Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

Review: A Madness Unmade by E.K. Larson-Burnett

Astoundingly clever and deftly penned, A Madness Unmade (The Deathly Inheritance Duology Book 1) by E.K. Larson-Burnett is a biting parody of life itself, and a youthful musing on the illogical nature of existence. Armed with a remarkably precocious protagonist and the narrative touch of a major writer in the making, this eccentric novel absolutely shines with confidence and originality.

As the sole living resident of the Underhallow, Laurel Rumbroom only keeps company with specters and her beloved ghost-cat Goose, but her relatively predictable days have been intriguingly disturbed by a mysterious string of necrotic deliveries. Each week, a new […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-11T10:04:39+02:00June 11th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Paranormal Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Extraterrestrial Noir by Rich Leder

A sardonic mixture of science fiction and snarky suburban drama, Extraterrestrial Noir by Rich Leder is a hilariously original genre mashup.

Maggie Devine is drowning in the suffocation of suburban competition and an embarrassingly stagnant marriage with her husband, Connie. Along with the three other couples and their children who call Hope Circle home, life is a predictable and increasingly dull rerun of picket-fence perfection that doesn’t quite live up to that American dream. All of that changes, however, when a mysterious silver box rockets down through the atmosphere and crashes neatly through the couple’s roof.

The box quickly begins […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-09T12:23:31+02:00June 9th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Satire Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Archer’s Moon by J.W. Webb

Divine worlds collide and hunting hearts tangle in Archer’s Moon: Dawn of Legends (Legends of Ansu Book 1) by J.W. Webb, a high-fantasy adventure that explores the unique essence and emotional depths of human nature.

From her celestial perch above the planet of Ansu, Argonwui peers down in wonder and longing at the world of humans, a recent creation of her grandfather, the Weaver. However, her mother Elanion, the Emerald Queen, is the custodian of Ansu, and forbids her daughter from any such meddling and mixing with mortals; her roving father Oroonis does enough of that for the whole family.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-06T10:28:30+02:00June 6th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Remembering by Peter Kennedy

A timely reflection on the profound and sometimes painful process of becoming who you need to be, The Remembering: A Journey Back to Self by Peter Kennedy is a reminder that personal transformation is unavoidable – and endless.

Kennedy’s story begins with an intense account of his participation in a sacred ritual – a temazcal ceremony in a traditional sweat lodge in Brazil. After being spiritually stripped bare, and concentrating on how to achieve emotional freedom, his existence feels irreparably changed, “as if a veil had been lifted.” Through the lens of his sacred experience in the jungle, he is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-05T08:29:57+02:00June 5th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Vallen by Kenton J. Moore

A coming-of-age steampunk adventure with classic fantasy foundations, Vallen (Cloudbreakers Book 1) by Kenton J. Moore is a richly imagined story of loyalty, memory, and the dreams that define us.

Cole Vallen is a simple country farmer who feels destined for something more, namely the sky-high ambition to become a noble Cloudbreaker – a revered warrior of the realm. However, when that dream is deferred by an unexpected peace, a night of bitterly drunken revelry sends his life spiraling in an entirely different direction. Awakening to find himself as the sole survivor of a mysterious explosion, with angry fingers pointing […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-03T12:26:12+02:00June 2nd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Blue Thunder Across the Shattered Stars by Gregg R. Overman

An interplanetary drama that sets the fate of two planets in the hands of one fractured family, Blue Thunder Across the Shattered Stars by Gregg R. Overman is a stellar slice of sci-fi adventure.

Following the traumatic loss of their father on Phagea, young Jered and Gracely are separated for years, but their sibling bond is never broken. Gracely has a wild and rebellious streak that gets her in plenty of trouble on Phagea, and even more once she’s piloting a ship, while Jered lives under the strict control of a god-fearing household on Earth, where he is indoctrinated to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-07T12:19:53+02:00May 7th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Toxic Minds by Anthony Lee

An ominous and timely collision of medicine and murder, Toxic Minds by Anthony Lee exposes a shadowy side of alternative healing and the deadly power of disinformation.

Just hours after an appointment with a young pregnant mother, Dr. Mark Lin is an unwilling witness to her murder at the hands of a suicide bomber. While initial clues and assumptions point to an anti-abortion extremist group, Mark was uniquely privy to the bomber’s chilling last words: “Purity is Mine.” Recognizing the ominous phrase from some of his patients who had been treated by a secretive healing cult called the Path of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-05-07T12:20:27+02:00May 6th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Errors of Mankind by Curt A. Canfield

Timely in its message and poignantly packed with revelations, The Errors of Mankind by Curt A. Canfield is an essential historical critique framed as a fictional reunion.

While exploring the sprawling roots of his family tree, ex-US Marine Will discovers that a distant relative not only lives a short drive away, but also fought in World War II on both the eastern and western fronts – on the side of Nazi Germany. Will (“Willi”) is initially repulsed by Johann’s biography, but that initial reaction is tempered by curiosity, compassion, and lingering doubts about his own righteousness, attempting to draw similarities […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-04-16T16:24:08+02:00April 15th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Military Book Reviews|