Book Haul – 26 October 2026

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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, plus a few purchases of my own.  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.

The Hollow by Michael Connelly

The first recent acquisition I want to highlight is the epic new novel from Michael Connelly, The Hollow.  Once again focusing on Connelly’s iconic protagonist Harry Bosch, The Hollow will see Bosch attempt to investigate a murder from his childhood in an intriguing cold-case investigation.  The Hollow sounds pretty damn interesting and I cannot wait to dive into it.

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The French Illusion by John Grisham

The year wouldn’t be complete without the new novel from legendary author John Grisham, The French Connection. This time following a young lawyer involved in an unusual kidnapping in Paris, The French Connection has the feel of a unique spy thriller from Grisham and I’m very curious to see how it unfolds.

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He Who Fights With Monsters – Hero by Travis Deverell

After having such an awesome time with the first two books in Travis Deverell’s He Who Fights With Monsters series (Outworlder and Adventurer), I was extremely eager to continue exploring the series, so I went out and grabbed a copy of the third book Hero, and I may have already read it.  Once again following the series’ interdimensional protagonist as he adventures through a cool fantasy world, Hero was an extremely impressive entry in the series, with some major and impactful moments. I’m hoping to get a review of Hero up soon, and I can confirm that it’s a highly recommended book that I’m really glad I grabbed.

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The Wolves of War by John Gwynne

One of the more impressive books I recently received was the awesome fantasy novel, The Wolves of Winter by John Gwynne.  Another Viking inspired fantasy novel from Gwynne, The Wolves of Winter sets up a cool new series filled with magic, monsters and war.  I cannot wait to dive into this novel, and I already know I’m going to love it.

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Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King and Peter Straub

I recently received a copy of the massive novel, Other Worlds Than These.  The third and final Talisman book from the team of Stephen King and Peter Straub, Other Worlds Than These brings back the series protagonist, now a retired cop who must once again deal with evils of two worlds.  Sure to be an epic and powerful read, I’ve very excited to try out Other Worlds Than These.

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The Unknown by Riley Sager

I finally got my hands on the intriguing horror thriller, The Unknown by Riley Sager. A fantastic sounding novel about a film crew attempting make a film about an infamous mystery on an isolated island which inevitably results in weird events, The Unknown has been on my radar for a while and I’m very keen to check it out.

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Penitent by A. W. Hammond

An intriguing new thriller from Australian author A. W. Hammond, Penitent sees a priest forced to confront a violent killer and decide whether to keep silent or violate the rules of confession. This sounds like an amazing novel and I’m curious to see how it unfolds.

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The Crack by Michelle Stephens

The 2027 novels are already starting to appear, including the Australian crime fiction novel The Crack by Michelle Stephens. Set in a coastal town, The Crack sees a troubled protagonist attempt to avenge the unsolved death of her sister before her own crimes are exposed. I’m already intrigued by this upcoming book, and I look forward to diving into it in the new year.

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Hero Adjacent by Alexis Veenendaal

The final book I want to highlight in this Book Haul post is the fun sounding 2027 fantasy novel Hero Adjacent by Alexis Veenendaal. An entertaining take on the classic hero’s journey narrative, Hero Adjacent sees a very unlikely group of budget adventurers band together to save the day. This sounds like quite the entertaining novel and I’m sure I’m going to have a wonderful time with this upcoming debut.

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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.

138 Main Street by Gavin Bell

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Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Hardcover– 2 June 2026)

Series: Standalone

Length: 401 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for a particularly exciting thriller?  Then make sure to check out one of the most original crime fiction novels of 2026, with 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell.

I’m always on the lookout for unique and interesting thrillers, and no book better showcased this in 2026 than 138 Main Street.  Written by established author Gavin Bell, who has previously released books under the pseudonyms MJ Cross and Mason Cross (the latter of which he used to write his Carter Blake series), 138 Main Street is the first book that Bell has released under his own name, and it has been on my to-read list for a while due to its awesome and highly memorable plot.

Plot Synopsis:

AN ADDRESS TO DIE FOR…

There’s a killer on the loose. And he’s targeting one specific address—138 Main Street. The problem? There are over 7,000 Main Streets in the USA. And the police and FBI have no clue which one will be next.

For FBI Special Agent Ben Walker and his rookie colleague, Officer Zoe Hill, the pressure to solve the case is unimaginable. There aren’t enough police officers to cover every house, and vigilante residents are attacking anyone who rings their doorbell. Main Street might be one of America’s most popular addresses, but for those living at number 138, it comes down to fight or flight.

Then a manuscript is sent to The New York Times, purporting to be the manifesto of the “Main Street Killer” and demanding radical social change. As the effect of the terror campaign takes hold across the nation, Walker and Hill find themselves in a race against time to stop the killer. But with their target always several steps ahead, and almost 3,800,000 square miles of ground to cover, they’ll have to find him first…

138 Main Street proved to be a very awesome read from Bell, who backed up his brilliant plot idea of an address-focused serial killer with an outstanding story.  The author quickly sets the scene for this story by following FBI Special Agent Ben Walker after the FBI identifies the 138 Main Street pattern in a series of murders across state lines.  Recruiting rookie police officer Zoe Hill from the scene of the fourth murder to serve as a local consultant for the FBI, Walker and his team start investigating the case in force, attempting to uncover who is responsible as quickly as possible.  However, things quickly get out of hand once the murders become public and the country starts to panic, especially once the killer proves they are capable at striking at any of the thousands of occupied 138 Main Streets.  I was very impressed with how quickly Bell set up his story, and you really do get dragged into the unique investigation quite quickly.

The plot of 138 Main Street continues to accelerate from this point, with the entirety of the United States on edge.  Bell provides some interesting snapshots across the country, with short inclusions that show how various people living at assorted 138 Main Streets are coping with the impending threat and sudden police protection.  These examinations of various people, most of whom feel the impact of the killer in various ways, really adds to the impact of the story, as you wonder how you would react in a similar situation.  The author also throws in some interesting close calls as the book continues, which really amps up the stakes of the book.  After a big moment in the plot that seems to provide an early resolution, Bell enters the end game and introduces some compelling reveals.  While I figured out some of the twists in advance, including the killer’s connection to a seemingly unrelated plot perspective character, there were still a couple of moments that surprised me, and which ensured I was hooked all the way up to the resolution.  Readers will come away very satisfied from 138 Main Street’s cool story, which ended up being a brilliant standalone read with no loose ends.

I really enjoyed how 138 Main Street came together, as Bell produced an exciting thriller with some interesting social commentary thrown in.  Perfectly based around two central protagonists, a veteran agent and a young rookie cop out to prove herself, Bell did an excellent job of installing a swift pace to this book.  Featuring a great investigation arc following these central characters, you swiftly become engrossed for a killer who seemingly can strike at any of the thousands of common addresses across the United States.  I enjoyed the mixture of this focus on investigation with some interesting character development, especially around the younger cop Zoe Hill, who attempts to prove herself and escape the shackles of her small-town life.

Bell really dove into the complexity of this unique case in some interesting ways, and I personally loved the use of multiple alternate perspectives as you follow several separate side characters living at one of the US’s various 138 Main Streets in short segments as they deal with the potential horror of dealing with being a target.  Some of these segments are short lived for obvious reasons, but others are quite extensive and flow through the entire story, especially if they have a bigger impact on the main plot.  I felt that these short snapshots of these normal people impacted by the case provided a nice realistic human element to 138 Main Street, which also increased the urgency of the plot.  Throw in the inevitable outrage as the country is gripped by fear, as well as some fun comparisons between life in small town America and the larger cities, and there were a lot of interesting societal elements added in this book, which was quite fun to unpack.  Readers are guaranteed to speed through 138 Main Street in no time at all, and I really enjoyed how well Bell set out this compelling thriller.

Overall, I felt that 138 Main Street was a particularly strong and addictive thriller that made perfect use of its compelling story hook.  Gavin Bell did an amazing job turning this cool idea into an entertaining, fleshed-out story, and you really get hooked on finding the killer as a result.  As such, this book comes highly recommended, and fans of unique thrillers are going to have a kick with 138 Main Street.

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Warhammer 40,000: Voice of Command by Richard Swan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, WarhammerLeave a comment

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 19 September 2026)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 9 hours and 17 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Acclaimed fantasy and science fiction author Richard Swan descends into the brutal Warhammer 40,000 universe with the outstanding novel Voice of Command, a captivating read that perfectly encapsulates the hell of war in this grimdark franchise.

2026 has been an impressive year for Australian author Richard Swan, who has already released several amazing fantasy and science fiction novels.  After having a great time with his impressive The Infinite State (as well as highlighting the upcoming sequel, The Guerilla Republic), I was keen to read more from Swan, especially when I saw that he was releasing a novel in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  While Swan has previously released some Warhammer short stories, Voice of Command is his first full-length Warhammer 40,000 novel, and boy was it a compelling and intense debut.

Following the fall of Cadia and the horrors its destruction unleashed upon the galaxy, various Cadian regiments continue to fight across the massed battlefields of the Imperium of Man, determined to keep humanity alive and the Emperor’s light burning.  However, even the most dedicated of Cadian soldiers can crack, especially when faced with impossible odds and capricious commanders, and none know this better than the 2002nd Cadian Mechanised Regiment.

Deployed on the planet of Nymea, the 2002nd serve as a floating unit, helping Nymean regiments put down a Chaos incursion that corrupted many of the planet’s citizens.  After two years of brutal warfare to reclaim the planet, Imperial forces are finally on the cusp of victory.  To win, all they need to do is recapture the once beautiful shrine-city Saint Stanislava’s Adoration, now turned into a sprawling ruin, twisted and corrupted by Chaos.

For Colonel Gabriel ‘Venom’ Velterson, leader of the 2002nd, the end cannot come quickly enough.  When his troops are not bathed in the toxic light of a mysterious blue star or enduring the endless heresy broadcast over the hijacked vox-network, they’re being squandered by Nymean commanders.  As the battle begins and all the regiment’s problems come to a head, the forces of Chaos unleash all their twisted methods to destroy the invading force, and soon the fate of Nymea and the entire 2002nd rests in the hands of a few brave soldiers.

Voice of Command was a very impressive Warhammer novel from Swan, who effortlessly portrays the full horrors of this universe.  A complex and brutal character-driven read that you won’t be able to get away from, Voice of Command is a highly recommended novel that is really worth checking out.

I had an amazing time with Voice of Command, especially as Swan portrays a gritty war story around several highly flawed characters.  Set towards the end of a gruelling campaign, Voice of Command follows several members of the 2002nd Cadian Mechanised Regiment, including its commander, commissar, priest, newly promoted captain, and later on a Kasrkin commander and his pilot, as they all attempt to lead and survive amid the chaos of war.  Starting off during the planning stage for the final battle of this campaign, you are given an effective introduction to each of these major characters and their roles in the larger regiment.  Each of these characters’ issues are well established in the first half of the book, and they become major factors for the protagonists and the plot going forward.

After the intriguing first half of book, the plot of Voice of Command switches to follow the 2002nd’s incursion into Saint Stanislava’s Adoration.  Soon devolving into a series of bloody encounters, Swan continues to follow the trouble protagonists and explores the various problems that were previously introduced.  This includes the regiment’s lack of trust for its newest captain, anger clouding the judgement of the commander, and the corruption of its mentally weary priest, all of which come to a head during the battle.  This results in a particularly brutal and fast-paced second half, filled with intense and mobile battles for survival as the protagonists attempt to overcome the major threats around them.  Swan doesn’t hold back when featuring the various horrors of war in the Warhammer universe, and the resulting action-filled plot was so damn good, especially as the protagonists are forced to face attacks on multiple complex fronts.  Following a particularly cool final series of battles, Swan ends Voice of Command on an interesting and powerful note, with all the remaining characters fundamentally changing, and not always for the better.  The author also leaves a couple of key plotlines open, which could lead to an interesting sequel, something I’d be extremely keen for.

I really enjoyed Swan’s style for Voice of Command, as he produced a layered read, loaded with multiple compelling character perspectives, all set perfectly within the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  The utilisation of multiple alternating character perspectives was particularly effective, and there was an excellent balance between the multiple overlapping storylines and personal narratives.  The various action sequences, especially in the second half of Voice of Command, were very impressive as Swan portrays running tank battles, urban fighting between infantry and fixed positions, and even more unusual situations as the Imperial soldiers face off against eldritch horrors.  Thanks to some of these antagonists, Voice of Command has a horror vibe to it at times, and Swan’s descriptive writing really helps to hammer home just how crazy and terrifying some of the encounters are.

In addition to being extremely well written, Voice of Command is also an excellent piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  Swan does an excellent job setting his story within the Warhammer universe, and I loved how effectively he utilises key plot points and the general grimdark feel of the universe to enhance his narrative.  His depictions of various aspects of this universe, especially the Chaos horrors, are impressive, and this is one of the more grimdark human soldier focused Warhammer novels I have read this year.  I particularly enjoyed how he portrayed the impact of terrible morale and enemy propaganda on the main Cadian regiment.  While Swan does revisit some elements of the Cadians that have been a bit overused in recent years, such as the depression around the loss of the planet and the inclusion of non-Cadians into their existing regiments, the author explores them a fresh way, which helps make this book stand out.  While Swan does touch on some of the more complex elements of this franchise, especially when it comes to the Chaos adversaries, I think Swan’s detailed writing style and focus on very human characters makes Voice of Command a book that general science fiction readers can dive into and easily enjoy.  Indeed, Voice of Command would make for an interesting introduction to Warhammer 40,000 fiction, especially for fans of Swan following the author to the franchise.

As I have mentioned a few times above, a key highlight of Voice of Command was the incredible characters that Swan featured, with the plot centred around several flawed and damaged protagonists.  Their various journeys through the fires of war, loss and change all move the plot in some complex directions while adding some intense drama to the core of the book.  All these characters are compelling and broken in different ways.  For example, the nominal main character Colonel Gabriel ‘Venom’ Velterson, the leader of the 2002nd, is a tired and very angry senior officer who has lost much in the years following the fall of Cadia.  Much of this book revolves around him trying to inspire his troops and keep his anger in check, while also dealing with unreliable or manipulative allies, as well as despair over the loss of his regiment’s Cadian identity.

Other great characters in Voice of Command include Commissar Viktoria Massen, a veteran commissar who has found herself more concerned with her regiment’s spiritual health, rather than maintaining discipline.  Considered a soft touch by the regiment, Massen is forced to confront her faith and her failings in this novel, which results in some very intense moments.  Also of note is newly promoted captain Karwyn Thorne, who is finding the transition from enlisted man to officer hard, especially when it comes to gaining the respect of his men.  I found Swan’s depictions of Thorne failing to connect with his unit to be particularly well-written and relatable, with the author writing in some hard lessons about command, sacrifice and responsibility with Thorne’s storyline.  Voice of Command also features a compelling Kasrkin character with Sergeant Major Tal Bayer, who has a certain level of suicidal depression around him, before accepting his unlikely found family of a sassy pilot and surprisingly philosophical bullgryn.

The regiment’s priest, Father Sebastian Gustavus, also needs to be mentioned, especially as he has one of the more troubling arcs in the narrative.  Already mentally wrecked after years of tending to the flagging spiritual needs of the 2002nd, Father Gustavus finds himself opened to change in all the wrong ways.  His resulting fall is a key part of the book, especially as it results in great conflict with some of the other characters, and I loved the realistic anger that turns to hubris for Gustavus as the book continues.  Other characters, including the regiment’s psyker, who forms an unlikely relationship with Venom, a charismatic colour sergeant, and two ratling snipers who keep turning up somehow always with food, and the cast of Voice of Command was very impressive and well written.  I really cannot emphasise how compelling their respective character arcs proved to be, and Swan’s ability to capture their complex and often dark growth, was one of the best parts of this book.

Unsurprisingly, I checked out Voice of Command on audiobook, which is still the best way to enjoy this epic franchise.  Audiobook narration always effectively highlights the insanity, carnage and brutality of Warhammer novels, and this was particularly true with Voice of Command, which was effortlessly brought to life by narrator David Seddon.  Seddon, whose narration I have previously enjoyed in Kasrkin by Edoardo Albert and Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young, did another outstanding job with Voice of Command, diving into the heart of the story and conveying all the action and drama with his voice.  I loved the unique voices he gave to all the key members of the cast, and he really captured their personalities and emotions as they dive deeper into the campaign.  Special mention needs to be made for the perfectly accented voice that Seddon gave to the priest, Father Gustavus, as well as some of the weirder and manipulative voices of the Chaos cultists the cast hear over the vox or in their heads.  This outstanding narration and clever voice work deeply enhances Voice of Command’s already outstanding story and writing, and I really powered through Voice of Command’s 9-hour-plus runtime.  As such, the Voice of Command audiobook comes very highly recommended, and you will an outstanding time listening to this amazing novel.

Richard Swan continues to showcase his incredible writing ability with the awesome and intense Voice of Command.  Featuring a great story, loaded with wonderfully damaged characters and amazing action, Voice of Command was a highly captivating novel that I couldn’t get away from.  I hope that Swan writes more Warhammer novels in the future, and I fully intend to read any books in this franchise he writes, especially if he revisits the great characters of the 2002nd Cadian Mechanised Regiment.

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WWW Wednesday – 21 October 2026

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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:

We Are For The Dark by Gretchen McNeil (ebook)

I’ve started reading the cool horror thriller We Are For The Dark by Gretchen McNeil this week. Following a priest and a cop as they attempt to investigate unusual events at an isolated island, We Are For The Dark is an intriguing and dark read that I’m really enjoying.  I’m haven’t made a ton of progress on this book yet, but I’m hoping to get through it this week to see how it all comes together.

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Warhammer 40,000: Bjorn: The Fell-Handed by Justin D. Hill (Audiobook)

I was in the mood for some Warhammer 40,000 fun this week, so I started listening to the cool character-focused novel Bjorn: The Fell-Handed by Justin D. Hill.  Following a legendary Space Marine as he attempts to protect his fellow Space Wolves from a deadly threat. I’m making very good progress through this relatively short Warhammer audiobook, and I should finish it off in the next couple of days.

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What did you recently finish reading?

He Who Fights With Monsters – Hero by Travis Deverell (Trade Paperback)

After having a blast with the first two volumes of the awesome He Who Fights With Monsters series, Outworlder and Adventurer, I powered through the third volume of this series, Hero, this week. Once again following the adventures of a complex protagonist as he explores a cool LitRPG world, Hero was an epic read full of adventure, clever humour and impressive moments. Highly recommended.

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The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler (Audiobook)

I also finished off the awesome fantasy audiobook The Only Way Out Is Up by Django Wexler this week.  An outstanding novel set around magical robot fights in a layered underground city, The Only Way Out Is Up was an exceptional read with some amazing concepts and great humour.  I had an absolute blast with this book, and I’m hoping to review it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Warhammer 40,000: Cold Covenant by Peter Fehervari (Audiobook)

I’m probably still going to be in a Warhammer 40,000 mood this week, so I think I’m going to check out the recently released book, Cold Covenant by Peter Fehervari.  Part of Fehervari’s loosely connected Dark Coil series, Cold Covenant has been getting a lot of love from fellow Warhammer fans and I’m expecting this to be a particularly epic read.

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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 Grave of Perfection by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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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 my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of my most anticipated fantasy novels of 2026, The Grave of Perfection by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

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Over the last few years, I have become a massive fan of the constantly impressive Adrian Tchaikvosky, who is honestly one of the best current writers of fantasy and science fiction.  Known for his Shadows of the Apt, Children of Time, Echoes of the Fall and Final Architecture series, as well as several awesome standalone novels, Tchaikovsky has a truly outstanding catalogue of works to his name. I personally have had the pleasure of reading several of his outstanding books, with entries like Service Model (one of my favourite books of 2024), Alien Clay, the novella Orges and the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Day of Ascension (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels) and more proving to be quite amazing.

However, my absolute favourite works of Tchaikovsky has to be his incredible Tyrant Philosophers series.  This gripping, brilliant and highly amusing series is set in a cool fantasy world filled with magic, gods and demons, all of which are being consumed by the Palleseen, an anti-religious empire of perfection-seeking fanatics who have been conquering the world through elaborate military and diplomatic action. The first four books in the series have been quite exceptional, including City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), Days of Shattered Faith (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025) and Pretenders to the Throne of God (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2026), as well as the cool novella Lives of Bitter Rain.  I really love these elaborate and highly entertaining novels, each one loaded with new settings, which made me very excited for the fifth book in the series The Grave of Perfection.

Set for release in February 2027, The Grave of Perfection will conclude the Tyrant Philosophers series and bring an end to the ongoing storylines.  Taking the reader back to first setting of the series, The Grave of Perfection sees all the chaos that has been building up throughout the previous four books coming to a crashing crescendo.

Plot Synopsis:

In the final instalment of the Tyrant Philosophers quintet, award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky takes us back to Ilmar, the ‘City of Last Chances’, a decade after our story began. Has the Palleseen campaign to impose ‘perfection’ on a chaotically magical world reached breaking point?

It’s almost ten years since the Gownhall Rising, in which time the Palleseen grip on the city has only strengthened. Landmarks like the Mahanic Temple and even the Gownhall itself have been torn down to be replaced by Palleseen edifices. The Grove, gateway to the infinite wood and all the worlds beyond, is scheduled for destruction. Only the haunted Reproach remains too much for even the Pals to extinguish.

Istri is a playwright, writing plays contrary to perfection and keeping ahead of both the censors and her creditors. In a bad spot, she is commissioned by Fidel, the ‘Old Owl’ of the resistance, to write her last and greatest work. Innocent enough, except it is to be a play touching on the most forbidden topic, the Reproach itself.

Orlandt, soldier of fortune and Istri’s former lover, has been over a decade away from the city since fleeing into the Grove to escape the Pal occupation. Now he’s back, looking for familiar faces. But his past is always with him, what he did in the war, and what was done to him within the Wood.

Yasnic the ex-priest, the conjurer, the beloved of Hell, has come home to find his city under threat not just from the Palleseen, but other sinister sources. Meanwhile the factory demons are working to rule, the old Gownhall site has been occupied by a familiar band of foreign soldiers, and the Palleseen Commission is schisming into mutually-opposed factions whose squabbling has finally reached Ilmar.

As Palleseen control of the city fractures and the terrible details of Fidel’s plan become clear, the destinies of all these disparate groups and individuals are set to collide in a war for the future of Ilmar, and of the whole Palleseen Sway.

Well now, this sounds particularly epic.  I always knew that the final Tyrant Philosophers book was going to be amazing, but the plot for The Grave of Perfection has a lot of cool details to it that I’m excited for.  Watching the inevitable fall of the Palleseen start at the city of Ilmar, which was the setting of the first entry in the series, is going to be amazing, and I’m really keen to see how much has changed since the events of the first book, especially as there have been wars, revolutions and schisms.  It sounds like Tchaikovsky intends to reintroduce this entire city again and then bring everything crashing down, which is something I’m extremely excited to witness.  Everything above hints at a particularly cool story for The Grave of Perfection and it’s one I’m keen to read.

In addition to the awesome plot notes hinted above, I’m also very intrigued in seeing all the excellent character-driven story arcs in The Grave of Perfection unfold.  The above synopsis hints at a lot of compelling characters that will be featured in this book, including a mixture of familiar faces and new protagonists, and I have no doubt there will be some brilliantly moving and complex storylines contained within.  Of particular interest to me is the return of Yasnic, who has served as the main recurring protagonist of this series.  A lot has happened to Yasnic since his first appearance, such as losing his religion and finding love in the very worst of places, and it will be fascinating to see what happens when he returns home with all his new skills and confidence.  After breaking our hearts with Yasnic’s plight in previous books, I’m a little worried about what Tchaikovsky has planned for the character in this final Tyrant Philosophers novel, but I am sure it will be engrossing and highly emotional no matter what.

After powering through all four previous books in this series, I can guarantee that I will be reading Adrian Tchaikovsky’s The Grave of Perfection the very second it is released next year.  There is no way that Tchaikovsky isn’t pulling together another complex and emotionally charged story, and I cannot wait to see all the clever twists and unique plot threads that come together into a beautiful complete narrative.  The Grave of Perfection will likely end up being one of my favourite books (and audiobooks depending on what format I read it in) of 2027, and I cannot wait to read this epic upcoming book.

WWW Wednesday – 14 October 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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:

He Who Fights With Monsters – Hero by Travis Deverell

After having a blast with the first two volumes of the awesome He Who Fights With Monsters series, Outworlder and Adventurer, I have quickly dived into the third volume, Hero. Once again following the adventures of a complex protagonist as he explores a cool LitRPG world, Hero is off to a great start with some impressive moments. I’ve only made a bit of progress on Hero so far, but I’m expecting to power through a lot of it in the coming days.

Amazon

 

The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler (Audiobook)

I’ve been having a blast listening to the awesome fantasy audiobook The Only Way Out Is Up by Django Wexler this week.  An outstanding novel set around magical robot fights in an layered underground city, The Only Way Out Is Up is proving to be an exceptional read with some amazing concepts and great humour.  I am currently halfway through this audiobook, and I look forward to seeing how this fantastic novel continues.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the new C. J. Tudor horror novel Serenity Falls this week.  An intriguing read that explores the dark side of a seemingly perfect community, Serenity Falls has an excellent plot behind it, backed up by the very talented writing of Tudor.  An outstanding novel I’m glad I checked out.

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Warhammer 40,000: Voice of Command by Richard Swan (Audiobook)

I also finished of the impressive Warhammer 40,000 novel, Voice of Command by Richard Swan this week. One of the darker Warhammer novels of 2026, Voice of Command an outstanding book that I am hoping to review soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

We Are For The Dark by Gretchen McNeil

I’m hoping to dive into the cool horror thriller We Are For The Dark by Gretchen McNeil this week. Set to follow a priest and a cop as they attempt to investigate unusual events at an isolated island, We Are For The Dark sounds really cool, and I’m very keen to check it out.

Amazon

 

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.

Star Trek: The Last Starship: Volume One by Jackson Lanzin, Collin Kelly and Adrián Bonilla

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Tie-in NovelLeave a comment

Publisher: IDW Publishing (Paperback – 8 September 2026)

Series: Star Trek: The Last Starship (2025) – Volume One

Writers: Jackon Lanzing and Collin Kelly

Artist: Adrián Bonilla

Colourists: Heather Moore (Issues #1 to #3), Lee Loughridge (Issues #4 to #6)

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Length: 176 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for a dark new era of Star Trek comics with the intense and compelling first volume of the new series, The Last Starship, which boldly goes into one of the franchises darkest periods with some familiar faces.

I have mentioned in a few posts already that there has been a real resurgence in Star Trek comics in recent years, which has resulted in several impressive and unique series.  This includes the brutal Red Shirts limited series and the start of a fun new Lower Decks series, just to name the ones I’ve had the pleasure of reading.  However, one of the more ambitious Star Trek comics that I have so far come across is The Last Starship, an impressive and inventive new series by the writing team of Jackson Lanzin and Collin Kelly, featuring art by Adrián Bonilla.

It is the 31st century and the United Federation of Planets is made up of worlds and races from across the entire galaxy.  With Starfleet still leading the charge to explore and bring together all worlds, the Federation stands on the brink of its greatest diplomatic feat and the promise of peace throughout the galaxy.  However, one calamitous event will rip apart everything in an instance: The Burn.

Throughout the entire galaxy, nearly every piece of dilithium, the fuel that has driven space travel for generations, mysterious goes inert, resulting in the simultaneous detonation of all technology that utilised it, including the warp cores of every active starship.  As trillions die, no species or organisation is spared from the carnage, including Starfleet, whose entire fleet and crews are destroyed in moments.  With no Starfleet to maintain its security or diplomacy, the Federation and the safe future of the galaxy looks doomed.

However, as the galaxy burns, there are still those who believe.  One of the last remaining Starfleet captains, Delacourt Sato, is determined to keep the ideals of the Federation alive after The Burn and bring hope to its member planets.  To achieve his vision, Sato commissions the U.S.S. Omega, the last active starship Starfleet has.  Fitted with advanced transwarp technology by its unlikely engineer, Queen Agnes Jurati of the Borg Cooperative, the Omega is ready to fly amongst the stars, but there are those who do not want Starfleet to recover.

With no one to oppose them, the Klingon return to their warrior roots and launch a new war against humanity, while back on Earth many humans decide that they no longer want anything to do with the Federation.  As Captain Sato attempts to solve these problems diplomatically and bring together the remnants of the Federation into an effective coalition, he faces problems his years as a peacetime captain cannot contend with.  To succeed, Sato will need a miracle, which Agnes provides by resurrecting a long dead legend, James T. Kirk.  But can even a returned Kirk keep the Federation together when all hope seems lost?

Wow, now that was a spectacular Star Trek comic.  Jackson Lanzin and Collin Kelly pulled together an incredible story in The Last Ship, ably brought to life by the expressive artwork of Adrián Bonilla.  Featuring the first six issues of this new series, this volume of The Last Starship starts off strong and keeps up the carnage the entire way through.  Filled with compelling characters, dark betrayals and an intriguing mixture of Star Trek lore, The Last Starship was a brilliant comic that I had a wonderful time getting through.

I must admit I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with The Last Starship, but I ended up getting blown away by its complexity and surprisingly dark narrative.  Starting off with a very quick introduction to a few new key characters, the first issue of The Last Starship immediately shakes the core of the Star Trek universe by showcasing the galaxy-spanning calamity known as The Burn and its devastating impact on everyone, especially Starfleet.  This was a very memorable start to the series, which Lanzin and Kelly capitalise on by tapping into the inherent hope at the heart of all Star Trek media.  Now following Captain Sato, the plot follows his attempt to inspire the galaxy and the remnants of the Federation by launching a new Starfleet flagship, the U.S S. Omega.  Thanks to the unlikely appearance of Borg Queen Agnes Jurati (from the Picard series), who provides the means for the Omega to travel the stars, Sato’s plan is made possible.  However, that’s not the only crazy thing happening in this first issue, as Lanzin and Kelly make sure to hit the nostalgia button by introducing a resurrected Kirk as one of the series’ main characters, bolstering the new cast.

Following this intense and intriguing start, which contains a lot of big moments that hit some very different Star Trek lore buttons, the plot of this first volume of The Last Starship goes in some powerful directions.  Firstly, because the people in this period apparently haven’t suffered enough, there is a Klingon attack that results in even further carnage.  The comic does an outstanding job showcasing the ineffectiveness of the more peaceable Starfleet of this period, which necessitates the return of Kirk and his experiences as a fighting captain.  The further aftermath of this substantial carnage results in even greater change in the galaxy, which Sato hopes to resolve with a conference on the planet of Babel between representatives from the remaining Federation members.  However, between betrayals, greed and selfish agendas, nothing goes the way you’d expect, starting the trend towards the darker period you later encounter 100 years later during the events of Star Trek: Discovery.

This was honestly a brilliant start to a cool new comic series, which makes full use of its grim themes and a setting centuries away from the main Star Trek shows to tell a truly unique story.  Serving as a compelling prequel to the later seasons of Star Trek Discovery, Lanzin and Kelly pulled together a distinctive story about the unlikely last Starfleet crew attempting to navigate a post-Burn galaxy.  This ended up being a fantastic, character-driven comic, that really tried to show the darker side of the Star Trek universe.  Starting with one massive tragedy, and then showing the various disasters that followed it, readers should be ready for carnage, war, and political upheaval on a level Star Trek fans usually wouldn’t see.  The resulting focus on characters as they attempt to survive this, or are thrust into it against their will, adds some outstanding drama, with all these figures having to make hard or selfish decisions.  While The Last Starship is pretty disaster focused, the authors did try to balance this out by looking at the impacts of hope and principles in trying times.  Watching several characters from various backgrounds and origins continue to try and do the right thing is quite captivating, and it’s hard not to feel for the protagonists as their experiences the extreme lows of the Star Trek universe.

As you would expect from any Star Trek comic, The Last Starship is geared heavily towards established fans of the franchise, and I would say that readers need to have a certain level of knowledge about some of the existing shows to appreciate it.  In particular, The Last Starship serves as a prequel for the last three seasons of Star Trek: Discovery and deeply explores the events that led up to the dystopian galaxy showcased in this series.  The full sequences depicting The Burn in this comic happen very early on, and yet they stick with you, not just because of how devastating they are, but because of the last emotional impact they convey.  There are some brilliant scenes in this comic where the full despair of the events and death-toll of The Burn is showcased, including one panel which just shows final messages from various ships (including the Enterprise).  I really loved how effectively the creators of The Last Starship explored the full immediate impacts of The Burn, and it was something different to see the devastation in caused as it happened, rather than 100 years after like in Discovery.

The Last Starship also explores other key plot points covered in Discovery, including the disappearance of the Klingons, the formation of the Emerald Chain and Earth leaving the Federation, all of which cause major drama in this comic.  Aside from needing to have some knowledge of Discovery to appreciate some of the resulting plot points, The Last Starship also features key characters from other televisions series, including the always iconic Kirk, and Agnes from the first two seasons of Picard, after she becomes a Borg queen.  While most general science fiction fans can appreciate the story of Kirk in The Last Starship to a degree, understanding his full history, including his relationship with the Klingons and his previous death, will really add to overall emotional impact of his scenes in this comic.  Throw in a ton of clever references or call-backs to various characters and moments from previous shows, and there is a lot for established Star Trek fans to appreciate.  I recommend it for those in the mood for something a little darker that still has an authentic Star Trek feel to it.

As I have mentioned a few times already, a key reason that The Last Starship is so impactful is that it features several complex characters caught up in the very worst of circumstances.  This includes Captain Delacourt Sato, one of Starfleet’s last surviving captains, who is attempting to bring back hope and the idea of the Federation to the galaxy.  Sato proves to be a compelling and desperate character, with much of his storyline revolving around his attempts to apply hundreds of years of peaceful Federation ideals to a universe that no longer wants them.  As such, Sato experiences a lot of disappointment and heartbreak in this comic, especially when betrayed by those close to him, but it was very compelling to follow a desperate figure who must change to meet the times he is in.

On the other end of the scale is the newly resurrected James T. Kirk, who finds himself in a future where his mentality and experiences are sorely needed.  Once again thrust into a future time he doesn’t understand, Kirk experiences great despair from his very introduction, as he is forced to watch the Federation he helped build get utterly fractured by The Burn.  There are a lot of excellent and palpable emotions burning within Kirk throughout this comic, as his barely controlled anger, inability to connect to a future where he is an icon, and a lot of internal pain constantly come to the surface and lash out at key times, including during the volume’s climactic scene.  Despite this, there is a certain amount of the old-school Kirk in this resurrected figure, as he inspires many, fights everyone, and even hooks up with an alien.  I appreciated this interesting inclusion of one of Star Trek’s most iconic figures into a very different time, and I think that Lanzin and Kelly made the right choice utilising Kirk, rather than someone like Picard or Janeway, whose inclusion would have really changed the tone of the comic.

Aside from Sato and Kirk, The Last Starship featured several other excellent characters, and I really appreciated the range of figures that the creative team introduced and utilised.  Of note was Commander Howie (Wowie) Carter, the first officer of the Omega, a relatively young character who proves himself to be a major badass forced to make some major decisions.  The son of a chief Earth scientist and political leader, Wowie makes the tough decision to stay with Starfleet, which, thanks to some time dilation, means he watches his parents age and die while Earth becomes even more disconnected from the Federation.  The sequences following this time dilation are some of the most emotionally charged in the comic, and it makes you really appreciate Wowie as a character.  Another key character I enjoyed was Doctor Zed (full name: Herculion Sabratash Ork’ver Purple Four Zedacitus), the Ferengi Chief of Medicine aboard the Omega.  Crude, rude and constantly high, Zed is literally the last doctor Starfleet has, and it was entertaining to see him interact with his more reserved crewmates.  Despite this brash outer layer, Zed is eventually showed to be a competent and principled doctor, and he honestly ended up being a favourite protagonist of mine.  Throw in several other intriguing characters who will likely get explored more in future issues, and this first volume of The Last Starship has some amazing characters, who Lanzin and Kelly use to full effect to advance their story.

The final aspect of this volume that I need to talk about is the beautiful and complex artwork that is featured throughout it.  Drawn by artist Adrián Bonilla and enhanced by colourists Heather Moore (for issues #1 to #3), Lee Loughridge (for issues #4 to #6), the art of The Last Starship was quite striking, perfectly showcasing the unique story in several dramatic ways.  Utilising a noir drawing style to match the dramatic tone of the comic are a lot of bold colours, heavy shading and complex depictions throughout this first six issues of the comic, and I loved some of the interesting character designs that the art team utilised.  The characters originating from the 31st century have a distinctive futuristic feel to them, while characters from the older series, such as Kirk, have a bit more of a rugged appearance.  I also need to highlight the incredible large-scale backgrounds, such as planets, buildings, ships and depictions of space that appear throughout the comic.  The artists really capture the scale and complexity of many of these settings, no matter how weird they get.  This includes the Ni’Varran Panoptical Diplomascope, a gravity-defying, multi-ringed construct that was a distinctive backdrop for a key sequence in the plot.  I also felt that the artists excelled in showcasing the big moments of the plot, including brutal starship battles, intense bits of combat in zero gravity, and the entire carnage of The Burn.  The artists don’t hold back in showing the devastation of these events, and you really feel all the action and intense trauma as you view this art, especially with Bonilla’s drawing the despair and sadness of the survivors.  The amazing artwork behind The Last Starship was so damn good, and it brought the complex story to life in all the right ways.

Overall, this first volume of Star Trek: The Last Starship was an amazing and captivating comic, that I had a blast getting through.  The creative team behind The Last Starship produced a powerful character driven story, loaded with interesting bits of Star Trek lore, and backed up by outstanding artwork.  This was an exceptional comic with a darker edge that Star Trek fans are going to love, and I look forward to reading more of The Last Starship as it continues.

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He Who Fights With Monsters: Adventurer by Travis Deverell (Shirtaloon)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Throwback ThursdayLeave a comment

Publisher: Michael Joseph (Trade Paperback – 15 September 2026, originally published 18 May 2021)

Series: He Who Fights With Monsters – Volume Two

Length: 607 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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After falling in love with the first book in Travis Deverell’s He Who Fights With Monsters series, I just had to check out the second volume, Adventurer, which proved to be just as fun, entertaining and addictive as the first entry.

Readers of this blog may remember a couple of months ago I became obsessed with the amazing first volume of the impressive He Who Fights With Monsters LitRPG series.  Written by Australian author Travis Deverell (also known as Shirtaloon), the first volume of the He Who Fights With Monsters series was originally released several years ago but has since been republished in paperback by Penguin.  This series followed an Australian protagonist, Jason Asano, who becomes a deadly fantasy adventurer after being pulled into an alternate version of Earth filled with magic, monsters and all manner of carnage.

The first volume of this series, recently titled Outworlder, served as an excellent introduction to the protagonist, multiple supporting characters, and Deverell’s fantastic fantasy world.  I had a wonderful time with this initial book’s story, which saw Jason learn to become an adventurer as he gets involved with monster slaying, politics, local crime and larger conspiracies.  While a little rough in places, I ended up absolutely powering through this first volume, and I found it to be an extremely fun and impressive piece of LitRPG.  Due to how much pure enjoyment I got from the first He Who Fights With Monsters book, I made sure to grab a copy of the second volume when it was released, and boy was I glad that I did.

Plot Synopsis:

The path from retail middle management to interdimensional wizard adventurer wasn’t easy, but Jason Asano is settling into his new life.

Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone, competing for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer.

While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Jason thinks he’s on the sidelines—until it becomes clear he’s already crossed the wrong path. With allies and enemies closing in, one thing is certain: this contest is only the beginning, and the coming conflict will change everything.

Now this was a very cool and relentlessly fun sequel.  This second volume of He Who Fights With Monsters, titled Adventurer, ended up being a particularly addictive read as Deverell loaded it up with a great story, zany humour and clever fantasy LitRPG elements.  I couldn’t stop reading Adventurer at times, and because I powered through all 600+ pages in only a couple of days (which is impressive even for me), I must give this second volume a full five-star rating.

I had an absolute blast getting through Adventurer’s fantastic story, which brings together a range of intriguing plot elements into one brilliant tale of adventure and action.  Once again primarily set in the city of Greenstone, Adventurer’s narrative mostly focuses on protagonist Jason Asano, former Australian retail worker turned interdimensional badass, as he and his friends are still reeling from the death of one of their own at the end of the last book.  Determined to become a better adventurer, Jason focuses on the latest complication in his unusual life, the captured thief Sophie, who, thanks to political intrigue and bad luck, has gained the protection she needs by becoming Jason’s indentured servant (in a mostly non-weird way).  Needing to keep her safe, Jason works to make Sophie an adventurer, and much of the first half of Adventurer sees Jason and his friends training Sophie while also forming a new adventuring party.  At the same time, Deverell works in a compelling side story that sees much of the supporting cast investigating the mysterious interdimensional army that attacked the Greenstone adventurer expedition at the end of Outworlder, revealing a large-scale conspiracy that could destroy the entirety of this magical world.

This first half of Adventurer really drags the reader in, and you are soon quite absorbed in the various ongoing storylines.  The plot around Sophie and her attempts to become an adventurer matches Jason’s training in Outworlder, and it was nice to still get an outsider/trainee perspective on the rules of magic and adventuring.  This training element worked well with the book’s entertaining personal dynamics as Jason forms a team with Sophie and some of their other friends and associates, brought together utilising Jason’s chaotic, yet persuasive manner.  At the same time, Deverell also ensures that there are some storylines going for all the extensive supporting cast, and the separate exploits of several of these characters worked well alongside the main story focused on Jason.  I appreciated how well the author fell back on elements from the first book, even some of the more obscure inclusions, and many of these previous hints are cleverly built into the overlying conspiracy that was a big part of Adventurer’s plot.

While I had a brilliant time with the first part of Adventurer, the second half of the book is where things really kick off and drag the reader in.  Indeed, I read the entirety of this second half of Adventurer in a single day, I was that damn hooked.  Much of this is because the main story follows Jason, his team, and several other major supporting characters as they enter a magical competition for rising adventurers.  Essentially split up throughout a dungeon with many other aspiring adventurers, Jason and his team need to fight through an array of monsters and rivals to participate in the main trial of the competition.  This keeps you extremely hooked, as you are drawn into an extended session of action, exploration and advancement, with some interesting combinations of supporting characters coming together into impromptu groups.  This entire extended sequence was so damn good, and while the winner of the trials isn’t especially surprising, the journey to get there is so much fun and wraps up a lot of key storylines from this second volume.  This proves to be a particularly awesome main plot sequence for this volume, and I loved how it turned out.  I also enjoyed how there was still a little bit of Adventurer left after this dungeon sequence, with the author taking some time to showcase the gains following this major arc, while providing some build-up to the third novel.  While this slightly slows the story down at the end, it ensures that the main cast have all their new abilities ready for the next entry, and this will very much appeal to those readers who enjoy the nuances of the LitRPG genre.  Deverell does make sure to keep some intensity going with a big cliffhanger around a major supporting character, while other threats to Jason and the larger world continue to grow, and by the time you finish Adventurer, you are extremely ready for more He Who Fights With Monsters fun.

I had an amazing time with this second He Who Fights With Monsters book, especially as I felt that Adventurer was a better written novel than Outworlder, with Deverell improving as an author.  The author did a great job building on the best elements of the first book, like the worldbuilding and cool fantasy elements, and there was once again a fantastic blend of adventure, personal growth and underlying intrigue to draw the reader in.  I particularly love the effective way in which the LitRPG elements of the setting are incorporated into the story, and the resulting carnage from the distinctive magical system allowed for some intense scenes, especially in the well-structured and intense extended dungeon sequence, which really was a brilliant highlight of Adventurer. At the same time, most of the rough edges I noted in the first He Who Fights With Monsters novel where gone, allowing for a smoother read, especially as I was also more familiar with the author’s writing style.  I was particularly happy that the weird formatting issues that bugged me in the first book were missing, which was a major relief.

Another thing I appreciated about Adventurer was how well Deverell set it up as a sequel to Outworlder.  While LitRPG sequels tend to just be continuations of the first book without much variation, there was a clear plot delineation between the events of Adventurer and Outworlder, which ensures that it feels like an entirely separate novel.  There is also a great continuation and expansion of many of the story elements, world building and the magical system throughout Adventurer, all of which expands in some compelling and intriguing ways.  Naturally, this does mean that Adventurer is going to be a lot easier to read for those people who already checked out the first He Who Fights With Monsters novel, especially as this sequel starts right after the climactic battle of Outworlder.  However, I did think that Deverell’s writing style in Adventurer would allow new readers to start exploring this series with the second book if they wanted to, especially as there are some recaps about the magical system and character arcs. Still, I would recommend reading Outworlder first, as it will allow you to enjoy the entire He Who Fights With Monsters series a lot more.

As with the first He Who Fights With Monsters book, Adventurer features a huge cast of characters whose adventures form the basis for the plot.  Most of the attention of this book is once again on series protagonist Jason Asano, an Australian retail worker who was dragged to this world of magic and monsters thanks to a summoning ritual gone bad and is now making a new life as an adventurer.  As I mentioned in my review of Outlander, Jason is a complex and unique protagonist who projects an outer layer of silliness and seeming insanity to everyone around him.  However, deep down he is a far more collected and shrewd person who has not only already mastered adventuring but is thriving in this new world thanks to his unrivalled ability to empathise with and manipulate everyone he meets.  His anti-authority streak also comes into play a lot in this novel, and it was fun to see him interact with fantasy beings who usually appreciate a hierarchy (although the amused reactions of several gods to this is quite entertaining).  While I can see how some readers might not enjoy Jason as a character for being too over-the-top or a little preachy with his attitudes, for the most part he is great, and much of the book’s humour comes from his various crazy interactions.  I enjoyed how Deverell provided a bit more of a look at Jason’s past in this novel, including how his feelings of inadequacy towards his brother resulted in his current persona.  There was also some compelling focus on how Jason has finally found his calling and friends in this new world, and it will be interesting to see how future storylines that involve him returning to Earth will play into that.

While most of the book is focused specifically on Jason and his adventures, there are a huge number of additional supporting characters in this novel, including most of the cast of the first book, as well as several interesting new figures.  While in some ways the cast of this novel is too big (I must admit that I sometimes lost track of who was who, especially as they all have normal names rather than memorable fantasy ones), it was fascinating to see the various interactions and specific storylines that emerged around them.  Deverell expertly follows various cast members throughout the book, including Jason’s original companions, members of his new team, various key figures of Greenstone who Jason has interacted with, and even a few antagonists.  The third-person perspective of He Who Fights With Monsters really helped to ensure that Deverell could effectively showcase storylines around these characters without Jason needing to be there.  A good example of this occurred during the major dungeon arc of Adventurer, where most of the cast were across a large space and couldn’t communicate with each other.  This resulted in the various members of Jason’s usual party and other supporting characters being forced to team up with other new adventurers, and it was interesting to see how each character was able to work with people they had never dealt with before.

Supporting cast highlights of this book included Jason’s student/indentured servant Sophie, who fills an important role as the rookie adventurer in this story.  A generally untrusting figure, Sophie finds herself forced to work with Jason, and there was a good focus on her uncertainty about Jason’s motivations.  This allowed for some intriguing interactions alongside the interesting examination of Sophie’s abilities as an adventurer, and I felt that she worked well as a serious foil to the usually silly Jason.  The team that Jason and Sophie help form in this book were also a fun group of supporting characters from the first book, and it was interesting see their teamwork grow throughout the novel.  Jason’s friend and mentor Rufus Remore also gets a compelling arc in this book, as he feels guilty for the death of his team member Farrah at the end of Outworlder, and spends much of the story determined to find the one responsible.  These, and many other character storylines, ensured that a range of different plot points and bits of character growth in this novel, and it was fun following so many figures that had great introductions in the first novel.

The He Who Fights With Monsters series continues to impress me, with this second entry, Adventurer, proving to be a particularly addictive read.  Travis Deverell did an exceptional job with Adventurer, and I had such a brilliant time getting through this novel.  I really am not exaggerating with just how hard I found it to stop reading this outstanding novel, and I got through it so damn quickly.  Due to this, I’ve pretty much committed myself to reading the entire He Who Fights With Monsters series in order as soon as I can (a big commitment considering that the 13th book just came out).  Indeed, I’ve already ordered the third book in the series, titled Hero, and I will probably start reading it the second I get my hands on it next week, which really goes to show just how much I am enjoying Deverell’s amazing novels.

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The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Throwback ThursdayLeave a comment

Publisher: Gollancz (Hardcover – 25 June 2024)

Series: Blacktongue series – Book 0 

Length: 389 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out 5 stars

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Prepare for the most brutal of wars with the intense and impressive fantasy prequel from Christopher Buehlman, The Daughter’s War, an intriguing read that dives into the early life of one of the author’s more complex characters.

Most fantasy fans will be aware of author Christopher Buehlman, who has been very popular since 2021 when he released the acclaimed novel The Blacktongue Thief.  An elaborate dark fantasy adventure story set in a series of human nations recovering from a devastating total war against goblins, The Blacktongue Thief was an exceptional read that very much lives up to the hype around it.  I had the pleasure of finally reading The Blacktongue Thief earlier this year, and after finishing it I attempted to find a copy of the 2024 prequel novel, The Daughter’s War.  After a long search through many second-hand bookshops in Australia, I was eventually able to find a wonderful hardcover copy of The Daughter’s War at the tail end of a road trip (thank you Wyrdbooks in Wentworth Falls), and I just got the chance to read it.  A brutal war novel, The Daughter’s War was a great read that provides some additional history around a fantastic character from the first book in the series.

Plot Synopsis:

The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men.

They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and still they wage war.

Now, our daughters take up arms.

Galva ― Galvicha to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill ― has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind.

The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted ― not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.

Buehlman brings the carnage in this compelling prequel novel.  The Daughter’s War was an interesting and action-packed addition to this cool fantasy series that tells a powerful character-driven narrative, while also cleverly expanding on the lore his unique fantasy universe.  A wonderfully dark and addictive novel, The Daughter’s War was an outstanding read you’ll have a hard time pulling away from.

I very much enjoyed the prequel narrative that Buehlman set for The Daughter’s War, especially as the author sets out a gritty war story rather than the classic adventure narrative in The Blacktongue Thief.  Set several years before the events of The Blacktongue Thief, The Daughter’s War follows young noblewoman Galva dom Braga, the striking character from the first book who was introduced as a scarred war veteran and death worshipper.  However, in this prequel Galva is a more innocent and hopeful figure who has volunteered to fight in the Daughter’s War against the goblins, so called because most of the new soldiers are women after most of the men died in the previous goblin wars.  A member of the experimental Corvid Knights unit, an all-female band of warriors who fight alongside giant, magically mutated ravens, Galva travels to the goblin occupied nation of Gallardia, and fights in some of the most brutal battles of this latest war.

Told in a chronicle format primarily from Galva’s perspective, The Daughter’s War starts off with an effective reintroduction to Galva and starts to showcase the various complexities of her early life that you never saw in The Blacktongue Thief.  This includes familial responsibilities and drama when she is reunited with her three brothers, each of whom is participating in the war in different ways.  Buehlman soon embarks on the full intensity of his war story as Galva and her companions head towards the inevitable battles and tragedy to come.  There is a good pace to this story, as the author expands the setting while slowly introducing both the protagonist and the reader to the horrors of war and the goblin enemies.  After several smaller battles, and the build-up of several additional problems around Galva, you soon get your taste of the first true combat, which also introduces readers to even more complexity for the protagonist as she meets her love interest from The Blacktongue Thief for the first time.

After a more emotionally charged centre to the story, the second half of The Daughter’s War is defined by true brutality, as the protagonist and her comrades encounter the wrath of the goblins.  Buehlman is in his dark fantasy element when it comes to this second half of the book, and he excels at highlight the horrors of the war through Galva’s constantly hardening eyes.  After an escalating series of tragedies, there is a major battle sequence that was a highlight of the book, and which sets the protagonist down a darker path.  This change in characterisation is showcased in the book’s climatic sequence, where Galva asserts herself in all the best ways, and becomes the figure we knew from The Blacktongue Thief.  Throw in some intriguing wrap up which helps to bridge the gap between this book and The Blacktongue Thief, and this ended up being an outstanding prequel narrative, guaranteed to keep you hooked to the end.

I enjoyed how Buehlman utilised a different writing style for The Daughter’s War, which helped it stand out as its own novel.  Rather than utilising the active first-person style of The Blacktongue Thief, this novel is told in a chronicle format, as Galva recounts her memories of the war to an unseen character (the protagonist of the first book).  Primarily told from Galva’s immediate perspective, Buehlman also utilises several in-universe documents and letters, as well as other inclusions and rogue memories to paint a wider picture of events and help to recount the larger war.  This chronicle style highlighted that The Daughter’s War was very much a prequel novel, and the author did an amazing job emulating the feel of a veteran recounting their most personal war story.  This includes working in a sense of regret and sadness from the very first page, as the protagonist/writer lays down hints about the tragedies to come.  This focus on the past ensures that The Daughter’s War works well as a prequel to The Blacktongue Thief, and readers have a choice of either enjoying this book after The Blacktongue Thief to see how the protagonist got the way she did, or by reading it first and then exploring the aftermath of the war with the original book in the series (with some potential spoilers).  I will admit that, thanks to its unique style and narrative structure, The Daughter’s War might not be for every fantasy reader out there, especially those who enjoyed the more straightforward and humour-laden style of The Blacktongue Thief.  However, for those looking for an intense and darker character-focused read with some epic and brutal battle sequences, The Daughter’s War has a lot to offer.

One of my favourite things about the original book in this series was the elaborate and dark fantasy world that Buehlman invented as the background for The Blacktongue Thief’s story.  The various human nations still diminished and feeling the impact of the goblin wars made for a striking and bleak setting, and I loved following the protagonists on the map as they made their way across the continent.  This setting was also a highlight of this prequel, especially as the author uses The Daughter’s War to provide an extended look at new parts of the world, while also showcasing some of the dark history mentioned in The Blacktongue Thief.  Readers follow the sprawling campaign through the invaded kingdom of Gallardia and get to appreciate the dark impacts war has had on it.  Multiple other kingdoms from the larger continent setting of the series are also represented in other ways, primarily from their soldiers fighting in the war, and the author’s portrayals of the different combat styles of these nations was very compelling.  Additional details about the protagonist’s home country of Ispanthia, which was talked about but not seen in The Blacktongue Thief, were also mentioned here, and this context helps to expand on the character’s origins.

While the focus on the human participants in the war is excellent, Buehlman’s portrayal of the goblin antagonists is particularly awesome.  Already shown as deadly and malicious creatures when nominally at peace in The Blacktongue Thief, the author does not hold back showcasing their true nature in this prequel as you see the goblins at their full war savagery.  The scenes showing them fighting against human soldiers are so damn brutal, and their varying tactics, weapons and counters to traditional warfare add some major impact to the impressive battle sequences.  However, it is the examination of how they treat humans, especially humans they have captured or conquered, that really showcases how terrifying the goblins are, with the goblins essentially considering them to be cattle that they can drug, mutilate, eat and find various uses for (human skin sails and mutated human warriors are a striking inclusion).  This portrayal of the goblin ruthlessness really ups the stakes of The Daughter’s War, and it was very fun to have an antagonist group that is so irredeemably evil.  These outstanding elements of the setting were perfectly utilised in Buehlman’s darker fantasy narrative, and I really appreciated this look at the war that caused all the scars in the original novel.

In addition to cool setting and dark fantasy features, another great highlight of The Daughter’s War was the author’s excellent character work, especially around protagonist Galva dom Braga, who enters the war as a hopeful Corvid Knight, leading two magically enhanced ravens into battle alongside her sister knights.  Buehlman does an excellent job showcasing the young noblewoman in a very different light than when you see her in The Blacktongue Thief, as through her own telling, she was a somewhat naïve and uncertain figure with no experience of war.  Thanks to the horrors of battle, interactions with several supporting characters, and various tragedies involving her three brothers, Galva is slowly turned into the experienced and death-worshipping figure that we encountered in the original novel, and I really appreciated the gradual and understandable transition that the author worked in.  The use of Galva as both the main character and the narrator recounting her most brutal memories allows for some powerful storytelling and she ended up being an excellent centre for this book.  Throw in some outstanding, if somewhat doomed, supporting characters, including comrades, rivals, cheeky talking ravens, an insane wizard, the princess Galva falls in love with, and her three brothers, each of whom has their own complex narrative in this book, and the cast of The Daughter’s War is extremely impressive and adds a lot to the overall story.  I’m extremely glad that Buehlman decided to provide all of Galva’s story in this prequel, and I cannot wait to see what happens with this eventually brooding warrior next.

Christopher Buehlman continues to showcase his skill for dark fantasy fiction in this impressive novel.  The Daughter’s War was an outstanding prequel to Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief, and I really appreciated the exploration of the past of his complex setting and one iconic scarred character.  Shocking, intense and filled with inevitable tragedy, The Daughter’s War comes highly recommended, and I am very glad I finally got the chance to read this book.  I cannot wait to see what happens in the upcoming third book in the series, The Thrice-Bound Fool, and I’m hoping to get that very soon.

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