Historical Fiction | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Lost Souls: A Fictional Journey through 50 Years of Pink Floyd by Edwin Ammerlaan

Author and music journalist Edwin Ammerlaan brings readers on the tour of a lifetime with Lost Souls: A Fictional Journey Through 50 Years of Pink Floyd. This magical slice of history collides a fictional protagonist with real-life rock stars and celebrities, painting a visceral and addictive picture of life in Pink Floyd’s inner circle.

Matt is the central figure and narrator of the story, a fictional proxy for the author himself, who has spent decades covering the perpetually evolving music industry, including writing a number of pieces on Pink Floyd. Matt lives the dream of many, slowly integrating himself […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-04-22T03:51:44+02:00March 15th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Music|

Headless 1776 by Tom Schneider

A haunting origin story, Headless 1776 by Tom Schneider is a wildly imaginative YA novel for those who love a good mix of fact and fiction.

A young boy named Elijah loses his last real connection to family on the way to a new life during the early years of the Revolutionary War. What he encounters in his new home leads to a riveting and unexpectedly good ghost story. This occasionally gory and fast-paced piece of historical fiction is engaging from the first page, as readers are introduced to a savage mercenary who has since become a headless legend, thanks […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-10T08:03:52+02:00February 10th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction, Horror, Tom Schneider, Young Adult|

Review: 1871: Rivers on Fire by Paul Buchheit

Danger, adventure, romance, and sweeping social commentary are all part of the dramatic meld in the novel 1871: Rivers on Fire by progressive author and thinker Paul Buchheit.

Liz and Robert meet in London where both will study neurobiology, overseen by Dr. Alexander Bain, a pioneer in the exploration of thought patterns. Liz is American, drawn to education overseas because of better prospects for females in academia. Robert is involved in the science of conservation, especially forest depletion.

They soon find common ground in intellectual pursuits, especially the realm of word cognition. They also hold similar views regarding social justice, […]

SPR2021-02-24T08:35:56+02:00January 24th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction|

Baby Moses by John Cowlin

Greed, bigotry, history, and revenge collide in Baby Moses, a gritty and soulful southern drama by John Cowlin.

When a young black man comes back home after a hard seven years, trouble has no problem finding him, as his path is crossed by two thieves on a slippery slope of violence and burglary. Defending the only mother he’s ever known, the dignity of his community, and his fundamental rights as a man, Moses quietly and confidently steps into the fray, but his sharp mind and quick tongue may be too untamed to keep him safe.

This powerful story is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-21T04:29:46+02:00January 21st, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction|

Review: 36 Moons by Chris Guest

The magic of young love can have deadly consequences in 36 Moons, a new work of historical fiction by Chris Guest. Set near the turn of the 17^th century in the countryside of Salem, Massachusetts, this tangled tale of love, innocence, and puritanical suspicion is a shadowy escape.

Fabian is just coming into manhood, and while his family has certain expectations for his romantic future, fate has other plans for the handsome farm boy. When a beautiful young stranger named Emma Radcliffe appears on his land, he is captivated in an instant, sending Fabian down an eye-opening, life-changing, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-23T09:31:43+02:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction|

It Happened in Silence by Karla M. Jay

Embedded firmly in the past, but echoing eerily in our present, It Happened in Silence by Karla M. Jay is a novel ripped from the American shadows, a visceral peek at the darkness.

Willow Stewart is a mesmerizing and relentless main character, though her relationship with her brother, Briar, is the unbreakable engine that drives this slow-brewing story. This interwoven tale of family, resilience, betrayal, and the moral evolution of a nation is powerful and stirring, but also subtle and humble in its storytelling. The novel is a striking meditation on America of the past and present, particularly when it […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-12-04T05:50:25+02:00December 2nd, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction, Karla M. Jay, Literary Fiction|

Review: In the Shadow of Gold by Michael Kenneth Smith

Tracing a legendary Confederacy treasure through the twists of time, In the Shadow of Gold is a sparkling piece of historical fiction by author Michael Kenneth Smith. As the president of the Confederacy races away from imminent capture, the treasury of the retreating Southern army takes another set of dubious tracks. A subject that has been hotly debated for decades by treasure hunters and historians alike, this is the dramatic reimagining of what happened to that long-lost trove of Confederate gold.

A tangled string of intertwined plots brings a group of fascinating characters into focus, helping to full realize the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-09-21T11:31:00+02:00December 1st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Michael Kenneth Smith|

Review: BooAlert Vol. 1: Trail of Tears by Moe Mae

A real estate appraiser and a “sensitive” finds herself deeply entangled in a tragic mystery stretching more than a century into the past in Boo Alert: Vol. 1 Trail of Tears by Moe Mae. In her quest to understand why these troubled specters are seeking her out, and what secrets of the past they hold, she draws the attention of an ancient evil that may spell her ultimate downfall.

Lauren’s unique abilities are front and center in the plot, from the very first chapter, but it is quickly apparent that something is changing within her. She has begun seeing the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-12-18T07:41:09+02:00November 16th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Paranormal|