For two years now, my goal has been to read as many different kinds of novels as I can. I’ve tried out several different genres/subgenres that I normally would not, and the experience has helped me in becoming a better reader and a reviewer. Being a prolific reader and reviewer is all about diversity, in all its different forms. And that’s what I’ve come to value most.

Still, its not that easy, dealing with the diversity, or just the sheer volume of all the reading. When I put together the 2013 list of my most anticipated books (link), I intended to read all of them. But sadly that never happened and somewhere along the way I just lost track. The 2013 list had 51 books on it. The 2014 list has 41 books on it. A much more manageable number I dare say.

We’ll see how the year pans out and whether or not I will indeed be able to get through all them. I remain hopeful as ever. And there will be some more lists going up in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned for those.

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More lists from me:

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Note: I’ve tried to find as many cover images as I can, but as you can see some of these books don’t have any covers. I’ll update this post as and when I can find them.

1. Heirs of a Demon King #1: Uprising by Sarah Cawkwell

Link | Author Blog | Review of “The Gildar Rift” | Review of “Valkia the Bloody” | Review of “Accursed Eternity” | Review of “Skin Deep”

Mathias Eynon’s dreams were small. A dabbler in magic, he expected to live in obscurity in his home in the Welsh hills, not drawing attention to himself. But fate has other plans for him.

It is the Year of Our Lord Fifteen Ninety, and a revolution is quietly brewing, here and further broad. Richard V has overstayed his rule, some say; others whisper that the whole line of Demon Kings must be burned out. Mathias – son of a man executed for the practice of magic – is set to become a symbol, and a leader.

And to do that, he needs champions. A wise woman sends him to the corners of the known world – to the frozen lands of the north, to the pirate-haunted ports of Spain, to the mountains of the German Empire, to the burning sands of the Holy Land – to bring back masters of the four magic arts.

With Richard’s Witch Hunters on his heels, he sets out to gather his allies.

Why is the book on my list?

I’ve said it before on the blog and elsewhere, Sarah is one of the main reasons why I’ve been working on my own fiction for almost three years now. Reading her Black Library work and interacting with her has been an inspiration. It also helps that she writes some really good fiction. I can’t recall anything of hers that I have NOT enjoyed. And this is her first full-length work that is not with Black Library, so I’m doubly excited.

2. The Rage of Kings #1: The Iron Wolves by Andy Remic

Link | Author Blog

Thirty years ago, the Iron Wolves held back mud-orc hordes at the Pass of Splintered Bones, and led a brutal charge that saw the sorcerer Morkagoth slain.

Now, a new terror stalks the realm. Orlana the Changer has escaped from the Chaos Halls and is building an army, twisting horses, lions and bears into terrible, bloody hunters, summoning mud-orcs from the slime and heading north to battle the mighty region of Vagandrak where, it said, the King has gone insane.

General Dalgoran searches to reunite the heroes of old for what he believes will be their final battle. But Dalgoran discovers the Iron Wolves are no longer the heroes of legend, and they might just be more dangerous than the invading hordes.

Why is the book on my list?

I haven’t read any of Andy Remic’s previous novels, but I’ve been interested in his work for quite a while. I have a physical ARC of this book waiting to be read, and I’m quite excited for it. The premise is very promising, and Remic is a fairly popular author among several of my blogger friends.

3. Black Dawn #2: The Book of The Crowman by Joseph D’Lacey

Link | Author Blog | Review of “Black Feathers“

It is the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, the earth wracked and dying.

It is the Bright Day, a time long generations hence, when a peace has descended across the world.

The search for the shadowy figure known only as the Crowman continues, as the Green Men prepare to rise up against the forces of the Ward.

The world has been condemned. Only Gordon Black and The Crowman can redeem it.

Why is the book on my list?

The first book in this series, Black Feathers, was a surprise hit for me. It was a book unlike any other I’d read and if I could, I’d have built a time-machine to read this as soon as I finished Black Feathers. As it is, the year is almost up and the book is to be released soon.

4. Majat Code #1: Blades of the Old Empire by Anna Kashina

Link | Author Blog

Kara is a mercenary – a Diamond warrior, the best of the best, and a member of the notorious Majat Guild. When her tenure as protector to Prince Kythar comes to an end, custom dictates he accompany her back to her Guild to negotiate her continued protection.

But when they arrive they discover that the Prince’s sworn enemy, the Kaddim, have already paid the Guild to engage her services – to capture and hand over Kythar, himself.

A warrior brought up to respect both duty and honour, what happens when her sworn duty proves dishonourable?

Why is the book on my list?

As far as I’m concerned, Angry Robot has had a fairly good run with debut titles in the last two years. Blades of The Old Empire sounds like a fun title and I like that the setting appears to be atypical of most other fantasy settings which are all Euro-medieval or thereabouts.

5. Last God Standing by Michael Boatman

Link | Author Blog

Creator. Ruler. Stand-up Comic…

When God decides to quit and join the human race to see what all the fuss is about, all Hell breaks loose.

Sensing his abdication, the other defunct gods of Earth’s vanquished pantheons want a piece of the action He abandoned.

Meanwhile, the newly-humanised deity must discover the whereabouts and intentions of the similarly reincarnated Lucifer, and block the ascension of a murderous new God.

How is he ever going to make it as a stand-up comedian with all of this going on…?

Why is the book on my list?

I normally don’t go for comedy novels, especially not fairly contemporary ones, but this one definitely intrigues me. And its Angry Robot, who have a very successful penchant for subverting expectations.

6. Peacemaker by Marianne de Pierres

Link | Author Blog

Virgin Jackson is the senior ranger in Birrimun Park – the world’s last natural landscape, overshadowed though it is by a sprawling coastal megacity. She maintains public safety and order in the park, but her bosses have brought out a hotshot cowboy to help her catch some drug runners who are affecting tourism. She senses the company is holding something back from her, and she’s not keen on working with an outsider like Nate Sixkiller.

When an imaginary animal from her troubled teenage years reappears, Virgin takes it to mean one of two things: a breakdown (hers!) or a warning. When the dead bodies start piling up around her and Nate, she decides on the latter.

Something terrible is about to happen in the park and Virgin and her new partner are standing in its path…

Why is the book on my list?

With Angry Robot’s Black Dawn series and a few other books elsewhere, I’m now on sort of a post-apocalyptic kick, and Peacemaker promises to do some really unique things. I’m always up for a bit of unique.

7. Black Plague #3: Wolf of Sigmar by C. L. Werner

Link | Author Blog | Review of “Age of Legend“ | Review of “Black Library Games Day 2011 Anthology“ | Review of “The Siege of Castellax“ | Review of “Dead Winter“ | Review of “Blighted Empire” | Guest Post: On Names | Author Interview

The Black Plague has done its work, and the ravaged Empire is ripe for the picking. As the dread armies of the skaven sweep across Sigmar’s realm, each of the great cities looks to its own defence – except Middenheim. As he gathers warriors to his banner and liberates towns and villages from the verminous menace, Graf Mandred begins to embrace his destiny as the future leader of a united Empire – if he can survive the trials to come.

Why is the book on my list?

The first two novels in the series have all been great, and I’m expecting this one to be just as good at the least. The entire political drama nature of this trilogy has worked wonders for me and really gotten me excited about reading Warhammer Fantasy all over again.

8. Gotrek & Felix: The Serpent Queen by Josh Reynolds

Author Blog | Review of “Gotrek & Felix: The Anthology“ | Review of “The Riddle of Scorpions“ | Review of “Knight of the Blazing Sun“ | Review of “Gotrek & Felix: Road of Skulls“ | Guest Post: On Names | Author Interview

Gotrek and Felix: unsung heroes of the Empire, or nothing more than common thieves and murderers? The truth perhaps lies somewhere in between, and depends entirely upon whom you ask… Travelling to the mysterious south in search of a mighty death, the Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson and his human companion, Felix Jaeger, find themselves caught up in a battle between warring kingdoms. Captured by the sinister Queen Khalida and forced to do her bidding, the adventurers must brave the horrors of the sun-soaked Land of the Dead, where the dead do not rest easy.

Why is the book on my list?

Josh’s first Gotrek & Felix novel, Road of Skulls, was quite excellent. As the first novel in the series after so many years, I was very excited about it and had high expectations of it. Josh impressed me with that novel and I’m hoping for more of the same from this novel.

9. Salamanders #4: Rebirth by Nick Kyme

Author Blog | Review of “Nocturne” | Review of “Perfection” | Review of “Promethean Sun” | Author Interview

Five Years have passed since war came to Nocturne.Third Company, still feeling its losses, recovers its strength. And though a small party have ventured out in search of a certain errant fire-born, it is the Salamanders of Fifth Company who must wage war. On Heletine, the Black Legion has come in the name of Chaos and only Brother-Captain Drakgaard’s warriors stand in the way of their dark glory. Victory for the Imperium hinges on the alliance between the Salamanders and The Sisters of the Ebon Chalice, warrior zealots and devout servants of the Ecclesiarchy. But there is more to this Promethean War than conquest, and only as the conflict grinds on are the true motives of the enemy revealed…

Why is the book on my list?

The Tome of Fire trilogy is one of my favourite trilogies from Black Library and they instilled in me a love for the Salamanders, who are now one of my favourite Space Marine chapters. I’ve read most of Nick’s Salamanders fiction and I’m very, very excited for this new book, which starts a new trilogy, the Circle of Fire.

10. Legacy of Caliban #2: Master of Sanctity by Gav Thorpe

Author Blog | Review of “Ravenwing” | Review of “Deathwatch: Mission Purge” | Review of “The Raven’s Flight” | Guest Post: On Names | Author Interview

The Legacy of Caliban echoes down through the ages, and the secretive mission of the Dark Angels Space Marines continues. Interrogator-Chaplain Asmodai sees treachery and deceit everywhere he turns – while this serves him well in his hunt for the Fallen, it also strains the Chapter’s relations with their Imperial allies. With their true quarry now seemingly within their grasp, Brothers Annael and Telemenus find themselves at the forefront of a new operation that could shake the Imperium itself to its very core.

Why is the book on my list?

Gav is one of my favourite authors, whether we talk about his extensive work for Black Library, or outside of it, such as his swords and sandals trilogy for Angry Robot. His work with the Dark Angels in Warhammer 40,000 is one of the big reasons why I love the setting so much and this year the first novel in the Legacy of Caliban trilogy got released, and it was pretty good.

11. Horus Heresy: Vengeful Spirit by Graham McNeill

Author Blog | Review of “Iron Warriors: The Omnibus” | Review of “Priests of Mars” | Review of “Ultramarines: Eye of Vengeance” | Review of “Ultramarines: The Second Omnibus” | Review of “Codex” | Review of “Horus Heresy: Angel Exterminatus” | Review of “Horus Heresy: The Outcast Dead”

On the planet of Molech, the Titan Legions go to war against the armies of Horus.

Once the favoured son of the Emperor of Mankind, the name of Horus has become a curse to the loyal defenders of the Imperium, and a rallying call to the traitor forces tearing across the galaxy. While their allies wage war on a thousand different fronts, the XVIth Legion descend upon the Knight World of Molech – home to House Devine and their feudal levies, and a principal seat of Imperial military power. Just what could have drawn Horus to attack such a strongly defended planet, and what might he be willing to sacrifice to fulfill his own dark destiny?

Why is the book on my list?

Its been entirely too long since we had a good long look at Horus, and its time we got back to things good and proper. He is a really fascinating character and I want more, which is what this book is going to do.

12. Time of Legends: The Doom of Dragonback by Gav Thorpe

War with the elves has ended in bloody stalemate, great quakes have broken the peaks, and the enemies of the dwarfs are rising in vast numbers. Far removed from this grief, however, are the dwarfs of Ekrund, great underground city of the Dragonback Mountains, convinced that no foe will ever breach their walls. Amongst them, the Angbok clan continues to mine their gold, until war threatens Dragonback and decisions must be made that could change their way of life forever. Whether by exile or extinction, a great doom is coming…

Why is the book on my list?

Gav’s The Sundering trilogy for Time of Legends is one of the best Warhammer novels I’ve read. They aren’t as good as some of the other ones, but they are definitely in the upper tiers. They do something really different from those other novels and they really go deep into the High Elf/Dark Elf cultures, and how they come about. This new novel seems to tie in to the ongoing War of Vengeance/War of the Beard storyline and I can’t wait to see what Gav does.

13. ®Evolution #2: Binary by Stephanie Saulter

Link | Author Blog | Review of “Gemsigns”

Zavcka Klist has reinvented herself: no longer the ruthless gemtech enforcer determined to keep the gems they created enslaved, she’s now all about transparency and sharing the fruits of Bel’Natur’s research to help gems and norms alike. Neither Aryel Morningstar nor Dr Eli Walker are convinced that Klist or Bel’Natur can have changed so dramatically, but the gems have problems that only a gemtech can solve. In exchange for their help, digital savant Herran agrees to work on Klist’s latest project: reviving the science that drove mankind to the brink of extinction. Then confiscated genestock disappears from a secure government facility, and the more DI Varsi investigates, the closer she comes to the dark heart of Bel’Natur and what Zavcka Klist is really after – not to mention the secrets of Aryel Morningstar’s own past… Why is the book on my list? A fantastic look at the future of genetic engineering and how society deals with the moral, religions and social implications of that. Stephanie Saulter made me a fan with Gemsigns and I want Binary to be as good as that at least.

14. Black Jewels Trilogy #1: Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop

Link | Author Blog

The Darkness has had a Prince for a long, long time. Now the Queen is coming. For years the realm of Terreille has been falling into corruption, as the powerful Queens who rule it have turned to cruelty. But there is hope – a prophetic vision has revealed the coming of a Queen more powerful than any other. And once the foundations of her power – father, brother, lover – are in place, she will emerge from the darkness, bringing freedom. For she is the living myth, dreams made flesh; not just any witch, but Witch. Why is the book on my list? Much as with Angry Robot, Jo Fletcher too has put out some really interesting books recently. I have a number of their books to read, and this book sounds equally interesting. There are a lot of fantasy books coming out of late that seek to do some different things with the genre while still contextualised in the old trappings and I think it makes for a great combination.

15. Shattered Kingdoms #2: Fortune’s Blight by Evie Manieri

Link | Author Blog | Review of “Blood’s Pride”

Victory for the Shadari rebels has come at a terrible price. Hardship, superstition and a murderous cabal poison King Daryan’s young regime, but help is nowhere to be found: the mercenary who led their rebellion has vanished, their Nomas allies have troubles of their own, and the Norlanders who returned home to plead – or fight – for the Shadari’s independence have found themselves embroiled in the court politics of an empire about to implode. As the foundations of the two far-flung countries begin to crack, an enigmatic figure watches from a tower room in Ravindal Castle. She is old, and a prisoner, but her reach is long, and her patience is about to be rewarded… Why is the book on my list? The first book in the series was a very interesting book and it was great to start off the year with it. I’ve been waiting for this book for a good long while and the time is finally here, so I’m excited.

16. The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord

Link | Author Blog

For years, Rafi Delarua saw his family suffer under his father’s unethical use of psionic power. Now the government has Rafi under close watch but, hating their crude attempts to analyse his brain, he escapes to the planet Punartam, where his abilities are the norm, not the exception. Punartam is also the centre for his favourite sport, wallrunning – and thanks to his best friend, he has found a way to train with the elite. But Rafi soon realises he’s playing quite a different game, for the galaxy is changing; unrest is spreading and the Zhinuvian cartels are plotting, making the stars a far more dangerous place to aim. There may yet be one solution – involving interstellar travel, galactic power and the love of a beautiful game. Why is the book on my list? Space opera with a bit of fantasy to it, like something out of Marvel’s/DC’s cosmic comics, and since I’m a sucker for those, I gotta read this.

17. The Shiva Trilogy #3: The Oath of The Vayaputras by Amish Tripathi

Link | Author Blog