Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Iljjock Yoke by Anita Vaani

A young cowherd’s life is turned upside-down when he’s whisked away from the 3^rd century BC to an incredible realm of the divine in The Iljjock Yoke by Anita Vaani, the first book in the Yadduk and the Gods of Seabor series.

This is an endlessly inventive novel, filled with ancient mythology, plenty of humor, plot twists, time warps, and a seemingly hapless protagonist discovering the untapped strength inside himself. After being dragged through the cosmos and arriving on Seabor, Yadduk’s eyes are opened to the bizarre lifestyles and plans of the fickle gods, who seem to hold a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-02T09:57:55+02:00January 15th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, Visionary Fiction|

Review: Cooking for Cannibals by Rich Leder

Combine a group of cannibalistic young-again octogenarians with a traditional tale of the fountain of youth and you’ve got a unique, dark thriller in Cooking for Cannibals – part zombie fiction, part something you’ve never read before.

Thirty-five-year-old Carrie Kromer is a behavioral gerontologist who works for Alsiko Labs, a top secret facility in the San Fernando Valley trying to develop an age-reversing drug. When the Greek Gods – Carrie’s nine lab rats – suddenly regain their youth, she realizes that their experimental drug actually works. Hatching an elaborate alibi, she steals the pills to help her elderly mother, who’s […]

Henry Baum2021-01-15T04:28:11+02:00January 14th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Rich Leder, Satire, Thriller|

Review: Ungodly by Braedon Riddick

Author Braedon Riddick unleashes a sinister story of dread and doom with his debut novel Ungodly, a grim, spine-chilling horror show.

On a mysterious mountain in the wild parts of North Carolina, an unassuming town suffers the dark creep of horror as tragedy begins to strike in increasingly terrible ways, pushing the unprepared citizens to the brink of sanity and desperation. In this time-jumping, non-linear novel, readers are plunged into a puzzle of action from the very start, and must put the pieces together as they are introduced to the town’s various inhabitants, and victims.

Amanda, the central figure, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-29T05:43:54+02:00January 12th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror|

Review: Perspective to Pen, Edited by Ben C. Ward, Created by Robert A. Cozzi

The work of twelve talented poets overflows the pages of Perspective to Pen: An Anthology, created by Robert A. Cozzi and edited by Ben C. Ward. This collection touches on every imaginable angle of the human experience – abstract and symbolic musings, bold political statements, heartrending commentaries on love, and vivid personal recollections of childhood and lost memory.

Lisa Bain fearlessly explores grief and perseverance with unconventional structure and commonplace imagery in her work, while Brian Fuchs hurls powerful political demands as easily as he shares vulnerable vignettes of pain and loss. Shanika Benoit’s work resembles mantras and meditations, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-26T09:47:56+02:00January 12th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Poetry, Robert A. Cozzi|

Review: The Greatest Hoax on Earth by Alan C. Logan

Upending one of America’s most fascinating modern legends, The Greatest Hoax on Earth: Catching Truth, While We Can by Alan C. Logan is a revelatory historical exposé. For those who have seen the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio or read the book Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale Jr. may not be a an unfamiliar figure, but as this book proves, that charming and wildly successful con man may not deserve his legacy.

It is clear that the author spent years accumulating the impressive catalogue of evidence this book presents, not to mention organizing and arranging it to deliver […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-25T04:25:36+02:00January 11th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Biography|

Review: Rock & Roll Murders by Phillip B. Chute

Author Phillip B. Chute takes readers on a winding West Coast ride through murder, jealousy, betrayal and music in Rock & Roll Murders: An Entrepreneur Finds that Murder is No Business Solution, a lurid and thrilling true crime tale.

Raymond McDade is the sleazy centerpiece of this creative nonfiction thriller, a radio station owner who will do anything to stay on top and keep his wife beside him, even if it means leaving bodies in his wake. The story traces his career and the infamous murder case in which he becomes embroiled, after his wife’s lover ends up dead […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-21T03:32:44+02:00December 23rd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Phillip B. Chute, True Crime|

Review: The Friends of Allan Renner by Dave J. Andrae

Readers are welcomed into the most intimate moments of a truly strange existence in The Friends of Allan Renner by Dave J. Andrae, a masterful piece of narrative fiction. Divided into seven very different but interconnected stories, this collection exposes the fascinating inner life of Renner through vignettes of his bizarre relationships. At times a heady blend of philosophy and cultural allusions, this is a dense semi-sci-fi read that cleverly roasts human nature, while also celebrating its temerity and curiosity.

Renner initially reads as an average protagonist, but an ironically extraordinary one, with a whip-smart memory, a deft tongue, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-20T10:46:28+02:00December 22nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction, Visionary Fiction|

Review: The Pebble Champion by Alan David Pritchard

Author Alan David Pritchard delves deep into trauma and loss, as well as identity and self-discovery in his new novel, The Pebble Champion, a stirring tale of sadness and self-discovery.

After the tragic loss of his mother, 15-year-old Chris Elliot finds his world turned upside-down, and his sense of home torn asunder. This novel traces his path forward, and details the nuances of teenage life and development with remarkably clear and agonizing accuracy. Not only is the story touching, but also widely relatable; though no reader will have experienced exactly the same struggles, the humanity on display as Chris […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-02-26T13:57:33+02:00December 18th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Alan David Pritchard, Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult|