Editorial Reviews

A relentless sci-fi thriller with touches of dystopian fiction, space opera, and even Lovecraftian horror, The Call of Abaddon by Colin Searle is an electric mash-up of genres. Eight years after escaping from a top-secret research institute, Jason finds himself scavenging in the depths below New Toronto, while his prodigious psychic abilities continue to grow. Hunted by a supreme alien intelligence and desperate governmental forces who need his untapped powers, Jason must learn to shield his mind from their control and unleash his full potential before an inconceivable cataclysm finishes humanity once and for all. With intricate world-building on the level of epic fantasy, rarely is science fiction this original and surprising. Though the novel is long and demands reader investment, the story is both fast-paced and immersive, combining contemporary themes, dazzling future tech, and a looming evil perched on the brink of every page, resulting in a riveting start to a standout new series.

In this neatly crafted Book 2 of The Ring Fold Chronicles by Scott Swisher, the youthful time-jumping heroes of The Ring face off against their own descendants in an epic showdown that threatens the integrity of reality and the timestream itself. Jordan again carries this action-packed tale as the epically powered but reluctant leader, while the multilayered storyline is driven by rich character development, fascinating theoretical science, and myriad ethical dilemmas – the kind that make superheroes and science fiction such an irresistible canvas to portray humanity’s very real underlying issues. The prose could use a further edit for tone consistency and dialogue believability, but the deftly plotted story bursts with originality and unpredictable twists that set the novel apart in the especially crowded genre of YA fantasy.

A cruise ship thriller packed with sun, secret agents, and one savvy schoolteacher, Long Term Surrender by Patty Almond is a dramatic and romantic escape. When Katelyn agrees to a Caribbean cruise with her sister and brother-in-law, she unwittingly becomes a mule in a high-stakes handoff with one of the most feared drug cartels in Mexico. The holiday gets even more hectic when sparks start to fly with her tall, dark, and sexy tablemate, who also happens to be the undercover fed tasked to take her down, resulting in a pulpy and page-turning vacation adventure. Paced to perfection, this novel doesn’t attempt aspirations beyond pure entertainment, but it is highly successful in that category, with a number of surprising twists that separate it from other cookie-cutter vacation romances.

A conversational guide about maximizing the potential of real estate investment, Turning Rental Properties into Passive Income Profit$: The Beginners 10 Step Real Estate Investing Book for Early Retirement and Creating Wealth by Dustin Roberts is an insightful primer for current and future investors. Whether you need to establish realistic financial goals, identify your risk tolerance, learn the pros and cons of investment properties, or sharpen market research skills, this book is a thorough roadmap for the entire process. Using real-world examples from his own experience in the market, and clarifying the more confounding aspects of buying profitable rental properties, Roberts is an accessible guide, offering a master class in real estate investment that can be easily referenced as the process gets more complex.

An inspiring memoir about transmuting existential obstacles into developmental stepping stones, Dancing in Freedom: From Bondage to Jubilee by Angie Hanlon-Toth is an enlightening mixture of autobiography and self-help. Encouraging readers to accept their imperfections as opportunities to walk more humbly on the path of faith, this vulnerable personal account is a testament to the power of spirituality to be a motivator and guide for every facet of life. From myriad strategies for boosting self-awareness to novel practices for healthy emotional processing, this unique work of self-help is honest about people’s inevitable weaknesses, but profoundly optimistic that anyone can transcend personal limitations to discover their true purpose.