Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

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|

Review: Magda Revealed by Ursula Werner

Setting the record straight on the life and legacy of Jesus Christ through the words of his truest companion, Magda Revealed by Ursula Werner is a revelatory work of fiction.

After two thousand years of watching Christianity morph into a carnival mirror version of itself, Yeshua tasks his most faithful follower with revealing the truth to the world. With that mission in mind, Mary of Magdala details her life-changing journey at Yeshua’s side, clarifying murky points of history around the disciples’ true colors, the ulterior motives behind the severely edited Gospels, and the eradication of the feminine legacy at the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-03-26T13:04:53+02:00March 25th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Religious Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Hodie Mihi, Cras Tibi by Nasser Khadjenoori

A haunting visual journey through buried stories around the world, Hodie Mihi, Cras Tibi by Nasser Khadjenoori is a reverent and revealing book about the unbreakable bond between life and death. Taking readers on a poetic and photographic travelogue through final resting places from El Paso and Salem to Budapest and Buenos Aires, the creation of this book is a sociological and emotional endeavor.

The author and photographer focuses on the unique aspect of cemeteries as a place where life and death meet, where transitioning and transformation occur beneath our feet, and during active grief. Cemeteries act as a connection […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-03-24T13:51:03+02:00March 23rd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Photography Book Reviews|