John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

About John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Providing exceptional writing, editing and publishing services to hundreds of international clients, ranging from nutritional copywriting and long-form ghostwriting to substantive editing, assessment/analysis of academic texts and structural/content editing for bestselling novels.

Review: Deleted Dreams by Ren Ellis

Deleted Dreams by Ren Ellis

Author Ren Ellis releases a bold and visionary novella with Deleted Dreams, a YA speculative fiction novella that delicately pulls from multiple genres and demonstrates exceptional storytelling skill. With remarkable world-building and creativity, as well as a deep focus on character depth and vulnerability, this book is electric and memorable.

Derra is an exceptional young woman torn between two worlds – The Ring of Ruins and the Ring of Radiance. She may be an Incident-stained young woman, but she is well on her way to redemption and the future she has dreamed of: becoming a Fixer to mend the […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

2020-08-26T02:51:34+02:00August 7th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Nancy by William Kenneth Jones

Nancy by William Kenneth Jones

Penned with precision by William Kenneth Jones and boasting a charming narrative voice, Nancy is a striking tale of adversity, faith, deep roots, loss, and resilience. The dialogue is a rich and immersive element of the story, given the heavily accented speech, and an impressive amount of historical research was clearly required to summon this corner of the world in such a believable snapshot. Aside from the poignant writing, characters are developed deeply, with room to breathe and grow; readers are not told this story, but are instead shown through clever prose, authentic relationships, and emotional turns, painting a biographical […]

2020-08-06T08:28:10+02:00August 5th, 2020|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Gold Fever by Jim Clougherty

Gold Fever by Jim Clougherty

Author Jim Clougherty pulls readers through a shadowy descent into madness, greed, and the Earth itself in Gold Fever, the first installment of his Dark Savior series. A slow-burning psychological thriller featuring dark prose, gruesome action, and visceral monsters, the spiraling plot is gritty and engrossing, albeit occasionally unpolished with some tangential or repetitive chapters. Bolstered by a unique narrative voice, this lengthy novel captures authentic dialogue well and takes time to develop secondary characters. For those readers seeking an entertaining burst of literary terror, Gold Fever delivers a gripping start to this new series.

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2020-08-04T03:43:10+02:00August 4th, 2020|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Dark Twists and Surreal Turns by M.G. Spear

Dark Twists and Surreal Turns by M.G. Spear

Prepare yourself for a short and addictive dive into shadowy science and the secrets that lurk beyond our understanding in Dark Twists and Surreal Turns by M.G. Spear. Psychological horror fans will be attracted to the sharp descriptions and the ominous mood that permeate this novella, the first in the Dark Twists trilogy, but there are also interesting explorations of mood and panic disorders, and the tangled pain of mental illness. Describing a mind as it becomes unhinged, or begins to disappear entirely, is an ambitious goal, and while the prose is choppy and abrupt at times, this haunting book […]

2020-08-04T02:46:21+02:00August 4th, 2020|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Ring of Azurmus by Andrew Chiniche

The Ring of Azurmus by Andrew Chiniche Andrew Chiniche shows himself to be a poet in a class all his own, displaying his storytelling whimsy, dark descriptive powers, and deep understanding of ethereal connection in his new collection, The Ring of Azurmus.

Inspired by cards of the tarot deck, and brought to life through stories that surge and fade like smoke, this poetic saga is unique, like a handwritten spell book for romance. The language is not only carefully chosen, but also playful and unpredictable: Alice is the Chalice / and the lynchpin in my search / for the Talisman. These moments of poetic grace are refreshing […]

2020-08-03T05:31:11+02:00August 3rd, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Gaze the Moon by Andrew Chiniche

Gaze the Moon by Andrew Chiniche

Using mystical imagery and plaintive language, poet Andrew Chiniche weaves a powerful experience of magick poetry in Gaze the Moon.

Centered largely on deep soul love that transcends common ideas of connection and romance, the poems vary wildly, from heartfelt and straightforward to abstract puzzles of symbolism. At times, the pieces resemble adages or mantras, such as the simple “You are the light that makes the darkness worthwhile,” but their brevity doesn’t undercut their weight. They offer the chance to take a breath, process the wisdom being shared, and ready oneself for the next impactful page.

Much of the poetry […]

2020-08-03T05:38:59+02:00August 3rd, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |
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