Charlies Top Reads of 2023

Seriously we can only choose 10?

Given the unfeasibly difficult task of narrowing down my ten best books from this year was no easy task. 2023 really was the year of indie books for me, that’s not intended as a slight to traditional published books. Just that I have been spoilt for choice with the books on offer from the indie authors and it left no time for any traditionally published ones this year.

In a couple of cases I have read one than one book of the same series this year, and in those instances I have chosen the first book in each series on the basis that whilst I love both equally, the journey starts with Book 1.

Hopefully the list below will give you a few ideas for your own reading in 2024. So in no particular order here we go…

SEEDS OF WAR – João F. Silva

Synopsis:

He ran like the monster he was. And the smoke followed.”

GIMLORE is a single mother and war veteran turned crime boss set on protecting her family and her town.

ORBERESIS is a petty thief pretending to be God to protect a terrible secret.

REDNOW is the world’s most feared mercenary, but his best days are behind him and there’s one job left to do.

In a world of dangerous monsters and devastating smoke magic, the seeds of war are being planted. Allies must be treasured and enemies defeated.

The Smokesmiths is a gritty epic fantasy series with a harsh world of smoke magic, alien creatures and ancient secrets where characters do their best to come out on top. Peace will not last.

Link to my review– https://fanfiaddict.com/guest-review-seeds-of-war-the-smokesmiths-1-by-joao-f-silva/

Why I’ve chosen it – A truly unique magic system, a cast of characters that wouldn’t normally hold centre stage. The book starts with a cracking opening – “By the time she was ten, Gilmore had already lost her parents to war, escaped the King’s smokesmiths and learned to survive. Selling a product nobody else had should be easy by comparison”. Hold onto your seats for one hell of a ride.

Honourable Mention – Ruins of Smoke, a powerhouse of a novella that grabs you from the first page and never lets go. It can be read either before or after Seeds of War for a differing reading experience – my review (https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-smokesmiths-0-5-ruins-of-smoke-by-joao-f-silva/ )

NO HEART FOR A THIEF (Malitu Book 1)  –  James Lloyd Dulin

Synopsis:

We are the stories we tell ourselves…even the lies.

The Thief, a great spirit, and her descendants have abused their ability to steal magic for centuries. When Kaylo starts to hear the song of other people’s magic, he must learn to hide from his people as well as the invaders. A gift or a curse, Kaylo may be able to save his people from the Gousht Empire that claimed their land with this stolen magic.

Eighteen years later, Kaylo still prays to the spirits, but not out of loyalty or love. He knows better than to rely on those selfish bastards for anything. While hiding in the forest from his foolish acts of rebellion, he encounters a girl, Tayen, being pursued by two soldiers of the empire. Against his better judgment, he risks facing the consequences of his past to intervene.

When Tayen attempts to run off seeking vengeance for her family, he offers to train her to wield her magic and a blade. If he can’t convince her to relinquish her need for vengeance and stave off the demons of his past, he’s going to get them both killed.

Link to my review- https://jamreads.com/reviews/no-heart-for-a-thief-malitu-1-by-james-l-dulin—a-review-by-charles-cavendish

(NB reviewed on JamReads, prior to my joining FanFiAddicts)

Why I’ve chosen it – It was a remarkable ride from start to finish, James has created an engaging & immersive world that sucks you right in from the start. This book spoke to me on so many levels and the authors voice is one that I could keep reading and reading (lucky that I also read book 2 this year). Its themes of colonialism and oppression are as relevant as ever.

Honourable mention – No Safe Haven (Malitu Book 2), James follows the excellent first instalment with an equally brilliant sequel. It was tough choosing between the two!

A NIGHT OWL SLIPS INTO A DINER – Douglas Lumsden

Synopsis:

A routine case of industrial espionage pitches hardboiled P.I. Alexander Southerland headlong into a maelstrom of shadowy political intrigue and deadly supernatural mayhem—not to mention some malevolent owls and the mysterious ‘boy who talks backwards’!

After his exposure of a white-collar thief has harrowing consequences, a guilt-ridden and disconsolate Southerland roams the mean streets and dark alleys of Yerba City seeking to uncover a secret so stunning—so staggering—that just knowing it could unravel the bonds that keep the social order from dissolving into chaos!

Link to my review– https://fanfiaddict.com/review-a-night-owl-slips-into-a-diner-by-douglas-lumsden/

Why I’ve chosen it – I was already a big fan of the series, with this book being number 4 in the series. Alex Southerland is firmly one of my favourite fictional characters. In this instalment we have our trusty PI up to his neck in trouble taking on a megalomanic gnome, industrial espionage, a giant shape shifting owl, government spooks and a conspiracy that could shake the very world he is part of… seriously what more could you want?             

CURSE OF THE FALLEN – HC Newell

Synopsis:

Book I of the Fallen Light series.

This Child is not the chosen one. She is a demon to be destroyed.

Born of magic, Nerana is labelled a demon and forced into hiding by the Order of Saro. Living with a curse that binds her to their leader, Nerana seeks to free herself from their hold and soon learns that the path to redemption may prove more fatal than the Order itself. But for Nerana, this is more than a quest for survival… It’s a promise of revenge

Link to FanFiAddict Review by Alan Behn (@AlanBehan423025)- https://fanfiaddict.com/review-curse-of-the-fallen-fallen-light-series-1-by-h-c-newell/

Why I’ve chosen it – This was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. Well written and thoroughly engaging. It grabs your attention from the start and doesn’t let go. Coupled with epic world building, well developed characters that you genuinely care about and some truly disturbing creatures; this is a book that you will be thinking about long after you have finished it.

Honourable mention – The Forbidden Realm, which successfully builds on foundations laid in Book 1 and then raises the bar.

THE HAND OF GOD – Yuval Kordov

Synopsis:

The world ended—twice. Once at humanity’s hand and a second time at God’s, according to legend. Only Esther, the Eternal One, saw it all happen. Chosen by the Messiah to redeem humanity, she heads a holy sisterhood that rules Cathedral, the Last City. Except Cathedral isn’t the last city, and the source of the Revenant Sisterhood’s supernatural power is far from holy.

It’s the year 2500, give or take. The passage of time has become as blurry as the gray wastes that cover most of North America. No moon or stars light the night, and demonic hordes smash against the last outposts of civilization.

Two reborn nations vie for humanity’s future. In the west, Cathedral unleashes its God-engines—ancient walking war machines—in a final bid to cleanse the earth. In the east, the struggling city-state of Bastion turns to the last living AI for salvation. Between them, a tribe of technological scavengers known as the Union unwittingly holds the balance of power.

Hell is on the horizon. Who will survive?

For fans of Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos, Iain Banks’ Culture novels, A Canticle for Leibowitz and other classic metaphysical science fiction.

This compelling new series explores questions of family, faith, and the human condition on the backdrop of a dark post-apocalyptic future.

Link to my review– https://fanfiaddict.com/guest-review-the-hand-of-god-dark-legacies-1-by-yuval-kordov/

Why I’ve chosen it? – I mean come on it has warrior nuns and battle walkers do you need any more reasons? That aside Yuval has created a dark and disturbing world, expertly mixing fantasy and sci fi elements into a gripping story. Book 2 (All Of Our Sins) is also now available so you can jump start back into the story once you have finished The Hand of God.

A QUIET VENGEANCE – Tim Hardie

Synopsis:

Nimsah is an abandoned child living on the streets of Bengarath, surviving on her wits as part of a criminal gang in the City of Tents, home to the dispossessed. Dojan is the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Fujareen, enjoying a life of luxury in Bengarath Palace. Their lives are brought together as the threat of war looms in the neighbouring city state of Kandarah. However, Dojan and Nimsah share a secret, one that will set in motion a chain of events leading to vengeance.

Link to my review– https://jamreads.com/reviews/a-quiet-vengeance-samarak-tales-1-by-tim-hardie—a-review-by-charles-cavendish

(NB reviewed on JamReads, prior to my joining FanFiAddicts)

Why I’ve chosen it – This was first foray into Tim’s writing and its safe to say I’m hooked. A Quiet Vengeance is story of political intrigue and the dichotomy between the upper and lower end of society. The quality of Tim’s writing is so good you will feel that you are transported to a Middle Eastern / North African-inspired world. We are taken on wild ride from the hot, dusty streets and markets of Bengarath to the rich opulence of the ruling elites’ palaces.

THE RAINS CAME DOWN – Julian Shaw

Synopsis:

A world where nature has claimed the streets of London… where ageless people are perilously addicted to sucking marbles… and where the deaths of three men from another world threatens the order of the universe… In this, his debut novel, Julian Shaw has created a life-affirming and enchanting parallel universe, remarkable for its torrential bursts of action and overwhelming floods of emotion.

When Gareth Edwards dies in a train crash, he emerges in The Meadow , a realm existing somewhere between life and death. Hunted and on the run, he finds refuge with a travelling circus and journeys with them across the splendour of this strange world, where pubs organise rebellions, cave dwellers archive Earth’s disasters – and where a network of monasteries are commissioning expeditions into the Welsh mountains that are too dangerous to speak of. Gareth joins one of these expeditions, only to find something yet more perilous waiting for him – something with origins that reach beyond this world and into the trauma of his past. 

Link to my review- https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-rains-came-down-by-julian-shaw—a-review-by-charles-cavendish

(NB reviewed on JamReads, prior to my joining FanFiAddicts)

Why I’ve chosen it –

The Rains Came Down is a wonderful mix of the dystopian and fantasy genres. It really was one of the most unique stories I’ve read for quite a while. The story starts with the trauma of a train crash and where in most cases that would be the end of things, it’s just the start of the journey. A truly intriguing story supposing what happens after we die.

SALT IN THE WOUND – Benjamin Aeveryn

Synopsis:

Our world is lost to time. Only our myths remain.

Centuries after the rain turned, civilization is a distant memory.

Once rain was a symbol of hope and harvest. Now it brings only death. Shadowy rainwights form in rainfall, hunting for victims with their long teeth and claws.

Humanity survives in sheltered cities and canvas-covered towns. Travel between these patches of limited safety is rare and dangerous.

It’s what Galahad lives for.

While seeking a lost cache of salt—a fortune he plans to use to build a shelter over his hometown—Galahad is betrayed by the friends he holds dearest.

They leave him for dead. Unfortunately for them, he lives.

Torn between seeking justice or revenge, Galahad knows one thing for certain: that treasure is his, and he’ll do anything to reclaim it.

Link to my review – https://jamreads.com/reviews/salt-in-the-wound-rainfallen-1-by-benjamin-aeveryn—a-review-by-charles-cavendish

(NB reviewed on JamReads, prior to my joining FanFiAddicts)

Why I’ve chosen it – I would say Salt in the Wound is a Dystopian book first and then a gritty fantasy / grimdark one second, with the blend of genres giving the story an engaging & unique voice. In essence, I feel the book is a story of revenge vs justice and the consequences of that both for the perpetrators and the victims. There are Arthurian themes throughout the book as well once mythical creatures now very much part of reality. And without giving away spoilers you won’t look at the rain the same way after this book.

Honourable mention – Secret of the Thistle is book 2 in the series and Benjamin has smashed it out of the park with this sequel.

AN OCEAN OF OTHERS – Joshua Scott Edwards

Synopsis:

Survival is never easy, but it’s never been harder for Grim, the last bounty hunter in Liwokin. He survived the Great Riot that killed Liwo by the thousands, endured the bloody chaos that ruled the city in its aftermath, and avoided the crushing fist of the Agency created to quell the unrest. Rule of law returned, but following the rules doesn’t put food in your belly.

On a job gone wrong, Grim stumbles into a conspiracy that targets Ulken, the Head of the Agency, a man who has done more to ruin Grim’s life than any other. Struggling to earn honest coin, Grim plans to use this information to rise quickly through the ranks of the organization so an empty purse never worries him again. He becomes a Finger of the Agency, joining a sardonic ranger, two fugitive siblings, a stone-skinned Skardwarf, and a powerful dark mage—none of whom know any better than Grim what they’ve gotten themselves into.

Grim’s Hand soon discovers the Agency’s furtive work is far deadlier than hunting bounties. While fighting to save his home from monsters who once were men, Grim discovers the conspiracy runs deeper than just Ulken and the Agency—what was unleashed is spreading, and if Grim’s sanity doesn’t prevail, it will consume the minds of the Bright Empire and beyond.

Link to GoodReads Page – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61219433-an-ocean-of-others?ref=joshse.com

Why I’ve chosen it: I went into this book expecting one thing and found something completely different (and all the better). The dark psychological edge running through this book is brilliantly unsettling. A wonderful cast of characters and creatures as well as a very original psychological / horror edge to the story that I really enjoyed. As the tag line says “Remember what’s real”….

PALADIN UNBOUND – Jeff Speight

Synopsis:

The last of a dying breed, a holy warrior must rise up against a growing darkness in Evelium.

The most unlikely of heroes, a lowly itinerant mercenary, Umhra the Peacebreaker is shunned by society for his mongrel half-Orc blood. Desperate to find work for himself and his band of fighters, Umhra agrees to help solve a rash of mysterious disappearances, but uncovers a larger, more insidious plot to overthrow the natural order of Evelium in the process.

As Umhra journeys into the depths of Telsidor’s Keep to search for the missing, he confronts an ancient evil and, after suffering a great loss, turns to the god he disavowed for help.

Compelled to save the kingdom he loves, can he defeat the enemy while protecting his true identity, or must he risk everything?

Link to my review –https://jamreads.com/reviews/paladin-unbound-the-archives-of-evelium-1-by-jeffrey-speight—a-review-by-charles-cavendish

(NB reviewed on JamReads, prior to my joining FanFiAddicts)

Why I’ve chosen it – The story has a fast pace and it kept me engaged throughout. Jeff has created a raft of wonderful characters both our band of heroes and the villains and nefarious creatures they encounter. Without giving any spoilers, the way the direction of the book changed was a key aspect of why I enjoyed it so much.

Honourable mention – Mystic Reborn. Jeff delivers a brilliant follow up in book 2, the progression of Umhra and the resulting adventure are tremendous fun.

On the off chance anyone has read this far. I just wanted to send out a huge thanks to the authors that have shared their books with me and the wider book community for putting up with my ramblings.

Wishing everyone a good end of 2023 and hoping for a great 2024 for us all.