Warhammer 40000: Deathworlder – Page 2

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 one of the most exciting upcoming novels from the awesome Warhammer 40,000 franchise with Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward.

Warhammer 40,000 - Deathworlder Cover

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We have just come out of an awesome year for Warhammer 40,000 fiction. 2023 featured some outstanding novels from this incredible grim dark franchise, with books like Warboss and The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks, Creed: Ashes of Cadia by Jude Reid, The King of the Spoil by Jonathan D. Beer, Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French and The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023) all proving to be exceptional reads. 2024 is also shaping up to be particularly awesome year for fiction from my favourite franchise, with several outstanding novels teased or announced already. Of them, the one I am currently most excited for is the dark and gritty Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward.

The debut novel from Hayward, who has previously written several intriguing Warhammer short stories, Deathworlder is currently set for release in late April 2024. I have a lot of love for this book already, especially as its epic plot will pit two extreme factions from the game against each other in the ultimate battle of survival.

Plot Synopsis:

Catachans vs Tyranids – Who Are the Deadliest Predators in This New Astra Militarum Novel?

Lazulai is a world beyond the brink, its battle against the tyranids all but lost. Once-magnificent cities lie in ruin. The seas boil. The skies crack. Horrific alien bioforms devour. In mere days the planet will be consumed.

The 903rd Catachan ‘Night Shrikes’ defend one of the last fortresses still standing. Led by Major Wulf Khan, to die fighting is all that is expected of them… until she is given one last mission: to lead a squad through the apocalypse and recover a piece of archeotech that may doom or deliver the entire Lazulai System.

Facing insurmountable odds and zero hope for aid, the major must hold her squad together as they pick their way through an endless xenos jungle. The enemy is merciless, relentless, endlessly adaptable and formidably resourceful… but so too is Khan.

Now this sounds like a pretty damn epic book. I always say that some of the very best Warhammer 40,000 are those that focus on human soldiers placed into impossible situations, and some of the best recent books such as Steel Tread by Andy Clark, Krieg by Steve Lyons and Longshot by Rob Young serving as pretty good examples of this. As such, I cannot wait to see another impressive, character-driven read in this franchise, especially as it will focus on the always fun Catachans. The soldiers of the Catachan regiments are some of the most popular and iconic in the game, as they are essentially over-the-top jungle fighters, literally based on Rambo. I had a lot of fun with the last novel that focused on them, Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley, and I cannot wait to see them in action again, especially if they are going toe-to-toe with the Tyranids.

As one of the more sinister factions in the Warhammer 40,000 canon, the Tyranids are showcased as ravenous, alien monsters, who slowly digest any planet they come across. The last novel I read focussing the Tyranids, Leviathan by Darius Hinks, was very terrifying, and Deathworlder sounds even cooler, as it will pit the ultimate human jungle fighters against these insanely stealthy and deadly aliens. Deathworlder honestly sounds like Predator turned up to 11, which is a concept that we can all get behind. Throw in the drama surrounding a doomed and abandoned group of soldiers slowly getting killed off, and Deathworlder has so much potential.

Honestly, the moment I found out that Deathworlder was going to pit the Catachans against the Tyranids, I knew I was going to read it. Victoria Hayward has come up with an outstanding scenario, that features some of the very best things that I love in a Warhammer 40,000 novel, plus more. Deathworlder sounds like such a cool debut, and I plan to read it the very second it comes out.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For the first Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of the year. This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year. Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am doing two versions of this list, this first one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and another that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.

2024 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year. I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely keen for. This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors. I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be in the fantasy and science fiction space, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 which I have some descent details about. Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult. I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy and science fiction reads of 2024. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Burning Land by David Hair – 1 February 2024

An intriguing and awesome sound fantasy adventure that will see a group of knights go rogue to try and find the truth about the supposedly holy order that they serve.

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The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan – 13 February 2024

While I am sure that The Trials of Empire is going to be high up on many people’s to-read list for 2024, I’m going to keep it as an honourable mention mainly because I haven’t had the chance to read the second novel, The Tyranny of Faith, yet. I am hoping to read The Tyranny of Faith before The Trials of Empire comes out, so I can enjoy this awesome sounding novel later this year.

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Exit Black by Joe Pitkin – 20 February 2024

An intriguing science fiction thriller about a futuristic space hotel for the wealthy taken over by terrorists. Should be very, very fun.

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Top Ten List:

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett – 13 February 2024

One of the most anticipated fantasy releases of 2024, The Tainted Cup is an awesome and intricate novel that will force two unusual detectives to investigate a death apparently committed by impossible magic. Robert Jackson Bennett is an outstanding author, and I look forward to immersing myself in his new elaborate world.

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Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 28 March 2024

An intriguing science fiction thriller set in a massive prison on an alien world, Alien Clay will follow a scientist’s attempts to uncover the secrets of the planet while also dodging the prison’s dangerous warden. I have really grown to enjoy Tchaikovsky’s writing, especially after his amazing 2023 novels, City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, and I have no doubt that Alien Clay will be a fun and impressive read.

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The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence – 9 April 2024

After deeply impressing me with the incredible and inventive The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (one of my favourite books of 2023), Mark Lawrence continues The Library trilogy in a big way with The Book That Broke the World. Continuing to follow his intriguing protagonists as they attempt to uncover the crazy secrets of the impossible library at the centre of their lives, The Book That Broke the World looks set to provide more peak Lawrence creativity and imagination and I cannot wait to see what happens next in this amazing series.

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Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller – 9 April 2024

I’ve been a bit remiss with my Star Wars reading lately, and I’m hoping to make that up this year by checking out the cool new novel by John Jackson Miller, Star Wars: The Living Force. Set before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Living Force will follow Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and all twelve members of the Jedi Council as they investigate how Jedi are perceived in the universe. Authored by one of the top authors of tie-in fiction, The Living Force should be a pretty awesome read and I am deeply intrigued about a story focusing on the Jedi Council and their politics.

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Extinction by Douglas Preston – 23 April 2024

One of the more entertaining and awesome upcoming books of 2024 is Extinction by veteran thriller and science fiction author Douglas Preston. Set in a resort where ancient animals have been brought back to life with genetic manipulation (when does that ever go wrong), the book will see guests murdered and kidnapped by a gang of eco-terrorists. Sounding like a fantastic mix of Die Hard and Jurassic Park, I love everything about Extinction, and I am hoping to read it soon.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward – 23 April 2024

It wouldn’t be one of my lists without at least one Warhammer 40,000 novel, which has been such an epic franchise for me lately. While there are several great Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in 2024, the one from the first half of the year that appeals to me the most is Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward. Hayward’s debut novel, Deathworlder will pit two of this universe’s best jungle fighters against each other, as the human Catachan troopers attempt to navigate a world actively being consumed by the insidious alien Tyranids. This will probably end up being a disturbing and grim survivalist adventure, and I know I will love every second of it.

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The Silverblood Promise by James Logan – 7 May 2024

One of the books I’m particularly excited for this year is the excellent fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. This awesome novel will follow a disappointing and caddish heir to a noble house who is thrust into a leadership position and must find out who is responsible for his father’s death in a deadly city of rogues and liars. I love the sound of this book and it has the potential to be one of the best debuts of 2024.

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The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton – 21 May 2024

An awesome science fiction murder mystery that I am really looking forward to in 2024 is the intriguing and complex The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. Set in the last human settlement after a mysterious apocalypse, the book will see a deadly murder occurs that threatens the entire colony. To stay alive the protagonists will need to solve the murder before their sanctuary is destroyed, however, the settlement’s security protocols have been activated and erased everyone’s memory of the night in question, even the killers. Bound to be one of the most compelling and unique murder mysteries of 2024, I am very hyped for The Last Murder at the End of the World, and this should be an exceptional read from Turton.

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Necrotek by Jonathan Maberry – 28 May 2024

One of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, returns with an awesome and intense new book in 2024, with Necrotek. Maberry, who deeply impressed me with his 2023 releases, Son of the Poison Rose and Cave 13 (both of which were amongst my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), has a great writing style and I look forward to seeing how it translates across to the science fiction genre with Necrotek. Featuring a dark and horror themed narrative, Necrotek will be Maberry’s first pure science fiction novel, and I cannot wait to dive into his elaborate tale of eldritch space horrors, ancient alien technology, and immortal souls being lodged in deadly machinery. I have no doubt this will be one of my favourite books of 2024 and I am so damn excited for it.

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Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 4 June 2024

Another outstanding Adrian Tchaikovsky novel coming out in the first half of 2024 is the epic sounding Service Model. Following a service robot who gains sentience and decides to rebel against its human masters, Service Model has a particularly entertaining plot behind it that looks to be quite amusing while also serving as a critique humanity’s growing reliance on technology. This honestly sounds like one of the funniest books of the year, and I look forward to seeing even more outrageous adventures, witty comedy and intense social commentary from one of science fiction’s top authors.

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Well, that’s the end of this first list. As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year. All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads. 2024 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year. I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2024. Make sure to also check out my other Top Ten List that looks at the top upcoming books of 2024 from the other genres.