Fantasy | Self-Publishing Review

Requiem for a Queen by Kaylin McFarren

A superb installment of this sinister series of erotic thrillers, Requiem for a Queen by Kaylin McFarren launches readers into another hellish spiral of drama and action.

After cutting ties with the deceitful Nexus warriors from Book 2, Samara Daemonium is not only pregnant with the child of Lucifer, but is also being desperately sought by every force in Hell. The fallen queen Lucinda – Lucifer’s daughter – will stop at nothing to ensure that she is the heir to the demonic throne, even if that means taking over the underworld herself.

In this maelstrom of chaos and cosmic family […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-09-02T17:24:51+02:00September 2nd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy, Kaylin McFarren|

The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge

Disaster has struck the frightened animals of Earthwood, thus beginning The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge, a clever and tender fable that also acts as a dire warning.

Under the guidance of Gollah and bound by faith in one another, Gavin, his brothers, and a gathering band of survivors must brave Everdark and re-cross the Serpentine Ridge, while avoiding pterodactyls, wolves, and a nightmare’s worth of other beasts. A children’s book at first glance, this well-penned read has the maturity and intention of Watership Down, without losing its innocent soul. As Gavin the raccoon struggles […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-17T18:57:32+02:00August 16th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Don Gutteridge, Fantasy, Satire|

Review: Dreamslayers by J.W. Webb

J.W. Webb weaves a masterful standalone fantasy with Dreamslayers, the newest installment in the expansive Legends of Ansu series. Spinning the worlds of two master warriors into a deadly orbit, this story immerses readers in an unstable world of magic, ever-changing allegiances, power struggles, and the mystical pull of destiny.

When Tulomon Caze suddenly reappears in his daughter’s life, desperate and damaged, the pair must go into hiding from a host of sinister enemies. The powerful Yanturi has eradicated their family and seized their land and possessions. This deadly coup is only the beginning, as there are other powers […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-01T05:24:46+02:00August 1st, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy, J.W. Webb|

Mirror of Reality: Geb War Chronicles by Alexander Schmid

The wildly magical imagination of fantasy author Alexander Scmid brings to life a hero’s journey of sword and sorcery in Mirror of Reality, a classic epic battle of wills, legends, and leaders with plenty of mythical beasts and lands to be explored in the Empire of Geb. Re-imagining many aspects of existing legends into a war of magnitudes, this novel’s impressive world-building and lore will be savored by fans of Arthurian fantasy.

Schmid’s writing style takes on the intricate, belabored pace beloved of many epic fantasy fans, similar to The Buried Giant or almost any Donaldson tome, with the […]

SPR2022-07-25T03:57:02+02:00July 22nd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: The Mime by Tommy Tutalo

The Mime by Tommy Tutalo is a fantastical middle-grade story about finding the power in your voice.

Eleven-year-old Florina is a neurodiverse girl living in Mexico, who will not speak, as she struggles to find a place in the ordinary world while taking refuge in her own wonderfully imagined one she draws in her precious sketchbook. With exquisitely inked illustrations by Mexican artist María Gabriela Guevara Sánchez showing young readers Florina’s adventures throughout, Tutalo has created an appealing narrative with fully imagined characters and motivations.

Florina lives in Oaxaca with her guardians the Mochados, who own the ramshackle Indigo theater, […]

SPR2022-09-13T11:53:33+02:00July 22nd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, Middle Grade Fiction, Tommy Tutalo|

Seven Beyond by Stella Atrium

Wielding a wickedly original pen and a universe-shattering imagination, author Stella Atrium delivers a tour de force of sci-fi fantasy in her sprawling novel, Seven Beyond.

Presenting an unseen world of immortals and powerful beings, as well as alien races that have intermixed with humanity, this novel is a symbolic and allegorical tale of spiritual connection, and the dark edges of consciousness beyond our understanding. Dr. Meenins sits firmly at the center of this story, as he is taken on an internal journey to free his troubled mind, embarking on this metaphysical quest to perhaps find the answers to […]

SPR2023-05-23T16:49:34+02:00June 10th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Stella Atrium, Visionary Fiction|

Review: Strung by Roske

The mysteriously-named Roske has summoned a magical land with their gifted pen in Strung, an ambitious and masterfully crafted story of forbidden love and the shattering of traditions.

According to Lysbeth Haywood’s ancestor, Alder, the magical and elusive Faye simply wish to be left alone, but the curiosity of humans is persistent and voracious, as is Lysbeth’s fascination with these supposedly mythical creatures. When an unwanted potential suitor, the Earl of Dorsit, brings an impossible treasure to her doorstep as an engagement gift, her heart is torn between curiosity and the fear of becoming another man’s wife.

The gift […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-07-11T03:47:31+02:00May 26th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|

Review: Essence of Stone (Lifestone Trilogy Book 1) by Haley Rylander

The first title in the anticipated Lifestone Trilogy, Haley Rylander’s Essence of Stone is an intricately layered, grandly descriptive fantasy novel about an elf kingdom facing potential destruction.

Rylander’s novel tells the story of Gellion, a skilled metal worker and political figure who moved to the city of Daro following his father’s wartime death and the disgrace of his former mentor. Daro has flourished since the end of the Great War, an epic battle against an evil phoenix that caused much loss of life.

Gellion’s prosperity can be attributed to a substance called vierstone, which helps elves become accomplished […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-06-07T08:49:40+02:00May 14th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy|