SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
BL!NK (The Hadron Damnation Book 1) by Mark Lingane
The human race has changed – a shell of its former self, yet something more as well. Their war against the invaders is now fought with a new weapon: children. These children are inheritors of the ability to rip through time and space itself, and are able to relay their glimpses beyond in the moments before they are lost. That is, until one child returns, alive, and brings back something that will change the course of humanity’s survivors forever…
Following on from the contemporary-based “Book 0” prequel, Fault/lines, BL!NK takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of our world – […]
The God Virus by Indigo Voyager is a hugely-enjoyable sci-fi novel following Derek Evans who finds he has strange new powers, and a lot of new enemies. After taking an experimental drug for his depression, he finds that he can travel out of body and read people’s minds. Trying to re-enter his life, he gets involved with a co-worker named Allie, who inherits the same powers, and who also has connections to the mob. As they are both sought by criminals and government agencies, Derek and Allie explore the incredible limits of these powers while trying to evade capture.
Nostalgia or Sunset: A journey towards memories… by Aurin Shaila Nusrat Sheikh is an evocative work of prose and poetry that’s both wistful and melancholy. A passionate and expressive writer, Sheikh writes about love, nature, and everyday observations using language that is in turns abstract and direct.
Aaron Walsh is morbidly unhappy. Suicidal, but lacking the will to kill himself, he is a pure nihilist. There’s a reason that he’s 29 and lives with his mom: he’s a creep through and through. And now things are about to get worse. A woman comes into the computer shop where he works, which leads to a twisted obsession, and his damaged life might just fall apart completely.
The Anatomy of Cheating by Nesly Clerge is a riveting novel about infidelity and its consequences. Chelsea Hall has an idyllic life with her physician husband, Garett – that is, except for the fact that he can’t remain faithful. Chelsea is determined to make the marriage work, but she’s understandably miserable, until she meets an author named Luke, who’s also having marital problems, and Chelsea starts an affair of her own. From there, a thrilling book unfolds with a number of shocking surprises and Chelsea’s affair taking on a new level of revenge.
The Protector’s Promise by Tom Bourguillon is the second novel focusing on DeAndre Johnson – formerly a hitman, now a bodyguard – who’s tasked with protecting Kate Voltaire, the object of fan obsession. When Kate and DeAndre’s bond becomes more than professional, DeAndre may have to go back to his old ways as a cold-blooded hired gun in order to protect the woman he loves.
Duty and Betrayal: The SS Brotherhood and the NASA Connection by Toby Oliver is a riveting Cold War-era spy thriller in which former Nazi spies, American and British spies, a sultry double agent, and other intriguing characters are bent on righting the wrongs of the past, while trying to protect their countries in the present, many with conflicting objectives. A novel of well-drawn characters, Duty and Betrayal will have you continually trying to guess at people’s motivations.
Academic Betrayal: The Bullying of a Graduate Student is Loren Mayshark’s account of bad practices and mistreatment at Hunter College in New York City. Eager to get a master’s degree to become a history professor, that degree never materialized, as he became demoralized with a dysfunctional administration, ineffectual teachers, and bad policies, which are endemic to the educational system in the U.S. on the whole.