Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Native Girl Rites by Indigo Cox

Tragedy and loss are inescapable, especially for women at the bottom of the social pecking order, which is movingly portrayed in Native Girl Rites by Indigo Cox.

Mari is no stranger to pain. She lost her mother, a nurse, to a botched procedure after the color of her skin and gender forced her into an inescapable position. Her grandmother passed down native traditions to give her strength as a woman. Her father offered safe abortions so no one else in their town would have to grieve such as senseless loss, as he had. But Mari’s grandmother passes on, and her […]

Mindy Hood2019-02-11T09:20:42+02:00September 4th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction|

Review: Incognolio by Michael Sussman

★★★★½

For readers who are eager to have their imaginations shattered into a thousand pieces, this bizarre and fascinating novel by Michael Sussman is sure to please. Incognolio, both the title of this novel and the ultimate goal of anyone trying to shed their conscious mind, is a strange journey with unreliable narrators who seem to be having a perpetual identity crisis.

From the very first page of this novel, you can tell that the read will be an unusual one to say the least. The subtle style of writing in surreal details, or breaking the fourth wall of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-08-20T11:22:25+02:00September 2nd, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction, Michael Sussman, Science Fiction, Visionary Fiction|

Review: The Demon King and the Boy Who Hardly Knew Anything by Pat Ellis

★★★★

Although fantasy worlds are in abundance at the moment, there is always room for fantasy fiction as fresh and smart as The Demon King and the Boy Who Hardly Knew Anything. Pat Ellis may be a first-time writer, but this debut novel has the echoes of a much more mature and seasoned author.

In the generations-long struggle between the magic of Aranfeit and the technological brilliance of Morandia, there are countless stories to tell, and the riveting chunks of exposition throughout this novel welcome readers into this new land – one where “traditional” fantasy and futuristic sci-fi elements […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-21T03:33:51+02:00August 24th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: Window Spit by Alan David Pritchard

In Window Spit, poet Alan David Pritchard expresses how reflections through an imagined window can reveal the way a poet sees the world outside, and the way he sees himself.

Pritchard is an author, educator, and poet who has chosen in Window Spit to depict himself as both observer and the observed. Part I of the collection – “Looking Out” – details in verse his view of humanity through a hypothetical glass. He warns, “Beware the poet who spits in your eye.”

In several poems, Pritchard laments that people choose to communicate with unseen others on their wifi devices […]

Barbara Scott2020-12-18T05:31:47+02:00August 23rd, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Alan David Pritchard, Poetry|

Review: The Worst Pet Peeve Ever by Anne Marie Hanlon Cook

Defining a “peeve” as something that annoys you, and a “pet peeve” as something you just like to be annoyed about, writer and illustrator Anne Marie Hanlon Cook has created an engaging, readable fable for children, though there is a message In The Worst Pet Peeve Ever for readers of all ages.

The narrator’s plaint in this colorful tale is that her mother’s determination to keep the house clean means no company and no pets. The little girl lives happily enough with mother, father, sister and brother, but no human visitors and definitely no animals are allowed. Pets are her […]

Barbara Scott2019-02-11T08:37:55+02:00August 21st, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Books|

Review: To Seduce an Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2) by Jayla Jasso

To Seduce an Assassin by Jayla Jasso, the second book in her Omaja series, is an electrifying romantic adventure that manages to improve on its predecessor. In Book 1 of the Omaja series, the rugged Yavi lost his love and has sworn off entering into another torrid affair. The younger sister of Jiandra – the heroine of the first novel, married to Yavi’s brother – has had a crush on Yavi since her teens. Now twenty, Graciella has her sights set on him, even though he’s taken an oath of celibacy so he can concentrate on his duties as Emperor.[…]

Lysa Grant2019-10-04T07:35:31+02:00August 18th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, Jayla Jasso, Romance|

Review: Jake & the Dragons of Asheville by Brian Kacica

★★★½

Writing a unique YA novel in this saturated genre can be a challenge, as dozens of new authors seemingly pop up every week. The key to finding a niche in the ever-crowded YA genre is a clever take on a popular theme, combined with interesting characters and an engaging plot. In Jake & the Dragons of Asheville, author Brian Kacica delivers a fun and memorable novel that both young readers and adults will enjoy.

As with many YA adventure stories, there is an unprepared hero, Jake Winston, who is living a relatively normal early teenage life in North […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-15T12:53:24+02:00August 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult|

Review: Steel, Blood & Fire (Immortal Treachery Book 1) by Allan Batchelder

★★★★

There are many fantasy authors who rely too heavily on the work of others, or the favorite tropes of the genre, when creating their own worlds. Fortunately, there are authors like Allan Batchelder who derive inspiration from fantasy masters and then construct wholly new and endlessly engaging realms for readers to enjoy. Steel, Blood & Fire, Book 1 of the Immortal Treachery series, is a grim, edge-of-your-seat pleasure to read.

Batchelder doesn’t concern himself with too much exposition, but instead jumps right into the action, transporting readers into a dark, brutal world and introducing them to one of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-18T07:20:14+02:00August 14th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|