Fantasy | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Enok and the Womb of Gods by A. SkoroBogáty

In the richly woven fantasy, Enok and the Womb of Gods by A. SkoroBogáty, a character named Enok living in a pre-Creation time will make discoveries that presage Biblical events.

The story begins at the isolated home of Eyda, now in her four hundred and eighty-seventh year, having given birth to thirty-eight children. On this day she is surprised by a visit from Sess, her youngest. On a trading boat he has brought a large figurine. To her horror, Eyda sees it is a miniature statute of the goddess-god who condemned her to death as a burnt offering, a fate […]

SPR2020-11-13T09:07:24+02:00September 23rd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: A. SkoroBogáty, Fantasy|

Review: Prophase: A Present Tale by M. Street

An ever-expanding and engaging coming-of-age novel, Prophase: A Present Tale by M. Street takes readers on a wild ride past every boundary of our reality. A young girl with a mysterious lineage, and her heart firmly planted in the forest, must come to terms with an incredible destiny, while keeping her secrets safe and her family in one piece, in this magical, eye-opening story of growing up.

Piper Walker, the enigmatic protagonist of this imaginative story, may seem normal at first glance, with a solid core of friends, a steady boyfriend, and a busy schedule at school, but the circumstances […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-10-13T02:59:03+02:00September 21st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, YA Fantasy|

Review: The Art Stone by Jesse A. Ellis

An unlikely group of young heroes converges for an epic quest to defend an ancient artifact in The Art Stone by Jesse A. Ellis, the first book of the Echoes of Elybion series. In classic fantasy fashion, the stakes are infinitely high, and the odds of success are incredibly slim.

The transformation of these adolescent characters over the course of the novel is remarkable; managing a coming-of-age story for multiple main players is ambitious, but Ellis pulls it off well. As their mystical world continues to crumble, a long-lost stone – one of the first twelve creation stones from the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-09-16T09:08:44+02:00September 15th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy, YA Fantasy|

Review: Dragon’s Mist by Randy Cruts, Art by Marco Cosentino

Author Randy Cruts and artist Marco Cosentino deliver a wickedly entertaining YA graphic novel in Dragon’s Mist, an unexpectedly riveting ride through the imagination of a young boy, Charlie. Imaginary friends and epic quests are a staple of childhood, making this book deeply relatable for young readers, and nostalgia-inducing for older ones.

After a chance encounter with an Irish priest – a water-loving cousin of dragons – Charlie’s imagination springs to life, spinning out an entire world of adventures to explore. The regular introduction of new characters, from god-like guardians and titanic best friends to shape-shifting villains and avian […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-10-05T07:33:23+02:00September 1st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Young Adult|

Review: The Chronicles of the Virago Book II: The Apprentus by Michael Bialys

Makenna Grace Gold comes into her own as a legendary heroine in Chronicles of the Virago: The Apprentus by author Michael Bialys. With a tongue-in-cheek vein of humor running throughout, this is a powerful and endearing story of an extraordinary young woman with the fate of the world hanging in her hands.

Following his embarrassing defeat against Makenna’s awakened abilities, Malvado Seaton may be licking his wounds, but he is far from surrendering. Ms. Creante, a violent Demonesse and Seaton’s trusted killer, is desperate to regain Seaton’s trust, and is determined to exact her revenge on the young protagonist.

The […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-28T06:22:58+02:00August 8th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Young Adult|

Review: Gray Wolf (Legends of Ansu Book 1) by J.W. Webb

Author J.W. Webb introduces his sprawling fantasy universe with Gray Wolf, the first book in the expansive Legends of Ansu trilogy. Set before and unrelated to the events of the Crystal King trilogy, this sweeping story is a foundation stone for other pieces of this author’s swelling saga.

After losing his entire family to raiders and the fickle Sea God, Corin al Fol becomes an orphan overnight and is saved by a mysterious sorceress who hints at a path for revenge, and then disappears. Years pass and Corin finds ways to survive, falling in love with an innkeeper’s daughter and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-26T02:51:34+02:00August 7th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, J.W. Webb|

Review: Blood Feud: A Legends of Ansu Novel by J.W. Webb

Steeped in shadowy secrets, buried powers, and richly drawn villains, Blood Feud is the fantastic first book in a new trilogy of the Legends of Ansu saga by J.W. Webb. The lives of three unlikely heroes are thrown together to face a dark evil rising up from the past in this fast-paced and well-penned adventure.

Jaran Saerk is not a Northman to be trifled with – one of the most fearsome warriors under Imperial Shen’s command with a short temper and a mastery of death-dealing. However, the whispered words of a dying man rip Jaran more than 25 years into […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-10T02:24:22+02:00July 10th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy, J.W. Webb|

Review: The Young by Nicholas John Powter

In The Young, author Nicholas John Powter transports readers to The Deluge, a fantasy land where dark forces from the past are rising once more, threatening the peaceful rest of a war hero who thought his fighting days were done. Written in a classic fantasy style, this quest-driven story touches on the power of family, personal resilience, and the painful path towards growth, all packed within a fast-paced narrative that will keep you guessing.

Sven and Fren, father and son, embark on a mission to find another family member and flee from the gathering forces of evil, but the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-07-01T09:12:58+02:00June 11th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|