Elle Fox is a relatable and charming protagonist whose past and troubled present are slowly revealed through dual storylines set five years apart. Recounting a painful loss on one side and an unexpected reunion on the other, the execution is excellent, when it could be muddled or lose momentum. Bouncing between timelines is an ambitious choice, but it gives this story a great sense of dimension and emotional impact.
Kraft is also unafraid of dark […]
Unleashing a torrent of evidence and critical analysis on the concept of constitutional law and our troubled relationship to it, To Right A Wrong: A Transpersonal Framework for Constitutional Construction by Roar Mikalsen is a captivating read, and a critical argument for our times.
From the very first page, readers understand that this will be a unique book, one focused on deconstructing the status quo from the foundations through logic and innovative viewpoints, and break down the accepted paradigms of American life. The psychological influence that leads us to collective living, political rule, and ultimately subjugation, is explored in accessible […]
A fierce and confident collection of poetry from the prolific Samuel Ludke, Foreign Currency is a bold compendium of raw, personal verse. Seemingly born for a spoken-word slam, as with Ludke’s other work, these pieces have the flow and attitude of a hip-hop riff, but also the vulnerability of a confessional. Though the form is relatively consistent, the themes bounce from cocky praise of a partner to confused mourning, or from painful personal narrative to deep societal analyses, showing that Ludke’s skill as a wordsmith encompasses both style and scope. A bit more creativity in the imagery would help this […]
Young readers will be entranced by memory thieves and dragon saviors, professional pranksters and talking toads with wisdom to share. Between the space pirates, Zogs, and hungry lizards, this collection is unpredictable, to say the […]
Blending stream of consciousness, dark symbolism, and raw verse, Can’t Hold On by Samuel Ludke is a powerful collection of non-traditional poetry. Beginning from a point of personal pain, and expanding into a more general reflection on existence, redemption, violence, and salvation, this is intense and evocative poetry. The more prose-leaning pieces are particularly charged and visceral, but there is some awkwardly chosen phrasing in the poems that strays beyond poetic license. In a short collection, every piece should land clean and memorable, so while Ludke’s offering is strong, and certain pieces are especially powerful, the collection is somewhat uneven […]
Two curious young adventurers find themselves in the strange heart of a magical forest, and at the center of their own family secrets, in The Way of the River by Shan L. Spyker, the first book in the Kellandale Wood series. Despite a high-fantasy atmosphere reminiscent of Narnia and other incredible YA realms, this story remains a uniquely plotted tale, as well as deeply symbolic. The concept of nature being a source of untold power and strength, coupled with a healthy nod towards paganism and older belief systems, makes this novel impactful for a broad range of readers. The prose […]
Jenny Knipfer transports readers a century into the past with In a Grove of Maples, immersing the reader in an age of honor and struggle, resilience and religion, and survival in the face of impossible odds. Devoted lovers who are on the edge of a new life must battle forces both within and without to persevere in the brutal Wisconsin frontier. Dramatic character development and lavish descriptive language make Knipfer’s prose shine, and carry this emotionally stirring plot from start to finish. The storytelling is casual but unmistakably aged, except for a few anachronistic moments in the dialogue, and […]
Michael Cole delivers a cogent new perspective on one of the most compelling true-crime horrors in history with The Zodiac Revisited, Volume 1: The Facts of the Case. The first of three volumes that expand the analysis and hunt for the elusive Zodiac killer’s identity, Cole meticulously lays out the details of the case, along with new insights and threads of theories that he will ultimately examine in this series’ remaining volumes. For any true-crime devotee who has studied this spree of serial murders, Coles’ new catalogue of evidence and events is not only a compact and accessible summary, […]