New Releases

SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books

The Burning Bandit by Lauren Louise Hazel

The Burning Bandit by Lauren Louise Hazel A sprawling and original adventure in a familiar magical paradigm, The Burning Bandit by Lauren Louise Hazel is a richly imagined work of high fantasy.

Sharing a bond borne from tragedy, Kai and Rayan are the outsider dynamos at the center of this novel, their entrancing destinies swirling around the other as the story unfolds. One is the heir to an empire, the other is a prisoner of war who climbs the ranks with the help of his innate powers of chi. When Earth and Heaven fall out of balance, power struggles threaten to tear the kingdom apart, and Rayan’s […]

2023-09-26T16:55:32+02:00September 26th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

2024… Your Year of More by Noah William Smith

2024... Your Year of More by Noah William SmithAuthor Noah William Smith offers straightforward and sage advice for finding greater happiness in his new book, 2024… Your Year of More, a personal yet universal work of self-help.

Presenting real-world examples and suggestions for everyday positivity and incremental growth, this is an uplifting and actionable guide for those seeking a shift in the trajectory of their lives, outlook, or ambitions. Many people may not actively seek out their values, or even adequately define what they may be, and this insightful read will help to remedy that situation, giving the book a unique value-driven approach to the self-help genre.[…]

2023-09-25T12:28:15+02:00September 25th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Queens of Moirai by Rhiannon Hargadon

Queens of Moirai by Rhiannon HargadonAn engrossing work of dark fantasy, Queens of Moirai by Rhiannon Hargadon is a wildly imaginative novel marked by the strong presence of gods, fate, and magic, drawn in part from Greek mythology.

Both grandly mythic and down to earth, the novel tells the story of Morena, descendent of the death-ruler Atropos, and her struggle to reunite the three Fates in order to bring balance and justice to the kingdom of Moirai. The three fates include Lachesis, who spins the thread of life, Clotho, who measures it, and Atropos, whose task is to cut it, and they have always ruled […]

2023-09-20T13:35:54+02:00September 20th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Simon’s Dream by Jeremy Howe

Simon's Dream by Jeremy HoweA psychological and paranormal crime thriller, Simon’s Dream by Jeremy Howe is a gripping hunt for long-overdue justice. Surreal, spiritual, and undeniably creative, this slow-burning novel digs into powerful themes of unfulfilled purpose, vengeful justice, and the casual violence of our modern world.

Simon Verner is still figuring out his future in the waking world, but once he falls asleep, he has begun occupying the life and memories of John Stinson, a heroic Chicago police officer whose brutal murder has become a cold case. Compelled to find the cop-killers, if only to get a good night’s sleep, Simon enlists the […]

2023-09-20T12:37:41+02:00September 20th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

The Blizzard’s Secrets by DJanée

The Blizzard's Secrets by DJanée

Power is rarely gained honestly, nor held gently, as author DJanée reveals in the stark novel The Blizzard’s Secrets, a fantasy parable of leadership and loyalty.

The Ruler of Taliver is acting strangely, asking the intrepid young Daia, future Commander of the Forces, to keep secrets from the Seer – a forbidden practice. Luring her into a trap, the Ruler sends her on a frigid mission into the unforgiving Tundra in search of a lost son, the one person who can reveal the truth of a murderous secret from the past. Selflessly determined to protect the current Seer from […]

2023-09-20T11:04:00+02:00September 12th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Through the Test of Time II by D. Angel

Through the Test of Time II by D. Angel

An unfiltered look into the author’s long road to recovery and stability following his prison sentence, Through the Test of Time II: As Time Went On… by D. Angel is a revelatory confession and a visceral memoir.

As Angel tries to piece together the shattered parts of his personal relationships, parental arrangements, and financial foundations, the hits keep on coming, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the slippery slopes of post-incarceration life. Though many of his problems seem driven by struggles with self-control, this narrative also examines common triggers of PTSD, steps of recovery after a variety of trauma, […]

2023-08-17T11:16:54+02:00August 16th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Marching with a Broken Shadow by Dyson Russell

Marching With a Broken Shadow by Dyson RussellA haunting and heavy anthology of emotionally driven poems, Marching with a Broken Shadow by Dyson Russell is a wide-ranging collection that tackles romantic ironies, universal agonies, and the simple pleasures of existence.

From reflections on nature’s nuanced beauty to kaleidoscopic analyses of true love and loss, these poems are unafraid to expose the unadulterated marrow of human experience. There is an exploratory and questioning undercurrent, and while musings on death, purpose, and love are common, Russell has a uniquely experimental voice that will make readers sit up and take note.

The diversity of the poems’ subject matter, length, tone, […]

2023-08-14T12:03:10+02:00August 11th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Murphy’s Luck 4: Jinx vs. Fate by Benjamin Laskin

Murphy's Luck 4: Jinx vs. Fate by Benjamin LaskinA laugh-out-loud punchline of a read, Murphy’s Luck 4: Jinx vs. Fate by Benjamin Laskin continues the tongue-in-cheek tradition of this brilliantly strange series.

Murphy’s accursed reputation has spread far and wide, drawing the curious and the conspiratorial, as well as the Fed-Uppers, who would rather his jinx be kicked out of their lives forever. However, a secret society suspects that he might be their prophesied Impossible Man, and Murphy will have to use his universe of hobbies and merit badge skills to keep himself alive and find out their true intentions at Camp Orpheus. His exceptional daughter, Phaedra, is […]

2023-07-27T14:42:34+02:00July 27th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |
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