Editorial Reviews

Two best friends and their clue-sniffing sidekick are caught in the wilderness and an enticing mystery in Camping Canine: Cozy Mysteries With a Dash of Dachshund by Alice Kanaka. At a tucked-away Texas campground, Lizzy and Holly are taking time away from recent trauma and prying eyes, but a lurking presence is dying to make his big break, threatening to derail their undercover escape. Finding themselves at the heart of another investigation, this charming trio of sleuths winds their way towards the truth in a narrative whirl of humor, suspense, and the antics of one incorrigible dog. The Mavis and […]

A rugged plunge into the icy waters of American history, Ford’s Terror by Richard A. Wiggins is a meticulous military novel that leans into energizing themes of exploration, fortitude, and personal growth. Lured by the intoxicating allure of Alaska at the dawn of the 20th century, naval draftsman and Master at Arms Harry Ford embarks on an epic mission to chart America’s newest and most untamed wilderness. Joining the motley crew of the U.S.S. Patterson, Harry must not only navigate his eclectic companions, but also the perils of traversing a strange new world with dangers at every turn. Though the […]

Magic portals, demonic spawn, and a classic crew of noble heroes make Sword of Vengeance by Chris Adams an immersive clash of good and evil. As the realm’s newest Guardian Knight, Gerald Cael is tasked with protecting the vulnerable from the same hellish horrors that scarred him as a child. Relying on his blade, pendant, and steadfast heart, this destiny-driven warrior rises to face an immortal turncoat that threatens the very fabric of the future. The novel may hit on some familiar sword-and-sorcery themes, but Adams weaves together an original epic with a complex hero at the helm, illustrating how […]

Inspiring, profound, and remarkable in its creativity, The 7th Disciple: Time Witness by WS Chang and E Chang is a sci-fi thriller with a deeply philosophical heart. Elliot’s college career is disrupted when he begins falling back through time, stumbling into his long-awaited destiny as a cosmic disciple, following in the footsteps of Einstein, Newton, and countless other visionaries before him. Side-stepping the expected tropes of time travel fiction and the paradoxical dangers of altering the present, the story instead focuses on the importance of self-knowledge in understanding our world. Exploring heady ideas of time, history, and the power of […]

A scathing takedown of a modern myth, The Enigma of Vitamin B12: Nature’s Only Mistake? Fear and Marketing of the Deficiency Myth by Anthea V. Hayes is a passionate plea to rethink our relationship to an essential nutrient. Presenting a critical overview of Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), the author poses a broad challenge to readers and the medical world at large – is the contemporary worry over vitamin B12 deficiency justified? What follows is a detailed and intense analysis of the vitamin – its place in popular medicine, its increase in visibility due to veganism/vegetarianism, its hidden effects on health, and […]

An unflinching story of overcoming unimaginable loss and fitting into an unforgiving world, A Walk Through the Neighborhood by Nathan D. Boyd is a moving portrait of gritty city life and the trials of youth. After a heartbreaking betrayal by his father, Timothy Valentine II is sent to live with his Aunt Claire, where he is painfully forced to navigate the rougher sides of his new neighborhood. From first-time fistfights and side-money hustles to watershed decisions about burning out or getting out, this hard-edged novel pulls back the curtain on the crucible of poverty, violence, and desperation for many young […]

A relentless sci-fi thriller with touches of dystopian fiction, space opera, and even Lovecraftian horror, The Call of Abaddon by Colin Searle is an electric mash-up of genres. Eight years after escaping from a top-secret research institute, Jason finds himself scavenging in the depths below New Toronto, while his prodigious psychic abilities continue to grow. Hunted by a supreme alien intelligence and desperate governmental forces who need his untapped powers, Jason must learn to shield his mind from their control and unleash his full potential before an inconceivable cataclysm finishes humanity once and for all. With intricate world-building on the […]

In this neatly crafted Book 2 of The Ring Fold Chronicles by Scott Swisher, the youthful time-jumping heroes of The Ring face off against their own descendants in an epic showdown that threatens the integrity of reality and the timestream itself. Jordan again carries this action-packed tale as the epically powered but reluctant leader, while the multilayered storyline is driven by rich character development, fascinating theoretical science, and myriad ethical dilemmas – the kind that make superheroes and science fiction such an irresistible canvas to portray humanity’s very real underlying issues. The prose could use a further edit for tone […]