John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Operation Reboot by James Hallenbeck

The future of humanity depends on returning to the past in Operation Reboot by James Hallenbeck, an imaginative time travel novel that rings with contemporary significance.

At the turn of the 22nd century, as the world spirals into chaos and barbarism, a secretive group of scientists finally unlocks the mystery of time travel. Their ambitions are risky, yet simple: travel five centuries into the past and start a new timeline for the species, one where European colonizers are prevented from spreading and slaughtering their way across America.

Upon arriving in the year 1607 in the lands of the Mohawk, the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-10-15T15:13:25+02:00September 17th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Time Travel Book Reviews|

Afghani by Brendon Patrick

Delicately exploring the dark legacies of war in the Middle East, Australia, and beyond, Afghani by Brendon Patrick is a relentless historical novel following two warriors on parallel journeys.

Lacking a clear path in life, Patterson reluctantly joins the Australian Army, but is soon shipped off to Afghanistan in support of America’s post-9/11 retribution, going to war against his own family history. Meanwhile, a century earlier, a well-traveled Afghani cameleer flees to Australia to escape a Khan’s wrath, only to find himself oppressed by new forms of xenophobia and systemic injustice. These alternating timelines reflect eerily similar themes of identity, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-12T12:23:07+02:00September 11th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, International Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Jinn: The Manga Series by Samay Saidi and Kamal Rahyab

A thoughtful adventure through Islamic tradition and folklore, Jinn: The Manga Series by Samay Saidi and Kamal Rahyab offers essential wisdom about family, purpose, and cultural roots.

While traveling home from class with friends and discussing the nuances of Orientalism, Tamina experiences what seems to be a seizure, but is actually something far stranger. As her body is rushed to a hospital, her mind enters a dream-like realm called the Berzakh, where she encounters a mythical Jinn who has been watching over her since birth.

After overcoming her disbelief, Tamina learns that one of her ancestors possessed a mighty gift […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-10-10T17:30:58+02:00September 11th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novel Reviews|

Born of the Gods by Craig Zeppelin

An inventive fantasy tale fronted by a hard-hitting heroine, Born of the Gods: Origins Book One (The Resin Chronicles) by Craig Zeppelin delivers an action-laden plunge into a paradise lost.

Grieving the loss of her deity, and cursed with mystical abilities after a suicidal clash of the gods, Arleia seeks a new divine master, rather than wandering as a high priestess without anything to worship. Venturing into the realms of scheming gods and facing down the monstrous mortals who serve as their playthings, Arleia is determined to unravel the mystery of her matriarch’s murder, no matter how many times she […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-10T17:28:40+02:00September 10th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Time and Space by Shireen Jeejeebhoy

A frenzied plunge into a regressive and wildly weird future, Time and Space by Shireen Jeejeebhoy defies genre expectations and the laws of physics with gleeful abandon.

When three mischievous men from the year 3011 abduct a woman named Time from her lonely reality, anxiety over turning 40 is suddenly the least of her worries. Overwhelmed by the impossible technology at every turn, she is treated as a “dumb human specimen” in a mind-boggling society of chauvinists, but the future does have its rules, if not rights for “girls.”

Upon discovering that the young men have kidnapped yet another bewildered […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-10-03T16:04:22+02:00September 8th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Book Reviews|

Triumphs of Tenacity by Yusra Mariyam

A stirring story of transformation through education, Triumphs of Tenacity by Yusra Mariyam is a rousing account of a Bengali immigrant’s journey from undereducated homemaker to distinguished university graduate.

After decades marked by deferring her dreams, Yusra embarked on an unlikely midlife venture to secure an advanced business degree from Anglia Ruskin University. In detailed and emotional recollections, she painstakingly details the intimate struggles of her academic quest through each demanding project and daunting disappointment. Relentlessly driven by inner strength and the example of her uncompromising family, Yusra overcomes every obstacle with grace – from digital illiteracy and time management […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-08T16:19:27+02:00September 8th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Education Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

The Demon’s Deceit by Andria Carver

Sinister, snarky, and sexy, The Demon’s Deceit (Divine Evolution Book 1) by Andria Carver leers at humanity’s darkest corners through the eyes of would-be gods. Jeanie is a grieving wreck of a person, drinking and stumbling towards oblivion, when she’s propositioned and empowered by a sultry demon plotting an evolutionary leap of divine proportions. Suddenly finding herself with no fear, no pain, and nothing left to lose, she joins a slow-burning struggle for cosmic power, one that could stretch her body and soul to the breaking point. Sharply penned and laced with acerbic prose, this down-and-out urban fantasy shatters archetypes […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-08T16:26:43+02:00September 8th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

A Dog Named 647 by Nancy Kay

A heartwarming and heroic tale about fighting for what you believe in, A Dog Named 647 by Nancy Kay is an intensely emotive middle grade read with an inspiring crusader for animals at the helm.

While walking in the forest one day, Mia finds a malnourished golden retriever with a belly full of puppies, only to have the pooch snatched away by an angry man from a nearby kennel. Convinced that #647 is being mistreated, and overwhelmed by the immediate connection she feels for her furry friend, Mia enlists her friend Cassie to investigate the mystery of Pine Valley Puppies. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-05T18:09:51+02:00September 5th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews, Pets Book Reviews|