Yeah, every writer is still a reader (at least, usually), and we’re fans of other people’s writings. 2025 promises to be a good year for readers, and here are the top 4 books I’m really looking forward to reading in 2025.
- SHADOWS UPON TIME by Christopher Ruocchio (DAW Books, Book 7 of the Suneater series) — this is pretty much on everyone’s to-read list, since this is the final book in the series which began back in 2017. 8 years, 7 books, and one epic masterpiece, this series explores the legend of Hadrian Marlowe, the half-mortal, the Suneater, the man who killed a star and committed genocide in the name of peace. The entire series has been building up to this point, and Christopher Ruocchio has created a narrative masterpiece that surpasses just about any other SF series I’ve read. Look for it on Nov. 18 later this year.
- NOT THAT KIND OF GOOD GUY by John Ringo (Baen Books) — It’s the first Ringo novel without a collaborator in almost a decade, and I’m really interested to see just what he’s come up with here. This book was originally published on his substack, and when he completed it he sent it off to his publisher. Given that this character is a teenaged superhero version of Chad (from the MONSTER HUNTER MEMOIRS trilogy he wrote with Larry Correia), it’ll be really interesting to see how this one plays out. This one should be live in May.
- RISE FROM RUIN by Melissa Olthoff (Baen Books) — I’m cheating a little, since I got to read this book before anyone else and recommended it to Toni Weisskopf at Baen. I’ve been likening it to a crossover between Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern and Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series. It’s got griffons, dragons, and one epic mystery. For people who got mad at Fourth Wing for not having a plot, this is for you. This one should be available in June.
- ACADEMY OF OUTCASTS by Larry Correia (Aethon Books) — Hearing Larry talk about this one made me interested in the series. A LitRPG novel set in an all-new world, this is going to explore just how the worlds work together and against one another, and what one man will do to escape hell. I think this one is coming out in October.
What books are you looking forward to in 2025?
Jason Córdova 
HI,
Looking forward to reading the third book Behind the Veilhttps://www.baen.com/behind-the-veil.html (TransDimensional Hunter series by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer) due August 2025 (Baen).
Just read first 6 chapters of Not That Kind of Good Guyhttps://www.baen.com/not-that-kind-of-good-guy.html by John Ringo due May 2025 (Baen) – sample available now.
The ‘Good Guy’ character development confused me.
I just couldn’t get a real understanding of who he was although that was starting to improve toward the end of those chapters.
Perhaps it will be clearer to me after reading those chapters again when I get the completed book in May.
Quite different from anything else I’ve read by John Ringo.
Kind Regards,
James
My daughter is reading Fourth Wing now. I’ll have to recommend Rise From Ruin to her.