John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A wild homage to time travel fiction, The Lost Family Robinson by Alan Priest is an engrossing, dialogue-driven drama about survival and loyalty in truly strange places. When a DIY time machine drops ten members of the Robinson family sixty years in the past, they will have to put their fraternal fighting aside to get back to 2028, but their fiddling with sacred timelines doesn’t go unnoticed by the Vatican’s holy-rolling watchdogs. A creative caper with a strong spine of theoretical and quantum science, this is a cleverly penned and paradox-dodging adventure in rugged recent history, with tender nods to […]

A whimsical story of youthful compassion and the opinions that divide us, V.I. Puptonians: The Mysterious Arrival by Dr. Trueblood holds myriad important lessons for young readers. When Ava and her 10-year-old brother Joe discover a spaceship bearing alien babies and bottles, their opposing views on what to do with the extraterrestrial visitors highlight the fears, instincts, and societal pressures that guide countless actions in our modern world. Cleverly exploring concepts of othering, fear of the unknown, and unfair judgments, this subtle allegory demonstrates the timeless values of patience and kindness, while instructing readers on the importance of critical thinking […]

A cloned squad of familiar space commandos returns to terra firma and battles for the future of humanity in Legion Earth by Nick Snape, the seventh book in his elaborate Weapons of Choice series. When an insidious alien force slides into the planet’s global infrastructure to lurk in wait, it’s only the beginning of attacks emerging from within. The relentless and haunted Echo Squad, borne from genetic material stored on the weapons of choice, are tested to their physical and psychological breaking points in this cerebral and action-oriented thriller. Moving the series away from the far-flung regions of space, the […]

An ambitious young soldier marches boldly to war, only to find disillusionment and a newly embattled spirit in Riding With Forrest: The Memoir of John Barrett, Escort Company, Forrest’s Cavalry, CSA, during the War Between the States by L. E. Denton. A fictional memoir set during America’s vicious internal war, this novel traces the journey of John Barrett and his devoted service to a legendary and ruthless commander, Nathan Bedford Forrest. A detailed imagining of life as a Confederate soldier, and the painful revelations that battlefields can bring, this is a carefully crafted and vulnerable coming-of-age tale. Despite its historical […]

Encouraging active navigation towards a perspective of abundance, Heart and Mind: A Synchronous Dance with Higher Dimensions by Verniece Ross is a refreshing guide for those seeking a more peaceful and fulfilling life. Though many of the more abstract concepts brush against spiritual ideas, the wisdom on these pages is non-denominational and grounded in well-established practices such as meditation and intention-setting. From the foundations of mindfulness, affirmations, and self-esteem to the nuances of creativity, intuition, and logic that define our existence, Ross has penned a comprehensive roadmap to inner alignment and mental wellness.

 […]