In this noir drama set in the 1940s, Taylor is the gruff and grumbling protagonist with a knack for getting in over his head, and falling into bed with mysterious women. The plot moves almost as fast as the whip-smart conversations and one-liners, while the hotel setting, where much of the action takes place, comes to life through subtle descriptions and immersive narration.
While there is something nostalgic […]
A classic heroine-driven adventure, Saving the Dragon by Sara R. Cleveland is a high-fantasy romance that will thrill YA readers and veteran fantasy fans alike. Leveraging love and loyalty like magical weapons, this book is a creative, well-penned coming-of-age story with clever spell-casting laws and strong-willed characters that are both recognizable and unique. The plot moves quickly, with regular jumps of weeks or more in the storytelling, which can make this foundational tale feel rushed at times, but the world-building is still impressively detailed. Pulling themes from traditional sagas, fairy tales, and fables, but weaving them into an expansive new […]
A time-bending, history-shaping novel of wartime bravery in a sci-fi frame, Boomerang Will Not Return by David Crane is an original and well-penned adventure. Combine a seemingly simple Air Force mission with a once-in-a-lifetime astral event, and the result is a generation-spanning survival thriller with the highest stakes imaginable.
Deana Crown and Linda March are dominant protagonists who mirror one another’s heroics in both the past and present, fighting to prevent the Nazis from getting their hands on six nukes, and working to prevent World War 3 from breaking out with Russia in the present day. This dual plotline means […]
A brain-bending dive into the philosophy of personal choice and autonomy, Free Will, Do You Have It? by Albertus Kral is a fascinating presentation of the author’s personal theory of Procirclism.
The idea, in short, is that cyclical behavioral processes are developed and strengthened in every individual, based on the specific stimuli they experience. Each stimulus acts as a tiny variable in a process that is perpetually developing in our mind based on memories and prior reactions/behaviors. Essentially, Kral is attempting to explain why humans behave in particular ways, and what factors lead to a person’s ultimate decisions, which he […]
Rebecca Bapaye has beautifully envisioned a world drenched in magic, dark history, and epic quests with Legacy of Flame, her impressively detailed debut fantasy novel.
In this exciting and expansive new fantasy realm, romance, violence, betrayal, and power collide in a fast-moving, character-driven story, which boasts a creative magical scope that will enthrall old-school fantasy lovers. Elia is a richly imagined protagonist, an ice queen who is anything but a damsel in distress, and is given as much character depth as Syllian, her fire priest antagonist.
While readers will recognize certain themes and tropes from high fantasy, there are […]
From the war-torn streets of Afghanistan during the largest explosion to ever rock that country, to the cruel power struggles of the author’s matriarchal family, this confessional memoir peels back the ugly curtain of experience to distill wisdom and insight for readers willing to take such a recollective dive. The context of the story – riffing and unloading demons to a stranger […]
Wild, experimental, and difficult to stop reading, Junk Drawer at the Edge of the Universe by Steven Reed Johnson is a Pynchon-esque ramble through language and storytelling that defies classification, and at times, understanding. What reads like a memoir and feels like a documentary is also an abstract exploration of performance, writing, relationships, and reality itself. While the stream-of-consciousness style can be exhausting, there is the gleaming thread of a winding plot, and a kaleidoscopic perspective on those who live on the world’s fringe. An edit for clarity would be recommended, but the raw imperfection of this avant-garde fiction is […]
A gentle and colorful explanation of being adopted from a foreign country, The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise by Julie Gianelloni Connor, and illustrated by Saman Chinthaka Weerasinghe, is a unique and essential children’s book. Clearly laying out some of the key reasons, factors, and steps in the emotionally complex process of overseas adoption, this book delicately explores the subject, making it a great launching point for conversations between parents and children. The illustrations are vivid, though some of the facial expressions are a bit opaque, and the text is stripped down to its simplest form, […]