Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Candlelight in a Storm by Naveen Sridhar

Candlelight in a Storm by Naveen Sridhar is the historical biography of his wife. Born during World War II and fleeing the violence there, later fleeing communist regimes as a teenager, and traveling the world, meeting her husband in Berlin, her story is at once colorful and harrowing. John F. Kennedy came to Germany and said “Ich bin ein Berliner,” signifying that Germany did not need to be forever tarnished with the legacy of the Nazi party, and there was a generation of Germans looking to establish peace and freedom in the country. Candlelight in a Storm is the ode […]

Review: D-Nine – Protectors Of The Crown by Magus Tor

★★★★½

In this unusual fantasy offering, Magus Tor spins his magic by taking the fantasy genre a new and pertinent step further with this transgender-charged quest adventure. When Dr. James. a male medical professional gets a huge migraine-like headache he starts hallucinating Lord Of The Rings-style rooms in which he seems to be the protagonist – in the form of Princess Sarabeth, a teenage royal charged with the defense of her nation, but currently suffering amnesia and unable to remember her purpose – against a ticking clock of betrayal by a secret society known as the D-Nine, working underground […]

Naka Jackson2016-03-04T03:54:27+02:00October 29th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The New World: A Step Backward by Andy Skrzynski

★★★★½

Sometimes the end of the world is just the beginning. In 2019, Easter Sunday, a spike in Internet chatter amongst Iranian, Chinese, and Russian users gives a swansong to the era of global nuclear peace as America’s capitals are wiped from the map. After the five years of devastating conflict – later dubbed the “World Annihilation” period – humanity lives on in its pockets; in secluded villages that escaped the crosshairs of the major powers that have long gone silent.

Over half a century passes, and a bastion of hope formerly called Riding Mountain National Park becomes home to […]

James Grimsby2016-03-04T03:54:58+02:00October 27th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Chasing Paper Cranes by Courtney Peppernell

★★★★½

Chasing Paper Cranes, by Courtney Peppernell, is an inspirational coming of age novel that teaches an important message: when the world crumbles at your feet, the people who help you rebuild are your true friends.

Layla’s father left when she was a young child, but he left behind a book of Japanese legends. Layla always felt drawn to one legend that says if you fold 1,000 paper cranes, your wish will be granted.

Layla meets Sam online and a relationship flourishes. They plan to meet in London and she brings 1,000 paper cranes to give to Sam.

However, […]

T B Markinson2019-01-22T04:37:15+02:00October 27th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: The Bootlegger’s Legacy by Ted Clifton ★★★★

The Bootlegger’s Legacy by Ted Clifton takes the reader on a wild ride through Oklahoma’s bootlegging history.

When Patrick Allen, an old-time bootlegger, dies and leaves his son Mike a cryptic letter hinting at millions in hidden cash, Mike and his friend Joe follow the clues. They end up traveling through three states and half a century of history.

The mystery starts with a key, embossed with the letters CB, and a puzzling reference to Deep Deuce, a neighborhood once filled with hot jazz and gangs of bootleggers. But what’s really at stake? Money? Memories? And can Mike handle learning […]

T B Markinson2020-12-23T05:53:10+02:00October 27th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Crime Fiction Book Reviews, Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: Everybody Cheats by Nina Mancuso

From “Othello” to Jackie Collins literature both great and not-so-great has always offered insights into the ups and downs and ins and outs of romantic relationships. This is not exactly a new fascination. But in the wake of the Ashley Madison hack, the popular conversation has turned to the subject in a more prosaic way, focusing as much on why we do what we do when relationships don’t suit our needs as how to find the perfect relationship — presumably the one that will keep us at home and in love rather than off giving personal data to dodgy web […]

Cate Baum2019-02-11T09:42:38+02:00October 23rd, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Non-Fiction Book Reviews, Relationships Book Reviews|

Review: Detour Paris by Jack Dancer ★★★★★

Detour Paris, by Jack Dancer, is a laugh-out-loud romance with a dollop of intrigue.

When Tucker Blue meets Monica Reyes there’s a spark. Tucker has recently reentered the dating world and he’s discovering that the life of a mid-life bachelor is equally exciting and complicated. He’s about to fly to Barcelona with Ebba, his flight attendant girlfriend. However, a last minute passenger kicks Tucker off the plane and now he and Monica are stranded together in the US.

Tucker concocts a crazy idea of catching a flight to London and then taking trains to Barcelona. Even though his girlfriend […]

T B Markinson2016-01-12T10:20:28+02:00October 21st, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Action and Adventure Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews|

Review: Xodus by K. J. McPike ★★★★★

Xodus, by K. J. McPike, is an action-packed young adult urban fantasy.

Lali Yavari can’t believe something she just witnessed. Was it a dream even though it seemed so real? It had to be a dream, she rationalizes. But when she continues to witness strange events and seeing people disappear, she can no longer deny something strange is going on and it’s not a dream.

When Kai Awana enrols in her school, Lali learns that she can astral project, an ability she inherited from her mother. Lali’s mother mysteriously left her family weeks before. Kai needs Lali’s help to […]

T B Markinson2015-11-13T06:35:50+02:00October 15th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|