Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Golden Dreg Boy Book 1: The Slums by D.K. Dailey

Golden Dreg Boy Book 1: The Slums by D.K. Dailey

With the world on the delicate edge of disaster, a young boy must face the truth about his past, the sins of the present, and the possibility of a revolutionary future in Golden Dreg Boy: The Slums by D.K. Dailey. This first book sets the stage for a longer series in which the remains of civilization have sequestered in the cities that have been transformed into starkly divided kingdoms of the rich and the poor.

The protagonist, Kade, brings an original narrative voice as a “Golden” firmly set in his ways, accepting of the brutally unequal world order out of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-07-03T03:30:57+02:00June 17th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Young by Nicholas John Powter

The Young by Nicholas John Powter

In The Young, author Nicholas John Powter transports readers to The Deluge, a fantasy land where dark forces from the past are rising once more, threatening the peaceful rest of a war hero who thought his fighting days were done. Written in a classic fantasy style, this quest-driven story touches on the power of family, personal resilience, and the painful path towards growth, all packed within a fast-paced narrative that will keep you guessing.

Sven and Fren, father and son, embark on a mission to find another family member and flee from the gathering forces of evil, but the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-07-01T09:12:58+02:00June 11th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Behind Enemy Lines by Ray Keating

Behind Enemy Lines by Ray Keating

The journalistic side of Ray Keating’s writing comes to the fore in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left Wing New York. Boasting a traditional conservative voice that is measured, self-aware, confident, and persuasive, Keating’s arguments are original and thought-provoking, while many of the ideas explored in this book are surprisingly nuanced.

As a journalist, fiction writer, and general observer of life, Keating has written more than 8,000 columns and pieces over the past thirty years, remaining steadily in the lane of idyllic conservatism – family, God, and country matter above most else. Having read many of Keating’s Pastor Grant […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-06-30T05:54:30+02:00June 6th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Politics Book Reviews|

Review: The Race to the Blackened Nevers by Douglas Bain

The Race to the Blackened Nevers by Douglas Bain

A new pantheon of fantastic gods is unveiled by author Douglas Bain in The Woeful Wager, the first installment of the The Race to the Blackened Nevers series. Boasting more world-building than some authors attempt in a lifetime, this thrilling new realm is bursting with potential, supported by a passionate writer who demonstrates his deep appreciation and mastery of language.

In a world of mischievous, vengeful and deeply competitive gods, their followers are conniving in their own ways, though most are committed to staying on the good side of the divine. However, when a new race to the edge […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-06-05T08:25:19+02:00June 5th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The World Without Flags by Ben Lyle Bedard

The World Without Flags by Ben Lyle Bedard

Armed to the teeth with subtle world-building and a powerful narrative voice, The World Without Flags by author Ben Lyle Bedard is a formidable standalone sequel to his first novel about this dystopian world. Kestrel, an indomitable young survivor, pulls readers on an epic journey across the American wasteland, and in the spirit of Cormac McCarthy, brutal beauty is everywhere in the prose.

The Homestead has been Kestrel’s roost for as long as she can remember, and the writing provides an intimate introduction to a safe haven amongst a world gone mad with a brain-infecting pandemic called Worm. Depicting a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-06-05T08:24:51+02:00June 5th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Post-Apocalyptic Book Reviews, Zombie Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: A Completing of The Watsons by Rose Servitova

The Watsons by Rose Servitova

Jane Austen started The Watsons in 1803, abandoning it after writing just a few chapters because, it is said, it was too close to her own life. Author Rose Servitova has effortlessly picked up where Austen left off, producing a delightful English Regency-period novel in a manner intrinsically true to Austen’s style and wit.

Sisters, suitors, and choices are at the heart of The Watsons. Nineteen-year-old Emma Watson is the youngest child of an impecunious clergyman. For the past fourteen years, she’s been the ward and expected heir of a wealthy aunt and uncle, but is returned home penniless […]

Marta Cheng2020-06-30T05:53:32+02:00June 5th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: No. 7: They’re Calling by Nandita Banerjee

No. 7: They're Calling by Nandita Banerjee

Author Nandita Banerjee unfurls a brilliant web of supernatural mystery and deep cultural detail in No. 7: They’re Calling. The relationship of a seemingly ideal couple begins to crumble when ghosts from the past come calling, and human nature is run through the gamut in this entertaining thriller.

Priya and Ravi seem to have the perfect life as immigrants living in Texas – comfort, stability, wealth, good friends, children off in college, and an unquenched love for one another, even after decades of marriage. However, when a traumatic piece of Priya’s past returns to her life, so too do […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-11-17T02:34:10+02:00June 4th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Paranormal Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: A Thin Porridge by Benjamin J. Gohs

A Thin Porridge by Benjamin J. Gohs

A search for truth fuels A Thin Porridge, a powerful historical coming of age adventure by Benjamin J. Gohs.

On the morning after the death of publisher, Jon Browne, a rival newspaper publishes a scandalous article about his past. The article has the potential to ruin Jon Browne’s name and his good works as a fiercely-passionate abolitionist, rumored to have had Abraham Lincoln’s ear.

His daughter, Abeona Browne, furiously marches into Terence Swifte’s office, demanding that their lawyer sue the rival paper for slander and libel – and is dumbfounded when Terence reluctantly admits that there’s some truth to […]

Marta Cheng2020-06-25T07:51:57+02:00June 4th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|