Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Coming Into Power by Tamara Smith

A fast-paced, engaging erotic fantasy, Coming Into Power by Tamara Smith is bursting with imagination and sensuality as well as consideration of issues such as trust, family, and the meaning of belonging. With its original take on the genre, thriller-like plotting, and sharply-drawn characters, the novel is a boundary-pushing, category-crossing story as sensitive as it is steamy.

As the title declares, the book is fundamentally a discussion of power, and how it grows as we become mature adults and fully ourselves. Of course, in a fantasy, this centers around the characters’ fantastical powers, whose superhuman abilities are frequently associated with […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-05-02T10:23:58+02:00March 13th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Paranormal Romance, Tamara Smith|

Review: African Graffiti by Lokhilesh Takoor

Following the author’s wandering career and adventurous spirit, African Graffiti by Lokhilesh Takoor offers a thoughtful story of self-reliance, courage, and the ageless search for belonging.

Takoor’s journey begins in Madagascar, where his work as a field engineer opened doors for advancement, while his affable personality gained him strong connections. However, the uncertain nature of politics and quick twists of societal opinion forced him to leave, once again seeking new open spaces and safer shores to explore.

The author’s professional skills took him across various African nations, giving him a broad-spectrum introduction to a variety of cultures, work practices, cuisines, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-04-05T15:45:45+02:00March 2nd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir|

Review: Shirley’s Compilation of Short Stories by Shirley McLain

Shirley’s Compilation of Short Stories by Shirley McLain is an engaging book of short fiction in which the inner lives of characters intertwine with the bigger picture of history, resulting in a thrilling roller coaster of emotion.

McLain offers the reader a wide range of stories, touching on genres that vary from noir to romantic fiction. The thread running through them is in their evocative atmosphere – the perpetual feeling of something hidden below the surface: a detail overlooked for too long, a well-kept secret, or an emotion that cannot be ignored.

From the tragic secrets behind the wealth of […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-04-05T08:16:45+02:00February 28th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Religious Fiction, Shirley McLain, Short Stories|

Review: Freezing Reign by L.A. Goff

Tapping into contemporary fears and deep-seated themes of equality and purpose, Freezing Reign by L.A. Goff is an ambitious work of dystopian fiction, and the first installment of a tough but emotional new series.

As the Olympian virus continues to rip through the female population of the planet, Mirari Vega’s father makes an impossible choice to place his healthy daughter in a homemade cryogenic chamber before her chromosomal fate is sealed. Having already missed the chance to save his wife, he promises to bring his daughter back once the technology to safely revive her exists. A dozen years later, Mirari […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-04-03T12:18:21+02:00February 27th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction|

Review: The Borderlands of Forever by Jeff B. Willey

Spiraling forward through time, space, evolution, and human exploration, The Borderlands of Forever by Jeff B. Willey is an experimental and exceptionally well-written novel depicting our species’ tragic and star-bound future.

In this sprawling portal into the future, the second half of the 21st century is punctuated by the discovery of inter-dimensional enemies and the collapse of freedom as we know it. That’s nothing compared to the cataclysmic events leading into the 22nd century, including the blending of man and machine, and violent pushbacks against these autags and cyborgs. Eventually, the machine intelligence on Earth wins out, and a point […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-03-29T11:07:24+02:00February 27th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction, Visionary Fiction|

Review: Dreaming in Chinese by William Tsung

Raw and unflinching, Dreaming in Chinese: Memoirs from a Taiwanese Prison by William Tsung is an unforgettable tale of injustice and perseverance.

When Tsung landed back in Taiwan for a short trip from Los Angeles, he had no idea that his freedom was about to be taken from him. After being caught with marijuana-infused snacks that he relied on for anxiety, he was dropped into the faceless machine of Taiwan’s overcrowded prison system. Tsung was quick to adapt to life behind bars, and found use as a translator, but this behind-the-scenes peek reveals just how dehumanizing, dangerous, and depressing prison […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-03-28T10:52:26+02:00February 16th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir, Prison|

Review: Enigma Rose: First Love by S.E. Reynolds

Ghosts from the past collide with present desires of the flesh in Enigma Rose: First Love by S.E. Reynolds, a steamy and unpredictable slice of romance, bursting with passion.

Rose Umbra is building a new life, and finding new lovers, attempting to leave tragedies and secrets behind as the new owner of a small bookshop in the Virginia countryside. However, her murderous and manipulative ex-lover, Joshua Steadman, has begun gathering power in a nearby town, and it doesn’t take long for him to drop by and stir the pot.

As the new mayor of Chester, Virginia, Josh has regained a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-03-22T17:52:11+02:00February 10th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Romance, S.E. Reynolds|

Review: The Push Back by Lawrence Clayton

Boldly addressing hot-button issues that have long divided America, The Push Back by Lawrence Clayton offers a clarion call for the rejection of recent shifts in political, social, biological, and ethical thought. A starkly partisan collection of contemporary essays, this grouping of unabashed op-eds tackles everything from critical race theory and liberal media bias to white fragility, affirmative action, and cancel culture.

While claiming the title of academic and historian might suggest an impartiality in the reporting of facts, the author’s biases are immediate, relentless, and fully embraced. Not only does this text attempt to rewrite, whitewash, reframe, or eradicate […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-03-20T17:18:55+02:00February 7th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Essays, Politics|