Editorial Reviews

A high society getaway turns deadly in Party Pooper (Mavis and Hornwhistle Cozy Mysteries) by Alice Kanaka, propelling the familiar heroine and her sleuthing pooch into a glamorous web of gambling, intrigue, betrayal, and murder. When Lizzy Hornwhistle arrives at her friend Kirkland’s desert paradise, she anticipates a weekend rubbing shoulders with his wealthy and eccentric clients, but they all become suspects when a notorious axe-grinder is killed. With the cleverly helpful Mavis in tow, Lizzy begins a murky investigation of millionaires to uncover a serial killer before they crush her curiosity forever. Snappy prose, a trail of twisted clues, […]

An innovative adventure for fans of Christian fantasy and RPGs, Canthany Rising by Kenneth Bliss is an entertaining, inspirational, and immensely creative read. Cast out of Eden after falling for a familiar serpentine trap, seven animals awake in a mysterious world where they must overcome challenges, share strengths, and sharpen their skills to defeat a fallen goddess of the moon and her Nameless demons. Layered with biblical themes of sacrifice, service, fellowship, and the perils of spiritual warfare, this anthropomorphic allegory is a compelling journey through a fantastical realm that can appeal to a wide swath of readers. Stressing the […]

An evocative plunge into the stories that define our past and the promises that drive our present, The Secrets We Are Born by Patrick Seda is a stormy swirl of adventure and mystery, amid the relentless passage of time. Thomas and Martina are emotionally estranged twins with the shared trauma of never knowing their wayfaring father, but that is all about to change. As adults, they are begrudgingly reunited in a tropical hunt for paternal clues like treasure-hungry pirates, racing against mortality, and a mysterious illness that threatens to unravel any hope for their future. Immersive, original, and lyrical, Seda’s […]

A high-fantasy dive into the tangles of blood, matriarchy, loyalty, and magic, The Song of the Earth (Venom & Shadows Book 1) by A.E. Kost reveals a contentious world where ancient traditions, cultural taboos, and the boundaries of reality itself have begun breaking down. In this tale of wicked witches, Fae Queens, power-leeching lovers, and unpredictable demons, a child of prophecy has arisen, one who may finally release the Dark Lord from his imprisonment and overturn the balance of power between the realms. The simplicity of the prose doesn’t always match the complexity and ambitions of the plot, but the […]

A visionary thriller stretching from abyssal oceans to the voids of deep space, Where Light Does Not Reach by Tom B. Night is a boldly crafted sci-fi mystery. Soledad is summoned to the grisly site of a mass whale beaching, while thousands of miles away, Jack reckons with a physics-defying disappearance from the night sky. Along with a fierce passion for science and truth, they also share inexplicable out-of-body visions, and an unexpected destiny that could affect the future of the universe itself. Imbued with an unconditional love for the unknown, for our pale blue dot, and every species that […]

The ancient music of the mountain has drawn another Woodruff back home in Firefly Song (Books of the Kindling – Book Three) by Donna June Cooper. With burned bridges behind her, paternal justice served, and all her worldly possessions in tow, Thea returns for her brother’s wedding, but seeing old friends might just give her a reason to stay. As long-hidden secrets start coming to light, Thea finds the comfort and community she’s been missing, but the Woodsman’s legacy is strong, and the past she left behind won’t let go. Emotionally vivid, suspenseful, and laced with an enchanting whisper of […]

A stirring reminder that love lies at the heart of every revolution, This Sea Within by Deborah J. Brasket is a coming-of-age drama set against the civil unrest and rebellious spirit of the Yucatan Peninsula in the early 1970s. Encapsulating the “constant warfare and clash of civilizations” in the divided loyalties of one young woman, the novel probes the granular moments of building character – the dissecting, undoing, and remaking that define our destiny. Though there are some unnatural moments of dialogue, the prose is marked by lyrical imagery and visceral depictions of exotic landscapes, along with an unflinching dive […]

A savagely timely thriller that hits close to home, Article Five: A World War Three Novel by J.D. Duncan takes readers into the crossfire of geopolitical chaos when Russia invades Estonia, the latest step on a slippery slope to global war. From covert ops, false flag attacks, and terror in the heart of London to exhaustive scenes of breathless battle and the shadowy back rooms where life and death are decided, this novel takes searing aim at the mechanisms of power and empire. Marked by intensive research, a keen ear for social critique, and a dire warning about the interconnectedness […]