Fantasy Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Through the Villain’s Eyes (Primordial Realms Book 2) by Stacy Benedict

Immersing oneself in a strange new world is what fantasy is all about, but imbuing magic and mystery into the world most humans recognize also makes for great storytelling. Through the Villain’s Eyes by Stacy Benedict is a veritable masterpiece of the macabre, with real-world contexts and settings that juxtapose brilliantly with the slight edge of magic flowing through the pages of this book.

In this dark, supernatural novel, there are Primordials and those that hunt them, including the mysterious and violently fascinating Blaire, one of these terrifyingly tough hunters. However, she isn’t sure about being a tool of pure […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-03-28T10:38:06+02:00February 27th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: He Who Leads by M.A.N.

★★★ He Who Leads

The Akachi clan has a new leader, as Amare has taken the title of chief after the death of his father. No sooner has he accepted the role than problems begin to multiply. There are questions of succession to contend with, demons lurking in the night, and the basic needs of the clan to see to. If the clan is to survive, they must move as well. Their lands are no longer safe, but they face a hostile clan to one side and a pair of warring neighbors to the other. It doesn’t take long for Amare to find […]

Mindy Hood2018-02-16T11:42:06+02:00January 29th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

The Story of Evil – Volume I: Heroes of the Siege by Tony Johnson

In the tradition of classic fantasy, the first volume of The Story of Evil by Tony Johnson is a remarkably creative and engaging novel that introduces readers to a new world of magical creatures, noble heroes, and sinister monsters.

When the capital of the kingdom, Celestial, is attacked by savage monsters in the midst of a jousting tournament, the balance of good and evil takes a shift towards darkness. Three young adventurers – Ty, Steve and Kari – must rise to the occasion, far beyond their youthful experience, to protect the home they love and turn the tide against the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-01-25T09:48:08+02:00January 24th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Last of the Sages (The Sage Saga Book 1) by Julius St. Clair

★★★

When the world is threatened by the sinister forces of evil, heroes always rise from unexpected places. In The Last of the Sages, the first book of the epic Sage Saga by Julius St. Clair, readers are pulled into the mystical world of Allay, where magic and danger are everywhere, and where the life of young James is about to change forever.

After being told by his father that he is being sent to the Sentinel Academy – the mysterious training center that shapes young men of the kingdom into warriors – he decides to run away, but […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-01-31T10:05:59+02:00December 18th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Sorcerers’ Dynasty by Stephen Perkins

★★★★★

Sorcerers’ Dynasty by Stephen Perkins presents a wildly creative take on a world beyond our world, and the reality that has been obscured from mankind for eons. With an intrepid fringe reporter named Dan Sheraton on the case, this eternal secret just might finally see the light of day.

The novel offers a remarkably complete and well thought-out world that lies beneath the one that we know. Something sinister is going on out in the desert, with insectoid sentries, heavily armed military installations, and the deadly stench of secrets. The danger goes far beyond the typical cloak and dagger […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-07-26T10:44:53+02:00December 5th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Daffodil Hill and the Purpose of the Lavender Fields by Danette Key

Quaint, small-town charm belies an inexplicable presence in Daffodil Hill and the Purpose of the Lavender Fields, a highly imaginative novel by Danette Key.

Daffodil Hill is a pleasant, laid-back little village in upstate New York with a population of just a thousand citizens. Not much happens in this sleepy little village so when sacred gardens become vandalized and strange footprints are found in the forest, cries of disbelief soon turn to demands for justice. Little do Daffodil Hill’s citizens know but their small village is under siege by a perpetrator the likes of which no one has ever […]

Marta Cheng2017-12-05T09:33:23+02:00December 5th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Identity (Salinor the Beginnings Book 2) by Samuel Alexander

★★★★

The world of Salinor is one of magic and lies, and as one unravels, so does the other. With the reverberations of the War of Beginning felt in every corner of the world, heroes must rise to meet the new dawn to come…

Identity by Samuel Alexander is the second book of the Salinor the Beginnings trilogy, and follows on successfully from the debut title, Revelations. Like the first book in the series, Identity boasts an engaging and creative fantasy world with a focus on characters and the peoples as the world begins to change.

The mystical aspects […]

James Grimsby2017-12-21T12:04:23+02:00November 17th, 2017|Categories: Book Excerpt|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Kilian: A Broken Prophecies Story by S.A. McClure

The classic fantasy story of “unwitting hero discovers his much larger destiny” gets a new twist in Kilian: A Broken Prophecies Story by S.A. McClure.

Like so many heroes before him, Kilian Clearwater is a humble and unassuming hero that is forced into a world of magic, intrigue and danger that he never imagined before the opening pages of the novel. While McClure does fall back on some stereotypical elements of this genre niche, there is a simple grace to the writing, and a unique new world for readers to explore.

Unlike overly wordy and description-heavy fantasy novels, the author […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-10-09T10:25:27+02:00October 9th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|