John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Athens Ophelia The Partitioner: Esoragoto by Zachary Aneiress

Fast-talking Torian Aneiress returns for a third installment of his heroic YA journey in Athens Ophelia The Partitioner: Esoragoto by Zachary Aneiress. Navigating the aftermath of his recent epic battles, and more betrayal and loss than most teens could dream to handle, this unabashed and unfiltered protagonist continues to brim with energy and appeal. The technical execution of the writing is problematic, with the prose needing a heavy editorial hand for repetitive grammatical errors, formatting issues, and overly informal phrasing. While these errors diminish the book’s overall readability, the narrative captures the authentic voice and personality of a young protagonist, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-05-17T02:35:30+02:00May 17th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: The Doomsday Machine by Erick Drake

Take a raucous ride through endless space, dark humor, and epic strangeness with The Doomsday Machine (Space Scrap 17 Book 1), a wild debut novel from Erick Drake. Magicians, alien war machines, spiteful coalescing gods, and one fearless scrap scavenger collide for a uniquely tongue-in-cheek space adventure.

Admiral Daryl is a scatterbrained, entertaining, and tone-setting figure, as well as the father of Daisy Daryl, the protagonist, a brand new captain in Daryl’s less-than-impressive space garbage-hauling fleet. The main conflict of the novel is not with her potentially chaotic first mission through a wormhole, but rather the contentious relationship with […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-11-18T05:01:25+02:00May 11th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Space Opera Book Reviews|

Covid Chronicles: How Essential Workers Cope by Dr. Therese Zink

An unfiltered glimpse into the minds, struggles, failures, and joys of frontline workers who have faced Covid-19 across the world, Covid Chronicles by Dr. Therese Zink is a compassionate and eye-opening collection of real-life stories about the current moment.

From a methodical exploration of PPE and the physical discomforts of a hospital battlefield, to the desperation of group home caretakers and the systemic racism that reared its head so often during this pandemic, these stories are remarkably engaging. Based on a series of interviews, there are lighthearted moments of resilience between overworked doctors, as well as painful introductions to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-05-07T04:05:15+02:00May 7th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Health Book Reviews|

My Key Fits Every Door by Dennis Louis Dyer

A sharp-tongued private eye is pulled into a spiral of chateau intrigue, hired muscle, and dangerous dames in My Key Fits Every Door by Dennis Louis Dyer, a classic, twist-filled PI thriller.

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-05-05T08:47:59+02:00May 4th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Detective Fiction Book Reviews, Noir Book Reviews|

Saving the Dragon (Penelope’s Dragon) by Sara R. Cleveland

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-05-04T04:20:57+02:00May 4th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Boomerang Will Not Return by David Crane

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-11T04:07:21+02:00May 3rd, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Time Travel Book Reviews|

Review: Free Will, Do You Have It? by Albertus Kral

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-06-17T04:47:14+02:00May 1st, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Psychology Book Reviews, Science Book Reviews, Social Science Book Reviews|

Legacy of Flame by Rebecca Bapaye

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-05-20T04:12:31+02:00April 30th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|