Chiz's Top 5 Reads of 2024

This was a solid year for reading. I finished 26 books—22 new reads and 4 rereads. While I set out to prioritize the indie market, I ended up with a well-rounded mix of traditionally published and self-published novels. I didn't come across a book I disliked, but there are a few that truly stood out and deserve a special shoutout. As such, here are Chiz's top 5 reads of 2024. Bear in mind, these are not necessarily books that were released this year, just books that I read this year.

5. Demon in White by Christopher Ruochhio

This year, I read the first five books of Christopher Ruocchio’s Sun Eater series. I greatly enjoyed each of the books so far, but where I felt the first book suffered in its pacing, the third book made up for tenfold. Demon in White serves up a hearty helping of action, political intrigue, emotional moments, and a heart-racing epic finale. With the sixth still to go along with the forthcoming seventh book, I look forward to diving back into this series.

4. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

This novel almost felt like a Monster of the Week playthrough. The depictions of the demons the disgraced knight Thomas and his orphan companion struggle against are vivid and disturbing. Between Two Fires does not let up, and by the end, it felt like I was subjected to some poor soul’s nightmarish fever dream. I have been trying to delve more into horror, and this was such a refreshing take on the genre.

3. Ty Scarlet by Joe Camborne

Ty Scarlet is perhaps the most out-of-place novel in this list as it is the only ranked book that is bleeding with comedy and intrigue. The unpredictability of this story kept me on my toes, and at times, I was unsure how the author was going to resolve some of the more outlandish scenes. This is certainly not one of your typical P.I. romps; there is a cosmic depth to it that I found very interesting.

2. Hunter's Dirge by E.S. Fein

This is the third of E.S. Fein’s The Collected Histories of Neoevolution Earth series. I am jealous that this author has managed to create a universe in which anything goes and still makes sense in the context of the story. Hunter’s Dirge answered some of those burning questions that arose from the first entry in the series, which is why I preferred it above the rest. Nevertheless, every book in this series so far is astoundingly creative and engaging.

1. Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

Perhaps unfair to the other authors in this list, but Red Rising is my favorite series of all time. I finished the first trilogy years ago, but when I heard Pierce Brown built upon the trilogy, I had to check out the newer books. Light Bringer, the sixth book of the series, just barely beat out the fifth book, and that is because it has some of the best written villains of all time, the best fight sequences I have ever read, and George RR Martin brutality that always has you concerned for your favorite characters.

There were plenty of books that just narrowly missed getting into my top 5 books of 2024. Those books that I would love to give a shoutout to include Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes, The Great Hearts by David Oliver, and Conviction by Carmel McMurdo Audrey.

Happy New Year!