TRUEL1F3 – The Unseen Library

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants are supposed to list the Top Ten Book Titles that Would Make Great Song Titles. However, I am going to do something a little different today and I am instead going to list the Top Ten novels I want to read before the end of 2020.

This is a bit of a continuation of a list I did this time last year when I realised that there were only 50 days left in the year and I was freaking out about all the books I still wanted to read. Well, as crazy as it sounds, this year has nearly come to an end and there are currently only just over 50 days left in it. While I for one will not be sorry to see the backend of 2020, I am very mindful of the big pile of novels from this year currently sitting on my table (my editor/wife Alex wants to point out that it is actually tables, plural, plus a couple of bookshelves). So with that in mind I thought I would do another version of this list to inspire me to read these books and knock them out before this year from hell comes to an end.

For this list I have had a decent look through my many book piles to work out which novels I really need to finish off before the year ends. In order to focus this list on books that are cluttering up the house a little, I decided to exclude novels that I do not currently have copies of (such as Call of the Bone Ships by R. J. Barker, which is hopefully on its way). I also decided to exclude novels that I am definitely going to read before the end of the year because I am planning to review them for a Canberra Weekly Christmas column (for example, Hollow Empire by Sam Hawke or The Emperor’s Exile by Simon Scarrow). Using these parameters, I was able to come up with a list of 10 books (with some honourable mentions), that I would really like to read before the year ends. This list includes an interesting range of novels, from some of the top releases of 2020 to some novels that came in a little under the radar. However, all 10 sound really good and I cannot wait to try and read them all.

Honourable Mentions:

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

Shorefall Cover

TRUEL1F3 by Jay Kristoff

TRUEL1F3 Cover

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club Cover

Top Ten List:

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso

The Obsidian Tower Cover
I am honestly surprised and a little ashamed that I have not made time to read this awesome-sounding novel yet. The Obsidian Tower is the latest book from rising fantasy star Melissa Caruso and it is set in the same universe as her Swords and Fire trilogy. I am a major fan of the Sword and Fire books (made up of The Tethered Mage, The Defiant Heir and The Unbound Empire) and this is the book I will try the hardest to make time for in the coming weeks.

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

The Devil and the Dark Water Cover

Another book I am very much berating myself for not making time for. The Devil and the Dark Water is the second novel from Stuart Turton, who wowed me so much in 2018 with his debut novel, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I have a lot of love for Turton’s previous release and I am sure that this new book is going to be just as awesome.

Either Side of Midnight by Benjamin Stevenson

Either Side of Midnight Cover

Either Side of Midnight is an intriguing-sounding Australian crime fiction novel that I am really looking forward to reading. The sequel to Stevenson’s debut novel, Greenlight, Either Side of Midnight follows a fascinating and complex murder scenario following an apparent suicide on live television. This should make for a fun read, and I cannot wait to check out this awesome sounding book.

The Wolf of Oren-Yara by K. S. Villoso

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro Cover

This exciting and action-packed fantasy novel caught my eye earlier in the year, and I have been curious to check it out ever since. I have heard some good things about The Wolf of Oren-Yara, which serves as the first book in the fantastically titled Chronicles of the Bitch Queen series, and I think I am really going to enjoy this impressive sounding novel.

The Return by Harry Sidebottom

The Return Cover

Acclaimed historical fiction author Harry Sidebottom has been on a real roll over the last couple of years, producing two unique and enjoyable Roman historical fiction novels (The Last Hour and The Lost Ten) that each had the characteristics of a particular genre of thriller/crime fiction. The Return apparently contains some elements of Scandi-noir fiction, and I look forward to seeing how this distinctive murder mystery style blends with a classic Roman historical fiction story.

Cyber Shogun Revolution by Peter Tieryas

Cyber Shogun Revolution

I had an absolute blast reading Tieryas’s previous novel in the United States of Japan series, Mecha Samurai Empire, and have been really looking forward to reading Cyber Shogun Revolution ever since it was announced. This new United States of Japan novel should be another incredible and distinctive novel and I need to make a real effort to check it out soon.

The Bluffs by Kyle Perry

The Bluffs Cover

The Bluffs is another Australian crime fiction novel that I am quite keen to read before the end of the year. The Bluffs is the debut novel of Kyle Perry and it sounds like quite an intriguing novel set deep within the wilds of the Tasmanian bush. I have heard some good things about The Bluffs from some fellow reviewers and I am quite keen to read it in the next few weeks.

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs

The Sandman

I am a major comic book fan, but I have to admit that I have never had the opportunity to read Neil Gaiman’s iconic The Sandman comics. Luckily, an audio drama adaptation of this classic comic was released earlier this year featuring a first-rate voice cast and helmed by radio production stalwart Dirk Maggs, and I am looking forward to seeing how this audio depiction of the comic turns out.

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

The Bone Shard Daughter Cover

The Bone Shard Daughter is an impressive-sounding fantasy debut that came out a little while ago. This is another novel that I have heard some really good things about and it should hopefully turn out to be a first-rate book.

War Lord by Bernard Cornwell

The last entry on this list is War Lord by Bernard Cornwell. War Lord is the final book in Cornwell’s long-running The Last Kingdom series. I am a major fan of The Last Kingdom novels and I am extremely curious to see how this outstanding historical fiction series finally comes to an end.

That’s the end of this week’s Top Ten list. I am extremely happy with how this list turned out as I am really keen to read each and every one of the novels listed above. All of them have an amazing amount of potential and I think several could end up being some of my favourite books of 2020. Make sure to check back in a few weeks to see if I have managed to get around to reading any of them yet. In the meantime, let me know which books you really want to read before the end of 2020 and best of luck getting through them.

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this Waiting on Wednesday, I check out three intriguing books coming out later this year which have all been authored by Australian author Jay Kristoff.

Kristoff is a bestselling science fiction and fantasy author who is currently one of the top writers of young adult fiction in the world today. Kristoff has been absolutely dominating the young adult market ever since his debut in 2012, Stormdancer, the first book in The Lotus War series. Since then he has gone one to produce a number of impressive books, including his highly regarded The Nevernight Chronicle, which concluded last year, and The Illuminae Files, which he co-authored with fellow Australian Amie Kaufman. Kristoff is an impressively prolific writer who has the ability to produce a number of excellent books each year. In 2019 alone he produced three separate novels, Aurora Rising, DEV1At3 and Darkdawn, all of which were entries in three different series. I actually only became familiar with Kristoff’s work last year when I ended up reading two of his three 2019 releases, both of which really impressed me with their inventive, fast-paced stories that were loaded with cool science fiction elements and enjoyable humour. As a result, I fully intend to read all three of these upcoming books and thought it would be interesting to examine all three of them in this one Waiting on Wednesday post.

Aurora Burning Cover

The first one of Kristoff’s books to be released is the young adult fiction novel, Aurora Burning. Aurora Burning is the sequel to 2019’s Aurora Rising and is also the second book in The Aurora Cycle, which he is again co-writing with Amie Kaufman. Aurora Rising, which is set in the far future, followed a mismatched crew of youths who are members of an interstellar peacekeeping group. Their first mission sees them forced to go rogue and investigate the hidden secrets of a mysterious girl, Aurora, who they rescued from stasis aboard an ancient transport ship. This turned into a fantastic and action-packed thrill ride that I really enjoyed, and I ended up giving it a full five stars when I reviewed it. As a result, I am really keen to check out the sequel, especially as Kristoff and Kaufman are going to continue a number of the fun story threads from the first book. Aurora Burning is currently set for release 28 April 2020 and I have high hopes that it will be just as much fun as the first entry in this series.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Our heroes are back… kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxy’s best hope for survival.

First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just got to take care of a few small distractions first.

Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favorite faces.

And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.

Then there’s Kal’s long-lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.

When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it’s time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri can’t learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.

Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes—and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

TRUEL1F3 Cover

The second book of Kristoff’s that is being released this year is another young adult novel, TRUEL1F3, the third and final book in his LIFEL1K3 series. This series is set in the post-apocalyptic America and follows a cyborg, a mutant, a robot and a seemingly normal girl as they find themselves contending with warring mega-corporations, violent fanatics and vengeful murderous cyborgs. The LIFEL1K3 books started in 2018 with LIFEL1K3, which was one of the most popular young adult novels of the year and it was quickly followed up with a second book DEV1AT3 in 2019. TRUEL1F3, which is going to be released on 30 June 2020, follows on from a massive cliff hanger at the end of DEV1AT3 and is set to conclude this epic series with a bang. This book has a really exciting sounding plot synopsis as well as a truly excellent cover, and I am very curious to see how this amazing series ends.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Best friends have become enemies.

Lovers have become strangers.

And deciding whose side you’re on could be the difference between life and death.

For Eve and Lemon, discovering the truth about themselves–and each other–was too much for their friendship to take. But with the country on the brink of a new world war – this time between the BioMaas swarm at CityHive and Daedalus’s army at Megopolis, loyalties will be pushed to the brink, unlikely alliances will form and with them, betrayals.

But the threat doesn’t stop there, because the lifelikes are determined to access the program that will set every robot free, a task requiring both Eve and Ana, the girl she was created to replace.

In the end, violent clashes and heartbreaking choices reveal the true heroes…and they may not be who you think they are.

Empire of the Vampire precover

The final book that I am going to feature in this article is Empire of the Vampire, Kristoff’s first non-young adult fiction novel. It features a rather cool story set on a world where the sun failed to rise, which lead to humanity being conquered by the emerging vampire legion. I really like sound of this novel, and I have a strong feeling that it is going to be an epic and amazing book. I actually just featured Empire of the Vampire on my Top Ten Books I Predict Will be 5 Star Reads list, and I truly believe that based on its awesome sounding plot, this book has the potential to be a perfect five star novel. I am a tad uncertain when this book is going to be released, as I have seen release dates for both September 2020 and September 2021. However, no matter when it is released, I am really looking forward to checking it out.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Twenty-four years have passed since the last sunrise, and for almost three decades, the creatures of the night have walked the day without fear. Once, humanity fought bravely against the coldblood legions, but now, we exist only in a few scattered settlements—tiny sparks of light in a growing sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is the last of the Silversaints, a holy order dedicated to defending realm and church, now utterly destroyed. Imprisoned for the murder of the vampiric king, Gabriel is charged with telling the story of his life.

His tale spans years, from his youth in the monastery of San Michon, to the forbidden love that spelled his undoing, and the betrayal that saw his order annihilated. Most importantly, Gabriel will tell the story of the Grail—the legendary cup prophesied to bring an end to the eternal night, whose location is known to a single person: A smart-mouthed teenage urchin named Dior.

Their journey with a band of unlikely allies would see Dior and Gabriel forge an unbreakable bond, and set the broken paragon on a road to redemption.

But now, the Grail is shattered. And with the cup of the Redeemer destroyed and the last Silversaint awaiting execution, what can bring an end to this undying empire?

As you can from the above, 2020 is going to be an amazing year for fans of Jay Kristoff. I am very excited for all three of these upcoming novels, especially as I know I am going to love each and every one of them.