New Releases | Self-Publishing Review

Escape the Future by T. Schneider

The powerful effects that dystopian realities can have on young people is a common element in post-apocalyptic fiction. In Escape the Future, the gritty new novel from Tom Schneider, this youthful perspective is highlighted, and in the horrors of a world where all the lights have gone out, three young protagonists must find a way to survive and protect those they love most.

In this raw depiction of the future, Schneider masterfully depicts Eva, Layla and Henry, three distinct and uniquely motivated young characters that infuse this story with authenticity. The family dynamic makes this story as powerful as […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-10T06:01:16+02:00June 13th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction Book Reviews, Post-Apocalyptic Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Isabella’s Painting (A Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1) by Ellen Butler

Isabella's Painting by Ellen Butler The first book in the Karina Cardinal Mystery series, Isabella’s Painting introduces a highly entertaining protagonist who navigates this mystery thriller with wit and gritty determination.

Karina Cardinal is smart, hardworking and, to her dismay, a good girlfriend, who instead of spending quality time with her boyfriend, is putting on airs at her in-laws annual holiday party. It is her attendance at this party that sets the story into motion when she catches a glimpse of a Vermeer painting in her father-in-law’s possession. Caught between contacting the police, which would inevitably lead to her boyfriend’s family’s demise, Cardinal makes the […]

SPR2018-06-11T10:20:07+02:00June 10th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|

Murphy’s Luck 2: Revenge of the Jinx by Benjamin Laskin

Murphy's Luck 2 by Benjamin Laskin Murphy’s Luck 2: Revenge of the Jinx follows a story as wacky as the characters – Murphy Drummer, an infinitely unlucky man, finds himself again in a sticky situation: the middle of a bank robbery. There, his bad luck seems to be contagious, and his efforts foil the robbery and garner the attention of the FBI. The story is fast-paced and consistently funny, throwing the reader into the hurricane that is the life of Murphy Drummer.

Laskin writes with a light and humorous touch, portraying the absurd in such a clear and matter of fact way that you can’t help […]

SPR2021-11-29T05:56:31+02:00June 4th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Humor|

Children of the Gods by Konrad Koenigsmann

Children of the Gods by Konrad Koenigsmann A clever and creative origin story, Children of the Gods by Konrad Koenigsmann presents another potential explanation for humanity’s origins in an expansive and erudite work of fiction.

After popping from a timeless void, a greater being bred his assistants, gods in all but name, who in turn designed humanity as one of many experiments. However, when those humans manage to escape into reality, they must wrestle with the philosophical weight of existence, as well as the knowledge that they were never meant to be real.

Koenigsmann takes a new angle on ancient mythology, with unruly children eventually betraying their […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-07-13T06:15:14+02:00June 1st, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

Midsummer’s Bottom by Darren Dash

Midsummer’s Bottom by Darren Dash In a glade near Limerick, Ireland, a troupe of actors gather for their 20^th anniversary production of Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” unaware of a plot by real Feyland fairies to sabotage the performance and end the production for good. Del and Finn, planted among the actors, work to turn the cast against each other with the help of magic dust.

Jealousy, lust and ambition add to the chaos as the Midsummer Players spend two weeks rehearsing and lurch toward a fateful performance of the play. Midsummer’s Bottom by Darren Dash delights with Shakespearian couplets and a cacophony of human […]

Greg Rideout2019-11-04T08:04:12+02:00May 16th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Fantasy Book Reviews|

Karma’s Envoy by Kevan Houser

Karma’s Envoy by Kevan Houser is very clear in its mission to displace the reader along with Todd, the main character, in a narrative that is at once humorous and haunting.

The story begins with the rapid thoughts and memories of a man who has just committed something unspeakable, which triggers a memory of his mom and dad, and the family’s trips to Oregon. However, it turns out that none of it was true, as Todd asks, “Was it a scene from a movie, or something I made up?”

With this page-turning ending to the prologue, we are thrown with […]

SPR2018-06-23T06:24:35+02:00May 14th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Berlin Butterfly: Ensnare by Leah Moyes

Berlin Butterfly: Ensnare by Leah Moyes In Berlin Butterfly: Ensnare, author Leah Moyes has presented a truly human story of heartache and familial devotion during the Cold War in East Berlin.

The story begins on August 12, 1961, the day the barbs were laid in preparation for the Berlin Wall. 15-year-old Ella must make the decision that many of that time had to make: leave your family and be free, or stay and suffer the tyranny of Khrushchev. The lives on the other side of the wall may have seemed so much greener, but the relationships that were built, the love that was longed for, […]

SPR2018-05-10T12:09:12+02:00May 10th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Interflow of Things by Dave Dröge

In Interflow of Things, the new novel by Dave Dröge, humanity’s self-destructive tendencies are kept in check by a hyper-intelligent AI overlord, X.yy, for a frightening vision of a possible future.

By dividing up society into four categories – leaders, hard workers, creatives, and useless members of society – artificial intelligence has designed an ideal reality for saving humans from themselves. However, as one can imagine, there are those who rebel against this robotic domination, and want desperately to unplug from the façade all around them.

While some elements seem derived from “The Matrix” and other popular sci-fi stories, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-10-11T10:53:39+02:00May 9th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|