Willow Stewart is a mesmerizing and relentless main character, though her relationship with her brother, Briar, is the unbreakable engine that drives this slow-brewing story. This interwoven tale of family, resilience, betrayal, and the moral evolution of a nation is powerful and stirring, but also subtle and humble in its storytelling. The novel is a striking meditation on America of the past and present, particularly when it […]
Tracing a legendary Confederacy treasure through the twists of time, In the Shadow of Gold is a sparkling piece of historical fiction by author Michael Kenneth Smith. As the president of the Confederacy races away from imminent capture, the treasury of the retreating Southern army takes another set of dubious tracks. A subject that has been hotly debated for decades by treasure hunters and historians alike, this is the dramatic reimagining of what happened to that long-lost trove of Confederate gold.
A tangled string of intertwined plots brings a group of fascinating characters into focus, helping to full realize the […]
A real estate appraiser and a “sensitive” finds herself deeply entangled in a tragic mystery stretching more than a century into the past in Boo Alert: Vol. 1 Trail of Tears by Moe Mae. In her quest to understand why these troubled specters are seeking her out, and what secrets of the past they hold, she draws the attention of an ancient evil that may spell her ultimate downfall.
Lauren’s unique abilities are front and center in the plot, from the very first chapter, but it is quickly apparent that something is changing within her. She has begun seeing the […]
Capturing the root, growth and revelations of romance during a tumultuous time in history, Uri Full of Light by author Holly Sortland is a vivid cultural snapshot and a delicate exploration of personal evolution.
Readers are immediately introduced to Hannah and Uri, the former a bold young woman with a penchant for white lies and profanity, and the latter being one of the few Jewish boys in his school – well-trained in letting conflict roll off his shoulders, to a point. This first impression is an important foundation, setting the tone for much of the authenticity that bubbles over throughout […]
Destiny-starred lives collide in Plagues and Princes: The Great Mortality, a dark historical fiction novel set in medieval England. A powerful tale of death and betrayal boasting exquisite language, unforgettable characters, and a tangled knot of a plot, author Thomas Schultz delivers a bold first piece of his new trilogy.
Thomas de Parr is a free-thinking young man in a world that crushes such spirits; he is faithful to his maker, but also insatiably curious, and dangerously independent. Surviving human history’s most horrific plague is only the beginning of this unpredictable adventure, which pits this young nobleman against the […]
Buddy, an unlikely half-Irish, half-Italian cop in the 1940s, is thrown into his own backyard to tackle a massive crime ring. The powerful family ties of this complex story make for a suspenseful tangle, while the relentless pace of the story will keep you gripped to the very end. As one might expect, it isn’t long before his new career and his own blood clash violently, […]
A brother and sister duo find themselves at the heart of their family’s oldest mystery in Summer in Gettysburg, a paranormal, time-jumping whirlwind by Evelyn Landane.
More than a century earlier, Summer Walker is trying to find some sense of peace in the bubbling cauldron of the Civil War, while also navigating the blushing waters of youthful romance. This richly written novel is set in two primary timelines, but the narrative arcs are tied closely by blood and family and an ancient house that holds many secrets, and more than a few ghosts.
The present-day plot feels like a […]
Two lost souls in search of timeless answers leave all they have known behind in Harvest Moon, Book 4 in Jenny Knipfer’s immersive and emotional By the Light of the Moon series.
The dual stories of Maang-ikwe and Niin-mawin show their vastly different experiences as indigenous people, but as their lives entangle, their natural alliance emerges. While navigating the perils of new social situations and cities, they both struggle to find a genuine balance between where they came from and who they are becoming.
Supported brilliantly by strong secondary characters and foils that leap off the page, rather than […]