Waiting on Wednesday – The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

On January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, 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. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I have my eye on an intriguing-sounding science fiction/horror debut, The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling.

The Luminous Dead Cover.jpg

Goodreads Synopsis:

A thrilling, atmospheric debut with the intensive drive of The Martian and Gravity and the creeping dread of Annihilation, in which a caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival.

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck—enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother—meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash—and a lash. And Em has secrets, too . . .

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies—missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations—drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, her control giving way to paranoia and anger, Gyre severs her connection with Em and the outside world. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive—she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

But how come she can’t shake the feeling she’s being followed?

The Luminous Dead is an interesting upcoming novel from first-time author Caitlin Starling. Set to be released in April 2019, The Luminous Dead caught my eye just last night and it is definitely one I am keen to review. I really loved the cool-sounding synopsis for this book and think that this one has some excellent potential. I am not the biggest fan of the horror genre, but the idea of a dark physiologic thriller in space really appealed to me for some reason.

I am deeply intrigued to see how the science fiction, horror and psychological thriller elements will come together in this story. From the synopsis, it sounds like the plot will be mostly focused on the interactions between the two main characters, Gyre and Em, and become a bit of a psychological battle between them. It further sounds like both characters are going to have some mental issues, and both are slowly going to break down. This plot basis will hopefully lead to some great storytelling and a deep dive into both of these main characters’ psyches. I am also very curious to see what’s on the planet with Gyre and I am eager for some sort of epic reveal.

Overall, I am curious to see how The Luminous Dead will turn out and I will be very interested to see if Caitlin Starling’s writing will live up to the awesome-sounding plot synopsis attached to the book. I will hopefully get a hard copy of the book from the publisher before its release date, but I am also tempted to check out the book’s audiobook format, as I find that audiobooks with the right narrator are an amazing way to enhance the experience of a book’s horror element. Check back here in a couple of months to see what I thought of Starling’s intriguing idea, although I am sure I will have some fun with it.

Waiting on Wednesday – Queen’s Shadow and Superman: Dawnbreaker

On January 9, 2019January 10, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Superhero, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult2 Comments

I have never made any secret about the fact that I love novels that tie-in to movies, televisions shows, video games and comic books, with multiple examples featured on my blog and Goodreads page. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a huge number of tie-in novels are going to appear on my must-read list for the future. This week I am taking a look at two intriguing young adult tie-in novels that are going to be released in early March 2019: the latest Star Wars novel, Queen’s Shadow, by E. K. Johnston and the fourth book in the DC Icons series, Superman: Dawnbreaker, by Matt de le Pena.

I am a massive fan of both the Star Wars and DC Comics universes, and generally go out of my way to watch, read or play anything associated with these franchises and extended universe. Honestly, I am going to get both of these books no matter what, but I may as well try and discuss what about these books I am most excited about.

Both of these books have some pretty awesome-sounding story premises. Queen’s Shadow will apparently follow a young Padmé Amidala immediately after the events of The Phantom Menace, as she transitions from Naboo’s queen to its representative in the Galactic Senate. I think it is a story with some potential, as this book is likely to become a bit of a political thriller/espionage hybrid, and will explore the politics of the Republic leading up to the Clone Wars. No doubt Padmé will see some forms of corruption and intrigue, as well as the future Emperor’s devious plots. I am also looking forward to Padmé getting a story to herself. While Padmé started off as a badass ruler in the movies, most of her appearances were overshadowed by that frankly terrible romance with Anakin (he’s an angry, stalking man-child who attempted to hit on her by talking about sand, and the whole age gap is pretty darn creepy). Therefore I will be extremely happy to get a story which will hopefully have no appearances from Anakin, and which will allow the character of Padmé to live up to her own potential (although I will not be surprised if creeper teenage Darth Vader makes some sort of appearance in this book).

While Queen’s Shadow has an interesting-sound story premise, I am actually a bit more intrigued about the proposed story in Dawnbreaker. It sounds like it will focus on a young Clark Kent still living in Smallville as he learns to control his powers and find his calling as a hero. Clark will find some dark secrets in the heart of his small town and be forced to investigate. I have no doubt that this will be an intriguing re-imagination of Superman’s origin, and I am eager to see what sort of mystery or villain will be behind these terrible events. Just from the synopsis alone, I think this book has potential, and I am looking forward to uncovering all of the story’s hidden secrets.

Another reason why I am hoping to get copies of both of these books is due to my previous experiences with these authors or franchises. I have been in a real Star Wars expanded universe mood for the last few years now, but I am also excited to get another entry from E. K. Jackson. I previously read her last entry in the Star Wars universe, Ahsoka, and I was struck by the author’s understanding of the character and the intriguing young adult storyline she was able to create. As a result, I am eager to see this author’s treatment of another strong female Star Wars character, and I hope she will craft another great story. I have not previously read anything from Dawnbreaker author Matt de le Pena before, but I have read some of the previous books in the DC Icons series before, such as the last book, Catwoman: Soulstealer. I really enjoyed the unique ways the author of that book was able to alter the established origin story of Catwoman, so I am very eager to see the new and different story DC will allow in Dawnbreaker.

While I will be very happy with physical copies of both these books, there is a very strong chance that I will seek out audiobook copies. Both Queen’s Shadow and Dawnbreaker will have their audiobook formats released at the same time as their paperback formats, and neither audiobook sounds like it will be too long, with Dawnbreaker apparently clocking in at around eight hours, while Queen’s Shadow is only a little longer, at 10 hours. After listening to the audiobook version of the previous DC Icons book, Catwoman: Soulstealer, I know that they will do a good job with it and produce an enjoyable and easy-to-listen-to book. I am really excited about the audiobook version of Queen’s Shadow. Not only is it likely to have the same high-quality production value, music and sound effects that the previous Star Wars audiobooks have all featured, but it will also be narrated by Catherine Taber, the voice of Padmé in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie and television series. With Natalie Portman extremely unlikely to narrate an audiobook, Taber is the perfect voice to get for this book. Not only does she have a perfect Padmé voice, but fans of extended Star Wars universe cartoon shows will love to see her jump back into the character, especially as she is likely to voice the character again in the recently announced new season of The Clone Wars television show. With the producers going all out for Queen’s Shadow’s audiobook format, it will be a hard target for me to miss and will no doubt be an incredible way to enjoy this book.

These two books will be among the first two tie-in books of 2019 that I seek out, so I am really hoping that I will enjoy them. I think both of them have intriguing sounding stories, and I have had some great experiences with their respective franchises and their specific authors or series. I am very likely to get the audiobook version of Queen’s Shadow, but I will have to see how I go with Dawnbreaker. I have no doubt that I will really love both of these books, and I am definitely going to get copies of both.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch

On January 2, 2019January 2, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

The Thorn of Emberlain Cover.jpg

For my first Waiting on Wednesday for 2019, I will be looking at a fantasy book that has been on many people’s waiting lists since 2013, The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch. The Thorn of Emberlain is the fourth planned book in Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series, which started with the epic 2006 release The Lies of Locke Lamora. The Gentleman Bastards series follows the adventures of a small gang of conmen, known as The Gentleman Bastards, as they attempt to steal and embezzle money from the rich and powerful in a unique and excellently crafted fantasy world. The third book in the series, The Republic of Thieves, was released back in 2013, and fantasy fans have been eager for the fourth book to be released ever since. Unfortunately, The Thorn of Emberlain has been delayed multiple times in recent years, with potential release dates announced for 2016 and 2017 falling through. As a result of these delays, The Thorn of Emberlain is now one of the most highly anticipated pieces of unreleased fantasy fiction, up there with The Doors of Stone (working title for the third book in The Kingkiller Chronicle) and The Winds of Winter (upcoming sixth book in A Song of Ice and Fire). Despite the delayed release, some details have trickled through about this book, such as the above cover, and the synopsis below.

Goodread Synopsis:

Locke Lamora, thief, con-man, pirate, political deceiver is back, and now he must become a soldier.

A new chapter for Locke and Jean and finally the war that has been brewing in the Kingdom of the Marrows flares up and threatens to capture all in its flames.

And all the while Locke must try to deal with the disturbing rumours about his past revealed in The Republic of Thieves. Fighting a war when you don’t know the truth of right and wrong is one thing. Fighting a war when you don’t know the truth of yourself is quite another. Particularly when you’ve never been that good with a sword anyway…

The first thing I should mention about this book is, unlike the other books I have previously examined in my Waiting on Wednesday segments, I have no idea when it is going to be released. At this point in time, Goodreads and several other sites have no definitive release date included, and I cannot see any recent posts online about it coming out. However, Amazon and Book Depository currently both have late 2019 release dates (although neither site has the same release date), potentially indicating that the book may be released later this year. While I really hope that it will come out in 2019, I realise that there is a very strong possibility that I might have to wait a little longer.

Why I am so eager to get a copy of The Thorn of Emberlain? The main reason is that I really loved the first three books in the series. I first read them in 2016 when I was first getting back into fantasy after several years focusing on historical fiction, and it was one of the series that really got me back into the genre. I really enjoyed the series’s fantastic humour, brilliant twists, clever examination of the criminal element of a dark fantasy world and the inclusion of magic and elaborate alchemy in heists and embezzlements.

I loved all three of the books that Lynch has released so far. The Lies of Locke Lamora really does live up to the hype surrounding it, and is an outstanding debut from Lynch, featuring a superb story in the outstanding city setting of Camorr. The second book, Red Seas Under Red Skies is just as epic in my opinion, continuing the amazing style of the first book, while also adding in a ton of great new elements. The third book, The Republic of Thieves, is probably the weakest book out of all of them but it still retains the fun storytelling and features of the first two books, while also including a fantastic split timeline narrative. I also must commend the audiobook versions of these three books and their narration by Michael Page.

In addition to my past enjoyment of this series, what has been revealed about The Thorn of Emberlain already sounds quite promising. It sounds like the Gentleman Bastards will be dragged into a war that has been slowly brewing in the last few books of the series. Knowing the main characters of the series, you have to imagine that they will be engaging in some elaborate plot to get rich off the war, and I am looking forward to them attempting to con a rich general or warlord of some variety. It also sounds like the Gentleman Bastards will have to go undercover as soldiers, which is reminiscent of the plot of Red Seas Under Red Skies, in which the characters had to pretend to be sailors. As that was one of my favourite parts of Red Seas Under Red Skies, I am eager to see the characters undergo the transformation into soldiers, especially Locke, who has never been a particularly good fighter.

In addition, it sounds like there will be some other interesting elements in this latest book. Lynch has previously revealed in a Twitter thread from February 2018 that he will be including a homosexual character in his latest book, and he appears to very keen to provide a sensitive and positive representation of this experience in his book. I think this will be a great element to the book, and I am interested to see how Lynch’s new characters add to the story. Some of the other details revealed in this thread also sound quite interesting, as Lynch indicates he has done extensive research on horses, rivers, architecture, roads, wolves, farms, stabbing people with swords and much more. Considering the sheer amount of research that would have been required for previous books, I am really looking forward to seeing what all this work will turn into.

Overall, this book has been near the top of my personal to-read list ever since I finished The Republic of Thieves. I hope that it is released at some point soon, but even if it takes a while to finally come out, I will be waiting eagerly for it.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Raven Tower and Master of Sorrows

On December 26, 2018December 26, 2018 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. This week I could not decide between two very intriguing fantasy novels, both of which are being released in Australia by Hachette around the same time. Therefore I decided to choose both of them, and I will be very interested to see which one I enjoy more in February.

The Raven Tower Cover.jpg

The first book I want to get is The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. Leckie is an established science fiction author who has written a number of cool-sounding books in the last few years. While I have not had the opportunity to check out any of her previous work, her debut fantasy book, The Raven Tower, looks to be a pretty epic piece of fantasy fiction.

Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods, and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this breathtaking first fantasy novel from Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards.

For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven’s Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven’s watch, the city flourishes.

But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts. And they have made their own alliances with other gods.

It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo–aide to Mawat, the true Lease–arrives. And in seeking to help Mawat reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven’s Tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself…and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.

I love the summary of this book, and it really sounds like The Raven Tower will have a good blend of fantasy and intrigue elements. The fight for control of an ancient god in a new fantasy city sounds like it will be pretty amazing concept, especially with outside influences potentially impacting the outcome. I am also very keen to figure out the dark secrets at the heart of the tower. Overall, this sounds like it will be a pretty cool read and I am very keen to check it out. No indication at the moment whether this will be a standalone novel or the start of a series, but I think it has potential as both.

Master of Sorrows Cover.jpg

The second book that I am really excited about in the next few months is Master of Sorrows by Justin Call. Master of Sorrows is a fantastic-sounding piece of young adult fantasy fiction from debuting author Justin Call. This will be the first in a planned series of fantasy books, titled The Silent Gods, which will no doubt be released over the next few years. What really intrigues me about this book is that I have seen two very different plot synopses, both of which sound really good but which indicate different plot directions. The first summary is on the Hachette Australia website:

The stunning coming-of-age adventure of fantasy’s most compelling anti-hero . . .

The Academy of Chaenbalu has stood against magic for centuries.

Hidden from the world, acting from the shadows, it trains its students to detect and retrieve magic artifacts, which it jealously guards from the misuse of others. Because magic is dangerous: something that heals can also harm, and a power that aids one person may destroy another.

Of the Academy’s many students, only the most skilled can become Avatars – warrior thieves, capable of infiltrating the most heavily guarded vaults – and only the most determined can be trusted to resist the lure of magic.

More than anything, Annev de Breth wants to become one of them.

This summary paints the book as a coming-of-age story at a magical academy, with a secret organisation of magicians being trained to locate and obtain magical items from a new fantasy universe. I love a great magical training narrative, and this sounds like a pretty cool book all on its own; however, when combined with its Goodreads synopsis, this storyline takes on a whole new flair:

You have heard the story before – of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world.

But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?
What if the boy slowly came to realize he was the reincarnation of an evil god? Would he save the world . . . or destroy it?

Among the Academy’s warrior-thieves, Annev de Breth is an outlier. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the small village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents’ killers.

Seventeen years later, Annev struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When he is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy’s masters, he must choose between forfeiting his promising future at the Academy or betraying his closest friends. Each decision leads to a deeper dilemma, until Annev finds himself pressed into a quest he does not wish to fulfil.

Will he finally embrace the doctrine of his tutors, murder a stranger, and abandon his mentor? Or will he accept the more difficult truth of who he is . . . and the darker truth of what he may become . . .

This paints the story in a far darker light, with a protagonist with a secret and the magical academy he is being trained at a far more sinister institution, as they apparently executed his parents as part of their mission. It also sounds like the protagonist will have to make some hard decisions as he chooses between his friends and the career he always wanted.

Essentially, I was sold on both synopsises for this book. Combined, Master of Sorrows sounds like it has the potential to be a really great read. I am really looking forward to this book, and I think it could turn out to be one of the best debuts of 2019.

Waiting on Wednesday – Alien: Echo by Mira Grant

On December 19, 2018January 10, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Horror, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult4 Comments

Alien Echo Cover

For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday review, I will be looking at one of the more interesting looking movie tie-in books of early 2019, Alien: Echo by Mira Grant. If you look back at some of the books I have reviewed in the past, it is pretty clear that I love novels that tie in to movies, television shows, video games and comic book series. Therefore, when I saw this tie-in to the classic Alien movies, I knew that I would have to read it, especially as it’s being written by skilled horror author Mira Grant.

Horror is not my favourite genre in the world; however, I have read a couple in the last year, and one of my favourites has got to be Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant. So far this is the only Mira Grant book I have read, except for a short story in a Night of the Living Dead zombie short story book, but I have been intending to check out some of her other series, such as her Newsflesh or Parasitology series. However, if Grant can make mermaids bloody terrifying like she did in Into the Drowning Deep, I can not wait to see what she does with one of film’s most iconic horror creatures.

Here is what the plot is sounding like at the moment:

An original young adult novel of the Alien universe

Olivia and her twin sister Viola have been dragged around the universe for as long as they can remember. Their parents, both xenobiologists, are always in high demand for their research into obscure alien biology.

Just settled on a new colony world, they discover an alien threat unlike anything they’ve ever seen. And suddenly the sisters’ world is ripped apart.

On the run from terrifying aliens, Olivia’s knowledge of xenobiology and determination to protect her sister are her only weapons as the colony collapses into chaos. But then a shocking family secret bursts open—one that’s as horrifying to Olivia as the aliens surrounding them.

The creatures infiltrate the rich wildlife on this virgin colony world—and quickly start adapting. Olivia’s going to have to adapt, too, if she’s going to survive…

As you can see, this book has a pretty cool synopsis, and I like the sound of two young people fleeing through a strange new planet, being pursued by an entire planet of aliens. I am also loving the cover of this book, especially the alien eggs appearing in both of the young women’s eyes. Early prediction based off the synopsis: the girls are either clones, part alien, androids or some variation of the three.

Alien: Echo is apparently going to be an original young adult novel, and I will be interested to see how writing it for a young adult audience will affect the horror elements of the Alien franchise. This book is coming out in early April 2019, and I will probably get it in its audiobook format, which will apparently be narrated by Kate Marcin. I have not heard anything narrated by Marcin before, but I am hoping that the audiobook format will bring the reader right into the middle of the horror. Plus, at around eight hours, it should allow me to breeze through this book fairly quickly and get out a review ASAP.

I am really looking forward to this one, and do not be surprised if this kick-starts me into reading a few more Mira Grant books in 2019.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso

On November 28, 2018November 28, 2018 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday2 Comments

I’ve really enjoyed the Waiting on Wednesday feature that several other book blogs provide, so I decided to give it a try. Waiting on Wednesday features books that I am hoping to get and review in the future. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books the moment I get them.

The Unbound Empire Cover (WoW).jpg

For my first Waiting on Wednesday, one of the main books I am hoping get in 2019 is The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso. The Unbound Empire is the third book in the Swords and Fire series and will be released in April 2019. I have really enjoyed the previous two books in the series, The Tethered Mage and The Defiant Heir, which were some of the best fantasy books in the last two years. With a fun combination of humour, intense fantasy adventure, enjoyable characters and excellent world building, I have awarded both of these books five-star reviews when I read them.

Definitely one to watch out for in 2019, I am expecting great things from The Unbound Empire.