John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A dissatisfied optometrist attempts to put the fuzzy pieces of his life back together and find a new direction in Blackout: You Gotta Love Phoenix by Frank C. Senia. What begins as a “Hangover”-esque mystery develops into a real-time examination of how we spend our years, and the priceless value of taking a step back from our lives. Penned with an informal, conversational tone that often dips into stream-of-consciousness prose, the writing could certainly use some sharpening, but the main character’s reinvention of his life does keep the story interesting. The pace can feel breakneck, leaving little room for serious […]

A cross-generational tale of suffering and perseverance, The Man on the Rails is an unforgettable musing on the value of life and the prices we must often pay to survive. In a narrative exploration of cultural biases and belief structures, as well as the complex confusion of romance in times of tragedy, this story is anything but a straight line or an easy escape. As is found in Abdullaoglu’s other work, there is an engaging juxtaposition of modern knowledge, ancient cultural traditions, and intense philosophical effort. While this cerebral undercurrent can occasionally make the story feel cold – a vehicle […]

Poet Ewana Hines unfurls a mesmerizing collection of bold and fearless verse in Excerpts from an Abstract Mind. Acknowledging the long lineage of strife and sacrifice preceding her, this gathering of poems is a battle-cry and a maternal whisper, told by an inquiring mind dissecting the philosophy of existence and survival. Though some poems are more urgent than others, or reiterative, these less powerful pieces provide the space for a reader to breathe, given the intensity of the work overall. With an organic voice entirely her own, and an eye towards truth-telling, painful as it may be, Hines delivers […]

The Leprechaun Wars by author Wes Snowden is a mystical leap into the mind of a master storyteller. Fluidly moving between the world of magic and the world of men, this is a classic Emerald Isle adventure tale of one young man’s journey through revenge and romance, with sinister enemies around every cruel corner, and more than enough temptations to stray from his path. Written in a timeless voice that is both formal and flexible, there is a good balance of youthful whimsy and fantasy action. While some of the dialogue comes off as stilted, the depth of world-building and […]