Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Silent Muse Poetry by Ariele Tee

Silent Muse Poetry by Ariele Tee

The timeless theme of love gained, appreciated, and lost is explored in Silent Muse Poetry: A Tale of Heartbreak and Becoming, the eclectic debut collection by poet Ariele Tee.

Tee’s book is divided in five parts. An introductory piece in Volume 1, “The Buildup,” states the issue clearly: “This love ran through my veins, ignited flames and drove me crazy.” Here, the poet focuses on the blindness of the early stages of love. She refuses to see the lover’s flaws, enumerating the virtues and vowing her eternal devotion. She wants to be the one and only (“9-5 and weekend”), […]

SPR2020-04-03T04:50:16+02:00April 2nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: Terribilita by Ben Wyckoff Shore

Terribilita by Ben Wyckoff Shore

The powerful ties of blood and an ardent desire for vengeance fuels Terribilita, a strong new work of historical fiction by author Ben Wyckoff Shore.

Enzo Ferrando has lived in the shadow of his legendary father for three decades, but has managed to carve out his own place in the sun as an instigator and freedom fighter. Unfortunately, his rebellious behavior brings swift retribution, catapulting he and his son Lucca into new journeys taking them far from home – and the possibility for revenge.

Lucca is temporarily safe as a deckhand on a merchant ship under Captain Bartolo, set […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-02T10:49:49+02:00March 31st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: A True Map of the City by J Guenther

A True Map of the City by Jeff Guenther

Horus Blassingame travels from Albion to Deresthia for a business conference that will change his identity forever in A True Map of the City by J Guenther. The fictional setting of this twisted novel creates tangible discomfort on every page, and the tragic spiral of Horus from suspicious stranger to local legend makes for a quick and bizarre read.

As Horus attempts to navigate his surroundings in a foreign land, he encounters a colorful stream of characters, but it is difficult to determine help from harm in such a backwards place. Only a handful of people speak Anglic (English), and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-20T05:04:56+02:00March 30th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Rez: An American Love Story by G. Michael Madison

The Rez: An American Love Story by G. Michael Madison

Author G. Michael Madison offers an authentically deep plunge into reservation life in the 1960s and 1970s with his powerful novel The Rez: An American Love Story. The first in a trilogy of books, this is a profound examination of an oft-overlooked culture during a historically tumultuous time.

The most notable thing about this novel is the patience and care that has gone into its construction. It sets an immediate tone of intimacy in the storytelling, followed by a gradual introduction to the fraternal pair at the heart of this story: Jonny and Caj. The former – younger, introverted, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-29T06:16:21+02:00March 25th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Lighthouse by Elaine Kozak

The Lighthouse by Elaine Kozak

Past traumas, dark secrets and reconciliations are at the heart of The Lighthouse, a wonderfully engaging work of women’s fiction by Elaine Kozak.

Driven by a need to reconnect with her estranged father after learning of the death of her mother, a stricken Leah Larsen returns to the family ranch founded by her deceased grandparents in Taos, New Mexico. Her father is less than thrilled by Leah’s arrival and gives her the shock of her life when he tells her that he and Leah’s mother had kept the baby son Leah had given birth to ten years earlier. Even […]

Marta Cheng2020-04-27T02:30:41+02:00March 19th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews, Women's Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Resurrection Lily by Amy Byer Shainman

Resurrection Lily by Amy Shainman

The complex and painful decisions surrounding breast cancer are explored in intimate detail in Resurrection Lily: The BRCA Gene, Hereditary Cancer & Lifesaving Whispers from the Grandmother I Never Knew, a raw and impactful memoir by Amy Byer Shainman.

Cancer can often seem like a constant threat, but there are some people at dramatically increased risks, especially women with a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA 2 gene. After discovering that she possesses a gene mutation that greatly increases her changes of developing breast cancer, Shainman comes to terms with this looming threat and embarks on an inspiring journey […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-03-19T09:55:05+02:00March 18th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Health Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Goat Song by Thomas Drago

Goat Song by Thomas Drago

Author Thomas Drago shines a sickly spotlight on the hellish secrets below Crow Creek, North Carolina in his fast-paced thriller, Goat Song. Blending small-town suspicions, the odd world of local theatre, personal demons, and black magic rituals, this quick read is unpredictable and unnerving as the plot spirals into darkness.

Gabriela Rossi is doing her best to make a home in Crow Creek after moving from Italy, but the residents don’t seem keen on outsiders, and her promotion at The Orpheum Theatre leaves her feeling resented and unwelcome. When someone is murdered at the theatre three days before a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-21T07:00:05+02:00March 18th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Paranormal Book Reviews|

Review: A Noble’s Path (The Enchanted Isles Book 2) by I.L. Cruz

A Noble's Path by I.L. Cruz

Inez Garza, sporting a new magical streak of purple hair, is back at the heart of rebellion and action in A Noble’s Path, the second book of the Enchanted Isles series from author I.L. Cruz. Following on from the tumultuous events of A Smuggler’s Path, this new installment dives right into the action, supported by remarkably thorough exposition from the first book.

Magic is still forbidden in Canto, but the hidden market is alive and well, and Inez continues to tread the finest line between royal blood and illicit smuggling. Navigating the complex underbelly of illegal magic and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-07-05T10:22:19+02:00March 12th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|