Science Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Mortal God (The Infinity Chronicles – Volume 1) by E.F. Skarda

Interstellar warfare and sinister plots abound in The Mortal God by author E.F. Skarda, the first volume of The Infinity Chronicles. Following the exploits of a super-soldier with incredible abilities and devastating secrets, the saga rockets into high gear with this first installment, for an explosive and surprising sci-fi thriller.

Millennia in the future, Earth has frozen to an icy ball following a catastrophic solar system event, forcing humanity to the brink of extinction, but also driving them to explore the galaxy and spread. After more than 6,000 years of wandering the stars, they were saved by the Lord Gentry, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-14T15:18:33+02:00May 4th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Space Opera Book Reviews|

Arklight: Task Force Crusader by J.M. Myrick

Author J.M. Myrick delivers a conclusive masterstroke to his high-octane, eon-spanning series with Arklight: Task Force Crusader. Following on from the non-stop action of Operation Nightfall and Force Interdiction, the Spear and Alsos Teams work in tandem, but in different timeless, towards the same goal: stopping the horrific vision of the Fourth Reich and the Order of the Black Sun.

All of the loose ends and shadowy mysteries from the first two books are wrapped up in this intricate and riveting read. From Switzerland and Belgium to Okinawa and England, this book bounces between diverse landscapes, complex plot […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-22T03:07:26+02:00April 21st, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Time Travel Book Reviews|

Review: Memloots: The Exposition by Francis O’ Joseph

Memloots: The Exposition by Francis O'Joseph

Author Francis O’ Joseph immerses readers in a sci-fi world that looks oddly similar to our own in Memloots: The Exposition. Tapping into philosophy, religion, agricultural practice, economic theor,y and sociology, while still maintaining an air of whimsical adventure, this is a YA novel brimming with creativity and potential.

Philo Heartfield is like so many other young people on the planet Petrichor: studying hard and aspiring to earn a spot at a prestigious university. He dreams of traveling to Maraville, the home world of the intelloyds, outer-space philanthropists who have transformed his home into a thriving, livable planet.

Ringed by […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-06-02T07:30:23+02:00April 14th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Blowback ’94 by Brian Meehl

Blowback '94 by Brian Meehl

Author Brian Meehl brings his Blowback Trilogy to a compelling close with Blowback ’94, where Iris Jongler-Jinks finally gets her wish to hop through time, landing her squarely in the heart of the Belle Epoque in Paris, determined to find her mother and reunite the Jongler family.

Iris is joined by Arky, her time-traveling brother who just recently evaded death in the American Civil War, and the pair boast a brilliant dynamic as they try to unravel the last great mystery of their family’s cor anglais. Although neither of them planned to be tossed backward this time around, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-03-10T10:36:13+02:00March 9th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Time Travel Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

The Missing Son by Chamnol Cheng

When mysterious objects of a possibly alien origin begin appearing near his island home, Nakoy’s life and the safety of everyone he loves is threatened in The Missing Son by Chamnol Cheng.

After discovering a sinister metal structure in the forest, and then a slimy egg-like object floating in their fishing grounds, Nakoy’s family tries to hide these strange puzzle pieces, but they aren’t the only ones who know about these odd artifacts. A hundred light-years from Earth, a species called Asidrans have been sending their egg pods to different planets for generations, and they aren’t happy when one of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-18T11:46:03+02:00February 18th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Degrade (Tesla Expansion Book 1) by Mark Lingane

Degrade (Tesla Expansion Book 1) by Mark Lingane

Across the brutal landscape of a nearly parched Earth, MechRigs and MechCities vie for dominance in Degrade, the first book in the Tesla Expansion series by Mark Lingane. In a world where mobile cities wage desperate war like futuristic monsters, one young boy may hold the key to salvation – or destruction.

Arid Geiger is the seemingly hapless hero embedded at the heart of this story. While minding his own business in the blasted plains, searching for sources of precious water, he gets his small craft embroiled in a rig duel between two powerful factions. Miraculously, he manages to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-28T07:32:35+02:00February 16th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

The Matriarch by Frank Dravis

Intergalactic intrigue, forbidden romance, a missing agent from an advanced peace-keeping organization, and a primitive planet’s ultimate fate collide in The Matriarch, the second book of the impressive Dianis, A World in Turmoil series by author Frank Dravis.

A violent and self-serving mining company is threatening to take control of the precious aquamarine resources on Dianis, while Chief Achelous of the IDB has disappeared and is being hunted, but his son and wife may hold the secret to the planet’s powerful religious sect and the contentious world’s entire future. Heavy with military procedure, sci-fi drama, and remarkably detailed world-building, along […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-17T12:17:00+02:00February 14th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Casindra Lost by Marti Ward

Casindra Lost by Marti Ward The multi-author Paradisi Chronicles kicks off in celestial style with Casindra Lost by Marti Ward, in which Commander Jerome Sideris of the SS Casindra embarks on a solo mission across the stars – a lab rat on the first manned mission to the Andromeda Galaxy.

The front end of the book is exposition-heavy, introducing readers to a future universe of new technology and jargon, from nanorobots, cryochambers, and spider-like construction robots to Lagrangian points, wormhole theory, and EmDrives. The daunting vocabulary quickly becomes natural, however, so even readers new to the genre will quickly become immersed and comfortable.

The sci-fi […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-26T11:48:06+02:00February 7th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|