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Showing Tag: " fantasy" (Show all posts)

"Hierophantasy" by Kyle James

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, March 1, 2024, In : Book Reviews 

I’m not necessarily a big fan of high fantasy of the otherworld and dragons variety, so it’s great to see one like this, which doesn’t take itself seriously.  Oh, I don’t doubt that behind this mocking façade Kyle is actually a huge fan of the genre – he is simply too knowledgeable and accomplished not to be – but you can see that he takes great pleasure here in dissecting its usual tropes and clichés in the name of satire.  Despite that, though, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide-esq...


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"The Further Travels and Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen" by Ross Stein

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, In : Book Reviews 


Bizarrely offbeat, this book is part fantasy, part satire and generally overall, I think, mostly literary fiction.  Those familiar with the original Baron Munchausen tales – and I refer now to the book, not the tall stories told about the real man himself – will recognize this as much of the same, with the same strangely vivid, visual setpieces and abstract palette, though I have to say I’m not entirely sure why the author chose to pigeonhole himself with a direct sequel to a literary c...


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"Faith" by Nick Nielsen

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, February 15, 2024, In : Book Reviews 


I won’t lie, it was a slightly tough read, this fantasy thriller from Nick Nielsen.  Not because he isn’t a good writer, by any means; quite the contrary, in fact, he is an exceptionally good writer – in fact, I think this might actually be the issue for me; he is too good.  This is a great story, with some fantastic writing, tremendously well edited, but, if I’m being as obtuse and simple about it as I can, the book simply felt too long.  There is an exceptional number of words – s...


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"The Land of Now and Then" by Irene Edwards

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, December 4, 2023, In : Book Reviews 

Another magical outing for the kids of White Stone Town in Wales, their third in this series, and in my opinion this may well be the best of the three, if only for its pure educational value.  Don’t get me wrong, all the books in the Magic Islands series, aimed at the 8-12 age group, are fantastic sources of information about the planet and the environment generally, but while the earlier two books were much more explicitly cautionary tales about the environment, and the dangers of man-made...


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"Rider's Blood, Moonlit Black" by Myka Silber

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, November 27, 2023,


I really enjoyed this short, engrossing tale, which seamlessly weaves genres into a concise, yet utterly enjoyable narrative.  Although short, not epic by any means, this otherworldly story of a young, western-style gunslinger living in a mystical world inhabited by monsters and mages still manages to encapsulate complex characters and emotive depth.  There is plenty of action, and pretty gripping it is, too, combining old-fashioned shootouts with magical wards and spells, but the real qualit...


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"Seeker of the Secret" by Rohini Sharma Bhambi

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, October 29, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


This interesting and particularly eloquent book throws you a huge curveball, not once but three times.  By the title alone, I was expecting a young-adult sci-fi fantasy.  By three-quarters of the way through, however, this assumption had changed, as Seeker of the Secret then seemed to have taken a more spiritual turn, toward a troubled soul’s journey toward self-enlightenment, following tragedy in her life.  But then, in the final quarter, the book swerved off into an entirely different dir...


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"The Ruler's Soul" by C.R.

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, October 13, 2023, In : Book Reviews 

Although long and very wordy, this book was actually a great deal more enjoyable to read than it might have been.  A very simple tale with a basic, linear premise: two ancient souls separated by different paths, but the forbidden love between them is eternal – even if one of them doesn’t yet know it.  Other than this, there isn’t really much more of a story arc – and, in fact, that’s a good thing.  The author rather prefers to concentrate on the emotions, expertly crafting the two p...


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"Chaos in the Cosmos" by Irene Edwards

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


The second instalment in Irene Edwards’s Magic Islands series of books for 8-12-year-old children, and I have to say that, in my opinion, this is something of an altogether slightly darker offering – not so much in its content, but rather the environmental message.  In the first book, the message was clear: we should care for and respect our oceans; but in Chaos in the Cosmos, the world is literally burned by those mean Purple Wizards, who have accelerated global warming in revenge for th...


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"Magic Islands" by Irene Edwards

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, In : Book Reviews 

This is the first in the Magic Islands series of books from Welsh author Irene Edwards, and it is something of a treat.  These are charming books for younger kids, I’d say from the eight to twelve age range, and the series gets off to a promising start with this exciting tale combining light-hearted magical fantasy with an important environmental message.  There may be some people who say why does this always have to be the case; why can’t we just allow kids to be kids without always tell...


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"Starlite" by Jonathan Latt

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, February 24, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


This is a book which is full of surprises, and doesn’t ultimately really go in the direction I thought it might.  For the most part, it’s actually pretty fun, and overall I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I thought I would.  In other ways, though, it perhaps irritated a touch, though I would say not really enough to put me off reading the now obviously inevitable sequel.  Sorry, I don’t want to spoil, but this point does bring me quite clearly to what was by far my biggest bug-bear wit...


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"Dark Days: The Dragon Engine" by Bobby Tsui

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, In : Book Reviews 


I had mixed feelings about this exciting near-future sci-fi, my biggest of which is the plot itself.  Whilst a somewhat interesting premise for a book, I have to say that much of it either wasn’t clear or didn’t necessarily gel into place – at least for me.  As always with this genre, the threat is an existential one for humankind, but perhaps in a conscious move, Tsui has mixed the fantasy tropes up a little, by putting a dragon in the middle of a Bladerunner-esque noir thriller.  In t...


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"The Keeper Part 1: An Invitation" by Craig Speakes

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, December 4, 2022, In : Book Reviews 



What starts as something of a children’s story evolves as it progresses, into something altogether more suitable for older kids – that said, it does feature a talking cat.  A bit of a book of two halves, I found the first part promising, the second more formulaic in fantasy sci-fi.  I should say, all in all, this is probably a book for the younger teen, though some of the battle scenes (some of which are quite epic), may be slightly less suitable for that particular audience.

Generally p...


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"Annunciation" by Ciara Houghton Ruane

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, December 1, 2022, In : Book Reviews 


This book is better when you think back on it in hindsight, and I have to say that even during writing this review I have improved my rating of it slightly, as I think over the quality of its workmanship and its writer.  I like the premise, of an unassuming, modern-day teenage girl chosen to be the mother of the second coming of God’s son.  It is a book which doesn’t delve too deeply into either the goodness or the darkness of the bible – though there is a fair bit more of the latter th...


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"Redcap, Whitecap, Goblin, Thief" by Vaughn R. Demont

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, October 30, 2022, In : Book Reviews 

If you like something different, hard to categorize, genre-crossing and interesting, this is definitely one for you, but be advised, it is one for the more broad-minded reader, and despite its high-fantasy elements (goblins, sluagh, shapeshifters, etc.), it definitely falls into the more gritty, adult mould.  I had a few issues getting along with the book myself, and some of it was a touch crude for my tastes, but from a creative point of view I won’t suggest that it doesn’t hit some real...


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"Samhain Secrets: World Premiere" by David R. Demar, Chris Schaffer, Vaughn R. Demont, Sierra Dean

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, October 24, 2022, In : Book Reviews 

Not usually a great fan of fantasy, but this book was a neat little surprise.  Four decent, entertaining and pretty unique tales, each individually penned by a different contributor, set one Halloween in the moody, fictional melting pot of Argent City, a town populated by supernatural beings and mythical shapeshifters living unnoticed alongside us.  Though generally pretty easy reading, brooding but not dark, these are more pure stories than snippets of tales, yet still there is an air of pul...


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"The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses" by K.N. Smith

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, September 1, 2022, In : Book Reviews 


This is about as contemporary Young Adult as it gets.  Smith’s book very nicely encapsulates the standard elements of a group of high school friends who encounter a mystical force which gives them enhanced powers, then have to protect their hometown against a mysterious and malevolent villain.  Whilst there is, in fairness, nothing particularly outstanding about Discovery of the Five Senses, it isn’t a bad book, either.  The author K.N. Smith, however, seems something of a rough gem of a ...


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"Mindbender" by Avinash Naduvath

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, June 12, 2022, In : Book Reviews 


This is an interesting book, with a good storyline, and Avinash writes it well, articulately and professionally.  It does feel a bit too long, though, and is indeed a very wordy book, which is perhaps hindered a little by this fact.  The reason for this is that at times it is quite easy to lose focus, as many of the same points are revisited time and again, but take long word counts to reach the bullet points.  I do like the multi-person narrative viewpoints, but again, because you spend so l...


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"The Ascension of Annie" by Siobhan Chisholm

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, May 27, 2022, In : Book Reviews 



Nice easy reading, Siobhan’s emotional fantasy doesn’t really break any boundaries, but you can tell the author has put all of her heart and soul into it, which comes through on every page.  The premise is a compact and concise one, about a grieving young woman who discovers a fantastical realm of the afterlife.  Apart from this and the sad backstory, it doesn’t delve too deeply into a storyline, other than Annie planning to set out on a journey of spiritual discovery as a response.  Th...


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"Fancy Shop" by Valeri Stanoevich

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, January 31, 2022, In : Book Reviews 


Valeri’s is a moody and particularly well written book.  His prose is eloquent and artistic, as he shares her intriguing tales of mystery, melancholy and perhaps macabre.  Despite a wide variety of genres, which seem to range from horror to sci-fi to historical fantasy, there is a common style throughout, and at times, as he moves from one narrative to the next, it becomes a little difficult to discern between them.  That said, each of these little anecdotes is a distinct work of art and ch...


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"Compilers" by Ayan Pratap

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, January 16, 2022, In : Book Reviews 



Quite a gripping and entertaining story, the first half of which has almost noir-thriller style about it, with some Sin City-esque darkness about it.  About midway it switches, and the second half is pure monster fantasy, like some Satanic 70s horror film.  This isn’t a bad formula, to tell the truth, but it did feel a little disproportionate, in terms of its elements.  For example, very little actually happens in terms of bullet-point events in the story, and at times it felt like a decent...


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"Art Farm" by Marc Dickerson

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, September 4, 2021, In : Book Reviews 

A very smart and funny book, I really enjoyed this one.  Don’t take the metaphor too seriously; in fact, I would say forget about the bizarre story altogether and just enjoy Dickerson’s clever writing and laugh out loud, dry wit.  This is more a book about the author than the characters (if there is any differentiation), and I suspect there is a lot of Marc’s self in all of the ensemble he has presented in Art Farm.  It is fantastical biographical, I am sure, but first and foremost it i...


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"Tales From an Odd Mind" by Nom D. Plume

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, August 12, 2021, In : Book Reviews 

I wouldn’t necessarily call Nom D. Plume’s mind an odd one, so much as a very high functioning, obscure one, and good luck trying to get on the author’s tangent – though if you do, you’ll be rewarded, for sure.  I like short stories and poetry, and I really like this collection, too.  The tales, I would say, are more like little vignettes or snippets of narrative, as bizarrely offbeat as they are exceptionally intelligent and well written, and as utterly random as they are astutely ...


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"Chromaspace: Conscript" by Megan Alnico

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, In : Book Reviews 


I’m sorry to say that I found this book quite a tough read, and that is definitely not because of Megan’s writing ability – far from it; she is intelligent, talented and highly eloquent.  I think perhaps what I struggled with a little was her writing style.  Or, perhaps more accurate it might be to say styles, because, to tell the truth, it did feel at times as if I was reading two different books.  The deep fantasy – surprisingly, for me – was actually fine; Megan crafts a tremendo...


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"FaeRhysian" by Song Joo

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, May 23, 2021, In : Book Reviews 

This is a good book, and one which I must say I enjoyed in the main.  If I am being honest, though, there is a large section of this entertaining epic which threw me off somewhat.  Until midway it is a pretty straightforward, rousing fantasy actioner, with more than a passing nod to Game of Thrones and the like, but then in the second half of FaeRhysian, the magical high-fantasy element becomes more prominent, the characters begin to embark on time-crossing “treads”, and the story starts ...


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"The Friends of Allan Renner" by Dave J. Andrae

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, May 17, 2021, In : Book Reviews 



Bizarre, fun, cynical, emotional, educational, superficial, entertaining – there are many different adjectives which could be used to describe The Friends of Allan Renner, but its genre might not be quite so easy to pinpoint.  I guess you could categorize it primarily as literary fiction, although some of which occurs is too narrative in style to pigeonhole it as such – furthermore, often the description doesn’t even apply.  The friends of the piece are the very small handful of individ...


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"Rosie Shadow" by Louise Worthington

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, In : Book Reviews 



This is true horror from Louise Worthington, and genuinely creepy it is at times, too, with a vividness to its setpieces which would make Richard Laymon proud.  With her usual moody, atmospheric and psychological writing style, and characters with more layers than a Viennetta, Louise gets under your skin with Rosie Shadow, and stays there, increasingly itching you as the book goes on.  Part supernatural, part gore-thriller and part emotional drama, this is a well-crafted fairytale for adults,...


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"Utopia Project: Everyone Must Die" by Billy Dering

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, April 26, 2021, In : Book Reviews 



Unlike some other dystopian future sci-fi books, this has a very simple premise – and that is by far its biggest strength.  With the premise that, for the benefits to a privileged few thousand, correctly conditioned, the entire planet’s human population is instantaneously wiped out – the objective for this obviously explained by the title “The Utopia Project” – it is the ultimate worst-case dream/nightmare scenario.  Of course, as always with the genre, the forecast “Utopia” i...


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"The Connection" by Dana Claire

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, January 5, 2021,


This was a fun book.  I would say it is clearly Young Adult, but I did find the language at times a little bit coarse for a younger audience – or perhaps not.  It does have all the standard ingredients: the high school girl with a crush on the quiet loner; inter-species attraction; sinister agency men in dark suits – this strikes me as Y.A. sci-fi fantasy through and through.  As such, perhaps not necessarily my cup of tea – I always struggle to keep engaged, and always find the inevita...


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"The Empress and the Arctic Tern" by Angie Chasser

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


This was a very good, very professional book, and my rating may seem a little contrary in this respect, but if I’m being quite honest, I did struggle with the writing a touch.  Not that Chasser is not high quality – she most certainly is – but more so that with this particular standard tale of magic and medieval fighting fantasy, the problem for me was perhaps not so much its content, but its pace.  To tell the truth, I always find fantasy extremely tough to bond with, and even harder t...


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"Misery of a Halfling" by Serge Sanin

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, September 21, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


I have to be honest, when I first saw the blurb for this book, my heart sank at the thought of yet another otherworld, magical fantasy.  But, while this book is kind of that, and certainly seems to plummet in that direction in the second half, for the first half of the book I was actually very surprised to see that it was nothing of the sort.  What it is, in fact, is a cynical, sardonic and at times very funny satire on day to day life in the office workplace, and an excuse for Sanin to pick ...


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"Lucifer's Star" by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, In : Book Reviews 

This interesting and exciting thriller is pure sci-fi, and certainly seems to be Phipps’s forte.  It is gripping, has a good storyline, infused with just the right amount of darkness and a large stroke of light-hearted character interaction.  A simple tale, about a noble-blood galactic pilot turned freedom fighter when his world surrenders to the galaxy’s ultimate power, who finds himself fighting alongside his enemies years later.  Whilst not an unfamiliar story, of course, this book is ...


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"The Best Week that Never Happened" by Dallas Woodburn

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Saturday, May 23, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


An incredibly melancholy, yet ultimately heartwarming tale about death… and about truly living.  The “reveal”, shortly before midway, is of course entirely obvious right from the off, but a twisty tale is not the point of this lovely book; Dallas has created a moody, heartfelt and emotional journey, with something of an air of mystery in the first half.  After this, the book becomes more of a full-blown fantasy for romanticists – by fantasy, think Mills and Book, not Frank Herbert.

T...


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"The Corral Ring" by Thomas Richards

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, May 8, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


Whenever I am sent a historical fantasy with “Volume 1” in its title, my heart sinks a little.  This genre is particularly characterized by long word counts and abrupt, unfulfilling endings.  But, in this book’s case, while it certainly does have the former, the latter is thankfully avoided by this tremendously good author.  Yes, it is part of a saga, and yes, it is long and wordy, but it is also self-contained in its own right, feeling like more of a chronicle from the series, with thr...


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"The Eden Complex" by Elise Leise

Posted by Margaret Walker on Monday, January 13, 2020, In : Book Reviews 


It took me longer to review the novella than to read it! 

It is nicely edited. I found two small typos in the entire MS.

The ideas of power, desire and human aspirations are quite exciting and, although the vignettes that comprise this novella are evocative, the author could, if she liked, flesh out the characters. That would help the reader because, for such a short novel, there are a lot of characters.

The briefness of the vignettes creates tension and drama. It is dramatic and elegantly...


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"An Unwanted and Unwilling Hero" by E. Gourm

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, November 21, 2019, In : Book Reviews 

This philosophical and dialogue-driven medieval fantasy immediately opens on a puzzling situation, which is always a great way to start a book, as our initially unnamed hero awakens in a strange place, with no memory of who he is or how he got there.  One thing which is very soon clear is that he is from a time and culture vastly different to the dark ages he now finds himself in, though he has no recollection of how he acquired the hugely impressive combat skills which he is very soon requir...


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"The Seven Gifts Within Us" by The Sailor

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, October 20, 2019, In : Book Reviews 

Right from the very first moment I started reading The Seven Gifts Within Us, I felt a huge smile growing on my face, and it didn’t go away for the duration; this book is an utter delight.  I was expecting a sermon about faith, but this isn’t that; it is so much more.  It is a sermon of sorts, but far more universally applicable than to be simply applied to people of faith; all readers, if they are human, can take guidance from the overall message in this book.  The seven gifts are reveal...


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"Myth Agent" by L.A. MacFadden

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, August 11, 2019, In : Book Reviews 


“Myth Agent” is a lot of fun, and MacFadden’s quality is apparent right from very early on; an incredibly engaging and intriguing book, which is perfectly written by an author with a wonderful narrative voice.  This inoffensive and universal tale of time-travel is gripping, with a small streak of unidentifiable menace running beneath it, which grows very subtly in tension, eloquently setting up the reader’s anticipation by its midway point.  With its increasingly dark undertone, MacFa...


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"We Have Met The Enemy" by Felicia Watson

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, July 15, 2019, In : Book Reviews 




Although set in the 31st century, I think it is fair to say that the science fiction element of “We Have Met The Enemy” seems somewhat incidental, as this book relies so heavily on its soapy backstory, there could really have been anything going on in real time, and the outcome would have probably been the same. 

Indeed, whilst Felicia actually has a really good sci-fi imagination, the genre does not appear to be the primary objective of her writing.  Rather, family melodrama is the most...


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"Dart" by Dale Renton

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, In : Book Reviews 


At first sight this sci-fi action fantasy hybrid seems to be similar to many others, but in reality it is quite a distance better than the average.  Set on a  terraformed planet, 600 years from now, “Dart” has not only the very current cautionary messages about the environment and the fears of mass migration, it also handles, rather intelligently, the growing concerns about potential dangers of A.I. in future, taking a more “HAL” approach to it, than “Terminator”.  That doesn’t ...


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"THE TRANSLUCENT BOY AND THE CAT WHO RAN OUT OF TIME" by Tom Hoffman

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, In : Book Reviews 

I was sent this book as a free review copy, and as I read – because I tend not to read blurb before my review reads – it became immediately clear that this was the second in a series.  Because I had also not read the first instalment, this fact did give me a few problems, in terms of context, setting and character backstory; I had to piece much of this together myself.  There were even aspects – such as the era in which it is set – which I didn’t realize until right near the end; fo...


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"MONOLAND: BEYOND THE MONOCHROME" BY E.A. MININ

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Sunday, May 26, 2019, In : Book Reviews 



I have been fortunate enough to get first peek at all three books in Minin’s excellent “Monoland” trilogy, and as a collective piece of work, the premise and story are interesting and well crafted.  Bringing a sense of full circle and completeness, “Beyond the Monochrome” is a creative and satisfying end to this mind-bending fantasy saga; in my opinion, it is also the best book of the three.

With the world in the grip of nuclear war, the grey afterlife stepping stone of Monoland is...


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"GNOSIS" BY RICK HALL

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, April 29, 2019, In : Book Reviews 


“Gnosis” is generally entertaining and well-written by Rick Hall, even if, for my tastes, there aren’t things about it which particularly stand out.  It falls very firmly in the young-adult / sci-fi / fantasy camp and features all the usual formulaic elements of this contemporary cross-genre: the resourceful but unwitting teen heroine, with psychic abilities bordering on superpowers and shady government figures in pursuit, to either kill her or harness her ability.  The author himself, ...


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"DIE BACK" by Richard Hacker

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Thursday, February 7, 2019, In : Book Reviews 


Nicely written by a good quality, professional author, this fantasy is more a time-travelling actioner, which is exciting and engaging.  Richard Hacker has a good knowledge of history, and has done his research very well, but, gladly, doesn’t overplay it – the focus of this book is the formula, with its 3 acts, its heroes, love interest and a ruthless super-villain, who craves no less than total domination of the space-time continuum. 

The story is a good, interesting one; the ability o...


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"MERMAIDS ARE REAL: THE MYSTIQ PRONG" by BO WU

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, October 12, 2018, In : Book Reviews 




This vivid and colourfully descriptive book goes straight into full-scale fantastical with very little warning.  Telling the tale of Benji, a thirteen-year-old boy who finds out he is, in fact, a mermaid/man, it seems two-parts children’s book to one-part grown-up.  Personally, I feel it is much better in its mature moments, because the story, once it starts to form, is a pretty good one – and an important one at that.

Wu is clearly passionate about the life in our oceans, and the messag...


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"CHANGE OF CHAOS" By Jacinta Jade

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, March 19, 2018, In : Book Reviews 


This book is a long, yet surprisingly easy to read first instalment, to what looks like a very promising YA saga. I have to admit, I gulped when I saw the word count – almost 150,000! – yet, those words flew by pretty quickly. Jacinta has a very appealing writing style, which draws you in and does not tax the brain a great deal; her characters seem likeable enough, and there are some promising elements. However, it is ultimately a tad disappointing, a fact probably compounded by its lengt...


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"SONGS TO NEW YORK" by Myrtle Brooks

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, February 2, 2018, In : Book Reviews 




"Songs to New York” is a light-hearted and tender anthology of ten short stories, with overtly bountiful references to the author’s love affair with her home city – a quality which I, as a proud Londoner, relate to completely, and find more than a little endearing.

These sometimes mystical, sometimes fantastical, and always utterly charming tales are loaded with metaphors, commonly underpinned by two in particular: the city itself, as a breathing, living, warm and loving being, and the c...


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"MONOLAND: THE SHIMMERING MIST" by E.A. Minin

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Monday, January 22, 2018, In : Book Reviews 



I was delighted when Jevgenijs sent me this sequel to “Monoland: Into the Gray Horizon” – the second in the series – and have been anticipating its arrival for some time.  The first was one of the best, most imaginative books I have reviewed to date, and, in many ways, “The Shimmering Mist” is better.  It picks up at the very moment its predecessor ended, with Owen and Dizz facing imminent punishment by the justice system of their grey-scale afterlife Purgatory. 

More so than the...


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"ENDOHUMAN: LOVE vs. DUTY" BY NICK DREAM

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, In : Book Reviews 



“Endohuman Part One...” is a very strange book to review, in that it unexpectedly crosses genres in several respects. While this is ordinarily something I very much like to see, and the author deserves huge respect for constructing this imaginative story, I finished it with mixed feelings.

The writing was very good, and I was enjoying the book a great deal, in spite of the fact that up to a point, pretty much half way, in fact, it seems your average YA fantasy, with all the usual elements:...


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"SUPERI: REBORN" by Clint Thurmon and Christina Williams

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Tuesday, August 22, 2017, In : Book Reviews 



The first impression of “Superi: Reborn” is that it is incredibly well-written, by a very skilled author (or two, in this case).  Even before the book has opened, the attention to detail is made clear, as is the passion the authors have for the world they have created, by the detailed map and character index provided – elements which are often hallmarks of the fantasy genre.

There is an immediate air of oppression in this book, and it is clear straight away that the world of Superi is on...


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"Monoland: Into The Gray Horizon" by E.A. Minin

Posted by Matt McAvoy on Friday, May 19, 2017, In : Book Reviews 



I was drawn to “Monoland: Into The Gray Horizon” by the cover and the premise: that of a young man trapped in a “land of grey”, immediately following the moment of his death.

“Monoland” is another name for Purgatory – it is neither Heaven or Hell, but a biblical world in between, which runs parallel to our own dimension, here on Earth.  The book deals with some interesting concepts: the feelings of love and loss, the realization that eternity is forever, and a being has to ca...


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Hierophantasy by Kyle James
****
Fantasy

A Curse in Kyoto
****½
Mystery

Faith by Nick Nielsen
***½
Thriller

Baron Munchausen by Ross Stein
***½
Fantasy

Legacy of the Third Way by Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi
****
Political

Final Video Game by Craig Speakes
***½
Adventure

Mamluks of Thunder Island by Aly Brisha
****
Sci-Fi

Pedro's Pickles and the American Dream by David Ek
****
Drama

Plausible Liars by Lin Wilder
****
Drama

The World We Deserve by T.K. Kanwar
*****
Drama

Second Hand Rose by D.E. Fox
***
Horror

Hardened Steel by Victor Gregor
****½
War Drama

Why Not, Coach? by Gregory Ryan
****
Reference

Necessary Death by Preston Fassel and Chris Grosso
*****
Psychology

The Waiting Room by Annika Galloway
*****
Short Stories

The Land of Now and Then by Irene Edwarda
*****
Children's

Rider's Blood Moonlit Black by Myka Silber
****½
Fantasy

Owning Anxiety by Tracy Lynn James
***
Self-Help

Water Music by Marcia Peck
***
Drama

War Torn Book 2 by Jan Lloyd
****
Drama

Seeker of the Secret by Roshini Sharma Bhambi
***
Y.A. / Sci-fi

The Crossroad of War and War by Bokang Murdock Montjane
****
Drama

The Ruler's Soul by C.R.
****
Romance

Make the Dark Night Shine by Alan Lessik
*****
Wartime LGBT

Starzel by Mark Bertrand
***
Sci-Fi

The Confessions of Pope Joan by Gary McAvoy
****
Suspense

Children in the City of Czars by Irmgarde Brown
*****
Drama

Saint Richard Parker by Merlin Franco
***½
Drama

How to Fix the Smile of a Crocodile by Rebecca Kurien
****
Children's

A Perfect Finish by Chris Lude
***½
Drama

Unfurling the Sails by Sarah Branson
****
Young Adult

Sexy Erotic Lingerie by B.C. Howard
****
Thriller

The Power of Wholeness by Verlaine Crawford
***
Self-Help

Eyes of the Beholder by Swinn Daniels
***
Romance

Chaos in the Cosmos by Irene Edwards
****
Children's

A Spooky Wish by Irene Edwards
****
Children's

A Chance to Change by Derek and Amy Weichel
****
Faith

Mac: The Wind Beneath My Wings by Sherry Hobbs
*****
Memoir

Autosarcophagy by Helen Cova
****
Short Stories

Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III
***
Crime Mystery

Caught in the Crossfire by Lance B. Wilkins
*****
Historical Fiction

In the Garden of Shadows by Karen Jewell
****½
Drama

The Benevolent World Banker by M.K. Nielsen
*****
Drama

10 Indelibles by Philip A. Brown
***
Non-Fiction

The Galileo Gambit by Gary McAvoy
***
Thriller

Blood Fortune by Brock Rivers
****
Sci-Fi / Action

Attachment Patterns by Stephen Metcalfe
****
Comedy-Drama

No Man's Mercy... No God's Forgiveness by John Hayden
***
Thriller

The Ponce Factor by J.D. Crawford
****
Sci-Fi

1000 Fun Facts For Immature Adults by Bryan Spektor
*****
Trivia

Bully by Sara Aurorae
****
Drama

The Melancholy Strumpet Master by Zeb Beck
****
Comedy

War Torn by Jan Lloyd
*****
Thriller

Read This Book After 5 Years by Blanche La Mar
***
Self-Help

Hurt No More by Rebecca E. Chandler
****
Self-Help

Project Neon by Jonathan K. Crockett
****
Sci-Fi

Starlite by Jonathan Latt
***
Sci-Fi

Kafka in Tangier by Mohammed Said Hijouij
***
Literary Fiction

I Am Fun Size by Anjali Bhimani
***
Motivational

It Won't Hurt None by Rebecca E. Chandler
*****
Memoir

The Jerusalem Scrolls by Gary McAvoy
****
Thriller

The Nine Lives of Felix the Tomcat by by M.P. Frank
***
Comedy

Embracing God by Chris Tham
***
Faith

Welcome to Opine by Matthew Marullo
****
Satire

Dark Days by Bobby Tsui
***
Sci-fi

Women: An Operator Guide For Young Men by Will Goodrich
*****
Comedy

Forsaking Church by David Alexander Shaw
****½
Drama

The Talking Forest by Kay Broome
****
Spiritualism

The Keeper Part 1 by Craig Speakes
***½
Children's

The Queen's Player by Anthony R. Wildman
****
Historical Fiction

Covenant Spring by Christopher Watson
***
Drama

Annunciation by Ciara Houghton Ruane
***½
Drama

The Pulse by Owen Garratt
****
Drama

The Black Widow by Louise Worthington
*****
Poetry

Samhain Secrets by Demar, Schaffer, Demont, Dean
****
Short Stories

Redcap, Whitecap, Goblin, Thief by Vaughn R. Demont
***
Fantasy

Destiny of Determination by Cathy Burnham Martin
*****
Semi-Biographical

Contrarian by Lucas Sterling
***½
Action

Alone Against the Sea by Lance V. Packer
*****
Drama

Pirate Penance by E.Z. Prine
***½
Comedy

Pirate Booty by E.Z. Prine
***
Drama

Have You Eaten Rice Today? by Apple Gidley
****
Romantic Drama

The Manifesting Book by Kathleen Montgomery
****
Self-Help

Pirate the Rock Band by E.Z. Prine
***½
Comedy-Drama

Salt and Light by Jonathan Geoffrey Dean
****½
Drama

Dissovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith
***
Young Adult

Chasing the Reaper by Sarah McKnight
****
Fantasy

The Avignon Affair by Gary McAvoy
****
Suspense

The Reaper's Quota by Sarah McKnight
****
Dark Humour

Parenting and Teaching With Love and Logic by Christine M. Pearce
****
Parenting

Bully Boy by Tom Wade
****
Drama

Immunity for Murder by David M. Beers
****
True Crime

Zoe Hearty and the Space Invaders by T.E. Norris
****
Sci-Fi

Mindbender by Avinash Naduvath
***
Sci-Fi

True Crime Stories You Won't Believe by Romeo Vitelli
*****
True Crime

The Ascension of Annie by Siobhan Chisholm
***
Fantasy

Black, White and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds
****
Memoir

An Independent Woman in Yugoslavia by Iris Novak
****
Memoir

Where There's Smoke There's Liars by Aleksander Eaton
****
Satire

The Savoy and Other Stories by Stephen Murphy
***½
Short Stories

The Case of the Absent Answers by R.L. Fink
****
Children's

All Roads by R. Mark Vinson
****
LGBTQ Memoir

The Petrus Prophecy by Gary McAvoy
*****
Mystery

Going Outside by Robert Levin
****
Short Stories

Grow 10x With C.R.O. by Anthony La Rocca
*****
Marketing

Faces We Love: Shanghai by Derek Muhs and Marisa Tarin
****
Photography

The Forty Knots Burn by Lynn Hesse
***
Crime Fiction

You Only Live Thrice by Karl Perry
****½
Memoir

Identity Crisis by T.K. Kanwar
*****
Political

Keeping It Under Wraps: Parenthood
*****
Non-Fiction Shorts

Fancy Shop by Valeri Stanoevich
****
Short Stories

Holding Fast by Susan Cole
*****
Memoir

50 States by Richard R. Becker
****
Short Stories

Travels With Maurice by Gary Orleck
*****
Memoir

Pooch Problems by Christopher Poston
*****
Educational

Compilers by Ayan Pratap
***
Horror

Naturally Supporting Cancer Treatment by Jenny Graves
****½
Therapy

The Serpent's Star by Sarah Ickes
***
Western

Bravery Doesn't Come From a Copper Coin
****
Comedy / Drama

The Opus Dictum
****
Thriller

The Resurrection of Boraichee by William Natale
***
Comedy / Drama

The Firebase by Glyn Haynie
*****
Vietnam War

The Ambush by Glyn Haynie
****
Vietnam War

Being Netta Wilde by Hazel Ward
****
Drama

Certified by Roger Wilson-Crane
****
Drama

The Ville by Glyn Haynie
****
Vietnam War

Musings, Woolgathering and Ghosts by C.K. Sobey
***
Poetry

The Tunnel
****½
Vietnam War

Fill the Gaps by Andrew Johnston
****
Comedy / Drama

Art Farm by Marc Dickerson
****
Comedy

Tales From an Odd Mind by Nom de Plume
****
Short Stories

Scroonathan by Ram T. Daryanani
****½
Festive

Humankind by Michael Whitehead
****
Drama

Shadows Unveiled by Amanda Berthault
*****
Drama

Just My Luck by Lelia Coles and Rosilyn Seays
****
Drama

The Vivaldi Cipher by Gary McAvoy
****
Mystery

The Soprano, The Monster and The Dragonslayer by Vashti Stopher Klein
***
Poetry / Art

Bouncing Back From Difficult Times from Mary Ann V. Mercer
***
Self-Help

Topically Challenged by Christopher Fielden
****
Flash Fiction

Cold Star by Dick Woodgate
****
Spy Thriller

Passion, Purpose and Profits by The Prosperity Sisters
*****
Motivational

How to Marry a Ukrainian Supermodel by John and Angela Klose
****
Reference

Roller Rink Starlight by William Hart
****
Coming-of-age

Consequences by David Grantham
****
War Memoir

Bold Soldier for Jesus by Peggy Thorns
****
Faith

Chromaspace: Conscript by Megan Alnico
***
Sci-Fi

Not Literary by Auriane de Rudder
****
Short Stories

Drinking and Knowing Things by Michael Amon
*****
Reference

FaeRhysian by Song Joo
****
Fantasy

A Basket Full of Hands by Ram T Daryanani
*****
Thriller

Find Love Overseas by John Klose
***
Dating Guide

The Friends of Allan Renner by Dave J. Andrae
****
Comedy

Rosie Shadow by Louise Worthington
****½
Horror

Dr. Glass by Louise Worthington
****½
Psychological Drama

User Story Confusion by Chris Lewis
***
Professional Development

Willow Weeps by Louise Worthington
****
Supernatural Thriller

Sunshine Blues by Bob Calverley
****
Crime Thriller

The Utopia Project by Billy Dering
****
YA / Sci-Fi

The Magdalene Veil by Gary McAvoy
****
Mystery Thriller

Earthbound by Fynn Perry
***
Paranormal Thriller

The Cluttered Mind by Deborah J. McKenna
***
Self Help

Caught Between Worlds by Lance Packer
****
Drama

Stranger in a Homeland by Kyle McCormick
*****
Travel Memoir

Diet For Great Sex by Christine H. Lozier
*****
Health / Nutrition

How to Start and Grown an eCommerce Business by Charles Camisasca
*****
Business

William Ottoway's Utopia by Christopher Griffith
***
Short Stories

The Dyslexia Code by Karl de Leeuw
****
Reference

Tiny Planet Filled With Liars by Stephen M.A.
***
Sci-fi / Comedy

The Lifer and the Lawyer by George Critchlow
*****
Non-Fiction

The Ordinary Leader by Geoff Lew
****
Historical

Vidas by Edward Stanton
****
Travel Memoir

The Connection by Dana Claire
***
Young Adult

The Savvy Ally by Jeannie Gainsburg
****
LGBTQ+

Death Honk ny JP Mac
****
Short Stories

The Bodies That Move by Bunye Ngene
*****
Drama

Bellybutton by Daniel Felix
***
Memoir

The Future is Autonomous by Phillip Wilcox
****
Technology

A Compendium of Unusual Tales by Ramsey Harrison
****
Short Stories

Krampusnacht by James Drummond
****½
Horror

Beat Your Weight, Beat Your Fat by Ian Breaker
****
Nutrition

The Art of Accepting Yourself by Marlow Pierce
*****
Motivational

The Second Poison by Pieter Wilhelm
****
Crime Thriller

The Little Book of Greatness by Ari Gunzburg
*****
Motivational

Moscow Honey by T.M. Parris
****
Spy Thriller

Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston
****
Children's

The Magdalene Reliquary by Gary McAvoy
****
Thriller

The Empress and the Arctic Tern by Angie Chasser
***
Fantasy

Pelham on Parole by Carl Plummer
***
Comedy

My Life For Her by Robert J. Saniscalchi
****
Action Thriller

Sinai Unhinged by Joanna Evans
****
Science Fiction

Ralley Point by Daniel Bishop
****
Family Drama

Twelve Spies of Moses by Bruce Hampson
*****
Historical Fiction

Burn Me Out by Brandon Barrows
****½
Crime Thriller

Control: The Foundation of Life by Lance Packer
****
Reference

Misery of a Halfling by Serge Sanin
***
Comedy

The Iron Lady by Daniel Fellows
****
Thriller

Death Unexpected by Galen Barbour
****
Medical Thriller

All the Bay's Clams and All the Bay's Men by John Bauer
****
Drama

The Interesting Detective by David Alexander Brown
***
Mystery

Woods by J. Rodin
***
Mystery

Money Bags by Michael G. Browne
***
Comedy-Thriller

Strange Karma by Willow Healy
***½
Thriller

Hinterland by Lorna Brown
****
Drama

Justice Without Mercy by R.L. Burgess
***½
Sci-fi

Restless by Jedidiah Appiah
*****
Faith / Motivation

Ultra Betrayal by Glenn Dyer
****
Espionage

IHVJ: The Love Code by Foster Grant
*****
Thriller

Revenge is Coming by Glyn Haynie
*****
Action Thriller

Why is Everything Closed? by Lauren Patterson
****
Children's

The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
****
Historical Fiction

Nobody Would Listen by R.A. Merrill
*****
Autobiography

The Liminal Lands by Robyn Sheldon
****
Spiritual Memoir

Thryke by Simon Gary
*****
Comedy

Reborn by T.M. Parris
****
Spy Thriller

Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus
***½
Sci-fi

A Prince Who Destroyed My Life by Asia Jamil
*****
Non-Fiction

Straight Outta Fangton by C.T. Phipps
***
Action/Comedy

Killer Instincts by Anna Lee Rose
***
Romance/Thriller

The Surgeon's Obol by Arthur Williams
****
Comedy/Medical

The Perfection of Fish by J.S. Morrison
***
Comedy/Offbeat

Bird in a Snare by N.L. Holmes
****
Historical Fiction

as Maryam's Tree Stood Witness by Ali Kasem
*****
Family Drama

A Sparrow Alone by Mim Eichmann
****
Historical Fiction

Suicide Squeeze by Steve Hagood
****
Action

Dr. Insomniac by Samatha Polisetti
****
Memoir

The Magdalene Deception by Gary McAvoy
****½
Mystery

Lying Beneath by Kevin Moran
***
Mystery Thriller

A Nation Interrupted by Kevin McDonald
*****
Thriller

The Best Week that Never Happened by Dallas Woodburn
****
Romance

The Dead Don't Sleep by Steven Max Russo
***½
Action

Think Laugh Cry by William Baga
****
Short Stories

The Shepherd God by Matt Taylor
*****
Historical Fiction

On the Wrong Side of God by Harry Boyd
****½
Non-fiction

Servant Leader's Manifesto by Omar L. Harris
*****
Business

Photography for Well-Being 1 by Lee Aspland
****
Photography

The Corral Ring by Thomas Richards
*****
Historical Fantasy

Call Numbers by Syntell Smith
***
Drama

No Pianos, Pets or Foreigners by Joe Palermo
***
Memoir

Raven by Sue Loh
****
Mystery

Not Pregnant by Karina Savaryna
*****
Memoir

The Power of Targeted Choices by Luis Pisoni and Aurora Mazzoldi
****
Self-Help

Hotel Inspire by Douglas Warren
***
Drama

Return to the Madness by Glyn Haynie
*****
War / Action

The Final Weekend by Neal Cassidy
***
Comedy

Ivy is a Weed by Robert M. Roseth
****
Crime Thriller

Resilience During the Pandemic by Nick Arnett
*****
Motivational

Will and Mysteria by Christa Reynolds
****
Self-Help/Spiritual

The Power of Music and the ADHD Brain by Luz Galindo
****
Psychology

The Latecomers by Rich Marcello
***
Drama

Monsters Inside by Ric Rae
***
Sci-fi / Horror

Butterfly Lake by Robert J. Saniscalchi
****
Action

Our Teenage Years by T.J. Wray
****
Memoir

The Soloist by Donald Gates
****
Espionage

Lady Father by Rev. Susan Bowman
****
Memoir

Catamaran Crossing by Douglas Carl Fricke
*****
Memoir

Black Shade of White Justice by Cattleya
****
Fantasy/Romance

The Strawberry Road by Ritch Gaiti
****
Spiritual

Red Hail by Jamie Killen
****
Sci-fi/Mystery

Bullets and Bandages by Robert J. Saniscalchi
*****
War Fiction

Who's There? by Dimas Rio
*****
Short Stories

Beautiful Things by Eloise Kelly
****
Drama

Golgotha by Guy Portman
****
Dark Comedy

I Learned it From You by Kevin Douglas Wright
*****
Documentary

Boulder County by Marc Krulewitch
*****
Crime Drama

Stronger than Blood by Allan Mason
***½
Sci-fi

Bottomless Cups by Joel Bresler
***
Comedy

Non Obvious Megatrends by Rohit Bhargava
****
Non-Fiction

From Doctor to Guinea Pig by Angelique D.
*****
Biography

Freedom's Light by Robert J. Saniscalchi
****
Action Thriller

Bucket Showers and Baby Goats by Christine Brown
****
Travel Memoir

Four Calling Burds by Vincent Meis
****
LGBTQ / Drama

Promises to the Fallen by Glyn Haynie
*****
War Fiction

An Unwanted and Unwilling Hero by E. Gourm
****
Historical Fantasy

The Girl in the Scarlet Chair by Janice TRemayne
****
Paranormal / YA

Freedom Sex and a Meat Cleaver by Sherman Miles
*****
Travel Memoir

Freedom Sex and a Meat Cleaver by Sherman Miles
****
Historical Fiction

The Intelligence Factor by Mike Logsdon
***
Sci Fi / Action

The Apple by Devashish Sardana
****
Action / Adventure

Destiny's War by Pyram King
****
Historical Fiction

Black Volta by PEte K.J.
****
Drama

Payback by Steve Bassett
***
Noir Fiction

Were We Awake by L.M. Brown
****
Short Stories

Almost Persuaded by Nigel C. Ferguson
****
Crime Thriller

Do We Have A Center by Walter Frank
*****
Politics

World Football Domination
****
Sci-Fi

Sour Blood
***
Crime Thriller

Beware of the Thought Bubbles
*****
Children's

Beyond The Prison Of Beliefs
****
Science/Religion

Rocky Mountain Noir
***
Comedy

Rocky Mountain Noir
***
Science Fiction

Foster Care To Millionaire
****
Memoir

Flow Like A River
*****
Thriller

Secrets To Being Amazing
****
Self-Help

13 Dark Tales: Collection Two
****
Short Stories

The Wooden Man
*****
Children's

Count It All Joy
*****
Drama

Myth Agent
****
Fantasy

Voice of the Sword
***
Fantasy

No Quarter: Dominium
***
Adventure

A Trinity of Wicked Tales
****
Horror


****
Short Stories

The Day I Made Good
****
Crime Drama

Complete Poetry of Norman AJ Berisford
*****
Poetry

Chuck the Rooster Loses His Voice
*****
Children's

Living Blind Without the Internet
****
Documentary

Devil in the Countryside
****
Historical Thriller

Monoland: Into the Gray Horizon
****
Fantasy

Corrosive
****
Horror

Woodiss is Willing
***
Comedy

The Fear
***
Horror

Superi: Reborn
*****
Fantasy

Murder in the Medical Center
***
Drama

The Eye of Nefertiti
****
Children's

Not Exactly Shakespeare
****
Comedy

Finding the Narrow Path
****
Biography

The Wyndham Werewolf
****
Short Stories

Only Human
***
Supernatural

What is Justice
**
Documentary

The Rat Tunnels of Isfahan
****
Historical Fantasy

I Once Was Lost But Now I'm Found
*****
Documentary

Never Too Late To Die
***½
Thriller

Understanding the Patterns of Your Life
***
Non-Fiction

Happiness is Just a Pill Away
*****
Comedy-Drama

The Lucky Winner
***
Crime Thriller

Endohuman
***
Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Tummy Rumble Quake
****
Children's

Monoland: The Shimmering Mist
****
Fantasy

Goodbye Butterfiles
*****
Psychology

Treading the Uneven Road
****
Short Stories

The Cuckoo Colloquium
****
Comedy

When I Turned Nineteen
*****
War Memoir

Fortuna and the Scapegrace
****
Comedy

Gnosis
***
Young Adult

Buy or Die
***
Satire

Faithful Servants
****
Drama

Ghost Dog
***
Crime Adventure

Looper
****
Drama

The Sinister Urge
**
Drama

Read to Succeed
*****
Self Improvement

Gone to the Dogs
*****
Comedy-Drama

Die Back
****
Fantasy

Finding My Platoon Brothers
*****
War Memoir

Delivering Virtue
****
Comedy

The Room Above
***
Fantasy

Written By Blood: Conviction
****
Action

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder
****
Poetry

I Have Demons
****
Short Stories

Victoria's Voice
****
Real Life

The Revolutionary Youth
*****
Drama

The Dog Thief
*****
Short Stories

Appointment With Fear
*****
Children's

Mermaids Are Real
***
Fantasy

Legends of Persia
***
Historical Fiction

My Groans Pour Out Like Water
*****
Poetry

47 Hours
*****
Political Thriller

The Road to Alexander
***
Historical Fiction

Father Divine's Bikes
****
Drama

Winning With Data
*****
Business

Aquila
****
Historical Fiction

Lions, Leopards and Storms, oh my!
***
Children's

Sparrowhawk on the Horizon
***
Historical Fiction

The Warehouse Tour
***
Short Stories

Feast of Sapphires
****
Poetry

The Night Alphabet
*****
Short Stories

Just Another Girl's Story
***
Autobiography

No-one Listens
***
Poetry

The Irregular Inquests of Professor Peppercorn by Brennan McMahon
****
Poetry

Malthus Revisited
***
Suspense/Thriller

My Weight Loss Journey
****
Self-Help

Change of Chaos
****
YA / Fantasy

Fish Farm
****
Thriller

Songs to New York
****
Short Stories

I Claudia
*****
Historical Fiction

Vanish by Dawn by J.D. Wells
****
Comedy / Drama

The Friar's Lantern
*****
Role Play

Crazy About Kurt
****
Comedy

Dark Cure
****
Action

Translucent Boy
***
Sci-Fi Fantasy

Dart by Dale Renton
****
Sci-fi Fantasy

Monoland: Beyond the Monochrome
*****
Fantasy

Choose a Reality by Emmanuel Morfoboss
***
Self-Help

Wacky on the Junk by Kathy Varner
****
Memoir

The Eden Complex by Elise Leise
***½
Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Tomthunkit's Theory of the Universe
***
Political / Non-fiction

Nobody Gets Out of Catering Alive by Joe Montaperto
****
Comedy / Memoir

Turning on the Christmas Lights by Nellie Woods
****
Short Stories

The Body in the Hole by Jonathan B. Zeitlin
****
Crime / Mystery

A Heart on the River by John Bauer
****
Comedy / Drama

Let Yourself Be by CJ Lacsican
****
Memoir / Self-Help

Island Boy by Mark Bulahao
****
Drama

Bully Boy by Tom Wade
****
Drama

Immunity for Murder by David M. Beers
****
True Crime

Concerning Intellectual Suicide in the Human Race by Massimo Fantini
****
Literary Fiction

Tags

-s-morrison 1990s 80s a-a-lotfy a-christmas-carol a-scholte abdul-quayyum-khan-kundi abortion abstract abuse academic act action addiction adhd adult adventure affirmation affirmations africa african african-culture afterlife age agents ajay-shankar alan-lessik alaska alcoholism alejandro-de-gutierre aleksander-eaton alexander-the-great ali-kasem alien aliens allan-mason allegory alphabet alternative alternative-history aly-brisha amanda-berthault amateur-photography america american american-comedy american-country american-graffiti american-history american-politics american-revolution amy-weichel ancient ancient-china ancient-egypt ancient-history andrew-johnston angela-klose angelique-d angels angie-chasser animal animal-abuse animal-behaviour animal-rescue animal-welfare anjali-bhimani anna-lee-rose annika-galloway anonymous anthology anthony-la-rocca anthony-michaelides anthony-r-wildman anthony-ranieri anti-hero anxiety apocalypse apocalyptic apple-gidley arab arab-culture 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