Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Forbidden Heat (Firework Girls Book 1) by J.L. White

★★★★½

Forbidden Heat by J.L. White is a steamy romance that’s hard to put down.

Isabella wants to be a scientist. During her last year of college, Isabella learns she needs to take a philosophy class to fulfill all her requirements. Isabella already has a full class schedule, but she talks the Dean into allowing her to take an extra class instead of dropping a science course she needs for graduate school. However, Isabella gets more than she bargained for when she discovers that the professor is only a few years older than her and he’s the hottest professor at […]

Review: The Empty One (The Fallen Conviction Book 1) by Matthew Stanley

★★★★½

The Empty One by Matthew Stanley is an epic, fantastic tale in a very unique form.

Combining religious philosophy, vivid battle scenes, biblical undertones, political and social commentary, and incredible magical forces, The Empty One is much more than your typical fantasy. The plot base of Matthew Stanley’s story is the tale of two warring superpowers – one dedicated to mystical belief, the other to social order – but this epic story comes with a major twist. The entire text is presented in verse form, making it a highly unique reading experience, supported by a fascinating (albeit convoluted) plot […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2016-04-07T06:58:03+02:00March 28th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: Phantom: Birth of an Arc by Gabriel Common and Christy Lea Wilkerson

★★★★½

Phantom: Birth of an Arc portrays the endless battle between good and evil in an incredible space adventure.

From the very first scene of the book, the fantasy aspect of this novel is clear, as Angels and Seraphim debate the fate of two half-mortal children borne of an Angel’s lust for a human. One of the children, Raven, was raised as an Arc, while Traiven was sent to grow up in rural Louisiana. However, it doesn’t take long for these two worlds to collide. Traiven’s small-town life is turned upside down when Shawn, a soldier in Heaven’s army, informs […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2016-04-07T07:07:47+02:00March 25th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Ties that Bind by Debbie White

Ties that Bind by Debbie White is the moving and epic novel about a woman trying to uncover her past in order to understand herself. Pat has a sense of gnawing dissatisfaction in her life given that she’s adopted and never met her birth parents. Her children are deprived of extended family and Pat is deprived of answers. When she seeks out to find answers to all her questions, she finds a hidden contentment she didn’t know she had.

Pat is a wonderfully engaging and comforting presence in the book. Even when White is describing her hardships, Pat has a […]

Lysa Grant2019-02-11T09:21:01+02:00March 24th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Women's Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Edge the Bare Garden by Roseanne Cheng

★★★★½

Edge the Bare Garden by Roseanne Cheng is a wonderful instructional novel for teens.

Agnes hasn’t had an easy life. Even though she’s young, her daily life has been filled with taunts by her peers, reinforcing the belief that she doesn’t belong.

An opportunity arises for Agnes to seek revenge online. Can her actions be justified? Forgiven? More to the point, in today’s online world, who should be held responsible when individuals can hide their identity?

Roseanne Cheng is a teacher and founder of the website, Teachable Lit, which is dedicated to books and reviews that instruct young minds. […]

T B Markinson2020-02-21T05:54:31+02:00March 24th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: The Case of the Mona Lisa (The Amulet of Amser Book 1) by Yvonne Jones

★★★★½

The Case of the Mona Lisa by Yvonne Jones is a lively and inventive beginning to The Amulet of Amser series for children, aimed at 5 to 7-year-olds. On a visit to his grandfather’s house, Wen is told of an old family secret that he’s now ready to hear: members of his family can travel back in time.

What’s more, Wen’s family is tasked with saving priceless works of art that have been stolen throughout history. Wen’s first task is to rescue the Mona Lisa in 1911 – a theft that really happened, which added to the painting’s aura. […]

Lysa Grant2016-04-07T04:33:58+02:00March 24th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|

Review: Outpost (The Fylking Book One) by F.T. McKinstry

Math is a world of cosmic connections. The Fylking, an immortal race of warriors from the Otherworld, use a series of gates to travel to and from their outposts in this realm. The kingdoms of Math, specifically Dyrregin, serve as garrisons in the Fylking’s interdimensional war with their ancient enemy, the Niflsekt. Humans are generally oblivious to the larger struggle into which their world has been involved. The Wardens, a guild of solitary wanderers, are the exception. Long ago, the Fylking made a pact with the original Wardens, in which the Wardens swore to maintain the portal gates for the […]

Dakota Kemp2021-07-28T02:26:08+02:00March 24th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Hidden Monastery (The Last Prophecy Series Book 1) by E. J. Dawson

★★★★½

The Hidden Monastery: The Last Prophecy Series Book 1 by E. J. Dawson is an exciting start to what promises to be a creative and intellectual steampunk series.

Captain Katarina Salisbury of the airship the Iron Lady is also a propaganda tool for the Illisian government. Her latest assignment, to rescue villagers from impending avalanches in the Drezusk Mountains, seems straightforward, until Kat finds out she’ll be escorting nobles on her ship, threatening to take away the media attention from the captain. The trip changes drastically when their efforts to steer an avalanche exposes the entrance to a […]

T B Markinson2016-04-08T04:08:28+02:00March 24th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Steampunk Book Reviews|