Fantasy Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Sentinel’s Sight by M.D. Osborne

A pastoral parable that positively shines with wisdom for believers and dreamers alike, The Sentinel’s Sight (The Watchwood Chronicles Book 1) by M.D. Osborne is an inspired tale of overcoming fear and choosing the righteous path to redemption.

Lillian Callahan is wise beyond her years as the eldest of five, but occasionally allows herself to dream and embrace her passions, like drawing “the plain glad business of the world” from her small-town Kentucky perspective. What she doesn’t know is that legendary Sparrow blood runs through her veins, and the ancestral guardians of her home have been waiting a very long […]

Blood Families by Jerome MacEvoy

A gritty tale of rebellion and rebirth, Blood Families: The Veins of Truth by Jerome MacEvoy is a multifaceted work of vampire fantasy that is entertaining and insightful in equal measure.

In a world where a vampire class rules over the poor, mortal, and easily exsanguinated, Lord Yuri Khashevin pushes back on the undead status quo after two innocent peasants are murdered in cold blood. His quest for retribution uncovers the conspiracy and cruelty underpinning the vampiric power structure, forcing him to choose between an eternity of injustice or an improbable rebellion against a bloody world order.

Layered with allegory […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-09-14T12:21:16+02:00September 14th, 2026|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: Relic Reborn by Iain Ralston

A dark fantasy bloodbath of noble knights and vengeful demons, Relic Reborn by Iain Ralston is an explosive, action-filled first installment of a new high-fantasy series.

Thousands of years ago, a demonic army from the plane of Shkigal was defeated and sent back to their realm, but not before their god and creator, Azzazul, sacrificed himself in a world-rending explosion to enable their retreat. Millennia have passed, the world has changed, and the names of the demon lords are barely remembered by the few human mages with the power to summon them.

On the mortal plane, the Syl ‘Van Knights […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-08-25T11:24:25+02:00August 24th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Matriarch Mission by Maxime Trencavel

A historical coming-of-age novel with an empowered protagonist and supernatural flair, The Matriarch Mission by Maxime Trencavel is a captivating story of transformation, honor, and liberation.

At the tender age of thirteen, Oksana Mangupli inherits a mystical family legacy passed down from her grandmother, a secret destiny revealed by a goddess in a hidden cave in Crimea. Five years later, still unmarried and resistant to her father’s carousel of suitors, Oksana attracts the attention of a Grand Duke of Russia, and is unexpectedly drawn into the treacherous realm of the Romanovs, who have retreated in the face of revolution to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-10-08T13:14:02+02:00July 13th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Historical Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Heirs to the Kingdom by Michael Tlustos

A classic coming-of-age fantasy, Heirs to the Kingdom by Michael Tlustos is an adventurous tale of destiny with epic existential stakes.

Prince Aramys is the crown prince of Pallisar and destined for greatness, but nagging self-doubt threatens to dethrone his troubled spirit before he has a chance to prove his mettle. After witnessing the prophecy-fulfilling potential of the young prince, an aging magic maker named Symon is determined to become a guide for the future king’s untapped and immense power.

Rolf is the prince’s loyal companion and squire, well-muscled in both body and mind, and fiercely true to his lord, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-06-19T13:41:34+02:00April 29th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

The Moonscorn Mandate by Sahar Radosz

Bridging the gap between YA fantasy and grimdark drama, The Moonscorn Mandate by Sahar Radosz is a sinister plunge into the cutthroat world of witchcraft.

An elitist initiate at the Radcliffe Academy of Magic, Ria Moonscorn is accustomed to servants and serfs catering to the whims of her cold and predatory heart. However, that scornful superiority doesn’t help in the realm of magic-wielding, where she fails in everything from summoning fireballs to making friends. Though she would never admit it, the best things in her life are her irritatingly kind roommate Cassandra, and the beautiful grimoire she borrowed from a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-04-17T12:50:00+02:00April 17th, 2026|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Mark of Cain by Z. Bennett Lorimer

The spectacular conclusion to a standout saga, The Mark of Cain (Tales of Ciel Book 3) by Z. Bennett Lorimer caps off a dramatic clash of duty and desire, which tears friends, lovers, and family apart in a battle for the future of Ciel’s skies.

Effie has been branded on the Anvil of Caste and elevated to the role of Patrician in the Aquilon Court. The loved ones left behind are now her subjects, further stretching the loyalties of her heart between the Crystal Throne, the citizens she is duty-bound to protect, and her own secret desires. A charming and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-04-29T11:28:11+02:00April 8th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Ophiuchus Flinched by Z. Bennett Lorimer

A riveting second installment from Z. Bennett Lorimer, Ophiuchus Flinched (Tales of Ciel Book 2) expands the fantastical realm of Ciel as one young woman’s destiny begins to unfold. In this high-flying realm of conspiratorial plots, airborne battlefields, and sociopolitical drama, a young generation of heroes persist in the fight for survival under an oppressive regime of elite overlords.

Following on the dramatic events of Book 1, Effie Strait leaves the only sky island she has ever known after proving herself to be one of the most Gifted plebiscites in a generation. As a result, she has fallen into the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-02-13T09:15:57+02:00February 12th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|