John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

About John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Providing exceptional writing, editing and publishing services to hundreds of international clients, ranging from nutritional copywriting and long-form ghostwriting to substantive editing, assessment/analysis of academic texts and structural/content editing for bestselling novels.

Review: Delaware From Railways to Freeways by Dave Tabler

Delaware From Railways to Freeways by Dave Tabler

A photographic and curiosity-inspiring tour through the “First State” during the bustling 19th century, Delaware From Railways to Freeways: First State, Second Phase by Dave Tabler is the second installment of his eye-opening series about an oft-overlooked state.

Like Tabler’s first book in this deep-dive state trilogy, each turn of the page reveals stunning images and well-penned anecdotes lined with historical intrigue, surprising revelations, and carefully chosen details that many tourist guides would lack. The 19th century was marked across much of America by massive developments in industry, social progress, and bitter conflicts, and the history of Delaware […]

Review: The Fantastical and Mysterious Tale of Sweetpea of Monsterville by Corey Wolff

The Fantastical and Mysterious Tale of Sweetpea of Monsterville by Corey Wolff

Rhyming its way through monstrous lands and otherworldly mommy issues, The Fantastical and Mysterious Tale of Sweet Pea of Monsterville by Corey Wolff is a strange and visionary work of fantasy.

Sweet Pea may be a resident of Monsterville – and heir to the throne – but his personality is anything but horrifying, and his mother is far from happy about it. The Queen of the Monsters is one sadistic mother, and has no mercy for humans or sons who are unwilling to scare them. Her cruelty forces Sweet Pea to discover the strength he has always possessed, and stand […]

Through the Test of Time II by D. Angel

Through the Test of Time II by D. Angel

An unfiltered look into the author’s long road to recovery and stability following his prison sentence, Through the Test of Time II: As Time Went On… by D. Angel is a revelatory confession and a visceral memoir.

As Angel tries to piece together the shattered parts of his personal relationships, parental arrangements, and financial foundations, the hits keep on coming, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the slippery slopes of post-incarceration life. Though many of his problems seem driven by struggles with self-control, this narrative also examines common triggers of PTSD, steps of recovery after a variety of trauma, […]

2023-08-17T11:16:54+02:00August 16th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: The Great Flip by Donald J. Fraser

The Great Flip by Donald J. Fraser

Excavating an often overlooked but massively significant change in American political consciousness, The Great Flip by Donald J. Fraser is a brilliant examination of how the United States became so divided. The timeless dialectic of minimal government and individual capability vs. big government and collective responsibility is the foundation of American partisanship, and the crux of this meticulously crafted text.

The modern political landscape has turned into a battleground over the intended ideals of the founders 250 years ago, and this book brings readers back into the conversations, conflicts, and watershed moments that are still being referenced as precedent today. […]

2023-10-06T12:45:50+02:00August 14th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Marching with a Broken Shadow by Dyson Russell

Marching With a Broken Shadow by Dyson RussellA haunting and heavy anthology of emotionally driven poems, Marching with a Broken Shadow by Dyson Russell is a wide-ranging collection that tackles romantic ironies, universal agonies, and the simple pleasures of existence.

From reflections on nature’s nuanced beauty to kaleidoscopic analyses of true love and loss, these poems are unafraid to expose the unadulterated marrow of human experience. There is an exploratory and questioning undercurrent, and while musings on death, purpose, and love are common, Russell has a uniquely experimental voice that will make readers sit up and take note.

The diversity of the poems’ subject matter, length, tone, […]

2023-08-14T12:03:10+02:00August 11th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Xenome by Vivek Pravat

Xenome by Vivek Pravat

A sci-fi thriller that examines if humanity would stand a chance against a hostile alien force, Xenome by Vivek Pravat is a terrifying and fast-paced ride. An intrepid biologist finds herself in the heart of a rogue experiment gone wrong, and as secrets from her own past come to light, she must uncover the key to humanity’s survival. Though some of the character development is familiar action fodder, the exposition is richly detailed for science fiction fans, and just the right amount of frightening for a post-pandemic audience willing to suspend their disbelief for an extraordinary premise. With long bursts […]

2023-08-10T13:31:57+02:00August 10th, 2023|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Remember Us by E.T. Gunnarsson

Remember Us by E.T. Gunnarsson

A post-apocalyptic road novel with a strong pair of protagonists in a richly described dystopia, Remember Us by E.T. Gunnarsson adds a fascinating new layer to his Odemark series.

Two years into his time on new-world Earth, Simon is ready to brave the wasteland, leap into frontier life, and see what beauty the recovering planet still holds. However, when a starship falls out of the sky, just as Simon dreamed that it would, he convinces Anna to join him on a quest to find the craft, and their relationship is entertaining from the start; Anna’s vague annoyance at his naïveté […]

2023-08-08T17:26:16+02:00August 7th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Review: Legends of Earth by David Gwinn

Legends of Earth by David Gwinn

A science fiction adventure with some downright Shakespearean twists, Legends of Earth by David Gwinn is a breathless mash-up of police procedural and space opera that is a page-turner from the first page.

When a seasoned cop is pulled into a mind-boggling new case – a woman single-handedly cutting the power and knocking over banks in broad daylight – Officer Sharpe has no idea how deep this new rabbit hole will go. He certainly doesn’t expect it to carry him to the other side of the galaxy – to a planet that seems to desperately need his help.

Tass, the […]

2023-09-29T12:01:43+02:00August 3rd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |
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