SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
The Heart Scarab by Stella Atrium
Expanding her already stunning Duchy Wars series, author Stella Atrium delivers an elaborate and enthralling fantasy with The Heart Scarab.
Embittered by her defeat at the hands and talents of Bybiis the Beastmaster, Ulaya lurks in the shadows, gathering god-agent acolytes, scheming to reclaim more serpent pouches and the powerful magic they bestow, which may include seizing control of the serpents themselves. Ariseng has retreated to her forest home and tribal logic, while Siccamond embarks on a journey that puts her squarely in the path of those who would use her talents for sinister ends. Old enemies and new alliances […]
In a twisted utopian future, one woman fights to survive a hellish 24 hours of predation in Monsterland by Sal Mance.
Following the epic journey of a world-shaping immortal cursed to inhabit the body of a mere mortal, Tristis Angelus by J.M. Unrue unfolds with a hefty bolt of timely wisdom.
A thoughtful collection of philosophical musings and powerful quotes from history’s great thinkers, artists, and writers, Blessings Abound: Awaken to the Gifts at Hand by Katherine Scherer and Eileen Bodoh is a comforting companion for trying times.
Secrets of the past blur with tragedies of the present in Chain Reaction by Malabika Ray, the inventive second entry in The Diary of a Sloppy Sleuth series.
An unflinching and epic work of sci-fi/fantasy, Red Demon by Sill Bihagia is the genre-blending debut of what portends to be a masterful series.
A macabre and suspenseful thriller that uncovers the pain of permanent scars, The Magician Killer by Diane Merrill Wigginton is a sprawling police procedural tied together with a riveting personal drama.
An exceptional sequel to Blessings from the Four Winds, which asks timeless questions about our sense of belonging and the many risks we take for family, Smoke on the Wind by Syvila Weatherford is a riveting trip into the past.