Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow by Flo Dombey

Whirlwinds, Waves and Willow by Flo Dombey

Unexpected romance, deadly betrayals, and the perils of complex families swirl madly together in Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow by Flo Dombey, the second emotional installment of The Willow Chronicle.

Willow’s life has been turned upside-down by the reappearance of a biological father she thought long dead, making every decision feel unsteady for the headstrong 17-year-old, despite having some of the best sea legs in Port Townsend, WA. The mysterious suicide of her wealthy stepfather adds another devastating blow, further distancing Billie from her mother, whom she blames for the lifetime of secrets that led to this tragic collision of […]

Review: Wrath of the Fallen by Kristopher Jerome

Wrath of the Fallen by Kristopher Jerome

The demonic forces of Darkness clash with radiant warriors of Light in Wrath of the Fallen by Kristopher Jerome, a sprawling and enrapturing new fantasy saga. Epic clashes of magic, impossible romantic longings, larger-than-life heroes, and a world-shattering threat from an Accursed chasm make this novel a thrillingly high-stakes work of fantasy.

After witnessing the death of his brother at the hands of a rampaging demon, Trent dedicates his life to achieving their shared dream – becoming a paladin and battling the legions of evil in service to the Gods of Light. With his newest training class ushered into divine […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-03-05T22:38:27+02:00March 4th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Spire by Shaun Goldsmith

The Spire by Shaun Goldsmith

Stark and suspenseful with a daunting tangle of a plot, The Spire by Shaun Goldsmith is a lavishly unpredictable and compelling whodunit. The story begins with a bang – a quadruple homicide in a lavish penthouse on the 75th floor of one of the most secure and surveilled buildings in Midtown Manhattan. What follows is a spiraling web of conspiracy involving a controversial billionaire, a shameless lawyer, and a legendary criminal.

Lieutenant Mike Vogel is the eccentric lead investigator in these notorious murders – he’s relentless, effective, and stylish enough for a three-piece suit at a crime scene. Within a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-04-25T14:35:12+02:00March 1st, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Lost Grove by Charlotte Zang & Alex Knudsen

Lost Grove: Part One by Charlotte Zang & Alex J. Knudsen

A wickedly twisted thriller with a gritty gothic edge, Lost Grove: Part One by Charlotte Zang and Alex Knudsen is a dark dream for fans of contemporary horror.

The sleepy coastal town of Lost Grove, with more secrets than people, is a classically ominous setting for a supernatural whodunit, including a stubbornly determined prodigal sleuth with a big city reputation, and a bizarre link to the murder victim. The appearance of a pale corpse on Mourner’s Beach sends Sergeant Seth Wolfe down a rabbit hole of memory into unsettling visions and dreams from his youth that began after a near-death […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-03T10:38:58+02:00February 28th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Nemesis Earth (Weapons of Choice Book 8) by Nick Snape

Nemesis Earth by Nick Snape

Bringing the genre-pushing Weapons of Choice saga to a fitting and explosive end, Nemesis Earth by Nick Snape is an all-out clash of titans, large and small, which will decide if humanity survives its apocalyptic alien incursion.

As the ravenous and unforgiving Garr continue their conquest, the surviving shreds of human resistance are desperate to turn the tide of a war with only two outcomes – victory or annihilation. Delta Squad launches a last-ditch mission to find a silver bullet, backtracking through planets and systems they had previously visited, fought for, or liberated in a nostalgic search for allies to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-04-19T17:46:17+02:00February 28th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Insane Angels by Edward Nicholls

Miracles happen in the most unlikely places in Insane Angels by Edward Nicholls, a whip-smart peek into higher powers, both human and divine.

The only thing that can make a hangover worse – or at least weirder – is finding a halo inexplicably hanging above your head, and that is precisely the predicament of the otherwise unremarkable Michael Flagg, setting an original and smirking premise for this tongue-in-cheek novel. Though Michael considers himself a bit of a mad chemist, this seemingly heavenly accessory goes beyond garden-variety bizarre, and it doesn’t take long for the world to notice. Whether he’s being […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-04-09T16:15:57+02:00February 17th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

Review: Om Vel Way by Seval Seer

Om Vel Way: Be Happy and Make Happy by Seval Seer

Eye-opening, mind-expanding, and relentlessly hopeful, Om Vel Way: Be Happy and Make Happy by Seval Seer is a well-crafted guide for the journey of self-actualization.

Part memoir and part spiritual textbook, the author patiently explicates much of what he has learned over decades of study and presents practical techniques for readers to apply those lessons in their own lives. With the pursuit and expansion of happiness as the book’s overarching goal, the intuitively structured narrative leads readers through the steps of increased awareness, self-actualization, and the elimination of suffering. Deeply rooted in a myriad of spiritual and religious traditions, but […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-04-02T16:43:33+02:00February 15th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews, Spirituality Book Reviews|

Review: Fog & Fireflies by T.H. Lehnen

Fog and Fireflies by Tim Lehnen

Children with the hearts of seasoned warriors must save their world from being swallowed by sinister magic in Fog & Fireflies by T.H. Lehnen, a mesmerizing and thought-provoking fantasy.

In this remarkably imagined fantasy world, isolated villages drift like lost ships in a fiendish fog, which forever threatens to invade these islands of humanity, but is chased off by noise, children, and the light of fireflies. The sentient, phantom-filled fog is deadly once you reach a certain age, which leaves the duty of protecting the towns to the youngest denizens of the realm. To survive, one must learn to trust […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-02-08T16:17:01+02:00February 7th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|