John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A hard-nosed tale of grifters, dreamers, and the deadly risk of pushing a scam too far, A New Game by Frank C. Senia is a cross-border drama that bursts with tension. When an honorable white-collar thief gets caught up in the deadly maze of a Mexican drug cartel, it might be impossible to wriggle free without getting blood on his hands. Delivered with a matter-of-fact coldness, this is a relentless story of spiraling risk and sacrifices for the almighty dollar. The editing is notably lacking, as there are too many mundane passages of prose, as well as common errors and […]

A remarkable collection from a legendary Italian writer, Sardinian Stories by Grazia Deledda contains newly translated versions of a selection of her tales by Steve Amoia. Capturing the charm and tension of everything from pastoral versions of justice to magical mysteries in the mountain towns of Italy, these are engagingly varied stories of family tension, cultural expectation, and forbidden love, from the darkly romantic to the eccentrically surreal. The translations are strong, though certain phrases feel anachronistic, and not fully reflective of the mood or time period in which the stories are set. However, the prose is enrapturing, as each […]

A sprawling sci-fi satire with a buffoonish hero at its heart, Captain Ellenshaw and the Broadsword Affair by Malcolm Finch is a wild ride through duty, drunkenness, and cosmic market expansion. A legendary captain turned lout is given a far-flung mission to keep him from embarrassing the Admiralty any further, but this semi-mythical madman can’t help but cause chaos wherever he goes. Packed with a crew of societal rejects, ridiculous hyperspace hijinks, and campy dialogue, this is far from a polished read, but it’s an entertaining binge nonetheless. A literary lovechild of “Spaceballs,” The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, […]

A ridiculous but poetic tale of Wichlees, parpzees, catch-ball and the Tueslethrump Feastival, A Very Strange Party On Bangy-Bong by Ashlyn Moss and Peter C. Hare lives up to its title. The denizens of planet Bangy-Bong are preparing for the stinky party, complete with gwindleberries, slimy snot, and enough horse dung to keep the celebrations going, but there is mischief afoot for this waterless world, and a threat to the wild party they’ve been planning. A fantastical tongue-twister, this endlessly unusual children’s book is a frenetic plunge of illustrated weirdness – one that will have young readers laughing the whole […]