John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Haunted Artist by Larry Witham

The death of a rising star in the art world launches a cross-country hunt for dark answers and old secrets in The Haunted Artist by Larry Witham, the fourth installment of the Julian Peale Art-Crime Mystery series.

When reclusive painter Sam Mason is found dead from an apparent overdose, eccentric denizens of the art world mourn the loss of a potential legend gone too soon, but Colleen Mason isn’t sold on the classic tragic ending for her younger brother. She enlists the services of Julian Peale, art crime investigator extraordinaire, who soon discovers a bizarre trail of suspects and clues […]

Review: Fanny Berk Strikes Back by Avi Luxenburg

An uplifting and original story about the power of heroism, discipline, and self-knowledge, Fanny Berk Strikes Back: The Misadventures of a Reluctant Hero by Avi Luxenburg is a hard-hitting YA novel layered with wisdom.

Fanny Berk is doing what she can to overcome the antisemitic horrors of her past, namely learning karate and avoiding the various predators and sharks that roam the halls of her high school. Her kindhearted instincts make it difficult to turn away from someone in need, and after unlocking a new realm of cognitive Flow, Fanny starts taking matters into her own hands. Relying more and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-27T19:04:08+02:00April 28th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

The Roots of Renewal by Anni Mitchell

Drawing from an abundant pool of spiritual practices, gentle wisdom, and symbolic storytelling, The Roots of Renewal – Wood’s Journey: Stop Overthinking – Find Mental Calm and Inner Direction by Anni Mitchell is an interactive and eye-opening experience. The narrative invites readers to embark on the Path of Renewal, a metaphysical journey through the Sword suit of tarot cards, along with a series of practices to clarify direction, amplify self-awareness, and tap into universal knowledge. The proffered wisdom is also filtered through the lens of the natural world, specifically wood, providing an extra layer of guidance and comfort that is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-04-25T11:19:15+02:00April 24th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Cataclysm: Legend of the Iron Warrior Vol. 2 by T.V. Holiday

A shattered antihero must return to the spiritual battlefield and defeat a devilish plan to dominate humanity in T.V. Holiday’s Cataclysm: Legend of the Iron Warrior by T.V. Holiday, the second book in this inventive series.

Carnage Coast is on the brink of its downfall and the Iron Warrior is a grief-stricken shell of his former self, so Lucifer enlists the help of Monsoon and the Crimson Queen to secure victory over the limbo city once and for all. With its destruction, the last obstacle to Lucifer’s dominion will fall, the Black Sun will rise, and eternal darkness will mark […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-20T09:39:25+02:00April 24th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Urban Fantasy Book Reviews|

Technomancer by Charlie Forêt

An imaginative burst of technofantasy that deftly swings between philosophical depth, cutting-edge science, and gripping magical action, Technomancer by Charlie Forêt is a thrilling combination of genres. When a divine priestess from the realm of Elysia is forcibly sent to Earth, her destiny entwines with Finn, a hacker savant working in the shadows to make up for the devastating mistakes of his past. Bearing the fate of two worlds on their shoulders, these troubled lovers must battle the manipulative forces that seek to use them as weapons, or at least prevent them from becoming saviors. Impressive world-building, neatly crafted prose, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-04-23T16:32:19+02:00April 23rd, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: A Place to Lodge by George Sanchez

An international hunt for a missing man turns into a breakneck whirlwind of intrigue and sinister stalking in A Place to Lodge by George Sanchez.

Years earlier, Jeff came across the Atlantic in search of Bryna, but the tables have turned, and now she is the one to jet off to Europe and locate her vanished partner, along with a dynamic posse of interlinked pals and in-laws. What follows is a manic mash-up of frenetic sightseeing, narrow escapes from mysterious men, vulnerable moments of self-reflection, and more than a few vicious hangovers, drawing this wild bunch of revelers and investigators […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-16T10:19:43+02:00April 23rd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Hoplite Ridge by Sean Patrick Sayers

A masterful blend of speculative science fiction, allegorical mythology, and visionary fantasy, Hoplite Ridge by Sean Patrick Sayers is a sparkling and original glimpse into the past, present, and future of humanity.

The timeless conflict between mortals and gods has reached another apocalyptic turning point, and on the blasted world of Elysium, humanity’s fate once again hangs by a fraying thread. Osiris, a ruthless god of destruction, arises once more to wipe mortals from existence, convinced that they have once again reached too close to heaven, with their technology threatening to tear a hole open into the realm of the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-05T10:51:04+02:00April 23rd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

LoveVortex and the Drakor’s Curse by Pekka Harju-Autti

A swashbuckling adventure to the edge of the known world and the boundaries of reality, LoveVortex and the Drakor’s Curse by Pekka Harju-Autti is a philosophical and visionary work of fantasy.

Tasked with expanding trade relations for the British Empire, a veteran sea captain and his son journey to the Bay of Bengal and the mysterious Andaman Islands, where they encounter a local tribe suffering the weight of a dragon’s terrible curse. Every islander is born with the date of their death tattooed on their forehead, and as this isolated society dwindles, they are becoming more desperate for answers, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-04-22T14:44:17+02:00April 21st, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|