Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 20 November 2025.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Seven Recipes for Revolution, The Feeding and Cold War.
Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose
Publisher: Daphne Press (ebook – 25 November 2025)
Series: What We Eat – Book One
Length: 480 pages
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
In the mood for a tasty fantasy debut? Then look no further than the clever and distinctive 2025 release, Seven Recipes for Revolution by talented new author Ryan Rose.
Plot Synopsis:
The Bear meets Attack on Titan in this exhilarating, food-based epic fantasy filled with high stakes and monster steaks, perfect for fans of Pierce Brown and Jay Kristoff.
Seventeen-year-old Paprick is a common butcher, carving slabs of meat from gargantuan monsters so elite chefs can prepare magic-granting meals for the rich. But Paprick’s true passion is cooking, and if he can learn the secret art, his dreams of liberating his people and sharing the monsters’ magic with the world could come true. He steals the precious ingredients needed to practise recipes at home, but if he’s caught, he’ll be executed.
As his desperation grows, he ventures into the black market and uncovers a spice imported from unknown lands. Combining it with the last of his stolen meat, he cooks a dish the world has never tasted before, with side-effects he couldn’t have foreseen.
The dish’s magic grows Paprick to kaiju-size, and legends of his powers spread among the people. Immediately, the rulers arrest him, but Paprick convinces them to make him a chef’s apprentice―if they ever want to learn his Recipe. However, his exposure to the world of high cuisine reveals the rot at its centre, and with his new power, rebellion is only a few recipes away…
Seven Recipes for Revolution was a particularly awesome book that really showcased Ryan Rose’s excellent imagination and ability to craft a compelling story around his unique food-based magic. The first book in Rose’s What We Eat series; Seven Recipes for Revolution was an outstanding read that greatly impressed me with its clever story and unique ideas.
Rose produced a delicious story for Seven Recipes for Revolution, which quickly grabs the reader’s attention. Primarily told in a chronicle format from the perspective of a future Paprick before his execution, you are soon transported to the protagonist’s early days as a common butcher in a segregated society of magical foodies. This early part of the book serves as an excellent introduction to the protagonist and the larger world the series is set in, as you soon learn about the food magic of this nation, as well as the magical beasts whose meat give them power. It doesn’t take long for Paprick to find himself in the middle of a deadly revolution when, after stealing magical meat from his job, he is able to create a new recipe that allows him to grow to massive size. Able to leverage his discovery with the rulers of the city, the Rares, Paprick is allowed to become an apprentice chef, which leads him into even greater trouble.
What follows is an interesting centre to the narrative as Paprick enters a whole new world of cuisine in an excellent magical school narrative as Rose provides some compelling looks at the city’s main chef school. I loved the mixture of interesting classes, which feature both cool magic and awesome-sounding food, and it serves as a great background to the rest of the plot as Paprick gets further involved with the revolution, as well as a bloody conspiracy lurking underneath the surface of Rare society. The last third of the book is a fantastic blur of action and intrigue, as various secrets come to light and the protagonist faces some very dark choices and challenges. The build-up to these events in the main story is well supported by the sequences occurring in the present day, as the future Paprick messes with the mysterious chronicler recording his story, while also providing some interesting hints of events to come. All this leads up to a great conclusion, and I loved the fun twists that emerged as you get towards the end. Readers come away very satisfied from Seven Recipes for Revolution, and you are left wanting to find out what happens next.
I really enjoyed how Rose pulled together his first book, and the unique fantasy story he came up with was particularly inventive and well-written. Rose really showed off his creative style early, quickly introducing readers to a cool new fantasy realm where magic resides in the meat of gigantic beasts, known as emphon, and the way you prepare the food grants different abilities and powers. It was really fascinating to see a complex and segregated fantasy society built around this magical cookery, and the resulting obsession with cooking and food that the characters gave Seven Recipes for Revolution a distinctive and complex feel. Rose made full use of these creative elements throughout his story, and the resulting training, battles and intrigues related to secret recipes and culinary abilities was quite spectacular.
In addition to the amazing worldbuilding , I must compliment the way that Rose set out the story using the chronicle method, which shows the older Paprick telling his narrative to an initially unnamed archivist who has history with the protagonist. Having a character retell the story of their life as narrative tool doesn’t always work, but I think was particularly effective in Seven Recipes for Revolution, especially as it added some fun uncertainty and visions of the future to the mixture. Much of this is done through various interruptions from the archivist as they refute parts of Paprick’s story and claim that he is either embellishing or adding in material to make himself look better. I liked how this established the protagonist as a bit of an unreliable figure, and you’re never quite sure where his story will go next. The conversations about the future Paprick and the archivist give each other also adds to the anticipation of the main plot, and you are always waiting for the events they hint about to drop. This cool style works so well with the combined fantasy and intrigue elements of Seven Recipes for Revolution’s plot, and you really get stuck into the food-based carnage and complex betrayals that emerge both in the main story and the plot surrounding the future recording of Paprick’s tall tale.
Thanks to his outstanding imagination and excellent storytelling ability, Ryan Rose’s debut novel, Seven Recipes for Revolution, was a particularly awesome read, and it’s one I’m glad I checked out last year. Loaded with cool food-based magic, duplicitous characters and some amazing action, Seven Recipes for Revolution was addictive fun from start to finish, and I really enjoyed how it came together. Seven Recipes for Revolution ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Rose continues his series later this year with his upcoming book, Eight Tastes of Treachery.
A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver
Publisher: Hemlock Press (ebook – 31 December 2025)
Series: Standalone/Book One
Length: 384 pages
Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Brillant new author M. K. Oliver presents one of the more entertaining novels of early 2026, with the wonderfully devious and captivating book, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage.
Plot Synopsis:
There’s a dead body in my living room.
I’ve not called the police because it was I who stabbed him. Seven times in all. The truth is, it’s surprisingly difficult to dispatch someone with a vegetable knife.
In case you’re wondering, the dead man is not my husband. I do resent our pitiful sex life and his woeful lack of ambition, but I wouldn’t murder him for it. Not yet, anyway.
Right now, I have far more pressing scheming to get my daughter into the perfect school; buying my dream home in Hampstead; and disposing of a corpse.
A woman’s work is never done. I’ve created the perfect life – and I’ll kill to keep it.
A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was a fantastic and very amusing crime fiction thriller that I honestly couldn’t get enough of. The debut novel of M. K. Oliver, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage perfectly utilised it’s delightfully deceitful and pragmatic protagonist to tell an outstanding story.
Oliver pulls together an awesome and insane narrative for A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage, which follows a particularly compelling protagonist in Lalla Rook, a busy wife, mother and relentless sociopath, with dreams of a bigger home and getting her daughter into the perfect private school. However, Lalla’s plans threaten to come crashing down around her when she brutally murders an intruder who breaks into her home before her child’s birthday party. What follows is a deeply entertaining romp of secrets, lies and ambition, as Lalla tries to balance achieving her goals for the future with disposing of the dead body currently hidden in the house. Oliver builds a very amusing and fast-paced story around this, as Lalla soon encounters problems with inconvenient witnesses, prying police, and a whole second murder. These problems brought on by the inopportune murder blend with the protagonist’s other issues, including with her disinterested husband not working hard enough to achieve the career goals Lalla set for him, her controlling mother-in-law trying to destroy her marriage, her daughter is starting to showcase similar sociopathic tendencies that are ruining her chances at an elite academic institution, and the constant issues of her social-climbing friends.
These fun elements come together into a very entertaining story, and it is a ton of fun to watch A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage’s ruthlessly pragmatic protagonist deal with each of these issues in her own manipulative and intense way. Of course, things continue to get further out of hand for Lalla as the narrative continues, with the mysterious dead man who started her recent misadventures having a connection to dark secrets from her past. Worse, Lalla soon finds her carefully constructed life starting to come crashing down as her plans hit annoying snags as those closest to her are plotting against her. I love how well Oliver showcases the protagonist losing control in the last third of this book, and it really ups the stakes of A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage, especially as you have no idea just how far his protagonist is going to go to achieve her goals. The final part of this book came together extremely well, as the protagonist’s various schemes and problems blend into a series of manipulations and deadly encounters, which results in a highly entertaining and chaotic conclusion. The result was pretty damn perfect, as nearly every character gets exactly what they deserve thanks to some hilarious and insightful carnage.
I must admit I was quite surprised when I found out that A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was Oliver’s very first novel, as it was impressively well written. Featuring a fast-paced narrative perfectly told from the first-person perspective of a particularly captivating protagonist, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage blends a thriller narrative, loaded with personal tales of deceit and murder, with some fantastic humour set around an amazing protagonist. This protagonist, Lalla, allows for much of the book’s comedic charm, as you watch her casually manipulate those around her to get what she wants. Oliver does such a good job of capturing Lalla’s sociopathic nature with his writing, and I loved his take on this amazing female character. The way this protagonist goes after what she wants with no shame or regret, while being completely aware and uncaring of the impact she is having on those around her, is very refreshing and entertaining, and while you know she is evil, you can’t help rooting for her.
It helps that even though Lalla is a murderous and manipulative figure, she honestly isn’t the most selfish character in the book, and it proves quite fun to see the resourceful Lalla go up against the spoiled upper-class housewives, corrupt businessmen and other elites in her quest to get what she wants. This great character-driven humour is further enhanced by some amusing examinations of ambition and avarice in various forms, especially as some characters get exactly what they are looking for in some very unlikely ways. This all deeply enhances Oliver’s very impressive story, and I really enjoyed just how hilarious and thrilling this story could be in equal measures.
Overall, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was an outrageous and hilarious debut thriller that I cannot recommend enough. M. K. Oliver did a remarkable job with this first book, and I loved the wildly entertaining scenario he created and the brilliant story he wrote around it. Clever and funny in equal measure, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was an incredible read and I cannot wait to see what amazing books Oliver writes in the future.
Waiting on Wednesday – A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight an exceptional upcoming fantasy crime novel I already know is going to be one of the top books of the year with A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett.
Over the last couple of years, few authors have impressed me as much as the incredible Robert Jackson Bennett. An established fantasy author with some outstanding series under his belt, Bennett has been wowing readers for years with his complex and elaborate stories. However, it is Bennett’s latest series that has really showed the world just how good he is, with the incredible Shadow of the Leviathan series.
Set in a fantasy empire constantly besieged by giant sea monsters, the Shadow of the Leviathan series feature exceptionally clever fantasy crime novels that see an unnaturally gifted investigator and her troubled assistant solve impossible murders that threaten to sabotage the safety of the nation. The series started with The Tainted Cup that perfectly introduced the characters and the setting, while also featuring a great story of murder, deceit and intrigue. Thanks to its clever fantasy elements out outstanding mystery, The Tainted Cup ended up being one of my favourite books of 2024, and I had such a great time getting through this incredible read. Due to how awesome the first book in the series was, I ended up reading the sequel, A Drop of Corruption as soon as I could last year. This sequel ended up being just as good, if not better, than the first book in the series, and I loved the new elaborate mystery and scenario that Bennett came up with. A Drop of Corruption ended up getting another five-star rating from me, as well as being one of my favourite books of 2025.
After having such an incredible time with the first two Shadow of the Leviathan books, I’ve made sure to keep an eye out for the next book in the series, and I am very happy that a third entry is coming out soon. This next entry is the very promisingly titled A Trade of Blood, which is currently set for release in August 2026. Featuring another awesome fantasy crime narrative, A Trade of Blood has a ton of potential, and I really love the sound of this cool upcoming novel.
Plot Synopsis:
In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilled, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.
To deescalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.
It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.
As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.
But even Ana’s uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead–with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.
I already love the sound of A Trade of Blood, and it looks like Bennett has another outstanding fantasy murder mystery in store for us. This upcoming novel has a great synopsis behind it, and I am very curious to see both the initial crime that the protagonists need to uncover to avoid a civil war, as well as the resulting killings that intend to stoke the conflict even further. It will be very interesting to see the protagonists, Ana and Din, try to solve this case while dealing with their own issues at the same time, and I am very curious to see how Bennett will test this unlikely pairing going forward. The inclusion of another extremely devious villain for this book, seems particularly promising, and I look forward to seeing the resulting battle of wits between the antagonist and the unstable but brilliant Ana, which will no doubt be entertaining and clever.
Based on how damn good the last two Shadow of the Leviathan novels turned out to be, there is no way in hell I am missing out on A Trade of Blood later this year. Robert Jackson Bennett has been on an absolute roll with this series, which I have no doubt he will easily continue with this third book. I will be grabbing A Trade of Blood no matter what this year, but after reading the exceptional synopsis above, I am even more excited for this epic upcoming novel. I have no doubt at all that A Trade of Blood is going to be one of the very best novels of 2026, and it is one of the books I am most looking forward to this year.
WWW Wednesday – 18 February 2026
WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky (ebook)
I’ve just started reading the fun novella Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A companion piece to his Tyrant Philosopher’s series, Lives of Bitter Rain follows the early life of the protagonist of Days of Shattered Faith and the events that would shape her into the entertaining and flexible figure we came to know and love. I have been keen to read this novella for a while and I’m glad I finally got the chance right before the next book in the series, Pretenders to the Throne of God comes out. I will probably knock this novella off today, and I am really enjoying its short, but highly entertaining narrative.
30Seven by Jeremy Robinson (Audiobook)
I’ve also been enjoying the excellent and unique science fiction thriller 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson in the last week. An exceptional novel from a true master of suspense and horror, 30Seven cleverly twists the classic alien abduction narrative on its head by featuring a hidden human serial killer amongst the abductees, who starts a killing spree aboard the UFO. I’m deeply enjoying the exceptional narrative that Robinson pulled together for his latest book, and I cannot wait to see where this crazy story goes next.
What did you recently finish reading?
Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana (ebook)
I finally finished off the intriguing debut fantasy novel, Dawn of the Firebird, this week. An elaborate fantasy novel with a unique Middle Eastern style, Dawn of the Firebird follows a young woman whose journey to understand magic and her own power is twisted by betrayal, war and the loss of everyone she loves. A very complex and compelling read, this book is recommended for those looking for a good alternative to classic European fantasy fiction.
Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)
An exceptional Warhammer 40,000 audiobook from the always impressive Mike Brooks that follows the iconic and villainous Alpha Legion. I had an outstanding time with this book and I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman (Audiobook)
I had a hell of a time powering through the epic science fiction novel Operation Bounce House this week. A brilliant standalone novel from the incredible Matt Dinniman, Operation Bounce House features a compelling narrative as a small human colony world finds itself under attack from mechs piloted by gamers from Earth as part of an elaborate corporate takeover. A really impressive novel with an amazing story behind it, Operation Bounce House was so damn good, and I cannot recommend it enough.
What do you think you’ll read next?
I have a ton of great books currently sitting on my always growing to-read pile, but the book I think I’ll read next is the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz, Antihero. Set to be another deep and compelling thriller, Antihero will follow Hurwitz’s long running vigilante protagonist on another dangerous adventure, this time trying to help a woman in trouble without using any violence. I have some very high hopes for this new Orphan X book, and I have no doubt it will be an exceptional read.
That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
Book Haul – 10 February 2026
I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive some incredible and amazing new novels from publishers and Netgalley. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.
Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz
Let’s start this Book Haul post off strong with one of my most anticipated books of 2026, Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz. The next entry in Hurwitz’s excellent Orphan X spy thriller series, Antihero will follow on from the tragic conclusion of his previous book, Nemesis, and will follow his highly damaged vigilante protagonist as he takes on an unusual job, get justice without any violence. Sure to be one of the more heartfelt entries in this outstanding series, Antihero has a ton of potential, and I’m hoping to read it very soon.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
The next new book that I want to highlight is the very awesome science fiction novel, Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman. A very fun sounding novel that sees a group of farmers living on an isolated planet attempt to protect their planet from murderous drones piloted by bored gamers on Earth, Operation Bounce House promises to be an extremely entertaining read with a ton of over-the-top content. I have been looking forward to reading Operation Bounce House ever since I became obsessed with the author’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series last year, and I have no doubt this new standalone novel from Dinniman is going to be a particularly epic read.
Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie
One of the book’s I was particularly happy to recently get a copy of was the dark Australian thriller Dark Sanctuary. Written by talented Australian author Sarah Barrie, who previously impressed me with her great Lexi Winter series, Dark Sanctuary promises to be another intense and shocking read, as several desperate protagonists are drawn together. I cannot wait to read this new book from Barrie, and Dark Sanctuary has the potential to be one of the top Australian novels of 2026.
Ironwood by Michael Connelly
I was very lucky to receive an early copy of the upcoming Michael Connelly novel, Ironwood. A sequel to the author’s 2025 novel, Nightshade, Ironwood looks set to continue the compelling crime fiction adventures of a banished cop on the surprisingly crime-ridden Catalina Island, this time with an intriguing plot tied into one of Connelly’s other long-running shared crime fiction series. I have no doubt this will be an incredible novel, and I can’t wait to read it.
Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox
The awesome Australian fiction of 2026 continues to flow into my bookshelf with the new Candice Fox book, Redbelly Crossing. Set in outback Australia, Redbelly Crossing sees two estranged cop brothers forced to work together to investigate a high-profile murder. However, it soon becomes apparent that only one sibling wants to solve the crime, while the other wants to bury the truth. Sure to be another outback thriller from one of Australia’s best crime-fiction authors, Redbelly Crossing has a ton of potential, and I cannot wait to dive into it.
The Exes by Leodora Darlington
I was very happy to get my hands on one of the more entertaining debuts of 2026 with the awesome new novel, The Exes by Leodora Darlington. A fun and gritty sounding crime fiction read about a woman with a complicated and deadly past when it comes to relationships, The Exes is going to be an awesome read and I look forward to diving into it.
Haze by Sam Elliott
I also received a copy of the cool Australian debut Haze by Sam Elliot, which features a great sounding narrative about a small-town country cop who is forced to try and find a missing child in the middle of a deadly Australian bushfire. I love the sound of this awesome book, and I have a feeling that Haze is going to be one of the strongest Australian debuts of the year.
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
An extremely interesting fantasy debut from another new Australian author. The Red Winter sounds like a particularly gripping read, and I’m curious to check out Cameron Sullivan’s take on a classic tale.
The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercie
A complex and compelling sounding Australian thriller with some interesting twists behind it.
The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson
The final book I recently received was the compelling new fantasy novel, The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson. The start of a cool new fantasy series, The Ascension of Souls sounds particularly fascinating, and I cannot wait to read it.
Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.
Waiting on Wednesday – The Calamities by Chuck Wendig
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight a very cool upcoming fantasy novel from acclaimed author Chuck Wendig, The Calamities.
While there are a lot of great novels coming out in 2026 from authors that I am familiar with, I also want to try out some new writers, so to that end I’m hoping to check out an upcoming book from science fiction and fantasy author Chuck Wendig. Wendig is a veteran author who has written a ton of compelling and unique novels over the years. Despite having some very cool books to his name, I haven’t had the pleasure of reading anything from Wendig, although his Star Wars Aftermath trilogy has been on my to-read list for a while. However, this is hopefully going to change later this year as Wendig’s next book, The Calamities, has caught my attention.
Set for release in August 2026, The Calamities is an intriguing and compelling upcoming novel that will blend a complex story about family drama and corrupt business, with dark fantasy elements. Set to follow the scion of a family of powerful, half-demon business moguls, who decides to rebel against his father’s control, The Calamities has a great premise behind it which I think has a ton of potential. I really love the sound of this book, and I think it’s going to be an excellent novel to check out in the second half of 2026.
Plot Synopsis:
The heir to one of the world’s most influential families reckons with the demonic secret to their power, in this contemporary dark fantasy that melds occult magic with shocking family drama from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.
Mourning Mayne knows he’ll one day bear the duty of managing his family’s vast empire of wealth and power. But the feckless Mourning has always struggled to accept this legacy, which is one of cruelty, domination, and exploitation… and something even darker.
Because the Maynes are no ordinary family: Hidden in our world are the fiends—half-human, half-demon, and possessed of dark magic born from buying human souls—and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families.
But when Mourning’s estranged father, the formidable and terrifying Hadrian Mayne, demands that he return to the fold, Mourning has to make a decision whether to accept his legacy and embrace his role in the family, or to forge his own destiny, and with it, change the course of the world.
Because along the way home, he will meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark truth behind the fate of the fiends. Alone, they have all struggled with the darkness of their fiendish nature… but together, they might find a path out of the shadows.
WWW Wednesday – 28 January 2026
WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana (ebook)
I just started reading the intriguing debut fantasy novel, Dawn of the Firebird, which is off to an excellent start. An elaborate fantasy novel with a unique Middle Eastern style, Dawn of the Firebird follows a young woman whose journey to understand magic and her own power is twisted by betrayal, war and the loss of everyone she loves. I have only made a little progress on Dawn of the Firebird, but I am so far enjoying its compelling story, which I think has a ton of potential.
What did you recently finish reading?
Twelve Months by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)
I literally just finished the epic new entry in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Twelve Months, which was so much better than I could have hoped. One of my most anticipated releases of 2026, Twelve Months sees the highly damaged wizard protagonist try to survive the turbulent year following the destructive battle for Chicago, forced to complete multiple quests while also overcoming his grief. I absolutely flew through this audiobook, and I loved every single second I spend with Twelve Months thanks to its complex story and brilliant take on loss and moving forward. One of Jim Butcher’s very best books, and an early contender for best fantasy novel of 2026.
A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver (ebook)
I also finished off the fantastic 2026 debut thriller, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver this week. An amazing and hilarious book that follows the titular sociopath as she attempts to maintain her perfect, busy life after brutally killing someone in her house. I had a ton of fun with this novel, and it comes very highly recommended.
Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman (ebook)
Finally, I also managed to power through the entertaining young adult novel, Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman, which was an awesome and compelling hoot. Featuring two damaged teenage protagonists as they attempt to survive a mercenary attack on Mars, Red Star Rebels was a great young adult novel that will appeal to a wide range of readers.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)
I’ve been having an awesome time with Warhammer 40,000 fiction lately, so I think the next audiobook I’ll check out is the intriguing, villain-focused book Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks, which has been on my to-read list for a while. Following members of the treacherous and deceitful Alpha Legion, Harrowmaster looks set to feature betrayal and machinations which I cannot wait to check out, especially as Brooks has a sequel to Harrowmaster coming out very soon.
That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
Waiting on Wednesday – The Unknown by Riley Sager
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an excellent upcoming thriller with the cool sounding novel, The Unknown by Riley Sager.
Readers of this blog will know that I’m always on the lookout for fun thrillers with interesting or unique twists to them, and one of the more awesome sounding thrillers coming out in 2026 is The Unknown. Written by acclaimed thriller author Riley Sager (a pseudonym of Todd Ritter), The Unknown is set for release in August later this year and has a deeply intriguing narrative about a mysterious island with long buried secrets and a group of actors who are about to experience its horrors for themselves.
Plot Synopsis:
In 1926, five women disappeared from a remote island in Vermont. Now, one hundred years later, it’s happening again.
Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she lands a role in a major motion picture about the unsolved mystery of New Avalon, an island on sprawling Lake Faraday in Vermont. She’s even more surprised when she learns that the role requires a weeklong research trip to that very spot.
Because New Avalon isn’t your ordinary island. A century ago, it was a commune for spiritual mediums-until they all vanished in 1926. The only trace of them was five dresses hanging from the branches of an old oak tree in the middle of the island, one for each missing woman. Some locals say they simply left. Others think they were murdered. But the prevailing opinion, thanks to a diary left behind by one of the vanished, a young woman named Daisy Rue, is that a séance gone wrong conjured something supernatural that took them all one by one.
Not long after arriving, Marin and her castmates, including legendary actress Violet Wright and white-hot director Ronan Peters, begin to realize all is not right with New Avalon. They hear strange noises in the night and notice mysterious symbols left behind by the island’s previous occupants. And after a sudden health emergency leaves Marin, Ronan, and the other actors stranded on the island, the disappearances begin again.
Is it the work of someone trying to derail the movie? Or is the island’s alleged supernatural past catching up with the present? As fear and suspicion mount, Marin turns to Daisy’s diary, hoping it holds the key to figuring out what really happened to the women of New Avalon-and how to keep the island’s terrible history from repeating itself.
I love the sound of this upcoming thriller, and frankly I think it’s going to be a very outstanding read, especially as Sager looks set to combine horror elements with his usual thriller style. I’m getting some The Blair Witch Project vibes from the above plot, and its going to be very interesting to see if the evil stalking the main characters is a mundane evil, or something more supernatural. It will also be quite interesting to see how the secrets of the island’s history come into play with The Unknown’s main story, and you have to imagine that Sager will work in some entertaining connections that are going to be amazing to explore.
Overall, I think that The Unknown is going to be a particularly amazing thriller, and I am extremely keen to get my ands on it later this year. The cool plot above sounds so damn fun, and I cannot wait to see how weird and twisted things get on New Avalon.
Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books of 2025
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly task that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants were supposed to list the top new-to-them authors they read in 2025. However, as this was a topic I did a few weeks ago, I’m instead going to put together an alternate list today. The reason for this is because earlier this week, 26 January, was Australia’s national holiday, Australia Day. While Australia Day is getting controversial due to its historical implications, I like to look beyond that and instead focus on some of the amazing and varied writing talents Australia produces. As such, I once again took this opportunity to highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors in 2025.
Each year, a ton of talented Australian authors produce an impressive and exciting range of fiction from across the genres, many of which I am lucky enough to get copies of from my local publishers. Due to this, I tend to read and review a lot of novels by Australian authors, most of which turn out to be some outstanding reads that I deeply enjoy. As such, for the last few years I have taken to highlighting my favourite pieces of Australian fiction, which is something I really look forward to each Australia Day (check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 lists).
I really love how much awesome Australian fiction there is each year, and this list is the perfect way to highlight some of the best Australian authors. Now I tend to take a bit of a different approach to Australian fiction than some other bloggers, as I highlight all books written by Australian authors rather than novels purely set in Australia or featuring Australian characters. To qualify for this list, a novel had to be released in 2025 and be written by an Australian author, which I am defining as anyone born in Australia or who currently lives here (Australia is very good at adopting talented people as our own). This resulted in a long list, and I was eventually able to whittle this novel down to the absolute cream of the crop and came up with a fantastic top ten list (with my typical generous honourable mentions). I really enjoyed how this list turned out, especially as it features novels from a range of different genres, all of which were very awesome Australian books.
Honourable Mentions:
A compelling historical fiction novel and debut from the talented Ronnie Salt that makes great use of its 1970’s, small-town Australian setting.
2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox
The fun new novel that one of Australia’s leading thriller authors, Candice Fox, wrote with James Patterson. This one was a great sequel to their previous novel, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, and is well worth a read.
The Bolthole by Peter Papathanasiou
A great, slow-paced Australian crime fiction novel that features a unique Australian setting in the iconic Kangaroo Island.
Vanish by Shelley Burr
A particularly intense and creative crime fiction novel, from a brilliant rising Australian author.
Top Ten Tuesday:
The Strength of the Few by James Islington
I’m starting this Top Ten List off strong with The Strength of the Few by James Islington, a book that appeared on pretty much all my best of 2025 lists, including best book, audiobook and sequels. The deeply impressive sequel to Islington’s The Will of the Many (one of my favourite book, audiobook and Australian fiction novels of 2023), The Strength of the Few continues the epic story of rebellion and magic from the first book, however this time separate versions of the protagonist are simultaneously split across three different parallel words, resulting in an especially elaborate narrative. I deeply enjoyed how this incredible and complex novel came about, and I honestly could not get enough of this impressive novel from one of Australia’s most inventive authors.
Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
From amazing fantasy to hilarious crime fiction, the second book on this list is the highly amusing and awesome Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. An outrageous and self-referential novel that once again follows Stevenson’s unlucky protagonist as he gets caught up in another locked-room murder mystery. This time trapped in a bank during an armed robbery, the protagonist needs to discover who amongst a suspicious group of staff and customers, is a deadly killer. A highly clever read from the always entertaining Stevenson, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief was an exceptional read that had me chuckling the entire way through.
Rising author Joanna Jenkins impressed this year with her second crime fiction novel, The Bluff. A sequel to her debut legal thriller novel, How to Kill a Client, The Bluff was an outstanding novel that took Jenkins’ initial protagonist into a new small-town Australian setting. Featuring a great story that showcased the events that led up to the murder of the town’s local hero, The Bluff was a clever and addictive novel that I really enjoyed reading.
Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold
Actor turned author Luke Arnold continued to provide his amazing contributions to the fantasy genre this year with his new Fetch Phillips novel, Whisper in the Wind. Forcing his highly damaged protagonist to investigate a deadly conspiracy amongst a city devastated by the world’s loss of magic, Whisper in the Wind featured an outstanding plot loaded with twists, betrayals and impressive character moments. Easily Arnold’s best novel yet, Whisper in the Wind was so damn good, and there was no way it wasn’t going to be featured on this list.
High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser
Probably the most intense, action-packed books I read in 2025 was the amazing Australian thriller High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser. Essentially a reverse version of The Raid set in a Melbourne housing tower, High Rise forced one of Bergmoser’s dangerous protagonists to fight their way through a building of thugs all looking to collect a bounty on his head, while also trying to protect his estranged daughter. A particularly fun and addictive read, High Rise is well worth a read, especially if you are a fan of over-the-top action.
One of the best Australian crime fiction novels of 2025 was the amazing Broke Road by Matthew Spencer. The sequel to Spencer’s debut novel, Black River, Broke Road featured a gritty and particularly intense murder mystery as a damaged detective travels to the Hunter Valley to investigate bloody murder. Featuring an excellent plot and a particularly complex mystery, Broke Road was an exceptional read that I couldn’t turn away from.
The Stolen by Vikki Petratis
One of the more intense and realistic pieces of Australian crime fiction in 2025 was the outstanding novel, The Stolen by Vikki Petratis. Serving as a sequel to Petratis’ hard-hitting first book, The Unbelieved, The Stolen continued to explore a small Victorian town riven by gender conflict and dissent, which only worsens when a baby is kidnapped by its father. An excellent and compelling read, The Stolen was a great sequel and an impressive piece of Australian writing.
Pacific Heights by S. R. White
British expat turned Australian crime fiction author, S. R. White, continued to impress in 2025 with his complex murder mystery Pacific Heights. A spinoff from his main series (which features books like Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge), Pacific Heights sees two detectives investigate a complex murder case where a young women is murdered in the middle of several overlooking apartment buildings. However, all the witnesses to the case are telling a different story about how events unfolded, and nothing is truly what it seems. I had an incredible time with this novel and White made full use of this book’s focus on perception and truth to tell and amazing story.
One of the easiest inclusions on this list was the incredible new novel from Canberra author Jack Heath, Kill Your Boss. Following on from two of Heath’s previous novels, Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands, Kill Your Boss had a very entertaining story behind it, as a police detective attempts to uncover who killed the boss of a small-town library. However, everyone the victim knew had a motive to kill him, and the resulting complex investigation becomes a highly entertaining exploration of who actually succeeded in murdering him. An outstanding novel from one of Australia’s best and most outrageous crime fiction authors.
The final book I want to highlight on this list is also one of my favourite 2025 debuts, The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers. Following a group of friends who reunite years after a tragic event, The Reunion takes an interesting twist when they find themselves trapped in an isolated property in Australia’s Blue Mountains by someone desperate to find out what really happened in the past. This ended up being an amazing first book from Rivers and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
Well, that is the end of this latest list, and I am really happy that I got a chance to highlight some of the best Australian releases of 2025. The above books represent an outstanding collection of fiction from talented Australian authors, and each of them comes highly recommended by me. I had a lot of fun coming up with this list and I cannot wait to find out what the best Australian books of 2026 are going to be. Until then, stay tuned for more epic reviews and lists, and make sure you let me know who your favourite Australian authors are in the comments below.
The Unseen Library 