Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Falling by Marc Burgio

Author Marc Burgio weaves a tangled tale of desperation, murder, mercy and morality in his debut novel, Falling. A lifetime of missing memories, the sudden return of a long-lost cousin, and a stark confession of murder are the starting points for this wild revelation of a novel.

Multiple plot lines, timelines, and international adventures pepper this unpredictable story – the memoir of Julia, and the nearly unbelievable story that led back to her cousin’s door. Initially, we watch young Julia slog her way through California corner store jobs and retail prisons, wondering when the world will grant her a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-03-09T05:11:01+02:00January 28th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Thriller|

Review: Who’s There? by Dimas Rio

Author Dimas Rio delivers a gut-twisting gathering of slow-burning horror in a new collection Who’s There? Taking readers into the traditions and mindset of Indonesia, these stories vary widely in their subject matter and characters, but they’re bound together through terror, skillful narration, and the collective fear of the unexplained.

Authors with a firm grasp on horror know how to imbue every page with creeping dread, coupled with the delicious instability of an untrustworthy narrator and the promise of a grim demise. The titular story is perhaps the strongest in the collection, but the others are also striking in their […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-26T11:27:51+02:00January 26th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror, Short Stories|

Review: Swarm (Voidstalker Book 4) by John Graham

John Graham spirals deeper into the realms of high sci-fi with Swarm, the fourth thrilling installment of the Voidstalker series.

Gabriel Thorn’s daring and unauthorized behavior from previous books has put him in hot water with Red-Eye, the cold and calculating Director General of the DNI. Despite being manipulated and punished at seemingly every turn, even when his breaches of conduct serve the greater good, he remains a loyal voidstalker. He may be on administrative leave, but when an ancient evil is stirred up during a routine geological survey on a barren planet, threatening the DNI’s future, Thorn is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-26T11:24:04+02:00January 24th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: John Graham, Science Fiction|

Review: 1871: Rivers on Fire by Paul Buchheit

Danger, adventure, romance, and sweeping social commentary are all part of the dramatic meld in the novel 1871: Rivers on Fire by progressive author and thinker Paul Buchheit.

Liz and Robert meet in London where both will study neurobiology, overseen by Dr. Alexander Bain, a pioneer in the exploration of thought patterns. Liz is American, drawn to education overseas because of better prospects for females in academia. Robert is involved in the science of conservation, especially forest depletion.

They soon find common ground in intellectual pursuits, especially the realm of word cognition. They also hold similar views regarding social justice, […]

SPR2021-02-24T08:35:56+02:00January 24th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction|

Review: 36 Moons by Chris Guest

The magic of young love can have deadly consequences in 36 Moons, a new work of historical fiction by Chris Guest. Set near the turn of the 17^th century in the countryside of Salem, Massachusetts, this tangled tale of love, innocence, and puritanical suspicion is a shadowy escape.

Fabian is just coming into manhood, and while his family has certain expectations for his romantic future, fate has other plans for the handsome farm boy. When a beautiful young stranger named Emma Radcliffe appears on his land, he is captivated in an instant, sending Fabian down an eye-opening, life-changing, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-23T09:31:43+02:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction|

Review: This Was Always About Basketball by Craig Leener

Author Craig Leener hits nothing but net in the third and final installment of his Zeke Archer Trilogy with This Was Always About Basketball. Perfectly balancing young adult drama with time-traveling fantasy, this novel is a thrilling, heartwrenching, and mind-bending read.

Diving back into the strange science of the 7th Dimension, and with help from his unusual and darkly humorous sidekick Lawrence, Zeke Archer once again finds himself facing impossible odds. After his archenemy Brock Decker finds a way to travel back in time and change the history of basketball, Zeke must tap into sacred geometry and the secrets […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-23T06:39:06+02:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Craig Leener, Sports, Time Travel, YA Fantasy, Young Adult|

Review: Vatican Shadows by Ray Keating

Ray Keating and the holy warrior of endless talents are back with Vatican Shadows, the 13th installment of the author’s Pastor Stephen Grant novels. Back in disguise and reunited with some of his oldest comrades, Grant is set to stop a murderous band of zealots in The Eternal City.

There is dissension in the holiest ranks on Earth, and as the Pope moves towards a more modern and conciliatory church, there are some who would do anything to stop such perceived heresy – even if it means committing a few cardinal sins along the way. Pastor Grant returns to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-09T07:33:50+02:00January 17th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Ray Keating, Religious Fiction, Thriller|

Review: The Giants’ Dance by J.W. Webb

J.W. Webb invites readers back to the magical world of Ansu in The Giants’ Dance, the savagely good second installment of the Berserker Trilogy. Carrying on from the cliff-hanging conclusion of Book 1, this novel finds the heroes scattered but resilient, determined to face the mounting evil together, in this classic action-packed fantasy.

Jaren and Finvar make for an unlikely but entertaining team, as usual, as they journey to rescue Savarna in chivalric fashion. With the mythical axe Griner firmly in hand, Jaren heroically leads the pair against demons, stone giants, ghosts, and all other manner of ice realm obstacles […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-03T09:02:06+02:00January 16th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, J.W. Webb|