Fantasy Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Flying Burgowski by Gretchen K. Wing ★★★★

The Flying Burgowski by Gretchen K. Wing follows Joss Burgowski as she navigates life as a teenager who’s just turned fourteen, her dysfunctional family living on a small island in Washington, and…learning to fly. The Flying Burgowski is at once a sympathetic family drama and magical fantasy.

Overall, the novel is much more character driven than fantasy, which is one of its issues. Wing is a great writer (not to mention having a great name for a book about flying), but she takes too long with the drama of the book at the expense of the fantasy. There are likely […]

Review: Sucker by Mark Lingane ★★★★★

Author Mark Lingane is back with a brilliantly humorous mashup fantasy-sci-fi-Noir, “Sucker.”

Private eye Van H. Avram is your typical Mickey Spillane throwback, just about getting away with doing his job in some kind of chaotic way. But all that changes when a mysterious “skinny blond” corpse is dumped on his doorstep, opening a door into the seedy underbelly of a world of human sacrifices and ancient lores that might just end civilization as we know it. Suddenly, Avram will have to step up as the hero, and save not just the day, but the entire world. But this might […]

Cate Baum2022-04-28T07:33:29+02:00March 2nd, 2015|Categories: Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Rainbow Gardens by James Malone ★★★★

Rainbow Gardens, a fantasy novel set in WWII mixing troll lore with gory action and a dreamy tale of redemption and forgiveness in this epic story from debut writer James Malone.

The trolls, imagining themselves The Descendants of Cain, are searching for the truth about their origins, searching for their redeemer to come and save them from their own terrible legacy.

Harry Shikita, a Japanese American, is building Rainbow Gardens over years, a motorist’s dream resort. He could be the one, the trolls think he is. But when Pearl Harbor strikes, Harry is taken into custody, and his life is […]

Naka Jackson2015-03-02T02:23:51+02:00March 2nd, 2015|Categories: Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Blade’s Edge by Virginia McClain ★ ★ ★ ★★

Blade’s Edge, by Virginia McClain, is an excellent fantasy novel that will keep readers turning the pages.

The Kisōshi are elite warriors with elemental powers. They have ruled and protected the people of Gensokai for over a thousand years. The belief that there are no female Kisōshi is widespread and unquestioned by most. What the people don’t know is that the Rōjū ruling council has gone to great lengths to perpetuate this myth.

Mishi and Taka knew from a young age they were different from other girls. They also knew to keep their powers a secret. When they are […]

T B Markinson2015-03-19T05:02:30+02:00February 23rd, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Peer Through Time by David T. Pennington ★★★★

In 2079, technology has advanced enough that machines and mankind are becoming more and more indistinguishable from and indispensable to each other. It’s in Northern California where Carmela Akronfleck – a physicist working on the secrets of time travel – succeeds in surpassing one final gauntlet of science, and transports herself to the year 1936.

Taking refuge with a woman named Lasha, they eventually begin to share their secrets: they can both hear voices. When her cybernetic implants malfunction, Carmela receives a message through time of a string of murders, and her sister begins following the final footsteps of deceased […]

James Grimsby2015-02-06T09:05:13+02:00February 6th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Defensive Magic by Kate Baray

Urban fantasy romance novel Defensive Magic is the third book in the Lost Library series by Kate Baray, but is cleverly written to be a standalone adventure with an established cast of exciting and loveable supernaturally-charged characters.

Giving the classic werewolf theme a reboot, Baray crafts a rock-and-rolling tale, as John Braxton, of the Lycan persuasion, has his place as the Texas Alpha in his Pack challenged after he returns from Europe to his homeland with Lizzie Smith in tow, his mortal lover, known as his mate, who must now keep up in her parallel existence in the ‘real world’ […]

Cate Baum2015-02-02T08:56:37+02:00January 26th, 2015|Categories: Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Venus Lionheart: The Witch and The God by Dino Costi

Venus Lionheart: The Witch and The God by Dino Costi is an action-packed Young Adult fantasy novel.

Venus Lionheart isn’t like the other kids in her small sleepy town. At the age of twelve she’s experiencing visions and out-of-body experiences. This troubles her. But when a mysterious man shows up at her house on the last day of school Venus’s life is about to get much more complicated. Galahad tells Venus that she is indeed different. In fact, she’s a witch and there are people who want to harm her.

The hunters are the Grey Men, who are merciless in […]

T B Markinson2015-01-08T07:01:41+02:00January 8th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Keeper Chronicles: Awakening by Katherine Wynter

Urban fantasy Keeper Chronicles: Awakening by Katherine Wynter is a fantastic adventure with demonic activity, romance and psychic powers all wrapped up in the beauty and magic of a lighthouse seascape.

Author Wynter brings alive the setting from the first page. Readers will be able to taste the salty waves as they crash into the powerful lighthouse at Cape Creek Bridge as lightning strikes. Rebekah is our protagonist, but there are a number of other female players, all with strong personalities from the off. Rebekah is a hardy and rounded heroine that will carry with the reader during her turmoil […]

Cate Baum2015-02-02T09:11:59+02:00January 7th, 2015|Categories: Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|