SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Jacob’s Odyssey By Russ Melrose
Jacob’s Odyssey By Russ Melrose is an engrossing zombie novel in which a virus has decimated the country, and Jake, a fifth grade teacher, must travel across the Salt Lake Valley in Utah to survive – all the while haunted by more than world events. Jake has a troubled past, and he’s on a quest for redemption. When a woman and child are in need of help, Jake has found a way to redeem himself, just when the zombie apocalypse becomes even more dangerous.
While the set-up of Jacob’s Odyssey is not exactly new, the depth of Jake’s voice is. […]
The GreenSeed Conspiracy by Philip Benz gets to the heart of government corruption, as seen through the eyes of government contract-killer Duncan Jones. He’s done the dirty work for government agencies and then gets the job of his life. This time he’s not sure sure he’s getting rid of people who deserve it, and instead may be in the middle of a massive cover-up of human genetic experiments, and he may now be a new target.
The Path Of Destiny (The Cremelino Prophecy #1) by Mike Shelton is an exciting and character-rich young adult fantasy novel following the life of Darius, son of a councilor of the King of The Realm, who discovers he has the ability to create fire. Magic is forbidden in The Realm after a wizard rebellion a century before, so Darius is at risk of being banished from his home. Darius must choose whether or not to use his new powers, but finds he may have no choice at all.
Planet Tome Reborn by Helene Pilibosian is a continuation of the story begun in her earlier work A New Orchid Myth. In this volume, Amethyst, Granite, and their daughter Taralee travel to Earth from their home planet Tome. Taralee meets and marries Ted in Boston, and the four protagonists embark on a mission to collect plant life and technology vital to Tome’s continued prosperity.
At its most basic, Art and Faith: Mixed Media Art with a Faith-Filled Message is a portfolio for Cherie Burbach’s mixed media art, but this is no simple collection of images. It’s art with a message. Burbach first uses her testimony as an introduction, giving both new readers and longtime followers a glimpse at the Christian faith that acts as an inspiration for her creative gifts.
Evelyn Dunbar and Other Comedies: Five One Woman Plays by Josie Peterson is a collection of comedic monologues that act as short one-woman shows. In the collection, you’ll find an overworked waitress in a restaurant run by characters from Wuthering Heights, a classical music DJ who can’t stay on topic, a faded screen legend, and other eccentric, yet eloquent, characters.
The Jellyfish Monster by Bryan Kwasnik, with illustrations by Jackie Hahn, is a sweet good-natured children’s book about Billy, who’s playing at the shoreline and comes upon a jellyfish creatures with arms and legs who he dubs the Jellyfish Monster. The Jellyfish Monster takes Billy on a journey through the undersea world, where sea life acts a lot like humans, and Billy gets to participate in things like a shark race, and getting swallowed by a whale.
Astronomical by K. G. Bethlehem is a science fiction novel in which Earth is separated into two separate provinces run by the X-Police and Space Core who attempt to keep the peace. Colonel Harrison is given the mission of exploring the outer reaches of space to find allies in the war against Jupiter, and attempt to locate his predecessor, who is missing. While on the mission, his craft travels through a wormhole and comes upon a civilization in the midst of an uprising, putting the entire crew in danger. Meanwhile, back on Earth, things are disintegrating in a similar fashion, […]