John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

The Rebirth by V.P. Evans

A relentless, character-driven thriller set on the unforgiving streets of Chicago, The Rebirth by V.P. Evans is an unpredictable spree of vengeance, brotherhood, and justice. Ten years after being forced to bury a foul secret about a sprawling global organization, Jason Roneros knows his time is running out, but he won’t go down without exposing their scandalous evil once and for all. Haunted by a decade of demons and grief, Mark Gilliam is forced to revisit his painful past and join Jason in a frantic race for retribution, even as the monsters close in to silence them both for good. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-04-11T12:04:30+02:00April 11th, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Her Own Revolution by Debra Borchert

Her Own Revolution by Debra Borchert

An empowering and dramatic story of romance in deeply troubled times, Her Own Revolution by Debra Borchert is an authentic period novel with a fearless female lead. From the novel’s bold opening line to the heartwarming final proposal, this book is carefully crafted by a master of relationships and emotional tension, for a tightly written, heart-pounding twister of a tale.

Genevieve is a precocious and daring young protagonist who refuses to bow to the gender norms of the time, hiding her gender in order to seek out her education. Terrified at being found out, she has a single person to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-04-19T10:20:46+02:00April 10th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Artefactum by J.E. Tobal

Artefactum by J.E. Tobal Tapping into the endless possibility of multiverse theory, author J.E. Tobal mixes up a gritty sci-fi masterpiece of lost love, desperation, and cross-dimensional adventure in his new novel, Artefactum.

A grief-driven antihero with a dimension-leaping talisman and a drinking problem is about as unlikely a protagonist as one could imagine, but Sam is irresistible, oddly charming, and admirable in both his principles and passions. Seeing a character depicted in true love, and then facing devastating loss, is instantly bonding for the reader to follow this character wherever he goes, even beyond the bounds of reality itself. This quixotic quest […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-04-11T13:04:19+02:00April 7th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Once Upon a Wonderland by DJ Stoneham

A swirling return to the dark whimsy of a familiar setting, Once Upon a Wonderland by DJ Stoneham details Alice’s fourth adventure to the time-spinning world of Cheshire cats and mad queens, and is as inventive and immersive as all of her previous trips.

As ever, the lessons learned on the other side of the looking glass have impacted her normal life. Her lost love, Jack Door, the black-feathered boy from her third trip, has never had an equal among Alice’s real-world suitors, so she longs to return. A tense family trip to the seaside yanks this older and wiser […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-04-07T11:56:02+02:00April 6th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen by Cameron A. Straughan

The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen by Cameron A. Straughan

Taking readers beyond the pale of comedy, decency, and reality itself, author Cameron A. Straughan delivers a gobsmacking adventure of weird whimsy with The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen. Following the banal yet brain-boggling events of one man’s larger-than-life existence, this collection of loosely-linked vignettes bends the limits of normality in an outlandish spree of storytelling.

The bizarre nature of the world that Straughan has created transcends the lines of farce in some ways, but there is always some strange sliver of reality that draws readers back. The idea of colleagues growing accustomed to Anthony forgetting to wear pants, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-06-06T16:38:10+02:00April 6th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Humor|

Review: Jetsam by Tracy Grogan

Jetsam by Tracy Grogan

Death-defying drama and an intimate character portrait make Jetsam by Tracy Grogan an addictive thrill for fans of the Divemaster Ricky series.

Leaving behind trauma and a shocking loss in North Africa, Ricky is eager to start a new job thousands of miles away, and turn a page in her unpredictable life. A three-month break on a luxury yacht seems like a dream job – an impressive salary and a string of cushy dives should be the perfect salve for her aching soul, but peace is not on the ship’s manifest.

As the scope and true expectations of her employment […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-05-12T13:51:31+02:00April 5th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Prince of Blue Flowers by Ryu Zhong

Prince of Blue Flowers by Ryu Zhong

The roots of evil run deep in Prince of Blue Flowers by Ryu Zhong, a sprawling and fantastic opening chapter to the Adventures of Takuan from Koto series.

Demons, gods, emperors, and fatal negotiations with otherworldly beings populate these pages in a relentless weaving of magic, legend, and indigenous folklore. At the same time, the focal characters are unassuming and simple heroes on their own journeys of self-discovery. Whether it is Ta-Guan’s bizarre capers while hunting down the sun, or Hatsukoi pilfering melons, pranking blacksmiths, or artfully acquiring a governor’s horse, there is a childish pleasure imbuing nearly all the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-05-09T10:02:09+02:00April 4th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Univirtual by Charles O’Donnell

Univirtual by Charles O'Donnell

More than 50 years in the future, the integration of technology, biology, and psychology reaches a fever pitch in Univirtual by Charles O’Donnell, a prescient and thought-provoking work of science fiction.

The division between real life and virtual reality has practically disappeared in this tech-obsessed world of tomorrow, but when the leaders of the Millennium Republic attempt to blur that line even further, unexpected heroes will rise to defend their humanity, and reality itself. Thematically, this novel is rife with details for tech enthusiasts to dive into, not to mention political junkies, and fans of dystopian fiction.

On the University […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-05-04T11:25:47+02:00April 3rd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|