New Releases

SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books

Elashom the Great Refuses and Other Stories by Erick Drake

Elashom the Great Refuses and Other Stories by Erick Drake A wide-ranging short story collection in both content and form, Erick Drake’s Elashom the Great Refuses and Other Stories is a lush, clever, and quick read for fans of the supernatural and strange.

The collection features six enchanting science fiction and fantasy tales, set everywhere from historical seventeenth-century England to the futuristic darkest reaches of space. Drake’s subjects also entertainingly run the gamut: the dead soul of a witch’s boyfriend trapped in a dreamcatcher, a surprising seance with a devilish twist written in play format, and a story about a declinatory sculptor inspired by the Biblical milieu of William Blake.[…]

2021-11-18T08:26:29+02:00November 18th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , , , |

Roots in Iran by Yasmine Mahdavi

Roots in Iran by Yasmine Mahdavi An uplifting work of non-fiction particularly geared toward young girls, Roots in Iran: Stories of Visionary Women by Yasmine Mahdavi recounts the lives of groundbreaking Iranian women and informs readers about Iran’s unfortunately undervalued culture and history.

The book focuses on fifteen influential women with ties to the country, such as the leading cancer researcher Mina Bissell, the prominent chess champion Dorsa Derakhshani, and the inspiring Florida legislator Anna Eskamani, alongside stunning illustrations by female Middle Eastern artists. The book also features sections and sidebars calling attention to related topics, such as the Iran-Iraq War, gender disparities in STEM fields, […]

2021-11-17T07:06:16+02:00November 16th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Five Seven Five by Barton Johnson

Five Seven Five by Barton Johnson A “Western-born author with Eastern sensibilities,” Barton Johnson delivers a one-a-day collection of intimate haikus with Five Seven Five. Drawing less on natural imagery and more on deep, personal introspection, these 17-syllable offerings are stark and powerful, each one polished and tightly edited for maximum effect.

Just as months and seasons have their own personalities, Johnson has grouped these haikus under loose themes – “January” questions independence and personal disappointment, “February” focuses on the trials and triumphs of family, “March” is a series of prayers and reflections on divinity, and so on throughout the year. Whether readers consume this […]

2021-11-12T04:41:20+02:00November 12th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

The Church Murders and the Cat’s Prey by F. Della Notte

The third installment of the thrillingly unpredictable Housekeeper Mystery Series, The Church Murders and the Cat’s Prey by F. Della Notte is a wild, bullet-riddled ride.

Navigating the assassination attempt of her dear friend Father Melvyn, Mrs. B. is back in the hunt for the would-be killer with quiet determination, wicket wit, and her feline-boosted sleuthing skills. The crime hits close to home, and brings her even closer to Detective Jake, adding strong emotional tension to an already taut narrative.

Balanced well between bursts of action, lightbulbs of discovery, intimate moments of reflection, and meticulously written dialogue, Della Notte […]

2021-11-08T05:15:24+02:00November 8th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Can’t Think Straight by Isabel Scheck

Can't Think Straight by Isabel ScheckA gentle, melancholic collection of poetry about longing and love, Isabel Scheck’s Can’t Think Straight makes a profound and heartfelt emotional impact through simplicity and symbolism.

This short, easily readable book contains 35 poems, all focused on similar themes of wishing for companionship. The female-coded narrator expresses her desire for a girlfriend and imagines what they could do together: activities like going to the fair, having a picnic, making art, watching movies, baking cupcakes, stargazing, and attending Pride.

Scheck’s tight focus on simple activities – as opposed to over-the-top romantic gestures – effectively highlights the intensity of longing for basic […]

2021-11-03T07:26:24+02:00November 3rd, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Hunted (The Abarath Trilogy Book 1) by Damian Dawes

Hunted (The Abarath Trilogy Book 1) by Damian Dawes A deep-sea thriller with a paranormal twist, Hunted by Damian Dawes is the first throat-clenching book of The Abarath Trilogy.

Kat Robbins may not be afraid of anything, not even a great white looking for a scuba diver dinner, but that doesn’t make her isolated life on an Arctic icebreaker any less monotonous. The bleak endless ocean means plenty of time to ruminate on the shadows of her past, until a mysterious wreck draws the crew into dark and uncertain waters. Stranded in an icy expanse and stalked by an ancient, life-sucking evil, the crew of Soviet misfits, suspicious […]

2021-11-02T03:30:09+02:00November 1st, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

The Terminal Code by J.W. Galliger

The Terminal Code by J.W. Galliger A refreshing and raw splash of dystopic creativity, The Terminal Code by J.W. Galliger is a futuristic crime thriller that will leave you hungry for more, though not necessarily eager for the decades to come.

A murder inside an immersive virtual reality world called SCAPE leaves investigators terrified and mystified by the implications. Identifying a deadly flaw in an escapist platform that serves billions brings up an impossible question: what are the true boundaries of reality? If our mind believes something deeply enough, can it be manifested with deadly consequences? Bringing the story home for today’s readers, the novel questions […]

2021-11-02T02:45:23+02:00October 30th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Final Chance by Van Fleisher

Final Chance by Van FleisherA third disturbing reflection on the American mindset, Final Chance by Van Fleisher is a prophetic piece of fiction, and the climactic conclusion to the author’s dystopian near-future trilogy.

Bouncing between our real-world present and an uncertain imagined fate, Fleisher takes readers through a sci-fi envisioning of pandemic-peppered decades ahead, and the desperate decisions the world must make to ensure humanity’s survival. Society has never stood on a more fragile precipice, and while the Domed Generation of the 2050s is growing used to life inside, protected from the “alien” atmosphere, the increased susceptibility to respiratory disease makes remaining populations dangerously […]

2021-10-29T07:45:09+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |
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