Tag: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Debuts of 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List13 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 involved listing the 10 latest additions to your bookshelf, which while interesting, is something I’ll probably be covering in my next book haul post. Instead, for this week I am going to continue listing some of my favourite books of 2024 (make sure to check out my previous lists that highlighted my favourite sequels, audiobooks, pre-2024 novels, new-to-me-authors in 2024 and overall favourite books of 2024), by examining my favourite debuts released in 2024.

2024 was an awesome year for debuts as there were an excellent array of new authors releasing some impressive and entertaining first novels.  I always love checking out new authors when they produce their first book or dive into a whole new genre, and I was blown away with some of the debut talent on display this year.  As such, I am glad that I can highlight some of the absolute best of these releases in this Top Ten list.

To be eligible for this list, the book had to be a 2024 release that was either the author’s first novel ever, or a novel that was substantially different from an author’s previous work (their debut in the genre).  I ended up reading quite a few good debuts in 2024, which allowed me to pull together a full list of 10 books, as well as a couple of honourable mentions.  I am pretty happy with the results, and I feel that this list captures my favourite debuts of the year and highlights them accordingly.  So, let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander

A moving novel about guilt and secrets, as a damaged protagonist is confronted by a dark incident from her past.

Amazon

 

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

An exciting, fast-paced thriller from actor Jon Lindstrom that was fun to check out.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

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

The first book I want to highlight is the epic debut novel from Rich McCormick, Lord of Excess.  McCormick’s very first novel, Lord of Excess was part of the Renegades sub-series of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and followed a warband of the fallen Emperor’s Children Legion of Chaos Space Marines who have completely fallen to hedonism and the pursuit of pleasure.  McCormick came up with an exceptional plot for Lord of Excess that saw the warband take over an isolated planet, only for their dark proclivities to turn on them in unexpected ways.  This was such a clever and compelling read, and Lord of Excess ended up being one my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024 and is a very worthy addition to this list of great debuts.

Amazon

 

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

I had a lot of fun reading the awesome fantasy novel, Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland last year and had to include it on this list.  The first adult fantasy novel from Corland, who previously released children and young adult fiction under the name Meridith Ireland, Five Broken Blades was an excellent book that saw several dangerous killers and liars come together to assassinate an immortal king, only to betray each other time and time again.  I had a really good time with Five Broken Blades, and I am actually listening to the sequel, Four Ruined Realms as I put this post up.

Amazon

 

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

The most recent 2024 debut I read; The Ascent was an extremely epic thriller loaded with action, excitement and over-the-top characters.  The debut novel of author Adam Plantinga, The Ascent follows a desperate battle for survival as a small group find themselves trapped in a rioting prison and must fight their way up several levels of dangerous criminal to get to safety.  An intense and ultra-thrilling book from start to finish, The Ascent was such a great read, and I am very glad I decided to check it out.

Amazon

 

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

A bold new fantasy author debuted in 2024 with James Logan, who released the outstanding book The Silverblood Promise.  Setting a dishonoured scion on a desperate quest to find his father’s killers, The Silverblood Promise introduced a cool new fantasy city that the protagonist is forced to navigate as he tries to secure a vital clue.  However, he soon finds himself caught up in an elaborate conspiracy and must rely on an unlikely group of allies to survive and overcome his new opponents.  This was a particularly awesome novel that really impressed me, as Logan weaves together a compelling tale of adventure, magic and intrigue that I couldn’t get enough of.  One of the stronger fantasy books of 2024, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing first novel from Logan and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Blackfire Blade, later this year.

Amazon

 

Outrider by Mark Wales

Next on this list of amazing debuts is the intense first book from Australian author Mark Wales, Outrider.  Envisioning a grim future for Australia, Wales sets out a thrilling tale of survival and war as an elite soldier traverses a conquered countryside with his young son, hoping to recover an asset that will allow his group of rebels to survive an enemy incursion.  An exciting and compelling read, Outrider was a very distinctive Australian book and a great debut from Mark Wales.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward

The other incredible Warhammer 40,000 debut of 2024 that I want to highlight in this post was the dark and chilling Deathworlder by new author Victoria Hayward.  Set on a doomed planet being consumed by the alien Tyranids, Deathworlder follows a small group of rugged human soldiers as they attempt to complete one last mission against their ravenous enemies.  A powerful Warhammer read, Hayward did an outstanding job of balancing complex characters with a particularly grim scenario, as the protagonists witness the world being digested around them as they are being stalked by deadly monsters.  Easily one of the more haunting books of 2024, Deathworlder was an outstanding debut, and Hayward is a Warhammer author to keep an eye on in the future.

Amazon

 

The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski

2024 was full of fun thrillers but one of the most entertaining was the cool first book from Gregg Podolski, The Recruiter.  Following a criminal recruiter who specialises in bringing together professional killers with potential clients, The Recruiter sees the protagonist forced to fight against his best assassins when the family he left behind is targeted by a sinister organisation.  Featuring a distinctive story and fantastic characters, The Recruiter was a very fun book to get through, and I look forward to any sequels Podolski plans to release.

Amazon

 

Song of the Samurai by C. A. Parker

Fans of Japanese history where in for a real treat last year with the amazing debut, Song of the Samurai by C. A. Parker.  An extremely fascinating tale of a celebrated historical samurai musician and pilgrim, Song of the Samurai followed this figure as he traversed Japan, learning about the people of his country and the true nature of the music that he played.  This was such a great first book from Parker, who does an amazing job envisioning the classic setting of historical Japan and following a compelling figure across the intricately described landscape.  A deep and memorable read from a passionate author.

Amazon

 

The Chilling by Riley James

Another great Australian debut from 2024 was The Chilling by Riley James.  Following the members of an Antarctica research expedition who encounter a sunken ship on the way to their base camp, The Chilling sees the characters thrust into a dark adventure as secrets, lies and the debilitating isolation, turn the researchers against each other as they try to uncover the truth.  The Chilling was a really cool (ha ha) book, and a fantastic first foray into Australian fiction from new author Riley James.

Amazon

 

Argylle by Elly Conway

The final debut I want to highlight on this list is the spy thriller Argylle, by “debuting author” Elly Conway.  A tie-in to the film of the same name, Argylle was an exciting and very easy-to-read book from the start of 2024 that I had a bit of fun getting through.  Actually written by the team of Terry Hayes and Tammy Cohen, I am still counting Argylle as a debut and it proved to be an entertaining final book to feature on this list.

Amazon

 

 

Well, that is the end of this list.  As you can, there were some incredible debut novels that came out this year and I had a blast getting through all of them.  Each of the above debuts are really worth checking out, and I had an amazing time exploring these talented authors’ first forays into fiction.  I am excited to see what these authors produce next, and I have a feeling that quite a few are going to become major names in their genres.  I am also excited to see what amazing debuts come out in 2025, and I have already enjoyed my first debut from this year with Gunnawah by Ronni Salt.  Make sure to check back this time next year to see what debuts from 2025 are the best from this year.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read in 2024 but Didn’t Get To

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were required to list their bookish goals for 2025.  While this is an interesting topic, I am instead going to continue my recent trend of end of year and examining the best books released in 2024.  As such I will be listening the top books I meant to read in 2024 but that I didn’t get a chance to.

2024 was a pretty awesome year for books and I had such an outstanding time getting through a solid collection of books from new-to-me authors, exciting sequels and fun older novels, most of which were fun and impressive reads.  However, no matter how hard one tries there are always a couple of books each year that you don’t get the chance to read, either due to time constraints, lack of access or being too overwhelmed with other reads.  As a result, this is a list loaded with regret as each book I mention below is one that I really wish I had taken the time to explore.

To complete this list, I pulled together some of the more interesting and compelling novels that I didn’t get a chance to read in 2024.  Each entry was released last year and while knew that they were coming out I did not get a chance to read any of them.  In many cases I have these books sitting on my shelf, silently and constantly judging me, and I will have to try and read them to stop their bookish glares.  I was eventually able to cull my list of regret down to 10 entries with an honourable mentions section.  This list is an interesting collection of books from across the genres and include several major 2024 releases I did not get the chance to look at.

Honourable Mention:

Off Midway Station by Marc Alan Edelheit

An intriguing science fiction release that I’m still hoping to get around to exploring.

Amazon

 

Burn Out by Joshua Hood

An exciting thriller about a smoke jumper forced to work for the CIA that I really wanted to check out.  This book sounded awesome and I’m sorry to have missed it.

Amazon

 

In Too Deep by Lee Child and Andrew Child

I’m still haven’t had the chance to read a Jack Reacher novel yet, although last year’s entry, In Too Deep, is high up on my to-read list.

Amazon

 

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Bristen Perrin

One of the top debut mysteries of 2024, I’m still thinking about checking How to Solve Your Own Murder out, especially as there is a sequel coming out soon.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons

An awesome sounding book about a dangerous heist involving dragons and magic.  I really enjoyed the sound of the synopsis for The Sky on Fire last year, but I unfortunately couldn’t fit it into my reading schedule.  I still have a copy and I’m hoping to get around to checking this book out at some point this year, especially as I really want to finally read something from Lyons.

Amazon

 

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

One of the books I most regret not reading in 2024 was the new Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber.  The latest entry in one of my favourite historical fiction series, I fully intended to read Death on the Tiber last year, but I never had the time to pick it up.  Featuring a cool new mystery in ancient Rome, Death on the Tiber sounded like a key book in the series and I’m interested to see what happens next.  I honestly might make the effort to read Death on the Tiber in the next week or so, especially as Davis has another book coming out in April that I’m also keen to read.

Amazon

 

Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes

I didn’t get through nearly as much Star Wars fiction in 2024 as I would have liked, especially as there were a couple of very cool new entries in the franchise out last year.  This includes the Mace Windu novel, The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes.  Thanks to its intriguing plot, The Glass Abyss was very high on my to-read list, and I thought it had a lot of potential. I’m still hoping to listen to The Glass Abyss on audiobook in the coming months, and I have no doubt I will have a great time with it.

Amazon

 

Saturation Point by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky had a massive year in 2024, releasing four separate awesome books.  As a recently converted fan of Tchaikovsky, I tried to check out all of them, but only got through two, Alien Clay and Service Model (one of my favourite books of 2024).  The main Tchaikovsky book I missed was Saturation Point, which featured an intriguing science fiction story that explores a new, extra-deadly jungle growing at the equator.  I am hoping to listen to the audiobook version of Saturation Point sometime this year, especially as it has a relatively short run time, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.  In the meantime, I am also hoping to read Tchaikovsky’s latest novel, Days of Shattered Faith, which, while it technically came out last year, I’m probably going to consider a 2025 release going forward due to the differences in release dates for Australia.

Amazon

 

The Chamber by Will Dean

One of the more unique novels I missed out on in 2024 was The Chamber by Will Dean.  This excellent book sees a murder occur underwater hyperbaric chamber, then forces the remaining divers to try and uncover the killer while they wait for decompression to occur.  This was such a cool sounding plot, and I am still hoping to explore The Chamber soon, mainly because I am so damn curious about how this narrative would unfold.

Amazon

 

Good Boys by Jeremy Robinson

Jeremy Robinson is another author on this list who released multiple books in 2024.  While I did enjoy his compelling and freaky novel Point Nemo, I missed out on reading his two Good Boys novels (The Lost Tribe and Unleashed) that came out towards the end of the year.  These books follow an interesting alien encounter tale that only an author as unique as Robinson could imagine.  I have been trying to read more of Robinson’s novels in recent years so I might try and listen to the Good Boys audiobooks soon, especially as they sound very exciting and will no doubt contain the author’s fun humour.

Amazon

 

The First Murder on Mars by Sam Wilson

An intriguing science fiction thriller about the first murder on Mars.  This debut novel from Sam Wilson caught my eye earlier this year and I had really hoped to check it out.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t never make enough time, which I very much regret as this sounded like a great book. 

Amazon

 

The Out-of-Town Lawyer by Robert Rotstein

I love a good legal thriller, which is why I was annoyed with myself for not reading Robert Rotstein’s distinctive novel, The Out-of-Town Lawyer.  Focussing on a nomadic lawyer who takes on tough case, The Out-of-Town Lawyer would see the protagonist return to his hometown to defend a controversial killer from a prejudice legal system.  I felt that The Out-of-Town Lawyer had a lot of potential, and I am even more keen to read it now after having just re-read the compelling synopsis.

Amazon

 

Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller

Another Star Wars book I hoped to read in 2024 was The Living Force by the always impressive John Jackson Miller.  Focussing on the Jedi Council in the lead up to The Phantom Menace, The Living Force sounded like an interesting and lore-heavy book that would have focussed on a cool group of supporting characters from the prequel films.  I know that Miller would have provided a captivating dive into these figures, and I am sure that I will have a great time with The Living Force’s audiobook if I get a chance to listen to it this year.

Amazon

 

Danube Legion by Laurence Read

The final book I needed to feature on this list was the fascinating sounding historical fiction novel, Danube Legion.  A fantastic Roman history novel, Danube Legion caught my eye because the plot promised to explore the logistics behind the deployment of a Roman Legion, which is something you don’t see a lot of in other historical fiction books.  I honestly found this plot idea to be very awesome, and I really wish that I could have fit Danube Legion into my reading schedule last year.  This is another one I am hoping to check out this year as well, as it sounds like quite a cracking read with a great plot behind it.

Amazon

 

 

Well, that is the end of my latest list and it looks like I have a lot catch-up reading to do if I am going to make a dent in it.  There are some truly amazing-sounding novels on this list, and I fully intend to get through all of them at some point, although with all the outstanding books coming out in 2025, it might take me a little time.  In the meantime, let me know what books you most regret not reading in 2024 in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Thrillers, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction and Comics releasing in the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller13 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated thrillers, crime fiction and historical fiction novels coming out in the first half of 2025. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into my previous list, while this list will feature epic reads from the other major genres that I am interested in.

Despite only just starting, 2025 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months.  This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series.  The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to. 

Even though I excluded fantasy and science fiction books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.  There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential.  Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety.  So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2025

An interesting and entertaining new murder mystery from one of my yearly must-read authors, Open Season continues the awesome Alex Delaware series and pits the detective protagonists against a killer determined to take out Hollywood hopefuls.

Amazon

 

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

One of the more interesting authors of Australian crime fiction, S. R. White (see my reviews for Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge) is set to release a standalone whodunnit with Pacific Heights.  Featuring a cool plot about detectives trying to unwind different stories about who killed someone from five separate witnesses, Pacific Heights sounds really awesome, and I cannot wait to check it out.

 

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani by 24 April 2025

An exciting and intense revenge thriller set in the time of King Richard the Lionheart; The Pilgrim’s Revenge should be a very epic read.

Amazon

 

Vanish by Shelley Burr – 30 April 2025

Rising Australian author Shelley Burr follows up her excellent first two crime fiction novels, Wake and Ripper with the intriguing third entry Vanish.  Once again set in a small Australian community, Vanish will see the series’ damaged protagonist investigate a problematic commune as he attempts to find out the truth behind a long-lost missing girl.  Sure to be one of the top Australian releases of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Grave Danger by James Grippando – 14 January 2025

Back in 2024 I had the pleasure of reading my first book from impressive James Grippando, Goodbye Girl, a fantastic entry in the author’s Jack Swyteck series.  A compelling and twisty legal thriller, Goodbye Girl was really fun to read, and I am now quite keen to continue the series.  As such, I am planning to grab the upcoming book, Grave Danger, as soon as it comes out.  Featuring an intriguing case about international child custody and murder, Grave Danger has some real potential, and I know I am going to have a great time with this awesome book.

Amazon

 

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 40: The Crow by Stan Sakai – 4 February 2025

A very easy inclusion to this list was the next entry in one of my favourite comic book series with volume 40 of the Usagi Yojimbo series, The Crow.  I only just published a review of the previous volume, Ice and Snow, a few days ago, so I am quite excited to see that a new entry is coming out very soon.  Set to continue some of the author’s excellent ongoing storylines about the titular rabbit ronin, The Crow should be another awesome volume in the series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it the first chance I get.

Amazon

 

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz – 11 February 2025

Early 2025 is filled with a ton of great spy thrillers from some of my favourite authors, and that includes the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz, Nemesis.  Set after the events of the 2024 book, Lone Wolf, Nemesis will see the former government assassin turned vigilante protagonist square off against his best friend over secrets that were kept from him.  However, other shadowy players soon reveal themselves, and Orphan X will need to fight deadly enemies and a former friend to survive.  This looks set to be a particularly compelling and emotionally charged addition to the series and I cannot wait to check it out.

Amazon

 

The Medici Return by Steve Berry – 11 February 2025

Each year I have a ton of fun with the entertaining and elaborate Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry that combine modern thriller storylines with hidden historical secrets and elaborate historical settings.  Books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, The Last Kingdom and The Atlas Maneuver, have all really impressed me, and the Cotton Malone books are now a must-read for me each year.  This includes the early 2025 release, The Medici Return, which will see a dark conspiracy emerge in Italy when an ancient debt owed by the church threatens to destabilise everything.  This sounds like another awesome thriller, and I cannot wait to dive into the history of the famous Medici family with this new fantastic book.

Amazon

 

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney – 18 February 2025

A spy thriller book I am particularly keen to get my hands on this year is Midnight Black by Mark Greaney.  The 14th book in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black follows on after the cliffhanger ending of The Chaos Agent and sees the titular assassin protagonist burn through Russia and Siberia to free his imprisoned love interest.  This latest Gray Man book has the potential to be one of the most intense and impressive novels of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Greaney continues his elaborate and always action-packed series.

Amazon

 

Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

Readers of this blog will know I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, so the inclusion of his next big thriller, Burn to Shine, on this list should come as no surprise, especially after I just published reviews of his 2024 books NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter.  Once again focussing on the author’s iconic protagonist, Joe Ledger, Burn to Shine will be the fourth book in the Rogue Team International series, which has previously featured such awesome books as 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 new entry in the series will see Ledger and his team deal with a new world-ending threat, with old enemies returning, seeking revenge.  I really love the sound of this new book, and I already know it’s going to get a five-star rating from me.

Amazon

 

A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 13 March 2025

After wowing me last year with Revenge of Rome, one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow looks set to continue one of his other cool series with the third Berlin Wartime thriller, A Death in Berlin.  Following on from Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will once again place Scarrow’s complex protagonist, the last honest detective in Berlin, as he tries to investigate dark crimes in the shadow of World War II and the crimes of the Nazi regime.  I have deeply enjoyed the previous Berlin Wartime thrillers, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate story Scarrow has for us this time.

Amazon

 

The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 15 April 2025

The awesome team of thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison return with the third book in their Tales of the Lawless Land series, The White Fortress.  Continuing the story started in The Lawless Land and its sequel The Last True Templar, The White Fortress will once again follow the author’s excommunicated knight protagonist and his adventurous wife as they become embroiled in dangerous quests across 14th century Europe.  This time, the pair end up in Croatia, where they become involved in a deadly plot involving a prophecy and a lost codex written by Marco Polo.  I have had an amazing time with the first two books in the series and I cannot wait to see how this wonderful pair of authors continue their ambitious and thrilling historical series.

Amazon

 

Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of my most anticipated upcoming murder mysteries is the new Michael Connelly novel, Nightshade.  While the cover for Nightshade has yet to be released, the plot synopsis sounds really cool as Connelly introduces a new police protagonist assigned to the idyllic Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles who is forced to investigate a sinister murder when a body washes up on the shore of the island.  I love the idea of exploring a new Connelly character, especially one based around a cool setting, and this should end up being an excellent and strong murder mystery from this always compelling author.

Amazon

 

Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is probably the one I am most excited for this year with the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch.  I have been having such a great time getting into Stephen King’s incredible books these last few years, and some of his most recent releases, such as Later, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers and You Like It Darker, have completely enthralled me. However, my favourite Stephen King books have so far been his compelling dives into crime fiction. Starting with the dark and powerful Mr Mercedes and featuring the three outstanding Bill Hodges books, King has expanded his crime fiction works by focussing on the unique protagonist of Holly Gibney. The subsequent Holly Gibney focused books, The Outsider (one of my favourite horror novels) and Holly (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), were extremely exceptional, and I have loved the brilliant, yet shocking, narratives they contained.  As such, I am very, very keen to read the upcoming Holly Gibney book, Never Flinch.  Set to follow this great protagonist as she deals with two dangerous opponents, a serial killer and a stalker, Never Flinch sounds incredible, and I have no doubt this will be one of the best things I read in 2025.

Amazon

 

 

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 books that should prove to be incredible reads.  I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain.  While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.  Also, make sure to check out my other Top Ten List with the top upcoming fantasy and science fiction books of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Fantasy/Science Fiction Books Release in the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction15 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 Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated books for the first half of the year.  This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year.  Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am doing two versions of this list, this first one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and another that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.

2025 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year.  I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely keen for.  This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors.  I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be in the fantasy and science fiction space, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025 which I have some descent details about.  Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult.  I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy and science fiction reads of 2025.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland – 7 January 2025

The awesome action-packed sequel to Corland’s fantastic 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms is going to be a fantastic read, filled with drama, betrayal and great characters.

Amazon

 

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris – 15 January 2025

A fun thriller debut with an interesting fantasy twist, as a woman with the ability to take life from one person and transfer it to someone else, tries to determine the best way to use her gift and ethically kill those who deserve to live.

Amazon

 

A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde – 8 April 2025

Another cool upcoming debut is the fantasy novel, A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde.  Featuring an intriguing plot set around revenge and spirt magic, A Song of Legends Lost has so much potential, and I look forward to reading it.

Amazon

 

Strange New World by Vivian Shaw – 20 May 2025

I was pleasantly surprised to see we are getting a new Dr Greta Helsing novel this year with Strange New World.  Following a doctor who specialises in treating monsters and the undead, this is a fantastic series (see my reviews for Strange Practice and Dreadful Company), and I look forward to seeing how it continues.

Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young – 28 January 2025

The first upcoming book I want to highlight is the next big Warhammer 40,000 fiction release, Leontus: Lord Solar.  Following a skilled human leader who finds himself trapped on an ork infested world, Leontus; Lord Solar looks to be an exciting story of survival and overcoming the odds that I really love the sound of.  I am also interested to see how author Rob Young goes with his second book, as his first novel, Longshot, was one of my favourite debuts of 2023.

Amazon

 

Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed – 25 February 2025

There are several cool Star Wars novels coming out in 2025, however, the one I am most excited for is The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed.  The first book in the new Reign of the Empire series, The Mask of Fear will follow the early days of the Empire as it comes to power and takes over the former Republic.  Written by the very talented Alexander Freed, who really impressed me with his previous foray into Star Wars fiction with the Alphabet Squadron books (Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price), I think that this book has a lot of potential, and I love seeing stories set in this period of Star Wars fiction.  As such I am planning to listen to the audiobook version of The Mask of Fear the second it comes out and I know I’m going to love it.

Amazon

 

Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 27 February 2025

Awesome science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky had a great 2024 with books like Alien Clay and Service Model, so I am excited to see what he writes in 2025.  It looks like he’ll be off to a strong start with the science fiction novel, Shroud, that sees two women trapped on a planet whose surface is completely inhospitable to human life.  This sounds like a very gritty and claustrophobic read, and I cannot wait to see how dark and dramatic Tchaikovsky makes this upcoming book.

Amazon

 

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 18 March 2025

A major 2025 release that I’m sure a lot of people are excited for is the fifth book in the iconic Hunger Games franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.  The second prequel set around the original Hunger Games trilogy (see my review for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping will take readers back to the 50th Hunger Games and explore the dark events that twisted fan favourite character Haymitch Abernathy.  I am extremely excited to read Sunrise on the Reaping, especially as we get to see the ultra-violent second Quarter Quell in action, and it will be interesting to see how Collins’ sets this latest book out.

Amazon

 

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

One of the more unique books coming out in 2025 is When the Moon Hits Your Eye by the always memorable John Scalzi.  Featuring a very fun science fiction plot that sees the moon suddenly turned into a giant ball of cheese, When the Moon Hits Your Eye sounds so damn outrageous, and I know I’m going to love it.  Based on Scalzi’s previous entertaining reads, I have no doubt this will be crazy, funny and thoughtful in equal measure, and I will have so much fun checking it out.

Amazon

 

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold – 1 April 2025

One of my favourite urban fantasy series, the Fetch Phillips series by Australian author Luke Arnolds, returns this year with another awesome book, Whisper in the Wind.  Set in a fantasy city which has lost all its magic, the Fetch Phillip books follow broken and guilty private investigator Fetch Phillips who is desperately trying to bring back magic, and which results in some dark and powerful adventures (see The Last Smile in Sunder City, Dead Man in a Ditch and One Foot in the Fade).  This fourth book will see Fetch dragged out of retirement in back into action when a series of murders brings trouble and potential revolution to his door.  Arnold honestly gets better with every book he writes, and I am expecting another outstanding novel with Whisper in the Wind.

Amazon

 

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

One book I am particularly keen for in 2025 is the awesome second entry in the Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett, A Drop of Corruption.  The sequel to one of my favourite books of 2024, The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption will continue to follow an unlikely investigative duo as they attempt to solve unusual magical murders in a land constantly besieged by giant monsters.  This second book will feature an impossible locked room mystery as the protagonists attempt to unwind a dark conspiracy that threatens the entire realm.  I have no doubt that this is going to be a particularly incredible novel, and I am hoping to read A Drop of Corruption very soon.

Amazon

 

The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence – 8 April 2025

One of the more complex science fiction and fantasy novels I will be reading in 2025 will be the third and final book in Mark Lawrence’s Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart.  Following on from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and The Book That Broke the World, The Book That Held Her Heart will show the final battle for the impossible and infinite library, as the two separated protagonists must find a way back to each other to save the lives of those closest to them.  I have no doubt this will be a moving, captivating and elaborate read, and I am very curious to see how Lawrence brings this entire ambitious series to an end.

Amazon

 

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – 6 May 2025

Easily the book that I am most excited about in 2025 (and I’m sure a lot of fantasy fans are in the same boat) is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie.  Abercrombie has proven to be the master of dark fantasy fiction thanks to his iconic First Law series, as well as the incredible follow up Age of Madness trilogy.  All of these books are just incredible, and I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing the Age of Madness books a couple of years ago, including A Little Hatred (one of my favourite books of 2019), The Trouble With Peace (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020) and The Wisdom of Crowds (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021). I have been eagerly awaiting a new Abercrombie novel since The Wisdom of Crowds, and I was so damn happy to see he had a book coming out this year with The Devils.  Set in an alternate medieval Europe, The Devils will follow a hapless priest as he tries to bind a congregation of monsters to save the world from a coming apocalypse.  This book has so much pure potential and I have no doubt at all that it will end up being one of the best things I read this year.

Amazon

 

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

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the hilarious sounding novel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler.  The sequel to one of the funniest fantasy novels of 2024, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me will once again follow the unlikely Dark Lord of the realms, Davi, a human trapped in fantasy themed time loop who starts her adventure again after every painful death.  This second book will see Davi attempt to save her former human subjects from her own upcoming invasion, only to encounter new opponents and obstacles.  I had so much fun with How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and this sequel should be another brilliant comedic romp that I know I am going to love.

Amazon

 

 

Well, that’s the end of this first list.  As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year.  All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads.  2025 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year.  I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2025.  Make sure to also check out my other Top Ten List that looks at the top upcoming books of 2025 from the other genres.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books of 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List41 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and feature bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  As we roll into the new year I am going to list my absolute favourite books of 2024, which is something I look forward to every year.  This is a continuation of several lists I have done in recent weeks that highlighted the authors and books that have most impressed me this year.  Previous lists looked at topics like my favourite pre-2024 novels, as well as my favourite audiobooks, sequels, and new-to-me authors of 2024.  However, this list is the big one as it covers my absolute favourite releases of the year, of which there are quite a few.

I think we can all agree that 2024 has been another rollercoaster year for the world, but thankfully readers got a little bit of solace as this was an amazing year for books, with a huge range of incredible releases coming out across the genres.  Not only did several outstanding new series start but we had some exceptional debuts, and some big continuations of established works.  I have had an amazing time reading or listening to some outstanding books this year and quite a few releases have become instant favourites.  I must admit that I somewhat struggled to pull this list together, as there were so many books that deserved to be mentioned.  Therefore, because I am a very soft touch, and because the quality of the books I read this year was so impressive, I have decided to expand this list out to 20 entries (just like I have the last five years, I’m a very soft touch).  These 20 books are my absolute favourites from 2024, and I would strongly recommend every one of them to anyone interested in a great read.

To make it onto this list a book only needed to be released here in Australia during 2024.  I have naturally excluded anything I have not read yet, even though there were quite a few awesome-sounding books I sadly didn’t squeeze into my reading schedule.  I decided to leave off my usual Honourable Mentions section as the extra 10 entries make it unnecessary.  There will be a bit of crossover between the below entries and some of my previous lists.  For example, several of these novels appeared on my Top Ten Favourite Audiobooks of 2024 list and my Top Ten Favourite Books from the First Half of 2024 list, which I ran back into July.  Overall, I am very happy with how this Top 20 list turned out and I think it contains a pretty good range of novels that showcase the different types of books that I chose to read this year.  So, without further ado, here is the list.

 

Top Twenty List:

The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry

Let’s start this list off with the exceptional fantasy novel, The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry.  The third and final book in the Kagen the Damned trilogy, The Dragon in Winter follows on from the exciting and impressive reads,  Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and  Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  Featuring an outstanding and action-packed dark fantasy storyline that saw the damned and damaged series protagonist attempt to finally get his vengeance during the final battles of a brutal war.  Intense, powerful and loaded with some dramatic character moments, The Dragon in Winter was an awesome end to one of my favourite fantasy trilogies and I was enthralled the entire way through this great book.

Amazon

 

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Richard Osman has really become a notable fixture on these end of year lists thanks to his brilliant and hilarious Thursday Murder Club books (The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed and The Last Devil to Die).  This year he presented readers with a new treat in the standalone thriller, We Solve Murders.  Featuring the exceptional humour and fantastic writing that made the Thursday Murder Club books so much fun, We Solve Murders is a clever and addictive international thriller focused on a great new group of protagonists.  Witty, charming and extraordinarily compelling, We Solve Murders was another incredible novel from Osman that I cannot recommend enough.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

2024 proved to be an outstanding year for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I had the pleasure of reading multiple fantastic novels from this franchise.  One of the best was the captivating and cynical novel, Above and Beyond.  The sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Outgunned, Above and Beyond reunites Flower’s damaged protagonists, a broken propaganda expert and a crass heroic pilot, for another outrageous adventure.  Cleverly examining the role propaganda plays in the wars of the grim future, Above and Beyond ended up being a very exciting and powerful thriller that I could not get enough off.  An incredible novel from one of the fastest rising Warhammer authors (make sure to also check Flower’s novella in Da Red Gobbo Collection).

Amazon

 

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of reading The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett.  An intriguing combination of fantasy and crime fiction, The Tainted Cup focussed on an unusual investigative duo in a monster besieged fantasy kingdom as they attempt to uncover the truth behind a series of brutal magical killings.  The Tainted Cup proved to be an exceptional and intelligent novel I could not put down as Jackson effortlessly combined complex fantasy elements with his brilliant murder mystery narrative.  One of the most inventive books of 2024, The Tainted Cup was something truly special, and I cannot wait to dive into the sequel, A Drop of Corruption, in the new year.

Amazon

 

The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney

I had a brilliant time in 2024 continuing Mark Greaney’s awesome Gray Man spy thriller series with The Chaos Agent.  Setting his iconic spy protagonist against a dangerous and terrifying new enemy, The Chaos Agent had a fantastic story behind it that proceeded to get very crazy once some memorable weapons are unleashed.  An amazing entry in one of the best thriller series out there, The Chaos Agent was epic from start to finish and leaves readers on a major cliffhanger that I am looking forward to seeing resolved in 2025 with Midnight Black.

Amazon

 

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

One of the more unique novels of 2024 had to be The Gathering by C. J. Tudor.  A powerful and clever murder mystery set in a world where vampires exist, The Gathering follows a government vampire expert who travels to an isolated town to determine whether a recent murder was as vampire kill and whether the local colony should be exterminated.  Blending a great small-town murder narrative with an inventive world history featuring vampires, The Gathering was such a compelling and dark book, and I loved every single second I spent reading it.

Amazon

 

Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell

While I have previously enjoyed some of Sebastien De Castell’s great fantasy fiction before with The Malevolent Seven, this year I dove into his Greatcoat’s universe with the relentlessly entertaining novel, Play of Shadows.  The first book in his new Court of Shadows series, Play of Shadows followed a fugitive actor who gains the ability to manifest the spirt of a notorious historical villain whenever he appears on stage.  Suddenly caught in a massive city-wide conspiracy, the protagonist needs to survive to tell the spirit’s true story and soon finds out just how deadly the theatre can be.  A truly fantastic and fun novel that I couldn’t stop reading, Play of Shadows had such a unique and powerful story behind it that perfectly fit into the author’s existing universe.  A highly recommended novel, especially when read in concert with the outstanding prequel, Crucible of Chaos, that was released just in advance of Play of Shadows.

Amazon

 

The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven

Awesome crime fiction author M. W. Craven had a great 2024, as he released two books including the outrageous thriller Nobody’s Hero.  However, my favourite novel of his was the sixth book in the Washington Poe series, The Mercy Chair.  Following the author’s cynical protagonist and his unusual team as they investigate the brutal murder of a controversial religious leader, The Mercy Chair contained an exceptionally intense narrative as the protagonists uncover a raft of shocking secrets that will shake you to your very core.  A dark and twisty British murder mystery, The Mercy Chair was a truly remarkable read that had me hooked from start to finish thanks to its barrage of clever reveals.  One of the best pure murder mysteries of 2024.

Amazon

 

NecroTek by Jonathan Maberry

In addition to The Dragon in Winter, Jonathan Maberry also released the dark and compelling science fiction novel, NecroTek.  A cool dive into pure science fiction, Maberry utilised his usual style to effectively tell a massive tale of survival in strange space as the protagonists encounter Lovecraftian horrors and must fight them using necromancy-infused alien technology.  Intense, compelling, and loaded with some powerful human moments, NecroTek was another impressive novel from Maberry in 2025 that I had to feature here as well.

Amazon

 

The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

John Gwynne brought his epic Bloodsworn Saga to an end in a big way with The Fury of the Gods.  The final book in the trilogy that has previously featured the amazing reads The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods, The Fury of the Gods was a very awesome read that saw all the various character arcs finally come together as everyone picked a side in massive war between gods and mortals.  Making full use of the series’ Viking aesthetic, The Fury of the Gods was an exceptional fantasy epic from start to finish, and I deeply enjoyed how Gwynne brought everything together.

Amazon

 

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This was a bumper year for Adrian Tchaikovsky as he released several amazing books across the science fiction and fantasy genres.  Of the ones I have so far read my favourite was Service Model.  An intriguing and captivating novel that follows a robot exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland, this book was filled with great humour and cynical take on the future of humanity.  Service Model ended up being a very highly entertaining novel that I cannot recommend enough, especially to readers looking for something particularly clever and funny.

Amazon

 

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 39: Ice and Snow by Stan Sakai

A surely unsurprising inclusion on this list is the latest Usagi Yojimbo comic, Ice and Snow by Stan Sakai.  One of my favourite comic series, I always make sure to grab the new Usagi Yojimbo volume each year and they always prove to be quite exceptional.  Ice and Snow was a particularly epic entry in the series, as the protagonists face off against a raft of supernatural foes, including Usagi’s dark nemesis Jei.  Beautifully drawn and incredibly fun to read, Ice and Snow was another brilliant and beautiful comic that I powered through the second I got my hands on it.

Amazon

 

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

The other Warhammer 40,000 novel I wanted to include on this list was the twisted Renegades: Lord of Excess.  The debut novel of Rich McCormick, Lord of Excess followed a warband of the hedonistic Emperor’s Children traitor Space Marines as they take over an isolated planet.  McCormick perfectly captures the obsessive nature of his colourful characters, and I loved seeing the villain’s perspective in this deliciously dark novel.  I had an incredible time with this warped and complex character driven novel, and McCormick is an impressive new talent to keep an eye on.

Amazon

 

The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston

After wowing me with amazing books like The Traitor God, God of Broken Things and The Maleficent Seven, Cameron Johnston continues to get even better as an author with his 2024 release, The Last Shield.  Essentially a gender-bent, fantasy fiction Die Hard, The Last Shield sees a group of bandits and traitors take over a royal palace to rob its vault filled with powerful magical artifacts.  The only hope the inhabitants have is the wounded commander of the palace guard, who fights back from the many hidden passages to save those she loves.  Clever, compelling and loaded with so much incredible action, The Last Shield was a highly addictive read that I really couldn’t put down and Johnston is swiftly becoming one of my favourite dark fantasy authors.

Amazon

 

King’s Enemy by Ian Ross

Ian Ross brought his incredible de Norton historical fiction series to a gripping end with King’s Enemy.  Following on from Battle Song and the other 2024 release War Cry, King’s Enemy saw the recently knighted protagonist, Adam de Norton, declared a traitor and king’s enemy for the role he played in Simon de Montford’s rebellion.  Determined to fight back after losing everything, de Norton journeys towards the last bastion of resistance against the crown and finds himself engulfed in one of the most famous sieges in English history.  A fantastic and captivating novel loaded with adventure, action and some fascinating historical detail; King’s Enemy was an outstanding book that is really worth checking out.

Amazon

 

A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan

Acclaimed fantasy author Anthony Ryan followed up his Covenant of Steel series (The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor) in a big way with the new book, A Tide of Black Steel.  Featuring an exciting and intriguing new narrative that expands Ryan’s existing setting, A Tide of Black Steel was an epic fantasy novel that I had so much fun with, especially on audiobook.

Amazon

 

Darkside by Michael Mammay

Another awesome novel that is particularly cool on audiobook is Darkside by Michael Mammay.  The fourth book in the author’s excellent Planetside series (Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside), Darkside follows a maverick former military officer when he investigates a missing persons case at a mining operation on an isolated moon.  Featuring intrigue, mystery and warring corporations, Darkside was another exceptional read from Mammay and one I really got hooked on.

Amazon

 

You Like it Darker by Stephen King

I just had to highlight the exceptional short story collection You Like It Darker by the legendary Stephen King on this list.  Featuring 12 short stories from King, You Like it Darker was a horror-themed thrill ride from start to finish as the author wowed me with his versatility and unique narratives.  This volume contains some noteworthy short stories, including a sequel to Cujo and an outstanding story about the downsides of psychic visions, all of which grabbed my imagination and refused to let go.  I loved every second I spent with You Like It Darker, and I cannot wait to experience more Stephen King awesomeness in 2025, especially with the epic upcoming book Never Flinch.

Amazon

 

Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

One of the most inventive and powerful fantasy novels I read this year was Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang, which, while technically released as an independent novel last year, I’m counting it as a 2024 release as that’s when it officially came out here in Australia.  I have so much love for Blood Over Bright Haven, as Wang centres a complex and emotionally charged narrative around an intriguing and unique magical system.  The result is an intense and memorable book that hits the reader with some amazing twists.  I honestly have still not recovered from all the big reveals of this book, and it was all I needed to read to become a major fan of this awesome author.

Amazon

 

Deep Black by Miles Cameron

The last book I want to highlight on this list is the massive and captivating science fiction epic Deep Black by Miles Cameron.  The sequel to the exceptional Artifact Space, Deep Black continues to follow a gigantic human trading space vessel as it attempts to survive a complex conspiracy to destroy it.  Featuring some impressive science fiction detail, powerful action sequences, and an elaborate plot, Deep Black was an outstanding read and a worthy final entry for this best-of-2024 post.

Amazon

 

Well, those are my 20 favourite books of 2024. It turned out to be quite a good list in the end, and I am very glad that I was able to highlight so many fantastic books.  2025 is set to be another excellent year for amazing reads, and I will be examining some of my most anticipated books next week.  In the meantime, let me know what your favourite books of 2024 were in the comments below, and make sure you all have a happy and safe New Years.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks of 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List23 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 list involved listing the ten top books you hope that Santa would bring you this year.  While this is a fun sounding topic, I am instead going to continue my annual end of year wrap up of the best books I read in 2024.  In previous weeks I have highlighted some of the best pre-2024 novels, best new-to-me-authors and best 2024 sequels I read in the last year.  However, this week I am going to look at something near and dear to my hear, the best audiobooks of 2024.

Readers of this blog only need to check out my extensive audiobook category to the right to know that I have a lot of love for the audiobook format.  In my opinion, the audiobook is often the best way to experience a good book and in many cases this format makes a novel far more enjoyable.  As a result, I listened to quite a few audiobooks this year, and while a good chunk of them were books released before 2024 and featured in my Throwback Thursday posts, most were released this year.  There were some truly outstanding and impressive audiobooks released in 2024 and I knew going in that I was going to have an extremely hard time coming up with a final version of this list.

For this list I have only included audiobooks released in 2024 that I have listened to, which left me with a long list of extremely impressive audiobooks which I wanted to include in this post.  To help cut this down, I considered a range of factors, including the quality of the original novel, the skill of the narrator, production value, pacing and other features.  Looking at all this I was eventually able to cut the list down to the absolute best 10 audiobooks, with my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I had to make some very hard decisions here, and I ended up excluding several extremely good audiobooks from the main list.  Still, I think it really represents the best audiobooks I enjoyed this year and there are some amazing productions below.

Honourable Mentions:

The Chaos Agent, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

An excellent continuation of the Gray Man series once again read out by Jay Snyder.

Amazon

 

Five Broken Blades, written by Mai Corland and narrated by Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Roger Yeh, Donald Chang, Jaine Ye and Sophie Oda

A fun fantasy novel that was perfectly brought to life by a brilliant team of narrators.

Amazon

 

Goodbye Girl, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis

One of my favourite Star Wars narrators, Jonathan Davis, made this excellent legal thriller particularly awesome to listen to.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Da Red Gobbo Collection, written by Mike Brooks, Denny Flowers and Rhuairidh James, narrated by Harry Myers

Three fantastic authors present an array of outstanding Warhammer 40,000 stories around a legendary figure, Da Red Gobbo, all of which is narrated by the highly talented Harry Myers.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

NecroTek/The Dragon in Winter, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

First up on this list we have a double entry, as we were lucky enough to get two books from one of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry.  Made up of the dark science fiction adventure, NecroTek, and the brilliant fantasy epic, The Dragon in Winter, both of which were particularly awesome.  I chose to combine these two audiobooks into a single entry here, due to the fact they both shared the same narrator in the legendary Ray Porter.  Porter, who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, is synonymous with Maberry at this point, having lent his voice to most of the author’s books while always providing an exceptional performance.  I love how well Porter’s narration enhances Maberry’s exceptional novels, and it makes these audiobooks extremely special.  As such, I had to include them here, and both NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter come highly recommended as some of the best audiobooks of the year.

Amazon

 

We Solve Murders, written by Richard Osman and narrated by Nicola Walker

After wowing us with the first four Thursday Murder Club books (The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed and The Last Devil to Die), Osman went on a different path this year with the clever and fast-paced thriller, We Solve Murders.  A particularly fun book that combines Osman’s classic humour with a brilliant and intense story, We Solve Murders was another exceptional read that I couldn’t get enough of, especially in its audiobook format.  Thanks to the impressive narration of actress Nicola Walker, We Solve Murders was an extremely awesome listen that made the elaborate narrative became even more fantastic.  A truly great audiobook production that you won’t be able to stop listening to it.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond, written by Denny Flowers and narrated by Phillip Sacramento

I have a few Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks on this list, but one of the most unique and compelling was Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers.  The sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Outgunned, Above and Beyond brought together a damaged propaganda expert and a broken hero into a cynical and entertaining adventure that really dives into the dark side of the Warhammer universe.  Funny, powerful and featuring an outstanding story, Above and Beyond was so damn good, and it was even better when listened to on audiobook.  Phillip Sacramento perfectly captures the grim themes of Flowers’ writing with his narration, and you soon become enthralled in following the book’s damaged characters on their new adventure.  An exceptional and amazing listen, you will not be dissatisfied with this Warhammer 40,000 audiobook.

Amazon

 

The Fury of the Gods, written by John Gwynne and narrated by Colin Mace

John Gwynne brings his epic Bloodsworn Saga fantasy series to a powerful end with the brutal and impressive The Fury of the Gods.  Finalising a series of great character arcs and pushing his protagonists into one particularly deadly war, The Fury of the Gods was everything I could have hoped for, and I loved how it wrapped up the storylines previously raised in The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods.  I had a fantastic time with this novel, and I particularly enjoyed the cool audiobook version that was narrated by Colin Mace.  Mace brings so much energy to this narrative, and his excellent take on the characters turns this into an outstanding listen.

Amazon

 

Darkside, written by Michael Mammay and narrated by R. C. Bray

One of the most awesome and fun science fiction audiobooks of 2024 had to be Darkside by Michael Mammay.  Mammay, who previously impressed me with his previous books, Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside, produced an intriguing fourth entry to his Planetside series with Darkside, as his maverick protagonist investigates a new conspiracy driven by corrupt corporations.  This fourth entry was such a great listen on audiobook, especially as it featured the return of the always incredible R. C. Bray as narrator.  Bray, who has such a distinctive voice and style, helps to make this audiobook even more special, and I had so much fun with Darkside as result.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Lord of Excess, written by Rich McCormick and narrated by Richard Reed

Another particularly cool Warhammer 40,000 audiobook in 2024 was Renegades: Lord of Excess.  The debut novel of Rich McCormick, Lord of Excess followed a band of hedonistic Chaos Space Marines as they conquer an isolated planet, only to have everything come crashing down around them.  A fascinating and captivating addition to the Warhammer 40,000 canon, Lord of Excess was an amazing read from McCormick, and like most Warhammer 40,000 books is deeply benefited from its audiobook format.  Not only does the outrageous story really come to life when read out, but narrator Richard Reed ensures all the larger-than-life characters are perfectly showcased.  A truly outstanding Warhammer audiobook that I had such a great time with.

Amazon

 

Point Nemo, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by R. C. Bray

Few audiobooks were as epic this year as Point Nemo by Jeremey Robinson, which was also narrated by R. C. Bray.  A fast-paced and highly awesome science fiction thriller, Point Nemo had an outstanding plot behind it that followed a band of adventurers as they attempted to uncover the secrets of an island created from alien spores.  The story and action of Point Nemo are very amazing on their own, but I felt that the narration of Bray added even more to it, and I was very impressed by all of Bray’s amazing performances this year.  An exceptional listen that I cannot recommend enough.

Amazon

 

A Tide of Black Steel, written by Anthony Ryan and narrated by Steven Brand

Acclaimed fantasy author Anthony Ryan followed up his Covenant of Steel series (The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor) in a big way with the new book, A Tide of Black Steel.  Featuring an exciting and intriguing new narrative that expands Ryan’s existing setting, A Tide of Black Steel was an epic fantasy novel that I had so much fun with, especially on audiobook.  It helped that the narrator of the Covenant of Steel audiobooks, Steven Brand, once again lent his voice to proceedings, and the resulting production was a powerful and amazing production that I couldn’t stop listening to.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Harry Myers

The final Warhammer audiobook I need to feature on this list is the outstanding and hilarious Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks.  The sequel to Brooks’ previous novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, Da Big Dakka follows a rowdy group of orks who raid the most dangerous city in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  A clever read that I laughed the entire way through, especially with the fantastic narration of Harry Myers, who always perfectly captures the rowdy orks and their eccentric enemies.  This was a really impress audiobook and I had a wonderful time listening to it.

Amazon

 

Crucible of Chaos, written by Sebastien de Castell and narrated by Joe Jameson

I am slightly cheating with this final entry as Crucible of Chaos came out in 2023.  However, due to its late December 2023 release, as well as it’s connection to the early 2024 novel, Play of Shadows, I have decided to include it as part of this list.  Crucible of Chaos was an exceptional book from talented fantasy author Sebastien de Castell, that saw an unlikely investigator and his noble steed attempt to uncover the cause of insanity and chaos in a famous monastery.  A clever and funny read, Crucible of Chaos was an impressive audiobook, and I had a lot of fun with how Joe Jameson, another favourite narrator of mine, brought it too life.

Amazon

 

Well that is the end of this latest Top Ten list, and as you can see, I have been lucky enough to listen to some awesome audiobooks this year (although I clearly focused a little too much on Warhammer fiction).  All the above audiobooks are extremely good and I would highly recommend each of them in their audiobook format.  Let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2024 were in the comments below, and make sure to check back next week to see what my overall favourite novels of the year were.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List8 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 required participants to list their most anticipated books for Summer (Winter for the Northern Hemisphere).  However, as I have already done this list a few weeks ago, I decided to continue with my annual end-of-year lists that I have been working on the last few weeks.  I have already covered my favourite new-to-me authors I read in 2024, as well as the best pre-2024 novels I read this year, but in this week’s list I am going to highlight the best sequels I read in 2024.  This is a relatively new topic that I only started exploring in 2023, however I had fun doing it last year so decided to replicate it again now.

Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career.  I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels.  I read a ton of sequels every year and I felt that it was about time that I highlighted the very best sequels of the year in a specific post.

To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released in 2024 that I had the pleasure of reading.  I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines.  For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead.  I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and definitely highlights my favourite sequels released in 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

The superstar team of James Patterson and Australian author Candice Fox had a great time returning to the unusual group of protagonists living at The Inn by the Sea, with their entertaining thriller, The Murder Inn.  The sequel to their previous novel, The Inn, The Murder Inn is a highly entertaining read and a great novel for fans of both these authors.

Amazon

 

The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

A fast-paced and emotionally charged young adult fantasy novel from Australian author Amie Kaufman that finishes the story started in The Isles of the Gods.

Amazon

 

The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham

The highly entertaining novel, The Wrong Hands, was a very fun book that followed on from Billingham’s first DS Declan Miller book, The Last Dance.

Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

The first book on this list is one of my favourite sequels of 2024, Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers.  The follow-up to Flowers’ previous awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Outgunned, Above and Beyond reunites two of Flower’s complex and traumatised protagonists, a newly cynical propaganda expert and a broken war hero, and throws them into hell.  Taking them into another adventure laden with intrigue, lies and manipulation, Above and Beyond was Flowers’ best novel yet, and I loved how effectively it continued the epic story from Outgunned.

Amazon

 

Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven

M. W. Craven had a brilliant year in 2024, as not only did he release the exceptional and dark murder mystery, The Mercy Chair, but he also presented the fantastic novel, Nobody’s Hero. A sequel to his 2023 novel, Fearless, Nobody’s Hero is a beautifully over-the-top thriller loaded with brutal action and so much fun. Providing a very interesting continuation to several storylines started in Fearless while also standing on its on with its excessive plot, Nobody’s Hero is a great book and a wonderful sequel.

Amazon

 

War Cry by Ian Ross

Ian Ross continued his exciting historical adventures this year with War Cry, the fantastic follow-up to his captivating read, Battle Song.  Battle Song, one of my favourite books of 2023, introduced readers to a young squire who participated into one of England’s more intriguing historical civil wars, and featured an exceptionally addictive story.  Ross continued the series in a big way with his sequel, War Cry, that dragged his protagonist, now a knight, into the next stage of war, and all the tragedy that contains.  I had a great time with this sequel, and it really moved the overarching story along in a big way.  Special mention also needs to go to the third book in the series King’s Enemy, that also came out this year, and which ended the series in an excellent manner.

Amazon

 

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

Back in 2021 I had the very great pleasure of reading the particularly intense and clever young adult thriller, The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, that followed a teenage former con artist caught up in a bank robbery.  I really loved The Girls I’ve Been, and I was very happy that Sharpe released a sequel this year in The Girl in Question.  Another captivating and exciting read that I really got hooked on, especially with its distinctive style and damaged teenage protagonists, The Girl in Question was an outstanding sequel that comes highly recommended.

Amazon

 

Deep Black by Miles Cameron

The most recent sequel I have picked up was Deep Black by Miles Cameron, which contains a massive and complex science fiction adventure.  The sequel to his previous novel, Artifact Space, Deep Black continues the great narrative of exploration and interstellar mystery, as the crew of a massive human trading vessel attempts to learn more about a series attacks trying to destroy it.  Cameron’s inventiveness and great character work is on full display in Deep Black, and I loved how he continued the outstanding story started in Artifact Space.

Amazon

 

Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell

I’m slightly cheating with the next entry on this list, Play of Shadows, as it is technically the first book in de Castell’s new Court of Shadows series.  However, at the same time Play of Shadows is also a loosely connected sequel to de Castell’s previous novel, Crucible of Chaos, which was released in advance of Play of Shadows as a prequel.  As such, I am counting Play of Shadows as a sequel, and frankly the book was so good I want to highlight it as many times as I can in the coming weeks.  An entertaining, compelling and unique fantasy novel, Play of Shadows saw a young actor unravel an ancient conspiracy infecting his city when he gains the ability to manifest the spirt of a notorious historical villain while on the stage.  A brilliant, witty and highly addictive read, Play of Shadows really impressed me, and I am so very eager to see how this series continues in the future.

Amazon

 

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

Another outstanding sequel I was happy to read this year was the intricate spy thriller Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont.  A particularly authentic spy novel set in Paris, Dark Arena serves as a sequel the Beaumont’s debut, The Frenchman (one of my favourite debut novels of 2021), and follows members of France’s intelligence community as they attempt to unravel a deadly plot impacting all of Europe.  A gripping read that served as a great continuation to The Frenchman, Dark Arena is an amazing sequel that is worth checking out.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks

I had a lot of fun with Warhammer fiction in 2024, and that includes the outstanding Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks.  The direct sequel to Brooks’ hilarious Warhammer 40,000 novel, Brutal Kunnin, Da Big Dakka showcases the continued adventure of Brooks’ ork protagonist as he brings war, fighting and brutal fun to all corners of the galaxy.  This second book pits the orks against a tricky new foe in the most dangerous city in the universe, and the result is as hectic and bloody as you would expect.  Pure chaotic fun that any fan of Warhammer 40,000 fiction can enjoy.

Amazon

 

The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence

Another highly complex and powerful fantasy novel from the always impressive Mark Lawrence, The Book That Broke the World is a great follow-up to the 2023 novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.  Continuing the elaborate narrative from the first book, while also expanding out the twists, turns and intricate details, The Book That Broke the World was a very smart novel that serves as a very satisfying sequel to The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and is very much worth checking out.

Amazon

 

Sentinel by Mark Greaney

The final sequel I want to highlight on this list is the action-packed novel, Sentinel.  The follow-up to the action-thriller, Armored, Sentinel throws the protagonist of the first book into an elaborate coup in Africa, with his family’s safety also at risk.  A highly exciting and compelling novel, loaded with impressive action and an elaborate narrative, Sentinel was an awesome sequel and I look forward to seeing how Greaney will continue this series in the future.

Amazon

 

 

Well, that’s it for this list.  As you can see, I have read several outstanding sequels this year and had a wonderful time doing so.  Every entry above was an epic novel, and I loved how they each successfully continued impressive story threads started in the previous novel.  All these books come highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see how these talented authors add to their already awesome series in the future.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2024

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List14 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 was books to read during a storm, which while interesting, is something I am putting aside for the moment as I want to continue with my end of year best-of lists, which I started last week when I looked at pre-2024 novels I read this year.  instead, this week I will be looking at new-to-me authors I discovered in 2024.  This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 versions), and it is one that I always have a lot of fun doing.

Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes books written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with.  2024 was a particularly good example of this as I powered through an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me.  Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional novels, including one or two which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2024 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.

To appear on this list, the author had to be someone whose work I checked out for the first time in 2024.  All new-to-me authors were eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut authors as I am going to cover them in another list.  Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a ton of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 24 new authors in 2024.  After some hard work, I was able to whittle this down to a manageable top ten list, with my usual generous honourable mentions section.  I am really surprised at some of the impressive and enjoyable authors I had to exclude, and I was honestly tempted to increase this to a top twenty list.  I managed to resist and I think the below entry really highlights the absolute best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

Don Bentley – Capture or Kill

Thanks to him taking over the Mitch Rapp series this year with the exciting read Capture or Kill, I got my first taste of thriller writer Don Bentley, who impressed me with his fantastic first entry in the series.

Amazon

 

Mark Billingham – The Wrong Hands

I had fun with my first Mark Billingham novel, The Wrong Hands, which showed the authors quirky side in this entertaining crime fiction read.

Amazon

 

Lainie Anderson – The Death of Dora Black

Australian author Laine Anderson impressed with this excellent Australian historical crime fiction read, based around Australia’s first female police officer.

Amazon

 

James Patterson and Nancy Allen – The No.1 Lawyer

While I have read many things from James Patterson before, 2024 is the first time I enjoyed anything he wrote with co-author Nancy Allen.  Allen, whose legal thriller fiction I haven’t read before, worked well with Patterson to create an exciting and captivating novel with The No.1 Lawyer.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Steven B. Fischer – Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer and Broken Crusade

The first new-to-me author that I want to feature on this list is Warhammer 40,000 writer Steven B. Fischer.  I was lucky enough to read two books from Fischer this year, including his debut from a couple of years ago, Witchbringer, as well as his 2024 release, Broken Crusade.  Both books were particularly good examples of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I love the author’s intense style and ability to dive into two different, unique factions.  Fischer is a Warhammer author to watch in the future and I look forward to seeing what cool stories he comes up with next.

Amazon

 

M. L. Wang – Blood Over Bright Haven

I am particularly happy that I decided to read something from M. L. Wang this year, as she has been on my radar for a while now.  An intriguing author, Wang has so far written two acclaimed adult fantasy novels with amazing plots behind them.  I read one of them this year with Blood Over Bright Haven, and boy was it something special.  Set around a particularly inventive magical system, Blood Over Bright Haven follows two very different protagonists as they uncover a dark secret at the heart of a magical city.  I was really blown away with this book, especially as Wang loads it up with shocking twists, and this ended up being one of the top fantasy books of 2024.

Amazon

 

C. J. Box – Three-Inch Teeth

I had a lot of fun getting to know well-established thriller author C. J. Box this year when I was grabbed a copy of the latest book in his Joe Pickett series, Three-Inch Teeth.  Following his game warden protagonist as he investigates a series of bear attacks, the book quickly turns into something special when an old nemesis returns, disguising a series of revenge-fuelled murders using an unlikely contraption.  I had an outstanding time with Three-Inch Teeth, and I fully plan to grab the next Joe Pickett novel when it comes out in 2025.

Amazon

 

Douglas Preston – Extinction

One of the wildest novels I had the pleasure of reading in 2024 was my first Douglas Preston book, Extinction.  Preston goes all out with this amazing science fiction thriller, that sees a series of grizzly murders take place within a nature park filled with living mammoths and other cloned pre-historic creatures.  I powered through this outstanding read, especially as Preston really amps up the craziness and intensity shortly into Extinction, and I honestly loved every second I spent with this book.

Amazon

 

Gary Kloster – Warhammer 40,000: Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge

Another fantastic new-to-me author from the vast Warhammer 40,000 franchise I discovered this year was Gary Kloster who wrote the epic read, Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge.  Focussing on the iconic Dark Angels chapter of Space Marines, Enmity’s Edge was a particularly clever and addictive Warhammer read that drew readers in with its elaborate conspiracy and fantastic characters.  This proved to be an extremely cool addition to the canon, and I am very, very glad that I decided to read it.

Amazon

 

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

Easily the funniest new author I checked out in 2024 was Django Wexler, who blew me away with his hilarious comedic fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying.  Featuring an outstanding plot about a human trapped in a time loop within a fantasy realm who, after hundreds of painful attempts at being the hero, decides to win by becoming the evil dark lord instead.  Thanks to his cracked protagonist, outrageous scenario, and entertaining use of the time-loop concept, Wexler had me in stiches the entire way through How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and I have so much love for this book as a result.  The sequel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, is out in May next year, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Amazon

 

J. D. Barker – Behind a Closed Door

Now this next entry is slightly cheating, as J. D. Barker is someone who I have technically read before.  However, as all the Barker books I have previously read were co-written with other authors, such as James Patterson (Confessions of the Dead and Death of the Black Widow), I felt that it was appropriate to include him on this list after reading one of his solo novels for the first time with Behind a Closed Door.  A gripping, distinctive and highly adult thriller, Behind a Closed Door was an intense novel that I felt really showcased Barker’s own unique writing style.  This was a very fun book, and I look forward to seeing what other devious narratives he comes up with in the future.

Amazon

 

C. J. Tudor – The Gathering

I had been meaning to read something from awesome author C. J. Tudor for years, especially I have heard nothing but good things about her impressive thrillers and horror novels.  I finally got a chance in 2024 with The Gathering, which ended up being one of the best books from the first half of the year.  Set in an alternate version of America where vampires are second-class citizens, The Gathering follows an investigation into an apparent vampire attack in an isolated town, which could result in the extermination of the entire local vampire settlement.  A particularly epic and clever horror thriller that made full use of its inventive concept, The Gathering was such a great read, and I plan to grab every new Tudor book that comes out from now on.

Amazon

 

James Grippando – Goodbye Girl

It looks like I have a new awesome legal thriller author to become obsessed with after checking out my first book from James Grippando, Goodbye Girl.  The latest book in Grippando’s long-running Jack Swyteck series, Goodbye Girl was a captivating and memorable legal thriller that dived into the world of online piracy in a surprisingly nautical way.  Featuring some entertaining court sequences and a fantastic crime fiction plot, Goodbye Girl was a lot of fun to get through and comes very highly recommended.  Grippando is another new-to-me author I am planning to add to my must-read list each year, and I am already excited for his next Jack Swyteck book, Grave Danger, which is out very soon.

Amazon

 

Robbie MacNiven – Warhammer 40,000: Oaths of Damnation

The final new-to-me author I want to highlight on this list is Robbie MacNiven, who impressed me with his 2024 Warhammer 40,000 release.  MacNiven, who has written a couple of series I am very interested in exploring, had fun diving into a unique Chapter of Space Marines with the compelling novel Oaths of Damnation.  A fantastic novel loaded with epic Space Marine action; Oaths of Damnation was an outstanding read that made MacNiven a very easy choice for this list.

Amazon

 

 

Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list.  I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best new authors I checked out in 2024.  I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce more epic and incredible reads.  Make sure to let me know which new authors you enjoyed in 2024 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2024 list.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Pre-2024 Novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List11 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. This week participants of Top Ten Tuesday get a freebie to list whatever topics they want.  So, I am going to take this opportunity to start my annual end-of-year lists here by looking at my favourite pre-2024 novels that I read this year.

Each December I have a lot of fun looking at some of the best and most impressive books and comics that I have read throughout the year in a series of Top Ten Lists.  While these lists will mostly focus on books that came out in 2024, for the last few years I have also taken the time to list out some of the best older novels that I have read in the last 12 months.  There are some excellent novels that were released pre-2024 out there that I haven’t had the chance to read before and it is always fun to go back and explore them.  I ended up reading a bunch of awesome older books throughout 2024, including some incredible novels that got easy five-star ratings from me and are really worth checking out.

To come up with this list I had a look at all the novels I read this year that had their initial release before 2024.  This proved to be a momentous task, as I read a ton of older books this year, including quite a few Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.  Despite the awesome array of older novels and audiobooks I enjoyed this year, I eventually managed to pull together a fantastic list that covered some of the best books released before 2024 that I read.  As I have in previous years, I combined novels that are part of the same series into a single entry, just to diversify it up a bit.  While I might be cheating in places, this list honestly reflects the best pre-2024 novels I read throughout the year, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000 Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks – 2021

A highly entertaining read from a great rising star of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Brutal Kunnin was particularly funny, and it allowed me to read it’s 2024 sequel, Da Big Dakka, in all it’s hilarious glory.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000 Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer – 2022

A fantastic Warhammer 40,000 debut from a couple of years ago, Witchbringer was an awesome novel that I was really happy to finally check out.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 2023

I got Rebellion, the 2023 entry in one of my favourite historical series, a bit late last year and it ended up being an early January 2024 read for me as a result.  A captivating and action-packed novel, Rebellion was amazing and comes highly recommended.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett – 1989

I had a ton of fun re-reading one of my favourite Discworld novels this year with Guards! Guards!.  One of Terry Pratchett’s best books, Guards! Guards! was just as amazing as I remembered it, and I still laugh at its elaborate narrative and exceptional humour.  While I have read Guards! Guards! before, I’m including it on this list as it was the first time I listened to the new audiobook version with Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy.  An incredible listen that I cannot recommend enough.

Amazon

 

Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett – Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr – 2002

As with last year’s pre-2023 book post, this list could have been dominated by the works of Dan Abnett if I hadn’t combined a few posts together.  That is because I am still making progress on his Gaunt’s Ghosts series, which is one of the seminal pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Following the common soldiers of the Tanith First and Only, better known as Gaunt’s Ghosts, this series is a gritty series about camaraderie and the horrors of war for the common human soldier in the grim future of the Warhammer universe.  I managed to get through two exceptional entries in the series this year, Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr, both of which were epic in their own way.  Featuring great characters, dark moments, and some particularly realistic depictions of war, these novels were so damn good, and I loved every second I spent listening to them.  I am hoping to dive even deeper into this series next year, and I know I am going to love it.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Double Eagle by Dan Abnett – 2004

One of the absolute best Warhammer 40,000 novels I enjoyed in 2024 was another classic read from Dan Abnett, Double Eagle.  A spin-off from his Gaunt’s Ghosts series (The Guns of Tanith specifically), Double Eagle was an exceptional and highly intense read that followed various Imperial pilots as they fight a brutal air war above a contested planet.  Essentially the Battle of Britain in the grimdark future, Double Eagle was utterly addictive, and I loved every single second I spent listening to it.  A must read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans, Double Eagle is just incredible, and I am looking forward to the sequel, Interceptor City, which is coming out soon.

Amazon

 

Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell – The Traitor’s Hand (2005), Death or Glory (2006), Duty Calls (2007) and Cain’s Last Stand (2008)

Another long-running Warhammer 40,000 series I read in 2024 was the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell.  Following the heroic Commissar Cain as he fights in multiple battlefields, the Ciaphas Cain books are a particularly fun Warhammer 40,000 series due to the hilarious protagonist who is a lot more cowardly and practical than most people realise.  I read four books in this series this year, mainly because they are so easy to listen to and enjoy.  This includes The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls and Cain’s Last Stand.  All four were extremely good and featured distinctive and entertaining stories, with the last three featuring a great, loosely connected storyline.  If I had to choose a favourite it would probably be Death or Glory, that set a young Ciaphas Cain on his path to hero status when he accidently leads a band of human survivors Mad Max style to victory.  An outstanding series I will probably read more of in 2025.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons – 2010

As I’m on a roll with awesome older Warhammer 40,000 novels, the next book on this list is the impressive Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons.  A particularly dark addition to the canon, Dead Men Walking pits Lyon’s favourite Imperial Guard faction, the Death Korps of Kreig (who Lyons also writes about in Kreig and The Siege of Vraks), against the unstoppable metal-coated Necrons, resulting in a devastating battle against two equally unrelenting foe.  Cleverly told from the perspective of the normal humans caught in the crossfire of this brutal war, Dead Men Walking showcases just how dark Warhammer 40,000 fiction can get, and I loved the entire captivating and ironic story.

Amazon

 

Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher – Skin Game (2014) and Peace Talks (2020)

After a couple of years of having a brilliant time exploring the Dresden Files books, I finally finished off the series this year by reading Skin Game and Peace Talks.  Two excellent and compelling entries in the series, these books were particularly awesome in all the right ways.  My favourite of the two was Skin Game, which saw the wizard protagonist forced to team up with his worst enemies to complete an impossible magical heist.  However, the other book, Peace Talks, was also particularly moving and exciting, especially as it set up Butcher’s other 2020 novel Battle Ground, which is where I entered the Dresden Files series.  I have had such an incredible time reading the Dresden Files books over the years, and I hope we start to get some new entries in it soon.

Amazon

 

The Outsider by Stephen King – 2018

One of the books I was particularly happy to read in 2024 was the intense and brilliant Stephen King novel The Outsider.  A complex, dark and shocking horror thriller, The Outsider starts off with a great concept when a local hero is accused of a terrible crime and all the evidence irrefutably shows that he did it.  The problem, the accused claims to be innocent and he has an impossibly airtight alibi.  I loved the fantastic and powerful story King wove around this idea, and I honestly could not stop listening to it.  Probably one of the better King books I have so far read, The Outsider was so damn good and still cannot get over its exceptional story.

Amazon

 

The Sandman – Act III by Neil Gaiman – 2022

After having a great time listening to the first audiobook adaptations of The Sandman in previous years (see my reviews for Act I and Act II), I managed to listen to the third act this year.  An intriguing continuation of the story, Act III featured an excellent and addictive story, told by an all-star full cast of excellent actors and voice talent.  I had such an outstanding time listening to the complex tales contained within this latest adaptation of The Sandman and I really cannot recommend it enough as an awesome way to enjoy this brilliantly dark and inventive series.  I hope we eventually get a fourth act of The Sandman at some point, as I really need closure around how the series ends.

Amazon

 

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker – 2023

After having an exceptional time with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead last year (one of my favourite books of 2023), I made sure to read the simultaneously released sequels, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder in 2024.  Both were clever and hilarious reads that followed the series’ smart, cynical and unlucky protagonist through a series of complex adventures.  These sequels were extremely well written and planned out, and I loved how the overarching series came together.  I cannot recommend the final two Corax books enough, and together with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, they form and exceptional and extremely smart trilogy.

Amazon

 

Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell – 2023

The final book I want to feature on this list was the captivating fantasy novel, Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell.  A loosely connected prequel to de Castell’s new Court of Shadows series, which started this year with Play of Shadows, Crucible of Chaos was an outstanding read that I am glad I went back to check out.  Set in the author’s Greatcoats universe, Crucible of Chaos follows an unlikely magistrate as he journeys to an isolated monastery to arbitrate a religious dispute that has broken out on the grounds.  However, upon arriving he discovers that the situation has irrevocably deteriorated, and he must investigate a terrible murder amongst on the storm rocked island, whilst dealing with armed factions and dark magic.  A particularly impressive read that cemented my new-found appreciation for de Castell’s writing, Crucible of Chaos is an outstanding novel and a fantastic final entry on this list.

Amazon

 

And that is the end of this list.  As you can see, I have managed to read a huge number of epic pre-2024 releases this year.  Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend all of them, especially if you are in the mood for some fun fantasy or science fiction adventures.  I look forward to reading many more older books in 2025, and it will be interesting to see what makes my next version of this list then.  I imagine it will also end up being very Warhammer heavy, as I have plans to finish off the Gaunt’s Ghosts and Ciaphas Cain series, and I will probably also dive into a bunch of other awesome series from the franchise.  Make sure to check back in next week for some other end-of-year lists as I continue to highlight some of my favourite reads from 2024.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2024/25 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List7 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 get a Thanksgiving Freebie to focus on whatever topic they want.  As such, I am going to take this opportunity to look ahead for the next three months.  That is because today is the last Tuesday before December 2024, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read in Summer (Winter 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 December 2024 and 28 February 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 for the second half of 2024 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 2024 and 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Gunnawah by Ronni Salt – 1 January 2025

An intriguing Australian crime fiction debut from an awesome new author.  Gunnawah will probably be one of the first books I read in 2025.

Amazon

 

The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers – 11 February 2025

Another awesome sounding Australian crime fiction debut that will feature the beautiful and iconic Blue Mountains as a background setting.

 

Battle Mountain by C. J. Box – 25 February 2025

I had a lot of fun with the latest book in C. J. Box’s entertaining Joe Pickett thriller series, Three-Inch Teeth, and I’m curious to see how the series continues next year.

Amazon

 

Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 27 February 2025

A complex and compelling upcoming science fiction novel from the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett – December 2024

First on this list I had to include the upcoming Warhammer 40,000 novel, Interceptor City by Dan Abnett.  The long-awaited sequel to Abnett’s classic novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City will present readers with even more aerial combat awesomeness as he brings back one of his complex protagonists for another massive war.  Set in his large inter-connected Sabbat Worlds Crusade series, Interceptor City sounds extremely epic, and if its anywhere as good as Double Eagle, this will end up being one of my top books of the years.  I’m not 100 per cent sure when Interceptor City is out in Australia, but I should be able to get a copy of it in December so I’m happy including it on this list.

 

Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 5 December 2024

Another exceptional book to end 2024 with is the new Adrian Tchaikovsky book, Days of Shattered Faith.  The third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosophers series, Days of Shattered Faith returns to his chaotic fantasy world, where a tyrannical nation attempts to bring perfection and correctness by any means necessary.  This latest book will see two diplomats attempt to navigate a complex city filled with gods, necromancy and intrigue, while also trying to work around the constrictions of their own inflexible government.  The previous two books in this series, City of Last Chances (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2023) and House of Open Wounds (one of my favourite books of 2023) have been unbelievably exceptional, and I cannot wait to see what hilarious insanity occurs in this next amazing novel.

Amazon

 

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland – 7 January 2025

One of the first books out in 2025 that I am excited for is the cool fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms.  The sequel to Corland’s brilliant 2024 fantasy debut, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms will see the author’s murderous and duplicitous protagonists try to pull off another impossible heist with everything they care about on the line.  However, after all the lies in the previous book, none of the protagonists trust each other, especially with even more betrayals on the horizon.  This should be an outstanding read, and I am hoping to grab Four Ruined Realms on audiobook, especially as it features several talented narrators.

Amazon

 

Grave Danger by James Grippando – 14 January 2025

I’m looking forward to some fantastic legal thriller excitement in January with the next book from acclaimed author James Grippando, Grave Danger.  The next book in the author’s Jack Swyteck series, Grave Danger features a new intriguing case that sees the protagonist become involved in a contentious international custody case.  However, things become even more complicated when Jack’s FBI agent wife is dragged into events, and the protagonist finds himself navigating a massive international conspiracy.  I really love the sound of this awesome book, and after having so much fun with Grippando’s previous novel, Goodbye Girl, I know I am going to love Grave Danger.

Amazon

 

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2025

It isn’t the start of my reading year if I don’t have the new Alex Delaware novel (see my reviews for The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead, Unnatural History and The Ghost Orchid).  The next entry in the series, Open Season, will see Kellerman’s iconic protagonists return for a particularly complex case, when a spree killer starts taking out Hollywood hopefuls.  Open Season sounds extremely awesome, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Amazon

 

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz – 11 February 2025

I always love how the start of the new year brings fresh thrillers from some of my favourite authors, and that includes Gregg Hurwitz.  A talented author with a flair for action, Hurwitz has really impressed me in recent years with his Orphan X series (Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse, The Last Orphan and Lone Wolf).  The next book in the series will see Hurwitz’s elite, but damaged, spy protagonist go to war with his only friend, with even more dangerous forces lurking on the horizon.  This should be another exciting and addictive addition to the Orphan X series, and I cannot wait to see what amazing action Hurwitz features in his new book.

Amazon

 

The Medici Return by Steve Berry – 11 February 2025

Another great thriller series I enjoy reading early each year are the Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry.  A distinctive series that combines modern day thriller storylines with historical conspiracies and secrets, the Cotton Malone books are always a ton of fun, and I love some of the compelling topics that Berry cleverly explores.  The next book in the series, The Medici Return, has an outstanding sounding narrative behind it that involves an ancient, massive debt owed by the Vatican, that could change the future of both Italy and the Catholic church.  This is one of the more intriguing plots that Berry has come up with and I cannot wait to unwrap the many mysteries in this cool upcoming thriller.

Amazon

 

Warrior by Simon Turney – 13 February 2025

Following on from his outstanding 2024 novel, Invader, Turney looks set to continue his great Agricola series in the new year with Warrior.  Following the early life of famous Roman general Agricola, Warrior will see the young officer attempt to survive the deadly politics of the realm in the dying days of Nero’s rule.  Warrior will no doubt be an exciting and captivating historical fiction novel, and I cannot wait to see how this fantastic series continues.

Amazon

 

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney – 18 February 2025

In recent years I have become a massive fan of Mark Greaney’s Gray Man series, which is probably my favourite spy thriller series now (check out my reviews for The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless, Sierra Six, Burner and The Chaos Agent).  Following the titular Gray Man, a legendary killer attempting to survive in a complicated world, the Gray Man series is so damn good, and I love the complex scenarios that Greaney envisions.  The next book in the series, Midnight Black, will see the Gray Man go to war with Russia after the woman he loves is captured and held in a prison camp.  Likely to be a particularly intense and bloody addition to the series, I am so excited for Midnight Black, and it is one of my most anticipated thrillers of 2025.

Amazon

 

Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed – 25 February 2025

The final book I want to highlight in this post is the epic upcoming Star Wars novel, The Mask of Fear.  The first entry in the planned Reign of the Empire trilogy, The Mask of Fear will follow several key characters from the Star Wars franchise, including Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera and Bail Organa, during the first year of the Emperor’s rule.  I love this period of Star Wars history and there is so much potential here to show the early days of the Rebel Alliance and the tyranny they seek to overthrow.  It helps that Alexander Freed is a particularly impactful Star Wars writer, and after enjoying his Alphabet Squadron trilogy (Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price), I know that this is going to be an exceptional book.  I cannot wait for this epic Star Wars novel, and it is a very worthy final entry on this list.

Amazon

 

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