Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Devel Django: A Dark Wave Journey by D.S. Quinton

Seeking the ultimate answers to where we came from and why life exists can set a brilliant foundation for any suspenseful novel, and author D.S. Quinton does just that with Devel Django: A Dark Wave Journey. Brilliantly melding elements of sci-fi futurism with ancient significance, alien life and the evolution of humanity, this book is difficult to put down in a way that will stay with you long after reading.

When a meteor storm strikes in the mountains of Italy, the unfortunately named Dr. Brad Bradley, happens to be in the right place at the right time. As a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-12-05T12:12:38+02:00December 3rd, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction|

Review: The Yin and Yang of an Electrical Conductor by Jose Scaramanga

A wild, mind-bending tale, The Yin and Yang of an Electrical Conductor proposes a fascinating world where one can have a chat with an eminent scholar from the Age of Reason, or a holy man from thousands of years ago. While the title of the novel might sound like it belongs to a daunting textbook, this is actually a wildly imaginative sci-fi novella that eliminates the boundaries of space and time in search of existential truth, and shares a good bit of knowledge about physics along the way.

In this oddly charming adventure, readers are taken from Neolithic times to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-10T09:49:39+02:00December 2nd, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Visionary Fiction|

Review: Farewell to Follies by Xingu Fawcett

Farewell to Follies establishes Xingu Fawcett as a formidable short story writer with a firm finger on the pulse of human nature, as well as the natural world.

These stories vary wildly in their subject matter, but the underlying themes are universal – wrestling with death, balancing nature and the city, exploring unknown places, and the long-term impact of trauma. With an artful, yet sensitive approach to these intense issues, the stories are both harrowing and heartwarming. Fawcett understands the dynamic nature of life, and effortlessly embodies characters from different times, social backgrounds and life paths.

What is immediately noticeable […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T10:30:54+02:00November 20th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Short Stories|

Review: The Way of the Dog: The Memoirs of Eros, the Metaphysical Dog by Eva A. MacDonnell

The Way of the Dog: The Memoirs of Eros, the Metaphysical Dog by Eva A. MacDonnell is a refreshing story about Eros, a puppy new to this world and his experiences, told from his unique perspective. A surprisingly insightful read, MacDonnell’s book will make the reader think about their relationship with not just dogs, but all animals and humans alike. The innocence, wisdom, love, and instruction that resides within the pages of the book will shift how you look at the world.

MacDonnell paints a picture with the dialogue between the characters; when Eros is speaking to his mother, […]

SPR2020-02-05T08:44:07+02:00November 19th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Eva A. MacDonnell, Self-Help|

Review: The Departing (The End Time Saga Book 4) by Daniel Greene

Having read this series from the beginning, one can expect something approaching greatness in Daniel Greene’s writing, and he does not disappoint with The Departing, the fourth installment of his End Times Saga. The stakes have been consistently raised throughout the course of this series, and the characters have traveled on impressive and well-planned plot arcs, revealing a talented writer and a body of work clearly conceived with a passion for the genre.

The world is still in chaos as the dead mindlessly push back the ranks of the living, threatening to exterminate humanity as we know it. However, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-21T09:36:36+02:00November 19th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Daniel Greene, Horror, The End Time Saga, Zombie Fiction|

Review: Raised on Rock by Thomas Drago

Anyone who has ever set a personal dream aside understands the pain and nagging doubt that can come along with such a decision. Youthful ambition drives us to pursue even our most outlandish hopes, but as the years pass, those old possibilities dwindle and narrow, even if we hate to admit it. In Raised on Rock, a novel by Thomas Drago, this challenging shift in reality is explored in stark detail.

Dante Rose has been enthralled by rock and roll since he was young, and chased that rocker lifestyle for years through small-town North Carolina with his band Thorn[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-03T12:19:40+02:00November 7th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Music, Thomas Drago|

Review: The Sojourners by T. L. Hughes

Mike Hogan lands in London with two friends looking for work but instead follows his heart across Europe on a soul-opening adventure in The Sojourners by T. L. Hughes. There’s drinking and late night philosophy in pubs, a meditative surfer in Germany, and love in Greece and Turkey, while Mike ruminates on the people and places glimpsed from trains, buses and mopeds, letting readers accompany him on this poetic travelogue.

The novel begins with twenty-something Mike and friends Luke and Decky completing a road trip from California to the East Coast, boarding a plane and landing in London looking for […]

Greg Rideout2018-12-19T13:45:36+02:00November 5th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Travel|

Review: The Case of the Blonde with the Bad Nose Job by Carlo Armenise

Creating an engaging and unique PI is far from an easy job for an author, but in The Case of the Blonde with the Bad Nose Job by Carlo Armenise, this genre niche gets a fresh new face with an attitude that’s hard not to love. Sam Razor is a hard-nosed private detective with something to prove, and this first case of his is a sparkling and sharply written tale that should earn this author plenty of new fans.

When Margaret, a wealthy debutante with a banged-up nose and a worried sister, is kidnapped, there are plenty of potential suspects […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-03-10T12:35:02+02:00October 29th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Carlo Armenise, Crime Fiction, Detective Fiction|