Fantasy | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Lost Dagger by Thamir Essayyad

Author Thamir Essayyad invites readers into a modern clash of medicine, reality, mortality, and mysticism with his stunning novel, The Lost Dagger.

Kanan Angler is a gifted emergency room doctor with a head for facts, symptoms, and science, but when tell-tale signs indicate that he’s losing his mind, the good doctor sets out on a truth-seeking journey across the ocean. However, searching for answers only leads to more questions about his newfound ability to see spirits, commune with the dead, and apparently look into the past.

From eloquent Spanish aristocrats and black-clad sword masters to secret Islamic societies and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-05-02T19:22:28+02:00March 27th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|

Jane Austen Time Traveler by Rachel Dacus

Capturing the elegant yet tongue-in-cheek storytelling of the titular author herself, Jane Austen Time Traveler by Rachel Dacus is an enormously entertaining installment of the century-hopping Timegathering Series.

The manipulative and artist-eliminating Optimalists are at it again, this time attempting to rip out a key root of the feminist movement by erasing a legendary female writer from the canon. Thankfully, George St. James – gifted protector of the past – steps in to ensure that the world knows Jane Austen’s name, catapulting the aspiring writer two centuries into the future. A young Jane comes face to face with her […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-02-03T22:02:25+02:00February 3rd, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Time Travel|

The Accidental Empress by Justin R. Smith

A period novel elevated with magical powers, fantasy tech, and covert intelligence drama, The Accidental Empress by Justin K. Smith is a Shakespearean farce wrapped in the inventive shell of an alternate timeline.

Battling storms of doubt from within and without, Kristin is chosen as Iceland’s very first representative to the Temple of Knowledge and Miskatonic University. However, a terrorist attack on her airship plunges Kristin into the dark heart of European geopolitics, where this sheltered genius is coerced into temporarily taking on the body-double role of a freshly deceased Princess, heir apparent to the Iron Throne of Germany. Kristin […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-01-09T18:14:16+02:00January 9th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: The Nephilim’s Fate by Eliza Hampstead

Adventure, sex, and magic collide in The Nephilim’s Fate by Eliza Hampstead, the first book in a tantalizing new fantasy series for adults, War of the Nephilim. With a cinematic writing style and surprising plot twists, Hampstead gives free rein to her imagination and fascinates the reader with her original take on the supernatural, mixed with a good number of steamy scenes.

Combining a memorable set of characters, fast-paced battles, and a heavy romance, The Nephilim’s Fate blends fantasy with erotica in a way that challenges the boundaries of love, pleasure, and magic itself. This is not only a […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-02-03T16:09:59+02:00December 14th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, Romance|

Review: Broken Souls by Troy Calkins

Crafting a spectacular new fantasy world with an unforgiving edge and two unforgettable heroes, Broken Souls by Troy Calkins is a sprawling, Viking-inspired epic.

Lura is an unassuming young woman trying to survive in a hard world, one where the unlicensed use of magic is prohibited, so she must keep her skills hidden – or at least muffled. Avenging those she loves will require all the craftiness and tenacity she can muster, but she has heart in spades. Bothvar meanwhile comes from a proud lineage of warriors, but is forced into the painful soul-searching and isolation that comes with separation […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-12-20T17:30:32+02:00November 8th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: A Rebel’s Path (The Enchanted Isles Book 3) by I.L. Cruz

Author I.L. Cruz summons another tense chapter of the Enchanted Isles YA series with A Rebel’s Path, her third electrifying installment. Between paternal revelations, impending royal nuptials, a resurgence of magic, and an urban legend come to life, the life of Inez Garza and the realm of Canto is as strange and exciting as ever.

Inez’s predestined fate of bringing magic back to the Enchanted Isles is a tall order, particularly since she has no idea how to achieve that seemingly impossible goal. Her powers have proven to be impressive, but difficult to predict and keep hidden, training in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-10-03T17:33:55+02:00October 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy, I.L. Cruz, YA Fantasy, Young Adult|

Requiem for a Queen by Kaylin McFarren

A superb installment of this sinister series of erotic thrillers, Requiem for a Queen by Kaylin McFarren launches readers into another hellish spiral of drama and action.

After cutting ties with the deceitful Nexus warriors from Book 2, Samara Daemonium is not only pregnant with the child of Lucifer, but is also being desperately sought by every force in Hell. The fallen queen Lucinda – Lucifer’s daughter – will stop at nothing to ensure that she is the heir to the demonic throne, even if that means taking over the underworld herself.

In this maelstrom of chaos and cosmic family […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-09-02T17:24:51+02:00September 2nd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy, Kaylin McFarren|

The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge

Disaster has struck the frightened animals of Earthwood, thus beginning The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge, a clever and tender fable that also acts as a dire warning.

Under the guidance of Gollah and bound by faith in one another, Gavin, his brothers, and a gathering band of survivors must brave Everdark and re-cross the Serpentine Ridge, while avoiding pterodactyls, wolves, and a nightmare’s worth of other beasts. A children’s book at first glance, this well-penned read has the maturity and intention of Watership Down, without losing its innocent soul. As Gavin the raccoon struggles […]