Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Seven Days of Mercy for the Apostatic Priest by Z. Bennett Lorimer

An imaginative plunge into battle for the very soul of a mystical realm, Seven Days of Mercy for the Apostatic Priest (The Divine Heretic Book 1) by Z. Bennett Lorimer is a uniquely captivating novel to launch a new series.

Tasked by her order to slay a reborn G-dling, Ruxindra is a cold and calculating weapon made flesh. Upon arriving at Mahakalpe to carry out her grim task, she discovers that the city hides even more secrets, including ancient wards linked to Eldritch arcana, and who or what they are remains an ominous mystery.

There appears to be a conspiracy […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-12-03T11:32:45+02:00December 2nd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Latest Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Winter Comes in June by David Crane

A visceral and intimate account of two future parents who know the world is about to end, Winter Comes in June by David Crane is an intriguing mixture of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction.

When a scientist on the moon discovers a planet-killing asteroid on a collision course with the Earth, humanity has 30 days to prepare for annihilation. Told through the converging stories of Oksana, an astronaut close to the disastrous discovery, and Michael, a geologist on Earth who survives the Amira impact, this is a before-and-after account of worldwide devastation.

From the impenetrable depths of Hydra Cave and the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-12-02T11:52:03+02:00December 1st, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Latest Book Reviews|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Being Human: A User’s Guide by David Ellis

A timely consideration of the foibles, failures, and turning points that define our lives, Being Human: A User’s Guide – Past Performance is Not a Guarantee of Future Results by David Ellis is a revealing combination of memoir and self-help manual, and a testament to the liberatory power of self-knowledge.

As a psychologist of more than four decades, Ellis sets out to answer some of the biggest questions that have been brought before him over the course of his career. From uncovering the root causes of our myriad existential problems and seeing the positive side of mistakes to eliminating despair […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-12-01T14:33:27+02:00December 1st, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: For Such a Time as This: Appointed to Rise by Amy Bragdon

A fearless collection of uplifting lessons and stories about the powerful potential we each possess, For Such a Time as This: Appointed to Rise by Amy Bragdon is a rousing call to life-changing action. Reflecting on her own biographical journey and the legacy she intends to leave behind, the author artfully distills a bounty of wisdom she has gathered along the way.

Structurally, the book presents ten Appointments – philosophical and personal truths that “will reframe your identity, restore your hope, and reignite your purpose.” These include embracing the purposeful “yes” in your life, choosing courage no matter the cost, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-11-26T13:55:57+02:00November 26th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Revenge on Ice by Linda LeBlanc

Bad blood thrives on the mountaintops in Revenge on Ice by Linda LeBlanc, a vividly crafted second installment of the Sara/Ryker Mysteries.

When world-renowned mountain climber and local hero, Vance Miller, is found dead in a meat locker, the bizarre case lands in the lap of Sara and Ryker, the newest partners of the Reunion Heights Police Department. Members of the local Hiking Club – including the victim’s climbing team from a previous Everest summit – had gathered for the culmination of an intercontinental climbing contest Vance had presumably won, which included a small fortune in prize money.

However, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-02-11T17:01:52+02:00November 25th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: Vold Book’s Oceans of Curtains by John T. Trautman

A parable wrapped in a fantasy, complete with an eclectic soundtrack, Vold Book’s Oceans of Curtains: A Novel Set to Music by John T. Trautman is a delirious plunge into a mystical new world.

The realm of Ksevia has been harmonious and unified for generations, largely because its people have maintained “homeostasis of the communal anthos,” a group-mind version of their collective spirit, achieved through the widespread use of a stabilizing drug. It is widely believed across society that sustaining this shared homeostasis “provides nourishment to the soul of the universe.”

However, a radical faction of the citizenry who have […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-01-27T11:14:39+02:00November 21st, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Music Book Reviews|

Review: Déjà Vu by Niki

A genre-defying exploration of art, death, identity, and redemption, Déjà Vu by Niki is an afterlife drama like no other, and a modern-day sojourn into the realms of mythology.

When the emotionally tortured Zenia makes the fateful choice to cut her life short, she is forced into a soul-baring trial by the Queen of the Underworld. As punishment for her fatal sin, Zenia must traverse the damned worlds of her own making and memory, where “her body carries proof of a crime,” each arm stained with blood she cannot wipe clean.

From revealing interrogations with the ancient Chorus and delirious […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-11-13T09:59:24+02:00November 12th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Half-Full-Glass User’s Manual by Richard A. Meyers

A unique and effective blueprint for self-improvement that aims to simultaneously educate, amuse, and inspire, The Half-Full-Glass User’s Manual: Mindfulness Meets Playfulness: A Guide to Joy, Gratitude, and Guffaws by Richard A. Meyers is a breezy and thought-provoking guide to maintaining a healthy mental space.

Cleverly designed as a rediscovered philosophy (The Manual) linked to a long-lost tool (The Glass) that can grant access to a higher level of awareness (The Consciousness), the book insistently nudges the reader into a journey of self-discovery. With the central conceit that using The Half-Full Glass, which we all possess in some form, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-11-11T15:08:13+02:00November 11th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|