Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Prince Must Die by Edward Anthony

Prince Must Die by Edward Anthony

In The Prince Must Die, author Edward Anthony pulls directly from the front pages of America and England, as well as the personality of President Donald Trump and the increasingly volatile issue of immigration and refugee movement. However, in this well-penned allegory, vampires exist, along with other mythical creatures, but they are the subject of extreme controversy in “Londarium” and “Great Bretan.”

When a decidedly Trump-like Colton Grant shockingly wins the election to become Grand Chancellor, he quickly institutes his brutal and merciless approach to the problem of vampires attempting to enter the country. He promises to build a massive […]

Captain Mullet and the Compass Rose by Joel Ratner

Captain Mullet and the Compass Rose by Joel Ratner In Captain Mullet and the Compass Rose, wisdom, longing and everyday life shuffle along for a curmudgeonly Navy veteran and a pony-tailed and pierced young man as they contemplate the profound and mundane in a small Florida town. The two meet as bridge-tenders, where the old man, Henry, resents the intrusion of young Eddie into life. Henry is stuck in a life of honor, complaint and routine. Eddie is youthful, free and bold, and challenges Henry at every turn.

Henry and Eddie come in and out of each other’s lives in Rock Key – they gather with friends at […]

Greg Rideout2018-12-21T07:41:06+02:00December 19th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Way of the Dog: The Memoirs of Eros, the Metaphysical Dog by Eva A. MacDonnell

The Way of the Dog: Memoirs of Eros, the Metaphysical Dog by Eva Ann MacDonnell

The Way of the Dog: The Memoirs of Eros, the Metaphysical Dog by Eva A. MacDonnell is a refreshing story about Eros, a puppy new to this world and his experiences, told from his unique perspective. A surprisingly insightful read, MacDonnell’s book will make the reader think about their relationship with not just dogs, but all animals and humans alike. The innocence, wisdom, love, and instruction that resides within the pages of the book will shift how you look at the world.

MacDonnell paints a picture with the dialogue between the characters; when Eros is speaking to his mother, […]

SPR2020-02-05T08:44:07+02:00November 19th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Raised on Rock by Thomas Drago

Raised on Rock by Thomas Drago

Anyone who has ever set a personal dream aside understands the pain and nagging doubt that can come along with such a decision. Youthful ambition drives us to pursue even our most outlandish hopes, but as the years pass, those old possibilities dwindle and narrow, even if we hate to admit it. In Raised on Rock, a novel by Thomas Drago, this challenging shift in reality is explored in stark detail.

Dante Rose has been enthralled by rock and roll since he was young, and chased that rocker lifestyle for years through small-town North Carolina with his band Thorn[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-03T12:19:40+02:00November 7th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Music Book Reviews|

Review: The Sojourners by T. L. Hughes

The Sojourners by T. L. Hughes

Mike Hogan lands in London with two friends looking for work but instead follows his heart across Europe on a soul-opening adventure in The Sojourners by T. L. Hughes. There’s drinking and late night philosophy in pubs, a meditative surfer in Germany, and love in Greece and Turkey, while Mike ruminates on the people and places glimpsed from trains, buses and mopeds, letting readers accompany him on this poetic travelogue.

The novel begins with twenty-something Mike and friends Luke and Decky completing a road trip from California to the East Coast, boarding a plane and landing in London looking for […]

Greg Rideout2018-12-19T13:45:36+02:00November 5th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Travel Book Reviews|

Inevitable Dreaming by Dave Dröge

In Inevitable Dreaming, the new novel from Dave Dröge, readers are pulled into a heartfelt story of loss and redemption.

When Waldemar van Splunteren’s life collapses in dramatic and tragic fashion, he finds himself with few friends and no idea how to move forward. As a forensic psychologist, Waldemar understands how complex and dangerous the human mind can be, but when a friend of his late wife suggests a cutting-edge form of digital therapy, he agrees, desperate for closure and peace. Quite the opposite happens, however, and he gradually begins to uncover the truth behind his painful past, launching […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-11-02T11:40:22+02:00November 2nd, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

A Child is a Piece of Paper by Lance Crossley

A Child is a Piece of Paper by Lance Crossley Raw… gritty…no single adjective can sufficiently describe the intensity of A Child is a Piece of Paper, Lance Crossley’s stark novel.

The year is 1960. Six-year-old Wanisin Blackwill and his older sister, Mitena, are forced to leave their Indian reserve outside of Fort Hope to attend a Catholic-run live-in school for Native American children. Once at the school, Wanisin and Mitena become Wally and Mabel, their former lives beaten out of them due to the relentless ministrations of their headmaster, Father Paxton. Childhood innocence is quickly replaced by humiliation, constant fear, and something much worse until the only recourse […]

Marta Cheng2018-11-02T10:09:18+02:00November 1st, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Outlandish and the Ego by O. Ryan Hussain

The Outlandish and the Ego by O. Ryan Hussain

In these days of political turmoil and uncertain global peace, it can be hard to find a reason to laugh, but O. Ryan Hussain’s new novel, The Outlandish and the Ego, provides an uproarious release. In a new genre of literature the author calls “political erotica,” this novel discusses serious topics and trends in the world…without ever taking itself too seriously.

The book is cleanly divided between the sarcastic and the surreal, beginning with the Aide, a ruthless and ambitious wretch who has wriggled his way near the highest halls of power. In his endless bid to increase his own […]