20 Best Action Fiction Books (2023 Update)

Soon to be a major netflix original series! this special boxed set includes the first three novels in andrzej sapkowski's nyt bestselling epic fantasy saga — the books that introduced the world to the witcher and inspired the hit video games. – for over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. but times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. the only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf. – geralt of rivia, the cunning assassin known as the witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. this child has the power to change the world – for good, or for evil. – as the threat of war hangs over the land and the child is hunted for her extraordinary powers, it will become geralt's responsibility to protect them all — and the witcher never accepts defeat. – in blood of elves, the time of contempt, and baptism of fire, sapkowski brings a fresh new voice to fantasy fiction, creating something wholly dark and exciting in this world of monsters and witchers.

Percy jackson isn''t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. but when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical. in this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the olympians and the evil titan lord kronos draws near. even the safe haven of camp half-blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as kronos''s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. to stop them, percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the labyrinth–a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

"outstanding… grips you from the start to the end… a fantastic book… move over jack reacher." goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ when girls go missing here, no one says a word… twenty-four-year-old lila has disappeared without trace. it's the kind of case that ex-military loner grant fletcher would normally be happy to take on–he will always seek justice if someone has the money to pay him. but this one he's doing for free. this one's personal. because fletcher owes his life to lila's father. and fletcher knows that returning lila safe and sound is the only thing that matters to his wheelchair-bound friend. she last called her father from a small town in rural georgia. arriving there, fletcher's feet barely touch the ground before he finds trouble. he also discovers that his friend's daughter wasn't the first girl to go missing there. not the first by far. then the last person to have seen lila before she disappeared is murdered. as a outsider, fletcher becomes the local deputy's only suspect, leaving him no choice but to go on the run. because fletcher knows someone's abducting girls in this town. and he also knows he's the only person who can find them… fans of high-octane action and unforgettable heroes like lee child's jack reacher, robert ludlum's jason bourne and david baldacci's amos decker will love first shot. readers are loving first shot "fasten your seat belts and hold on tight as john ryder's first in the series grabs you and pulls you full throttle into his pulse-pounding, gripping and exciting thriller." netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "just the right balance of action and suspense… engaging with the most cleverly crafted jaw-dropping moments sneaking in and what an ending, bloody hell, i had to lie down in a dark room after that! action, twists, turns and a bloody good story! what more can you ask for?" chapter in my life ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "from the first page i was totally hooked, it's fast paced, full of suspense and intrigue, it was like being on a rollercoaster that wouldn't stop. brilliant story… an absolute gem of a book!!!!" goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "what a treasure this book is! i loved every minute of it and i was swept up by the fast paced story… well, mr fletcher, i for one cannot wait to meet you again." b for bookreview ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "a great mix of crime, investigation and action that makes for an enthralling read… couldn't ask for a better start to a new series and i will definitely be first in line for the next book coming out." by the letter book reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "this is an edge of your seat thriller!" goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "enthralling… this book has so much suspense and had me in shivers… you can just tell that this series is going to be something special." sean's book reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's five years after return of the jedi: the rebel alliance has destroyed the death star, defeated darth vader and the emperor, and driven the remnants of the old imperial starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. princess leia and han solo are married and expecting jedi twins. and luke skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of jedi knights. but thousands of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new republic. for this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the rebel alliance fought so hard to build. the explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name star wars. star wars is an epic space-opera media franchise created by george lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. the franchise has been expanded into various films and other media.

"like an avenging, purple-haired jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, bee kèonigswasser lives by a simple code: what would marie curie do? if nasa offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project — a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia — marie would accept without hesitation. duh. but the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with levi ward. sure, levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. and sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. but levi made his feelings toward bee very clear in grad school — archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away. now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. perhaps it's her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but bee could swear she can see levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas … devouring her with those eyes. and the possibilities have all her neurons firing. but when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: what will bee kèonigswasser do?"–

New york times best seller – the pulitzer prize–winning author of the road returns with the first of a two-volume masterpiece: the passenger is the story of a salvage diver, haunted by loss, afraid of the watery deep, pursued for a conspiracy beyond his understanding, and longing for a death he cannot reconcile with god. a new york times best book of the year“mccarthy returns with a one-two punch…a welcome return from a legend." —esquirelook for stella maris, the second volume in the passenger series, available now.1980, pass christian, mississippi: it is three in the morning when bobby western zips the jacket of his wet suit and plunges from the coast guard tender into darkness. his dive light illuminates the sunken jet, nine bodies still buckled in their seats, hair floating, eyes devoid of speculation. missing from the crash site are the pilot’s flight bag, the plane’s black box, and the tenth passenger. but how? a collateral witness to machinations that can only bring him harm, western is shadowed in body and spirit—by men with badges; by the ghost of his father, inventor of the bomb that melted glass and flesh in hiroshima; and by his sister, the love and ruin of his soul. traversing the american south, from the garrulous barrooms of new orleans to an abandoned oil rig off the florida coast, the passenger is a breathtaking novel of morality and science, the legacy of sin, and the madness that is human consciousness.

#1 new york times bestseller from the new york times bestselling author of invisible girl and the truth about melody browne comes a “riveting” (popsugar) and “acutely observed family drama” (people) that delves into the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance.ellie mack was the perfect daughter. she was fifteen, the youngest of three. beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers, and half of a teenaged golden couple. ellie was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her. now, her mother laurel mack is trying to put her life back together. it’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in ellie’s case was unearthed. so when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. before she knows it, she’s meeting floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, poppy, takes laurel’s breath away. because looking at poppy is like looking at ellie. and now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt laurel anew. where did ellie go? did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? who is floyd, really? and why does his daughter remind laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?

The breakfast club meets pretty little liars, one of us is lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide. pay close attention and you might solve this. on monday afternoon, five students at bayview high walk into detention. bronwyn, the brain, is yale-bound and never breaks a rule. addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. and simon, the outcast, is the creator of bayview high's notorious gossip app. only, simon never makes it out of that classroom. before the end of detention simon's dead. and according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. on monday, he died. but on tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? everyone has secrets, right? what really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

Experience the internet's most talked-about book, now a major motion picture, from anna todd, the writer cosmopolitan called “the biggest literary phenomenon of her generation.” there was the time before tessa met hardin, and then there’s everything after… life will never be the same. #hessa tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. she’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way. but she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into hardin. with his tousled brown hair, cocky british accent, and tattoos, hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to. but he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. for all his attitude, tessa should hate hardin. and she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before. he'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. despite the reckless way he treats her, tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real hardin beneath all his lies. he pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. so why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and hardin's prejudice about nice girls like her? unless…could this be love?

Six days ago, astronaut mark watney became one of the first people to walk on mars. now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. after a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal earth that he's alive–and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. the damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. but mark isn't ready to give up yet. drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills–and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit–he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

#1 new york times bestselleroprah's book club selectionthe “extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece” (booklist) that changed the course of ken follett’s already phenomenal career—and begins where its prequel, the evening and the morning, ended.“ follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,” extolled publishers weekly on the release of the pillars of the earth. a departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. today, it stands as a testament to follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. the pillars of the earth tells the story of philip, prior of kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive lady aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother. a spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century england, this is ken follett’s historical masterpiece.

The instant #1 new york times bestselling mystery and reese witherspoon book club pick that’s captivated more than two million readers about a woman searching for the truth about her husband’s disappearance…at any cost. despite her confusion and fear, hannah hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, bailey. bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother. as hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to owen go unanswered, as the fbi arrests owen’s boss, as a us marshal and federal agents arrive at her sausalito home unannounced, hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. and that bailey just may hold the key to figuring out owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared. hannah and bailey set out to discover the truth. but as they start putting together the pieces of owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated. with its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, the last thing he told me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

The thrilling second installment in new york times bestselling author tahereh mafi’s shatter me series. – it should have taken juliette a single touch to kill warner. but his mysterious immunity to her deadly power has left her shaken, wondering why her ultimate defense mechanism failed against the person she most needs protection from. – she and adam were able to escape warner’s clutches and join up with a group of rebels, many of whom have powers of their own. juliette will finally be able to actively fight against the reestablishment and try to fix her broken world. and perhaps these new allies can help her shed light on the secret behind adam’s—and warner’s—immunity to her killer skin. – juliette’s world is packed with high-stakes action and tantalizing romance, perfect for fans of the red queen series by victoria aveyard and the darkest minds trilogy by alexandra bracken. – ransom riggs, #1 new york times bestselling author of miss peregrine's home for peculiar children, raved: "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love, the shatter me series is a must-read for fans of dystopian young-adult literature—or any literature!" don’t miss restore me, the electrifying fourth installment of this new york times bestselling series, available now!

The hero of the poet and the scarecrow is back in the new thriller from #1 new york times bestselling author michael connelly. jack mcevoy, the journalist who never backs down, tracks a serial killer who has been operating completely under the radar–until now. veteran reporter jack mcevoy has taken down killers before, but when a woman he had a one-night stand with is murdered in a particularly brutal way, mcevoy realizes he might be facing a criminal mind unlike any he's ever encountered.mcevoy investigates—against the warnings of the police and his own editor—and makes a shocking discovery that connects the crime to other mysterious deaths across the country. but his inquiry hits a snag when he himself becomes a suspect.as he races to clear his name, mcevoy's findings point to a serial killer working under the radar of law enforcement for years, and using personal data shared by the victims themselves to select and hunt his targets.called "the raymond chandler of this generation" (associated press), michael connelly once again delivers an unputdownable thriller that reveals a predator operating from the darkest corners of human nature—and one man courageous and determined enough to stand in his way.

New york times bestseller * the stunning conclusion to robin hobb's fitz and the fool trilogy, which began with fool's assassin and fool's quest "every new robin hobb novel is a cause for celebration. along with millions of her other fans, i delight in every visit to the six duchies, the rain wilds, and the out islands, and can't wait to see where she'll take me next."–george r. r. martin more than twenty years ago, the first epic fantasy novel featuring fitzchivalry farseer and his mysterious, often maddening friend the fool struck like a bolt of brilliant lightning. now new york times bestselling author robin hobb brings to a momentous close the third trilogy featuring these beloved characters in a novel of unsurpassed artistry that is sure to endure as one of the great masterworks of the genre. fitz's young daughter, bee, has been kidnapped by the servants, a secret society whose members not only dream of possible futures but use their prophecies to add to their wealth and influence. bee plays a crucial part in these dreams–but just what part remains uncertain. as bee is dragged by her sadistic captors across half the world, fitz and the fool, believing her dead, embark on a mission of revenge that will take them to the distant island where the servants reside–a place the fool once called home and later called prison. it was a hell the fool escaped, maimed and blinded, swearing never to return. for all his injuries, however, the fool is not as helpless as he seems. he is a dreamer too, able to shape the future. and though fitz is no longer the peerless assassin of his youth, he remains a man to be reckoned with–deadly with blades and poison, and adept in farseer magic. and their goal is simple: to make sure not a single servant survives their scourge.

Star fbi detective amos decker and his colleague alex jamison must solve four increasingly bizarre murders in a dying rust belt town–and the closer they come to the truth, the deadlier it gets in this rapid-fire #1 new york times bestseller. – something sinister is going on in baronville. the rust belt town has seen four bizarre murders in the space of two weeks. cryptic clues left at the scenes–obscure bible verses, odd symbols–have the police stumped. – amos decker and his fbi colleague alex jamison are in baronville visiting alex's sister and her family. it's a bleak place: a former mill and mining town with a crumbling economy and rampant opioid addiction. decker has only been there a few hours when he stumbles on a horrific double murder scene. – then the next killing hits sickeningly close to home. and with the lives of people he cares about suddenly hanging in the balance, decker begins to realize that the recent string of deaths may be only one small piece of a much larger scheme–with consequences that will reach far beyond baronville. – decker, with his singular talents, may be the only one who can crack this bizarre case. only this time–when one mistake could cost him everything–decker finds that his previously infallible memory may not be so trustworthy after all…

Someone's set him upsomeone's going to diewhen victor is arrested for a murder that, for once, he didn't commit, escape must surely be inevitable for a hitman of his ferocity.yet someone wants victor put away, and he finds himself behind bars, incarcerated by police who have no idea of the monster they are dealing with and have, apparently, tamed.quickly, however, his fellow prisoners realise that he's not trapped in there with them: they are in a cage, with the most dangerous of enemies. and victor has a traitor to find.

In the newest devastatingly intense thriller by #1 new york times bestselling phenomenon vince flynn, his deadly and charismatic hero mitch rapp wages a war against a new enemy with the help of a fellow soldier as dedicated — and as lethal — as they come. vince flynn's thrillers, featuring counterterrorism operative mitch rapp, dominate the imagination of readers everywhere. in them, flynn captures the secretive world of the fearless men and women, who, bound by duty, risk their lives in a covert war they must hide from even their own political leaders. now, rapp and his protégé, mike nash, may have met their match. the cia has detected and intercepted two terrorist cells, but a third is feared to be on the loose. led by a dangerous mastermind obsessed with becoming the leader of al-qaeda, this determined and terrifying group is about to descend on america. rapp needs the best on this assignment, and nash, who has served his government honorably for sixteen years — first as an officer in the marine corps and then as an operative in an elite counterterrorism team run by rapp — is his choice. together, they have made careers out of meeting violence with extreme violence and have never wavered in the fight against the jihads and their culture of death. both have fought the war on terrorism in secret without accolades or acknowledgement of their personal sacrifices. both have been forced to lie to virtually every single person they care about, and both have soldiered on with the knowledge that their hard work and lethal tactics have saved thousands of lives. but the political winds have changed in america, and certain leaders on capitol hill are pushing to have men like rapp and nash put back on a short leash. and then one spring afternoon in washington, dc, everything changes. using his insider knowledge of intelligence agencies and the military, flynn once again delivers an all-too-real portrayal of a war that is waged every day by a handful of brave, devoted souls. smart, fast-paced, and jaw-droppingly realistic, extreme measures is the political thriller of our time.

From #1 new york times bestselling author brad thor, the first in a thrilling series featuring delta force’s newest members: four fearsome, deadly, and incredibly skilled female operatives.part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed the athena project, four women are about to undertake one of the nation’s deadliest assignments. when a terrorist attack in rome kills more than twenty americans, athena team members gretchen casey, julie ericsson, megan rhodes, and alex cooper are tasked with hunting down the venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. but there is more to the story than anyone knows. in the jungles of south america, a young us intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery. surrounded by monoliths covered with runic symbols, one of america’s greatest fears appears to have come true. simultaneously in colorado, a foreign spy is close to penetrating the mysterious secret the us government has hidden beneath denver international airport. as casey, ericsson, rhodes, and cooper close in on their target, they will soon learn that another attack—one of unimaginable proportions—has already been set in motion, and the greatest threat they face may be the secrets kept by their own government.

From #1 new york times bestselling author brad thor, the first in a thrilling series featuring delta force’s newest members: four fearsome, deadly, and incredibly skilled female operatives.part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed the athena project, four women are about to undertake one of the nation’s deadliest assignments. when a terrorist attack in rome kills more than twenty americans, athena team members gretchen casey, julie ericsson, megan rhodes, and alex cooper are tasked with hunting down the venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. but there is more to the story than anyone knows. in the jungles of south america, a young us intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery. surrounded by monoliths covered with runic symbols, one of america’s greatest fears appears to have come true. simultaneously in colorado, a foreign spy is close to penetrating the mysterious secret the us government has hidden beneath denver international airport. as casey, ericsson, rhodes, and cooper close in on their target, they will soon learn that another attack—one of unimaginable proportions—has already been set in motion, and the greatest threat they face may be the secrets kept by their own government.