Editorial Reviews

Combining deep reflections with cutting humor, Bardo Zsa Zsa by C.B. Murphy and Nicolas Murphy is a brilliant visionary sci-fi novel with elements of the philosophical, romantic, and satirical. Russ’s life is falling into pieces, especially since he has started being abducted by aliens, so in a deep state of depression, he decides to join the Heaven’s Gate cult, who believed they had been chosen by a group of superior, benevolent aliens for salvation. A story that is at once driven by pathos and sardonic humor – like Douglas Adams with a harder edge – Bardo Zsa Zsa is a […]

A barbed and blistering satire on current political affairs, Blaze Union and the Puddin’ Head Schools by W.T. Kosmos is an unbridled take on the absurdities of modern life, written for a middle grade audience. Driven out of their school district by a book-banning craze, a teacher goes to visit their friend Blaze Union on Puddin’ Head Island to try and cure their “absurdity neurosis.” A wild, Swiftian piece of imagination, W.T. Kosmos has unleashed a book as funny as it is urgent, boldly taking on vital contemporary issues for young readers.

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The cruelty of fate clashes with the power of resilience in Nowhere to Hide by Neil Turner, the latest gripping read in the Tony Valenti Mystery series. The relationships between Kevin, Pat, and Tony are crafted beautifully, while the antagonists of the novel are immediately evident, making it easy for readers to choose their side and stay there. With timely themes, compelling characters both familiar and fresh, and relatable storytelling about the dynamics within a family, Turner has delivered another thought-provoking gem of a thriller.

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Ray Keating has compiled an accessible, wide-ranging compendium that analyzes and clarifies the complexity of economics in The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Despite the political football that economics has become in the political sphere, Keating remains remarkably impartial here, offering fair critiques and reasonable assessments of economic decisions, theories, and policies across time. From JFK’s unusual taxation policies to the impact of Covid-19 on entrepreneurship, this is an impressive second installment of the author’s economics essays, avoiding repetition from the first collection, and offering cogent advice that feels more […]

A wild, hilarious novel that is also written with deep sincerity, I Was Once an Interesting Person by Patti Bean tracks the life of protagonist Katie from picket-fence 50’s conformity, through the substance-fueled hippie excesses of the Woodstock generation, to motherhood and the melancholy compromises of becoming an adult. Though written from the lens of a certain generation, the novel is eminently relatable to anyone looking back on their more rambunctious years, while wondering where the years have gone. An addictive, amusingly tangential read, which is conveyed with a distinctive voice and disarming frankness, Bean’s novel beautifully captures the idealistic […]

A galactic military thriller bursting with royal intrigue and adventure, Wielders of Woe: Inferno by Jeffery Roarke Jr. skillfully blurs the lines of sci-fi and fantasy. Fearlessly wielding the fiery powers of his mystical charna, Prince Halcion is forced to embark on an epic quest of redemption, determined to reclaim his stolen birthright. Slow-burning and patient, with revenge-heavy hints of Dumas, the detailed prose is sparkling and creative, while the expansive worlds that Roarke has created feel real enough to touch. Setting the stage for a compelling sci-fi/fantasy saga, Inferno is an exceptional opening salvo for a new series.[…]

Ninth Planet by Jason Palmer is a thrilling work of dystopian sci-fi short stories showing how a dystopic future is led much more by people’s darker instincts than it is by future tech. From aggressive marketing practices that have turned people into atomized and lonely individuals, to wars on worlds in which magic and weapons intertwine, this book gets the adrenaline running, while also offering profound reflections on the present-day world. Propelled forward by action, but also posing difficult questions about the future, Ninth Planet is the rare short story collection that is also a page-turner. Standing out from other […]

One young man must defy the oppressive distinctions of a futuristic society in Nations of Niche, a frightening parable of the future by Micah Ingram. In this uniquely imagined dystopia, one’s class has been replaced by one’s “niche,” resulting in a chilling allegory of a restructured world, wherein humanity has reinvented ideas of purpose, labor, productivity, and the meaning of life itself. At times, the book reads more like a fable than a novel, without much emotional development of the characters, but still with a clear focus on the thematic message. The premise is strong, but the book is […]