I began this particular reading challenge in 2013, as a way to motivate myself to read widely across genres and also to kind of catch-up on some big names of the various genres I haven’t been able to get around to as yet. The 2013 challenge was a close one for me, and last year’s challenge I completed in full, though there was a bit of a snag with that one early on. Either way, I still love this challenge immensely, given all the different flavours and styles I get to sample with it, and so here’s the 25 series I am looking forward to reading in 2015.
You can see the previous list for 2014 here and 2013 here.
25. The Clockwork Empire by Steven Harper
Genre: Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: Completely random this one, but I liked the premise and the covers are interesting enough.
24. Temeraire by Naomi Novik
Genre: Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Same as Lois below, and also because I saw her books a lot in my local bookstore alongside other “classic” authors.
23. Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: Lois is another mainstay of the bygone decades of classic space opera, and is an author I’ve wanted to read for a while now.
22. First Law by Joe Abercrombie
Genre: Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Yet another recent major success in fantasy who comes highly recommended.
21. Calliope Reaper-Jones by Amber Benson
Genre: Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: I became curious about this series because it turns out that the author was one of the actresses on Buffy in the later seasons, and also because I did like her character and her acting. Obvious really.
20. WarCraft: War of the Ancients by Richard A. Knaak
Genre: Epic Fantasy/Tie-In | Author Blog
Why: Richard is one of the mainstays of the WarCraft tie-in novels, and this series is one of the major events of WarCraft lore, so this one is a no-brainer too.
19. Honor Harrington by David Weber
Genre: Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: I started reading the comics last year, which are adapted from the books, and since I liked the comics I became interested in reading the novels as well.
18. Necromancer Chronicles by Amanda Downum
Genre: Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Nice covers, nice premise, what more can you ask?
17. Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Genre: Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: Another major author in speculative fiction and since this is military space opera, I’m even more interested.
16. Drenai Saga by David Gemmell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Why: Known as one of the greats of speculative fiction, and with an awards ceremony named after him, David Gemmell also comes highly recommended from a lot of people. Like a lot of people.
15. Gaius Valerius Verrens by Douglas Jackson
Genre: Fantasy/Alternate History | Author Blog
Why: I’m still exploring with alternate history fiction, and haven’t read much in it, but this looks like a good place to explore further, more so since I’m a fan of Roman history.
14. Katherine “Kitty” Kat by Gini Koch
Genre: Science Fiction | Author Blog
Why: Gini comes recommended from authors and reviewers whose opinions I really pay attention to so this is a no-brainer really.
13. Dante Valentine by Lilith Saintcrow
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: An author I’ve wanted to read for almost 2 years now!
12. Ree Reyes by Michael R. Underwood
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: As with Patty Jansen, so it is with Michael as well. Ree Reyes is another series that I’ve wanted to read for a good long while but never quite got the chance, and 2015 is the year where I push through it, especially since the third novel is also coming out this September and I’d like to be caught up.
11. Eddie LaCrosse by Alex Bledsoe
Genre: Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: I’ve read the fourth and fifth novels, and loved them, so it is time to go back and see how it all started off.
10. The Black Company by Glen Cook
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Why: Another one of those “Must-Read” fantasy series, so why not.
09. Saga of The Skolian Empire by Catherine Asaro
Genre: Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: Catherine’s name has come up a lot on social media of late, and a lot of the authors I follow on social media do recommend her work. Plus I love space opera, so this is a good fit.
08. Eternal Sky by Elizabeth Bear
Genre: Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: This is one of Elizabeth’s most-talked and most-recent series, and that alone makes me curious since in my reviewing circles, I have yet to see any negative take-downs of this series. The praise is all-high for this one and that alone is worth it I think, since I do like her work.
07. Mass Effect by Drew Karpyshyn
Genre: Space Opera/Tie-In | Author Blog
Why: I’ve long been interested in the game itself and though I’ve never really gotten around to playing it properly, I think the tie-in stuff is a good place to start to get to understanding the world.
06. Star Trek: Typhon Pact by David Mack, Michael A. Martin, and David R. George III
Genre: Space Opera/Tie-In | Author Blogs – David Mack, David R. George III
Why: Following my read-through of the 5-part The Fall series which is a part of this larger Typhon Pact, I think it is a good time to go back and see how all those events really came about and how the stage was set for the Typhon Pact.
05. Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
Genre: Epic Fantasy | Author Blogs – Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts
Why: The Empire trilogy is absolutely fantastic and to go with my ongoing re-read of the Riftwar Saga, this is a great companion series.
04. Magic the Gathering: Planeswalker by Ari Marmell, Laura Resnick and Matthew Stover
Genre: Epic Fantasy/Tie-In | Author Blogs – Ari Marmell, Laura Resnick, Matthew Stover
Why: I’ve recently started playing Magic the Gathering TCG and has proven to be quite fun so I’m very keen on checking out the tie-in novels, and this seems as good a place as any to start on them.
03. Icefire Trilogy by Patty Jansen
Genre: Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: I’ve been following Patty on social media for a good long while now and her editorials are often informative and constructive. She’s also a major self-publishing author, with lots of different books available and Icefire does look like a rather interesting series.
02. The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
Genre: Space Opera/Tie-In
Why: The Thrawn Trilogy is one of the greatest stories ever told in Star Wars and with the new movie just around the corner, figuratively (won’t be released for a few months yet), I think it is time to go back and see one of the original stories that really changed the whole outlook of the franchise.
01. Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott
Genre: Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Following my reading of her Spiritwalker trilogy in 2013, Kate has become one of my favourite authors in fantasy, and with Crown of Stars being another one of her grand fantasies, I’ve been keen to check it out for a while, and this is my big chance.
Shadowhawk's Shade 
24 – I need to read Novik’s series, too. I tried the first, but the affected upper-/archaic-British the dragons spoke in grated. I’ll have to try it again, maybe when I’m in the right mood.
22 – I’d absolutely recommend Joe Abercrombie’s FIRST LAW trilogy – marvellous stuff, especially the second book.
18 – Amanda Downum’s Necromancer Chronicles was a very good series, if a little slow-paced. Sometimes it got a little bogged down, but it was always interesting, and I enjoyed spending time with the characters and in the world.
17 – I need to read this Haldeman series, too. No idea why I haven’t done so yet…
16 – Same goes for Gemmell’s LEGEND. Sounds like I should like it, but perhaps its Classic status, and the extended putting-off has built up expectations to level when they can’t be met?
14 – I interviewed Gini Koch a while ago, and her series sounded quite fun.
13 – Lilith Saintcrow has some pretty cool-looking novels and series. I’d like to try them, but I have so many newer novels in the same sub-genre, I’m not sure I’d get to them anytime soon, sadly.
11 – I’ll be starting Bledsoe’s Eddie LaCrosse series hopefully next month. I’ve wanted to read them for years, but they were always so difficult to get in the UK. Picked up first three in the US when I was there last.
10 – Cook’s series is a classic. I think I need to read it, too.
8 – Starting KAREN MEMORY tonight, and I hope to eventually try Bear’s Eternal Sky series shortly after. Maybe in a couple months or so. We’ll see.
2 – Yes, you have to read The Thrawn Trilogy, despite the fact that it’s now been cast aside into the “Legends” collection. Loved it, and have read it a few times. It goes very well with Kevin J Anderson’s first SW trilogy, too (Jedi Academy). I’m falling rapidly behind on the SW novels. Less pressure, now that it’s all no longer canon, but still. I’ve read almost everything post-New Hope…
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Oh I have read Thrawn before. And the duology that succeeded it. Amazing books. Really stupid of Disney to cast all this great fiction aside. They could have just continued to make movies in the main universe and done comics in another timeline or something. But, they’ve neutered the SWEU. Sad times.
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Love the Vorkosigan series! I’m familiar with a few others, but found several that I’m now adding to my teetering TBR pile, thanks! Happy reading 🙂
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Hope you enjoy them!
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The only gripe I had with the Typhon Pact series (okay more than one) was that they’re not set in order. Rough Beasts of Empire is mostly set before Zero Sum Game, and such. Although Sisko’s arc is… annoying.
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Hmmm… that doesn’t bode so well…
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Rough Beasts’ Spock storyline was pretty good, though! The Titan book was brilliant (as always). Zero Sum Game was pretty good. The best was Titan, and then the Next Generation book.
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