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Book Reviews

The latest indie book reviews from Self-Publishing Review

Review: Ironheart: The Primal Deception by Dakota Kemp

★★★★½ Ironheart: The Primal Deception

An epic, violent, and grimy urban steampunk tale with a hero to cheer for and original mythology that any science-fiction fantasy fan will run at.

In a world of godlike deities and electrifying science fantasy, mortal man is like an ant in the modern jungles of an oppressive regime of the ultra-powerful. For the common folk, survival is the only thing that matters, no matter the cost, and no matter the will of the disinterested elite towering above. It’s lesson learned hard and fast by Jack Booker, an orphan who grew up in the ticking clockwork heart of the […]

2016-05-12T14:13:04+02:00May 12th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |
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Review: Our Wild and Precious Lives by A.G. Russo

★★★★½ Our Wild and Precious Lives by A.G. Russo

Our Wild and Precious Lives by A.G. Russo is heartfelt and heart-wrenching – an unexpected knockout.

The YA genre often lacks the emotional depth of adult fiction, and with good reason – young adults might be unable to appreciate traditional “adult” themes. In A.G. Russo’s emotional masterpiece, Our Wild and Precious Lives, the boundaries of this genre are bent and even broken in certain places. The mature tone and depth of feeling are impressive, to say the least. The setting of Cold War Germany and the thoroughly developed characters lend the book a great deal of authenticity, and […]

2016-06-13T09:15:44+02:00May 4th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |
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Review: Soldier On by J.D. Wynne

★★★★ Soldier On by J. D. Wynne

Soldier On by J.D. Wynne shows the behind the scenes action and emotional toll of war on those in uniform.

The September 11, 2001 attacks impacted the lives of so many in the United States, including Molly McKinney. Molly wanted to be a doctor and had joined the Army Reserves to help pay for college. After the terrorist attacks, she was deployed to Bagram airbase in Afghanistan as a Military Police (MP) specialist, forcing Molly to put her dream of becoming a doctor on hold.

War, even when not serving on the front lines, is a harrowing experience. Thousands […]

2020-02-21T06:18:57+02:00April 29th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |
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Review: Prasvapa by Chand Svare Ghei

★★★½ Prasvapa by Chand Svare Ghei

Prasvapa by Chand Svare Ghei is a dreamlike collection of short stories that’s part fantasy, part crime, part universe entirely of Ghei’s vivid imagination. A Norwegian author writing in English, Ghei has created a fantastical world that has little relation to our own, past or present. Each story is introduced with an abstract epigraph, which invites the reader to explore the story’s deeper meaning. The word “Prasvapa” is Sanskrit for “dream,” and that dreamlike quality permeates each one of these evocative and mind-bending stories.

Ghei is a highly inventive writer. Without question, you won’t find another book of short […]

2019-01-22T11:12:19+02:00April 29th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |
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Review: In the Valley by Jason Lambright

★★★★½ In the Valley by Jason Lambright

In the Valley by Jason Lambright is a sci-fi military adventure that hits close to home.

It’s 2333, and Captain Paul Thompson faces terrorism in the Baradna Valley far from home on the planet Juneau 3. The crazy men he serves with in his battalion are wild and brutal – will he manage to hang onto his mind while fighting the enemy, and his companions?

The premise of this future world is unraveled slowly, allowing new tech and post-Earth jargon to slowly become natural and accepted by readers, making the premise far more accessible and enjoyable. Many futuristic or […]

2020-02-21T06:19:01+02:00April 28th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |
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Review: Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern

★★★★★ Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern

Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern is a sinister thriller with countless twists.

By the time you finish reading Daddy Dearest, you’ll have shivers down your spine and a new appreciation for the dark depths through which an author can drag you. This chilling novel tells the story of a father who is far more than he seems, and the sinister series of events that end up forever changing his life – and the life of his young daughter.

From the outset of this endlessly twisted story, it’s clear that the authorial voice is a unique one, and the […]

2016-06-02T04:55:22+02:00April 27th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |
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Review: Finders Keepers (The Jane Barnaby Adventures Book 1) by J.J. DiBenedetto

★★★★½ Finders Keepers by J.J. DiBeneditto

It’s the start of a new life for archaeology student Jane Barnaby. Away from her home and her father back in the States, she follows the spirit of her mother’s wishes all the way to Oxford, England, and her dream school of Magdalen College. When her respected mentor at the college, Professor Welldon, asks for a favor, Jane jumps at the chance. However, fate strikes as her delivery, a box of pottery shards, is mixed up with a box of precious ancient Egyptian artifacts.

When it becomes clear that nefarious elements are in pursuit of the unintended cargo, it’s […]

2016-05-23T05:14:17+02:00April 27th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |
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Review: Abednego by Devanye Hansen

★★★★ Abednego by Devanye Hansen

Abednego: Book 1 of the Guardians Series by Devanye Hansen is a mythical adventure through forbidden love and the unseen world around us.

The fascinating world of Abednego centers on the drama of the Pegasi, Fae, Guardians, Hunters and keepers engaged in an otherworldly power struggle. This novel is an ambitious and exhilarating ride through a fantastic new realm, replete with action, romance, mind reading, betrayal, suspense, and a fair dose of humor. The depth and complexity of the story is impressive, and the author, Devanye Hansen, has an obvious talent for world building within her deep well of […]

2016-04-25T10:20:23+02:00April 25th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |
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