Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Jake & the Dragons of Asheville by Brian Kacica

★★★½

Writing a unique YA novel in this saturated genre can be a challenge, as dozens of new authors seemingly pop up every week. The key to finding a niche in the ever-crowded YA genre is a clever take on a popular theme, combined with interesting characters and an engaging plot. In Jake & the Dragons of Asheville, author Brian Kacica delivers a fun and memorable novel that both young readers and adults will enjoy.

As with many YA adventure stories, there is an unprepared hero, Jake Winston, who is living a relatively normal early teenage life in North […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-15T12:53:24+02:00August 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Steel, Blood & Fire (Immortal Treachery Book 1) by Allan Batchelder

★★★★

There are many fantasy authors who rely too heavily on the work of others, or the favorite tropes of the genre, when creating their own worlds. Fortunately, there are authors like Allan Batchelder who derive inspiration from fantasy masters and then construct wholly new and endlessly engaging realms for readers to enjoy. Steel, Blood & Fire, Book 1 of the Immortal Treachery series, is a grim, edge-of-your-seat pleasure to read.

Batchelder doesn’t concern himself with too much exposition, but instead jumps right into the action, transporting readers into a dark, brutal world and introducing them to one of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-09-18T07:20:14+02:00August 14th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: If Nobody Listens by Rikard Sommer

Scandinavian writers have recently captivated the attention of the literary world, beginning with Stieg Larsson’s breakout trilogy, and Rikard Sommer’s debut novel certainly follows in those illustrious footsteps. If Nobody Listens is a novel that defies classification to a certain degree – one part social commentary, one part an emotional tale of personal growth, and a final dash of thrills and danger for good measure. The subject of medical research and the struggles of global pharma companies may not sound like compelling reading, but in this case, you would be mistaken.

With a patient, methodical approach to exposition and storytelling, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-02-11T08:53:04+02:00August 8th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: International Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Curse Ends by Jeff Attinella, Illustrated by Mike Pascale

The Curse Ends: The Story of the 2016 Chicago Cubs, written by Jeff Attinella, is a great bedtime read that will be a source of inspiration for future Little Leaguers, as well as inspire a love of the great American pastime.

In rhyming prose, this charming children’s books tells the story of the Chicago Cubs “curse” and how they beat the curse in 2016. The year is 1945 and it’s game four of the World Series. A man wants to buy a seat for his Billy goat but the crowd protests and they’re kicked out of the stadium, leading […]

Marta Cheng2019-02-11T08:35:08+02:00August 7th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Children's Book Reviews, Sports Book Reviews|

Review: Brainwalker by Robyn Mundell & Stephan Lacast

★★★★

“Getting inside someone’s head” tends to be a figurative idea, or turn of phrase, but in Brainwalker, the boundlessly creative new novel from Robyn Mundell and Stephan Lacast, the concept is taken quite literally. This fast-paced novel takes readers deep into the actual human brain – and beyond.

Bernard is a typical YA literature protagonist – an unusual teen with some personality quirks who is suddenly thrown into an extraordinary situation. For Bernard, that situation arises when his curiosity gets the best of him in his father’s lab, who happens to be a particle physicist. After fiddling like […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-08-08T04:25:50+02:00August 6th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Embellished: A Vadarc Novel (Chronicles of Orian Book 1) by Karen Glista

When eighteen-year-old Travis Kurth lures his sister Bekka in to his online game, nobody expects the game to get so real.

As both Travis and Bekka and the rest of their online party are sucked into the fantastical world of Orian, mystery after mystery reveal themselves. Where, exactly, are they? How did they get there? Why is Bekka’s debilitating illness suddenly in complete remission?

With confusion in their minds, their hopes of a quick rescue are dashed as war clashes in their midst, claiming their party and tearing its members apart. A royal entourage sweeps in, only to lose Bekka […]

James Grimsby2020-02-21T07:14:42+02:00August 5th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Paranormal Romance Book Reviews|

Review: Cleveland Wins a Championship by Jeff Attinella, Illustrated by Steve Madden

Jeff Attinella’s children’s book, Cleveland Wins a Championship: The Story of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, gives its readers a great sports story with drawings that jump off the page, thanks to the considerable talents of illustrator Steve Madden.

Attinella tells the story not only of the Cavaliers, but down-on-their-luck Cleveland sports fans, who never seem to catch a break. In spirited rhyming prose, it tells the story of hometown hero LeBron James, from his early years with the Cavs, his heartbreaking departure, and his triumphant return. As he’s the most popular player in basketball, this is a book that […]

Marta Cheng2019-02-11T08:34:55+02:00August 5th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Children's Book Reviews, Sports Book Reviews|

Review: The Breaking (The End Time Saga Book 2) by Daniel Greene

★★★★½

In a world of mindless zombies, eccentric hillbillies, deadly skill sets, and endless loyalty to the people you’ve survived beside, Daniel Greene has carved out an exciting apocalyptic series that stands head and shoulders above other offerings in the zombie genre.

In The Breaking, the sequel to End Time, readers are dropped back into the world of Steele, Mauser, and Gwen, as well as a United States that has fallen under the weight of a zombie onslaught. Multiple narrative perspectives provide readers with a three-dimensional picture of this harsh new world, which constantly borders on insanity. Death […]