Tag: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday – Extinction by Douglas Preston

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an awesome upcoming thriller that sounds exceedingly fun and over-the-top, with Extinction by Douglas Preston.

Extinction Cover

Amazon

Here at The Unseen Library, we are always on the lookout for distinctive, compelling, and intriguing alternate thrillers and crime fiction reads, particularly those that make great use of science fiction, fantasy or horror elements.  These unique novels honestly make for such epic reads, and I love seeing the different ways authors blend these genres together.  As such, when I recently came across the synopsis for the upcoming book, Extinction, I knew instantly that I was going to have to read it.

Extinction will be the latest novel from acclaimed veteran thriller author, Douglas Preston.  Preston, is a highly regarded author known for his impressive range of crime fiction and thriller reads, including his many collaborations with Lincoln Child, as well as his solo novels that form part of his Tom Broadbent and Wyman Ford series.  While I haven’t had the pleasure of reading any of Preston’s books before, his catalogue of works sounds very awesome, and I think I am going to have to try and get more familiar with his books.  I will start this by checking out his upcoming 2024 release, Extinction, which will be Preston’s first solo novel in 10 years.

Extinction has a very cool and compelling sounding plot to it which is really what drew me to this approaching novel.  The fact that this looks set to be a fantastic murder mystery/thriller set in a park full of genetically produced prehistoric creatures, such as woolly mammoths and giant sloths, is so damn appealing to me, and I already know I am going to love everything about it.

Plot Synopsis:

With Extinction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston has written an epic thriller in the Michael Crichton mode that explores the very real effort to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other extinct megafauna from the Pleistocene Age.

Erebus Resort, occupying a magnificent, hundred-thousand acre valley deep in the Colorado Rockies, offers guests the experience of viewing woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths in their native habitat, brought back from extinction through the magic of genetic manipulation. When a billionaire’s son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators.

As killings mount and the valley is evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an ancient, intelligent,
and malevolent presence at Erebus, bent not on resurrection—but extinction.

I really love the sound of this fun, Michael Crichton-esque novel, and I cannot wait to see how Preston’s love for megafauna (the author is apparently a bit of a dinosaur fan) with his proven track record for creating elaborate and captivating thriller reads.  This upcoming book has so much potential to be a particularly fun and exciting read, especially with those plot hints at additional hidden monsters waiting for the protagonists.  I am so damn excited for Extinction, which will probably end up being one of the most entertaining books of 2024, and I look forward to checking it out.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I look at the next upcoming entry in one of my favourite crime fiction series with The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman.

The Ghost Orchid Cover

Amazon

Over the last few years I have found myself getting attached to several great long-running crime fiction or thriller series, most of which have spoken to me in their own specific ways.  One of the most surprising for me has to be the iconic Alex Delaware series from acclaimed author Jonathan Kellerman, which has been going for nearly 40 years, but is still going strong.

The Alex Delaware books follows the team of psychologist Alex Delaware and his police friend, Detective Milo Sturgis, as they investigate a series of unique murders through LA.  The Alex Delaware novels turned out to be a pretty inclusive series that you can start reading at any point, and all of them have featured some outstanding and clever mysteries.  I have so far had the pleasure of reading The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History.  Each of these books has been fun and compelling in their own fantastic way, and I have really got drawn into each of their distinctive cases.

Due to have intriguing and entertaining each of the previous Alex Delaware novels have been, this series is now a permanent and anticipated entry in my yearly reading schedule, and I always have a ball of fun reading the latest Alex Delaware novel.  As such, I was pretty excited when I recently found out the details about the next book in this impressive series, with The Ghost Orchid.

The Ghost Orchid will be the 39th entry in this excellent series and is currently set for release in February 2024.  This new book will set the compelling protagonists on another intriguing investigation, this time involving the double murder of two people with complicated pasts.

Plot Synopsis:

Psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis confront a baffling, vicious double homicide that leads them to long-buried secrets worth killing for in the riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling “master of suspense” (Los Angeles Times).

LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis sees it all the time: Reinvention’s a way of life in a city fueled by fantasy. But try as you might to erase the person you once were, there are those who will never forget the past. . . and who can still find you.

A pool boy enters a secluded Bel Air property and discovers two bodies floating in the bright blue water: Gio Aggiunta, the playboy heir to an Italian shoe empire, and a gorgeous, even wealthier neighbor named Meagin March. A married neighbor.

An illicit affair stoking rage is a perfect motive. But a “double” in this neighborhood of gated estates isn’t something you see every day, The house is untouched. No forced entry, no forensic evidence. The case has “that feeling,” and when that happens, Milo turns to his friend, the brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware.

As Milo and Alex investigate both victims, they discover two troubled pasts. And as they dig deeper, Meagin March’s very identity begins to blur. Who was this glamorous but conflicted woman? Did her past catch up to her? Or did Gio’s family connections create a threat spanning two continents?

Chasing down the answers leads Alex and Milo on an exploration of L.A.’s darkest side as they contend with one of the most shocking cases of their careers and learn that that some secrets are best left buried in the past.

Ooh, now this a very cool sounding mystery and I am already quite curious about what sort of case this is going to turn out to be.  A complex double homicide with all manner of secrets, motives and hidden pasts is just what I am in the mood for and I know that Kellerman’s distinctive and captivating style will help to turn The Ghost Orchid into a powerful and addictive read.  I already know that I will have a wonderful time with The Ghost Orchid next year and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next epic murder mystery from Jonathan Kellerman.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I jump ahead to 2024 by checking out one of the top thrillers of next year with The Chaos Agent by legendary author Mark Greaney.

The Chaos Agent Cover

Amazon

Ever since I started getting into online book reviewing, one of the best authors I have been getting into was acclaimed thriller author Mark Greaney.  Greaney, a veteran of the genre with a great range of books under his belt, has been producing awesome reads since 2009, and has been finding even more prominence recently thanks to the movie adaptations of his work.  While I have had an amazing time with some of his standalone books, such as Armored or Red Metal (co-written with H. Ripley Rawlings IV, and one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), I know him best thanks to his epic Gray Man thriller series.

The Gray Man novels are a brilliant spy thriller series that follows fugitive government agent, Court Gentry, known in intelligence circles as the Gray Man, a legendary and unstoppable killer.  This series is so much fun as Greaney combines great characters, elaborate and clever storylines, and his addictive and well-crafted writing style, to produce some amazing read.  I have deeply enjoyed every book in this series that I have so far read, including the first book, The Gray Man, and some of the more recent entries such as Mission Critical, One Minute Out (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), Sierra Six (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Burner (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2023).  The Gray Man books are now a firm part of my yearly reading schedule, and I was incredibly excited to find out some details about the next entry, The Chaos Agent.

The Chaos Agent, which is currently set for release in February 2024, will be the 13th book in the Gray Man series and will pit Gentry, and some of his recurring companions, against a dangerous new enemy.

Plot Synopsis:

Artificial intelligence leads to shockingly real devastation in this new novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series.

Someone is killing the world’s leading experts on robotics and computers. A desperate Russian scientist approaches Court Gentry and Zoya Zakharova to ask for their protection, but before they can help, they are attacked by a team of professional assassins.

They escape, but wherever they turn, it’s clear that whoever’s tracking them is always going to be one step ahead. With a danger of this level, there’s no choice but to attack into the threat.

There is one man who may hold the answers to all their questions. But he’s gone to ground in a fortress surrounded by a veritable army. If that’s not bad enough, he has a new chief of security – Court’s old comrade, Zack Hightower.

Unsurprisingly, I love the sound of this upcoming Gray Man novel and I think the story sounds very interesting.  Greaney has an excellent habit of bringing in relevant contemporary issues to his stories (for example, his most recent novel, Burner, made great use of the Russian invasion of Ukraine), and I look forward to seeing the author’s examination of the artificial intelligence.  No doubt this will greatly impact the lives of the protagonists, both of whom are wanted fugitives and notorious government assassins, and I look forward to seeing the established, old-school spies of Gentry and Zahkarova, deal with the shifting technology of a moving world.  I also love the sound of an impregnable and well defended fortress as the end goal of the protagonists, and I am sure that will result in one of Greaney’s impressive and unmissable extended action sequences.

In addition to the cool sounding plot synopsis above, I am also keen to see how Greaney will continue some of the ongoing storylines of the larger Gray Man series in The Chaos Agent.  The last novel in the series really shook up some key elements of the Gray Man universe, including in the relationship between the two main characters, and I am intrigued to see what happens there.  It will also be fun to see more of Zack Hightower, Gentry and Zahkarova’s former comrade, who always plays off the other two spies perfectly.  Having Hightower as a potential antagonist will be fun, especially as he knows the protagonists so damn well, and it should make for a very entertaining battle of the spies.

Honestly, there was no way that I was going to miss the new Gray Man novel when it came out in 2024, the series is that damn good.  However, I am now even more excited for the next Mark Greaney book as The Chaos Agent sounds like an awesome read.  With all the promised thriller antics above, as well as Greaney’s proven track record for high intensity action scenes and brilliant characters, The Chaos Agent is going to be an exceptional novel, and I already know it is going to be one of my favourites books of 2024.

Waiting on Wednesday – War Cry by Ian Ross

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an impressive historical fiction sequel coming out later this year that I am very excited for with War Cry by Ian Ross.

War Cry Cover

Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of reading the very fun and very captivating historical fiction novel, Battle Song by a new-to-me author, Ian Ross, who had previously written several intriguing Roman historical fiction books.  Battle Song was an outstanding novel that followed a young squire, Adam de Norton, who was forced into the service of a rogue knight, Sir Robert de Dunstanville.  The naïve Adam was soon taught the reality of life under the tutelage of Robert, who specialised in using guile and underhanded strategy to profit from the tourney scene, while also working to recover his lost lands.  This intriguing novel eventually turned into a full war story as Sir Robert and Adam return to England during Simon de Montfort’s rebellion against King Henry III and are forced to choose a side in the deadly civil war that followed.

I had an amazing time with Battle Song when I read it this year and there are so many great elements to it, including its complex characters, the fantastic adventure narrative, and all the cool historical detail, especially as Ross dived into a particularly interesting and underfeatured English civil war.  This ended up being one of the best books I read in the first half of 2023, and I was very interested to see if Ross was planning to follow up Battle Song in the future.  Well, it looks like Ross has been working overtime with his writing as a second novel is coming out in December of this year.  This book, the second entry in the de Norton trilogy, will be titled War Cry and looks set to take the protagonists of Battle Song on another deadly adventure.

Plot Synopsis:

1265

England has a new master.

Simon de Montfort’s victory at the Battle of Lewes has made him king in all but name. He has vowed to restore the rights and liberties of the kingdom, but now even his friends grow wary of his power.

As old alliances break down, new rebellions gather strength. The captive king’s supporters muster, vowing to overthrow the new regime.

Meanwhile Adam de Norton, who won the honour of knighthood on the field at Lewes, has reclaimed his ancestral lands. A peaceful and prosperous future lies before him – until he receives a summons he cannot refuse.

War is inevitable. But this time, will Adam be on the winning side?

I really like the sound of this upcoming sequel, mainly because it looks like War Cry is going to dive even deeper into the events surrounding Simon de-Montfort’s rebellion, which is really quite fascinating.  I look forward to seeing Ross explain this part of history even further and it will be even more interesting to see where the various characters introduced in the first book, particularly Adam and Richard, end up, especially with a new rebellion around the corner.  Honestly, as long as War Cry contains all the great action and intrigue of the first book, as well as keeps exploring the amazing characters, I’ll be pretty damn happy, so I’m very much looking forward to this book.

Look, after all the fun I had reading Battle Song earlier this year there is no way that I’m not going to dive into War Cry the second I get my hands on it.  I’m hoping that this awesome sounding sequel will be just as exciting and captivating as the first book and I’m very much in the mood for more historical action and adventure this year.  As such, War Cry is now very high up on my 2023 to-read list and I have no doubt that it will turn out to be particularly amazing novel.

Waiting on Wednesday – Holly by Stephen King

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday25 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight the next upcoming book from the master of the horror and thriller, Stephen King, with the intriguing read Holly.

Holly Cover

Amazon

Stephen King is an author who needs very little introduction thanks to his epic and extensive collection of thrillers, horror novels and other awesome books that cover a variety of genres.  With over 50 years of writing experience and innumerable books under his belt, King is am amazing author who I have been getting into lately.  I have had a lot of fun with some of his latest books, including the fun coming of age horror book Later, the intriguing fantasy read Fairy Tale, and the captivating thriller Billy Summers.  As such, I am always very keen to see what King writes next, and he has a very interesting book coming out in a couple of months’ time with Holly.

Holly, which is currently set for release in early September 2023, is a pretty fascinating upcoming book that has already grabbed my attention in several different ways, not least because it brings back one of King’s favourite protagonists at the moment, Holly Gibney.  Holly was first introduced as a supporting character in Mr. Mercedes before having a major role in the rest of the Bill Hodges trilogy and the more recent novel, The Outsiders.  I had actually meant to try and read some of these preceding novels before getting to Holly, although I doubt I am going to have the time at this point.  Still, I am very confident that King will ensure that Holly is very accessible to new readers, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

It looks like King has cooked up another excellent plot for Holly and it is one that I am very excited to explore.  This time Holly, as the main character and primary detective, is investigating the disappearance of a missing girl in mysterious circumstances.  However, as she investigates, she runs afoul of a pair of devious octogenarians who are hiding something very sinister in their basement which may be connected to the missing victim.  I love the sound of this plot, especially as I am now exceedingly curious about what is in that damn basement.  I am also very keen to see just how dangerous an old married couple can be, as King is painting them out as exceedingly ruthless criminal masterminds.

All this, as well as King’s very well proven track record for writing and the complex protagonist that is Holly Gibney, should make for quite an impressive read and I am very excited to dive into Holly the second I get it.  Holly is already one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2023, and I have very little doubt that it will end up being a top book of the year.  Holly has so much damn potential, and I look forward to getting dragged into another insane and addictive tale from the legend that is Stephen King.

Plot Synopsis:

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” — BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

Make sure to check out my review for Holly here.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday10 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the most exciting fantasy books of 2024 with The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso.

The Last Hour Between Worlds Cover

Amazon

Last week I had a lot of fun listing the top fantasy books of 2023 that I was most excited for, and frankly the rest of year is looking very strong in terms of fantasy fiction.  Due to how much I focused on 2023 in recent weeks, I thought I’d take this opportunity to look at fantasy fiction coming out in 2024.  In particular, I wanted to take a look at an awesome book from March next year that I think has a lot of potential, The Last Hour Between Worlds by the talented Melissa Caruso.

Caruso is an exceptional author who has been one of the top authors of fantasy fiction in recent years.  Debuting back in 2017 with the first book of her Swords and Fire trilogy, Caruso has been unstoppable ever since.  I deeply enjoyed her first trilogy which followed an odd-couple duo of a clever young noblewoman and the ultra-destructive mage bound to her.  This amazing trilogy was really good, and I loved all three books, The Tethered Mage, The Defiant Heir and The Unbound Empire.  Caruso followed this series up immediately with her cool Rooks and Ruins trilogy, which was set in the same universe.  I haven’t had a chance to read this sequel trilogy yet, which is something I deeply regret, but that won’t stop me from checking out Caruso’s compelling new book when it comes out in 2024.

This new book, The Last Hour Between Worlds, features an outstanding and intriguing new story that feature some unique time travel elements.  This fantastic book will apparently follow two fun protagonists, an investigator and her thief rival, as they find themselves investigating a series of killings and a deadly, time altering clock.  This book sounds pretty damn awesome, especially as it features rival guilds, unique magic and cool characters, all set around a fantastic and dark murder mystery plot.  While I am already a pretty big fan of Caruso and her books, the plot for The Last Hour Between Worlds has made me even more excited for this upcoming book and I have a strong feeling this is going to be one of the best books of next year.  2024 honestly cannot come soon enough, especially with epic novels like The Last Hour Between Worlds coming out.

Plot Synopsis:

Follow a star investigator and her rival as they journey through layers of reality to save the world as they know it in this whip-smart adventure fantasy about rival guilds, reality-bending magic and unexpected mystery.

Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy the party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She’s a member of the Guild of Hounds, after all, and she can’t help picking up the scent of trouble.

She’s not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what’s causing the mayhem, a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual.

As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits – and each other – to unravel the secret of the clock and save their city.

Waiting on Wednesday – Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday2 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a fun upcoming urban fantasy novel from a rising star with Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher.

Long Past Dues Cover

Amazon

Last year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the excellent urban fantasy book, Dead Man’s Hand, the first book in the Unorthodox Chronicles and the debut novel from new author James J. Butcher.  Butcher, the son of legendary fantasy author Jim Butcher (check out some of my recent Throwback Thursdays), did a really good job with his first book, producing an intriguing and fast-paced urban fantasy read that I had a lot of fun with.  Following a relatively powerless magic user (an Unorthodox) with minor spells who finds themself in the middle of a massive magical conspiracy in Boston when he is accused of killing a powerful magical law enforcement officer and must team up with the victims retired partner to solve the crime.  Dead Man’s Hand was a very interesting and compelling first novel from Butcher, and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2022.

Due to how impressive Butcher’s first book was, I have been keeping an eye out for any potential sequel for a while now and I was quite excited to see that Butcher had follow-up novel coming out later this year with Long Past Dues.  Set for release in October, the second Unorthodox Chronicles book will continue to follow the protagonist from the first novel as he settles into the world of magical law enforcement.  The new plot below sounds very compelling and I look forward to seeing the protagonist engage in a proper investigation, one loaded with magical rituals, hidden secrets and other cool aspects of this great magical world.  Based on how good Butcher’s first novel was, I am already quite keen for this fantastic sounding sequel and I know I am going to have a great time reading this book.  Long Past Dues has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to read the next book from this awesome new author.

Plot Synopsis:

Grimsby, the newest Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself in hot water when he intercepts a friend’s case in this fast-paced and thrilling urban fantasy.

Against all odds, Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby has become an Auditor, enforcing laws about magic for Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. But Grimsby soon realizes the daily grind of his job is far removed from the glamour he imagined. Overlooked for every exciting case, Grimsby tires of being told to handle mundane magical troubles, and appropriates a case file intended for a friend.

Alongside Leslie Mayflower, the temporarily unretired Huntsman, Grimsby aims to crack the case and discover the origin of a strange, unfinished ritual—one that seems to imitate the handiwork of a foe Mayflower put down twenty years ago.

Together, they’ll have to deal with escaped werewolves, a cursed artifact, and a perilous journey to the mysterious subterranean city below Boston, all to uncover the shocking truth. At any cost, Grimsby must stop this ritual from finally being completed. Yet the cost may be paid not by himself but by his friends. . . .

Waiting on Wednesday – Rebellion by Simon Scarrow

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an upcoming entry in one of my favourite long-running series, with Rebellion, the next Eagles of the Empire book by Simon Scarrow.

Rebellion Cover

Amazon

I’m in a real historical fiction mood at the moment, so this seems like the perfect time to look at the next upcoming book from one of my favourite authors, Simon Scarrow.  One of the most prolific current authors in the historical fiction genre, Scarrow has been producing exceptional novels for over 20 years and I have long been a fan of his outstanding dives into some of the darkest and most violent periods of history.  It’s already been a good year for Scarrow fans, as he released his compelling thriller set in Nazi German, Dead of Night, which I deeply enjoyed.  However, Scarrow still has more planned for 2023 as he is continuing his amazing Eagles of the Empire series.

The Eagles of the Empire books are one of the best ancient Roman series I have had the pleasure of reading, especially as it thrusts the reader into the heart of several of the most iconic Roman campaigns in history.  Following two grizzled soldiers, Prefect Cato and Centurion Marco as they travel from one bloody battlefield to the next, this series has been a real treat from the very start.  I have had a great time reading every book in this series, including The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome and Death to the Emperor, and all of them have been pretty epic and really fun reads.

As such, I am always excited for that time of the year when Scarrow drops his next Eagles of the Empire book, and that time is nearly now with the next entry, Rebellion, coming out in November 2023.  The 22nd novel in the series, Rebellion will follow on in the immediate aftermath of Death to the Emperor, which saw the start of Boudica’s rebellion and the destruction of the protagonist’s home at Camulodunum.  Death to the Emperor was one of the stronger recent entries in the series, and I loved how the author left it on a cliffhanger with Marco presumed dead at the hands of the vengeful Boudica.  As such, Rebellion should start of very strong and I cannot wait to see how this one turns out.

Plot Summary:

AD 60. Britannia is in turmoil. The rebel leader Boudica has tasted victory, against a force of tough veterans in Camulodunum.

Alerted to the rapidly spreading uprising, Governor Suetonius leads his army towards endangered Londinium with a mounted escort, led by Prefect Cato. Soon it’s terrifyingly clear that Britannia is slipping into chaos and panic, with ever more tribal warriors swelling Boudica’s ranks. And Cato and Suetonius are grimly aware that little preparation has been made to withstand a full-scale rebellion.

In Londinium there is devastating news. Centurion Macro is amongst those unaccounted for after the massacre at Camulodunum. Has Cato’s comrade and friend made his last stand?

Facing disaster, Cato prepares his next move. Dare he hope that Macro – battle-scarred and fearless – has escaped the bloodthirsty rebels? For there is only one man Cato trusts by his side as he faces the military campaign of his life. And the future of the Empire in Britannia hangs in the balance.

Based on the description above, it looks like Rebellion is going to be a pretty damn epic read.  The long-awaited focus on Boudica’s rebellion was always going to be awesome and Scarrow exceeded my expectations with the start in Death to the Emperor.  As such, I cannot wait to see how this new novel turns out, especially as there still some big battles to come.  If Scarrow keeps up his usual form, it won’t take long for the carnage to begin and I am very excited to see what emerges.  I am also very keen to find out the fate of Marco after the last book.  While I am not as worried as the author wants me to be, I am still a tad apprehensive, especially as Scarrow did go on a bit of a killing spree in the previous book, so perhaps I’ll be surprised here.

Honestly, due to my very long history with this series and Scarrow’s outstanding writing, there is no way I won’t be getting a copy of Rebellion later this year and I already know I am going to love it.  This series has been nothing by awesome for me over the years, and this upcoming book looks set to continue this trend.  I cannot wait to see how Rebellion turns out, especially as Scarrow did some outstanding set up in the previous book, and this is easily one of the novels I am most excited about in the second half of 2023.

Waiting on Wednesday – Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by K. J. Parker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I take a look at an upcoming fantasy novel that I am particularly excited for, the sure to be hilarious novel, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by acclaimed author K. J. Parker.

Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead Cover

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I am always in the mood for a fantasy novel that utilises humour and comedy to enhance the story, and to my mind few current authors manage that as well as exceptional talent K. J. Parker, a pseudonym of author Tom Holt.  Parker/Holt has been delighting authors for over 35 years and his intriguing reads blend his unique sense of humour with some elaborate and well-thought fantasy or historical fiction scenarios.  I have only so far had the pleasure of reading one of his trilogies, but that was more than enough to make me a massive of his.

This series was the very clever and captivating The Siege series, which includes some of the funniest books that I have ever read.  Set around a siege of a massive city, all three books told a unique story of its long and deadly besiegement, that were loosely connected to each other and told from the perspective of a different unreliable narrator.  The first book in the series was the very impressive Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (one of my favourite books of 2019), which saw an amoral engineer take command of the city’s defences and use a mixture of mechanisms and bluffing to keep out the enemy.  This outstanding read was followed up by the extremely funny How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It (one of my favourite books of 2020).  Set years after the events of the first book, this sequel followed an actor in the still besieged city tasked with impersonating a dead war hero, and who then uses his position to take over everything.  Parker masterfully finished the trilogy off last year with A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (one of my favourite books of 2022).  This outstanding finale saw a scribe and scholar from the city manage to use his unique array of obscure knowledge, as well as a strong understanding of basic human nature, to overthrow a nation and then the entire world in a brilliant sequence of manipulation and cleverness.  I have so much love for this exceptional trilogy, and I really grew to enjoy Parker’s unique sense of subtle humour and the fantastic and entertaining stories he was able to craft using it.

Due to how much I enjoyed The Siege trilogy, I have been keen to see what cool series Parker would right next, and boy does it look like he has something very special planned for us, with his upcoming Corax trilogy.  Starting in a few months’ time with Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead, this intriguing new trilogy looks to follow another complex protagonist as he finds himself stuck in a deadly situation.

Plot Synopsis:

There’s no formal training for battlefield salvage. You just have to pick things up as you go along. Swords, armor, arrows – and the bodies, of course.

Over the years, Saevus Corax has picked up a lot of things. Some of them have made him decent money, others have brought nothing but trouble. But it’s a living, and somebody has to deal with the dead.

Something else that Saevus has buried is his past. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite succeed.

I have to say that I am already really in love with this cool sounding book and I have some very high hopes for Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead.  An adventure novel that follows a battlefield scavenger is going to be very intriguing, and you know that Parker will really dive into the unique elements of this trade, with fun anecdotes looking at the best and worth moments the protagonist has experienced.  Having a compelling protagonist like this at the centre of the novel will ensure that Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead is going to be a very fun read and I look forward to seeing what sort of compelling and entertaining plot the author can come up with to match him.  I have no doubt it is going to be something pretty damn awesome especially when combined with Parker’s brilliant humour and relatable observations about the human condition.

Based on how much I enjoyed Parker’s previous series, there is no way that I am missing this fantastic new trilogy, especially as Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead sounds so damn good.  It also looks like Parker has plans to release all the books in quick succession, as the titles and covers for the rest of the Corax trilogy have already been released.  Both the second book, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, and the third book, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder, already have 2023 release dates, and if that holds true, then hopefully we can read the entire trilogy in the space of a few months.  If this is the case, I am very, very excited, as I have no doubt all three are going to be pretty exceptional.  I look forward to finding out what new craziness and fun Parker has cooked up in his new trilogy, and I fully expect Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead, and possibly its two sequels, to top my best books of the year list for 2023.

Waiting on Wednesday – Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday2 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I dive into one of my most anticipated books for the second half of 2023 with the awesome new thriller by Jonathan Maberry, Cave 13.

Cave 13 Cover

Amazon

I have made no secret over the last few years that I am a massive fan of talented thriller author Jonathan Maberry who always wows me with some elaborate and over-the-top novels.  I first got into Maberry when I started reading his iconic Joe Ledger series, which follows a paramilitary agency who take out villains with ambitious technological plans.  The Joe Ledger series was so damn cool and featured a range of stories that set the protagonist against zombies, realistic vampires, eldritch horrors, alien spacecraft and insane terrorist groups.  All the books in this series were extremely epic and I loved all of them, including Patient Zero, The Dragon Factory, The King of Plagues, Assassin’s Code, Extinction Machine, Code Zero, Predator One, Kill Switch, Dogs of War and Deep Silence.

Maberry has also dived outside the thriller genre many times and I have had the pleasure of reading several of these books recently.  This includes the fantastic horror novel Ink (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020) and his recently released Kagen the Damned dark fantasy series.  This series includes the outstanding and brutal novel Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and his early 2023 book, Son of the Poison Rose.  I have had a wonderful time with each of these novels, and I honestly expected that the next Maberry novel I would have the opportunity to read would be the third Kagen the Damned book probably coming out next year.  However, it looks like we’re going to be lucky to get two Maberry books this year as there is a very intriguing thriller coming out in a couple of months.

This upcoming book is Cave 13, which will be the third book in Maberry’s ongoing Rogue Team International series.  The Rogue Team International books are a sequel series to the Joe Ledger novels which follows the same protagonists as they engage in more international escapades against some very deadly foes.  This sequel series has proved to be an excellent continuation of the Joe Ledger books and I have had a lot of fun with these new novels, including Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019) and Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021).  I have been waiting for the third book in the series for a while now and I was very excited to discover that Cave 13 is coming out in late August 2023.  I mentioned this book in my Winter TBR list last week, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to highlight it again in a Waiting on Wednesday post.

Plot Synopsis:

Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International plunge into mortal peril as this new and deadly arms race threatens to ignite new wars throughout the Middle East.

After years of searching, a new cave filled with Dead Sea Scrolls is found, and among them are bizarre books of actual magic. Terrorist groups and multinational corporations scramble to acquire these treasures in the hopes that magic is the true WMD of the 21st Century. But everyone who goes near those scrolls goes insane. The fabric of reality is shredding. Is this the result of ancient magic, or is it a new bioweapon that fractures the mind of anyone exposed?

Cave 13 pits Joe Ledger against warring factions of ideological terrorism, corporate greed, and massive international crime syndicates in what might well become a new Age of Miracles.

While the details in this plot synopsis are a tad light, it definitely sounds like Cave 13 is going to be another epic book.  Crazy diseases in an ancient cave filled with the Dead Sea Scrolls is a very intriguing concept, and it is one that I know Maberry can do some amazing things with.  Pitting Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International against a group of deadly arms dealers, terrorists, criminals and corporate types should be pretty damn epic, and I look forward to seeing if any recurring enemies or organisations make an appearance.  Maberry always makes such elaborate plots and conspiracies in his novels, and I am very interested in seeing how he manages to work this archaeological discovery into a world ending narrative.

On top of this awesome sounding story, I also am very keen to see what is happening to the main characters featured in the series.  Maberry always does such a good job of building up his various cast members and dealing with their complex problems, and there are several ongoing storylines that I hope he picks up on again.  I particularly want to see more of protagonist Joe Ledger, who has been going through even more trauma than usual in recent books, including going off the murderous deep end in the last novel.  I am sure that this is something Maberry will dive into in some detail, and I am highly invested in finding out how this character is going and what mental chaos he is experiencing.  It will also be very cool to see what new complex and motivated villain appears in Cave 13, especially after some of the compelling and unique figures Maberry has created in the past.  While I am assuming that Cave 13 will probably feature a new antagonist, there is always the possibility that certain recurring bad guys can reappear here, and I love seeing the author diving into the deadly histories they have with Ledger and his team.  There is one particularly deadly and chaotic villain I would love to see more of, although he might be a bit busy over in the Kagen the Damned universe to make an appearance here.

Look, if I am being honest here, there is absolutely no way in hell that I am not going to have an incredible time with Cave 13 when it comes out.  Maberry’s trademark combination of elaborate storylines, over the top violence, and complex characters never fails to enthral me, and I have very little doubt that he won’t do that again in Cave 13.  I am also already extremely hooked on the Rogue Team International books and any new entry that Maberry produces is going to be epic.  As such, I am predicting that this will be one of my favourite books of the year and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy as soon as possible, especially in its audiobook format with Ray Porter narrating it.

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