New Releases | Self-Publishing Review

The Accidental Empress by Justin R. Smith

A period novel elevated with magical powers, fantasy tech, and covert intelligence drama, The Accidental Empress by Justin K. Smith is a Shakespearean farce wrapped in the inventive shell of an alternate timeline.

Battling storms of doubt from within and without, Kristin is chosen as Iceland’s very first representative to the Temple of Knowledge and Miskatonic University. However, a terrorist attack on her airship plunges Kristin into the dark heart of European geopolitics, where this sheltered genius is coerced into temporarily taking on the body-double role of a freshly deceased Princess, heir apparent to the Iron Throne of Germany. Kristin […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-01-09T18:14:16+02:00January 9th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Beat Your Weight Beat Your Fat by Ian Breaker

Beat Your Weight Beat Your Fat by Ian Breaker Beat Your Weight Beat Your Fat: How To Lose Our Weight with Weight Loss Mastery by Ian Breaker is a hands-on guide to weight loss that looks at dieting from a different perspective. With clear writing and accessible scientific data, this is not the average diet book, but a companion towards a more mindful lifestyle.

Breaker’s nutrition program is based on a deeper understanding on just what we’re eating, rather than following strict rules without quite knowing why. Instead of starving ourselves, obsessively counting calories, and rushing towards the end line, Breaker’s method is built to work on the long […]

Marina Dora Martino2022-12-22T19:35:04+02:00December 22nd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Health Book Reviews|

Being Different by Ada Glustein

Being Different by Ada Glustein Being Different: From Friday Night Candles to Compassionate Classroom by Ada Glustein is a deeply moving memoir about childhood, education, and the challenge of fitting in.

Ada Glustein was born in Canada into a devout Jewish family who had migrated decades before from Europe. Excluded at school and at times bullied for being Jewish, Ada was painfully aware of how different she was from her peers. However, her experience taught her to be inquisitive, curious, and compassionate – the opposite of those who made her feel left out. Ada always chose to embrace diversity and learn from these early struggles, […]

Marina Dora Martino2022-12-20T14:11:34+02:00December 20th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Education, Memoir Book Reviews|

The Zalthagor Box by Terrie Schultz

The Zalthagor Box by Terrie Schultz The supernatural and the uncanny are at the heart of Terrie Schultz’s The Zalthagor Box, a fun and chilling middle-grade read that will appeal to adults as well as young readers.

Not yet 14, Evelyn discovers she has a rare power: she can see things before they happen. So far it has been more of a curse than a gift, as not only does her mother not believe her, but she’s bullied by everyone at school. When her great-aunt Lillian passes away unmarried and childless, Evelyn and her family travel down to Virginia to settle Lillian’s affairs. While learning […]

Marina Dora Martino2022-12-13T13:55:53+02:00December 12th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews, Paranormal Book Reviews|

The File by Gary Born

The File by Gary Born An accidental discovery in western Uganda summons monsters and memories from the past in The File by Gary Born, a thrilling international adventure.

Though Hitler may be long since dead, discovering the whereabouts of his golden treasure trove is a mission worth killing over, putting an innocent father/daughter team of researchers in the crosshairs of multiple countries. From the Deputy Director of the CIA and sinister Nazi sympathizers to deadly Russian operatives and an overly curious botanist, this novel is packed with colorful characters, and Born does an excellent job weaving each narrative together without losing readers in the weeds. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-12-08T16:31:41+02:00December 6th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Action and Adventure Book Reviews|

The First State by Tshekedi Wallace

The First State by Tshekedi Wallace A vicious and power-mad despot rules over London 50 years in the future in The First State by Tshekedi Wallace, a dystopian thriller with chilling echoes of our present-day world.

As tensions rise between the metropolitan police and the urban fist revolution, the line between justice and violence blurs more dangerously than ever. With a myriad of players, from noble rebels and simpering yes-men to political charlatans and sadistic authorities, this dark drama is Shakespearean, yet pointedly contemporary.

Thematically, the novel offers a strong warning for readers, as great sci-fi so often does. Authoritarianism is on the rise around the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-11-23T12:03:46+02:00November 23rd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews|

Contracts for Sale by Edward Izzi

Contracts for Sale by Edward Izzi A brilliant burst of crime fiction, Contracts for Sale by Edward Izzi is the latest of this author’s tension-dripping thrillers – a dark and gritty story of assassins for hire that is at once far-fetched and brutally realistic.

A hard-nosed journalist with an inside line to the Chicago PD, Paul Crawford is the mystery-unfurling investigator at the heart of this urban drama. It doesn’t take long to realize that solving a recent string of perfect murders is beyond the average detective’s pay grade, while Crawford’s sleuthing skills bring him to the deadly mix from a different angle. As he fills […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-11-22T16:32:45+02:00November 19th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Dive Bartender: Flowers in the Desert by T.K. O’Neill

Dive Bartender: Flowers in the Desert by T.K. O'Neill

Painting a gritty and visceral picture of life on the road, specifically the rugged west, author T.K. O’Neill crafts a haunted hero in his latest novel, Dive Bartender: Flowers in the Desert.

Frank is itching for a new chapter in Denver, but there aren’t enough mountains in Colorado to keep old habits and bad luck from catching up. Navigating a seedy minefield of manipulation, desperation, desire, and even hope, this wandering rogue of a protagonist finds himself in strange company, compelled to stay just a bit longer in decadence and pleasure, and delaying his California dreams one day at […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-11-22T16:01:19+02:00November 19th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|