Waiting on Wednesday – The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

On March 25, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday4 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 check out a unique upcoming crime fiction novel that I know I am going to absolutely love, The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.

The Man Who Died Twice Cover

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading some amazing and entertaining novels, but one that particularly stood out to me was the debut novel of British television personality Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club. The Thursday Murder Club was an excellent and clever novel that followed four skilled and intelligent pensioners living in a retirement village as they attempted to solve several murders that occurred on their doorstep. This was an extremely awesome and compelling debut novel, and I loved the intriguing mystery, fantastic characters and brilliant humour that made this book such a superb read. The Thursday Murder Club ended up being one of my favourite debuts, audiobooks and overall reads of 2020, and it got an easy five-star review from me.

Due to how much I enjoyed this superb first novel from Osman, I have been keeping a very close eye out for any additional books from him and I was delighted when I found out that he was writing a second Thursday Murder Club novel. Currently set for release on 16 September 2021, this sequel, titled The Man Who Died Twice, will continue the fun adventures of these incorrigible septuagenarians as they once again find themselves amid a dangerous hunt for a killer.

Synopsis:

It’s the following Thursday.

Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.

As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?

But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?

I have to say that I like the sound of the above synopsis, especially as their new crime will involve more violent gangsters, killers and an intriguing hunt for some stolen diamonds. The pensioners-versus-criminals story that Osman set up in his first novel was a lot of fun, and it sounds like this second book is really going to raise the stakes. That being said, the four outstanding and incredibly determined protagonists, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, will probably be up to the challenge, and I look forward to seeing how they outwit and outsmart everyone again in outrageous fashion.

Due to how much I loved the first book in this fantastic series, as well as Osman’s excellent creativity inside and outside the literary world, I already know that I am really going to love this upcoming book. The Man Who Died Twice sounds like it is going to be another fantastic novel and I really cannot wait to see what happens next to the great characters who form the Thursday Murder Club. This is probably one of the books that I am most looking forward to in the second half of 2021 and I am exceedingly excited to see how Osman tops his first epic mystery novel.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Ninth Metal by Benjamin Percy

On March 17, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, 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. 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 Ninth Metal by Benjamin Percy, an awesome upcoming science fiction novel that I think is going to be a lot of fun to read.

The Ninth Metal Cover

Benjamin Percy is a fantastic author who is probably best known for his contributions to the comic book world. Over the last few years, Percy has helped write intriguing series for both DC and Marvel Comics, including stints on Green Arrow, Teen Titans, Nightwing, X-Force and Wolverine. Percy has also written several novels which generally have a science fiction twist to them. These books include The Wilding, Red Moon, The Dead Lands and The Dark Net, each of which sound rather intriguing and cool. I have read and enjoyed a couple of Percy’s comics recently and it will be interesting to see what his full-length novels are like.

Percy’s next project, The Ninth Metal, is another compelling science fiction novel, which is currently set for release on 1 June 2021. The Ninth Metal will serve as the first book in The Comet Cycle, which will showcase the complex aftermath of a meteor strike in rural Minnesota, which not only brings destruction but opportunity as a rare metal is deposited in the ground. This leads to a new gold rush, as everyone attempts to claim the new mineral for themselves to gain power and money. I really like the sound of this fascinating and cool new book and I cannot wait to see what chaos and destruction this new resource causes for the residents of Northfall, Minnesota.

Synopsis:

IT BEGAN WITH A COMET…

At first, people gazed in wonder at the radiant tear in the sky. A year later, the celestial marvel became a planetary crisis when Earth spun through the comet’s debris field and the sky rained fire.

The town of Northfall, Minnesota will never be the same. Meteors cratered hardwood forests and annihilated homes, and among the wreckage a new metal was discovered. This “omnimetal” has properties that make it world-changing as an energy source…and a weapon.

John Frontier—the troubled scion of an iron-ore dynasty in Northfall—returns for his sister’s wedding to find his family embroiled in a cutthroat war to control mineral rights and mining operations. His father rightly suspects foreign leaders and competing corporations of sabotage, but the greatest threat to his legacy might be the US government. Physicist Victoria Lennon was recruited by the Department of Defence to research omnimetal, but she finds herself trapped in a laboratory of nightmares. And across town, a rookie cop is investigating a murder that puts her own life in the crosshairs. She will have to compromise her moral code to bring justice to this now lawless community.

In this gut-punch of a novel, the first in his Comet Cycle, Ben Percy lays bare how a modern-day goldrush has turned the middle of nowhere into the center of everything, and how one family—the Frontiers—hopes to control it all.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Righteous by David Wragg

On March 10, 2021 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. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I take a look at The Righteous by David Wragg, an upcoming fantasy sequel that should be extremely entertaining.

The Righteous

David Wragg is an awesome author who debuted in 2019 with the fantastic and exciting fantasy novel, The Black Hawks, which served as the first entry in his Articles of Faith series. The Black Hawks was a great read that followed an eclectic group of mercenaries as they kidnap an incompetent prince and his loyal protector to involve them in a deadly revolution. I had an incredible time reading this novel last year, especially as Wragg came up with some cool characters and an entertaining story, including an awesome twist at the end.

Due to how amazing The Black Hawks was I have been keeping an eye out for the sequel ever since I finished the first book and so I was extremely pleased when I saw that the cover and synopsis for The Righteous had been released. The Righteous, which is due to come out on 10 June 2021, looks set to take off right after the events of The Black Hawks and will see the main characters break out of the terrible prison they find themselves in and engage in a desperate fight for survival. No doubt set to be filled with a ton of action, some enjoyable humour and other cool features, I think that The Righteous should be an outstanding and exciting read and I am really looking forward to it.

Synopsis:

Bound by oath and honour, Vedren Chel found himself drawn to the heart of a deadly rebellion. With him stood the mercenaries of the Black Hawk Company, who were there for the money.

But their uprising was betrayed and crushed. Now, Chel and the sell-sword Rennic languish in prison, watching as their comrades are taken one by one for execution.

A daring escape will set them free, but with the forces of an entire nation arrayed against them, Chel and the Black Hawks must embark on a desperate search for new allies.

Journeying from frozen wastes to towering cities, from drug dens to lavish palaces, THE RIGHTEOUS is the thrilling and riotous second adventure from one of fantasy’s most exciting new voices.

Waiting on Wednesday – Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

On March 3, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, 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 latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at an intriguing upcoming science fiction novel from the always talented Miles Cameron, Artifact Space.

Artifact Space Cover

Cameron is an awesome author who has shown himself capable of writing across multiple genres throughout his lengthy career. I’m probably most familiar with Cameron’s amazing and detailed ancient Greece historical fiction novels, which he authors under the name of Christian Cameron. His historical fiction works include the excellent Tyrant and Long War series, which I read when I was younger, and his more recent work The New Achilles. However, Cameron has also dabbled in the thriller genre with the Alan Craik series, which he co-wrote with his father, Kenneth Cameron, using the pseudonym of Gordon Kent. In more recent years he has dived into the fantasy genre, which he writes as Miles Cameron. His fantasy works includes the medieval inspired Traitor Son Cycle that ran for five books, and his Masters and Mages trilogy, which I am currently having a fun time getting through. I have already really enjoyed the first two entries in this series, Cold Iron, which easily got a full five-star rating from me, and Dark Forge, which was one of my favourite novels (and audiobooks) of 2019. While I am hoping to read the third and final Masters and Mages novel, Bright Steel, at some point this year, I was rather intrigued when I saw that Cameron was diving into a whole other genre later this year with Artifact Space.

Artifact Space is an extremely cool science fiction epic that will see Cameron explore the wilds of space aboard a massive spaceship. Currently set for release in late June 2021, Artifact Space sound like it is going to be an incredible and fascinating adventure tale, filled with intrigue, aliens and a compelling character-driven narrative.

Synopsis:

Out in the darkness of space, something is targeting the Greatships.

With their vast cargo holds and a crew that could fill a city, the Greatships are the lifeblood of human occupied space, transporting an unimaginable volume – and value – of goods from City, the greatest human orbital, all the way to Tradepoint at the other, to trade for xenoglas with an unknowable alien species.

It has always been Marca Nbaro’s dream to achieve the near-impossible: escape her upbringing and venture into space.

All it took, to make her way onto the crew of the Greatship Athens was thousands of hours in simulators, dedication, and pawning or selling every scrap of her old life in order to forge a new one. But though she’s made her way onboard with faked papers, leaving her old life – and scandals – behind isn’t so easy.

She may have just combined all the dangers of her former life, with all the perils of the new . . .

I have to say that I really like the sound of this fantastic upcoming novel, and it looks like Cameron has an awesome new story on the horizon. I love the whole concept of colossal ships travelling through space to trade with alien races and this should be a pretty amazing basis for a great story. Cameron has a real propensity for detailed world building, and I am certain that he will create a massive and complex setting, filled with all manner of intrigue, mysteries, and cool plot devices. I am also extremely confident that his compelling story about a troubled runaway attempting to forge a new life aboard a ship that will find itself attacked by the mysterious group targeting the Greatships will be very enjoyable and addictive. Cameron has done a great job introducing and building up young, adventurous characters in his previous books, such as in the Masters and Mages trilogy, and I looking forward to seeing how this great, character driven tale will turn out.

Overall, I think that Artifact Space has a lot of potential and my interest has been deeply piqued by the fantastic synopsis above. Based on the author’s prior works, I already know that I am going to really enjoy this upcoming book, and I cannot wait to see how Cameron’s first science fiction epic will turn out. I am already predicting that this book is going to get a full five-star review from me, and I am excited to read it.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

On February 24, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday4 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 check out a cool upcoming fantasy novel from bestselling author Christopher Buehlman, The Blacktongue Thief.

The Blacktongue Thief Cover

Christopher Buehlman is an intriguing author who has been writing some fantastic sounding novels over the last couple of years. His main focus has previously been the horror genre, having authored several compelling scary reads, such as The Necromancer’s House, The Suicide Motor Club and the incredible awesome sounding The Lesser Dead. However, Buehlman latest project sees him make the move over to the fantasy genre with an amazing upcoming fantasy debut, The Blacktongue Thief.

The Blacktongue Thief, which currently has a release date of 25 May 2021, is very fun and captivating sounding novel which will follow a thief and a knight as they find themselves forced together for an epic adventure. Set to feature a range of crazy monsters, unique magic and a couple of complex protagonists, The Blacktongue Thief has a ton of potential (as well as an awesome cover), and I am extremely excited to see how this book turns out.

Synopsis:

Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief begins a ‘dazzling’ (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.

But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.

Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.

Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva’s. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston

On February 17, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday8 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 an awesome upcoming fantasy novel that is sure to be a real blast, The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston.

The Maleficent Seven Cover

Cameron Johnston is a fantastic dark fantasy author who came onto the scene a couple of years ago and made an immediate impression on me. Johnston’s first novel was the remarkably cool 2018 release, The Traitor God, which followed a dangerous wizard as he returned to his home city to find and exact bloody revenge on the people who killed his friend. This was an awesome and clever book, and I absolutely loved the intense and epic fantasy story that Johnston produced in this debut. The author followed up this excellent first novel with God of Broken Things, which served as an outstanding sequel to The Traitor God and ended up being one of my favourite releases of 2019. Due to how much fun I had reading his first two novels, I have been keeping an eye out for any additional releases from Johnston and I was quite excited when I heard about The Maleficent Seven.

The Maleficent Seven is a fun and exciting-sounding upcoming fantasy novel that has the potential to be one of the most entertaining reads of 2021. Currently set to be released on 10 August 2021, The Maleficent Seven has an awesome-sounding story that sees seven of the most dangerous villains in the world become the last hope of a besieged town.

Synopsis:

When you are all out of heroes, all that’s left are the villains.

Black Herran was a dread demonologist, and the most ruthless general in all Essoran. She assembled the six most fearsome warriors to captain her armies: a necromancer, a vampire lord, a demigod, an orcish warleader, a pirate queen, and a twisted alchemist. Together they brought the whole continent to its knees… Until the day she abandoned her army, on the eve of total victory.

40 years later, she must bring her former captains back together for one final stand, in the small town of Tarnbrooke – the last bastion against a fanatical new enemy tearing through the land, intent on finishing the job Black Herran started years before.

Seven bloodthirsty monsters. One town. Their last hope.

Ok, so there is no way that I am not going to enjoy this fantastic upcoming book. I absolutely love, love, love the idea of a warped Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven story, where some of the absolute worst fantasy villains come together to fight an even greater threat and defend a small innocent town. This narrative has so much potential for intense action sequences, fantastic character interactions and cool magical fights, and I am really looking forward to seeing all the chaos unfold.

I am also excited to see what sort of complex characters Johnston comes up with in The Maleficent Seven. One of the best things about the author’s first two novels was the amazing antihero that served as the series’ protagonist. I always thought that Johnston did an amazing job crafting a complex and conflicted mage with powerful and unethical mind magic in these previous novels, and I am really intrigued to see what he does with the titular seven protagonists of his next book. All of the seven sound pretty cool already and I love the fun blend of villain archetypes mentioned in the summary. Johnston will no doubt dive into each of these characters, especially their leader, Black Herran, examining their pasts, personalities and motivations, and I am anticipating that he will come up with some really fascinating and deep characters here. I am particularly intrigued to see what event stopped Black Herran’s initial invasion all those years previously, as well as what drives her to get back in action and fight to defend a town. No doubt there will also be some impressive and deadly drama as these seven characters are reunited for the first time in years, and I am anticipated so many awesome sequences between them.

The Maleficent Seven by Cameron Johnston looks set to be an incredible and exceptionally entertaining dark fantasy read and I am extremely keen to see it come out. The story hinted at in the summary has so much potential for awesomeness, and I already know that I am going to have an outstanding time getting through it. This has all the markings of a spectacular read and I have some very high hopes for The Maleficent Seven.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Viewed Posts of 2020

On February 16, 2021February 16, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 Comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was to list a participant’s favourite purple, yellow, and/or green Book Covers in honour of Mardi Gras, however, I really did not have any great book covers to feature on this list so I am going to do something a little different and list my top viewed posts of 2020.

Over the last month or two I have been having fun listing some of the top releases I enjoyed in 2020, including my favourite debuts, audiobooks, new to me authors, pre-2020 novels and books that I read last year. However, it is probably time to finish this line of Top Ten Lists off and move onto different topics, so I thought that I would do something new as a closing act and decided to take a quick look at which of my posts got the most views in 2020. Not only this a fantastic way to finish highlighting some of the best novels released last year, but I am also genuinely curious to see which posts people were most interested in last year as this may some impact on what I try and read going forward.

To fill out this list I checked out the nifty stats section of my WordPress website to see which of my posts got the most views last year. While some of the posts I wrote before 2020 did get a lot of attention last year, I decided to limit this list to those blog entries that I published in 2020 and I only ranked them by views received last year. This resulted in a rather interesting collection of posts and I was so intrigued by this I decided to expand the selection out to my top 20 posts rather than 10, which I think created a much more varied and captivating list. The final list contains a great combination of different posts, including reviews, Waiting on Wednesday posts and even a few other Top Ten Tuesday lists. I am really happy with how this latest list turned out, so let us see which posts made the cut.

Top Twenty List:

Waiting on Wednesday – The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett – 940 views

The Evening and the Morning Cover

The top scoring post was the Waiting on Wednesday post I did for the latest Ken Follet novel, The Evening and the Morning. I was a little surprised that this Waiting on Wednesday did so well last year, especially as a lot of the views on it occurred after the book got released, but the view count on this post has continued to grow and grow. A lot of this is probably down to how impressive each of his massive novels are, as readers know they are in for a good time and keep an eye out for the latest Follett book.

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas review – 449 views

House of Earth and Blood Cover

After the fantastic first entry there is a bit of a drop in views, but second place is held strongly by my review for House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. This is not too surprising, considering that Maas has a pretty substantial fanbase, and House of Earth and Blood was one of the most anticipated fantasy releases of 2020. This was only the second novel from Maas that I have read (the other being Catwoman: Soulstealer) and the first adult fantasy novel from an author that specialises in young adult fiction. I ended up really enjoying the complex and lengthy story that Maas created for House of Earth and Blood and I am looking forward to seeing how the series continues in the future.

Lost by James Patterson and James O. Born review – 317 views

Lost Cover

Number three on this list was a bit of a surprise. While I enjoyed Lost, I must admit that it was not one of my favourite books of 2020 and I did not expect my review of it to get as much attention as it ended up getting. Still, with Patterson’s immense number of fans and followers, I guess it makes sense that people would be interested in seeing how one of his books would turn out, and I really need to check out some more of his novels this year.

Waiting on Wednesday – Relentless by R. A. Salvatore – 265 views

Relentless Cover

The next entry on this list is the Waiting on Wednesday article that I did for legendary fantasy author R. A. Salvatore’s second 2020 novel Relentless. Relentless was a particularly cool fantasy novel from last year which followed on from Salvatore’s previous novels Timeless and Boundless. There ended up being a good amount of interest in this post, and it looks like there are a lot of fans of Salvatore and his amazing fantasy novels. I actually just posted a slightly belated review of Relentless, and it will be interesting to see how much attention it gets this year.

Waiting on Wednesday – 2021 Thrillers – 229 views

Thriller Covers

Next up we have a Waiting on Wednesday post of three thrillers released in early 2021. Each of these novels, Relentless by Mark Greaney, The Kaiser’s Web by Steve Berry and Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz, are the latest entry in a popular and established thriller series, and each of these authors already have a lot of dedicated readers. I have already read Prodigal Son (review coming soon, but in short it is pretty awesome), while I have copies of Relentless and The Kaiser’s Web currently sitting on my table. It will be interesting to see how they turn out, but I am predicting some epic and amazing reads from them.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik review – 224 views

A Deadly Education Cover

Naomi Novik is a talented fantasy author with a lot of buzz surrounding her, so it is no surprise that a lot of people were interested in her latest book, A Deadly Education. A Deadly Education was an outstanding and captivating read that proved to be extremely inventive and addictive. I deeply enjoyed reading and reviewing A Deadly Education last year, and Novik’s upcoming sequel, The Last Graduate, is one of my most anticipated reads of 2021.

Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Books of 2020 – 223 views

Trouble with Peace and Battle Ground Cover

This post listed my absolute favourite books of 2020. Featuring 20 novels, including impressive reads like The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie and Battle Ground by Jim Butcher, this was always going to be a post that a lot of people would be interested in, and I was very happy with how many views it got in closing days of 2020. I cannot wait to list my favourite books of 2021 in 10 months’ time.

One Minute Out by Mark Greaney review – 222 views

One Minute Out Cover

Considering how much attention that the above Waiting on Wednesday for Greaney’s next book got last year, it is not surprising that a lot of people also checked out my review for One Minute Out. Serving as the ninth book in Greaney’s impressive Gray Man series, this was a fantastic read that got a full five-star rating from me. I cannot wait to read the next book, especially if turns out to be as good as One Minute Out.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020 – 208 views

How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It and Call of the Bone Ships Covers

Another Top Ten List with a lot of major and popular entries in it, including How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It by K. J. Parker and Call of the Bone Ships by R. J. Barker. This was a fun and intriguing list to pull together, especially as I ended up reading and loving every book featured on it.

The Gates of Athens by Conn Iggulden review – 205 views

The Gates of Athens Cover

It looks like a lot of people were interested in historical fiction last year as my review for The Gates of Athens by the always impressive Conn Iggulden got viewed more than 200 times. The Gates of Athens was a particularly awesome novel as well, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Protector, soon.

The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly review – 196

The Law of Innocence Cover

I actually reviewed two books from iconic crime fiction author Michael Connelly last year, Fair Warning and The Law of Innocence. While both were fantastic reads, it seems more people were interested in my review of The Law of Innocence, which saw the return of the Lincoln Lawyer. This was a particularly fun and enjoyable read and I am glad that so many people were keen to see what I thought about it.

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 34: Bunraku and Other Stories by Stan Sakai review – 173 views

Usagi Yojimbo Bunraku and Other Stories Cover

I did quite few reviews of Usagi Yojimbo comics in 2020, all of which proved to be rather popular, which was great considering how niche these comics are. Out of all these, the one that got the most attention was for the 2020 release, Bunraku and Other Stories. I had an amazing time writing a passionate review for this comic, the first to be released completely in colour, and it was great to see so much interest in it. My Waiting on Wednesday article for the next Usagi Yojimbo volume, Homecoming, has already gotten a substantial number of views in 2021, so hopefully readers will also enjoy my review for this upcoming volume.

Top Ten Tuesday – Longest Audiobooks That I Have Listened To – Part II – 166 views

WAY OF KINGS MM REV FINAL.indd

A continuation of a previous Top Ten Tuesday list I did, I spent a bit of time working out the longest audiobooks I have ever read. This is a post I will probably revisit again this year, although I very much doubt that the current longest audiobook, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, is going to be unseated from its top position on the list.

Waiting on Wednesday – Colonyside by Michael Mammay – 150 views

Colonyside Cover

Another Waiting on Wednesday that got a lot of attention last year was one I did for the cool science fiction thriller, Colonyside. Serving as the third book in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series (which also includes Planetside and Spaceside), this article got a bit of attention after a timely retweet from Mammay. I recently read and reviewed Colonyside a few weeks ago and it really lived up to the hype.

Demon in White by Christopher Ruocchio review – 143 views

Demon in White Cover 1

Now, this was a fun book to review. Demon in White is the third epic entry in impressive new science fiction author Christopher Ruocchio’s outstanding Sun Eater Sequence, which previously featured Empire of Silence and Howling Dark. Considering how amazing this latest entry in the Sun Eater series was, I am very glad that my review for his book got some attention last year, and I would strongly recommend this impressive, gothic read.

Waiting on Wednesday – Ink by Jonathan Maberry – 124 views

Ink Cover

I always really enjoy reviewing or promoting anything written by Jonathan Maberry, and this Waiting on Wednesday I did for his standalone horror novel, Ink, ended up getting a lot of attention in the end. Maberry has a new novel coming out in a few months, Relentless, which I am very excited for, and I anticipate a lot of views for that review when I get it written up.

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde review – 113 views

The Constant Rabbit Cover

One of the funniest books of 2020, The Constant Rabbit was a lot of fun to review and I am glad that a lot of people checked it out last year.

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett review – 111 views

The Evening and the Morning Cover

While it may not have gotten as many views as its Waiting on Wednesday article, my review for The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett did make the Top Twenty list. Serving as a prequel to Follett’s iconic The Pillars of the Earth, this was one of the best historical fiction novels in 2020 and is a strongly recommended read.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Horror Novels – 110 views

Into the Drowning Deep Cover

The penultimate post on this list was an interesting Top Ten Tuesday I did for Halloween, listing my favourite horror novels I have ever read. I honestly am not the biggest fan of the horror genre, but I was able to rustle up a good Top Ten list for this post, including some great reads like Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant and Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry. It looks like a lot of horror fans were out in force last Halloween as people were quite interested in this list, and I hope I recommended a few good reads for any fans of the genre out there.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books from the First Half of 2020 – 107 views

Song of the Risen God Cover

The final entry on this list was a Top Ten article that highlighted some of the best books from the first half of 2020. Featuring some particularly cool reads, including Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz and Song of the Risen God by R. A. Salvatore, this one got a bit of attention early in the year and it was interesting to see which of the books featured eventually made their way onto my overall favourite reads of 2020 list later in the year.

While mainly a conduit for my ego, I think this list turned out pretty well, and I really enjoyed seeing which of my posts got the most views last year. I had a lot of fun pulling this list together and I think this might be something I will revisit in the future. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Mardi Gras.

Waiting on Wednesday – 2021 Historical Fiction Reads

On February 10, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday8 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 article, I have a look at some epic upcoming historical fiction novels that I think could be amongst some of the best releases of 2021.

I have long been a lover of the fun, intriguing and often action-packed genre that is historical fiction, especially as I cut my reviewing teeth primarily on historical fiction novels for several years. Even now that I review a wider range of novels, this still remains one of my favourite and preferred genres, and I always have an amazing time getting through a compelling historical read. Last year proved to be an exceptional year for historical fiction, including The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett, The Emperor’s Exile by Simon Scarrow and Execution by S. J. Parris, and several historical fiction novels were easily amongst the best books I read in 2020. Now that we are into 2021, I thought I would take this opportunity to look at three historical fiction releases from some of the leading voices in the genre that are coming out soon. All three of these upcoming novels have an immense amount of potential and will probably be some of my favourite books of 2021.

A Comedy of Terrors Cover

The first of these books is A Comedy of Terrors, the latest entry in the incredible Flavia Alba series by one of my all-time favourite authors, Lindsey Davis. Davis is an impressive and exceptional author who has been writing historical murder mysteries for years, first with her long-running Marcus Didius Falco series and then with the sequel Flavia Albia series. Set in ancient Rome, the Flavia Albia books follows the titular protagonist as she investigates several grisly murders which are often tied to a unique element of the city or Roman history. I have had an amazing time reading all the Flavia Albia novels over the last several years and I deeply enjoy the cool mix of fantastic mysteries, intriguing historical detail, and some outrageous humour. All the previous entries in this series (including The Third Nero, Pandora’s Boy, A Capitol Death and The Grove of the Caesars) have been exceptional reads, and every new Flavia Albia novel is an amazing treat in my reading calendar.

Luckily for me, a brand-new Lindsey Davis Flavia Albia is just around the corner with the ninth entry in the series, A Comedy of Terrors, currently set for release on 1 April 2021. A Comedy of Terrors looks set to be another entertaining historical crime novel with a series of crimes taking place during a rowdy Roman festival. There is a great synopsis out for this book already, as well as two fantastic looking covers.

Synopsis:

Saturnalia, the Romans’ mid-December feast, nominally to celebrate the sun’s rebirth but invariably a drunken riot. Flavia Albia needs a case to investigate, but all work is paused.

The Aventine is full of fracturing families. Wives plot to leave their husbands, husbands plot to spend more time with their mistresses. Masters must endure slaves taking obscene liberties, while aggressive slaves are learning to ape dangerous masters. But no one wants to hire an investigator during the holiday.

Albia is lumped with her own domestic stress: overexcited children and bilious guests, too many practical jokes, and her magistrate husband Tiberius preoccupied with local strife. He fears a Nut War. Nuts are both the snack and missile of choice of tipsy celebrants, so there is a fortune to be made. This year a hustling gang from the past is horning in on the action.

As the deadly menace strikes even close to home, and with law and order paused for partying, Albia and Tiberius must go it alone. The Emperor has promised the people a spectacular entertainment – but Domitian himself is a target for the old criminals’ new schemes. Can the Undying Sun survive the winter solstice, or will criminal darkness descend upon Rome?

This sounds like it has all the ingredients for an incredible Flavia Albia novel, and I am extremely keen to check it out. The whole concept of the protagonist attempting to solve crimes during a lawless and chaotic festival with no official law enforcement backup sounds really fun, and having a gang trying to corner the market on festival nuts should be very entertaining. I am particularly hoping that the author includes another large-scale comical scene, such as has appeared in several of her prior novels, and the whole festival seems like an ideal set up for such an event. A Comedy of Terrors may also have some intriguing connections to Flavia’s past as the criminal organisation mentioned above possibly relates to an antagonist who kidnapped Flavia as a child (during the Falco book, The Jupiter Myth) and who was hinted to have returned in Pandora’s Boy. All of this should lead to an entertaining and intense novel for the protagonist, and I look forward to seeing what sort of impressive mystery Davis comes up with this time.

A Comedy of Terrors Cover 2

The next cool upcoming historical fiction novel that I want to highlight in this article is Crusader by Ben Kane. Kane is another well-established historical fiction author who is probably best known for his impressive Roman historical fiction books, such as The Forgotten Legion trilogy, the Hannibal series, and The Eagles of Rome series. Last year, Kane turned his attention to a different period of history with his captivating and exceptional novel, Lionheart, which showcased Richard the Lionheart’s rise from rebellious prince to King of England as seen through the eyes of his loyal squire, Rufus.

Crusader Cover

Crusader will be the second entry in the Lionheart series, and it will follow the newly crowned King as he begins his iconic crusade to the Holy Lands to face off against Saladin. This second novel, which is currently set for release on 27 April 2021, will have a wide and impressive focus on vast swathes of Richard’s unique history and I look forward to seeing how it all comes together.

Synopsis:

KING
1189. The long-awaited goal of Richard Plantagenet, the Lionheart, comes true as he is crowned King of England. Before he can set off on crusade and retake Jerusalem from the Saracens, he must set his own kingdom in order, and deal with his half-brother Geoffrey and younger brother John, both of whom pose threats to the throne.

POLITICIAN
These matters settled, Richard’s incredible journey to Outremer, the Holy Land, begins. With him at every step is Ferdia, also known as Rufus, his loyal Irish follower. From southern France to Italy they travel, and on to the kingdom of Sicily, ruled by the scheming Tancred. Delayed on the island for military and political reasons, Richard must deal not only with its ruler but also King Philippe of France, his erstwhile ally on the crusade and long-time bitter rival. There is occasion for some levity, however; in Sicily, the king marries Berengaria, daughter of a Spanish king.

WARRIOR
Voyage continuing, he comes into conflict with the ruler of Cyprus, the self-styled emperor Isaac. Richard’s tactical brilliance sees the island fall to the crusaders in a whirlwind campaign. At last he is poised to sail to the Holy Land. There a bitter two-year-long siege awaits his army, at Acre. Waiting for him too, is Saladin, the iconic Saracen leader responsible for the loss of Jerusalem.

CONQUEROR
Triumphant at Acre, Richard must again play politician before the crusade can continue. Philippe of France seeks to thwart him at every turn. No one can agree who should fill the empty throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. When at last the king is able to lead his army south, Saladin’s huge army shadows its every move. In the height of summer, the conditions are brutal, the temperatures boiling. On the dusty field of Arsuf, the Lionheart and his soldiers will face the ultimate test. Battle is inevitable, but victory is not.

This next Lionheart novel sounds pretty damn awesome and it looks like Kane is planning to explore a huge amount of Richard’s life during this book. Based on what was featured in Lionheart, Crusader will contain all the politics, battles, family drama and betrayals that were in the background of these exciting events, and I am really looking forward to seeing the author’s fascinating take on what happened during this period. From some pre-released chapters of Crusader, it looks like Kane will also continue the compelling story of Richard’s fictional companion Rufus, who serves as the series’ main point-of-view character. Rufus was an outstanding protagonist to follow in Lionheart, and it will be interesting to see how his tale continues in Crusader, especially as he is engaged in a deadly rivalry with fellow knight Robert FitzAldelm. This rivalry was an exciting addition to Lionheart’s plot, and I look forward to seeing it get ramped up in Crusader, especially now that FitzAldelm knows that Rufus murdered his brother. So far this has been one of the most impressive series to focus on Richard the Lionheart that I have read, and I cannot wait to see where Kane’s outstanding new series goes next.

The final book to be featured is Protector by Conn Iggulden. Without a doubt, Iggulden is one of the best authors of historical fiction in the world today, having written some spectacular novels across a range of different historical periods. This includes his epic Emperor series, which explored the life and death of Caesar, his Conqueror series, which followed the creation of Genghis Khan’s empire, his War of the Roses series which catalogued all the insanity that occurred during the titular English civil war and the outstanding standalone novel, The Falcon of Sparta. All of his previous novels have been truly exceptional reads that showcase the author’s mastery of all things historical.

Protector Cover

His latest body of work is the Athenian series, which charts some of the most significant moments in the history of ancient Athens. This series started last year with the sensational The Gates of Athens, which focused on the war against the Persians, with this novel examining the origins and outcomes of the battle of Marathon and Thermopylae. The Gate of Athens was an incredible read that I deeply enjoyed, and I have been eagerly waiting to see how Iggulden would continue the cool story he set up in this first novel. The second Athenian novel, Protector, will be released on 18 May 2021, and while the official cover is not out yet, the synopsis makes it clear that this upcoming book will feature some fascinating battles and conflicts.

Synopsis:

TWO LEGENDARY BATTLES.
ONE FEARLESS WARRIOR . . .

THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS
Persian King Xerxes stands over the smoking ruins of Athens, an army of slaves at his back. Come to destroy, once and for all, everything that the city stands for, he stares pitilessly at the hopelessly outnumbered Greeks.

Veteran soldier Themistocles cannot push the Persians back by force on land, and so he so does so by stealth, at sea. Over three long days, the greatest naval battle of the ancient world will unfold, a bloody war between the democracy of Athens and the tyranny of Persia.

THE BATTLE OF PLATAEA
Less than a year later, the Persian return to reconquer the Greeks. Tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides ready themselves for war. For the Spartans, Plataea is chance to avenge their defeat at Thermopylae. For the people of Athens, threatened on all sides, nothing less than the survival of democracy is at stake. And once again Themistocles, the hero of Salamis, will risk everything – his honour, his friendships, even his life – to protect his country.

Protector looks set to be an exciting and captivating read that will continue to explore some of the most fascinating periods of Greek history. It looks like each of the novels in the Athenian series will focus on two battles, in this case the battles of Salamis and Plataea, and Protector will no doubt contain Iggulden’s trademark deep dive into the intriguing history behind both epic conflicts. The previous entry in the series, The Gates of Athens, contained an impressive examination of the politics, key events and preparation each side did before the battle, as well as the impacts the battles had on both nations, and I think we can expect the same for Protector. I am deeply excited to find out more about each of these battles and I cannot wait to see the background battles for supremacy that occurred between some of the leading men of Athens. This novel has so much potential to be incredible, and I know that I am going to get through this novel extremely quickly.

As you can see above, 2021 is looking extremely awesome on the historical fiction front. All three of novels featured in this article are going to be absolutely incredible and, based on my prior experiences with each of these amazing authors, they all have the potential to easily receive a five-star rating from me. It is already certain that I am going to love all three of these cool books and I am extremely keen to read them as soon as possible.

Waiting on Wednesday – Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

On February 3, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday9 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 take a look at the next intriguing novel from acclaimed author Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary, a book that has the potential to be one of the biggest science fiction releases of 2021.

Project Hail Mary Cover

Andy Weir is a fantastic bestselling author and self-professed space nerd who has written some amazing-sounding science fiction novels over the last couple of years, including Theft of Pride and Artemis. Weir is probably best known for his epic release, The Martian, which was later adapted into the major motion picture of the same name. Each of his main novels has an intriguing science fiction or space element to them, especially as the author focuses on the science and utilises it to great effect within the story.

Weir’s next big release will be Project Hail Mary, which will present an ambitious and exciting new science fiction tale set in the depths of space. Project Hail Mary, which is set for release in early May 2021, will apparently contain an excellent science fiction adventure with some intriguing mystery and thriller elements to it. I have already heard some great things about this book from some fellow reviewers and it sounds like is going to be an exceptional and impressive read.

Synopsis:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission – and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crew mates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realises that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian – while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

Waiting on Wednesday – Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee

On January 27, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Superhero, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult7 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 article, I take a look at a very cool upcoming young adult novel that follows two captivating and popular members of the Marvel Comics universe with Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee.

Gamora and Nebula - Sisters in Arms Cover

Mackenzi Lee is a bestselling author who has produced a wide range of intriguing and powerful novels in her impressive career. Lee is probably best known for her Montague Siblings series, which follows a cad and his sister as they explore some of the insanities of historical Europe. I personally know Lee best for her recent series of young adult tie-in novels based around characters from Marvel Comics. Lee is currently working on a cool trilogy of novels that follows teenage versions of iconic Marvel antiheroes as they embark in complex and exciting adventures. This series started back in 2019 with the very enjoyable Loki: Where Mischief Lies, which set the titular trickster god on an emotionally harrowing adventure in Victorian London. I very much enjoyed this cool novel about a young, insecure Loki, and I have been really looking forward to seeing which fantastic character Lee focuses her next book on.

The wait is over as I finally have some solid details about the second book in this young adult superhero series, Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms, which is currently set for release on 1 June 2021. As the name suggests, this upcoming book will follow the siblings Gamora and Nebula, daughters of the ruthless tyrant Thanos, as they engage in a dangerous game of life and death on a desolate, western-inspired planet. A number of details about this book have already been released, and I have pulled together the following synopsis from a couple of sites to highlight what is going to happen in the book.

Synopsis:

The relationship between teenage adopted sisters Gamora and Nebula is as volatile as ever. When they end up on a deteriorating planet being mined for its valuable resources, the two sisters are faced with a series of events that force them to explore the source of their rivalry-and where their loyalty truly lies. This action-packed yet sincere story will tug on the heartstrings of anyone who has ever had to learn how deeply weird and changeable trust can be.

Gamora arrives on Torndune—a once-lush planet that has been strip-mined for the power source beneath its surface—with a mission: collect the heart of the planet. She doesn’t know who sent her, why they want it, or even what the heart of a planet looks like. But as the daughter of Thanos, the right hand of her father, and one of the galaxy’s most legendary warriors, her job is not to ask questions. Her job is to do what she’s told, no matter the cost.

What she doesn’t know is that her sister Nebula is in hot pursuit. Nebula has followed Gamora to Torndune in hopes of claiming the planet’s heart first and shaming her sister as vengeance for the part she played in Nebula losing her arm. While Gamora falls in with a group of miners attempting to overthrow the tyrannical mining corporation that controls their lives, Nebula allies herself with the Universal Church of Truth, whose missionaries wait on every street corner to recruit more followers and tithes for the Matriarch. Both sisters hope their alliance will give them access to one of the massive diggers capable of drilling to the center of the planet.

But they closer they get to the heart of the planet—and to each other—the closer they get to uncovering the truth of what brought them there and the role they may unknowingly be playing in a twisted competition with galactic consequences. A competition they can never win . . . unless they learn to trust each other.

And trust is the biggest lie in the galaxy.

Now this sounds like it is going to be an intense and amazing novel, and I cannot wait to see what cool magic Lee weaves together in her latest book. The entire premise of these two deadly siblings fighting to be the one to claim a mysterious object (which is probably going to be an Infinity Stone) has a lot of potential for action, excitement and manipulation, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out. It also sounds like Lee is going to dive into some interesting aspects of the cosmic-based Marvel Comics. Not only will Thanos, Gamora and Nebula be featured but the author is also going to look at somewhat obscure groups like the Universal Church of Truth, an old-school Guardians of the Galaxy antagonist. This should add some intriguing elements to the narrative of this book, and I will be curious to see what other characters and organisations make an appearance throughout Sisters in Arms.

While the plot of this book sounds very impressive, it looks like a great deal of this novel’s focus will be on the relationship between Gamora and Nebula. From what I understand, Sisters in Arms will be set in a period when Gamora is still loyal to her father, who regularly pits her against Nebula, resulting in her sister losing her arm, and probably more. As a result, the two characters will start off as bitter rivals and the novel will spend substantial time examining the complex relationship between the two warriors. This should prove to be an intriguing and compelling heart of Sisters in Arms, and I am very curious to see how deeply Lee dives into the hearts and minds of these fantastic characters. I felt that Lee did a fantastic job examining and exploring the true Loki in her previous novel, and I am anticipating some more great character work in this second book. It will be interesting to see how this turns out and I am hopeful it will turn out to be an impressive highlight of the novel.

Based on everything I heard above, and because of her awesome work with Loki: Where Mischief Lies, I think that this new upcoming novel from Lee is going to be extremely enjoyable. I really like the sound of the incredible story that is going to be featured in Gamora & Nebula: Sisters at Arms and I am very excited to see more of these two beloved comic characters. I really do believe that this upcoming book will be an awesome read and I am looking forward to it.