John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor

Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O'Connor

Immersing readers in a vibrant slice of the past, Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor is an original account of unsung heroism and unwavering faith in the face of impossible odds.

The story begins in the 1940s, as World War II raged and Hitler’s shadow seemed to stretch across the world, even to Paraguay, and right into the lives of Dr. John and Clara Schmidt. While his whirlwind invitation to Paraguay and sudden proposal may have been the tumultuous start of their journey into revolutionary medical practices, the stakes remained just as high in the many decades that followed […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-10T08:26:17+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Biography Book Reviews, History Book Reviews|

A New Day by Carrie Thorne

Author Carrie Thorne once again tosses readers into a feel-good love story spiral with A New Day, the fourth book of her Foothills series. Similar in its themes to earlier tales, but notable for its more deeply developed characters, the unabashedly honest narrative tone pulls readers into a small-town whirlwind romance with the potential for so much more. Though some of the plot feels predictable, loyal readers of this series will appreciate the occasional callbacks to old characters, and the ever-expanding charm of Foothills. Ideal for a long guilty pleasure of an afternoon, fans of full-blooded romance, football, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-29T08:02:59+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

A Day Late by Carrie Thorne

A charming and heart-pumping tale of inopportune timing, undeniable attraction, and the hardest truths to tell ourselves, A Day Late by Carrie Thorne is a quick and entertaining work of romance. Armed with snappy dialogue, longing glances, and narrative voices that are both self-aware and self-reflective, there may be something lacking in the character depth, or the emotional investment demanded of the reader, but watching a classic love triangle unfold is always entertaining, and handled here like a classic romantic comedy. Bursts of humor reveal the author’s wit, while the patient storytelling allows space for playful details and scene-crafting that […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-29T08:00:01+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Final Chance by Van Fleisher

Final Chance by Van Fleisher A third disturbing reflection on the American mindset, Final Chance by Van Fleisher is a prophetic piece of fiction, and the climactic conclusion to the author’s dystopian near-future trilogy.

Bouncing between our real-world present and an uncertain imagined fate, Fleisher takes readers through a sci-fi envisioning of pandemic-peppered decades ahead, and the desperate decisions the world must make to ensure humanity’s survival. Society has never stood on a more fragile precipice, and while the Domed Generation of the 2050s is growing used to life inside, protected from the “alien” atmosphere, the increased susceptibility to respiratory disease makes remaining populations dangerously […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-29T07:45:09+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews|

Northwoods Pulp Reloaded by T.K. O’Neill

Northwoods Pulp Reloaded by T.K. O'Neill Capturing the raw energy, resilience, and murky lawlessness of a bitter wilderness, Northwoods Pulp Reloaded by T.K. O’Neill is a stirring and wild collection.

Three intensely told stories capped off with a visceral crime novella, this is a seemingly easy escapist read, but the writing is smart and deeper than expected, from high-stakes morality parables to and illicit adventures that quickly get out of hand. O’Neill focuses a bit more on fast-talking dialogue and action sequences than he does on character development, but the world-building is immersive, with colloquial bits of nuance and detail that make the rugged scenes come […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-11-22T11:10:04+02:00October 28th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Of Prophets and Pinioned Angels by Kyle Fox

Of Prophets and Pinioned Angels by Kyle Fox

Plunging once more into the bleak, battle-scarred existence of Jacobus, the dauntless fallen knight of Korigane, Of Prophets and Pinioned Angels by Kyle Fox is the masterful second book in his Tales of Exile series.

After shearing his way through endless horrors in the first book of the series, this doomed warrior is now tasked by an angel to liberate even more souls from the creeping darkness and brimstone that befell his home. The angel Ezrea tells him of other kingdoms, where other battles must be fought, and more blood must still be spilled, in this dark, mystical, and visceral […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-06T04:26:47+02:00October 25th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Descent of Ravens (Bel’s War Book 1) by A.C. Andrews

An original and identity-affirming tale of night-cursed vampires, complex love, and a bold fellowship of imperfect adventurers, Descent of Ravens by A.C. Andrews is a dark and masterful YA novel. Discovering and expanding their sword-and-sorcery powers to beat back the sinister forces of evil, many of the young kinji in this tale are also navigating their own blossoming sexual identities and gender perspectives. The combination of classic fantasy elements and contemporary cultural themes results in a thought-provoking and norm-challenging story that is both deeply intimate and broadly appealing.

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John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-25T07:39:57+02:00October 25th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Silent Symphony by Marcel M du Plessis

A philosophical, surreal, and irresistible dive into a Nameless City, The Silent Symphony by Marcel M du Plessis is a mind-expanding narrative too weird to be ignored and too wise to be untrue. A series of cryptic characters choose “fatal acts of desperation” and every shrugging misstep is shadowed by the pervading sense that no one and nothing is what it seems, unraveling itself with Kafkaesque levels of psychological symbolism. Cas, Warrick, and Kat form the novel’s magnetic core of artists, dreamers, writers, and wild ones, taking readers on a cerebral journey through a bizarre and eerily silent world, for […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-25T04:05:32+02:00October 25th, 2021|Categories: Editorial Reviews|