John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Kilian: A Broken Prophecies Story by S.A. McClure

The classic fantasy story of “unwitting hero discovers his much larger destiny” gets a new twist in Kilian: A Broken Prophecies Story by S.A. McClure.

Like so many heroes before him, Kilian Clearwater is a humble and unassuming hero that is forced into a world of magic, intrigue and danger that he never imagined before the opening pages of the novel. While McClure does fall back on some stereotypical elements of this genre niche, there is a simple grace to the writing, and a unique new world for readers to explore.

Unlike overly wordy and description-heavy fantasy novels, the author […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-10-09T10:25:27+02:00October 9th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Humans: From Nothing to Now by Brett Ashcroft Harrison

For readers hungering for a mind-expanding dip into new philosophical explorations, Humans: From Nothing to Now by Brett Ashcroft Harrison is an ideal read.

Delving into some of the most complex and stymying questions known to us, this book is not for the faint of heart, but it is also written in terms that anyone can understand. Rather than taking a scientific or religious approach, Harrison tries to explain profound truths through a new avenue – the perspective of human achievement and discovery.

From quantum mechanics and primal brain development to humanity’s penchant for artistic expression and the spark of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-29T06:10:36+02:00September 28th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Social Science Book Reviews|

Known Shippable, Will Not Fix by Roy W. Russell

The banal life of a Quality Tester takes a surreal turn in Known Shippable, Will Not Fix, a remarkably strange and entertaining novel by Roy W. Russell.

When everything you once thought of as reality is stripped away and shown to be nothing more than a bug-filled simulation, it can certainly make for a weird day. Casey, the intrepid QA tester at the core of this fast-paced tale, is as strange as the story itself, and more than neurotic enough to carry the story and keep readers interested. The stakes inevitably get higher, and Casey is forced to become […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-29T06:03:35+02:00September 28th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Pursuit of the Guardian (Children of the Republic Book 2) by Jason T. Hutt

★★★★½

Great space adventures aren’t easy to find, but in Pursuit of the Guardian, the second installment of the Children of the Republic series, author Jason Hutt hits all the right buttons for sci-fi fans. Combining the broad creativity of “Star Wars” and the rough-around-the-edges universe of “Firefly,” this novel is an action-packed and immensely satisfying read.

Reading the first novel is crucial to appreciating the various characters populating these pages, particularly the dynamic of Senator Maria Cahill, who is blinded by grief and the desire to crush Max Cabot, the restless hero of this tale. Max Cabot may […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-10-23T10:43:18+02:00September 25th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Lionhearts: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

In Lionhearts by Ray Keating, the seventh installment in the Pastor Stepehn Grant series, readers see their pious hero, Pastor Grant, defending his country, faith and the bedrock of morality in a new setting – his home soil. When radical terrorists begin attacking Christians around the country, this man of God with a loaded Glock puts his own life on the line to fight back against the encroaching forces of evil.

With tense, sharp writing and a rapid pace to much of this novel, Keating doesn’t leave much room to breathe. Blending philosophy and theology with heroics, this particular Pastor […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T04:33:42+02:00September 20th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Christian Fiction Book Reviews, Religious Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Terra 12: Paradise Found by Ryan Baxter

★★★½

Given the present situation on our planet, more and more eyes are turning to space as a possible escape from Earth’s rising temperatures. In Terra 12: Paradise Found, author Ryan Baxter paints a remarkably clear picture of one possible future, as well as the dire situation Earth finds itself 300 years from now.

Near the turn of the 24^th century, humans send a dozen ships, named Terra 1-12, into the vastness of space to find a new home world for the human race. Terra 12 is where most of the action focuses in this book, along with […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-12T07:27:40+02:00September 17th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Moonshine Wars: Or My Life in Kincaid, Georgia by Terry Lee Kincaid III

★★★½

While it is easy to look at the post-Civil War era through a historical and objective lens, the stories of the families who lived through those times are also fascinating, and vitally important. In The Moonshine Wars: Or My Life in Kincaid, Georgia, author Daniel Micko invites readers to get to know one particular Southern family, and takes the time to tell their strange side of the American story.

Stretching from the end of the Civil War through the end of the Roaring Twenties, this multi-generational tale delves into the Kincaid family business, how they rose to prominence, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-26T02:46:42+02:00September 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Rented Souls by Eirik Moe Dahll-Larssøn

★★★★½

What if all the ghost stories and paranormal events that happened in the world weren’t the result of hoaxes and overactive imaginations? What if otherworldly events and creatures do exist, but science simply hasn’t advanced to the point of understanding what they are? This is the reality posited by Eirik Moe Dahll-Larssøn, the author of Rented Souls, an intensely amusing and clever novel about a world where the things that go bump in the night are actually there.

In a scenario where paranormal believers are not only taken seriously, but represent the majority of the population, a decent […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-08-01T10:23:29+02:00September 15th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Paranormal Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Book Reviews|