Waiting on Wednesday – Firefly: The Ghost Machine by James Lovegrove

On January 15, 2020January 15, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, 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 edition of Waiting on Wednesday, I check in on the latest upcoming tie-in novel to the epic science fiction television show Firefly, with Firefly: The Ghost Machine by James Lovegrove.

Firefly The Ghost Machine Cover

Over the last year or so there has been a sudden and intriguing uptake in new Firefly related media. Not only has Boom! Comics created a whole new series of Firefly comics, but Titan Books has also introduced a collection of enjoyable Firefly novels which I have really been enjoying. This series of Firefly novels has already produced two great books, Big Damn Hero and The Magnificent Nine, both of which have been written by Lovegrove. A third novel, Generations, was also advertised for late 2019, although it has since been knocked back to October of this year. Before Generations comes out later this year, a new Firefly novel from Lovegrove is set for release in April. Lovegrove’s upcoming Firefly novel, The Ghost Machine, is an intriguing-sounding book that seems set to dive into the deepest, darkest corners of the various minds of Serenity’s crew.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The fourth original novel tying into the critically acclaimed and much-missed Firefly series from creator Joss Whedon.

Mal and the crew take receipt of a sealed crate which they are being paid to transport to Badger, no questions asked. Yet once their cargo is safely stowed aboard, River insists Mal should “space” it out of the airlock, for it contains, she insists, ghosts. With supplies running low, the crew desperately need another pay day, but soon find themselves paralysed by hallucinations of their deepest hopes and desires, so vivid they cannot be distinguished from reality. River is the only one unaffected, and desperately tries to awaken her crew mates, while the fantasies turn sour, and the ship begins to spin out of control.

I really like the concept that the plot of The Ghost Machine is apparently going to revolve around. Having some sort of item that results in an exploration of each of the crew’s most secret desires and hopes leaves a lot of room open for the author to do some significant character development and examinations for each of the amazing characters from the show. I look forward to seeing what sort of secrets and fantasies Lovegrove comes up for the various crew, and I imagine it’s going to be a combination of heartbreaking and humorous (can you imagine what sort of hopes and desires Jayne is going to have). It also seems like The Ghost Machine is going to be book that focuses pretty heavily on River Tam, one of the more fascinating characters on the show. Having River as the only sane person on the ship is going to make for an interesting ride, and I am curious about how she handles the situation.

Now, I am honestly going to enjoy anything Firefly related that I get my hands on, but The Ghost Machine sounds particularly fun and it looks like it is going to be another amazing entry in the franchise. Lovegrove has produced some excellent Firefly novels in the past, and this upcoming book should be another amazing outing from this fantastic author. Firefly: The Ghost Machine is already one of my most anticipated reads for the first half of 2020, and I will be grabbing a copy the moment it comes out.

Waiting on Wednesday – Demon in White by Christopher Ruocchio

On January 8, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday11 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 check out the upcoming third instalment of one of my favourite current science fiction series, Demon in White by Christopher Ruocchio.

Demon in White Cover 1.jpg

Demon in White is the third book in Ruocchio’s debut series, the Sun Eater series, which started back in 2018 with the author’s first novel, Empire of Silence. The Sun Eater series is set in humanity’s distant future and revolves around the character of Hadrian Marlowe. Hadrian is a legendary figure and a renowned warrior, scholar and adventurer who is destined to one day obtain great infamy by exploding a sun, a feat that not only destroys an entire alien species but also results in the death of the Emperor of humanity. The books in the Sun Eater series follow an autobiographical account of Hadrian’s life that chronicles all of his formative moments and adventures, as well as the events that led to him making the terrible decision to cause so much destruction and harm. Demon in White will apparently follow Hadrian at a point when he has just started to obtain his galaxy-wide fame and acclaim and will continue his exploration into the mysterious forces that seem to be affecting his destiny.

I am a huge fan of the Sun Eater series, having fallen in love with the first book, Empire of Silence, due to its enthralling story, amazing gothic style and intriguing new science fiction universe. Its sequel, 2019’s Howling Dark, was just as impressive, especially as it took its story in some interesting new directions and presented some amazing and captivating sequences. I ended up awarding both of these novels a full five-star rating when I read them, and I consider them to be amongst my favourite books of 2018 and 2019 respectively. As a result, I am very excited that a new addition to the series is coming out soon, especially as it has a very cool-sounding plot synopsis.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The third novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire.

Hadrian has been serving the Empire in military engagements against the Cielcin, the vicious alien civilization bent on humanity’s destruction. After Hadrian and his Red Company achieve a great victory, a cult-like fervor builds around him. However, pressures within the Imperial government scared of his rise to prominence result in an assassination attempt, luckily thwarted.

With the Empire too dangerous to stay, Hadrian and his crew leave for a massive library on a distant world. There, he finds the next key to unlocking the secrets of the Quiet: a set of coordinates for their origin planet, unnamed and now lifeless. Hadrian’s true purpose in serving in the military was to aid his search of a rumored connection between the first Emperor and the Quiet, the ancient, seemingly long-dead race linked to so many of Hadrian’s extraordinary experiences.

Will this mysterious lost planet have the answers?

Based on the above synopsis, Demon in White (which is a pretty awesome title, by the way) looks like it is going to be another fascinating and enjoyable read. Not only are we going to see a lot more of the internal politics of the Roman-inspired Sollan Empire, but Hadrian and his cohorts are going to explore yet another mysterious alien planet. Some of my favourite parts of Howling Dark were when the protagonists found themselves trapped in several strange locations with all manner of technological monstrosities, and I look forward to exploring more of this fascinating and enjoyable universe. I also have no doubt that we are going to see yet another vital step in the march towards Hadrian’s destructive destiny, and I am excited to learn what events or encounters in this novel will change the protagonist and help push him in this dangerous direction.

Honestly, I have been planning to grab this book since the moment I finished Howling Dark as I am deeply curious to see how this whole series unwinds. The first two entries in the Sun Eater series have been pretty damn spectacular, and I have exceedingly high hopes for this third novel, especially after reading its intriguing plot synopsis. Demon in White is currently set for release in early July 2020, and it is among my most anticipated releases for the second half of the year. I already love the two new amazing covers that have been produced for it (while the copy of Demon in White I’ll receive will have the cover above, I kind of prefer the cover below with the figure in white on the throne, very nice) and I am sure that they will have an awesome story to match. Mark my words, this will be a book to look out for!!

Demon in White Cover 2.jpg

Waiting on Wednesday – Upcoming Thrillers

On January 2, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday11 Comments

While I tend to read more historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction than anything else, over the last couple of years I have really started getting into thriller novels, as I have been lucky enough to check out several great books from the genre. In 2019 I read a number of amazing thrillers, including several military thrillers or thrillers mixed in with science fiction elements, all of which were a lot of fun to check out and containing exciting and clever adventures. As three of my favourite thrillers from last year all have sequels coming out in 2020, I thought I would take the time to check them out in a Waiting on Wednesday post.

Into the Fire.jpg

The first book that I am looking forward to is Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz. Into the Fire is the fifth book in Hurwitz’s excellent Orphan X series, which follows an elite former government assassin, codename Orphan X, as he helps people in desperate situations under his new alias The Nowhere Man. I read the fourth book in the series, Out of the Dark, last year, and I loved its fantastic story, which featured this skilled assassin going up against the entire Secret Service as he attempted to kill the President of the United States. His new novel also sounds pretty amazing, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The New York Times bestselling Orphan X returns—facing his own uncertain future and undertaking one last mission.

Taken from a group home at age twelve, Evan Smoak was trained as an off-the-books government assassin: Orphan X. After breaking with the Program, he reinvented himself as The Nowhere Man, a figure shrouded in shadows who helps the truly desperate. But the government didn’t let go of him easily, sending their best to hunt him down and eliminate him. All of them failed. With his deadliest enemies behind him, Evan is facing a new challenge—what is he going to do now that no one is after him?

Max Merriweather is at the end of his rope. Separated from the woman he loves and barely scraping by, Max is a disappointment to everyone in his life. Then his very successful cousin Grant is brutally murdered. Two months before, Grant left Max an envelope with instructions to take it to a reporter if anything happened to him. Now the reporter is missing and Max’s apartment is ransacked. A man at the end of his rope, he calls The Nowhere Man.

With mixed feelings, Evan takes on this mission, easily finding the men who are after Max and executing a plan to keep him safe. But it isn’t as obvious as it seems—and Evan finds himself enmeshed in one of the most challenging missions of his life, one that he can’t survive on his own. With the help of Joey Morales, a genius-level hacker and the last Orphan recruited into the Program, and the brilliant, off-the-books gunsmith, Tommy Stojack, Orphan X once more heads…Into the Fire.

The Warsaw Protocol Cover.jpg

The next book I am going to look at is the 15^th book in the long-running Cotton Malone series, The Warsaw Protocol. The Cotton Malone series is the main series of legendary thriller writer Steve Berry and follows the titular series protagonist, Cotton Malone, as he investigates a number of conspiracies and plots, mostly tied into secret organisations or parts of ancient history. I had the great pleasure of reading the 14^th book in the series, The Malta Exchange, in early 2019, and I absolutely loved the complex and intriguing historical conspiracy it contained. Berry looks set to once again produce a captivating thriller mystery that is based on fascinating history and cool-sounding conspiracy theories with The Warsaw Protocol, as the plot of the upcoming books sounds pretty amazing. I am very much looking forward to this latest novel from Berry, especially after how much I enjoyed The Malta Exchange, and I am extremely curious to learn more about some of the conspiracies ranging around Poland, as it is a location you don’t see much of outside of World War II or Cold War novels.

Goodreads Synopsis:

One by one the seven precious relics of the Arma Christi, the weapons of Christ, are disappearing from sanctuaries across the world.

After former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone witnesses the theft of one of them, he learns from his old boss, Stephanie Nelle, that a private auction is about to be held where incriminating information on the president of Poland will be offered to the highest bidder–blackmail that both the United States and Russia want, but for vastly different reasons.

The price of admission to that auction is one of the relics, so Malone is first sent to a castle in Poland to steal the Holy Lance, a thousand-year-old spear sacred to not only Christians but to the Polish people, and then on to the auction itself. But nothing goes as planned and Malone is thrust into a bloody battle between three nations over a secret that, if exposed, could change the balance of power in Europe.

From the tranquil canals of Bruges, to the elegant rooms of Wawel Castle, to the ancient salt mines deep beneath the earth outside Krakow, Malone is caught in the middle of a deadly war–the outcome of which turns on something known as the Warsaw Protocol.

One Minute Out Cover.jpg

The final book I am going to look at is One Minute Out by Mark Greaney, which is the ninth book in Greaney’s Gray Man series. Greaney is an author whose has produced some outstanding novels which I have been really enjoying. Not only did he produce a fun and compelling addition to his long-running series with Mission Critical, but he also cowrote the excellent military thriller, Red Metal. Both of these novels were very exciting and really enjoyable reads, and Red Metal was easily one of my favourite books (and audiobooks) of 2019. As a result, I am very much looking forward to this latest offering from Greaney, and his new Gray Man novel sounds very intriguing.

Goodreads Synopsis:

While on a mission to Croatia, Court Gentry uncovers a human trafficking operation. The trail leads from the Balkans all the way back to Hollywood.

Court is determined to shut it down, but his CIA handlers have other plans. The criminal ringleader has actionable intelligence about a potentially devastating terrorist attack on the US. The CIA won’t move until they have that intel. It’s a moral balancing act with Court at the pivot point.

All three of the above novels should prove to be fantastic and incredible new additions to their respective series and I am very excited to read all of them. Each of these upcoming thrillers are out in the next month or so (Into the Fire is out in late January, the other two are out in February), so I should hopefully start getting copies of them soon. Let me know what thrillers you are excited for this year in the comments below.

Waiting on Wednesday – Eagle Station by Dale Brown

On December 25, 2019December 25, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, 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 week’s Waiting on Wednesday I check out the latest book in one of my favourite military thriller series, Eagle Station by Dale Brown.

Eagle Station Cover

For the last 30 years, Dale Brown has been one of the leading authors in the military thriller genre, writing some deeply entertaining and extremely exciting novels packed full of intense action and advanced military technology. His main body of work has been the Patrick McLanahan series, which revolved around the titular character of Patrick McLanahan defending America from high-tech attacks from the country’s various enemies, including Russia, China and several countries in the Middle East. In recent years, the series has switched its focus to Patrick McLanahan’s son, Brad McLanahan, who continues the same fight as his father (who, after being blown up, is essentially a cyborg) on whole new battlefields. Eagle Station will be the 24^th book in the Patrick McLanahan series, and the seventh book in the Brad McLanahan series.

I only started getting into this series in the last couple of years, when I picked up a copy of 2018’s The Moscow Offensive. After really enjoying The Moscow Offensive’s plot about advanced Russian combat suits invading America, I went on to listen to the audiobook version of the next book in the series, The Kremlin Strike, earlier this year, and was once again really impressed by the fun and exciting story it contained. This is now a bit of a must-read series for me, as I am planning to grab every new Patrick/Brad McLanahan book that comes out in order to see what amazing adventures Brown writes next.

As a result, I was really excited when I saw that the latest book in the series, Eagle Station, is coming out in May 2020. Eagle Station will continue the storylines from the previous couple of books and will once again pit the protagonists against America’s opponents in the space race. The plot synopsis for this upcoming book sounds really cool, and I think that Eagle Station is going to be a truly amazing read.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Because its enemies never stop trying to undermine the United States’ security, the men and women who serve to protect America must always be vigilant. Few know this better than warriors Brad McLanahan and Nadia Rozek. Newly married, the two are just beginning to settle into their new life together when they are called back into action.

Though the Russians were badly defeated by Brad and the Iron Wolf Squadron in their previous bid for world dominance, they are back and doubling down on their quest for control of outer space. In addition to their cutting-edge weaponry, they have a formidable new ally: China’s energetic and ruthless leader, President Li Jun.

To protect America and the rest of the free world from the Russians and the Chinese, the Americans plan to mine the moon’s helium-3 resources, which will allow them to fully exploit the revolutionary fusion power technology Brad and his team captured from the Russians aboard the Mars One weapons platform.

But Leonov and Li have devised a daring plan of their own. They are building a joint secret base on the moon’s far side fortified with a powerful Russian plasma rail gun that can destroy any spacecraft entering lunar orbit. If the heavily armed base becomes operational, it will give America’s enemies control over the world’s economic and military future.

As this latest skirmish in the war for space accelerates, Brad, Nadia, and their compatriots in the Space Force must use their cunning and skill—and America’s own high-tech weaponry—to derail the Sino-Russian alliance and destroy their lunar site before it’s too late for the U.S. . . . and the entire world.

There are a lot of awesome plot elements contained within the above synopsis and I really like that Brown is continuing to focus on the space-based storyline from the last book. The examination of what a war for the control of Earth’s orbit could look like was one of the most interesting parts of The Kremlin Strike, and Brown crafted together an outstanding story about orbital weapons stations, advanced spaceships and powerful potential weapons. It looks like he is upping the ante in Eagle Station, as not only will the protagonists be facing off against both Russia and China this time, but their opponents have also constructed a secret moon base. I am really looking forward to seeing the eventual battle to take control of that base, especially as Brown did an excellent job coming up with some zero-gravity space combat sequences in the last book, which are sure to be replicated in this upcoming book. The idea of an alliance between China and Russia should also be a fascinating part of this book, especially as the author likes to mirror modern geopolitics into his stories.

Overall, I think that Eagle Station is going to be another incredibly fun and enjoyable book, and I am confident that Brown will craft another compelling and exciting story. I will probably end up grabbing the audiobook version of Eagle Station when it comes out, as I enjoyed listening to The Kremlin Strike’s audiobook earlier this year. However, I am sure that no matter which format I grab, this should prove to be one of the highlights of my May reading list and I am really looking forward to it.

Waiting on Wednesday -2020 Star Wars Novels

On December 18, 2019December 25, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday16 Comments

This week, I am in a real Star Wars headspace, probably because the final movie in the Skywalker Saga, The Rise of Skywalker, is coming out very soon. By this time tomorrow, I should have seen this movie, and I am really hoping that they finish this final trilogy on a high note (especially after The Last Jedi, which I think we can all agree had some major flaws). In the meantime, as I have just posted a review of the tie-in novel Star Wars: Force Collector, I thought that this would be a good time to look at some of the Star Wars novels that are coming in 2020.

2019 has been an outstanding year for Star Wars expanded fiction, with some great books, such as Master & Apprentice (which recently made my Top Ten Favourite Audiobook’s of 2019 list); the surprisingly enjoyable tie-in to the Galaxy’s Edge theme park area at Disneyland, Black Spire; or the other The Rise of Skywalker tie-in novel, Resistance Reborn. There have also been some excellent comic book series, from the Vader: Dark Visions limited series, to the continuations of the Star Wars (2015) and Dr Aphra series (I just finished Volume 6 of Doctor Aphra last night and it was pretty darn epic). As a result, I am constantly keeping an eye on what new pieces of Star Wars fiction are coming out in the future (as it is guaranteed that I am going to read them), and, so far, three intriguing Star Wars novels are currently set for release in the first half of 2020.

Interestingly enough, all three of these upcoming Star Wars novels are closely related to books that came out in 2019. While it would have been cool to see some sort of new or original tie-in novel come out in the first half of the year, all of these new releases are following on from some very compelling storylines in their preceding books, and should prove to be an excellent addition to the current Star Wars canon.

The first of the books that I am going to feature in this article is the young adult novel, Queen’s Peril, by E. K. Johnston. This will be the third Star Wars novel from Johnston, who has previously written the amazing young adult novels, Ahsoka and Queen’s Shadow. Queen’s Peril looks like it is going to be a fascinating novel that will be closely associated with the plot of Queen’s Shadow, as the author once again focuses on Padmé Amidala and her handmaidens. However, while Queen’s Shadow followed Amidala as she became a senator for Naboo after the events of The Phantom Menace, Queen’s Peril is set before the film and will follow the character’s earlier life when she becomes Queen of Naboo. Queen’s Peril is set for release on 5 May 2020, and a detailed plot synopsis and fantastic cover are already available.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When fourteen-year-old Padmé Naberrie wins the election for Queen of Naboo, she adopts the name Amidala and leaves her family to the rule from the royal palace. To keep her safe and secure, she’ll need a group of skilled handmaidens who can be her assistants, confidantes, defenders, and decoys. Each girl is selected for her particular talents, but it will be up to Padmé to unite them as a group. When Naboo is invaded by forces of the Trade Federation, Queen Amidala and her handmaidens will face the greatest test–of themselves, and of each other.

This sounds like it is going to be a rather intriguing novel. While I would have enjoyed seeing some of the post-The Phantom Menace storylines that featured in Queen’s Shadow continued, focusing on the early days of Amidala’s reign has some great potential and I think it is going to result in an amazing story. Not only will we get to see how and why a 14-year-old girl becomes queen, and the various issues associated with that, but it looks like Johnston is going to continue to explore the unique culture of Naboo, as well as the intriguing lives of the queen’s handmaidens. Queen’s Shadow spent quite a lot of time not only showcasing the importance of the handmaidens, but also introducing the readers to these previously unnamed characters (well, unnamed in this canon). In particular, we got to know Sabé, Amidala’s decoy, who served as the secondary protagonist of the book, and we saw the close friendship she had with Amidala. I am very excited to learn more about Amidala and her handmaidens, and it will be great to see how they were initially brought together to engage in the complex game of galactic politics.

Based on the above synopsis, it looks like the book’s plot will be set over the course of a few years, as not only will it show Amidala becoming queen, but it also covers the occupation of Naboo by the Trade Federation. I reckon that this should result in a rather compelling story, and I am very interested in seeing the events that led up to the invasion of Naboo. It is also likely that we will see what happened to the various handmaidens during the course of The Phantom Menace. Some hints of this were given in Queen’s Shadow, such as the fact that one of them was tortured in an internment camp, and I am curious about what the others went through. It will also be extremely interesting to see the story of The Phantom Menace from Sabé’s point of view, especially as she spent a good part of the film disguised as Amidala.

I am hoping Johnson will expand on the intriguing story point that concluded her previous book. Queen’s Shadow ended with a flash-forward to Amidala’s funeral at the end of Revenge of the Sith and showed Sabé’s reaction to the death of her dearest friend. In this scene, Sabé expressed great scepticism towards the official Imperial story about Amidala’s death, and decides to investigate it herself. A storyline in Queen’s Peril that follows Sabé as she pokes around in the newly formed Empire trying to find the truth has some amazing potential, especially if she has to contend with Darth Vader or the Emperor. It wouldn’t be too hard to split the story into two separate periods, one of which focused the early days of Amidala’s reign, while the other followed Sabé’s investigation in the future, and it will be interesting to see what Johnston does.

I think that Queen’s Peril should prove to be a very compelling and exciting new addition to the Star Wars universe, and I am really keen to see what Johnston includes in this story. I will probably end up listening to this book’s audiobook format rather than grabbing a physical copy, and I really hope that they get Catherine Taber back to narrate the story. Taber, who voices Amidala in The Clone Wars animated series, did an outstanding job of narrating Queen’s Shadow, and it will be really cool to once again have one of the official voices of Amidala tell the story.

The next book that I am going to look at is Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn, the first book in the new Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy. Chaos Rising is probably the Star Wars book I am most looking forward to in 2020, as not only is it written by my favourite Star Wars fiction author, Timothy Zahn (I literally just finished listening to one of his Star Wars books last night and it was amazing), but it contains a prequel story for one of the franchise’s best characters, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is an outstanding character who Zahn created back in the 1990s under the old Star Wars canon. One of the few alien officers in the Imperial Navy, Thrawn was portrayed as the ultimate tactical genius who was able to outthink and predict the actions of all his opponents. Thrawn was one of the few non-movie characters who exists in both the old Star Wars Legends canon and the new Disney canon, as he was reintroduced a couple of years ago as an antagonist in the Star Wars Rebels animated show. As part of this reintroduction, Zahn was contracted to write two new trilogies of Star Wars novels that focused on Thrawn. The Thrawn trilogy contained three exceptional Star Wars novels: Thrawn, Alliances and Treason, which was easily the Star Wars novel of this year. While I was kind of hoping that Zahn would shed some light on the eventual fate of Thrawn following his disappearance in the final episode of Rebels, it looks like Zahn is instead going back to explore the character’s youth.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The first book in a new trilogy set before Thrawn traveled to the Empire and became a Grand Admiral. Journey to the Unknown Regions and learn more about Thrawn’s origins and his home: The Chiss Ascendancy.

While a longer plot synopsis is probably in the works, this short blurb contains quite a lot of interesting information. In particular, it looks like dedicated Star Wars fans are going to get a brand-new origin story for this character. I am very excited to see what events formed the Thrawn we know and love, and I am curious to finally find out what he did to convince his people to infiltrate the Empire. No doubt, there will be all manner of battle and conflicts as Thrawn helps to defend his people against a bunch of alien threats, which will probably help showcase his initial tactical genius and unique way of seeing things.

One of the other intriguing things that the synopsis hints at is additional knowledge of the protagonist’s race, the Chiss. The mysterious Chiss Ascendancy is a legendary race which exists within the unknown regions of space outside of the bounds of the Republic or the Empire. Despite seeing some of the characters in the new Thrawn novels, very little is known about the Chiss (in this canon in particular). As a result, I am looking forward to finding out more about them, including details of their culture, military and the force-sensitive children they use as navigators. It is also going to be intriguing to see the events of the main Star Wars series through this alien species eyes. Based on Thrawn’s appearance during the events of Thrawn: Alliances, which was partially set during the Clone Wars, and the fact that the character was sent to infiltrate the Empire in order to help form some sort of alliance between them and the Chiss to help fight some of the dangers lurking in the Unknown Regions (something I also hope we find out more about), we know that the Chiss were keeping an eye on the events happening in Republic/Imperial space. I imagine that the Chiss characters will have some intriguing reactions to the wars and conflicts being fought between the Jedi and the Sith, and it should prove to be a great part of the series.

Based on how much I love Zahn’s previous work and on how awesome the character of Thrawn is, there is no way that I am not going to love this novel. I have no doubt that Chaos Rising is going to be an exception book, and I am excited to see what exciting adventures and wonderful universe building is contained within. I also have to say how much I love the recently released cover of this book. The understated design is pretty cool, and it leaves a definite impression. Chaos Rising is set for release on 5 May 2020, and hopefully I will be able to get an advanced copy of it to review.

The final book in this article is Shadow Fall by Alexander Freed. Shadow Fall, which currently has a release date of 23 June 2020, is the sequel to the 2019 book Alphabet Squadron, and is set to continue its action-focused story. The official cover for Shadow Fall is yet to be released, although I thought that the stand-in cover above is already really good.

Alphabet Squadron followed a small squadron of Rebel Alliance pilot, each of whom flies a different make of starfighter (e.g. one in an X-Wing, another in a Y-Wing, hence Alphabet Squadron), as the fight against the Imperial Remnant in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. Made up of a disparate group of pilots and led by former Imperial, Yrica Quell, Alphabet Squadron explored the darker side of the galaxy following the Rebel’s victory. Alphabet Squadron was also connected to the Star Wars: Tie Fighter (2019) comic book miniseries, as the main characters of the miniseries served as the book’s antagonists. Shadow Fall will continue the adventure started in the previous book, and it looks like this time more time will be spent on the Imperial characters who make up Shadow Wing.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After their narrow victory over Shadow Wing, Alphabet Squadron is on the attack, hunting their adversaries within the Imperial Remnant. Shadow Wing is desperate for direction and leadership–and they find both in the iron will of Major Keize, their former commander and Yrica Quell’s one-time mentor. As battle lines blur, Alphabet Squadron finds itself not only fighting their resurgent foes, but their leader’s own deadly shadow.

This should prove to be another excellent piece of Star Wars fiction, and I am looking forward to the plot, which will once again focus on a number of engagements between the two rival squads of fighters. Freed showed his ability to produce amazing space battle sequences in Alphabet Squadron, and no doubt this latest book will contain many more of these as well. I am also expecting that the author will continue to focus on the strained relationships of the five members of Alphabet Squadron, as they slowly meld together as an effective team, and there is likely to be more internal politics and manipulation from their shady New Republic Intelligence handler. My initial prediction for this book is that it will end in some form of major defeat for the protagonists, similar in the ending to Empire Strikes Back, but I have nothing to back that up with. I do think that Shadow Fall is going to be another awesome book from Freed, and I look forward to all the intense action and battle sequences it will contain.

As you can see, the first half of 2020 is shaping up to have some exceptional Star Wars novels. I am very excited for all three of these books, and I reckon that they will all turn out to be fantastic reads. I am also very curious to see what other novels are released in the latter half of the year, although it is pretty much guaranteed that I will end up reviewing all of them, no matter what. Until then, I’ve got a Star Wars movie to see, here’s hoping The Rise of Skywalker lives up to expectations.

Waiting on Wednesday – Ashlords by Scott Reintgen

On December 11, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, 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. 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 instalment of Waiting on Wednesday, I feature a unique and compelling-sounding upcoming book, Ashlords by Scott Reintgen.

Ashlords Cover.jpg

Scott Reintgen is a rather new young adult fiction author who has already produced his first trilogy, The Nyxia Triad series of science fiction novels, which ran between 2017 and 2019. While I did not get an opportunity to read this previous body of work, I am very interested in his new upcoming book, Ashlords.

Ashlords is Reintgen’s first foray into fantasy fiction, and he has come up with a very cool concept for his new novel. Based on the below plot synopsis, it looks like Ashlords will follow several protagonists as the attempt to win a long and arduous race from atop their magical, fiery horses, while also fighting off sabotage and attacks from their competitors. I really like the sound of this fantastic plot idea and I think that it has some true potential to be an incredible read.

Ashlords is set to be released in late January 2020 and I am looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every year since the Ashlords were gifted phoenix horses by their gods, they’ve raced them. First into battle, then on great hunts, and finally for the pure sport of seeing who rode the fastest. Centuries of blood and fire carved their competition into a more modern spectacle: The Races.

Over the course of a multi-day event, elite riders from clashing cultures vie to be crowned champion. But the modern version of the sport requires more than good riding. Competitors must be skilled at creating and controlling phoenix horses made of ash and alchemy, which are summoned back to life each sunrise with uniquely crafted powers to cover impossible distances and challenges before bursting into flames at sunset. But good alchemy only matters if a rider knows how to defend their phoenix horse at night. Murder is outlawed, but breaking bones and poisoning ashes? That’s all legal and encouraged.

In this year’s Races, eleven riders will compete, but three of them have more to lose than the rest–a champion’s daughter, a scholarship entrant, and a revolutionary’s son. Who will attain their own dream of glory? Or will they all flame out in defeat?

Waiting on Wednesday – The Holdout by Graham Moore

On December 4, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I’m going to take a look at a deeply thrilling and intriguing-sounding upcoming murder mystery, The Holdout by Graham Moore.

The Holdout Cover.jpg

Graham Moore is an interesting author who has experience both as a screen writer and a novelist, having written the screenplay for The Imitation Game, as well as two previous novels, The Sherlockian and The Last Days of Night. I really enjoyed The Imitation Game a few years back, and I also read The Last Days of Night when it was first released, and was very impressed with the fantastic story it contained about the battle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse (which has no connection to the recent Benedict Cumberbatch film The Current War). As a result of this prior work, I was very interested when I heard that Moore was releasing a new piece of crime fiction, and I was especially keen to check it out once I read its cool plot synopsis.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s the most sensational case of the decade. Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar real estate fortune, vanishes on her way home from school. Her teacher Bobby Nock is the prime suspect after illicit text messages are discovered between them–and Jessica’s blood is found in his car. The subsequent trial taps straight into America’s most pressing preoccupations: race, class, sex, law enforcement, and the lurid sins of the rich and famous. It’s an open and shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed. Until Maya Seale, a young woman on the jury, convinced of Nock’s innocence, persuades the rest of the jurors to return the verdict of not guilty, a controversial decision that will change all of their lives forever.

Flash forward ten years. A true-crime docuseries reassembles the jurors, with particular focus on Maya, now a defense attorney herself. When one of the jurors is found dead in Maya’s hotel room, all evidence points to her as the killer. Now, she must prove her own innocence–by getting to the bottom of a case that is far from closed.

As the present-day murder investigation weaves together with the story of what really happened during their deliberation, told by each of the jurors in turn, the secrets they have all been keeping threaten to come out–with drastic consequences for all involved.

The above plot synopsis sounds quite captivating, and I have a good feeling up this upcoming book. I really like the idea of a story that blends together a controversial jury debate from the past with a murder in the present. The true crime documentary series aspect of the story could also prove to be interesting, although it has become a bit of an overused device in recent crime fiction novels. Still, if handled right, it could help turn this novel into an enjoyable and exciting read. In addition, I am anticipating a lot of twists and turns throughout this novel, and I very curious to see how the mystery unfolds. The Holdout is set for release in early 2020, and it looks like it will be released in Australia in late February, so I will be probably checking it out then. This is an amazing-sounding piece of crime fiction that has some intriguing potential, and I really look forward to unravelling the entire story in a couple of short months.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Last Smile in Sunder City and The Kingdom of Liars

On November 27, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday12 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I am going to check out two intriguing-sounding fantasy debuts that are coming out in the first half of next year. Both of these upcoming debuts sound like they could be a lot of fun, and I have a feeling that both of them are going to be the start of some memorable fantasy series.

The Last Smile in Sunder City.jpg

The first one of these books that is coming out is The Last Smile in Sunder City by Australian author Luke Arnold. This is the first novel from Arnold, who is famous for his acting roles in shows such as Black Sails, and from what I have seen in the plot synopsis, his debut could be a rather interesting fantasy thriller.

Goodreads Synopsis:

I’m Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me:
1. Sobriety costs extra.
2. My services are confidential – the cops can never make me talk.
3. I don’t work for humans.

It’s nothing personal – I’m human myself. But after what happened, Humans don’t need my help. Not like every other creature who had the magic ripped out of them when the Coda came…
I just want one real case. One chance to do something good.
Because it’s my fault the magic is never coming back.

I have had some good experiences with contemporary fantasy thrillers in the past, and this one does sound pretty cool. The concept of a drunk private eye helping de-powered magical creatures out of guilt has some real potential, and I will be pretty intrigued to see why it was Fetch’s fault that magic no longer exists in the world. There is currently no indication of what sort of case he will be investigating, although one of the other taglines I have seen for the book is “Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone but the monsters remain.” I have a feeling that the protagonist will be facing off against other humans intent on exploiting the vulnerable magical creatures, but I guess we will have to see. I am getting a real Rivers of London vibe from both the plot and the cool cover above, and hopefully it will have a similar sort of magic and fun to it. The Last Smile in Sunder City is set for release in early February next year, and I am actually in the process of putting in a request for it now.

The Kingdom of Liars Cover.jpg

The next book that I am going to look at is The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell, which is set for release in early May. The Kingdom of Liars is a more classic fantasy tale, set in its own unique universe filled with magic and war. This is another really exciting-sounding novel, and I have to say that I was very impressed with the cool sounding plot below.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Michael is branded a traitor as a child because of the murder of the king’s nine-year-old son, by his father David Kingman. Ten years later on Michael lives a hardscrabble life, with his sister Gwen, performing crimes with his friends against minor royals in a weak attempt at striking back at the world that rejects him and his family.

In a world where memory is the coin that pays for magic, Michael knows something is there in the hot white emptiness of his mind. So when the opportunity arrives to get folded back into court, via the most politically dangerous member of the kingdom’s royal council, Michael takes it, desperate to find a way back to his past. He discovers a royal family that is spiraling into a self-serving dictatorship as gun-wielding rebels clash against magically trained militia.

What the truth holds is a set of shocking revelations that will completely change the Hollows, if Michael and his friends and family can survive long enough to see it.

This sounds like it is going to be a really cool fantasy read, and I am very much looking forward to it. A plot that follows a family of despised traitors and thieves infiltrating the royal court after their banishment sounds really fascinating to me, and I imagine that the politics and intrigue of such a situation are going to be very chaotic and very entertaining. I also like the sound of the book’s unique magical system, where memory powers magic, and I imagine that the author has come up with a number of intriguing features, powers, side effects and misuses for this sort of magic. I am also deeply curious about a world where people are missing a bunch of their memories, and I can see that playing into the book’s mystery elements very well. I also like the idea of magically powered soldiers fighting foes with gunpowder weapons, and I will be intrigued to see what sort of fight that turns out to be.

The Kingdom of Liars currently has two covers that I can see at the moment. The cover above, which I took from the Hachette Australia website (as that is the cover I am most likely to get on my copy of The Kingdom of Liars), has a very cool and sleek white and red design with a simple picture of the protagonist (I assume). The other cover that I have seen (included below) has a rather eye-catching shot of a cityscape with a broken moon rising behind it. While I will be interested to see how the broken moon plays into the plot, I personally like the first cover the most, and it is a very classical fantasy look.

The Kingdom of Liars Cover 2.jpg

Both of the above upcoming fantasy debut sound pretty awesome and I have very high hopes for them. I am slightly more interested in The Kingdom of Liars than The Last Smile in Sunder City, but that is probably because I know a little more about the plot. That being said, I am sure that I am really going to enjoy both of these books and I look forward to checking out some great books from some talented new authors.

Waiting on Wednesday – To the Strongest by Robert Fabbri

On November 20, 2019November 20, 2019 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 this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out the upcoming historical fiction release, To the Strongest, the first book in an intriguing new series by one of my favourite authors, Robert Fabbri.

To the Strongest Cover.jpg

Robert Fabbri is a talented historical fiction author who is best known for his Vespasian series. The Vespasian books were a wildly entertaining series that focused on the life of its titular character, the Roman Emperor Vespasian. Successfully mixing the known history of Vespasian with some fun fictional adventures, Fabbri told a fantastic story that explored decades of the most turbulent period of Rome’s history, including the reigns of some of its most infamous emperors. Featuring massive battles, a number of key historical events and some of the more extreme and outrageous (and in some cases historically inaccurate) tales of Roman excess and debauchery, the Vespasian series was pretty awesome, and I had a great time reading it. Make sure to check out my reviews for Rome’s Sacred Flame and Emperor of Rome.

After enjoying the Vespasian series over the last couple of years, I was very excited when I heard that Fabbri was writing a new historical fiction series. To the Strongest, which is set for release in early 2020, will be the first book in Fabbri’s Alexander’s Legacy series. From what I have seen about the plot, I think To the Strongest is going to be quite a fascinating and amusing read.

Goodreads Synopsis:

‘I foresee great struggles at my funeral games.’

Babylon, 323 BC: Alexander the Great is dead, leaving behind him the largest, and most fearsome, empire the world has ever seen. As his final breaths fade in a room of seven bodyguards, Alexander refuses to name a successor. But without a natural heir, who will take the reins?

As the news of the king’s sudden and unexpected death ripples across the land, leaving all in disbelief, the ruthless battle for the throne begins. What follows is a devious, tangled web of scheming and plotting, with alliances quickly made and easily broken, each rival with their own agenda.

But who will emerge victorious: the half-chosen; the one-eyed; the wildcat; the general; the bastard; the regent? In the end, only one man, or indeed woman, will be left standing…

I really like the idea of a battle royale of politics and war for Alexander the Great’s empire between a host of different contenders. This is sure to be an awesome basis for a book, and it is definitely something that I will be keen to read. This is not a period of history that I am massively familiar with, so I will be very interested to see where the story goes. I am really excited to see how this book plays out, and I am sure that Fabbri will be able to get a rather entertaining story out of it.

While I was always going to grab any new piece of historical fiction that Fabbri released, I have to say that I am keen for To the Strongest, which I think has a lot of potential. The aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death is a wonderful premise for a story, and I am sure that this setting, combined with Fabbri’s flair for exhilarating and compelling storytelling, is going to produce an amazing book. I am also looking forward to seeing how the Alexander’s Legacy series will play out, and hopefully it results in another long-running series that will prove to be just as much as a highlight in my reading year as the Vespasian series was.

Waiting on Wednesday – Song of the Risen God by R. A. Salvatore

On November 13, 2019November 13, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, 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. After reading the incredible recent fantasy release Boundless, I am in a mood for another novel by one of my favourite authors, R. A. Salvatore, so in this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I check out Salvatore’s next upcoming book, Song of the Risen God.

Song of the Risen God Cover.jpg

Song of the Risen God will be the third and final book in The Coven trilogy, a series which follows on from the events of Salvatore’s epic The DemonWars Saga, which started in 1997 with The Demon Awakens. Set in his unique fantasy world of Corona, The Coven trilogy has so far featured two action-packed and compelling novels, 2018’s Child of a Mad God and this year’s Reckoning of Fallen Gods, both of which I have really enjoyed. Salvatore has been running these novels concurrently with his latest trilogy of books in the Forgotten Realms universe (which includes Timeless and Boundless).

The Coven trilogy is mostly focused on the humans who live around the shores of the massive Loch Beag, as well as the ruthless Uscar tribe who live above the loch on the slopes of the mountain, Fireach Speur. The Uscar are feared warriors and hunters who, with the help of their witch’s crystal magic, constantly raid the fishing villages around Loch Beag, taking the woman and children for slaves. While most Uscar are content with their violent lifestyle, one young Uscar witch, Aoelyn, rebelled and attempted to use her powerful magical abilities to escape the brutality of her tribe.

Together with her lover, the slave Bahdlahn, Aoelyn manages to make her way to the villages at the loch edge, where several of their friends and allies are waiting for them. However, just as Aoelyn and Bahdlahn managed to escape, a powerful army of goblinoids, the Xoconai, attacked both the Uscar and the villages around Loch Beag in the opening stages of an all-out invasion of the civilised human lands that lie on the other side of the mountain.

The second book in this trilogy, Reckoning of Fallen Gods, ended with the Xoconai’s fallen god rising from death and unleashing his full power on Loch Beag, devastating the tribes below and uncovering his massive dragon steed that lurked beneath Loch Beag. This was an epic cliff-hanger to end the second book with, and I am really looking forward to seeing how Salvatore concludes this great trilogy.

Song of the Risen God, which is set for release in late January 2020, currently has the following plot synopsis out, and it looks like it is going to be a pretty cool novel.

Goodreads Synopsis:

War has come to Fireach Speur.

The once forgotten Xoconai empire has declared war upon the humans west of the mountains, and their first target are the people of Loch Beag. Lead by the peerless general, Tzatzini, all that stands in the way of the God Emperor’s grasp of power is Aoelyn, Talmadge, and their few remaining allies.

But not all hope is lost. Far away from Fireach Speuer, an ancient tomb is uncovered by Brother Thaddeus of the Abellican Church. Within it is the power to stop the onslaught of coming empire and, possibly, reshape the very world itself.

While the above synopsis does not contain a lot of new details, it does sound like this is going to be a novel that focuses on a deadly war against the Xoconai. Salvatore’s previous works are littered with a number of scenarios where the forces of good have to fight against a superior force, and I’ve loved every single one of them so far. After the amazing first two books in this trilogy, I expect to have an outstanding time reading Song of the Risen God. This new upcoming book from Salvatore is probably one of my most anticipated reads for the first half of 2020, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.