Editorial Reviews

A steamy, complex, and empowering read from Pax Sinclair, Queen Bee is the fifth and final installment of the author’s romance-soaked Love@Work series. As Nina navigates the world of corporate success, family drama, and casual lovers on her own independent terms, she also wrestles with confusing desires from the past and lucrative temptations on every side. Sinclair explores a broad variety of relationships with an authentic pen, from supportive siblings and flirtatious best friends to oppressive parents and questionable professional interactions. The writing occasionally leads the reader, while other scenes feel rushed, but it’s a wholly satisfying work of romance […]

A colorful and unique celebration of multi-disciplinary art, Artwords by Beatriz Robles is a collection of found poetry, calligrams, photographs, artistic reflections and so much more. From poems and household item canvases to hand-drawn confessions and Warhol-esque crafting, there is endless imagination on display, while the paired writing cannot be overlooked. The book is filled with vulnerable stories and illustrated verses, examining everything from youthful femininity and childish expectations to eroticism, music, natural beauty, and unity. Undeniably original, this collection reveals an impressive selection of Robles’ vivid work, which defies categorization but demands attention.

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A masterful blend of today’s rampant global crises with a strong supernatural undertone, The Proxima Plague by Robert Thornton is a captivating work of paranormal fiction. Dr. Hope Allerd returns for another biological thriller, but this time she’s facing extinction-level stakes, with sinister creatures being released worldwide via a viral outbreak. Eerily familiar in its premise, while keeping the paranormal theme locked to our current reality, the novel never rushes through authentic character expansion and nuanced scene-setting. Mutating between dystopian drama, gritty fantasy, and brutal social commentary, this is a twisting tale of investigation and imagination, and one that wickedly […]

A delightful children’s picture book about a wild tiger named Mike, Michael A. Brown’s Whose Fault? Not Mine! is an engaging story about the significance of accepting responsibility. Mike hunts prey with his friends and discovers that being kind to others is sometimes more important than benefiting yourself – an important message for children that is continually entertaining, given the book’s sweet, vivid illustrations and spirited storyline. The sections where the narrator intrudes on the text might be a bit sophisticated for young children, but author Brown’s endearing humor and illustrator Milan Samadder’s colorful landscapes are charming throughout.

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A stark curation of powerful poetry, Marigold by Cece Ma’moon asks hard questions about heartbreak, and serves as a meditative collection for the countless others who have loved and lost. Though many of these pieces feel centered on abandonment, grief, confusion, and isolation, there are also moments of flickering hope, faith, and curiosity for the future. While the entire book can be read in one sitting, these thoughtful and carefully worded poems are impactful, as the pieces read like mantras or koans, meant to be savored and considered. As both a confessional and a companion in grief, Marigold is deeply […]

A powerful testament of unwavering faith and divine conversations, One Day I Met An Angel by Francesca Darien-Hyde is an inspiring and affirming work of religious exploration. Delving into biblical texts and applying them to modern-day problems, while highlighting the messianic path, this is a dense and challenging examination of the Bible’s traditions, and how they’re carried on today. The angel-wing watermark and font choices make the reading experience more challenging than it needs to be, and the entire book could use a final proofread for small aesthetic errors and oversights. However, for dedicated believers, the author’s commanding tone, lived […]

Time Trap II by Richard Smith is a riveting race against the clock that YA readers will be hard-pressed to put down. Hector and Catherine’s peaceful new life explodes when ancient keepers of the time-travel crystals task them with another dangerous mission – teaming up to outwit a sinister British villain and prevent a future-shifting massacre of revolutionary proportions. The blurred lines between historical fact and fantasy fiction make the reading experience an immersive and intriguing pleasure. Smith poses philosophical questions that pit science and ethics against magic and youthful ambition, giving young readers important ideas to chew on, along […]

In the aftermath of war, a fearless mother with a powerful gift and a hunted boy trying to stay alive see their lives collide in the genre-defying novel, That Blinding Darkness by John-Mark Kruger. An unexpectedly compassionate and thought-provoking tale, filled with well-crafted symbolism and timeless themes reflected in unusual ways, this unique and compelling read is wildly original. The occasional stretch of unformed prose, including a handful of missing words, and some conveniently filled plot holes, could use more attention, but Kruger deserves high praise for this masterfully constructed mixture of western, sci-fi, and dystopian fiction.

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