Urban Fantasy | Self-Publishing Review

Review: A Boy’s Hammer by Alex Grass

An epic novel that combines Finnish mythology with a harrowing serial killer story, Alex Grass’ A Boy’s Hammer is a wildly creative take on the urban fantasy genre.

Fifteen-year-old Alan and his mom Lena are on their way to Helsinki when their plane crashes in the ocean. Neither are heard from again, until twenty long years later. Alan turns up in a crater in Philadelphia: naked, about seven feet tall, covered in hammer tattoos, and still with the mind of a teenager – despite the fact that he’s now a thirty-five-year-old man. So, what in the world happened?

Detective Jefferson […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-04-19T07:54:53+02:00March 16th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Alex Grass, Horror, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy|

Review: Demon Heart 3: Year of the Witch by David Crane

Naoko Kitamura returns for a final showdown of good and evil in Demon Heart: Year of the Witch, the epic conclusion to author David Crane’s captivating series. Balancing her halves of light and darkness, this supernatural warrior careens through agonizing emotions and deadly battlegrounds, dragging loyal readers into the fray.

Building on the momentum of the first two books, this closing chapter is another international roller coaster of dark conspiracies, shadowy meetings, and brutal violence. The Katana agents are once more tasked with saving the world, and old favorites like Razor, Hammer, and Aero are as reliable and indestructible as […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-12T01:55:45+02:00July 7th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: David Crane, Urban Fantasy|

Review: Nightmare City by P.S. Newman

The line between dreams and reality is shattered in Nightmare City by author P.S. Newman, the first book in her new Nightmare City series.

Los Angeles has collapsed into a dystopian roller-coaster, one in which the stuff of nightmares crosses over into the real world. To prevent complete destruction, the world has changed, and hunters patrol this new landscape, eliminating the horrors from the depths of dreams. Eden Maybrey is one of these shade hunters, someone who walks the night with sword in hand, cleaving horrific visions from reality.

This is a world where every shade is tracked back to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-01-31T09:01:59+02:00December 2nd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy|

Review: Untamed Barbarian (Visigoth Barbarians #2) by Jayla Jasso

In Untamed Barbarian, the second in the Visigoth Barbarians series from author Jayla Jasso, a time-traveling hunk from the 5^th century lands smack dab in the middle of a 21^st century murder investigation in southern California for a hot and gripping urban fantasy.

Andaric, the brutally handsome and physically brutal time-traveler, has come in search of his brother, who was similarly catapulted forward from ancient France, but he gets understandably distracted by the stunning Kaiya Martinez. She may be tasked with determining his mental state – and judging whether he is the serial killer the town has […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-10-31T08:15:21+02:00October 3rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Jayla Jasso, Romance, Urban Fantasy|

Review: Demon Heart 2: Never Say Die by David Crane

Mastering the demons within ourselves is a popular theme in literature, but in Demon Heart 2: Never Say Die by author David Crane, this battle is not contained to the philosophical realm. In the second installment of this series, the powerful and deadly Naoko Kitamura has a new life, but when you’re the descendant of an ancient, mystical tradition, it’s hard to leave the past behind.

Six years have passed since Naoko sacrificed herself in Osaka to save the city from a nuclear disaster. She has created a new life for herself and fallen in love, even sharing the secret […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-02-08T08:42:29+02:00January 8th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: David Crane, Urban Fantasy|

Review: Demon Heart by David Crane

Thrillers set in far-flung locales hold extra appeal for those readers looking for an exciting escape, and the exotic, unbelievable nature of Demon Heart, a new novel by David Crane, certainly fits that bill. Similar to the author’s earlier work, this novel is an intense, chaotic and brilliantly executed story that dances on the edge of reality.

Naoko Kitamura is a rough-around-the-edges cop on the streets of Osaka with a dark family secret. A creature of Japanese tradition and mythology, she is a demon hybrid, capable of unleashing incredible powers when she needs to. However, she is also half-human, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-09T10:49:12+02:00November 14th, 2018|Categories: Book Excerpt|Tags: David Crane, Urban Fantasy|

Review: The Transitioners: The Purple Blues by Indigo Cox

The Transitioners by Indigo Cox, the first book in the Purple Blood Lineage series, is a beautiful coming of age story that just happens to have one of the most refreshing superhero journeys at its core.

Misty is the first African-America student to make it into Girard, a high-profile music school. While an exceptional student and musician, she is still looked down upon due to the color of her skin. A fact that normal students can’t change, but Misty can. She is a Transitioner. A half-human, half-god being who can change her appearance with the assistance of music and meditation. […]

SPR2019-01-11T14:50:50+02:00August 27th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy|

Review: Legacy of Dolyn: Volume 1 by Amelia Guillem

Told in the format of blog posts, Legacy of Dolyn: Volume 1 is an entertaining modern fantasy, replete with pop culture references and nods to anime.

Glendolyn Villem works as a secretary in a police station, with everyday problems that are easily relatable, like searching desperately for guy on an app called “Mingle.” Then, to her great dismay, she is ordained with magical powers and joined by a cat confusingly called Gwen, who, whether Glen likes or not, will be her mentor.

Glen must deal with the burden of being a sorceress and the complexities of her powers in a […]