Tag: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday – Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday1 Comment

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the more intriguing and potential laden fantasy novels of 2026 with the awesome upcoming book, Mortedant’s Peril by the always impressive R. J. Barker.

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Ever since I started getting back into fantasy fiction a few years ago, I have had the pleasure of reading some truly amazing works from a range of very talented authors.  However, few authors have engaged me with their creativity, cleverness and ability to bring complex characters to life than the phenomenal and continually improving author, R. J. Barker.

Barker debuted back in 2017 with his debut novel, Age of Assassins that kicked off The Wounded Kingdom trilogy. Following an apprentice assassin and his master as they attempt to unravel a political conspiracy in a dark castle, Age of Assassins was an awesome book that served as a great introduction to Barker’s writing style.  However, Age of Assassins was only the start, as he soon followed up this first book with two epic sequels, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins, both of which saw the aging protagonist become involved in several elaborate plots and battles as he tries to keep his king/best friend alive. Both these novels were extremely incredible, and Barker seemed to markedly improve as a writer with each book, with King of Assassins being an exceptional, five-star read, especially with its many dark twists.

As such, by the end of The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, I was very impressed with Barker, however, he was just getting started.  In 2019, only two years after his debut, Barker unleashed a second trilogy with The Tide Child series.  Set in a whole new fantasy world, The Tide Child trilogy was an intriguing nautical-based dark fantasy that followed a crew of a condemned ship, made of dragon bone, as they attempt to survive the dark machinations of a corrupt government while attempting to bring back the ancient sea dragons previously hunted to extinction.  This incredible trilogy stated with The Bone Ships (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), an excellent and powerful read that perfectly introduced the trilogy’s main characters and showcased just how far Barker had come as an author as he seamlessly dived into a whole new sub-genre of fantasy fiction by pulling together an epic and grim tale on the high seas. The following two novels, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), were incredible sequels the expertly continued the great story while providing some powerful development to the main characters. Everything was given a dramatic and fitting ending in the final novel and The Tide Child series ended up being one of the very best trilogies I have ever read.

Naturally, after how exceptional Barker’s first two trilogies were, I was quite eager to see what this talented author would do next.  Unfortunately, I quite spectacularly failed to read his 2022 release, Gods of the Wyrdwood, as well as the following novels in the Forsaken trilogy.  This honestly wasn’t a conscious decision on my part, as I was really looking forward to Gods of the Wyrdwood, but for some inexplicable reason it just never happened.  As such, it’s been a little while since I’ve had the pleasure of reading a Barker novel, and that is something I plan to rectify in 2026.

My opportunity for redemption when it comes to being a Barker fan will come in the form of his next upcoming novel, Mortedant’s Peril, which is set for release in May 2026.  An intriguing sounding book, Mortedant’s Peril will see a protagonist who can speak to the dead become a fugitive in his own city after being framed for murder.

Plot Synopsis:

In a city of ancient automata, strange spirits, and sleeping gods, a cleric of death finds his own life on the line in this vividly imagined fantasy murder mystery from the acclaimed author of The Bone Ships and Age of Assassins.

He can speak to the dead. But the living want him silenced . . .

Irody Hasp’s unique gift is his curse: he reads the final thoughts of the dead. But a routine reading of a lowly records keeper implicates him in a vast, high-level conspiracy. Then the unthinkable happens: his own apprentice is brutally murdered and Irody is framed for the crime. As he stumbles deeper into a web of magic and betrayal, he draws the attention of the City of Elbay’s most powerful and ruthless figures.

With the city’s corrupt elite closing in, Irody has just one chance to clear his name and expose the truth. No Mortedant is popular, but the uncompromising Irody is even less popular than most. So he’s forced to rely on unlikely allies: Mirial, a cunning street urchin, and Whisper, one of the enigmatic sea people. As this unlikely trio unearths Elbay’s darkest secrets, they discover a city where lives are expendable and every faction, from guilds to nobles to thieves, battles for control. Three insignificant outsiders must fight not just for their lives, but for everything their people hold dear – and the fate of their magical city.

I really like the sound of Mortendant’s Peril’s plot, especially as Barker is diving into another cool sub-set of fantasy fiction, this time with an urban fantasy thriller.  Set in a cool new fantasy city, loaded with guilds, thieves, factions and magic, Mortedant’s Peril will throw the author’s no-doubt complex protagonist into a massive conspiracy that he’ll need to uncover with the help of his ability to speak to the dead and a band of unlikely comrades.  This sort of scenario has produced some outstanding fantasy narratives in the past, and I cannot wait to see Barker’s take on it.  Based on my prior experiences with the author’s work, I am expecting a dark and engaging tale, loaded with compelling protagonists and impressive character development.

Pretty much the moment that I heard R. J. Barker had a new fantasy novel coming out in 2026, I knew I was going to grab it.  Barker is such an impressive author, and his previous works that I have had the pleasure of reading have all been so damn good.  Combine that with the awesome plot synopsis above and Mortedant’s Peril is now one of fantasy books I most looking forward to in 2026.  I have no doubt at all that Barker is going to once again wow me with his outstanding writing, and I just know Mortedant’s Peril is going to be something special.

Waiting on Wednesday – Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Australian, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

In addition to the Waiting on Wednesday post I did for 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson, I’m also going to do an additional post this week for an awesome upcoming Australian crime fiction read.  This is to make up for missing my regular Waiting on Wednesday post last week (I was away), plus I really wanted to talk about this book which I literally discovered was coming out last night.  This new book is Dark Desert Road by impressive Australian thriller author, Tim Ayliffe, which sounds extremely awesome.

Tim Ayliffe is a rising Australian author whose work I have been really enjoying in recent years, primarily thanks to his John Bailey series.  Utilising his experience as a journalist, Ayliffe has pulled together a series of compelling and complex crime fiction novels as part of a series that follows his journalist protagonist, John Bailey, as he finds himself part of a series of dark crimes and conspiracies. Many of these books, which include The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within, Killer Traitor Spy and The Wrong Man, cleverly reference or utilise real-world elements that have been impacting Australia, such as terrorism, espionage and the rise of right-wing extremism, to enhance their narratives.  I have really enjoyed these excellent books, which are regularly amongst the best Australian novels released each year, and it is always interesting to see what Ayliffe explores next.

While I was hoping that we would be getting a new John Bailey novel soon, it looks instead that Ayliffe is going in a very different direction with his next book, Dark Desert Road.  Following a new protagonist, Dark Desert Road will feature a complex Australian thriller as a burnt-out cop attempts to save her long-estranged family while also dealing with the dark fringes of Australian society.  Set for release in early January 2026, Dark Desert Road will likely be one of the very first books I read in the new year, and I am already excited by its compelling sounding plot.

Plot Synopsis:

Kit McCarthy hasn’t seen her identical twin sister, Billie, in more than a decade.

The sisters don’t see eye to eye, which is understandable, considering Kit’s a police officer and Billie followed their violent father into a life of crime.

Kit is no angel. Burnt out by years working in child protection, she has been accused of using excessive force in the arrest of a violent drunk. Kit has just been ordered to take time off work when she gets a frantic message from Billie, telling her she has a young son and that somebody is trying to kill her.

And then Billie disappears.

Determined to find her estranged sister, Kit’s only lead comes after visiting their father in prison. Malcolm McCarthy claims Billie married a former United States Marine and has been living with a group of sovereign citizens in the desert country of the New South Wales Riverina.

Kit’s journey to find Billie takes her through shuttered towns destroyed by drought, where everybody owns guns, nobody talks to cops, and people get lost for a reason.

Out here a war is brewing between a ruthless bikie gang and a separatist community that is re-engaging with society in the most violent way.

Kit will risk everything to find her sister and the nephew she never knew she had.

But does Billie really want to be saved?

Ok, now this looks like another particularly impressive Australian crime fiction novel from Ayliffe.  Moving away from the author’s previous journalistic/espionage focused narratives in the big city, Dark Desert Road will be more of a classic, outback Australian crime fiction tale, loaded with gritty action, complex characters and an isolated setting.  However, Ayliffe will also throw in his customary examination of Australian society, this time by looking at sovereign citizens in the countryside, which, thanks to recent tragic events, is a very significant issue.  I look forward to seeing Ayliffe’s compelling take on this, as well as his depiction of Australia’s declining rural towns, and I am curious to see what sort of story he writes around them.

Due to how compelling and socially relevant Ayliffe’s previous novels have been, I’m quite keen to check out Dark Desert Road, especially as it has an outstanding sounding plot behind it.  It is going to be interesting to see Ayliffe focus on a new protagonist and a very different story focus, and I strongly believe that Dark Desert Road is going to be one of the top Australian releases of 2026, and I am very excited to check it out.

Waiting on Wednesday – 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an outstanding science fiction thriller coming out in early 2026 with 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson.

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Over the last few years, I have been really enjoying the outstanding novels of Jeremy Robinson.  An interesting author who has who has a fantastic career writing clever, fun, and occasionally terrifying thrillers and science fiction elements novels, including his Antarktos Saga, Chess Team and Nemesis Saga series, Robinson has authored a staggering amount of fiction including additional cool series and standalone reads.

I personally got into Robinson’s work through some of the books in his interconnected Infinite Timeline series, including Tribe, The Dark and Mind Bullet (the latter two of which were amongst my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), all of which were incredibly fun and addictive. I have also started getting into Robinson’s standalone novels, such as last year’s fantastic novel Point Nemo (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024), and his latest exceptional novel that come out only a couple of months ago, Artifact. Artifact was a particularly epic science fiction thriller, and it has gotten me in the mood for more awesome books from Robinson.

Luckily for me and all other fans of Jeremy Robinson, we don’t need to wait much longer for the author’s next book as the highly prolific writer already has an outstanding new novel coming out very soon.  This new book, 30Seven, is set for release in January 2026, and it has already ensnared me with its cool plot that will mix an alien abduction story with an intense, character-driven thriller story that has an epic hook to it.

Plot Synopsis:

Twenty-eight people are abducted from a lakeside beach―and a killer is among them―in this twisty UFO horror novel from the bestselling author of The Others.

After a year of torment following the loss of his wife, Isabella, to a serial killer with an artistic flair, Marcus Lockwood retreats with his son, Elias, to Moose Hollow―a secluded campground in backwoods Maine―in search of healing. There, a close-knit band of lifelong campers immerses them in a warm, nostalgic experience filled with fishing, canoeing, crackling barbecues, and a taste of normalcy.

When whispers of eerie UFO sightings ignite a vigil on the beach, Marcus and Elias eagerly join the hunt for the inexplicable. But when the sky erupts in otherworldly light, they’ll get much more than they bargained for. A mysterious craft descends, and in one surreal moment, the group is abducted and transported into the unknown. Amid the chaos and disorientation, a gut-wrenching discovery terrifies Marcus:

One of them is Isabella’s killer.

I honestly am already deeply in love with the outstanding plot for 30Seven.  Only Jeremy Robinson could up the ante of an alien abduction narrative by forcing the protagonist to simultaneously deal with a serial killer responsible for his wife’s death.  Watching a likeable Robinson protagonist try to protect his child from aliens and the unknown, while also dealing with the grief and anger this revelation will bring about is going to be so damn powerful and it will be an impressive centre to this novel.  Throw in Robinson’s proven ability to craft fast-paced stories with shocking horror elements, clever, reference-laden humour, and tons of epic action, and 30Seven has so much potential to be a first rate read.

Honestly, after having so much fun with Artifact earlier this year, there was no way I wasn’t going to pick up the next standalone novel from Jeremy Robinson.  However, thanks to the outrageous and captivating plot synopsis above, I am now even more eager to read 30Seven and it is currently one of the novels that I’m most eager for in early 2026.  I have absolutely no doubt I am going to power through this outstanding read, especially if the audiobook version is once again narrated by the legendary R. C. Bray, and I fully expect to give 30Seven a full five-star rating when I get my eager hands on it.

Waiting on Wednesday – City of Others by Jared Poon

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an intriguing fantasy novel coming out in early 2026 from an exciting new author with City of Others by Jared Poon.

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Readers of The Unseen Library will know that I am a big fan of promoting promising new authors and their amazing debut novels on my blog.  I love exploring an author’s first book, and it is always interesting to see what cool adventures they bring to their respective genre, as well as watching them progress as writers over the years.  I have had fun reading several outstanding debuts in 2025, and I’m already looking ahead to 2026, which is sure to feature an array of excellent novels from new authors.  I’ve already identified one that I’m particularly keen on, and that’s the focus of today’s post, City of Others by Jared Poon, which is set to release in January 2026.

City of Others is an intriguing urban fantasy novel set in Singapore, which will serve as the first book in the author’s The DEUS Files series.  Filled with creatures and lore from Southeast Asian mythology, City of Others will follow a government middleman and his overworked team as they attempt to solve a supernatural crisis impacting the city.  I love the idea of harried government officials attempting to deal with various magical and mythical creatures in a modern city, and a novel following them attempting to save the day while staying under budget is sure to result in an exceptional read.  Poon has a very awesome idea here with City of Others, and I am very keen to read an urban fantasy set in a modern Asian city.  I’m already anticipating that City of Others is going to be an exceptional novel, and I have no doubt it will end up being one of the top fantasy debuts of 2026.

Plot Synopsis:

Rivers of London meets A Master of Djinn in this warm-hearted, action-packed urban fantasy debut full of workplace found family, queer romance and supernatural creatures straight out of Southeast Asian lore.

In the sunny city of Singapore, the government takes care of everything – even the weird stuff.

Benjamin Toh is an overworked and underpaid middle manager in a government department tasked with keeping the supernatural population of Singapore happy and out of sight.

But when an entire housing estate glitches out of existence on what was meant to be a routine check-in, Ben has to scramble to keep things under control and stop the rest of the city from following in its wake. He may not have the budget or the bandwidth, but he has the best – if highly irregular – team to help him. Together, they’ll traverse secret shadow markets, scale skyscrapers, and maybe even go to the stars, all so they can just do their goddamn job.

Waiting on Wednesday – Red Empire by Jonathan Maberry

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I examine one of my most anticipated upcoming thrillers for 2026 with the epic new Rogue Team International novel from Jonathan Maberry, Red Empire.

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I have made no secret over the years about just how much I enjoy the crazy works of author Jonathan Maberry.  A highly inventive author with a knack for awesome action sequences and a love of horror, Maberry has been writing impressive novels since 2006, with his chilling Pine Deep series.  Since then, he has gone on to write a stagging variety of novels, including the zombie apocalypse Rot & Ruin and Dead of Night series, his V-War comic series, as well as several awesome standalone novels like the disturbing Ink.  Maberry has also had fun diving into the fantasy and science fiction genre in recent years, including his exceptional Kagen the Damned dark fantasy trilogy, made up of Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), and The Dragon in Winter (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), as well as the science fiction novel NeckroTek (the sequel of which, Cold War, I’m hoping to read soon).

While I’m a huge fan of all the above series, my favourite body of Maberry’s work remains his iconic and long-running Joe Ledger series.  Following the titular troubled protagonist as he works as a part of an elite government special forces team detailed to stopping terrorist attacks or criminal organisations using advanced and unusual technology, the Joe Ledger novels were impressive and complex thrillers with over-the-top science fiction or horror elements. The original series, which ran for 10 books, features some amazing novels, including Patient Zero, The Dragon Factory, Assassin’s Code, Predator One and Deep Silence just to name a few. Each of these novels were amazing reads on their own, although I also got really drawn into the ongoing storylines and recurring villains.

Following the end of the original Joe Ledger books, Maberry continued many of his storylines in the sequel Rogue Team International series, bringing back the major characters and setting them up as independent intelligence operatives working for themselves. This series was also extremely exciting, and I have appreciated the way in which the author has continued some of the complex story arcs and villainous narratives from the first series. The Rogue Team International books have so far featured Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023) and the 2025 release, Burn to Shine, each of which have been pretty damn amazing and filled with some dark and captivating narratives.

Due to how much I love this extended series, I am already quite excited about the next upcoming Rogue Team International book coming out in early 2026, Red Empire.  Set to be the fifth entry in the Rogue Team International series and the 15th overall Joe ledger novel, Red Empire has an intriguing plot that sees an old enemy of Ledger and his organization engage in a new plot to destroy the world, while shocking secrets and ancient mysteries come to light.  Set for release in March 2026, Red Empire sounds amazing, and I am already extremely eager to get my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

In the next novel in the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series by New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, the team faces new and old enemies alike as a bioengineered version of The Black Death surfaces.

Hundreds of years after the first waves of the bubonic plague swept through Europe, a new, more dangerous version threatens London. Joe Ledger’s old enemy the Red Empire—reborn as a far more powerful political and military group—has bioengineered a weaponized version of yersinia pestis—the bacteria responsible for The Black Death that killed tens of millions in the Middle Ages.

As Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International race against the clock to put a stop to the Red Empire’s plans, they’re sucked into the strange and mysterious past of the man called Mr. Church. Secrets come to light that make even his staunchest allies wonder who –and more precisely what—Church really is.

With whispers of an elixir vitae—or elixir of life—circling, Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International are facing the highest possible stakes in their work together yet. As the tension builds and the balance between life and death sways precariously, it seems like tragic losses among them might be inevitable.

Oh yeah, I am already very excited for this.  Based on this above synopsis, Maberry has pulled together another intriguing plot for Red Empire, and I’m looking forward to seeing it unfold.  Seeing the return of an old enemy organisation, the sinister Red Empire, is going to be amazing, especially as they attempt to unleash a deadly biological weapon upon the world.  I look forward to seeing the plot revolve around this new battle between Ledger and his foes, and I’m expecting a lot of epic action and intense carnage as a result.

While the focus on the Red Empire and their new strain of the Black Death will be awesome, the part of the synopsis that I, and most long-term Joe Ledger fans, are most interested in, is the section that talks about the secret origins of Mr Church.  Church, the founder and leader of the titular organisation and its predecessor government department, has long been an enigmatic figure, bending world leaders to his will and boasting an insane set of skills and contacts to save the day.  Maberry has strongly hinted about a supernatural origin to Mr Church over the years, including in the shocking final scene of Burn to Shine.  However, the full details of who, or what, Mr Church is, as well as his connection to his chaotic antagonist Nicodemus, has yet to be completely revealed.  From the sounds of the synopsis above, as well as some details revealed by Maberry, it looks like we are finally going to get the full origin story of Mr Church in Red Empire.  I’ve honestly been waiting for this background on one of Maberry’s best characters for years, and I cannot emphasise just how excited I am to finally find out the true tale of Mr Church and the origins of his war against evil.

I think it’s very clear from this long Waiting on Wednesday post that I’m very keen to get my hands on Red Empire next year.  This upcoming Joe Ledger/Rogue Team International novel from Jonathan Maberry sounds so damn cool, and I cannot wait to see all the carnage and trauma that the author will unleash upon his fans with this new book.  Throw in the fact that Maberry is finally going to reveal one of his series’ most intriguing and long-running secrets, and this is already one of the books I most excited to read next year.  I can guarantee that I will be listening to Red Empire the very second it comes out, and I already know I’m going to love everything about it.

Waiting on Wednesday – First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday1 Comment

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight an awesome and entertaining upcoming fantasy release with First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston.

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Over the last few years, one of the more unique fantasy fiction authors that I have been really enjoying is the highly inventive Cameron Johnston.  A talented writer who has created some very unique tales within the fantasy genre, Johnston has produced some amazing books over the years, including his Age of Tyranny novels, The Traitor God and God of Broken Things, the hilarious dark fantasy siege novel, The Maleficent Seven, and the brutal and intense fantasy thriller The Last Shield (one of my favourite books of 2024).  All these novels have been exceptional reads, and Johnston is one of those authors who seems to get better with every book he writes.

Due to Johnston’s continued ability to produce particularly gripping fantasy novels, he is very much an author I keep an eye on, especially as I am very curious to see what he writes next.  As such, I am currently very excited for his upcoming 2026 release, First Mage on the Moon, which frankly sounds amazing.

Set for release in April 2026, First Mage on the Moon will see Johnston produce another unique and memorable fantasy novel, this time focused on several oppressed mages trying to secretly create a rocket capable of landing on the moon.  An intriguing standalone novel, First Mage on the Moon has such a fun plot behind it, and I’m already quite excited to see how it unfolds.

Plot Synopsis:

Cameron Johnston returns in this innovative space fantasy, where wizards race to be the first on the moon – also known as the land of the gods. A fast paced read perfect for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Ella Pickering has been stuck in a never-ending cycle of debt and pain. Formerly a Unity skymage trained to make supply runs, she is now wheelchair-bound after poor maintenance led to a skyship crash, and the world makes no accommodations for her disability. To pay off her medical debt, Ella works gruelling shifts making magical weapons for the research and design workshop, thinking of the days when she was active in the war between the unreligious Unity and the Ranneas Empire.

A late night double shift means Ella witnesses a lightning strike hit on an arcane experiment by Jackan Grissom. But not all is lost – the device morphs into a crude rocket blasting straight for the moon, ultimately falling into the No Man’s Land between the feuding nations. But the initial upward motion inspires hope: if they can make a device to reach the moon – the land of the gods – then the Unity might be able to come out of the war triumphant, if not unscathed. 

By Unity standards, the plot is blasphemous, but Ella and Jackan have their own motives behind summoning the help of the gods. Imbued with new knowledge, the two begin crafting a device to take them to the moon. But as more people become involved in their plot, will they be able to keep it under wraps? Or will word of their heresy lead them to more danger than they first anticipated?

I must admit that even after all the crazy and inventive novels Johnston has previously written, a space fantasy featuring moon-seeking mages really stands out.  With steampunk-esque fantasy setting involving war, intrigue and the science of magic, the plot for First Mage on the Moon has a lot of potential, and I love the idea of a bunch of rebel mages secretly working on a magical rocket, all in aid of reaching the moon.  The potential for calamity and compelling moments as the mages try to avoid detection while also experimenting with new forms of magic is going to provide a lot of intensity to this plot, and I look forward to seeing just how crazy things can get here.  Throw in Johnston’s proven ability to create powerful scenarios loaded with wicked humour, and First Mage on the Moon is likely to be a very impressive read with some very entertaining moments behind it.

Due to the awesome plot summary above, as well as Johnston’s impressive track record of incredible fantasy novels, First Mage on the Moon is currently one of my most anticipated fantasy novels coming out in 2026.  It sounds like Johnston is planning something very special with First Mage on the Moon and I already know I’m going to love this inventive and compelling upcoming fantasy release.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Hard Line by Mark Greaney

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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the top spy thrillers of 2026 with The Hard Line by Mark Greaney.

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Few thriller series have had me consistently enthralled these last few years as the Gray Man books by acclaimed author Mark Greaney.  Following protagonist Court Gentry, an elite assassin, fugitive and occasional government agent known as the Gray Man, the Gray Man novels are one of the absolute best current spy thriller series, and I have had an absolute blast getting through some impressive entries from Greaney.  This includes The Gray Man, 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), Burner (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), The Chaos Agent (one of my favourite books of 2024) and this year’s entry, Midnight Black (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2025). All these great books were quite exceptional, and I have had such an incredible time getting drawn into this series.

Due to how much fun I have had with the previous Gray Man books, I always keep an eye out for Greaney’s upcoming releases, and I was very excited to find out some details for the author’s next novel, The Hard Line.  Set to be 15th book in the Gray Man series, The Hard Line is coming out in February 2026 and is sure to be a major highlight of next year’s reading schedule.  Featuring an intriguing plot that sees the protagonist and his comrade’s families come under threat, The Hard Line sounds extremely awesome, and I am very excited to see how it pans out.

Plot Synopsis:

The Gray Man, the world’s deadliest assassin and apex predator, discovers he’s really the prey in the most shocking entry of this #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Family means different things to different people, but in the Gray Man’s world, family is defined by blood—the blood you share with some and the blood you shed with others.

Court Gentry’s current family operates out of an office park in Norfolk, Virginia. The Ghost Town is an off-the-books direct action team run by Matt Hanley, former CIA Deputy Director. They take on the jobs the Agency needs handled “discretely,” and those jobs are rolling in.

Somewhere at the top of the US Intelligence apparatus, security experts and intelligence operations worldwide are threatened.

It starts with a blown safe house in Tunis. Then Court himself barely escapes from an ambush in the jungles of Nicaragua. Now key members of the U.S. counterintelligence community are being assassinated in their own neighborhoods. With the feds compromised, it’s up to Court and his team to stop the hit squads.

But eliminating professional kill teams may be the least of the Gray Man’s worries when he finds himself targeted by the legendary assassin codenamed Whetstone—a man driven out of retirement by a very personal quest to rain down hellfire on Court and everyone he’s ever loved, starting with the father he hasn’t seen in twenty years.

Ok, so it sounds like this next Gray Man novel is going to be a compelling and interesting character-focused entry in the series that should be an excellent follow-up to the bleak prison-break/war focussed previous entry, Midnight Black.  Returning to familiar ground with the protagonist working covert operations for the CIA, The Hard Line looks set to be an action-packed novel of revenge, old secrets, and complicated families, as the Gentry goes to war on multiple fronts.  I love the cool mixture of potential conspiracy elements in this novel, as well as a deadly assassin coming out of retirement specifically to kill the protagonist and everything he loves.  I’m sure that Greaney will do an exceptional job of showcasing the resulting carnage, and I have no doubt that this will be a particularly intense and continuously exciting read.

While The Hard Line will no doubt feature lots of intrigue, excitement and firefights, the part of the synopsis that has really caught my attention is the focus on family and its associated complexities.  Having the protagonist trying to save his estranged father, a figure who hasn’t appeared too much in the series up to this point, is going to make this a particularly powerful novel, and I am intrigued to see what compelling backstory around the protagonist comes to light.  At the same time, an alternate plot synopsis suggests that beloved secondary character, Zach Hightower is also going to have some family issues, when his daughter is threatened, and Gentry is dragged into save her.  Both these family-focused storylines are sure to add some extra emotional heft to the plot, and I cannot wait to see how Greaney combines it with the more action and intrigue focussed parts of the book.

Due to the outstanding time I have had with all the previous Gray Man books from Mark Greaney, The Hard Line is already a must-read book of 2026 for me.  The excellent plot synopsis above sounds particularly impressive, and I am extremely curious to see how everything comes together.  Likely to be one of the top spy thrillers of next year, The Hard Line has so much potential, and I know I’m going to love it.

Waiting on Wednesday – Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn 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.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an intriguing, upcoming murder mystery that is going to be a highlight of early 2026 with Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman.

Amazon

Of all the murder mystery authors I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing since I started my blog, few have consistently impressed me as much as Jonathan Kellerman.  A veteran of the crime fiction genre, Kellerman has written a huge array of compelling novels throughout his writing career, including some very gripping reads.  His main body of work is the iconic and long-running Alex Delaware series, which follows the titular protagonist, Alex Delaware, a child psychologist, who works with his best friend, LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis to investigate unusual or complex cases around Los Angeles.

The Alex Delaware novels are a classic and captivating crime fiction series, and Kellerman has written a huge number of them over the years.  I became a fan of the series myself a little more recently, when I was lucky enough to grab a copy of The Wedding Guest back in 2019.  A very cool novel with a great case behind it, The Wedding Guest was a fantastic introduction to the author and the Alex Delaware novels, and I ended up going back to the series the following year to read The Museum of Desire.  This great novel was also outstanding, and it impressed me enough to make the Alex Delaware series a must-read addition to my annual reading schedule.  I have since gone on to read every new Alex Delaware novel that followed, including Serpentine, City of the Dead, Unnatural History, The Ghost Orchid, and Open Season.  All these novels were extremely amazing, and I have had an exceptional time with all of them.

Due to how much fun all the previous novels were, I am always very keen to get my hands on the next Alex Delaware novel, and we already have some details about the 2026 addition to the series, Jigsaw.  Jigsaw will be the 41st book in the Alex Delaware series and will force Alex and Milo to investigate two separate, complicated murders that have an unlikely connection.

Plot Synopsis:

When a young woman is found dead at her kitchen table – with DNA belonging to her ex-boyfriend at the scene – psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis assume it’s an open-and-shut case.

But the guy has an airtight alibi. Could an enemy from his shady past have framed him?

Many miles away, a former LAPD officer is found brutally murdered in her garage. Her co-workers knew her as meticulously organized, but her house is full of junk and meaningless objects – except for the envelopes full of cash hidden within the chaos…

But as Alex and Milo dig deeper, they discover shocking links between the victims. It soon becomes clear they have a complicated – and deadly – puzzle to solve.

Based on the above synopsis, it sounds like Jigsaw is going to be another excellent entry in this great series.  I am already quite intrigued by the hinted plot, and Kellerman clearly has quite an outstanding mystery brewing for his 41st Alex Delaware novel.  Two seemingly unconnected murders with unique circumstances running at the same time is the great basis for an addictive crime fiction read, and I look forward to seeing the protagonists dive into both compelling victims with the author’s typical methodical, character-focused, style.  While I am curious about both murders, including one featuring an obvious, but clearly innocent suspect, and the other with an unlikely hoarder, the true test of this novel is how the author will bring both separate murders together into a single storyline.  I honestly have no doubt that Kellerman will come up with a clever link between both cases, and this will likely result in Jigsaw being an outstanding and very impressive addition to one of my favourite crime fiction series.

Due to how much fun I have had reading Jonathan Kellerman’s previous novels, Jigsaw is a highly anticipated book for the first half of 2026, especially with its intriguing synopsis.  Kellerman has never failed to wow me with his compelling mysteries, and Jigsaw already looks set to be an incredible read.  I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on the next Alex Delaware novel, and I already know it is going to be amazing.

Waiting on Wednesday – Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday4 Comments

Due to forgetting to post a Waiting on Wednesday up last week, I’ve decided to do a second entry today on top of my Waiting on Wednesday for The Trespassers by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez.  To make it even more interesting, I’m going to highlight a very awesome and entertaining upcoming book from one of my new favourite authors, Matt Dinniman, with the fantastic and no-doubt bonkers 2026 release, Operation Bounce House.

Amazon

Those who have been paying attention to my blog the last couple of weeks will know that I am currently obsessed with brilliant, and slightly unhinged, author Matt Dinniman.  This is because I made the ill-advised decision to try the first entry of his Dungeon Crawler Carl books, and I’ve been unable to stop reading the series since.  Set around an amazing group of characters, including a stoic former Coastguard member, Carl, and his now sentient cat Princess Donut, the Dungeon Crawler Carl starts with the destruction of every building in the world, and then follows the remnants of humanity who are forced to compete in a massive fantasy dungeon as entertainment for trillions of alien viewers across the galaxy.  A unique and amazing take on the LitRPG genre, the Dungeon Crawler Carl novels have been a constant ball of fun, and I love Dinniman’s crazy creativity, great characters, amazing humour, and the general elaborate nature of the entire story concept. 

Due to all these awesome elements, as well as an exceptional audiobook adaptation, I have powered through the first five books in the series, including Dungeon Crawler Carl, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Handbook, The Gate of the Feral Gods and The Butcher’s Masquerade, and I’m currently making great progress through the sixth novel, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride.  All these books have been exceptional, five-star reads, and I will probably dive into the seventh book, This Inevitable Ruin, within the week.

Naturally, after having such an incredible time with Dinniman’s main series, I have become very curious about what other books the author has written or coming out on the horizon.  While I am particularly excited for the potential eighth Dungeon Crawler Carl novel next year (which I have no doubt will be one of my most anticipated reads once I finish This Inevitable Ruin), I also noticed that Dinniman has an intriguing standalone novel coming out in early 2026, which I am very keen to get my hands on.

That book is the epically titled Operation Bounce House.  Set for release in February 2026, Operation Bounce House has an excellent science fiction plot that sees a human colony planet forced to defend itself from killer robots, piloted by bored, corporate-sanction Earth gamers.  This novel sounds really dawn awesome, and it looks set to be one of the more entertaining, and bloody, science fiction releases of early 2026.

Plot Synopsis:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BECOME YOUR PLANET’S FINAL BOSS?

All New Sonoran colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do is run the family ranch and keep his family’s aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking.

But when his planet’s transfer gate finally opens and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora, there’s a complication.

The colossal Apex Corporation is hired to commence an ‘eviction action’ – exterminate all life on New Sonora in preparation for a reboot. And they charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines, remotely pilot them, and make it a game.

The game is called Operation Bounce House . . .

And New Sonora is its playing field.

Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against these machines. But with the help of an old book from his grandfather, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he’s ever known.

 

Now this is going to be good.  I love the sound of Operation Bounce House, and it looks like Dinniman is planning to continue his trademark carnage.  Falling into a similar, anti-authoritarian plot about innocent people adapting to the dark rules of the soulless corporate entity trying to destroy them as the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, Operation Bounce House is probably going to feature similar over-the-top action, this time facilitated through various robots.  It will be very interesting to see how Operation Bounce House comes together, and I imagine that this book will be a little less LitRPG and more science fiction with some game-inspired element.  However, even if the mechanics of the novel change, I’m still expecting that Dinniman will provide an intriguing set-up, followed by a comedy-laden narrative, featuring compelling and likeable characters, complex themes, and the author’s fantastic comedic charm.  As such, this will likely be a very intense and exciting book, and I look forward to seeing how the entire awesome story comes together.

I’m going to be honest here; Operation Bounce House pretty much became a must-read book of 2026 for me the moment I started Dungeon Crawler Carl.  Matt Dinniman has shown himself to be an extremely exceptional author, and I have no doubt that his next release is going to be just as impressive as his main series of books.  Operation Bounce House sounds like a particularly amazing standalone novel, and I cannot wait to see what crazy antics and over-the-top moments Dinniman fits into this upcoming release.  One of my most anticipated science fiction books in the first half of the new year, Operation Bounce House is going to be pure, chaotic fun, and I am so there for it, especially if it has a good audiobook version.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Trespassers by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult4 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a very cool upcoming young adult thriller I know I’m going to have a great time with, The Trespassers by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez.

Amazon

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is an interesting author who burst onto the young adult thriller scene a few years ago with her debut thriller, Lies Like Wildfire.  Following a group of teenagers accidently responsible for burning down their small town, Lies Like Wildfire was a captivating and intense read that examined how far some of the teenagers were willing to go to ensure they didn’t get sent to jail.  Lies Like Wildfire was an outstanding novel that was ideal for both older teenage readers and general thriller fans, and it ended up being one of my top debuts of 2021.

Due to how much I enjoyed Lies Like Wildfire, I made sure to grab Alvarez’s second thriller novel the following year with Friends Like These.  Focussing on the consequences of a series of bad and criminal decisions made during a drunken party in response to a teenage rivalry, Friends Like These was another exceptional novel that provided some intriguing insights into the modern teenage mind, while also showing the life-long consequences young mistakes can have.  Both Lies Like Wildfire and Friends Like These were among some of the better young adult thrillers I have had the pleasure of reading, and I have been eager to get my hands on Alvarez’s next entry to the genre.

Well, it looks like I don’t have too much longer to wait, as Alvarez has her next young adult thriller coming out in a couple of months with The Trespassers.  Set for release in October 2025, The Trespassers will once again follow a group of complex teenagers as they try to cover up a dark mistake from the past.  This time set in Alaska, The Trespassers has a very interesting plot behind it, and I firmly believe that this is going to be one of the more compelling and intense young adult novels of 2025.

Plot Synopsis:

In the frozen depths of an Alaskan winter, a house party turns deadly in this tightly wound thriller packed with icy suspense and devastating secrets.

You think you can bury the past… but some truths refuse to stay hidden.

Finley, Mya, River, and Eli were inseparable as kids, running wild on Alaska’s vast wide-open spaces. Then tragedy struck, and Finley moved to the lower 48. But now it’s Senior year, and Finley’s back in Anchorage. When Mya throws a house party on a snowy Valentine’s Day night, it’s supposed to be a chance for the friends to heal old wounds. But an encounter with a mysterious stranger quickly turns the evening into a nightmare.

As the group scrambles to cover up what they’ve done, the fault lines they’ve grown so good at ignoring begin to crack as the police investigate and the media hounds them. Are they the most vicious teens in America, or deeply misunderstood? Everyone wants to know—even the teens themselves.

Fast-paced and thrillingly tense, The Trespassers explores guilt, loyalty, and the complex nature of friendship.