Book Reviews

The latest indie book reviews from Self-Publishing Review

Review: Ephialtes by Gavin E. Parker ★★★★

Ephialtes by Gavin E. ParkerIn the middle of the 23rd Century, the foremost military power of Earth – the United States and Nations or “USAN” – has drawn conclusion to World War IV. In the wake of victory, there are events occurring on the single human colony of Mars: there are motions in the small colony for a claim to secede. The move comes at critical time of resumed elections on Earth. Pressure to control the situation escalates circumstances quickly, the Secretary of Defense, Audrey Andrews, moves the president to send their new flagships Otus and Ephialtes to the colony as a show of […]

2015-09-30T06:03:24+02:00September 7th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Blind Thrust by Samuel Marquis ★★★★

Blind Thrust by Samuel MarquisA Blind Thrust is the term that describes an earthquake that occurs on a fault that is hidden from view – these sorts of earthquakes can be the most destructive – and here Marquis uses this as a metaphor in his thriller mystery of the same name, in the vein of Dan Brown, but instead of religion we get science, and instead of Langdon we meet a protagonist in the form of geologist Joe Higheagle, a man passionate about his work, and the environment.

Are the blind thrusts across the Front Range in Colorado the result of fracking, or something […]

2019-01-22T15:09:30+02:00September 7th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

Review: Nuclear Affairs by J. Albert Griffiths ★★★★

Nuclear Affairs by J. Albert GriffithsSet in 1952, Nuclear Affairs is the debut novel of author J. Albert Griffiths that explores the new and terrifying world of early post-nuclear global politics. As the US military struggles to understand and manage its own nuclear research in the first decade of the Cold War, the newly-formed United States Air Force bears numerous burgeoning roles in its struggle for legitimacy.

We follow the stories of several lives caught up in the numerous changes in the national, international, and American household status quo, including young recruits, aging veterans, housewives, and secret agents, and stumble upon a conspiracy that […]

2024-07-30T15:37:22+02:00September 4th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Living Fulfilled by Lisa Thomas-McMillan ★★★★★

Living Fulfilled by Lisa Thomas-McMillanLiving Fulfilled: The Infectious Joy of Serving Others is Lisa Thomas-McMillan’s inspirational memoir about helping the plight of America’s hungry that is equal parts harrowing and uplifting. With a decidedly spiritual message, she tells of her life growing up impoverished in Alabama, settling down in Los Angeles, then traveling back to her hometown to help the plight of the poor. She is also a fierce advocate against the death penalty.

What makes Lisa Thomas-McMillan such an effective narrator is that she literally walks the walk. The book is punctuated by two long walks – one in Alabama, and a 900-miled […]

2019-01-22T15:43:56+02:00September 4th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Birth of an Assassin by Rik Stone ★★★★★

Birth of an Assassin by Rik StoneThe first book of the Birth of an Assassin series is set on the backdrop of post-war, Soviet Russia. In Moscow, 1947, young Jez Kornfeld, a Jewish citizen, enlists in a military recruitment drive to fulfill his starry-eyed ideals of what it is to be a soldier.

What Jez doesn’t predict is that he has enlisted in something far more sinister than the regular corps. When a sinister KGB operative takes special notice of young Jez he makes a decision that pulls the youth into a hideous world of murder and intrigue that he never dreamed of. It soon becomes […]

2015-09-04T08:18:01+02:00September 4th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Review: Lost in Pain (Legend of Hollow Wood #1) by J. J. Dice ★★★★

Lost in Pain by J. J. DiceLost in Pain: Legend of Hollow Wood Book 1, by J. J. Dice, is an exhilarating fantasy adventure that pits good versus evil.

Jack wakes up in an alley standing over a dead body. That’s just the beginning of his troubles. The body suddenly disappears and Jack can’t remember anything, including who he is. He befriends a waitress and learns that his uncle is wealthy. He experiences visions that are truly terrifying and alert him that not only is he in grave danger, but so is his new friend.

Evil warlock Teiwaz has escaped from the realm of Farion […]

2015-09-28T08:00:36+02:00September 3rd, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Slush Pile Brigade by Samuel Marquis

★★★★½ The Slush Pile Brigade by Samuel Marquis

The Slush Pile Brigade, by Samuel Marquis, is a hilarious and exciting read filled with one crazy turn after another.

Nick Lassiter has just turned thirty and he’s in some serious trouble. His girlfriend has dumped him. He lost his job. He’s wanted by the police. And he discovers that his unpublished thriller has been stolen and turned into a blockbuster movie.

If that’s not bad enough, the author who stole his idea is Cameron Beckett, one of the biggest brand name authors.

Nick doesn’t want revenge. He wants a simple apology. When he and three friends show […]

2016-03-04T04:26:59+02:00September 3rd, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , , |

Review: William the Conqueror vs King Harold by Jesse Lee Vint

★★★★½ William the Conqueror vs King Harold

William the Conqueror vs King Harold, by Jesse Lee Vint, according to the blurb is “The story that has never been told!”

In 1066, Halley’s Comet made an appearance. The same year, in England, three undefeated warrior kings who believed they had a legitimate claim to the crown clashed. Quitting wasn’t in their vocabulary so when events sent them on a collision course it made the perfect scenario for exciting history. Even though Normandy’s William and England’s Harold Godwinson, crowned King Harold II in January of 1066, were friends before the fateful events, the lure of being crowned […]

2016-03-04T04:27:35+02:00September 3rd, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |
Go to Top