BookShelfie Reviews

Let me be clear from the start: if you’re looking for escapism, this is not the book for you. Duped in America is a deeply political novel, rooted firmly in ....

Let me be clear from the start: if you’re looking for escapism, this is not the book for you. Duped in America is a deeply political novel, rooted firmly in 2017 America, and it wears its convictions on its sleeve. I’m not American, but I ....

Let me be clear from the start: if you’re looking for escapism, this is not the book for you. Duped in America is a deeply political novel, rooted firmly in 2017 America, and it wears its convictions on its sleeve. I’m not American, but I remember this period vividly (I followed the election closely), and […]

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If Black Mirror, Blade Runner, and Amazon Prime’s Upload had a literary lovechild, it would be Derek Cressman’s Virtuality (released this very day!). This is satirical dystopian sci-fi that feels ....

If Black Mirror, Blade Runner, and Amazon Prime’s Upload had a literary lovechild, it would be Derek Cressman’s Virtuality (released this very day!). This is satirical dystopian sci-fi that feels less like fiction and more like a documentary from ten years in the future, one ....

If Black Mirror, Blade Runner, and Amazon Prime’s Upload had a literary lovechild, it would be Derek Cressman’s Virtuality (released this very day!). This is satirical dystopian sci-fi that feels less like fiction and more like a documentary from ten years in the future, one where we’ve all willingly plugged our brains into the algorithm […]

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Having previously reviewed The Shadow of the Albatross, the first Greg Travers adventure, I was eager to dive back into the world of MI5 intelligence operations and high-stakes espionage. I ....

Having previously reviewed The Shadow of the Albatross, the first Greg Travers adventure, I was eager to dive back into the world of MI5 intelligence operations and high-stakes espionage. I enjoyed the first book and found it to be a fun, classic-style thriller. The Cerberus ....

Having previously reviewed The Shadow of the Albatross, the first Greg Travers adventure, I was eager to dive back into the world of MI5 intelligence operations and high-stakes espionage. I enjoyed the first book and found it to be a fun, classic-style thriller. The Cerberus File continues where the first book started, expanding the scope […]

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The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor is an espionage thriller that opens on two seemingly unconnected protagonists: Sophie Allard, a military cadet, and Kai Lovac, a deadly assassin. Debut ....

The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor is an espionage thriller that opens on two seemingly unconnected protagonists: Sophie Allard, a military cadet, and Kai Lovac, a deadly assassin. Debut author D.R. Berlin brings an unusual pedigree to the genre: a U.S. Army veteran and ....

The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor is an espionage thriller that opens on two seemingly unconnected protagonists: Sophie Allard, a military cadet, and Kai Lovac, a deadly assassin. Debut author D.R. Berlin brings an unusual pedigree to the genre: a U.S. Army veteran and practising General Surgeon with a writing minor from MIT, she […]

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Frik’s Needle (Book one of the Freehilt Chronicles) by GL Charlebois immediately announces itself as a fantasy novel with ambitions. Opening with a world map, a foreword and an epigraph ....

Frik’s Needle (Book one of the Freehilt Chronicles) by GL Charlebois immediately announces itself as a fantasy novel with ambitions. Opening with a world map, a foreword and an epigraph from Plotinus declaring that, “Mankind is poised midway between the gods and the beasts,” this ....

Frik’s Needle (Book one of the Freehilt Chronicles) by GL Charlebois immediately announces itself as a fantasy novel with ambitions. Opening with a world map, a foreword and an epigraph from Plotinus declaring that, “Mankind is poised midway between the gods and the beasts,” this is the kind of fantasy that makes me slightly intimidated, […]

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Before diving into Radu Caplea’s ambitious debut, it’s worth noting that this is a thinking reader’s science fiction novel. It’s the kind that feels heavily inspired by Ursula K. Le ....

Before diving into Radu Caplea’s ambitious debut, it’s worth noting that this is a thinking reader’s science fiction novel. It’s the kind that feels heavily inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin, asking difficult moral questions without offering easy answers. Rather than presenting a world where ....

Before diving into Radu Caplea’s ambitious debut, it’s worth noting that this is a thinking reader’s science fiction novel. It’s the kind that feels heavily inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin, asking difficult moral questions without offering easy answers. Rather than presenting a world where technological advancement equals progress, Thessari examines what an advanced civilization […]

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Going into Retribution: Chronicles of Reaper Book II by J.R. Lightfoot, I felt slightly at a disadvantage not having read the first book, simply titled Reaper. Nonetheless, this second installment ....

Going into Retribution: Chronicles of Reaper Book II by J.R. Lightfoot, I felt slightly at a disadvantage not having read the first book, simply titled Reaper. Nonetheless, this second installment can technically work as a standalone, and I quickly found myself getting into the story. ....

Going into Retribution: Chronicles of Reaper Book II by J.R. Lightfoot, I felt slightly at a disadvantage not having read the first book, simply titled Reaper. Nonetheless, this second installment can technically work as a standalone, and I quickly found myself getting into the story. The story takes place in a medieval fantasy-style world and […]

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If The White Lotus and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel had a literary cousin, it would be Kimberly Sullivan’s Easter at The Three Coins Inn. This is the kind of ....

If The White Lotus and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel had a literary cousin, it would be Kimberly Sullivan’s Easter at The Three Coins Inn. This is the kind of book that belongs to that popular hotel-set genre. Think Four Seasons on Netflix or any ....

If The White Lotus and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel had a literary cousin, it would be Kimberly Sullivan’s Easter at The Three Coins Inn. This is the kind of book that belongs to that popular hotel-set genre. Think Four Seasons on Netflix or any of those comfort-watch films where strangers’ lives intersect in beautiful […]

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Despite being about as clueless about MMA as one can possibly get, there was something undeniably interesting to me about the idea of a book that promises to blend MMA ....

Despite being about as clueless about MMA as one can possibly get, there was something undeniably interesting to me about the idea of a book that promises to blend MMA fighting with epic fantasy. Wizards shooting spells are well and good, but every now and ....

Despite being about as clueless about MMA as one can possibly get, there was something undeniably interesting to me about the idea of a book that promises to blend MMA fighting with epic fantasy. Wizards shooting spells are well and good, but every now and then, you just want to see someone get suckerpunched in […]

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“Don’t judge a book by its cover”—wise words, universally ignored. The cover of The Elysian Hegemony features a gun-wielding Chris Pratt-looking figure standing before an ominous pyramid, with a character ....

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”—wise words, universally ignored. The cover of The Elysian Hegemony features a gun-wielding Chris Pratt-looking figure standing before an ominous pyramid, with a character like Samus from the Halo franchise hovering beside him. The Amazon blurb promises everything from ....

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”—wise words, universally ignored. The cover of The Elysian Hegemony features a gun-wielding Chris Pratt-looking figure standing before an ominous pyramid, with a character like Samus from the Halo franchise hovering beside him. The Amazon blurb promises everything from a Navy SEAL–turned–“celestial being incarnate” racing to stop an extraterrestrial […]

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The fourth installment in the Take it to the Limit series, The Stillness of Murder by Linda Opdyke is a classic, no-holds-barred thriller. The books follow Nashville husband and wife ....

The fourth installment in the Take it to the Limit series, The Stillness of Murder by Linda Opdyke is a classic, no-holds-barred thriller. The books follow Nashville husband and wife P.I.’s Ethan and Michele Jenks as they ignite a pulse-pounding showdown against dangerous adversaries. It’s ....

The fourth installment in the Take it to the Limit series, The Stillness of Murder by Linda Opdyke is a classic, no-holds-barred thriller. The books follow Nashville husband and wife P.I.’s Ethan and Michele Jenks as they ignite a pulse-pounding showdown against dangerous adversaries. It’s a book that gave me strong Mr. and Mrs. Smith […]

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The second book in the Not All Heroes series, In Sekhmet’s Wake is 454 pages of post-superhero chaos set in 2061. The opening line sets the tone, “It had taken ....

The second book in the Not All Heroes series, In Sekhmet’s Wake is 454 pages of post-superhero chaos set in 2061. The opening line sets the tone, “It had taken one-hundred and eighty-four years, seven months, and eleven days to create the United States of ....

The second book in the Not All Heroes series, In Sekhmet’s Wake is 454 pages of post-superhero chaos set in 2061. The opening line sets the tone, “It had taken one-hundred and eighty-four years, seven months, and eleven days to create the United States of America—and merely six months to tear it in two.” With […]

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