John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Hachi + Araine: Awake by Michael G. Hurston

Thousands of years in the future, a legendary warrior named Hachi and her symbiotic-linked golem awaken from cryo-sleep into a darker age in Hachi + Araine: Awake by Michael G. Hurston, the first book in The Dream Series. After returning to Earth, she discovers the shocking legacy of her universe-jumping ancestors and a treasure map through space that leads her and a resourceful companion into a blistering adventure across the stars. Dodging cosmic slavers, exploring taboo desires, and overcoming the guilt of her own past, Hachi must find a way to forgive herself and fulfill her original mission, even […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-09T17:19:44+02:00September 9th, 2024|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Apache Sun by Jeffrey W. Tenney

Delivering a classic western adventure, Apache Sun by Jeffrey W. Tenney taps into the harsh beauty of New Mexico and the gritty struggle of its tenacious denizens, for a thorough portrait of frontier living.

When Lacey Hudson sets off in search of the man suspected of murdering his sister and kidnapping his niece, he doesn’t expect to find himself endlessly scouring the deserts and barren plains of the Southwest. However, the accused is desperate to avoid capture, and skilled in backcountry survival, which leads to a sweeping hunt across arid lands and unforgiving outposts. With the support of unlikely companions, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-09T13:00:53+02:00September 9th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Western Book Reviews|

Review: Blood and Tradition by Marc Keyner

An unlikely crew of allies must transcend all that attempts to divide them in Blood and Tradition by Marc Keyner, a thoughtful and entertaining fantasy escape into the fascinating land of Ylliora.

Desperate to give his unborn Half-Orc child a chance at survival, Mos plans to smuggle his still-pregnant partner, Ella, to a safe harbor and a new life with the help of an old seafaring friend. However, Captain Phara Everbloom has problems of her own, thanks to a power-hungry rival in town intent on squeezing her profits, sinking her reputation, and even assaulting her crew. Before Phara can sneak […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-10-11T08:22:56+02:00September 6th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Children of Sorrow by Marc Keyner

An unexpected showing of family unity amidst palace intrigue and shadowy secrets, Children of Sorrow by Marc Keyner is a thrillingly dark and suspenseful continuation of the Tales of Ylliora series.

Dawson has spent a year trying to make a new life as a hauler down at the docks, scraping together coppers for honest work and keeping a watchful eye on his chosen community. However, given that his father is the Master of Spies in a city like Moncragh, Dawson can never fully escape the past, nor the wide array of deadly skills in which he was secretly schooled.

When […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-10-09T11:50:01+02:00September 6th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Operation Cavolo by E.S. Benton

The elite warriors of Alpha Team are tasked to unravel the maniacal scheme of a vengeful villain seeking to compromise the global food supply in Operation Cavolo by E.S. Benton, the second installment of The Silent Codename series. Careening from one explosive scene and clever bit of investigating to the next, the Alpha squad faces a deadly countdown to disaster, while internal strife and old secrets threaten their unity. With rapid-fire plot twists and a labyrinth of motives and betrayals, Benton’s adrenaline-fueled story is equally visceral and relentless. Part black ops spy thriller and part procedural military drama, this action-heavy […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-06T13:26:52+02:00September 5th, 2024|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Assays of Ata by K.I.S.

An anti-heroine battling accusations of treachery while fighting for her home makes The Assays of Ata by K.I.S. a striking introduction to a new fantasy series. Ata is a magically-abled spy for Pandia, but bringing about the fall of Cinnae, her nation’s sworn enemy, means executing a desperately tangled plot and navigating unexpected allies, murderous motives, veiled threats, and kingdom-shaking betrayals. From multilayered military maneuverings and palace intrigue to fantastical scheming and the visceral awakening of ancient powers, this first book of The Chronicles of Áitarbith series is an impressively elaborate and carefully crafted work of epic fantasy, with a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-09T11:30:41+02:00September 3rd, 2024|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Louis Pasteur Condemns Big Pharma by Stephen Heartland

A timely take on the current state of vaccination science and policy in America, Louis Pasteur Condemns Big Pharma: Vaccines, Drugs, and Healthcare in the United States by Stephen Heartland is an informative and potentially controversial guide for protecting your autonomy and health.

As the author reminds us in the opening pages, when it comes to pro-vaccine and anti-vax ideologies, people know where they stand, and the lines are pretty much set. Refreshingly, this book doesn’t attempt a complete takedown of Big Pharma, but is instead a well-structured presentation of arguments and potential solutions.

Beginning with an expositional chapter on […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-27T12:22:07+02:00September 3rd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Medical Book Reviews|

Fighting the Shadow Warriors by Harry Knickerbocker

Told with the unmistakeable fire of a soldier who has seen too much scorched earth, Fighting the Shadow Warriors: A Marine in Vietnam by Harry Knickerbocker is a powerful memoir from a writer with passion and conviction.

Sharing his battle-strewn tour in Vietnam with painstaking care, Knickerbocker brings readers right into the foxholes and hellish firefights of that horrific conflict. Explaining the brutal routine of life as a grunt, where a sniper’s bullet, a landmine, or an excruciating booby trap threatens with every step, this is a particularly gritty and unflinching account, which brings physical strife and psychological strain into […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-03T16:56:06+02:00September 3rd, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|