Top Ten Tuesday – Books with Honorifics in the Title

On July 15, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are required to list their top ten favourite books with honorifics in the title. The prompt for this topic states that “…an honorific is a form of address conveying esteem, courtesy or respect. These can be titles prefixing a person’s name, e.g.: Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Mx., Sir, Dame, Dr., Cllr, Lady, or Lord, or other titles or positions that can appear as a form of address without the person’s name, as in Mr. President, General, Captain, Father, Doctor, or Earl.”

This was a very interesting idea for a topic, and I always have a lot of fun with the fun unique title lists that appear in this series. To fill out this list I did a deep dive through my book lists and shelves, and I was able to find a healthy collection of books with honorifics in them. While I might have relied a little too much on the “Lord” honorific, for the most part I was very happy with the various books I found to include here, and it resulted in a very impressive and varied final list. It turns out that I have quite a few favourite books with honorifics in their titles, including some fun unique ones, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Captain’s Oath by Christopher L. Bennett

A fantastic Star Trek novel that focuses on The Captain, Kirk, and his early days in the chair.

Lords of the Lance by Graham McNeill

A great recent Warhammer Fantasy novel that features knights and lords facing off against undead hordes.

The Kaiser’s Web by Steve Berry

Fun history spanning conspiracy at its best.

Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier

A deeply compelling Warhammer 40,000 novel that shows the true dark side of this awesome universe.

Top Ten List:

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

I had to start this list off with the epic Terry Pratchett Discworld novel, Lords and Ladies. A fantastic entry from the Witches sub-series, Lords and Ladies is an exceptional read, and it has two honorifics in the title, making it an outstanding entry for this list.

Centurion by Simon Scarrow

Let’s go back to classic honorifics with Centurion by one of my favourite historical fiction authors Simon Scarrow. Both a rank and an honorific that has important use in this series, Centurion was an excellent entry in Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire series, and it was an amazing inclusion for this list.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

A very, very fun fantasy novel I had an amazing time reading last year, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, is a very worthy addition to this list, especially as both lord and Dark Lord could be considered honorifics in the context of this novel.

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Stephen King makes great use of the classic Mr. honorific in this title, as the Mr gives some extra power to the novel’s serial killer antagonist. A particularly impressive read from King, Mr. Mercedes was a very easy choice to include on this list, and it comes highly recommended.

Doctor Aphra: Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon by Simon Spurrier

Next up we have the incredible entry in the Doctor Aphra comic, Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon. The honorific of course belongs to series protagonist Doctor Aphra, an infamous and manipulative archaeologist, whose doctorate was obtained in dodgy circumstances. Despite this, she still has the doctor honorific going for her, so this was an easy inclusion to this list. I honestly could have included any volume of the incredible Doctor Aphra series here, or even the Doctor Aphra audiobook, however, Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon was one of my favourite entries in the series, and I really cannot recommend it, or anything with this outstanding character enough.

Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley

Next, we have one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley. I am including Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! on the list not only because it is a highly entertaining read, but also because prophet is an excellent honorific, especially in the context of the lore surrounding the titular character.

Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

Mistress was another unique honorific I wanted to include here, and the fact that is attached to an outstanding fantasy classic like Mistress of the Empire ensured this was an easy inclusion for this list.

Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno

I had a fun revelation as I was pulling together this list that Darth from the Star Wars universe counts as an honorific, especially as it seems to be granted to all the sith lords we see in the franchise. Based on that, I decided to go with the classic Star Wars novel, Darth Plagueis by James Luceno, which is an incredible book in the Legends canon. A great read that shows the infamous Plaguesis become one of the darkest Darths who ever darthed.

Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

Another cool Warhammer 40,000 novel with an honorific in the title I had to include here was Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick. One of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2024, Lord of Excess was a particularly awesome read, and the honorific Lord that appears in the title helps to highlight just how crazy the pleasure and excess obsessed protagonists would go when they take over a troubled planet.

Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

The final book with an honorific in the title I wanted to include here was the excellent historical fiction novel, Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly. A strong and complex read, Mr Einstein’s Secretary was an outstanding novel to include here, and it makes for an outstanding final entry in this list.

As you can see I’ve had the pleasure of reading some excellent books over the years that make use on honorifics in their titles. All the above are amazing reads and come very highly recommended, especially if you’re in the mood for some intense or exciting stories. I’m really glad I decided to participate in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, and it was a lot of fun diving into honorifics and their use in my favourite books.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books From the First Half of 2025

On July 8, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List15 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside 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 books you’d like to reread. While this is an interesting topic which I might come back to later, I had already decided in advance that this week I would take this opportunity to celebrate the fact that we are into the second half of 2025 by highlighting some amazing books from the first half of the year.

2025 has already proven to be a fantastic year for books, and I have already read some incredible new releases, including impressive standalone books, amazing 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 2025 were. To be eligible, a book had to be a particularly epic novel released in the first half of this year. I have 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 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 2025, and I would strongly recommend each and every one of them.

Honourable Mentions:

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

A clever and impressive thriller from the always outstanding Harlan Coben.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

The exceedingly fun, and slightly unhinged, sequel to de Castell’s previous awesome novel, The Malevolent Seven. This second Malevolent book was particularly epic, and I look forward to seeing how this series continues, as well as de Castell’s other upcoming 2025 novel, Our Lady of Blades.

Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry

Another exciting and powerful entry in Maberry’s amazing Rogue Team International series.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The latest epic Hunger Games novel from Suzanne Collins, that perfectly showcased the origins of one of the series’ more iconic characters. Highly recommended and a must read for all Hunger Games fans.

Top Ten List:

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

The first ultra-impressive novel of 2025 I want to highlight on this list is the exceptional fantasy murder mystery A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. The second novel in the author’s Shadow of the Leviathan series, A Drop of Corruption is the brilliant sequel to The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024). Another intricate and powerful murder mystery set within Bennett’s clever fantasy setting; A Drop of Corruption was a particularly addictive read that I honestly could not get enough of.

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney

Next on the list we have the fantastic spy thriller Midnight Black by one of my favourite authors Mark Greaney. The 14^th entry in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black was an epic read that served as a great follow-up to the cliffhanger ending of the previous novel, The Chaos Agent. Pitting the author’s legendary spy protagonist against the entire Russian state as he attempts to free the woman he loves from an internment camp, Midnight Black was a great mixture of action, espionage and character moments that proves impossible to put down. A very impressive entry in one of the best ongoing spy thriller series.

Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky

One of the world’s best fantasy and science fiction authors was in rare form with his incredible novel, Days of Shattered Faith, which serves as the third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosophers series. A gritty and captivating novel that follows on from City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, both of which were amongst my favourite books of 2023 (with City of Last Chances being one of the best audiobooks of 2023), Days of Shattered Faith was an incredible fantasy read that continued to follow the dark expansion of an empire dedicated to perfection and correctness. This time examining the dark side of diplomacy as a new city is rocked by war, revolution and conquest, Days of Shattered Faith was a very complex read that perfectly continues the series. Easily one of Tchaikovsky’s better books, Days of Shattered Faith is a very worthy addition to this list and is really worth a read.

Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

I had to include Interceptor City, the incredible new Warhammer 40,000 novel from Dan Abnett on this list. The long-awaited sequel to his iconic novel Double Eagle, Interceptor City brings back Abnett’s fighter ace protagonist Bree Jagdea, as she is dragged out of retirement and into the carnage of war. This time forced to fly deadly combat missions in the claustrophobic confines of a massive city, Interceptor City was a particularly impressive sequel that really highlights Abnett’s ability to write complex and gripping dogfights. One of the more outstanding Warhammer novels of 2025, Interceptor City was Abnett at his best (which is saying something), and I could not get enough of this outstanding read.

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz

Amazing thriller author Gregg Hurwitz may have presented one of his very best books this year with his 10^th Orphan X novel, Nemesis. Once again following the author’s complicated vigilante protagonist, Nemesis featured a moving and powerful story as the titular Orphan X is forced to face off against his best friend following the events of Lone Wolf. A gripping battle of personalities, Nemesis was a very powerful read, and I’m still not over the book’s shocking ending. An exceptional read that you won’t be prepared for.

Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow by Stan Sakai

I doubt anyone is too surprised that I’ve featured the new Usagi Yojimbo comic by Stan Sakai, The Crow, on this list, as I have long championed the beauty and complexity of this series. The latest volume, The Crow, had a great story as the protagonist teams up with several bounty hunters to bring down a notorious criminal, only to encounter tragedy and death. A very compelling addition to the series, The Crow was so much fun to read and comes highly recommended. I have so much love for this series, and I cannot wait to get the next volume, Ten Thousand Plums, which will likely also be a big release of 2025.

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

After several years out of the spotlight, the master of grim dark fantasy fiction, Joe Abercrombie, returns with a vengeance with The Devils. The first book in a new series set in an alternate version of medieval Europe populated with monsters and magic, The Devils follows a group of monsters controlled by the church who are charged with keeping a street-thief alive and placing her on the throne of Troy as empress. A particularly entertaining novel loaded with great characters, outrageous humour and constant carnage, The Devils was pure Joe Abercrombie goodness, and I loved every single second I spent reading it.

Never Flinch by Stephen King

Another amazing book from the first half of 2025 I had to include was the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch. Once again bringing back his amazing protagonist Holly Gibney (Mr. Mercedes, The Outsider and Holly), Never Flinch sees the unlikely detective contend with two dangerous opponents, an obsessive serial killer and a relentless stalker. A very compelling and dark character-driven crime fiction read, Never Flinch had an exceptional story behind it and I deeply enjoyed seeing how this elaborate tale unfolded.

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

One of the more surprising entries on this list was the fantasy debut from author Anthonia Hodgson, The Raven Scholar. A massive and addictive fantasy novel that sees a tournament to crown a new emperor disrupted by murder, conspiracy, and long-hidden secrets, The Raven Scholar was a particularly awesome read that I powered through a few days. I had such an incredible time with The Raven Scholar, and I just had to feature it on this list.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly

The final book on this list is the new Michael Connelly novel Nightshade. Set on Catalina Island and featuring a new protagonist, Nightshade was an intricate and exciting murder mystery novel that combined dark island politics with several gritty murders. A very strong book from Connelly that perfectly introduced his new protagonist and scenario, Nightshade is a very impressive read and one of the better books from the first half of 2025.

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 2025 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 for the second half of 2025 (fantasy and science fiction and other).

Top Ten Tuesday – Novels from the First Half of 2025 that I still Need to Read

On July 2, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn ListLeave a comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was to return to a previous list you’ve done as part of a Throwback Freebie. However, I decided to instead continue my literary examination of the first half of 2025 by looking at the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.

While I have already enjoyed a substantial number of outstanding books in 2025, there are still quite a few impressive novels from the first half of the year that I have yet to read. Many of these were on my most anticipated books lists for 2025 (both fantasy and other), and while I was really excited for them, I have honestly not had a chance to check all of them out yet. Therefore, I am going to use this freebie session to shame myself in the hope that it gets me into gear to finally check out these epic reads. This proved to be an easy list to pull together, as many of these books have been weighing on my mind for a while. All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get the chance to read all of them soon.

Honourable Mentions:

Forged for Destiny by Andrew Knighton

A fun sounding fantasy novel about a hero whose chosen-one status isn’t what he thinks it is.

Warrior by Simon Turney

The interesting sounding sequel to Turney’s 2024 novel Invader. I failed to get a copy of Warrior earlier in the year, so I will have to see how I go continuing the series.

Vanguard Strike by Jarom Strong

A very exciting science fiction debut that I’m hoping to read soon, especially as Strong already has a sequel to it coming out.

The Venetian Heretic by Christian Cameron

An awesome historical thriller that I am going to try and grab a copy of soon, as it sounds particularly epic.

Top Ten List:

The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence

The first novel from the first half of 2025 that I want to talk about is The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence. The third and final entry in Lawrence’s Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart will finish off the elaborate story of a war within a massive, impossible library that started in The Book that Wouldn’t Burn and continued in The Book That Broke the World. I deeply enjoyed the first two books in this series, and I really want to finish Lawrence’s trilogy off. Hopefully I will be able to fit The book That Held Her Heart into my reading schedule soon, as this is one of the biggest releases from the first half of the year I still need to read.

Tyrant by Conn Iggulden

Another key book from early 2025 that I still need to read is the gripping Tyrant by historical fiction author Conn Iggulden. The second book in the author’s Nero series, Tyrant will continue to follow the young life of the infamous emperor Nero, as he slowly rose to power in ancient Rome. The first book in this series, Nero, was pretty damn good, and I cannot wait to continue Iggulden’s intriguing examination of this fascinating historical figure. I’m hoping to get a copy of Tyrant soon, and I have no doubt this will be one of the better historical fiction books I read in 2025.

The Medici Return by Steve Berry

One of the more surprising entries on this list is the new Cotton Malone novel from Steve Berry, The Medici Return. In recent years I’ve made a real effort to read the new Steve Berry book each year, especially as the Cotton Malone novels feature cool thriller stories based around complex historical secrets and conspiracies. Unfortunately, I just haven’t been able to fit The Medici Return into my 2025 reading schedule yet, which is a real shame as it has a very fun plot about the return of the legendary Medici of Florence, which could have massive impacts on modern day Italy. Sure to be another complex and culturally rich story, The Medici Return is very high on my to-read list.

Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I had really hoped to read the awesome new Adrian Tchaikovsky science fiction novel, Shroud, by this point in the year. A complex and intense read about two people who find themselves trapped on the surface a truly inhospitable and completely dark alien planet, Shroud has a fascinating story about survival and alien contact. I love the sound of this excellent science fiction novel, and I am determined to read Shroud in 2025.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

I was happy to receive a copy of You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego earlier this year, although I unfortunately haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Featuring the fun concept of a group of mystery writer who find themselves trapped in an isolated manor with a dangerous killer, You Are Fatally Invited sounds like an incredible read, and one sure to be loaded with fun twists and complex turns. I really intend to explore You Are Fatally Invited by the end of the year, and I look forward to seeing how it comes together.

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani

One of the more exciting novels from the first half of 2025 I still must read is The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani, an excellent and intense historical thriller that sees a farmer join Richard Lionheart’s crusade to get revenge on soldiers who killed his wife. A very cool sounding revenge novel amongst a great historical setting, I am very keen to get my hands on The Pilgrim’s Revenge, although I may have to wait until it gets a paperback release in Australia later this year.

A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde

The next entry on this list is an ambitious and compelling fantasy debut that I had hoped to have read by now, A Song of Legends Lost. A Song of Legends Lost is the excellent first novel from new author M. H. Ayinde, filled with war, rebellion and spirit magic. I am still hoping to dive into this massive fantasy debut soon, and I cannot wait to see what impressive story Ayinde has started his writing career with.

There Will be Bodies by Lindsey Davis

For the second year in a row, I am very behind in reading the new Flavia Albia book from Lindsey Davis, as I still haven’t enjoyed the latest book in the series, There Will be Bodies. Following on from the previous entry in the series, Death on the Tiber, There Will be Bodies sees the ancient Roman detective protagonist attempt to solve a murder that occurred in the aftermath of the eruption of Vesuvius. I love the awesome concept behind this book, and I am hoping to dive into this story soon.

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager

One of the more intriguing novels of 2025 that I have yet to read is the fantastic historical crime fiction novel, With a Vengeance by Riley Sager. A cool twist on the classic whodunnit, With a Vengeance sees an unforgiving woman’s plan to destroy the people responsible for her family’s downfall go off the rails when a mysterious killer starts to murder her targets while she is trapped on a train with them. I love the sound of this complex and fun read, and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

Warhammer 40,000: Hell’s Last by Justin D. Hill

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the cool Warhammer 40,000 novel, Hell’s Last by Justin D. Hill. Set to once again follow the damaged members of the Cadian 101^st as they continue to fight after the destruction of their planet, Hell’s Last sounds like an awesome piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction from a very talented author. I’ve been a little slack in not listening to Hell’s Last yet, especially as I usually instantly snap up every Warhammer 40,000 novel that comes my way. Much of this is because I haven’t read the rest of the books in Hill’s Cadia series, which I might try and do first before diving into this latest entry in the series.

Well, that is the end of this latest list. As you can see, there are a bunch of exceptional novels from the first half of the year that I need to check out. All the above books sound incredibly epic, and I am going to have to try a lot harder to start reading through them. In the meantime, let me know which books released in the first half of the year you most regret not reading in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2025 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)

On June 26, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller6 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. In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2025. While my other list of the night looked at the best upcoming fantasy and science fiction novels, this list will look at the crime fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction novels that I am most excited for in the next six months.

Just like with my previous article about upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, this was a bit of a difficult list to pull together. Even after I excluded fantasy and science fiction novels from it, there were still a ton of great books I could feature, and I had a hard time deciding what to cut. I was eventually able to whittle it down to a top ten list (with an honourable mentions section), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Just like with my fantasy and science fiction list, the following list does a great job of highlighting what books I am most excited for in the second half of the year, so let us see what makes the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis – 2 September 2025

An intriguing upcoming Australian crime fiction novel that will serve as a sequel to the author’s emotionally charged previous novel, The Unbelieved. I was deeply impressed with The Unbelieved and I cannot wait to see how the series continues.

Final Orbit by Chris Hadfield – 9 October 2025

A cool Cold War thriller from astronaut Chris Hadfield that will follow on from The Apollo Murders and The Defector.

The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025

An excellent new courtroom drama from legendary author John Grisham, The Widow has a very fun story behind it as a small-town lawyer finds himself on trial for the murder after trying to scam an elderly widow.

Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka – 12 November 2025

The upcoming English translation of Hotel Lucky Seven from Japanese author Kotaro Isaka is something I am very keen to read, especially after having so much fun with his epic novels Bullet Train and Three Assassins.

Top Ten List:

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe – 15 July 2025

After wowing me with the excellent young adult thrillers, The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, Tess Sharpe’s next cool book, No Body No Crime, is very high up my to-read list. Set to follow two former lovers as they attempt to survive the consequences of a murder they committed when they were teenagers, this is likely to be another sharp, clever and moving thriller. I have no doubt that No Body No Crime is going to be awesome, and I am hoping to read it soon.

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh – 24 July 2025

I love a good legal thriller, and few examples of this sub-genre are more entertaining or memorable than the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh. I have had an outstanding time with novels like The Devil’s Advocate, The Accomplice and Witness 8, and I am always excited to see what new craziness Cavanagh has planned for his next courtroom escapades. Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait for the next upcoming book in the series, Two Kinds of Stranger, which will see an innocent client dragged into a legal nightmare when she tries to help a random stranger with dark secrets. I cannot wait to read this new book, and it should be particularly entertaining and compelling.

The Final Vow by M. W. Craven – 12 August 2025

After absolutely loving the dark and twist laden novel The Mercy Chair last year (one of my favourite books of 2024), I am now a firm fan of all things M. W. Craven and I cannot wait to see his next epic read, The Final Vow. The new book in the author’s Washington Poe series, The Final Vow will see the series’ damaged detective and his unconventional investigation team attempt to stop a sniper terrorising the entire country. This amazing sounding book will likely be one of the very best mystery novels of 2025 and I am extremely excited to see how many complex twists and shocking turns Craven will load into this new book.

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown – 9 September 2025

Legendary author Dan Brown returns to his iconic Robert Langdon series, this time setting the series’ titular protagonist lose in Prague. Set to see Langdon investigate a dark conspiracy rooted in the history of the city, The Secret of Secrets is going to be a pretty amazing novel, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the first Robert Langdon book released in years.

Circle of Days by Ken Follett – 23 September 2025

Few big upcoming releases have me as excited as the new Ken Follett novel, Circle of Days, especially after absorbing the author’s addictive Kingsbridge novels, including The Evening and the Morning, A Column of Fire and The Armour of Light. Once again diving into the history of England, Circle of Days will be an expansive, multi-character novel that will have the building on Stonehenge as its backdrop. Sure to feature a lengthy narrative set over multiple years, Circle of Days is likely to be one of my favourite historical fiction books of 2025 and I am so very keen to read it.

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman – 25 September 2025

I am certain that this next book, The Impossible Fortune, is going to be the novel at the top of all my best-of lists later this year. The next entry in Richard Osman’s exceptional Thursday Murder Club series, The Impossible Fortune will see the unlikely retiree protagonists attempt to solve a sinister crime at a wedding, with shenanigans and elaborate mystery to follow. I have no doubt that The Impossible Fortune is going to be exceptional, especially after loving every second of The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and The Last Devil to Die (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), and I cannot wait to see what magic Osman weaves with this incredible upcoming book.

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson – 30 September 2025

One of the more entertaining novels coming out in the second half of 2025 is going to be the brilliant Australian thriller Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. The fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series (Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, and Everyone this Christmas has a Secret), Everyone in this Bank is a Thief will once again place Stevenson’s insightful and unlucky protagonist at the site of another crime as he is forced to investigate a murder while trapped as a hostage in a bank robbery. Blending classic murder mystery elements with a fun heist narrative, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is going to be a hilarious read, and I cannot wait to check it out.

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly – 21 October 2025

The always reliable master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, has another awesome book coming out in 2025 with The Proving Ground. The next book in the author’s incredible Lincoln Lawyer series (which has previously featured books like The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk), The Proving Ground will team Mickey Haller with another Connelly protagonist, Jack McEvoy (the protagonist of books like Fair Warning), as he takes on a sinister AI company. Likely to combine great legal elements with a complex thriller narrative, I have a feeling this is going to be one of Connelly’s better books, and I am very excited to get my hands on it.

Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 6 November 2025

Another upcoming book that I am particularly excited for is the new Eagles of the Empire book from Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome (cover yet to be released). Scarrow’s second book in 2025 after A Death in Berlin, Tyrant of Rome will follow on from the previous Eagles of the Empire novel, Revenge of Rome, as the protagonists return to Rome after ending Boudica’s rebellion. This time series protagonists Cato and Macro are dragged back into the excesses of Nero when they are chosen to take control of law and order in the city. I love this interesting change of direction away from the brutal war stories of the last few books and it is going to be fun to dive into over-the-top Roman politics and the insanity of the emperor.

Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai – 25 November 2025

The final entry on this list is one of my favourites with the next Usagi Yojimbo volume by Stan Sakai, Ten Thousand Plums. The 41^st volume of the Usagi Yojimbo comic series, Ten Thousand Plums should be another intense adventure loaded with great characters, awesome action, and vibrant artwork, as the protagonists are thrown into a dangerous conspiracy within a vital plum plantation personally protected by the Shogun. This will be the second entry from the Usagi Yojimbo series released in 2025 following the impressive volume, The Crow, and if Ten Thousand Plums is just as good as it’s proceeding volume, then I am in for an exceptional time when I pick this comic up in November.

Well, that’s the end of my second list. As you can see, there are some outstanding mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction novels coming out in the next six months which should prove to be amazing reads. Combine that with the fantasy and science fiction releases from my previous list and I know that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2025. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2025 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On June 26, 2025June 26, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction7 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2025. I am planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more, and this one that will focus on upcoming fantasy and science fiction books.

2025 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books (something I will cover in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday), with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away. However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2025. To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to. I already have a couple of these books in advance, but I think it’s worth including them here, especially as I still need to make time to read them.

I had initially intended to only do a single list featuring all the genres, however, I ended up with way too many awesome upcoming novels on my radar. So, to fairly feature them all, and to save myself from some hard decisions, I decided to split this post into two separate lists, starting with this one on fantasy and science fiction. I still had to cut out several impressive upcoming releases, but I was a lot happier with how these lists turned out, especially as I was able to feature so many epic upcoming reads that I am going to have the most fun reading. Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated fantasy and science fiction releases for the second half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025

A cool fantasy debut with an interesting cooking theme that I have had my eye on for a while.

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

A fantastic dive into academic hell from the acclaimed R. F. Kuang.

King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 28 October 2025

A very interesting upcoming book from Joe Hill that will see a group of friends suffer the consequences of summoning a dragon.

Warhammer 40,000: Voidscarred by Mike Brooks – announced for 2025

I’m very excited for the upcoming Warhammer novel by Mike Brooks that will set Aeldari Corsairs against Ork Freebooterz. Brooks is exceptional Warhammer 40,000 author, with books like Warboss, Da Big Dakka and The Lion: Son of the Forest really showcasing his talent, and I look forward to seeing this very fun upcoming book.

Top Ten List

Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers – 1 July 2025

There are several awesome Warhammer 40,000 novels still to come in 2025, but the one I’m currently most looking forward to is the epic novel Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok. Written by the very talented Denny Flowers who has previously impressed me with books like Outgunned (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels) and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok has a ton of hilarious potential as it dives into the most insane and diabolical “medical” practitioner amongst the brutal orks. I already know this is going to be a clever and very funny read (especially after seeing Flowers write ork characters in Da Red Gobbo Collection), and I cannot wait to see what insanity awaits in this cool upcoming book.

Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch – 8 July 2025

The always outstanding Ben Aaronovitch returns to his iconic Rivers of London series with the compelling upcoming Stone and Sky. Part elaborate urban fantasy, part clever police procedural, Stone and Sky will see the series protagonist and his unusual family journey up to Scotland on a holiday, only to encounter a new supernatural mystery from the depths of the ocean. Set to feature another amazing and addictive story told in Aaronovitch’s distinctive style, Stone and Sky will likely be one of the most captivating fantasy novels of 2025 and I look forward to continuing the series.

Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland – 15 July 2025

In the last year I have had an amazing time checking out the awesome fantasy novels of the Broken Blades trilogy by Mai Corland. Following several dangerous killers as they are forced to pull off impossible missions for a power-hungry king, the first two books, Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms, have set up an outstanding story with some brilliant characters. Fans of this series will be getting a conclusion to the trilogy later this year with Three Shattered Souls, which should be particularly epic. I cannot wait to see how Corland wraps everything up, and I already know I’m going to love it, especially in its elaborate audiobook format.

The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso – 19 August 2025

Another great upcoming fantasy murder mystery novel I have my eye on is The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso. The sequel to Caruso’s amazing 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Last Soul Among Wolves will see the series protagonist caught in a cursed mansion during a doomed will reading. Looking set to combine a classic murder mystery scenario with Caruso’s elaborate fantasy world, The Last Soul Among Wolves has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to check it out.

Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan – 26 August 2025

One of my favourite fantasy authors, Anthony Ryan, returns with the second book in his awesome Age of Wrath trilogy, Born of an Iron Storm. The amazing sound sequel to his 2024 novel, A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm will continue the elaborate adventures started in Ryan’s last book. Set to once again feature a cool Norse-inspired setting, compelling characters, and all manner of plots and conspiracies, Born of an Iron Storm sounds pretty damn incredible and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the better fantasy releases of 2025.

Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

The always impressive Jonathan Maberry continues to showcase his brilliant writing skills with Cold War, a fantastic upcoming follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek. Pitting human scientists and soldiers trapped far away in space against ancient cosmic horrors, Cold War should be another gripping read, especially as the humans are fighting back using their powerful, death-powered alien mechs. Likely to be another particularly dark and haunting read, Cold War has the potential to be an incredible sequel, and I am very keen to check it out.

The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 23 October 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to try and uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended cool worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline. I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been quite eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now. Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade is one of the big fantasy releases of October. Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city within the same realm and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets to get what they want. I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 6 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades. The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows. Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold. Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for.

The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington. The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many (one of my favourite books, audiobooks and Australian novels of 2023), The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past. However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split amongst three separate worlds, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures. I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher. Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force. With a very cool plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

That is the end of this list. I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out, and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming fantasy and science fiction books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me. Make sure to also check out my next list where I dive into upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more. Let me also know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels – June 2025

On June 10, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List, Warhammer9 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 focuses on Bookish Wishes, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to. So instead I’m going to spend this week’s Top Ten Tuesday updating a regular list of mine where I highlight my absolute favourite Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.

Warhammer is a long-running extended universe that is based around a series of miniature table-top games. Started by Games Workshop decades ago, Warhammer in its various forms has a large and dedicated following to it, and there are several existing or defunct games associated with the franchise. The most iconic of these is the Warhammer 40,000 franchise which is set millennia in the future and details a grim-dark universe where multiple factions engage in massive wars and unique battles. Thanks to years of extended lore, there are a ton of Warhammer 40,000 books and comics out there, with a massive team of great authors contributing more and more to it all the time.

Due to how much I love this franchise and how many books I have been reading from it, around this time two years ago, I went out of my way to list my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books, which ballooned into a 20-entry feature. This proved to be a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed highlighting the top Warhammer 40,000 books I read, so much so that I updated it around a year ago. While I was happy with how these first two lists panned out, I was only really scratching the surface of this massive collection of fiction, as there are a ton of other epic Warhammer 40,000 books out there. I’ve spent the last year or so getting even further into this franchise, and I have read several additional awesome books, which includes some brand-new favourites. As such, I figured this would be a good time to update my previous list and feature even more epic pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

As with my previous list about Warhammer 40,000 fiction, I have loaded this entry up with my top 20 favourite books, including several great books I discovered in the last year. There are some amazing Warhammer 40,000 novels here, and it was interesting to see what new pieces of fiction made it onto the latest version of this list. I had some very hard decisions to make, and several books that I featured last time needed to be cut, which wasn’t easy to do. I did once again decide to compact several books from the same series (and written by the same author) into a single entry to increase variety, which I think worked out well. Overall, I’m very happy with how my Top 20 list turned out and there are so many exceptional and epic novels I would strongly recommend.

Top 20 List (no particular order):

Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

The first entry on this list is the iconic and epic Eisenhorn trilogy by legendary Warhammer author Dan Abnett. Generally considered one of the most influential authors of Warhammer fiction, Abnett has written several key series and novels in this canon and the Eisenhorn books are some of his finest work. Made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, this series follows the titular Inquisitor Eisenhorn who investigates several complex conspiracies while trying to keep the Imperium of Man safe. However, along the way he starts making dark compromises and deals to fight the forces of Chaos, which slowly corrupts him. Providing an outstanding mixture of elaborate stories, impressive characters and some epic moments, the Eisenhorn trilogy is damn near perfect, and I have had a wonderful time getting through it. Easily one of the best Warhammer series out there, the Eisenhorn novels are a must-read, and there is a reason why most fans recommend it as a brilliant starting Warhammer 40,000 fiction starting point.

Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley

Ghazghkull Thraka - Prophet of the Waaagh! Cover

For readers looking for something a little less human-focussed, Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! is the perfect book. A unique retelling of iconic ork character Ghazghkull Thraka’s origin story, this fantastic novel presents a powerful and instantly compelling story that shows a far deeper side to the ork boss and his followers. Crowley expertly utilises a series of distinctive perspectives to tell a particularly striking story, and I loved the fun combination of serious elements and humorous undertones. I had a brilliant time with this novel, and it ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022. Highly recommended, especially on audiobook due to the amazing team of talented narrators the recruited to voice it.

Assassinorum: Kingmaker by Robert Rath

Assassinorum Kingmaker Cover

Another Warhammer 40,000 novel from 2022 that topped my best of lists was the insanely good Assassinorum: Kingmaker by talented author Robert Rath. Following three ultra-elite assassins, Kingmaker showcases their mission to assassinate a king and bring a new era to a feudal Imperial Knight planet. The only problem is that their target is permanently bonded to a giant mecha, and there are far darker secrets hidden on the planet than they realised. This book was highly addictive from the very start, and I cannot emphasise how impressively amazing the narrative was. You really get attached to the major characters, and I loved all the epic mecha-on-mecha fights than ensued. A top read from one of the franchises fastest rising stars.

The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley

The Wraithbone Phoenix Cover

One of the things that I most love about Warhammer 40,000 fiction is the sheer range of different stories that can be featured in this universe. Probably the best example of this is the Warhammer Crime subseries that set a series of powerful crime fiction novels in a futuristic and corrupt Warhammer 40,000 city. The first one of these that I read was The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley, which features a fast-paced, crime thriller romp as several teams of over-the-top criminals fight to recover a mysterious McGuffin, the titular Wraithbone Phoenix. The story primarily focuses on the hilarious team of thieving ratling (a futuristic halfling/hobbit) and an enlightened Ogryn (ogre), who find themselves caught in the middle of the heist and hunted by everyone. Fun, intense and surprisingly moving, this was an amazing book, and readers should also check out Worley’s short audiobook, Dredge Runners, which serves as an exceptional prequel.

Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill

Storm of Iron Cover 2

From cool crime fiction to brutal sieges, my next entry is the awesome epic Storm of Iron by the legendary Graham McNeill. Storm of Iron is a powerful and intense read that chronicles a deadly futuristic siege of a legendary citadel by the Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines, the galaxy’s most accomplished siege experts. What follows is a brutal and lengthy siege novel that sees both sides engage in a hellish campaign to try and survive. Cleverly showcasing both sides and providing some great context to the antagonists, this is a particularly fun book that is easily one of the best siege novels I have ever read.

Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks

Da Big Dakka Cover

One of the more entertaining additions to this list is Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks. Brooks is one of the most talented rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, especially with books like The Lion: King of the Forest and Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom. While I enjoy his serious work, my favourite book of his is Da Big Dakka. An intriguing and ultra-entertaining follow-up to his ork novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, Da Big Dakka sets a deadly ork warband against the lethal Drukhari in a battle of wits, carnage and pain. Hilarious and clever from start to finish, I cannot recommend this book enough as it had me laughing all the way through.

Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds

Kal Jerico - Sinner's Bounty Cover

There are many great Warhammer 40,000 novels on this list, but only one that I can truly blame for my current love of the franchise, and that’s Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds. Set in the Necromunda sub-series/game, Sinner’s Bounty presents a whole new adventure from one of the franchise’s best characters, bounty hunter Kal Jerico, as he follows a notorious criminal into the darkest parts of the massive Necromunda hive city. A massively entertaining romp that features multiple teams of bounty hunters, an army of mutants, and all manner of monsters in the dark sewers of the city, Sinner’s Bounty is so much damn fun and I loved seeing my favourite character back in action. I hope we get more Kal Jerico books in the future, but in the meantime Sinner’s Bounty an amazing read that perfectly showcases one of the franchises best settings and protagonists.

The Infinite and The Divine by Robert Rath

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

Another outstanding novel from Robert Rath that I had to feature here is, The Infinite and The Divine. Focussed on two compelling and brilliant Necron characters, The Infinite and The Divine showcases the legendary feud between them as they spend thousands of years battling over a recovered artefact and its secrets. Devolving into quite a petty scrap at times, The Infinite and The Divine is one of the funniest and cleverest Warhammer 40,000 books out there as it makes excellent use of humour, intense lore, and some very serious moments to tell a unique and memorable tale. I had an exceptionally fun time with The Infinite and The Divine, and it is a fantastic novel for all Warhammer fans.

Gaunt’s Ghosts series – Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Necropolis Cover

There was no way I could exclude Dan Abnett’s other iconic series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books from this list. Generally considered one of the key pillars of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and essential reading for all newcomers to the franchise, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow the Tanith First and Only, a small regiment from a destroyed planet fighting for redemption in a deadly crusade. Containing great characters, compelling storylines, and a gritty examination of the common Imperial soldier’s life, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books are extremely captivating and I have had a great deal of fun with them. When I featured the Gaunt’s Ghosts books in this list last time, I had made some descent progress into the series with books like First and Only, Ghostmaker, Necropolis, Honour Guard and The Guns of Tanith, as well as the prequel novel, The Vincula Insurgency. I have since had the pleasure of reading another two books in the series with Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr, both of which exceptional reads, especially as they really moved the overall narrative of the Gaunt’s Ghosts books along, while hitting the reader with some major tragedy. While I still have several more Gaunt’s Ghosts books to go, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Warhammer series out there and I would strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this cool universe.

Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier

Lord of the Night Cover

A classic Warhammer 40,000 novel that I have a lot of love for is the dark and compelling Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier. A unique read that sees a lone Night Lords traitor Space Marine terrorise an entire giant city in the hunt for a legendary artefact, Lord of the Night is a complex, character driven novel that really dives into the villain’s perspective. Loaded with twists, compelling protagonists and a legendary game of cat and mouse, Lord of the Night is an outstanding read that I’m glad I got the chance to read.

Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

One of the things that I love about the Warhammer 40,000 franchise is the way in which the Black Library finds and encourages new authors, with several impressive writers making their overall debut with a cool Warhammer 40,000 book. One of the best recent examples of this was the outstanding novel, Renegades: Lord of Excess by new author Rich McCormick. A particularly intense and bonkers novel that follows members of the hedonistic Emperor’s Children Chaos Space Marines as they conquer a planet with the goal of making it perfect, Lord of Excess was fantastically over-the-top read that dove into the downsides of excess and obsession. One of my favourite books, audiobooks and debuts of 2024, Lord of Excess is so damn good, and I cannot wait to see what Rich McCormick writes next.

Double Eagle/Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

Dan Abnett’s domination of this list continues with the author’s exceptional dive into combat flying and aerial aces in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Spinning off from the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Abnett wrote the impressive novel Double Eagle in 2004, which followed several pilots fighting in the same system-spanning war as the Tanith First and Only. A particularly gripping novel, Double Eagle made excellent use of it’s Battle of Britain themes and motifs by showing the impact that atmospheric fighter craft can have in an interstellar war and is probably one of Abnett’s best novels. However, the fun didn’t stop with Double Eagle, as Abnett recently released a long-awaited sequel, Interceptor City. A particularly powerful read that followed the long-retired protagonist of Double Eagle as she is dragged back into combat, Interceptor City was another exceptional read, that took the awesome aerial combat from the first book and cranked it all the way up to 11. Both books are incredible, and I can already tell you that Interceptor City is going to end up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025.

Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Last year I made sure to highlight the amazing first novel in the Ciaphas Cain series, For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell, which I stated was one of the funniest Warhammer novels I have had the pleasure of reading. However, I was only just scratching the surface of the long-running and beloved Ciaphas Cain series which follows the adventures of Commissar Ciaphas Cain, who is either one of the Imperium’s greatest heroes or a manipulative coward who actively tries to avoid combat, only to end up in even worse situations. Mitchell paints a pretty hilarious picture around this scenario, and the result is a series of spectacular and side-splittingly funny novels. I have had a ton of fun getting through several more books in the series, with books like Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls, Cain’s Last Stand and The Emperor’s Finest proving to be extremely awesome. I still have several more entries to go in this series I can’t wait to see all the fantastic and entertaining ways that Cain will run into trouble in the future books.

The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

Robert Rath makes yet another appearance on this list with his latest novel, The Fall of Cadia. A truly epic read that recounts the dire events of the canon-changing, Imperium wrecking, final battle of the 13^th Black Crusade, The Fall of Cadia is a remarkable book that Warhammer 40,000 fans will not be able to put down. Filled with massive battles, unique moments, and so many larger-than-life characters, The Fall of Cadia perfectly captures one of the more essential moments in recent Warhammer 40,000 lore. Rath is really proving himself to be one of the absolute best authors of Warhammer fiction, as The Fall of Cadia ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.

Outgunned and Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

While Denny Flowers’ first book, Fire Made Flesh, was a great Necromunda novel, it pales in comparison to his Lucille von Shard novels. Another cool series that focusses on a flying ace, the Lucille von Shard novels are a very different collection of Warhammer 40,000 books as they look at the dark side of the lies, propaganda and badly run wars that are rife within the Imperium. The series started with the amazing novel Outgunned which follows an Imperial propaganda specialist who arrives on a swampy battlefield to film inspiration footage of a legendary fighter pilot as she battles an ork invasion, only to discover that his preferred subject is an arrogant drunkard, and everyone is dying for a corrupted planet. A brilliant and intense novel that not only featured a ton of great aerial combat, but which also dives into some very dark places that shows just how far humanity has fallen in the far future Outgunned was such a great read, and Flowers exceeded himself last year with the excellent sequel Above and Beyond. Once again following the damaged protagonists of the first book as they find themselves locked in a dark conspiracy of alien lies and deadly propaganda, Above and Beyond was an exceptional read, and one that highlights Denny Flowers as one of the most impressive rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

Flesh and Steel by Guy Haley

Flesh and Steel Cover

The Warhammer Crime hits keep on coming with Flesh and Steel by renowned author Guy Hayley. This compelling read acts a bit of an odd-couple, buddy cop story when two very different detectives are forced to team up to investigate a dismembered body left across a city border. Mixing some fantastic comedy with some pretty dark and horrific elements, Flesh and Steel provided one of the best character-focused stories in the Warhammer Crime range and I was deeply impressed with how everything unfolded. A key Warhammer Crime read and one that I have a great deal of affection for.

Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons

Dead Men Walking Cover

Another book that highlight’s the unique human soldiers of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is the moving and tragic novel, Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons. Featuring a battle between two unrelenting foes, Dead Men Walking pitted the Death Korps of Krieg against the Necrons in a brutal, all-out war with no true winners. Cleverly told from the perspective of the poor unfortunates caught in the middle of the fighting, Dead Men Walking is an outstanding and dire novel that really highlights how desperate the Warhammer 40,000 universe can be. The book that cemented Lyons as the master of the Death Korps of Krieg (check out his other novels Krieg and Siege of Vraks), Dead Men Walking was a dark riot from start to finish that will stick with you for a very long time.

Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Day of Ascension Cover

A great example of the impressive talent that this franchise attracts can be seen in the 2022 novel, Day of Ascension, written by highly renowned author Adrian Tchaikovsky, making his Warhammer debut. Day of Ascension was a short and sweet novel which sets the robotic and callus Adeptus Mechanicus against a revolution started by a dangerous Genestealer Cult. Featuring Tchaikovsky’s flair for highlighting alien mindsets and cultures, there are some very clever divergent perspectives in this novel, and I loved diving into the distinctive minds of two very different types of human hybrids. Successfully introducing a great talent to the franchise, Day of Ascension is a brilliant read and one that I had an epic time with.

Titanicus by Dan Abnett

While I know that I’ve overdosed this list with Dan Abnett entries, I had no choice but to also include the awesome read Titanicus, which I had the pleasure of reading earlier this year. Also set around the same conflict featured in the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Titanicus sees an important Forge World invaded by a traitor Titan force, determined to destroy it. When reinforcements from a crusading Imperial Titan regiment arrives to repel the invaders, all out Titan warfare erupts on the planet as the giant god machines of the grimdark future engage in planet shaking combat. A particularly impressive novel that showcases a destructive, planet-wide war on multiple fronts, Titanicus is one of the definitive novels about the Titan legions in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I cannot recommend this additional Abnett novel enough.

Bloodlines by Chris Wraight

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final entry on this list is the insanely good Warhammer Crime novel, Bloodlines by Chris Wraight. Following a cynical, veteran detective as he is dragged into a problematic missing person’s case, Bloodlines soon devolves into a hard tale of rich privilege and gangster violence as the protagonist refuses to stop investigating a crooked corporation. Probably one of the best pure crime fiction novels in this range, I loved the clever conclusion to the narrative and Bloodlines is an outstanding read, and one I am particularly keen for a sequel for (the protagonist has some dark secrets that need to come into the light). Highly recommended.

And that’s the end of my list. All 20 of the above books/series come very highly recommended, and each of them would make an excellent addition to any budding Warhammer 40,000 fan’s collection. I really loved that I was able to update this awesome list with several new books, and I have no doubt I will have even more to add next year when I update it again, especially as there are some great Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in 2025. I hope I’ve inspired at least one reader to embark on a Warhammer 40,000 adventure, and you honestly won’t be disappointed.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Winter 2025 To Be Read (TBR) List

On May 27, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week involved fictional animal companions, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to, and I am instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday before Winter 2025 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Winter (Summer for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 June 2025 and 31 August 2025 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Forged for Destiny by Andrew Knighton – 24 June 2025

An entertaining fantasy novel that will present a new take on the classic chosen-one story.

The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford – 12 August 2025

Bone-covered, grassland raiders attempting to train giant, fire-breathing lizards as their new mounts, what’s not to love?

The Hungry Gods by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 August 2025

An intriguing new novel from one of the best modern authors of science fiction and fantasy.

Once a Villain by Vanessa Len- 19 August 2025

The epic conclusion to a great young adult fantasy series by Australian author Vanessa Len, Once a Villain will complete the tale started in Only a Monster and Never a Hero.

Top Ten List:

Hard Town by Adam Plantinga – 10 June 2025

First up we have the awesome sounding thriller Hard Town by Adam Plantinga. The sequel the amazing and brutal 2024 debut, The Ascent, Hard Town sounds like another impressive and over-the-top thriller and I really cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers – 1 July 2025

There are several awesome Warhammer 40,000 novels still to come in 2025, but the one I’m currently most looking forward to is the epic novel Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok. Written by the very talented Denny Flowers who has previously impressed me with books like Outgunned (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels) and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok has a ton of hilarious potential as it dives into the most insane and diabolical “medical” practitioner amongst the brutal orks. I already know this is going to be a clever and very funny read (especially after seeing Flowers write ork characters in Da Red Gobbo Collection), and I cannot wait to see what insanity awaits in this cool upcoming book.

Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch – 8 July 2025

The always outstanding Ben Aaronovitch returns to his iconic Rivers of London series with the compelling upcoming Stone and Sky. Part elaborate urban fantasy, part clever police procedural, Stone and Sky will see the series protagonist and his unusual family journey up to Scotland on a holiday, only to encounter a new supernatural mystery from the depths of the ocean. Set to feature another amazing and addictive story told in Aaronovitch’s distinctive style, Stone and Sky will likely be one of the most captivating fantasy novels of 2025 and I look forward to continuing the series.

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe – 15 July 2025

A great new thriller from the talented Tess Sharpe, whose previous two books, The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, were so much fun. Sharpe’s new novel, No Body No Crime will follow two young female protagonists as they face off against a dangerous crime family and the consequences a murder they committed while teenagers. I already love No Body No Crime’s awesome story and I’m hoping to read this one soon.

Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland – 15 July 2025

In the last year I have had an amazing time checking out the awesome fantasy novels of the Broken Blades trilogy by Mai Corland. Following several dangerous killers as they are forced to pull off impossible missions for a power-hungry king, the first two books, Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms, have set up an outstanding story with some brilliant characters. Fans of this series will be getting a conclusion to the trilogy later this year with Three Shattered Souls, which should be particularly epic. I cannot wait to see how Corland wraps everything up, and I already know I’m going to love it, especially in its elaborate audiobook format.

Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – 17 July 2025

After absolutely loving my first Douglas Preston novel, Extinction, last year, I’m extremely keen to see his next novel, this time written with his long-time collaborator Lincoln Child. Their new book, Badlands, will continue the authors’ Nora Kelly series and will see the titular archaeologist protagonist investigate several mysterious and disturbing deaths connected by ancient artifacts the victims were holding as they died. Set to be an extremely fun and memorable thriller with potential supernatural implications, Badlands will be a great book to check out and I cannot wait to see how crazy the story gets.

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025

An intriguing 2025 fantasy debut that I have had my eye on for a long time, Seven Recipes for Revolution will see a young outcast attempt to become a magical chef, only for his culinary creation to turn him into a giant kaiju. Set to combine exciting magic and unique fantasy elements with intrigue and betrayal, Seven Recipes for Revolution sounds extremely unique, and I cannot wait to see Rose’s first literary offering.

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh – 29 July 2025

I love a good legal thriller, and few examples of this sub-genre are more entertaining or memorable than the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh. I have had an outstanding time with novels like The Devil’s Advocate, The Accomplice and Witness 8, and I am always excited to see what new craziness Cavanagh has planned for his next courtroom escapades. Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait for the next upcoming book in the series, Two Kinds of Stranger, which will see an innocent client dragged into a legal nightmare when she tries to help a random stranger with dark secrets. I cannot wait to read this new book, and it should be particularly entertaining and compelling.

The Final Vow by M. W. Craven – 12 August 2025

After absolutely loving the dark and twist laden novel The Mercy Chair last year, I am a major fan of all things M. W. Craven and I cannot wait to see his next epic read, The Final Vow. The new book in the author’s Washington Poe series, The Final Vow will see the series’ damaged detective and his unconventional investigation team attempt to stop a sniper terrorising the entire country. This amazing sounding book will likely be one of the very best mystery novels of 2025 and I am extremely excited to see how many complex twists and shocking turns Craven will load into this new book.

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

The final upcoming book I want to highlight in this TBR post is the complex and fantastic sounding Katabasis by R. F. Kuang. A very intriguing novel from an author who specialises in memorable fantasy scenarios, Katabasis will see two magical academics travel to hell to save their professor’s soul after accidently killing him. Likely to be one of the most inventive books of the year, Katabasis is a very worthy book to end this list on, and I have some very high hopes for it.

Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2025, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do in the near future.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Feature Travel

On May 21, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 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 are encouraged to list their favourite ten books that feature travel in them. While this guiding topic could reference a lot of different things, I’m choosing to interpret it as books where the participants are required to go on long journeys away from home, possibly in a quest-like manner, or novels where the act of traveling is essential to the plot. As such, my list is filled with a fair amount of fantasy and science fiction, with a few other interesting entries as well. I actually came up with quite a few potential choices for this list, but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a compelling Top Ten list alongside my usual generous Honourable Mentions section. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

A classic young adult fantasy tale where the protagonist travels far from home to discover his destiny.

Amazon

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

Vast intergalactic journeys are the order of the day in this brilliant science fiction read.

Trollslayer by William King

An awesome collection of connected tales, where the two protagonists journey all over the Warhammer Fantasy world looking for trouble.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

One of the funnier entries on this list. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was a great book that saw a young woman repeatedly journey across a fantasy land to become the next dark lord.

Top Ten List:

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

A very easy place to start is with the works of J. R. R. Tolkien whose books were all about epic quests and long journeys. While all three books in The Lord of the Rings trilogy would have worked here, I’m going with the original classic, The Hobbit, that saw a very brave hobbit journey across Middle Earth on a grand adventure.

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

From Tolkien to Pratchett, I’m starting this list off with some real fantasy fiction heavyweights. Terry Pratchett was another author whose stories often featured grand quests across the titular Discworld, even though his protagonists were often a lot more reluctant to go on them. There were quite a few different Discworld books I could have featured here (as well as some of Pratchett’s standalone novels like Strata or The Carpet People), however, I’m going to go with one of my favourites, Witches Abroad, which fits the travel theme extremely well. Following three of Pratchett’s witch protagonists as they go on an extended holiday to a fairy-tale plagued city, Witches Abroad is a very funny read and one of the better Discworld books.

Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon

Moving outside of fantasy fiction for a bit we have the epic historical fiction novel Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon. A massive adventure novel, Hawk Quest follows an eclectic group of protagonists in the 11^th century as they transport rare hawks to the Holy Land to serve as ransom for an imprisoned knight. Requiring a trek across medieval Europe, Hawk Quest is a brilliant novel that is all about travelling impossible distances.

Magician by Raymond E. Feist

I just had to feature the outstanding classic fantasy read Magician by Raymond E. Feist on this list, which sees all its protagonists embark on great adventures across Feist’s fantasy realms. All the key characters engage in some massive travels in this novel via ship, horseback and more, including the main protagonist who journeys to a whole other fantasy dimension and back again, just to hammer home how important travel is for this outstanding read.

Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

To mix things up a bit I had to include the cool science fiction novel, Artifact Space by Miles Cameron. While quite a few of Cameron’s books features lengthy quests or travelling great distances (such as his novel Dark Forge), I decided to go with Artifact Space as it probably features the furthest distance travelled as the protagonist embarks on a massive trade ship going to the edge of known human space. An ambitious and compelling read, Artifact Space is an excellent novel where the protagonists end up going so very far away from home.

Streams of Silver by R. A. Salvatore

Another author whose books often feature grand journeys is legendary fantasy writer R. A. Salvatore. I was honestly spoiled for choice when it came to Salvatore’s books, as so many are travel-focused, but in the end, I went with Streams of Silver. The second book in the Icewind Dale trilogy, Streams of Silver sees Salvatore’s entertaining party of protagonists leave on a quest to recover the legendary Mithril Halls, traversing all manner of fantasy landscape along the way. A classic fantasy adventure with a ton of travel, Streams of Silver is a very worthy addition to this list.

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka

For something a little different I decided to include the cool thriller Bullet Train by Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka. Set aboard a moving bullet train, this fun book sees several dangerous killers attempt to outfox each other before the train arrives at its final deadly destination. I think the constant moving train and the ticking clock as it gets closer to the end of the line qualify this thriller nicely as a book containing travel, and I honestly had a ton of fun getting through both the Bullet Train novel, and its entertaining movie adaptation.

The Bone Ships by R. J. Barker

Nothing says epic travel more than a group of condemned criminals navigating a ship made of bone across a deadly ocean to hunt down a sea dragon. The always impressive R. J. Barker makes this insane concept work extremely well with some of the very best fantasy nautical scenes you are likely to read. A truly incredible novel that you will not be able to put down.

The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden

Going back to history we have the fantastic read The Falcon of Sparta from amazing author Conn Iggulden. Loosely based on the Anabasis by Xenophon, The Falcon of Sparta follows ten thousand Greek mercenaries and camp followers who attempt to escape Persia by land back to Greece following the Battle of Cunaxa. An awesome book that makes use of one of history’s most unlikely journeys.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The final book I want to feature on this list is the complex space adventure Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Following a lone scientist sent to another star system to find a way to stop the sun from dimming, Project Hail Mary features a darker, yet highly compelling take on a travel narrative that is extremely impressive and addictive. A truly exceptional read, this was a great novel to end this list on, and I cannot recommend it enough.

And that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list. As you can see, I’ve had the pleasure of reading some really great books that feature amazing travel elements, and this Top Ten list is only just scratching the surface of the novels I could talk about. I’m pretty happy with how this latest list turned out and I look forward to seeing what other travel-focused books people want to recommend in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Autumn 2025 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

On March 5, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week involved character quotes, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to, and I am instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday of Autumn 2025 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 March 2025 and 31 May 2025 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles and my most anticipated books of 2025 lists (fantasy and science fiction and other genres), and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Pacific Heights by S. R. White – 25 March 2025

An interesting murder mystery novel about multiple witnesses seeing the same murder in different ways from one of the more unique authors of Australian crime fiction.

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold – 29 April 2025

An excellent new urban fantasy novel from Australian author Luke Arnold.

Tyrant by Conn Iggulden – 27 May 2025

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Conn Iggulden, presents an awesome sequel to his 2024 novel Nero.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell – 27 May 2025

An exciting sequel to the hilarious fantasy novel The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell.

Top Ten List:

Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

First up we have the next entry in one of my favourite series with Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry. The fourth book in the Rogue Team International series and the 14^th overall Joe Ledger book, Burn to Shine follows on from some outstanding books including Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023). This latest Joe Ledger novel sounds particularly awesome, as the protagonist and his high-tech organisation will have to face off against various enemies and dangers from their past. I cannot wait to see how Maberry pulls this book together and I have a feeling it is going to be a particularly dark, if key, entry in the Rogue Team International series.

The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 6 March 2025

Next, we have the awesome historical fiction thriller, The White Fortress by the sibling team of Boyd and Beth Morrison. The third book in the Tales of the Lawless Land series (which previously featured The Lawless Land and The Last True Templar), The White Fortress will continue to follow two awesome protagonists, an excommunicated knight and his brilliant wife, as they become embroiled in deadly conspiracies across medieval Europe. This latest Tales of the Lawless Land book finds the protagonists in historic Croatia, attempting to stop a conquering warlord by uncovering the legacy of Marco Polo. I have deeply enjoyed the previous entries in the series, both of which have been outstanding historical thrillers, and I cannot wait to see how this great writing team will showcase medieval Croatia and its secrets.

A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 11 March 2025

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow, has another cool book coming out next week with the intense World War II thriller A Death in Berlin. Following on from the previous entries in the series, Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will continue to follow the last honourable detective in Nazi controlled Berlin as he attempts to investigate controversial crimes his superiors are covering up. This latest book will see the protagonist face off against Berlin gangsters and their powerful Nazi patrons and should be another bleak and intense read. I always have so much fun with Scarrow’s books, and this sounds like an awesome addition to a great series.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzane Collins – 18 March 2025

I had to include the epic new Hunger Games book from Suzzane Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping, which has really caught my attention thanks to its cool premise and connection to the excellent Hunger Games books and films. The second Hunger Games prequel novel (the other being A Ballard of Songbirds & Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping will be a dark novel that follows the younger version of a fan favourite character as he participates in the largest and most brutal Hunger Games. This book has so much potential, and I cannot wait to see how Collins’ sets out this latest entry in her iconic series.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi – 25 March 2025

The always entertaining John Scalzi (Redshirts, The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain), returns with another hilarious and satirical science fiction novel that will pose an interesting hypothetical scenario; what if the moon turned into a cheese-like substance? Set to follow multiple people across the world impacted by this phenomenon, When the Moon Hits Your Eye has one of the more unique plot ideas of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackon Bennett – 8 April 2025

The next book on this list is the impressive and awesome upcoming fantasy novel, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. The sequel to Bennett’s incredible novel, The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024), A Drop of Corruption will bring back the author’s outstanding duo of detectives as they investigate impossible crimes in a magical nation constantly besieged by giant monsters. The first book in this series was quite exceptional, and I have very high hopes for this sequel as Bennett has come up with another cool mystery that will no doubt have wider implications for the entire nation. A book with a very high ceiling that I know I will love!

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – 6 May 2025

There are few novels out in recent years that I have been as eager to read as The Devils by legendary fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. The first new book from Abercrombie since he finished his Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds), The Devils will set up a new series in an alternate, monster-filled version of medieval Europe. Set to follow a hapless priest who will lead the worst of the worst in a daring mission to save the world from a coming apocalypse, The Devils sounds extremely cool, and I am curious to try a series from the author outside of his Third Law universe. Based on how exceptional Abercrombie has been in the past, I already know that The Devils is going to be an epic grimdark read, and I cannot wait to see what outrageous scenarios and elaborate characters will populate this incredible upcoming book.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of the world’s best crime fiction authors, Michael Connelly, is spoiling us this year with the cool murder mystery Nightshade. Nightshade introduces readers to a new Connelly protagonist, Detective Sitwell, a burnt-out cop forced out town and stationed on the beautiful Catalina Island away from trouble. When he discovers a body dumped in the island’s harbour, Sitwell embarks on a dogged investigation to find the truth, no matter who he upsets. I have been having an incredible time reading Connelly’s books in recent years, and I am very excited to see how this new novel unfolds, especially if Sitwell becomes a recurring protagonist in Connelly’s wider universe.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler – 27 May 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the hilarious fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. This fantastic novel followed an unhinged protagonist trapped in a time loop within a fantasy world who, after centuries of torture, decides to stop trying to be the realm’s saviour and instead becomes its new dark lord. Thanks to its cool scenario, comedic protagonist, and over-the-top story elements, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was a very awesome book to read, and I had an amazing time getting through its fun plot. As such, I am extremely excited to read the sequel coming out this year, Everybody Wants to Rule Except Me, which will see the protagonist try to save the humans of the realm from an army of monsters she’s leading. Sure to be another amazing send-up of heroes and villains in fantasy fiction, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me will likely be one of the funniest books I read in 2025, and I am very excited to explore its outrageous story.

Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book in this list has the potential to be one of the very best of the year with Never Flinch by the legendary Stephen King. Set to bring back one of King’s more unique protagonists, unlikely investigator Holly Gibney, Never Flinch will serve as a continuation of the protagonist’s storylines from Mr. Mercedes (and its sequels), The Outsider and Holly. This new book will see Holly face off against both a deadly killer and a deranged stalker, as she finds herself drawn into a new dark web. I have no doubt that Never Flinch is going to be exceptional and should end up topping my best of 2025 book lists.

Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months, and frankly this might be one of the strongest three-month periods in 2025. Each of the above should be extremely epic, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a few books to get through soon and they should all be awesome.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books of 2024

On January 29, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, List3 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 new-to-them authors they read in 2024. However, as this was a topic I did a few weeks ago, I’m instead going to put together an alternate list today. The reason for this is because last Sunday, 26 January, was Australia’s national holiday, Australia Day. While Australia Day is getting controversial due to its historical implications, I like to look beyond that and instead focus on some of the amazing and varied writing talents Australia produces. As such, I once again took this opportunity to highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors in 2024.

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, which is something I really look forward to each Australia Day (check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022and 2023 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 2024 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, and 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:

Body of Lies by Sarah Bailey

A compelling and occasionally weird Australian murder mystery from the brilliant author of The Housemate.

The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

The excellent sequel to Amie Kaufman’s young adult fantasy novel, The Isles of the Gods.

The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan

A gripping historical drama from Australian author Paul Morgan that follows the separate struggles of a Polish husband and wife separated during World War II.

The Chilling by Riley James

A fantastic thriller that sees an Australian research team travelling to Antarctica forced to deal with dark secrets and dangerous elements. One of the top debuts of 2024.

Top Ten List:

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

Australian author Benjamin Stevenson continued to impress in 2024 with his Ernest Cunningham series, as he released the third entry Everyone this Christmas has a Secret. A fantastic Christmas special that follows on from Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret was another compelling and highly entertaining read that blends clever mystery with the author’s excellent humour and some fun holiday themes.

The Ghosts of Autumn by Peter Watt

The master of Australian historical fiction had another stellar year with the latest book in the Colonial series, The Ghost of Autumn. Set amongst the carnage of World War I, The Ghosts of Autumn continues to follow a family caught up in every historical struggle of the 19^th and 20^th century, and I really enjoyed seeing how Watt brought this sixth book together.

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox

One of Australia’s top thriller authors, Candice Fox, had an outstanding 2024, releasing three separate books. The first of these books from Fox that I want to highlight is the brilliant and dark thriller, Devil’s Kitchen. Following an undercover agent tasked with infiltrating a crew of firefighters who moonlight as murderous thieves, Devil’s Kitchen was a particularly intense read loaded with complex characters forced to make hard decisions. I deeply enjoyed this amazing book, and it really highlights Fox’s ability to write nuanced and complex narratives.

Endgame by Sarah Barrie

One of the more intense and shocking Australian novels of last year was the deeply impressive Endgame. The final entry in Sarah Barrie’s Lexi Winter series (Unforgiven, Retribution and Vendetta), Endgame sees the series’ titular protagonist finally face down her monstrous nemesis in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Barrie takes Endgame to some dark places, and I cannot recommend this thrilling novel, and indeed the entire Lexi Winter series, enough.

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

Author S. R. White continued to produce some of the more distinctive pieces of Australian crime fiction with the addictive White Ash Ridge. The follow-up to the author’s previous novels, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge sees White’s main protagonist, Detective Dana Russo, investigate a murder at an isolated bush hotel. However, things get problematic when it is revealed that the victim and all the potential suspects are board members for a prominent anti-police organisation. White Ash Ridge was such a clever read, and I loved its outstanding mystery and focused character-examination of the various suspects. Highly recommended.

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

One of my favourite sequels of 2024 was the fantastic spy thriller Dark Arena by recently adopted Australian author and former French spy Jack Beaumont. Following on from the author’s debut, The Frenchman, Dark Arena sees Beaumont’s team of spies become involved in another elaborate operation, the result of which could impact all of Europe. Beaumont provides another intense and highly realistic examination of espionage in this sequel, and I loved the epic and captivating narrative that emerges in Dark Arena.

The Youngest Son by John Byrnes

An excellent historical novel from John Byrnes, who presented a fantastic read in a different style from his debut novel Headland. The Youngest Son follows three children from the same lower-class Australian family who are forced to endure multiple hardships in 1930’s Sydney. Featuring crime, murder, betrayal, war, love and redemption, The Youngest Son was a really great book from Byrnes that had me hooked the entire way through.

High Wire by Candice Fox

The second book from Candice Fox that I want to feature on this list is the gritty Australian thriller High Wire. Set on a dangerous hidden road that traverses the length of Australia, High Wire sees two damaged protagonists kidnapped by a vengeful gang who strap bomb vests to them. Forced to commit a series of violent crimes across the outback, High Wire envisions a brilliantly intense, high-stakes scenario that Fox expertly utilises and explores. A very memorable and over-the-top read, High Wire was another excellent book from Candice Fox that I couldn’t get enough of. Readers should also check out the third 2024 Fox novel, The Murder Inn, which she cowrote with James Patterson.

The Death of Dora Black by Lainie Anderson

One of the more entertaining Australian novels of the year was the fun historical crime fiction read The Death of Dora Black. Set around a fascinating historical figure, The Death of Dora Black sees the iconic and strict Miss Kate Cocks, the first policewoman in the British Empire, stride throughout 1917 Adelaide attempting to solve the suspicious death of a young shop assistant. A clever blend of history and mystery with some real heart to it, The Death of Dora Black was an outstanding book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

The Wrong Man by Tim Ayliffe

The final book I want to feature on this list is the fifth John Bailey novel from Tim Ayliffe, The Wrong Man. Following on from The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within and Killer Traitor Spy, The Wrong Man was another compelling murder mystery, this time exploring a series of brutal murders across Sydney. With a great plot, compelling mystery and a fantastic trio of perspective characters, The Wrong Man was a strong read from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors.

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 2024. 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 2025 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.