Editorial Reviews

An affecting Proustian realist novel about childhood emotional development, Mary Taylor’s Dorian’s Quarterback is an accomplished rumination on the impact of sense memories and the nature of time. Following a young girl named Beth growing up in a privileged New England family in the 1970s, the novel tackles subjects like mental illness, teen suicide, and homophobia with genuine nuance and confident, intimate prose. The cover doesn’t nearly reflect the artistry inside, as author Taylor paints an arresting portrait of a girl coming of age in the midst of family crisis.

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A whip-smart revamp of Homer’s epic, The Woke Iliad by George Boreas is a carnival mirror reflection of today’s global chaos and a savage critique of political and social correctness, which doesn’t hold back. When the most disagreeable woman in America is kidnapped by the cretinous leader of Moldova, conflict is unavoidable and a nuclear holocaust is entirely on the table. While the prose is occasionally over the top, and the allegorical writing can be heavy-handed, the sardonic tone is consistent, biting, and undeniably amusing. This frightening vision of an over-woke future will have readers laughing out loud, but also […]

A quick-read self-help guide about achieving enlightenment in a complex world, L. Owen Paxton’s Your Little Big You Adventure: The Secret to Discovering Your Enlightened Life offers readers useful advice about self-discovery and not letting others define you. By effectively using the concept of a birthday suit as a metaphor for stripping away external pressures and revealing your true self, Paxton explains how to live a genuine life free from insecurity and fear, to be a more intuitive, creative self. Based on personal epiphany, Paxton’s writing is at once highly encouraging and informative. The text is sometimes repetitive, especially given […]

An exciting, heartfelt time travel novel perfect for fans of “Sense8,” Scott Swisher’s Ring Fold follows a group of young people who can surpass space through interdimensional gateways. Five children of top-secret scientific experimental subjects have inherited a natural time-traveling ability, and now a threatening government organization is trying to hunt them down. The premise may seem somewhat familiar, but Swisher mixes up scene-setting and action-based adventure exceptionally well, moving with the instant pace of a TV series. His imaginative descriptions of different historical periods transport readers with ease, and strong character development make this enjoyable sci-fi tale a standout.[…]

A charming, relatable, and colorful introduction to cybersecurity and general online safety, Oh No…Hacked Again!: A Story About Online Safety by Zinet Kemal is an important read for children in today’s gadget-filled, tech-driven world. The story of Elham, Imran, and their clever mom touches on potentially risky situations online that kids face all the time, even if they don’t realize it, and offers advice on how to stay safe and protect your privacy. Quick, simple, inclusive, and educational, this vibrantly illustrated book will leave readers with plenty to think about next time they jump online, regardless of their age. While […]

A uniquely strange novel about three people whose connection seems to span across multiple lifetimes and worlds, Ayan Pratap’s Compilers is a mysterious, slow-burn novel full of murder, sacrificial ceremonies, and meditative trances. An elderly rideshare driver down on his luck crosses paths with a witchy woman seeking her son, setting off a chaotic journey across portals to the unknown. A heady mix of visionary fiction with touches of fantasy and character-driven drama, Compilers will appeal to readers who like their horror to lean heavily on occult and esoteric themes. The novel may at times be too obvious in its […]

Saved by a mysterious woman one day and bought by her the next, Johnny finds himself tangled up and fumbling through the enigmatic worlds of art and event planning in Miss. A and Johnny’s European Escapade LONDON by Silver Vixen. However, books aren’t the only thing bound in leather in this exotic, newly-revealed realm of decadence and desire. Boasting prose that blushes, titillates, and teases, this pulse-pounding novella from the Femme Fatale Rescue Diaries is smart, steamy, and charming – the kind of high-end romance that will leave readers satisfied in all the best ways.

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A raw and savagely contemporary novella, Post-Bliss by Jay Honeycomb taps into the fears and existential angst of today through tangential, subtle, and compelling storytelling. An actor with nothing to lose slips into the confounding worlds of alternative medicine – new-age, natural, psychological, and artificial – while another plotline leaps around Australia on an abstract, reality-adjacent adventure. Mingling storytelling forms, playing with time, exploring dreams, and injecting the prose with powerful personal philosophy, this visionary read is dense with intention, allegory, and thoughtful commentary on the increasingly strange times of the present day.

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