"There is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous." That quote from Napoleon holds true in Nigel Seed's novel, The Year of Fire And Ice: 1812, which indicates a fine line between success and failure. The story unfolds as Bonaparte speaks to three...

The Gates of Yoffa by J. Brandon Barnes is a compelling sci-fi novel that explores themes of identity, belonging, and the inherent longing for connection across cultural divides. Set against the backdrop of a distant moon, the story follows John Lewis, a complex character transitioning...

Tabula Rasa by Paul L. Centeno is a fast-paced epic fantasy with a powerful plot and a great antihero that will keep your mind occupied for days. Ordulis Cavo was a convict incarcerated for his war crimes. However, when a wicked sorceress starts looking for...

The Girl in the Toile Wallpaper by Mary K. Savarese is a most intriguing romance that includes time travel, adventures in both worlds, and the marrying of historical events to the present without drastically changing history as a whole. The characters in the story come...

The Rarkyn's Fall, the second book in The Rarkyn Trilogy by Nikky Lee, is an epic fantasy novel that follows Lyss as she grapples with uncontrollable, volatile magic that threatens her life. Outlawed and hunted, she journeys to Illredus, the capital of the Empire, in...

The Fly Who Knew Too Much is a satirical comedy by M. Taylor. The book follows the adventures of a mutant fly who finds himself in the company of a blonde actress from Malibu. Born in a dumpster behind Gelson's market in Calabasas, the fly...

This week I’ve been enjoying Cecilia Copeland’s science fiction novel Surviving The Gauntlet, which is the first entry in the Taltrix series. The story focuses on the journey of Redder Torch – a.k.a. RT – as she forges a path for herself in the...

Considering the lattice that connects in-between spaces, reconnecting shards of distant memory, or staring at a sidewalk sketch after a downpour are among ways of approaching The Sandpiper’s Spell, the stunning poetry compilation by Tom Pearson. Whether interpreting a languid moment or creating a narrative...

The Claíomh Solais by Declan Cosson is an epic fantasy set in early 20th-century Ireland. The story follows sixteen-year-old Damien O'Laoghaire, who, while working on an archaeological dig, discovers the legendary Claíomh Solais sword. Alongside his brother Seosamh and the enigmatic English archaeologist Eric Trent,...

The Black Dragon is the fourteenth book in The Executioner Knights series by Kathryn Le Veque, but it reads as a standalone story. Amid medieval England's tournaments, Addax, a skilled and wealthy knight, is torn between loyalty and duty. He came to England as a...