Tag: The Will of the Many

The Strength of the Few by James Islington

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star BooksLeave a comment

Publisher: Text Publishing/Audible Studios (Audiobook – 11 November 2025)

Series: Hierarchy – Book Two

Length: 31 hours 8 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Australian author James Islington continues his Hierarchy series in epic form with the incredible and complex novel, The Strength of the Few, an outstanding and highly addictive fantasy novel that I had an incredible time getting through.

Back in 2023, I had the pleasure of reading the outstanding novel, The Will of the Many from James Islington, which I very quickly fell in love with.  Following a fugitive prince who finds himself enrolled in an academy for the children of the elite members of the nation that conquered his homeland, The Will of the Many had an intricate plot that forced the protagonist to deal with elaborate ancient puzzles, the unique magic of his world, unlikely friendships, deadly rebels, and all his hidden secrets potentially becoming uncovered.  I had such an amazing time reading The Will of the Many that it got a very easy five-star rating from me, and it ended up topping several of my end-of-year lists for 2023, including my favourite book, audiobook, new-to-me author and Australian fiction lists.  Unsurprisingly, I have been keen to see how the series would continue ever since I finished the final page of The Will of the Many, and the long-awaited sequel, The Strength of the Few, was one of my most anticipated novels of 2025.  I started reading The Strength of the Few the second I could, and it turned out to be another captivating read, with a plot that goes in some captivating and intense directions.

After infiltrating the Academy and running the mysterious Labyrinth, the man known to the Catenan Republic as Vis Telimus thought that he would finally understand some of the secrets of the nation that destroyed his people.  However, his encounters within the Labyrinth have instead resulted in the impossible and placed him in the firing line of an ancient evil determined to destroy his world.

While the original Vis continues to live in the Catenan Republic, attempting to avenge the massacre of his Academy classmates and friends at the Iudicium, he is unaware that the ancient devices within the Labyrinth replicated him across three separate words.  Mirrors of each other influenced and altered by different history, the worlds of Obiteum, Luceum and the world Vis already knows as Res, are divergent places, each with their own troubles, rulers and chaos.

Now one of the few beings existing across all three concurrent realities, Vis stands as the only person who can stop the upcoming Cataclysm that will burn away all he loves.  But first he needs to face the different challenges each world has for him, especially as he truly belongs in none of them.  Forced to fight, to learn how to control the unique powers his situation has granted him, and to understand the different worlds they find themselves in, all three versions of Vis will be pushed to their limits as they try to prove themselves and understand the secrets behind their unlikely journey.  If any version of Vis fails, then all their chance to stop the Cataclysm are finished.  But can Vis really survive in three separate realities, each of which is filled with beings who desperately want him dead?

Well damn, now that’s how you do a sequel.  The Strength of the Few was an incredible novel as James Islington expertly continued the elaborate and ambitious narrative of his epic Hierarchy books.  Featuring a layered story loaded with complex world-building, intricate story details and compelling characters, The Strength of the Few was an exceptional novel that gets a very easy five-star rating from me.

Islington came up with an especially complex and powerful story for The Strength of the Few, which served as a very worthy follow-up to the compelling events of the previous Hierarchy book.  Right out the gate readers are treated to an intricate plot, with the protagonist from The Will of the Many split into three different versions of himself in three separate mirror worlds.  Each version has its own very distinct narrative that revolves around that specific Vis trying to overcome the challenges of that specific world.  For example, the version of Vis on Res, the world that The Will of the Many was completely set in, continues to endure the politics of the Hierarchy, while also attempting to uncover those responsible for the massacre of his classmates at the end of the previous book.  The storyline set on Obiteum is a bit of a post-apocalyptic narrative, as Vis is forced to survive a broken world ruled by the enemy responsible for several previous Cataclysms, and must try to find a way into a forbidden city, half staffed by the living dead.  The final storyline set in Luceum offers a much more adventurous narrative, as a version of Vis that is completely unaware that he is in an alternate world, is forced to explore a new culture and attempt to survive amongst people who have no idea of his past or his destiny.

These three separate and very distinctive storylines each go in some interesting directions as the book continues, and the result is a very impressive and compelling overall narrative, especially as Islington expertly sets up necessary details in the early stages of the book and cleverly builds from there.  For most part, each of these storylines stay isolated, although some key details from each bleed into the wider narrative, and you can appreciate the significance of certain events or revelations in one storyline better thanks to the events in one of the other worlds.  Each plot line goes in some very interesting directions, with the dark politics of Res forcing Vis to engage in some complex schemes and deceptions, the struggles of Obiteum slowly getting to an isolated version of the protagonist, while positive character interactions in Luceum turn that Vis into a completely different person.  Islington starts to enhance the tension of all three storylines in the second part of the book, and there are some very amazing scenes that completely change the tone of each of the main storylines.  I felt the political instability of Res allowed for some particularly powerful moments, especially after a shocking scene about two-thirds of the way through book.  A growing war in Luceum also provides some compelling drama for that storyline, as Vis must decide what he wants in life, while the continued threat of discovery in Obiteum proves to be particularly draining.

The final third of the book contains some of the best scenes of The Strength of the Few, as Islington builds on all the novel’s great storytelling and complex worldbuilding to bring forth an epic conclusion.  Thrusting all three versions of Vis into mortal danger, the tension is particularly thick, as the protagonist and much of the supporting cast are in constant risk.  This includes a final desperate attempt to achieve his goal of killing a god in Obiteum, which hits a range of snags amongst the ancient city Vis has spent most of the book infiltrating.  At the same time, the Vis in Leceum finds himself in the middle of a deadly war, where his unique abilities and the unlikely rewards of a deadly ceremony weigh him down.  However, the most intense is the narrative set on Res, where Vis finds himself attempting to save who he can from the chaotic events brought on by those manipulating him.  Islington probably throws the book’s most shocking moments into the Res storyline, which nicely builds on a lot of the drama and intrigue from the first novel, and forces the protagonist to make some dark decisions, out of both vengeance and necessity.  One scene where the title of the book is quoted by an antagonist really sticks in the mind, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to forgive Islington with the dark bait-and-switch there.  All three of these storylines end on an interesting note that hint of destructive events for the future, and it is going to be fascinating to see how Islington continues the Hierarchy series going forward.

Thanks to the elaborate ideas that Islington had for this epic sequel, The Strength of the Few turned out to be an exceptionally written read, which provides an intense and compelling fantasy narrative, filled with some great emotional depth.  The inventive way that the author splits the book to follow three separate versions of the same protagonist worked surprisingly well, and it allowed for quite a unique character-driven story, which really showcases Islington’s writing ability.  I felt that the split between the three distinctive storylines was very well done, and these separate narrative threads each stood on their own merits, provide a distinctive experience in each.  I loved how there was something special in each of the storylines, and you got some interesting interactions, world building and different focuses with each of them.  All three were very well written, and there were honestly no weak links with any of the storylines, which is always a risk when you split the narrative like this.  I will say that the intrigue-laden narrative on Res was a particular favourite of mine, but both other storylines were also quite exceptional, and they balanced each other nicely with their alternating themes and varied character growth.  Throw in some creative expansion of the universe the narrative is set in, with its cool Will-based magic system, and three worlds each inspired by different ancient cultures (Roman, Egyptian and Celtic), and this was a very well written book, and I really appreciate how effectively Islington builds up his different worlds and showcases them to the reader.

The Strength of the Few proved to be an impressive continuation of the Hierarchy series, and I felt that Islington did an outstanding job building on the impressive fantasy elements and storylines of the first book.  However, the complex narrative split and the way that Islington dives immediately into the story does mean that The Strength of the Few is probably best enjoyed by those readers who have already gotten through The Will of the Many.  While Islington does re-examine key elements of the plot from the first book as The Strength of the Few continues, it is a very gradual process, and new readers trying to read the sequel first are likely to get confused if they don’t know some necessary details from the first book.  The Strength of the Few might have benefited from a good summary or recap at the front of the book to remind readers of some key details, especially if they haven’t had a chance to read re-read The Will of the Many since its 2023 release.  Still, for the most part, all readers should be able to follow and appreciate The Strength of the Few, especially once you get drawn into the three compelling storylines, and people who love extremely elaborate fantasy narratives with a lot of intricate detail are going to have an outstanding time.

I was once again impressed with Islington’s great characters in The Strength of the Few, as this book has a massive cast, made up of an interesting combination of figures from The Will of the Many, and new characters from the three separate worlds of the setting.  However, most of this book naturally follows the young protagonist from the first book, who is primarily known as Vis Telimus.  A studious and damaged figure who had already gone through a lot before the events of this novel, Vis has rather a unique experience in this sequel, as unbeknown to him, there are now three separate versions of him concurrently existing in the mirror worlds of this setting.

Islington perfectly sets up and utilises this three-way split of his protagonist, and readers are soon treated to three distinct variations of the protagonist, each of whom are altered by their experiences and losses, especially the two versions of Vis who lose their left arm.  It was fascinating to see how each of the Vises are influenced and changed by their respective traumas, and how their adventures are altered by the different information or people that they meet.  For example, the Vis in Res, who is essentially the same protagonist from The Will of the Many, finds himself longing for vengeance after the events of the Iudicium, and spends much of the book angry and forced to endure politics and lies.  The version of Vis on Luceum, while feeling lessened by the loss of his arm, soon finds peace in his new setting, and his eventual motivations for fighting and living are very different from his other incarnations, especially as he finds friends he can trust completely.  Finally, the Vis on Obiteum is one of the more confident incarnations of the protagonist, having full knowledge of the upcoming Cataclysm and his place in the three worlds explain early in the book.  As such, he soon becomes the most competent at utilising his Will talents and appears the most undamaged of the three due to not losing his arm.  However, in many ways the Obiteum Vis is the worst off out of all versions of the protagonist due to his isolation, the desolate surroundings, and the early expectations of murder and potential death that are thrust upon him.  I really cannot emphasise just how clever the split between these different variations of the protagonist is, especially with the subtle differences and alternate reactions to similar events or situations. It really makes for quite a distinctive and moving read, especially as all three versions of Vis experiences even greater trauma and damage as this sequel continues.

While Vis is the obvious focus of The Strength of the Few, there is a huge supporting cast utilised throughout this book, including various characters only found on each distinctive world.  Indeed, each version of Vis picks up its own supporting cast, which allows for some very different interactions in each of the major storylines.  Highlights include many of the recurring characters from the first book who serve as Vis’ friends and mentors in Res.  There is a particular focus on Eidhin and Aequa, who have an expanded role as Vis’s main confidants in this novel, and I liked some of the powerful storylines that formed around them.  Other major supporting characters from the first novel are showcased to a lesser extent in this sequel, primarily due to the book being split into three separate parts, although many of these characters still got a notable role in this sequel.

The cast supporting Vis on the desolate world of Obiteum is a lot more limited, mainly to emphasise the protagonist’s loneliness, although he does find a compelling mentor in Caeror, his adoptive uncle, who the protagonist was hunting for in the first book.  A couple of other native characters from Obiteum gain prominence later in this storyline as Vis attempts to complete his mission, and it is fascinating to see how their experiences living on a dead-world, impact their interactions with the protagonist.  Finally, the cast of the Luceum plotline represent a compelling counterpart to the supporting characters of the rest of the book.  While Vis has enemies in Luceum, he also finds several true friends who he can trust with all his secrets.  It was interesting to finally see Vis truly open up to other people, and it allowed for some very different interactions to the secrets and lies that define the protagonist in the other two storylines.  Throw in a compelling array of antagonists, as well as an entertaining manipulator who keeps chucking Vis into the deep end on Res, and this was an impressive cast for this great sequel.  It honestly was an extremely intriguing experience to have three separate casts of characters set around different versions of the protagonist.  While this narrative split did result in some restrictions when it came to character depth or a full exploration of relationships, I think the overall extended length of the book overcame this and allowed the reader to grow close to the supporting characters.  I will warn readers not to get too attached to the extended cast though, as Islington does get a little murderous as the book continues, however, all these characters are impressive while they last.

While I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy of The Strength of the Few, I ended up holding out for a little bit to listen to the audiobook version of this book instead.  I’m a big fan of audiobooks when it comes to ultra-elaborate fantasy narratives, as I tend to absorb and retain more of the details that way, and this worked out well with The Strength of the Few.  I felt that Islington’s complex story came across very effectively when read out, and all the elements, including the elaborate worldbuilding and the great character work, were well translated to the reader.  I also appreciated how the switches between the three different versions of the perspective protagonist, was easily discernible, and this was a very easy story to follow on audiobook.  The Strength of the Few audiobook saw the return of Euan Morton for narrator, who previously read out The Will of the Many, and who I quite enjoyed as a narrator of the Star Wars audiobook, Tarkin.  Morton has a very interesting cadence to his voice as a narrator, which provided a very unique edge to this audiobook.  While Morton’s narration style might not appeal to everyone, I felt that he did a good job voicing this compelling story, especially through the eyes of the complex protagonist, and his unique narration on this elaborate story worked extremely well.  I also felt that Morton excelled at pronouncing all the different names and titles that Islington featured in his plot, no matter their Roman, Celtic or Egyptian inspiration, and the characters of all three different worlds had a subtly different cadence and accent that helped to distinguish the separate storylines from each other.  As such, I really got stuck into this audiobook, powering through it quickly, even with its 31-hour runtime.  This was probably one of the more intense and moving fantasy audiobooks I had the pleasure of listening to in 2025, and I cannot recommend this format enough.

James Islington does it again with his incredible second Hierarchy novel, The Strength of the Few.  Brilliantly continuing his elaborate narrative from the first novel in a unique manner, The Strength of the Few was an ultra-addictive read, that really showcased Islington’s writing ability and imagination.  Clever, powerful and easy to get addicted to, The Strength of the Few was one of my favourite books of the year, and I cannot wait to see how Islington continues the series going forward.

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Waiting on Wednesday – The Strength of the Few by James Islington

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday10 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight a major 2025 release that a lot of fantasy fans have been eagerly waiting for, with The Strength of the Few by James Islington.

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Back in 2023 I was very lucky to read the brilliant novel, The Will of the Many by Australian author James Islington.  The first book of Islington’s I had the pleasure of reading, The Will of the Many was a captivating novel that followed a young prince of a conquered land hiding in the one of the cities of the nation that killed his family.  Recruited by a powerful nobleman and placed in the crosshairs of a dangerous resistance movement, the protagonist is sent to a school for the conquering nation’s elite, where he must rise up the ranks of the hierarchical classes in order to expose various secrets that could have major implications for the future of the world.  I ended up getting really drawn into The Will of the Many’s epic narrative, and Islington pulled together an exceptional read that combined complex characters and intricate world building with some impressive and intense moments.  The Will of the Many ended up being one of my favourite books, audiobooks and Australian novels of 2023, and got a very easy five-star rating from me.

Due to how outstanding The Will of the Many was, myself and many other fantasy fiction fans have been eagerly awaiting a sequel since 2023.  Thankfully this patient waiting has paid off, as Islington just released details about his long-awaited sequel to The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few, which has just been set for release in November 2025.

The Strength of the Few will be an intricate and compelling sequel, that will continue to follow the protagonist as he continues to infiltrate the Hierarchy and tries to uncover the dark secrets of the nation that took everything from him.  However, certain magical complications have resulted in the protagonist being split across three separate worlds, and each incarnation of him now has to play alternate games to survive.

Plot Synopsis:

This highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could unravel history across alternate dimensions.

OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can.

Now it sounds like Islington has quite an intriguing plot planned for The Strength of the Few, and one that has the potential to be pretty damn awesome.  Having the protagonist simultaneously stranded in three separate dimensions, with each version unaware of the actions of the other is quite ambitious, and it could result in some captivating scenarios, especially if each version of the protagonist needs to develop alternate skills to survive in each world.  While I can imagine the plot has some potential to get over complicated or confusing, if handled right it could be quite impressive, and I am very eager to see how it turns out.  Based on how well Islington managed the complex plot of The Will of the Many, I am very confident that The Strength of the Few is going to be pretty damn epic, and I cannot wait to see more excellent world building, some great character moments, and potentially some answers to the secrets from the previous book.

Due to how damn good Islington’s previous book is, there is no way that I will be missing The Strength of the Few when it comes out later this year.  An intense and ambitious book, The Strength of the Few has the potential to be one of the very best books of 2025, and I will be reading it the very first chance that I get.  An epic sounding read that is sure to impress.

Top Ten Tuesday – Longest Audiobooks That I Have Listened To – Part IV

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List6 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 week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were given a love themed freebie in honour of Valentine’s Day.  As such, I’m going to focus on something that I have a lot of love for, the audiobook format, as I once again revisit and update a fun post I last looked at nearly two years ago.

As readers of this blog will be aware, I am a massive fan of audiobooks, and it is often the best way to enjoy a good book.  I have been lucky enough to listen to an impressive collection of audiobooks over the years, with some of them being extremely long, often taking me weeks to get through.  Back in 2019, I got curious about all the audiobooks I had listened to, and I wanted to know which was the longest one that I had ever listened to.  As a result, I sat down and worked out which ones had the longest run time and turned it into a massive list.  This ended up being such an interesting endeavour that I posted it on my blog here, with the longest 20 books featured.  I had such an amazing time doing this that a year later I had a go at updating it, adding in a few additional audiobooks I had listened to, and then I once again updated it in 2022.

Well, it has been nearly two years since I last updated this list and I always intended to keep coming back to this list to see how the recent long audiobooks I have listened to stacked up against the books already on this list.  Since the last update in 2022 I have managed to listen to quite a few new audiobooks, several of which had an excellent run time.  The list below is similar to the list I posted a couple of years ago, with several new additions added in (see the highlight posts).  I ended up returning the list back to the original 20 entry format I previously had, and the resulting post turned out pretty damn well.

Top Twenty List:

  1. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading – 45 hours and 48 minutes

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  1. The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, narrated by Nick Podehl – 42 hours and 55 minutes

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  1. Magician by Raymond E. Feist, narrated by Peter Joyce – 36 hours and 14 minutes

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  1. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, narrated by Roy Dotrice – 33 hours and 45 minutes

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  1. The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding, narrated by Simon Bubb – 32 hours and 37 minutes

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The longest new entry on this list is the exceptional audiobook, The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding.  The sequel the Wooding’s previous novel, The Ember Blade (the audiobook version of which also appears on this list), The Shadow Casket proved to be a remarkable piece of epic fantasy fiction, and I loved the elaborate narrative that emerged.  The impressive narration by Simon Bubb helped to turn this massive audiobook into something very fun to listen to, and The Shadow Casket ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.

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  1. Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts, narrated by Tania Rodrigues – 32 hours and 1 minute

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  1. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, narrated by Gerrard Doyle – 31 hours and 29 minutes

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  1. Servant of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts, narrated by Tania Rodrigues – 30 hours and 42 minutes

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  1. The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding, narrated by Simon Bubb – 30 hours and 40 minutes

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  1. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini, narrated by Gerrard Doyle – 29 hours and 34 minutes

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  1. The Will of the Many by James Islington, narrated by Euan Morton – 28 hours and 14 minutes

The Will of the Many Cover

Another exceptional audiobook from last year was The Will of the Many by James Islington.  An awesome and complex fantasy book that saw a young, fugitive prince infiltrate an elite academy of his enemies, The Will of the Many had so many fun elements to it, and I was quickly enthralled by its brilliant narrative.  Narrator Euan Morton added his unique voice to the mix, and this helped to turn The Will of the Many into a pretty fun listen, and one I managed to power through quickly despite its over 28 hour long run time.  A highly recommended audiobook, especially if you are looking for a long listen to get lost in.

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  1. Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio, narrated by Samuel Roukin – 28 hours and 3 minutes

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  1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, narrated by Nick Podehl – 27 Hours and 55 minutes

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  1. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas, narrated by Elizabeth Evans – 27 hours and 50 minutes

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  1. Dragon Mage by M. L. Spencer, narrated by Ben Farrow – 27 hours and 18 minutes

Dragon Mage Cover

An intriguing and powerful fantasy audiobook from a couple of years ago.  Dragon Mage was an impressive book, that featured some great classic fantasy elements to it.  Following two young protagonists dragged into a deadly war for the fate of magic and its dragon protectors, Dragon Mage was an awesome listen that I couldn’t get enough of.

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  1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale – 27 hours and 2 minutes

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  1. Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry, narrated by Ray Porter – 25 hours and 55 minutes

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One of my favourite author and narrator combos, Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter, made its way onto this list with Son of the Poison Rose.  The sequel to Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose is an excellent and very brutal dark fantasy read that I could not get enough of.  Maberry makes full use of the extra runtime of this novel to tell an impressive story, and this audiobook comes highly recommended, especially with Porter’s exceptional voice work.

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  1. Red Seas under Red Skies by Scott Lynch, narrated by Michael Page – 25 hours and 34 minutes

Red Seas Under Red Skies

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  1. In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan, narrated by Damian Lynch – 24 hours and 52 minutes

In the Shadow of Lightning Cover

An epic and highly addictive new fantasy novel by Brian McClellan, In the Shadow of Lightning was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022, and I really fell in love with its elaborate story.  I honestly flew through In the Shadow of Lightning’s near 25-hour runtime, and narrator Damian Lynch ensures the action and intrigue laden narrative really flows along.  An exceptional piece of fantasy fiction that comes alive in its audiobook version.

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  1. Murtagh by Christopher Paolini, narrated by Gerard Doyle – 24 hours and 32 minutes

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Considering how some of the other original Inheritance Cycle audiobooks dominate the top half of this list, it is unsurprising that Christopher Paolini’s latest addition to the series, Murtagh, also makes an appearance.  Featuring original narrator Gerard Doyle, Murtagh was a great addition to the series, and I had a wonderful time getting through this lengthy audiobook at the end of last year.

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Well, those are some cool new additions to this list.  I am pretty happy with how this new version of the list turned out, although I should work on listening to some longer audiobooks in the coming year.  I will have another go at updating this list in a couple of years or so, but in the meantime let me know what the longest audiobook you have listened to is in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, List18 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 week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were supposed to list the top books they meant to read in 2023 but didn’t get a chance to, however, I am going to an alternate list today.  The reason for this, and the reason I delayed putting this list up by a day, is because Friday, 26 January, is Australia’s national holiday, Australia Day.  While Australia Day is getting a lot more controversial due to its historic implications, I like to look beyond that and focus on some of the amazing and varied talents our nation produces.  As such, I thought I would take this opportunity to once again highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors that I read in 2023.

Each year, a ton of talented Australian authors produce an impressive and exciting range of fiction from across the genres, many of which I am lucky enough to get copies of from my local publishers.  Due to this, I tend to read and review a lot of novels by Australian authors, most of which turn out to be some outstanding reads that I deeply enjoy.  As such, for the last few years I have taken to highlighting my favourite pieces of Australian fiction (check out my 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 lists).  I really love how much awesome Australian fiction there is each year, and this list is the perfect way to highlight some of the best Australian authors.

Now I tend to take a bit of a different approach to Australian fiction than some other bloggers, as I highlight all books written by Australian authors rather than novels purely set in Australia or featuring Australian characters.  To qualify for this list, a novel had to be released in 2023 and be written by an Australian author, which I am defining as anyone born in Australia or who currently lives here (Australia is very good at adopting talented people as our own).  This resulted in a long list, including several novels that I considered to be some of the best reads of last year.  I was eventually able to whittle this novel down to the absolute cream of the crop and came up with a fantastic top ten list (with my typical generous honourable mentions).  I really enjoyed how this list turned out, especially as it features novels from a range of different genres, all of which were very awesome Australian books.

Honourable Mentions:

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

He Who Drowned The World Cover

An interesting historical fiction/fantasy hybrid from a rising Australian author, Shelley Parker-Chan.  He Who Drown the World was the exciting sequel to the author’s debut, She Who Became the Sun, and it featured a unique and memorable adventure.

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Judgement Day by Mali Waugh

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An impressive debut from an outstanding Australian talent, that saw a damaged cop investigate the murder of a prominent judge.

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The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer

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A gripping World War II historical drama from one of Australia’s top authors of the genre, Kelly Rimmer, who previously wowed me with The Warsaw Orphan and The German Wife.  The Paris Agent had an outstanding plot that followed doomed female spies dropped into occupied France.

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How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins

How to Kill a Client Cover

How to Kill a Client was an amazing and dark legal thriller that followed members of a prominent legal firm who become suspects in a clients death.  One of the most entertaining debuts of 2023. 

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Top Ten List:

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

The first book I must highlight is the outstanding and epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington.  The Will of the Many was an amazing book that topped all my best-of lists last year, including my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023 lists.  Set in a great new fantasy world, The Will of the Many follows an exile who infiltrates an elite academy to uncover deadly secrets and find out ways to fight against the nation who stole his home.  An exceptionally addictive read, The Will of the Many is so damn good, and I was extremely impressed by my first book by Islington.

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Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

The always hilarious Benjamin Stevenson followed up his outstanding 2022 novel, Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, with this fantastic and brilliant murder mystery.  Set on the legendary Australian train, the Ghan, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect is an intriguing and comedic take on the murder mystery genre, as the main suspects to the murder are all crime fiction authors.  Funny, smart and featuring homages to various crime fiction sub-genres and classic novels, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect was extremely awesome and I loved getting through it.

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Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

Mr Einstein's Secretary Cover

One of Australia’s most recognisable authors, Matthew Reilly, had an amazing year in 2023 with Mr Einstein’s Secretary.  Following a fantastic protagonist through some of the most important historical events of the first half of the 20th century, Mr Einstein’s Secretary was a powerful, character-driven story, loaded with action, espionage, and captivating historical detail.  An extremely impressive novel that I managed to knock off in a very, very short amount of time.

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Ripper by Shelley Burr

Ripper Cover

Shelley Burr produced an awesome sequel to her debut novel, Wake, with the outstanding read Ripper.  Set in a town made infamous for a deadly serial killer years ago, Ripper follows a new investigation when a body is found in the same spot as one of the original victims.  A twisty and captivating novel that has some great connections to Burr’s previous book.

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Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

Tim Ayliffe brings back his rugged journalist protagonist for another dark Australian thriller in Killer Traitor Spy.  This time examining the impacts of foreign influence and espionage, Killer Traitor Spy was a brilliant read that makes great use of real-life concerns to contemporary Australia.

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Never a Hero by Vanessa Len

Never A Hero Cover

After wowing me in 2022 with her impressive debut, the young adult fantasy novel Only a Monster, Australian author Vanessa Len produced an excellent sequel last year with Never a Hero.  An intense novel that cleverly makes use of the alternate timeline established at the end of the first book, Never a Hero was an exceptional sequel from a very talented author.

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Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath

Kill Your Husbands Cover

One of my absolute favourite Australian authors, Jack Heath, had another incredible year in 2023 with the amazing book Kill Your Husbands.  An intriguing novel that sees three couples in an isolated cabin all become murder suspects after an attempt at partner-swapping goes terribly wrong.  I love the unique and drama inducing plot of Kill Your Husbands, especially as it also served as a sequel to one of Heath’s previous novels, Kill Your Brother.  This was such a great read, and I really enjoyed the complex mystery Heath came up with.

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie

Vendetta Cover

Sarah Barrie continued her dark and deadly Lexi Winter series in a big way last year with the exceptional novel Vendetta.  Following on from her previous books, Unforgiven and Retribution, Vendetta sees Barrie’s maverick protagonist infiltrate a deadly bikie gang she has history with, all while a vengeful killer seeks to blow everyone up.  This was one of Barrie’s best books yet, and I had an outstanding time getting through Vendetta.

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Fire with Fire by Candice Fox

Fire With Fire Cover

Candice Fox continued to dominate the crime fiction market with the impressive 2023 thriller, Fire with Fire.  Following several different protagonists as they try to save vital evidence being held hostage by two desperate parents, Fire with Fire had an amazing story and I loved how it turned out.  Another amazing book from Fox, who has several fantastic novels coming out in 2024.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

Dark Corners Cover 2

The final book on this list is the impressive 2023 novel from one of Australia’s fastest rising crime fiction authors, Megan Goldin.  Her latest book, Dark Corners, serves as a sequel to her previous novel The Night Swim, and sees the author’s podcasting protagonist join the hunt for a deadly killer stalking an influencer convention.  Featuring both an intense mystery and an entertaining look at the current obsession with influencers and social media, Dark Corners was another great book from Goldin that comes highly recommended.

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Well, that is the end of this latest list and I am really happy that I got a chance to highlight some of the best Australian releases of 2023.  The above books represent an outstanding collection of fiction from talented Australian authors, and each of them comes highly recommended by me.  I had a lot of fun coming up with this list and I cannot wait to find out what the best Australian books of 2024 are going to be.  Until then, stay tuned for more epic reviews and lists, and make sure you let me know who your favourite Australian authors are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List83 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.  As we roll into the new year I am going to list my absolute favourite books of 2023, which is something I look forward to every year.  This is a continuation of several lists that highlighted the authors and books I have been most impressed with this year.  Previous lists for last year included my favourite pre-2023 novels, and my favourite audiobooks, sequels and new-to-me authors of 2023.  However, this list here is the big one as it covers my absolute favourite releases of the year, of which there are quite a few.

I think we can all agree that 2023 has been another roller-coaster year for the world, but thankfully readers got a bit of solace as this was an amazing year for books, with a huge range of incredible releases coming out across the genres.  Not only did several outstanding new series start but we had some exceptional debuts, and some big continuations of established works.  I have had an amazing time reading or listening to some outstanding books this year and quite a few releases have become instant favourites.  I must admit that I somewhat struggled to pull this list together, as there were so many books that deserved to be mentioned.  Therefore, because I am a very soft touch, and because the quality of the books I read this year was so impressive, I have decided to expand this list out to 20 entries (just like I have the last four years).  These 20 books are my absolute favourites from 2023, and I would strongly recommend every one of them to anyone interested in a great read.

To make it onto this list a book only needed to be released here in Australia during 2023.  I have naturally excluded anything I have not read yet, even though there were quite a few awesome-sounding books I sadly didn’t squeeze into my reading schedule.  I decided to leave off my usual Honourable Mentions section as the extra 10 entries make it unnecessary.  There will be a bit of crossover between the below entries and some of my previous lists.  For example, several of these novels appeared on my Top Ten Favourite Audiobooks of 2023 list and my Top Ten Favourite Books from the First Half of 2023 list, which I ran back into July.  Overall though, I am very happy with how this Top 20 list turned out and I think it contains a pretty good range of novels that showcase the different types of books that I chose to read this year.  So without further ado, here is the list.

Top Twenty List (no particular order):

City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky

City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds Covers

For my first entry, I am doing a double entry with the first two books in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s The Tyrant Philosopher’s series.  City of Last Chances was technically released late 2022 but I am including it here because I only got it in Australia earlier this year.  Both books are exceptional fantasy novels set in a compelling world where a relentlessness army of anti-religious zealots are conquering everything.  The first book, City of Last Chances, was an excellent character-focused novel set in an occupied city with several big personalities try to survive a turbulent period of revolution.  House of Open Wounds is a loose sequel that follows one of the best protagonists from the first book as he gets drafted into an army hospital full of eccentric and forbidden healers.  Both novels were outstanding, with a great blend of complex characters, intricate overlapping storylines and a subtle humour, and they make for a very worthy inclusion on this list.

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Holly by Stephen King

Holly Cover

I had to feature one of my favourite horror novels on this list with the latest release from Stephen King, Holly.  The latest story featuring one of King’s most distinctive protagonists, Holly Gibney (introduced in Mr Mercedes), Holly is an intense and gripping novel that sees the protagonist investigate a missing person’s case.  However, the more she digs the more disturbing things get as she uncovers a pair of terrifying antagonists with a dark, dark secret.  Honestly one of the best Stephen King novels I have so far read, Holly had me hooked the entire way through, especially as it features two of King’s most disturbing villains.  Highly recommended, especially in its audiobook format narrated by Holly’s Mr Mercedes’ actor, Justine Lupe.

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Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

It was a very good year for fans of Jonathan Maberry as we got two amazing books from him, both of which feature on this list.  This first of these, Son of the Poison Rose, was the sequel to Maberry’s first foray into fantasy fiction, Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022).  This gritty and brutal read continued to see the protagonist attempt to get revenge on an evil empire and their Witch-king after they slaughtered the royal family he was sworn to protect.  However, his enemy has some terrible weapons at their disposal, including zombies, unkillable magical constructs and much, much worse.  An excellent inclusion to one of the darkest fantasy series out there, Son of the Poison Rose was an outstanding read that continues to showcase how good Maberry’s distinctive style works in the fantasy genre.

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Burner by Mark Greaney

Burner Cover

Mark Greaney continues to impress with his outstanding Gray Man spy thriller series, the last several books of which have appeared on prior year’s versions of this list (including One Minute Out, Relentless and Sierra Six).  This latest novel, Burner, sets Greaney’s lethal main protagonist and his conflicted former lover against a determined kill team, determined to keep Russia’s foreign influences secret.  A powerful read that tastefully features contemporary conflicts, Burner was one of Greaney’s best books yet and I had an awesome time getting through it.

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The Armour of Light by Ken Follett

The Armour of Light Cover

One of my favourite historical fiction authors continued to showcase his impressive writing ability this year with The Armour of Light.  The latest book in Follet’s iconic Kingsbridge series (previous novels include The Evening and the Morning and A Column of Fire), The Armour of Light took the reader back to the start of the Industrial Revolution in England as the town of Kingsbridge struggles with the march on progress.  Following a vast cast of colourful and complex characters, The Armour of Light was an outstanding and massive read that I powered through in no time at all.  A five-star piece of historical fiction that comes highly recommended.

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The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

One of the most inventive and bold fantasy novels of 2023 was The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence.  Primarily set inside an impossibly large library in a unique fantasy location, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn follows two protagonists with very different experiences of the library as they try to discover its secrets.  Impressive in its scope and creativity, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn was a brilliant read that perfectly starts a captivating new trilogy from one of fantasy fiction’s best authors.

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Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry

Cave 13 Cover

My second Maberry novel on this list is Cave 13, which continues the outrageous adventures of Maberry’s most iconic and mentally traumatised protagonist, Joe Ledger.  The third book in the Rogue Team International sequel series, Cave 13 follows on from Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019) and Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and sees Ledger and his team of specialists investigate a new terrorism case involving high-tech weapons.  Cave 13 has one of Maberry’s more creative stories, as the protagonists try to stop a deadly plot involving ancient magic, the Dead Sea Scrolls, a traumatising bio-weapon and nukes in the Middle East.  Fast-paced, wildly brutal, and featuring a cast of intriguing, over-the-top characters, Cave 13 was an amazing addition to one of my favourite series and I had an epic time listening to it.

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The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

The Last Devil to Die Cover

One of the most moving, captivating and hilarious books of the year had to be the fourth Thursday Murder Club book by Richard Osman, The Last Devil to Die.  Following on from Osman’s previous epic books, The Thursday Murder Club (one of the best books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice and The Bullet that Missed, The Last Devil to Die follows four retirees who investigate the murder of a close friend.  This latest entry had a fascinating case involving drug dealers, antiquities and other villains, all of whom are completely outclassed by four entertaining seniors.  However, the best part of The Last Devil to Die was the outstanding characters, each of whom goes through their own emotional journeys in this series, which can be both extremely funny and brutally heartbreaking.  One storyline in this book was particularly tragic and you will not be able to keep the tears from your eyes as you read it.  One of the most moving, yet hopeful books of 2023, I cannot recommend this entire exceptional series enough.

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Usagi Yojimbo: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo - Volume 38 - The Green Dragon Cover

The 38th volume in my absolute favourite comic book series, The Green Dragon was another fantastic and beautiful addition to the Usagi Yojimbo series.  Once again following Stan Sakai’s rabbit ronin through three more compelling adventures, The Green Dragon was an excellent addition to a creative and well-drawn series, and I read through this great volume the very second I got my hands on it. 

 

Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by K. J. Parker

Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead Cover

One of the funniest fantasy authors out there, K. J. Parker (who also writes as Tom Holt), had a ripper of a year, releasing several outstanding books.  Parker, whose Siege series has been heavily featured on this list in the past with books like Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World, released a complete trilogy in the later half of 2023 with the Corax books.  Following a battlefield looter with a complex past as he gets caught up in all manner of conflicts, the Corax series is an intriguing trilogy that combines some amazing comedy with Parker’s unique outlook on life and fantasy fiction.  I have only had the chance to read the first book of this trilogy so far with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, and it was something very special, as the protagonist finds himself embroiled in an over-the-top situation with substantial implications for the entire world.  I loved every second spent reading Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead and if I had been able to read the sequels (both of which are currently sitting on my shelf), I have no doubt they would be featured on this list as well.

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The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

I have been really impressed with Steve Berry’s long-running Cotton Malone thriller series in recent years, thanks to great books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol and The Kaiser’s Web, but his latest novel, The Last Kingdom, might be one of his best yet.  Cleverly combining a modern-day spy thriller storyline with an intriguing historical conspiracy about an iconic king of Bavaria, The Last Kingdom really got the right balance of modern-day excitement and fascinating history.  There is so much to love about this exciting and insightful book and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next upcoming entry of the series coming soon.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

One of the best new fantasy authors I tried out in 2023 was James Islington who produced the outstanding novel, The Will of the Many, which has been topping all of my recent end-of-year lists.  Following a runaway who is drafted into a war against an oppressive regime and forced to infiltrate their elite academy, The Will of the Many was pretty damn epic on a number of levels.  Not only did it have an amazing magic school plot (something I am a big fan of), but it also featured some cool and unique fantasy elements while following a compelling protagonist.  I was absolutely hooked the entire way through this impressive story and I cannot recommend this brilliant novel enough.  I am really hopeful that we get a sequel this year, and I plan to read it the second it is released.

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Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

After wowing the world with his impressive 2022 Australian novel, Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, author Benjamin Stevenson provided an outstanding follow-up with Everyone on this Train is a Suspect.  Amplifying the clever and hilarious homage to murder mystery classics by forcing the protagonist to participate in a mystery writer’s convention aboard Australia’s version of the Orient Express, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect lovingly made fun of many classic crime fiction sub-genres while also presenting the reader with a compelling new mystery.  Featuring an excellent blend of suspense, misdirection and comedy, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect was an amazing sequel that had me laughing the entire way through as Stevenson has fun roasting his fellow crime fiction authors and enthusiasts.

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The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

There were so many amazing Warhammer 40,000 novels released in 2023, but one of the absolute best was The Fall of Cadia by the very impressive Robert Rath.  Rath, who previously wowed me with his other Warhammer novels, Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine, attempted to novelise one of the biggest lore events from the Warhammer 40,000 canon.  Featuring a ton of cinematic battles and larger-than-life characters, The Fall of Cadia had me riveted from start to finish, and I loved just how well Rath was able to capture this climatic event.  One of my new favourite Warhammer 40,000 books, The Fall of Cadia was so damn epic in every way possible.

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The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding

The Shadow Casket Cover

After waiting years for a continuation to Chris Wooding’s epic fantasy novel, The Ember Blade, readers were finally gifted a sequel in 2023 with The Shadow Casket, which was everything we hoped it would be.  Featuring a massive and elaborate tale of revolution, comradery and difficult decisions, The Shadow Casket set a disparate group of friends against an oppressive empire in an outstanding read.  Featuring some amazing character arcs, compelling world building, and massive war sequences, The Shadow Casket was such a great read and one of the best fantasy novels of 2023.  I loved The Shadow Casket so much, and my biggest disappointment about it is that we are probably going to have to wait a few years to get the third book.

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Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

Resurrection Walk Cover

One of the world’s best crime fiction authors, Michael Connelly, is an author who always manages to impress me, and several of his books, including The Night Fire, The Dark Hours, Desert Star and Fair Warning, have appeared on prior year’s version of this list.  Therefore, it should be unsurprising that his latest novel, Resurrection Walk, also needs to be featured here, as it was one of the best books I read all year.  A new addition to his Lincoln Lawyer series, Resurrection Walk was a wonderful legal thriller that saw two of Connelly’s best protagonists team up to get an innocent woman out of prison.  Wildly entertaining and featuring a fascinating and unique legal case, Resurrection Walk was one of the better Connelly books I have so far enjoyed and I had such an exceptional time reading it.

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Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

Mr Einstein's Secretary Cover

An elaborate and compelling historical novel that followed a fictional secretary who was dragged into some of the biggest events of the early 20th century.  Mr Einstein’s Secretary was an exciting novel that saw Matthew Reilly tell a particularly unique historical tale of love, determination and sacrifice, which cleverly inserted his protagonist into the lives of several major historical figures as their secretaries.  This novel had so many compelling elements to it, from the bold characters, intriguing historical details, and a curious writing style, that I ended up finishing Mr Einstein’s Secretary off in a single day.  I absolutely loved this book and I had to feature it here as a result.

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The Traitor by Anthony Ryan

The Traitor Cover

Anthony Ryan ended his outstanding Covenant of Steel trilogy in 2023 with The Traitor.  Serving as an excellent conclusion to The Pariah and The Martyr, The Traitor saw Ryan’s complicated and scruffy scribe protagonist caught in the middle of a bloody civil war as his beloved risen martyr attempts to unite the country and force out all the evil she believes corrupts it.  However, nothing is as it seems, and the protagonist soon finds himself trying to decide whether he is actually on the right side.  Filled with heartbreak, treachery, and damaged characters trying to do the right thing, The Traitor was an epic and moving piece of fantasy fiction that I had such an amazing time getting through.  An epic end to a particularly impressive fantasy trilogy.

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The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

Another amazing Warhammer 40,000 book I have to highlight on this list is The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks.  A key piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that covers the return of a major lore figure, The Lion: Son of the Forest was a thoughtful and moving character-driven read loaded with symbolisms and intriguing takes on established pieces of Warhammer 40,000 history.  I had an amazing time with this particularly strong piece of Warhammer fiction and Brooks really impressed me as an author in 2023.

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Battle Song by Ian Ross

Battle Song Cover

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the exciting and compelling historical fiction read, Battle Song by Ian Ross.  Following an ill-tempered knight and his unlucky squire as they become embroiled in a lesser-known English civil war, Battle Song was a powerful and compelling historical adventure that had me hooked the entire way through.  Smart, intriguing, and full of fun action, Battle Song comes highly recommended, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel coming out in the next couple of months.

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Well, those are my 20 favourite books of 2023. It turned out to be quite a good list in the end, and I am very glad that I was able to highlight so many fantastic books.  2024 is set to be another excellent year for amazing reads, and I will be examining some of my most anticipated books next week.  In the meantime, let me know what your favourite books of 2023 were in the comments below, and make sure you all have a happy New Years.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List54 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 topic for this list involved listing the ten most recent additions to your bookshelf, which is a topic I would usually try to address.  However, I am afraid I’m going to have to skip this topic and instead I will continue my annual end of year wrap up of some of the best books of 2023.  In previous weeks I have highlighted some of the best pre-2023 novels, best new-to-me-authors and the best 2023 sequels I read in the last year.  However, this week I am going to look at something near and dear to my heart, the best audiobooks of 2023. 

Readers of this blog only need to check out my extensive audiobook category to know that I have a lot of love for the audiobook format.  In my opinion, the audiobook is often the best way to experience a good book and in many cases this format makes a novel far more enjoyable.  As a result, I listened to quite a few audiobooks this year, and while a good chunk of them were books released before 2023 and featured in my Throwback Thursday posts, most were released this year.  There were some truly outstanding and impressive audiobooks released in 2023 and I knew going in that I was going to have an extremely hard time coming up with a final version of this list.

For this list I have only included audiobooks released in 2023 that I have listened to, which left me with a long list of extremely impressive audiobooks which I wanted to include in this post.  To help cut this down, I considered a range of factors, including the quality of the original novel, the skill of the narrator, production value, pacing and other features.  Looking at all this I was eventually able to cut the list down to the absolute best 10 audiobooks, with my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I had to make some very hard decisions here, and I ended up excluding several extremely good audiobooks from the main list.  Still, I think it really represents the best audiobooks I enjoyed this year and there are some amazing productions below.

Honourable Mention:

The King of the Spoil, written by Jonathan D. Beer and narrated by Gabrielle Nellis-Pain

The King of the Spoil Cover

A fun and intense Warhammer 40,000 book that effortlessly blends gothic science fiction with a great crime fiction narrative.

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The Last Kingdom, written by Steve Berry and narrated by Scott Brick

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

Intriguing European history and modern-day espionage combine perfectly in this new Cotton Malone novel by Steve Berry, which is expertly brought to life by veteran narrator Scott Brick

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Cypher: Lord of the Fallen, written by John French and narrated by Jon Rand

Cypher - Lord of the Fallen Cover

The very talented Jon Rand does a wonderful job of bringing one of the most mysterious Warhammer 40,000 figures to life in this cryptic and fast-paced audiobook by John French.

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Murtagh, written by Christopher Paolini and narrated by Gerard Doyle

Murtagh Cover

Christopher Paolini cleverly adds to his iconic Inheritance Cycle with original series audiobook narrator, Gerard Doyle, returning as well, bringing some familiar and compelling voices to this epic piece of fantasy fiction.

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Top Ten List:

Son of the Poison Rose/Cave 13, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

Son of the Poison Rose and Cave 13 Cover

In 2023, we were lucky to get two novels from one of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, as he continued some of his best series.  These novels were the dark fantasy epic, Son of the Poison Rose and the science fiction thriller, Cave 13, which continued the outstanding Rogue Team International series.  Both books were awesome in their own way, but I chose to combine their audiobooks into a single entry here, due to the fact both shared the same narrator in the legendary Ray Porter.  Porter, who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, is synonymous with Maberry, having lent his voice to most of his books, and he always provides an exceptional performance that works so well with Maberry’s style and captures his complex and damaged protagonists.  The combination of Maberry and Porter is always a winner, and the resulting audiobooks are something extremely special.  As such, both come highly recommended, and both are some of the best audiobooks of the year.

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Holly, written by Stephen King and narrated by Justine Lupe

Holly Cover

I have been really enjoying some of the legendary Stephen King’s more recent books and my favourite so far is his latest novel, Holly.  A continuation of the adventures of Holly Gibney that started in Mr Mercedes, Holly was a complex and dark thriller that saw the protagonist investigate a missing persons case, only to discover something truly disturbing and horrifying.  This was such an incredible novel, that featured great characters and some shocking twists, and I can honestly say that my love for Holly was even more enhanced because of its amazing audiobook as the producers cleverly brought in actress Justine Lupe to narrate the book.  Lupe, who played the character of Holly Gibney in the Mr Mercedes television series, once again dove into the character and really brought her to life.  Combined with her great take on several other impressive characters, including two of King’s most surprisingly sinister villains, and Holly was a joy to listen to from start to finish, and indeed proved to be an excellent accompaniment for a fun road trip.

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The Will of the Many, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

The Will of the Many Cover

One of my favourite fantasy novels of 2023 was the inventive and exciting release from Australian author James Islington, The Will of the Many.  A powerful read that saw a clever teenager with secrets attend a prestigious magical academy while also trying to bring down a destructive empire, The Will of the Many was one of the most impressive books of the year and I got really addicted to its elaborate storytelling and unique new world.  The audiobook version of The Will of the Many proved to be extremely good, especially as it allowed me to absorb more of the compelling world detail and envision some of the more elaborate elements of the story.  Narrator Euan Morton also provided a unique voice to the story, and this ended up being on of the best fantasy audiobooks of the year.

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The Last Devil to Die, written by Richard Osman and narrated by Fiona Shaw

The Last Devil to Die Cover

After wowing me with his previous Thursday Murder Club books, including The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Richard Osman produced another outstanding release this year with The Last Devil to Die.  Thanks to its clever mystery, subtle humour, and some of the best character work you likely to see, The Last Devil to Die was Osman’s best book yet, and I cannot emphasise how wonderful and moving it ended up being.  The audiobook version proved to be particularly good, as they once again brought back actress Fiona Shaw to narrate.  Shaw has an amazing handle on all the characters, and her excellent voice conveyed all the intense and powerful emotional that this book contained.  I honestly teared up in placed while listening to this audiobook and I cannot recommend it enough as a result.

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The Fall of Cadia, written by Robert Rath and narrated by Mark Elstob

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

I’m still listening to this next entry; however, I’m having such a great time with it that I had to include it here.  This book is a fantastic Warhammer 40,000 book, The Fall of Cadia.  Covering one of the most important events from the Warhammer 40,000 canon, the end of the 13th Black Crusade, The Fall of Cadia follows the epic last stand of the fortress planet of Cadia to the forces of Chaos.  Massive in its scope and carnage, The Fall of Cadia is a difficult book to pull together but Robert Rath, who massively impressed me with his prior novels Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine, does an incredible job of tying everything together into an exciting and manageable read.  I am particularly loving the audiobook version as narrator Mark Elstob moves the lengthy novel along at an excellent pace and provides a huge range of voices to cover all the over-the-top personalities featured in the book.  His narration also perfectly captures the full intensity of the many battles featured within The Fall of Cadia and he makes it sound as epic and brutal as possible.  I am loving every second with this audiobook and I look forward to seeing how well the big finish comes out.

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City of Last Chances, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

City of Last Chances Cover

Probably one of the cleverest fantasy books I got to read in 2023 was City of Last Chances by the unstoppable and highly talented Adrian Tchaikovsky.  Set in an occupied city loaded with rogues, revolutionaries and other lost souls, City of Last Chances was a clever, character-driven read, loaded with unique personal stories and unusual scenarios.  This fascinating and entertaining narrative was expertly expressed by narrator David Thorpe who really dove into the strange characters and showcased all the absurdities and deep dramas perfectly.  A wonderful audiobook from start to finish that I honestly could not stop listening to.

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Burner, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

Burner Cover

One of the leading authors of spy thriller fiction, Mark Greaney, produced another outstanding entry in his Gray Man series this year with Burner.  Setting his infamous protagonist against both his former lover and a desperate Russian special forces unit, Burner was an amazing and intense read that expertly and tastefully utilised contemporary events to tell a complex story.  The resulting action, spy craft, personal drama and carnage was expertly showcased by narrator Jay Snyder, who has lent his voice to all the Gray Man books.  The resulting audiobook was extremely moving and intense, and Burner was one of Greaney’s best releases yet.

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The Shadow Casket, written by Chris Wooding and narrated by Simon Bubb

The Shadow Casket Cover

The longest audiobook I listened to in 2023 was the epic fantasy novel, The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding.  The sequel to Wooding’s previous novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket was an outstanding listen that saw a desperate group of freedom fighters try to turn the tide against their relentless oppressors.  Perfectly continuing the story set up in The Ember Blade while also featuring some impressive character interactions and a ton of worldbuilding, The Shadow Casket was a brilliant book, and I was so glad to get a continuation of this series.  I deeply appreciated the audiobook version of The Shadow Casket, narrated by Simon Bubb, as it really helped me absorb this massive read so much better.  Bubb did an outstanding job of making this lengthy story easy to follow, and I loved the fitting voices he gifted to all the complex characters.  A captivating and extensive listen, I don’t think I would have enjoyed The Shadow Casket as much in any other format.

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The Traitor, written by Anthony Ryan and narrated by Steven Brand

The Traitor Cover

Bestselling fantasy author, Anthony Ryan, brought his Covenant of Steel trilogy to an awesome end this year with The Traitor.  The fantastic follow-up to The Pariah and The Martyr, The Traitor showcased the end of Ryan’s scribe protagonist’s big adventure, and the inevitable fall to darkness that accompanied it.  Intense, highly detailed, and featuring an outstanding antagonist, The Traitor was such a good conclusion, and I had such an incredible time listening to the audiobook version.  Steven Brand, who did such a great job narrating The Pariah and The Martyr, provided another brilliant bout of narrating in this finale, and he perfectly captured the protagonist’s despair and determination as they fought to do the right thing one final time.  A highly recommended audiobook and the only way to enjoy the Covenant of Steel books.

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The Lion: Son of the Forest, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Timothy Watson

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

The final entry on this list is another Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks.  Brooks, who is quicky becoming one of the best authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction (a quick shoutout to Brook’s other 2023 release, Warboss), sought to bring back one of the canon’s most significant characters, and did so with this deeply personal and symbolism laced novel.  Intense, moving, and featuring some compelling characters, The Lion: Son of the Forest was extremely good, especially in the audiobook format narrated by Timothy Watson.  While all Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks are pretty special and fun, I really enjoyed this one as Watson captures the gravitas of the main character perfectly while also highlighting the complex plot and pivotal action.  One of the best Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks of 2023 as a result, this is really worth a listen. 

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Well that is the end of this latest Top Ten list, and as you can see, I have been lucky enough to listen to some awesome audiobooks this year (although I clearly focused a little too much on Warhammer fiction).  All the above audiobooks are extremely good and I would highly recommend each of them in their audiobook format.  Let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2023 were in the comments below, and make sure to check back next week to see what my overall favourite novels of the year were.

Top Ten Tuesday – Top New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List16 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 topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday looked at books on ones Summer 2023-24 to-read list.  However, due to wanting to get a start on my end of year best of lists, I actually covered this topic a couple of weeks ago.  Instead, I will be moving forward the official topic from 30 January 2024 and looking at New-to-Me Authors I discovered in 2023.  This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 versions), and it is one that I always have a lot of fun doing.

Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes books written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with.  2023 was a particularly good example of this as there were an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me.  This included some debuting authors, as well as more established writers whose work I only got around to reading this year.  Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional novels, including one or two which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2023 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the book had to be one I read this year and be written by an author who I was unfamiliar with before 2023.  If I had not read anything from this author before last year, it was eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut novels as I am going to cover those in another list.  Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a massive amount of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 31 new authors in 2023.  After some hard work, I was able to whittle this down to a manageable top ten list, with my usual generous honourable mentions section.  I am really surprised at some of the impressive and enjoyable authors I had to exclude from this list, and I was honestly tempted to increase this to a top twenty list.  I managed to resist and I think the below entry really highlights the best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2023.  It does crossover a little bit with my top pre-2023 books list I published last week, but I am still pretty happy with it. 

Honourable Mention:

Marsheila Rockwell – The Hunger

The Hunger Cover

My first book from Rockwell was a zombie-filled book set in the Marvel Universe, need I say more?

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Darius Hinks – Leviathan

Warhammer 40,000 - Leviathan Cover

Hinks wowed me with this dark and brutal Warhammer 40,000 read, that saw an entire world slowly digested by an advancing alien fleet. 

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Martha Wells – Witch King

Witch King Cover

I have been meaning to read one of Martha Wells’ books for years, especially her science fiction works, but this cool fantasy release proved to be an excellent introduction to an intriguing author.

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Gav Thorpe – Grudge Bearer, 13th Legion and Kill Team

13th Legion Cover 2

I read several great Gav Thorpe books for the first time this year, including novels from both the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy ranges.  My favourites were probably the Last Chancer novels, 13th Legion and Kill Team, although the standalone fantasy novel Grudge Bearer was also really fun. 

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Top Ten List:

James Islington – The Will of the Many

The Will of the Many Cover

James Islington is a name that is going to be coming up a lot in my end of year lists the next few weeks, mainly because the first novel of his I checked out was so damn epic.  That book is The Will of the Many, a complex and addictive fantasy novel that pits a fugitive prince against a conquering empire.  Featuring a compelling and unique magical system, a great setting, fantastic characters and an elaborate narrative loaded with betrayal, secrets, plots, survival and an amazing magical school storyline, The Will of the Many had everything I could have asked for and more.  One of the easiest five-star ratings I gave in 2023, I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel next year.

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John French – Cypher: Lord of the Fallen

Cypher - Lord of the Fallen Cover

There are going to be a few Warhammer 40,000 authors on this list, mainly because I dedicated a lot of 2023 to going back and reading some classic novels from this awesome franchise.  One of the cleverest Warhammer 40,000 novels I read this year is John French’s Cypher: Lord of the Fallen, which saw the universe’s most notorious fugitive infiltrate the most secure place imaginable, the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra.  Featuring a uniquely written story, loaded with sneaky misdirects, twists, and the most unreliable narrator imaginable, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen proved to be an outstanding introduction to author John French, and I had such a brilliant time with this amazing read.

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Ian Ross – Battle Song

Battle Song Cover

Easily my favourite new-to-me historical fiction author in 2023 was Ian Ross.  I have heard some amazing things about Ross’s Roman historical fiction novels before, and I eagerly grabbed a copy his latest novel, Battle Song, when it came out.  An exciting and powerful read about a lesser-known English civil war, Battle Song followed two amazing protagonists during the height of the knightly age and the result was an action packed and historically rich novel.  I have so much love for Ross after reading Battle Song and I am eagerly awaiting the upcoming sequel, War Cry.

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Guy Haley – Flesh and Steel

Flesh and Steel Cover

One major Warhammer 40,000 author I had an amazing time getting to know this year was Guy Haley, who has a range of great books under his belt.  I mainly got to know Haley thanks to his impressive Warhammer Crime novel Flesh and Steel.  One of the most unique buddy cop novels you are ever likely to read, Flesh and Steel was an outstanding book and it definitely made me want to check out more of Haley’s works.  I have several Haley’s audiobooks currently loaded onto my phone and I am hoping to enjoy them all next year.

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Sebastien De Castell – The Malevolent Seven

The Malevolent Seven Cover

One of the most relentlessly entertaining new authors I checked out for the first time in 2023 was acclaimed fantasy writer Sebastien De Castell.  Known for his dark and elaborate fantasy worlds, I had my first introduction to De Castell when I read his hilarious and bloody novel The Malevolent Seven.  Setting seven unusual and maligned battle wizards on a path to becoming unlikely heroes, The Malevolent Seven was an incredible read that I absolutely powered through.  I really hope that De Castell releases a sequel to The Malevolent Seven soon and I must make an effort to read some of his other amazing fantasy novels/series.

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Marc Collins – Grim Repast

Warhammer 40,000 - Grim Repast Cover

One of the main new-to-me authors who encouraged me to check out more Warhammer Crime novels in 2023 was the very talented Marc Collins who wowed me with the gritty novel, Grim Repast.  Following a damaged detective as he attempts to stop an influential and murderous cult in a downtrodden mega-city, Grim Repast was an impressive novel and one that really showcased just how good an author Collins is.

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M. W. Craven – Fearless

Fearless Cover

An exceptional crime fiction author I read for the first time this year was bestselling writer M. W. Craven.  While Craven is probably best known for his Washington Poe series, my first experience of his works was the outrageous 2023 novel Fearless.  The start of a compelling new series that follows an arrogant, and literally fearless, drifter with a price on his head, Fearless was a blast from start to finish and Craven clearly had a great time coming up with this action-packed read.  I had a ton of fun with Fearless and Craven has a sequel set for next year that I am very excited for.

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Sandy Mitchell – For The Emperor and Caves of Ice

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Well before 2023, I had heard some amazing things about Sandy Mitchell’s Ciaphas Cain series, which was apparently made up of the funniest Warhammer 40,000 novels out there.  Naturally I had to check this series out whilst I was on my 2023 Warhammer reading spree and I ended up enjoying the first two entries, For The Emperor and Caves of Ice.  Well, the rumours about how funny these books are proved to be very true as For The Emperor and Caves of Ice were both hilarious and clever novels that made full use of their grim background setting.  Following a cowardly officer who somehow gained a reputation as a legendary hero, these books see the titular Cain attempt all manner of schemes to survive and stay out of the fighting, only to be thrust into the most dangerous situations imaginable.  Very entertaining and featuring a particularly clever wit, the Ciaphas Cain books really showcased Mitchell’s exceptional writing skills and I cannot recommend this series enough, especially in its audiobook format.

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Anthony McCarten – Going Zero

Going Zero Cover

I had to mention screenwriter and author Anthony McCarten on this list, as I was lucky enough to read a copy of his 2023 release Going Zero, which was so much fun.  Following a unique competition that sees multiple people attempt to hide from a new nationwide surveillance system, Going Zero went in some very interesting directions and ended up being a particularly entertaining and unique thriller.  An amazing read that served as a great introduction to McCarten.

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Chris Wraight – Bloodlines

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final entry on this list is Chris Wraight, who gave me one of my favourite Warhammer Crime novels in Bloodlines.  A gripping and memorable novel that makes excellent use of a both its classic police procedural storyline and the unique Warhammer 40,000 setting, Bloodlines was such a brilliant read and one that really deserves an immediate sequel.  Wraight really impressed me with this great novel and I need to go back and check out the rest of his contributions to the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list.  I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best new authors I checked out in 2023.  I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce more epic and incredible reads.  Make sure to let me know which new authors you enjoyed in 2023 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2023 list.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List20 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.  Top Ten Tuesday participants get a freebie this week so I chose to have a look at my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2023.  This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a few weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2023.

I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books.  Each year I enjoy a great number of different audiobooks and use the format to check out recent releases and older novels.  I have been enjoying audiobooks for years, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment.  A great narrator can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in.  In addition, other features, such as captivating voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of that out there.  This year alone I have listened to several outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2023.  Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.

To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2023 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites.  It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a very large collection of potential additions to this list.  I was eventually able to whittle it down to the ten audiobooks I consider to be the best.  There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2023 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile.  I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration.  In my experience an outstanding narration or use of music and sound effects can enhance the plot, and I think that all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that are really worth checking out.

In addition, as I had also listened to a few pre-2023 audiobooks in the first half of the year, I decided to also included a few of the best in a honourable mentions section.  I had an epic time diving back into some classic reads, especially those of the Warhammer variety, and I really wanted to highlight which ones made for the best audiobooks.  With these honourable mentions, I am very happy with how the overall list turned out and I think that the below entries really highlight what my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year are.

Honourable Mentions (Pre-2023 audiobooks):

Eisenhorn Trilogy, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

Some of the very best Warhammer audiobooks I listened to this year are the epic Eisenhorn novels by Dan Abnett.  Thanks to Toby Longworth’s exceptional narration, all three Eisenhorn novels, Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus were a joy to listen to from start to finish.

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Dead Beat, Proven Guilty and White Night, written by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters

White Night Cover

Few audiobooks are better than Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novels narrated by actor James Marsters.  I’ve gotten through three of these audiobooks in 2023 with Dead Beat, Proven Guilty and White Night, and all of them were outstanding five-star reads that I had such a great time listening to.

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The Infinite and the Divine, written by Robert Rath and narrated by Richard Reed

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

A highly clever, utterly hilarious and very impressive Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that focused on two rival Necron lords, battling it out over the centuries in a petty feud.  I laughed myself silly with this audiobook and Richard Reed’s awesome narration made it even better.

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For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell and narrated by Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Another particularly funny Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I enjoyed this year is the first Ciaphas Cain novel by Sandy Mitchell, For the Emperor.  This entertaining audiobook about a cowardly war hero truly comes alive with the outstanding narration team of Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory, who compliment themselves marvellously throughout the entire production.

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Top Ten List:

Son of the Poison Rose, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

I had to start this list off with the new Jonathan Maberry novel, Son of the Poison Rose.  The sequel to Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose was another epic and bloody novel that proves hard to put down.  The always exceptional narration of Ray Porter turns it into an utterly addictive and impossibly good listen, which I cannot recommend enough.

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Warhammer 40,000: Warboss, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Harry Myers

Warhammer 40,000 - Warboss Cover

Rising Warhammer 40,000 author Mike Brooks is having a stellar 2023, and one of the first audiobooks of his I listened to was the very funny Warboss.  Focusing on feuding warband of Orks attempting to determine a new leader through conquest, Warboss was a riot the entire way through, especially with Harry Myer’s fantastic narration perfectly capturing the chaotic yet complex nature of the Ork characters.

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The Last Kingdom, written by Steve Berry and narrated by Scott Brick

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

History and conspiracy really come to life in the hands of Steve Berry, especially when narrated by Scott Brick.  This latest Cotton Malone audiobook, The Last Kingdom, was pretty damn good, and I have so much love for the amazing combination of a modern-day thriller and intriguing historical mysteries.

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The Lake House, written by Sarah Beth Durst and narrated by Karissa Vacker

The Lake House Cover Better

A fantastic and haunting young adult thriller that saw three teenagers thrust into a deadly situation on a remote summer camp.  Sarah Beth Durst produced a pretty amazing book here and Karissa Vacker does a great job of portraying the three teenage protagonists with her excellent narration.  I had an amazing time with The Lake House and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks and narrated by Timothy Watson

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

The second Mike Brooks audiobook on this list is The Lion: Son of the Forest, which was probably one of the best Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2023 so far.  Following the return of a mythical hero, this fantastic book had a compelling and powerful plot that had me hooked very early.  Narrator Timothy Watson ensures that the audiobook version is particularly epic as he brings some outstanding gravitas to an already legendary main character.

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Burner, written by Mark Greaney, narrated by Jay Snyder

Burner Cover

Few thriller series impress me as much as the Gray Man books by Mark Greaney, and I have been having an amazing time listening to their audiobooks, especially with the very talented Jay Snyder narrating them.  The latest Gray Man audiobook, Burner, was particularly special, and I could barely stop listening to it as Greaney wove together a captivating and highly relevant spy story.  A must listen, especially with Snyder’s great take on the characters.

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The Will of the Many, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

The Will of the Many Cover

One of the audiobooks I am most glad I listened to in the first half of 2023 was the brilliant fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington.  A highly elaborate, entertaining and moving novel, The Will of the Many is one of the best fantasy books of the year so far and represents the start of an outstanding new series.  I particularly enjoyed the amazing audiobook version, which thanks to the narration of Euan Morton, really popped, and helped to cram every detail of Islington’s new world into my head.  Highly recommended!

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Warhammer 40,000: Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter, written by Phil Kelly and narrated by Helen McAlpine

Warhammer 40,000 - Shadowsun Cover

A slick, action-packed, and occasionally gruesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that I had a lot of fun with was Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter.  Combining Phil Kelly’s love of the T’au faction with Helen McAlpine’s great narration is a winning combination, and I powered through this cool audiobook in no time at all.

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City of Last Chances, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

City of Last Chances Cover

Another particularly impressive and captivating fantasy novel from the start of the year was City of Last Chances by the very talented Adrian Tchaikovsky.  Following multiple unique protagonists around a troubled fantasy city, City of Last Chances is a must read for all fantasy fans, and you will find your experience of it greatly improved with the outstanding audiobook version.  Narrator David Thorpe perfectly captures all of the many complex characters and ensures that Tchaikovsky’s brilliant story elaborate setting is expertly conveyed to the listener.  I cannot recommend this audiobook enough and I cannot wait to see how Tchaikovsky follows it up.

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Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan, written by Darius Hinks and narrated by Theo Solomon

Warhammer 40,000 - Leviathan Cover

The final audiobook on this list is the one I’m listening to now, Leviathan by Darius Hinks.  An intense and fast-paced book that follows a deadly alien invasion, this is a great Warhammer 40,000 read that really grew on me.  Leviathan has a very good audiobook format, thanks to the narration of Theo Solomon, and I am having an outstanding time seeing this dark tale of insanity, invasion and hope, come to fruition.  I should knock this off in the next day or so, and I will try to get a review up for it soon.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, there have been some very good audiobooks out in the first half of 2023, even my list is a little Warhammer 40,000 heavy.  It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2023 audiobooks currently sitting on my phone, waiting to be listened to.  While I get to that, make sure to let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2023 so far are in the comments below.

WWW Wednesday – 5 July 2023

On 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?

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer (Trade Paperback)

The Paris Agent Cover

I just started reading the new historical drama from Australian author Kelly Rimmer, The Paris Agent.  Following an aging spy’s dive into the past as he attempts to find out who saved his life during an SOE operation in Nazi occupied France, The Paris Agent is a powerful and compelling novel that I am really sinking my teeth into.  This book has a very strong start, and I cannot wait to see how the entire story develops.

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Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan by Darius Hinks (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Leviathan Cover

I have been making a bit of progress with one of the latest Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks, Leviathan by Darius Hinks.  Featuring an intriguing, mind-bending story about an alien invasion, Leviathan has been quite compelling so far and I am enjoying Hink’s unique narrative.  I am very curious to see how this story unfolds and it should prove to be a very exciting read.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner (Trade Paperback)

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

An excellent and powerful thriller, loaded with twists and turns, this is an outstanding novel that is really worth checking out.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington (Audiobook)

The Will of the Many Cover

An exceptional fantasy novel that got a full five-star rating from me.  Easily one of the best books from the first half of 2023.

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Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

A gripping and insightful thriller that cleverly examined espionage and political murders in Australia.

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The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson

The Interpreter Cover

A fantastic debut from an awesome new Australia author.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Hunger by Marsheila Rockwell

The Hunger Cover

I am hoping to dive into the cool upcoming Marvel Comics tie-in novel, The Hunger by Marsheila Rockwell in the next week.  Set during the Marvel Zombies storyline, The Hunger sounds like an intense and fun novel that will appeal to my love of Marvel Comics and zombies.

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Warhammer 40,000: King of the Spoil by Jonathan D. Beer

The King of the Spoil Cover

I am also hoping to start listening to the audiobook version of the new Warhammer Crime novel, King of the Spoil.  Sent in a grim, crime-ridden mega city, King of the Spoil sounds like a ton of fun and I always love it when they combine intense crime fiction elements with the awesome Warhammer 40,000 universe.

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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 – My Favourite Books From the First Half of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List22 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 topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday involved listing your favourite book covers in the colours of your country’s flag.  While this was an interesting idea, I had already decided in advance of seeing this topic that I would take this opportunity to celebrate the fact that we are already into the second half of 2023 by highlight some amazing books from the first half of the year.

2023 has already proven to be a pretty fantastic year for books, and I have already read some incredible 2023 releases, including impressive standalone books, amazing new entries in established series and fantastic debuts.  Because of this, I thought that I would take the time to work out what my top ten favourite books from the first half of 2023 were.  To be eligible, a book had to be released in the first half of this year in some form.  I have also excluded any books released during this period that I have not so far read, although a couple of releases I have my eye on might have appeared on this list if I had read them in time.

Coming up with this list proved to be a rather bigger task than I originally intended, as I ended up amassing nearly 20 releases, all of which I consider to be some pretty outstanding reads.  I was eventually able to whittle this down to an acceptable Top Ten list, although I did include my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I am rather happy with how this list turned out, although I am surprised at some of the great recent books that ended up being excluded.  Still, the entries below represent what I considered to be some of the best books from the first half of 2023, and I would strongly recommend each and every one of them. 

Honourable Mentions:

The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell

The Malevolent Seven Cover

An ultra-fun, ultra-violent fantasy read that pitted a group of amoral mercenary mages against the worst the world had to throw at them.  A highly entertaining read.

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Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis

Fatal Legacy Cover

Another excellent addition to Davis’ long-running Flavia Albia historical murder mystery series. Fatal Legacy featured another compelling case, this time based around an extensive family feud in ancient Rome and is well worth the read.

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Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman

Unnatural History Cover 2

Veteran crime fiction author Jonathan Kellerman delivered another brilliant entry to his iconic Alex Delaware series this year with the fantastic and clever Unnatural History.  A powerful and well-written crime fiction read with a clever solution behind it, this was an amazing addition to the series.

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Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow

Dead of Night Cover

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow, delivered an amazing sequel to his previous World War II thriller, Blackout, with the impressive Dead of Night.  Set in Nazi controlled Berlin, Dead of Night had a unique and historically powerful narrative, and this proves to be quite the memorable novel.

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Top Ten List (no particular order):

The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

Acclaimed author Mark Lawrence produced one of his best fantasy books ever with the outstanding and epic, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.  Set in a massive fantasy library, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn contains a complex and twist-laded narrative that had me hooked from the very beginning.  Lawrence really outdid himself with The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and this is such an incredible read.

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Burner by Mark Greaney

Burner Cover

I always make sure to check out the new Gray Man novel by top thriller author Mark Greaney each year and I am never disappointed, especially with the latest book Burner.  Burner was a hyper-intense and action packed read that didn’t stop once during its entire run.  Perfectly exploring contemporary history and tying it into ongoing storylines, Burner was a particularly strong addition to the already great Gray Man series and it comes very highly recommended.

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Usagi Yojimbo: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo - Volume 38 - The Green Dragon Cover

Unsurprisingly, I had to include the new Usagi Yojimbo comic in this list, as it still one of my all-time favourite comic series.  Despite the series’ age, Stan Sakai is still pumping out some outstanding stories, and The Green Dragon was a pretty amazing addition to the series.  Following the titular rabbit ronin as he journeys through his version of Feudal Japan, The Green Dragon featured three amazing stories, each one perfectly showcasing the complex characters and Sakai’s striking art style.  Another masterful entry in this amazing series, I loved The Green Dragon and I’m hoping to get a proper review up for it soon.

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Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

One of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, continued to explore the dark fantasy genre in a big way with his violent and captivating novel, Son of the Poison Rose.  The epic sequel to Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose continues to follow the adventure of a doomed and damned protagonist, desperate for revenge, while also cleverly expanding Maberry’s awesome new fantasy realm.  Brutal, uncompromising, but utterly addictive, Son of the Poison Rose was another incredible book from Maberry and I had an exceptional time reading it.

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Battle Song by Ian Ross

Battle Song Cover

A new author I tried out in the first half of 2023 was historical fiction author Ian Ross, who presented a cool medieval adventure story.  Battle Song was an outstanding read, that saw a naïve squire follow a cynical knight through tournaments, politics and civil war, in a deeply entertaining and powerful story.  Set amongst a unique period of English history, I got pretty damn hooked on Battle Song and I was really impressed with his style, fun characters, and awesome action sequences.  A very exciting novel that all fans of historical fiction will enjoy, Battle Song is really worth checking out.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

Easily one of the best books I have read so far this year was the outstanding fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by Australian author James Islington.  An addictive and inventive read set primarily in a magical school (one of my favourite fantasy settings), The Will of the Many follows a rebellious student with secrets who is dragged into multiple conspiracies.  Featuring a bold new universe, a complex story, and some great characters, The Will of the Many was a joy to read from start to finish and I cannot recommend it enough, especially those looking for a new series to dive into.

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The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

I had to include at least one Warhammer 40,000 novel on this list and few new books from this franchise impressed me as much this year as The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks.  Brooks, whose work I previously enjoyed with Warboss and Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom, produced one of his strongest books yet with The Lion: Son of the Forest.  Following the return of an iconic character from the franchise lore, The Lion: Son of the Forest was a powerful and action-packed read that told a great story of return, redemption and revenge.  A must-read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans, The Lion: Son of the Forest was an outstanding book and Brooks is proving to be one the best rising authors in the franchise.

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Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

Following on from the success of her first novel, Her Perfect Twin (one of my favourite debuts of 2022), Sarah Bonner released another awesome thriller this year with Her Sweet Revenge.  Following a grieving protagonist who wants revenge for her best friend’s murder, Her Sweet Revenge is fantastic series of twists, turns and clever reveals, all of which is so damn fun to read.  I loved this great second book from Bonner and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

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City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky

City of Last Chances Cover

I’m slightly cheating by including City of Last Chances here because it was initially released in 2022.  However, the version I managed to get didn’t come out in Australia until earlier this year, so I’m counting it for this list.  It helps that City of Last Chances was an exceptional and highly inventive fantasy read that blew me away with its scope, cleverness and complex characters.  Featuring a very distinctive and fun style, City of Last Chances was a particularly amazing book from Adrian Tchaikovsky (Ogres and Day of Ascension), and I had an outstanding time diving into this cool and memorable setting.  An epic read that comes very, very highly recommended.

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The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the awesome Cotton Malone thriller, The Last Kingdom, by veteran author Steve Berry.  Set around a unique conspiracy from Bavaria, The Last Kingdom is an outstanding combination of modern-day thriller and an impressive dive into Bavaria’s complex past.  I have so much love for Berry’s outstanding ability to weave together a fantastic historical conspiracy, and this was probably one of the better entries in the Cotton Malone series that I have had the pleasure of reading.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, I have already read some amazing and epic books so far in 2023 and we are only halfway through the year.  I am pretty happy with how this list turned out, and it will be interesting to see which of these books ends up being amongst my top reads of the year.  All the novels above come very highly recommended, and you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time reading them.  Let me know what your favourite releases for the first half of the year are in the comments below and make sure to check out my two most anticipated reads lists (fantasy and science fiction and other), as well as which of the above books you liked the most.