasy author of mine, Melissa Caruso, has a great new book coming out later this year that I am very excited for. This novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, will feature a complex and entertaining fantasy mystery, as two rivals attempt to work together to investigate a reality bending magical event killing people. I love the sound of this intriguing new novel and I have a feeling The Last Hour Between Worlds is going to be one of the most compelling books of 2024.

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Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 5 December 2024

The final upcoming novel I want to highlight on this list is the outstanding and fun Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosopher’s series, Days of Shattered Faith will continue the loosely connected events of the previous books, City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds. This third book will see two new protagonists, unusual ambassadors from an oppressive and zealous nation, attempt to survive a deadly city where everything goes. This should be a pretty wild and entertaining novel with some subtle underlying messages, and I cannot wait to see the elaborate and inventive adventure that Tchaikovsky comes up with. Due to how epic the previous two books were, this should be something very special and impressive, and Tchaikovsky has yet to produce something I didn’t love to death.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Winter 2024 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

On June 5, 2024 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 requires participants to talk about books that they had very strong emotions about. While this is an interesting topic, and one that I may come back to in the future, I am instead going to look at some upcoming books. That is because today is the first Tuesday of June, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read in Winter (Summer for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 June 2024 and 31 August 2024 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson – 3 June 2024

Eruption Cover

An explosive thriller from two of the world’s most recognisable authors, I’m sure this is going to be awesome.

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Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart – 11 June 2024

Assassins Anonymous Cover

Assassins trying to quit the killing game getting into all manner of trouble, what’s not to love?

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Saturation Point by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 30 July 2024

Saturation Point Cover

An intriguing and exciting science fiction read from a particularly talented author.

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The First Murder on Mars by Sam Wilson – 13 August 2024

The First Murder on Mars Cover

The title says it all, with readers in for a fun science fiction murder mystery.

Top Ten List:

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 4 June 2024

Service Model Cover

After wowing me last year with books like City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, acclaimed author Adrian Tchaikovsky is on a real roll, delivering several intriguing novels in 2024. The one I’m most excited for in the next three months is Service Model, which sees a robot gain murderous sentience and escape into a world were humans are dying out after relying on the robot underclass for too-long. This book sounds both funny and clever and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Sentinel by Mark Greaney – 25 June 2024

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Thriller author Mark Greaney follows up his action-packed thriller Armored with the intriguing read Sentinel. This time the bodyguard protagonist finds himself, his wife and his protectees caught up in a deadly coup and must escape a warring country and the Chinese hit squad instigating events.

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The Wrong Man by Tim Ayliffe – 3 July 2024

The Wrong Man Cover

One of my favourite Australian crime fiction series continues this year with The Wrong Man by Tim Ayliffe. Following on from previous John Bailey novels, The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within and Killer Traitor Spy, The Wrong Man sees the journalist protagonist investigate two murders separated by 10 years, which might point to the innocence of a convicted serial killer. I have a lot of love for this series, and I cannot wait to see how Ayliffe continues it.

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons – 9 July 2024

The Sky on Fire Cover

An intriguing fantasy novel that sees a girl and her dragon recruited into a heist gang that looks to loot a dangerous dragon city. This should be a pretty epic read and I love the concept behind it.

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Deep Black by Miles Cameron – 1 August 2024

Deep Black Cover

A complex and intense science fiction novel that will serve as a sequel to Cameron’s previous novel, Artifact Space, one of my favourite books of 2021. This sequel will see the massive Greatship attempt to escape a plot to destroy humanity’s trade with a mysterious alien species.

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The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey – 6 August 2024

The Mercy of Gods Cover

From the exceptional team that brought you The Expanse series comes a complex new novel in The Mercy of Gods. This compelling new novel will see the best of humanity kidnapped by an ancient alien species to participate in a deadly game of intrigue and manipulation against an array of other captive races. The Mercy of Gods sounds so damn epic and I have no doubt it is going to be one of the very best science fiction novels of 2024.

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Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh – 13 August 2024

Witness 8 Cover

Steve Cavanagh continues his deeply entertaining Eddie Flynn legal thriller series with Witness 8. I really enjoyed the last few entries in this series, including The Devil’s Advocate and The Accomplice, and this upcoming book will see the former con-man protagonist attempt to save an innocent man from a deranged witness with a murderous plan.

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The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston – 13 August 2024

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A female led, Die Hard inspired dark fantasy series from the author who brought me The Traitor God, God of Broken Things and The Maleficent Seven, this is a must read for me and I know it is going to be one of the most exciting fantasy books of the year.

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The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry – 20 August 2024

The Dragon in Winter Cover

One of my favourite authors returns with the third and final book in his Kagen the Damned series, The Dragon in Winter. Following on from his dark and brutal novels, Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023). The Dragon in Winter will see the damaged protagonist finally face of against the deranged Witch-King who destroyed everything he loved. I cannot wait to see how this series comes to an end.

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A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist – 20 August 2024

A Darkness Returns Cover

The final upcoming book that I want to highlight is A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist. A book that brings together Feist’s iconic Riftwar Saga with his more recent Firemane books (King of Ashes, Queen of Storms and Master of Furies). I look forward to seeing this new series from one of my favourite fantasy authors and I know I’m going to love it.

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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 awesome.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey

On January 10, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday8 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. In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight probably the most anticipated science fiction release of 2024 with The Mercy of Gods, written by the brains behind The Expanse series, James S. A. Corey.

The Mercy of Gods Cover

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There are many great science fiction series out there, but few have gained the love, fandom and recognition that The Expanse books by James S. A. Corey have. The joint pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, both of whom are impressive authors in their own right, James S. A. Corey have been writing together since 2011 and while they have authored other works, specifically a Star Wars novel (Honor Among Thieves), they team is best known for their highly regarded The Expanse series. Set in the future, The Expanse deals with war, intrigue, politics and murder in space, with events becomes even more intense and destructive once ancient alien technology and life forms are discovered. While this series was always highly regarded by fans of science fiction novels, The Expanse gained even more recognition when its excellent television adaptation came out.

I personally came into The Expanse books a bit later than other readers, having only read the last three novels in the series, Persepolis Rising, Tiamat’s Wrath and Leviathan Falls. While I might not have explored the whole series, I still really enjoyed these last three novels, with Tiamat’s Wrath being one of my top books and audiobooks of 2019. I do wish I had come into this series at the beginning, but I never had the time to fit it into my schedule. However, it looks like I’ll be able to start one of their series from the beginning thanks to the upcoming book The Mercy of Gods.

The Mercy of Gods is another piece of epic science fiction and will be the first entry in The Captive’s War series, the first original series from the pair since they started The Expanse. The Mercy of Gods has an impressive plot behind it that will see the inhabitants of a human world get enslaved by a powerful alien race and forced to face off against other captured alien species in an elaborate competition.

Plot Synopsis:

How humanity came to the planet called Anjiin is lost in the fog of history, but that history is about to end.

The Carryx—part empire, part hive—have waged wars of conquest for centuries, destroying or enslaving species across the galaxy. Now, they are facing a great and deathless enemy. The key to their survival may rest with the humans of Anjiin.

Caught up in academic intrigue and affairs of the heart, Dafyd Alkhor is pleased just to be an assistant to a brilliant scientist and his celebrated research team. Then the Carryx ships descend, decimating the human population and taking the best and brightest of Anjiin society away to serve on the Carryx homeworld, and Dafyd is swept along with them.

They are dropped in the middle of a struggle they barely understand, set in a competition against the other captive species with extinction as the price of failure. Only Dafyd and a handful of his companions see past the Darwinian contest to the deeper game that they must play to survive: learning to understand—and manipulate—the Carryx themselves.

With a noble but suicidal human rebellion on one hand and strange and murderous enemies on the other, the team pays a terrible price to become the trusted servants of their new rulers.

Dafyd Alkhor is a simple man swept up in events that are beyond his control and more vast than his imagination. He will become the champion of humanity and its betrayer, the most hated man in history and the guardian of his people.

This is where his story begins.

Ok, now this sounds like a book with some real potential. Putting aside the notable and highly proven writing skills of Corey, the plot alone of The Mercy of Gods has me pretty damn excited. I love the idea of humans being taken by an advanced alien race, who themselves are on the brink of extinction, which is a bold story idea to start with. However, combine that with an apparent dark competition arc, where the human protagonists need to compete against, betray and overcome other captive species to become their new master’s favoured servants, and you have something extremely special. An elaborate and deadly competition between species is such a great concept, and the fact that the authors are going to go even deeper than that with additional elements that look at the Carryx, a human rebellion, and murderous enemies attacking the protagonist, and you have one hell of an adventure that is sure to be particularly epic.

Based on the author’s writing style in the past, you must imagine that they are going to use this first book to set up a particularly intricate space setting, and no doubt all the competing alien races will have an intriguing history, unique features, and a proven desire to win and destroy the humans. The authors thrive when they get to deal in elaborate detail, and I cannot wait to see how they construct this new universe and the elaborate worlds and species featured within, especially as all these details are likely to have impacts on the larger story. The combination of unique science fiction elements and a dark story of desperate survivors and competitors is bound to result in something particularly impressive and I am really looking forward to it.

Honestly, the fact that this is the first book in a new series by James S. A. Corey instantly guaranteed that I would read The Mercy of Gods in 2024, and I am sure many other science fiction fans think the same way. However, I am also so in love with the extraordinary plot synopsis above and the incredible story it describes is something I cannot wait to see. As such, I have very little doubt that The Mercy of Gods is going to be a particularly epic and awesome novel, and it will probably end up being one of the top science fiction books of the year. I am so, very, very excited for The Mercy of Gods, and this new series from James S. A. Corey is going to be a firm fixture on my reading schedule for years to come.