Science Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Maredian by Susan B. Iris

A futuristic sci-fi thriller with a wildly unique hook, The Maredian by Susan B. Iris delivers a riveting dive into human identity and the powerful threads that connect all life in the universe.

When Gracie Pinto goes out for a last-minute 80s-themed birthday celebration, little does she know that reality on Earth is about to irrevocably change. The Maredian, an advanced alien civilization, makes first contact that same night in a cataclysm of fire and destruction, killing billions outright and capturing countless others, including Gracie.

Onboard the alien megaship of mangled prisoners, torture, enslavement, and death, Gracie miraculously finds a […]

Review: The Monarchs by Mark Sabbas

Stunning in its messaging and epic in scale, The Monarchs by Mark Sabbas is a remarkable work of visionary science fiction.

A powerful young child with uncontrolled psychic abilities, Samuel Helen is unlike the other cognitively evolved children in the military research facility he begrudgingly calls home. Some people view these gifted “new youth,” born in increasing numbers each year, as the next stage in human evolution, while others see them as potential weapons. Isolated from the other research subjects in the facility, for fear of a rebellion, Samuel is experimented on like an animal, in an attempt to free […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-04T18:45:47+02:00November 4th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Latest Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

Heavy Weight of Darkness by JM Erickson

A violent clash of duty, truth, morality, and vengeance, Heavy Weight of Darkness by JM Erickson is a soul-searching second piece to an exceptional sci-fi series.

The interplanetary “terrorist” Cassandra Kurtz has become a liberatory force to be reckoned with, terrorizing the wealth-wielding Patrician class by freeing slaves and disrupting their colonization efforts on Mars. Acting Captain Thomas Bennett, after two years of reputational destruction and imprisonment for failing to kill that same rebel leader when he had the chance, is given a redemptive shot at revenge. However, Bennett’s experiences on the opposite side of the truncheon have changed him, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-17T16:00:17+02:00September 17th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Gemini Project by Ian Moran

Author Ian Moran paints a terrifying picture of moral collapse in the guise of progress in The Gemini Project, a timely dive into the worst fears of humanity’s fate.

In a climate-ravaged future, society has solved the problem of ecological destruction and greed through a severe yet subtle program of population control. For students at The Corpo Academy for Development, this means being separated from their fathers for the first eighteen years of life, avoiding any education that might inspire critical thought, and dedicating themselves to physical development in preparation for their post-graduation purpose.

Jan Ericson is not your […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-10T10:19:24+02:00August 20th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Chronicles of the Space Marauders: Jericho’s Odyssey by William Rongholt

A rapid-fire mix of western and space opera, Chronicles of the Space Marauders: Jericho’s Odyssey by William Rongholt will satisfy readers of both classic sci-fi and westerns alike.

An artifact of untold power pulls Jericho and the Desperado crew into the crossfire of merciless enemies, both new and ancient, and having their memories wiped certainly disrupts their easy freedom as rambling space marauders. Armed with their wits and some fancy new gear, the roguish captain and his robot sidekick face down deadly factions, outsmart aspiring AI overlords, and navigate high-stakes heists to bring balance to their Wild West corner of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-08-13T17:10:44+02:00August 13th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Western Book Reviews|

Review: Ira by Jason F. Boggs

Packed with dreams of vengeance, intergalactic scheming, and even some sci-fi levity, Ira by Jason F. Boggs is an unpredictable new chapter in the Devil’s Dragon series.

After her epic defeat at the hands of Nelson, Alene, Wong’s Pirates, and an alliance of fearless humans, the villain Ira Bilis has fled to the shelter of the stars, furiously plotting her next move in a war she refuses to abandon. After following a quantum-jumping orb through a sungate to a new star system, Ira finds an enigmatic but untrustworthy ally who sought her out to join forces and rule at her […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-06T15:51:26+02:00July 30th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Citadel by Frank Dravis

Power-hungry corporations, priestly pirates, extraterrestrial warriors, benevolent guardians, and the ghosts of ancient aliens collide in The Citadel by Frank Dravis, the explosive third installment of his Dianis, A World in Turmoil series. A female-led epic that brilliantly blends classic and contemporary sci-fi themes, this adventure of cosmic protectors and priceless planetary bounty is a meticulously written marvel.

Disguised as a simple Dianis trader, Achelous has been captured and is now being shipped to the heart of the Nak Drakas Empire, where he faces a potentially gruesome fate for his supposed crimes, but one of his clever captors suspects that […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-07-24T13:00:29+02:00July 23rd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Paradox by Michael Woudenberg

The essence of humanity is challenged by the sentience of technology in Paradox by Michael Woudenberg, a timely and ominous first installment of The Singularity Chronicles.

Apparent heirs to a world-changing legacy, Kira and Noah are first linked to the field of AI by the loss of their mother and the potential of their absent father’s genius to extend her consciousness beyond death. Kira gravitates to the academic realm, excelling in her studies and research as she tries to shed the unavoidable shadow of her father. Noah instead pushes back against the technology that “stripped his mother of her […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-08-19T12:39:09+02:00July 23rd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|