John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Time Trap II by Richard Smith is a riveting race against the clock that YA readers will be hard-pressed to put down. Hector and Catherine’s peaceful new life explodes when ancient keepers of the time-travel crystals task them with another dangerous mission – teaming up to outwit a sinister British villain and prevent a future-shifting massacre of revolutionary proportions. The blurred lines between historical fact and fantasy fiction make the reading experience an immersive and intriguing pleasure. Smith poses philosophical questions that pit science and ethics against magic and youthful ambition, giving young readers important ideas to chew on, along […]

In the aftermath of war, a fearless mother with a powerful gift and a hunted boy trying to stay alive see their lives collide in the genre-defying novel, That Blinding Darkness by John-Mark Kruger. An unexpectedly compassionate and thought-provoking tale, filled with well-crafted symbolism and timeless themes reflected in unusual ways, this unique and compelling read is wildly original. The occasional stretch of unformed prose, including a handful of missing words, and some conveniently filled plot holes, could use more attention, but Kruger deserves high praise for this masterfully constructed mixture of western, sci-fi, and dystopian fiction.

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A swirling ride through corporate espionage and the dark depths of company loyalty, The Telecom Takeover by Beverly Winter is an intriguing cross of thrills and character-driven drama, featuring two unlikely sleuths and a cast of decidedly unsubtle villains. The story moves quickly, but the prose is too simplistic at times, with overly explicit motives and descriptions, as well as some superfluous dialogue. A firm editorial pen to trim the narrative fat and add spice to the increasingly intense storyline would help elevate the novel, but as it stands, this is an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at corporate malfeasance mixed with […]

A gentle celebration of resilience, spirituality, personal growth, and self-knowledge, Silent Muse Poetry: Soul Food by Ariele Tee is an unassuming collection of poetry and universal guidance. Varying in style from simple koans and aphorisms to longer and more intimate explorations of personal experience, Tee repackages classic advice into meditative, bite-sized bits of wisdom. Accompanied by occasional illustrations, this is a faith-based book that could be opened to any page at any time, or slowly moved through as a daily practice. The font choice feels a bit busy, and some of these sage nuggets are somewhat repetitive, but there is […]