Editorial Reviews

Author David Crane has crafted a historical gem of swashbuckling heroes and sinister plots during some of the most tumultuous points in France’s history in Swordpoint. Eugene Francois Vidocq is revived from the annals of history as a charming and ambitious adventurer who must escape the sins of his past to forge a brighter future, preferably not at the point of a sword. The energy level occasionally slips in extended narration, but Crane is diligent in his descriptions, painting pastoral scenes and grisly corners of Napoleonic France with equal skill. Holding impressively to an elegant 18th century tone in […]

Author Monika Kloeckner deep-dives into personal growth, professional confidence, spiritual enlightenment, and goal-oriented thinking in The Rebellious Singleton, outlining in part how women are often held to unfair standards and expectations in the modern world, but their mental flexibility and emotional resilience are also invaluable resources. Kloeckner’s enlightening tome has some elements of a traditional self-help book, but is also a spiritual guide and a self-worth-boosting read for anyone, regardless of gender, who is trying to forge their path as an unattached person in a world that prizes marriage. While some of the ideas recur repetitively, this is a […]

Evoking the primal devotion of maternal love, Tell Me Every Lie by P.J. Stanley is an intense thriller that puts a gun to your pounding heart. Boasting deep character exploration of the protagonist’s most personal anxieties, readers will find it impossible not to empathize with the brutally flawed people at the heart of this story. Though occasional moments of melodramatic prose could be toned down, the emotionally twisting plot that drives this female-driven rollercoaster is gripping from the start.

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Covering a wide range of perspectives, Onward: The Art of Leadership is an easy-to-read, informal guide that is both uplifting and insightful. As author Mark Joseph Huckabee makes clear, being a trend-setter and an inspiring figure can come in many non-traditional forms, from Hollywood directors exploring their insecurities to visionary corporate leaders reinventing the structure of authority. With a helpful clear-cut structure, this is the kind of book you can open to any page for a boost of confidence or guidance. Accessible, humorous, and unpredictable, Onward is a hyper-modern leadership guide that is undeniably unique in the genre.

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Take a mind-bending and time-traveling journey through three bizarrely fascinating novellas in Premonitions of a Lucid Dreamer by Peter Saucier. In each story, traditional culture is challenged by the unexpected presence of the modern world, a through-line that gives the collection a strong thematic feel, with thoroughly unpredictable plot lines and well-detailed characters that are both amusing and effectively symbolic. Some additional emotion in the language, particularly during peaks of each story, could increase the impact of the writing even further. However, with a clearly creative mind and an ability to vividly paint a time and setting with little effort, […]

A compassionate and expert guide. Unlike many other financial self-help books, Lewis strikes a good balance between anecdotal stories and specific strategies that can be readily applied to help improve one’s credit score. She writes with conviction and confidence, while maintaining a relatable voice, and tackles the delicate subject of bankruptcy with a clear head and obvious expertise, making this guide a brief but indispensable read.

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Overflowing with vivid scenery and self-reflection, The Rocky Orchard is a slow-burning, psychological journey in an evocative setting. Mazie is the compelling young protagonist in search of answers, but predictably finds only more questions, while Lula is an ephemeral core of mystery that makes the plot feel like a tantalizing secret. Certain passages are heavy on detail, but they also contain brilliant flashes of authenticity, making this unassuming novel a worthy journey. Time, fate, family, and modern struggles come to a thought-provoking head in this engagingly tangled tale.

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If the bookshelf of a bibliophile could come to life, perhaps it would tell a story like the one Fiza Pathan has woven throughout Scenes of a Reclusive Writer and Reader of Mumbai. These essays are brimming with nostalgia and visceral honesty, rife with intensely personal detail, but also stitched together with universal wisdom. The language feels organic, but also carefully chosen and polished, a delicate balancing act that makes the writing feel effortless. Whether the recollections are silly or tragic, forgettable or seminal, the world as Pathan sees it is refreshingly accessible and richly layered.

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