Editorial Reviews

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 […]

A dystopian vision of a divided America comes pouring from the pages of The Greater Good by Seth Daniel Parker, a relentless prophecy of a novel that will make you shudder with recognition. A Job-like protagonist escapes the matrix of a mind-shattered nation to become a firebrand for the next revolution. With ominous and poignant undertones of Kafka, Orwell, Heller, John Kennedy O’Toole, and even Hunter S. Thompson, the author pulls back the curtain on a sick society, while poking fun at our unspoken and collective terrors with wit, shock, and raw storytelling power. Laced with timely social critique and […]

An engrossing remastered fairy tale from the delicate pen of author Jenny Knipfer, The Regal Pink is a well-crafted first installment of the Retold Fairy Tales series, which reimagines classic storylines. Flipping genre tropes of the damsel in distress, Diana is a rebellious and curious flower-fairy determined to free the wish-granting Daniel from the cruel clutches of his uncle. As these young protagonists chase down their own destinies, defying expectations and supporting each other’s journeys, the slippery slopes of love are seemingly impossible to avoid. With straightforward prose and a stripped-down storytelling style that moves at a fast pace, this […]

A Distant Light by D.A. Callahan is an original and compelling novel about the deep and troubled bond between two sisters. A terrible accident leaves ten-year-old Reagan an orphan and her legal guardian turns out to be her cold and bitter half-sister Payton. Not wanting anything to do with her, she sends Reagan to a faraway and – as it turns out – dangerous private school. After everything that has transpired between them, can Payton find it within herself to help her sister? A profound and heart-twisting exploration of sibling dynamics, A Distant Light is a multifaceted story that delves […]