BookShelfie Reviews
Review By
The Shadowbound Fates is an ambitious dark fantasy debut from biologist-turned writer R.S. Meander. Perhaps drawing his scientific sensibility and a taste for the mythic, the novel is set in ....
The Shadowbound Fates is an ambitious dark fantasy debut from biologist-turned writer R.S. Meander. Perhaps drawing his scientific sensibility and a taste for the mythic, the novel is set in the sprawling world of the Empiriac of Phylaxus. It opens in scripture-like tones, with the ....
The Shadowbound Fates is an ambitious dark fantasy debut from biologist-turned writer R.S. Meander. Perhaps drawing his scientific sensibility and a taste for the mythic, the novel is set in the sprawling world of the Empiriac of Phylaxus. It opens in scripture-like tones, with the cosmology of the Cradle of Light and the Blackstar Citadel, […]
....
Review By
…Because He Was Evil is the debut novel from Domenico Del Re, the pseudonym for an anonymous European writer with German and Italian roots. It opens with a punch. Young ....
…Because He Was Evil is the debut novel from Domenico Del Re, the pseudonym for an anonymous European writer with German and Italian roots. It opens with a punch. Young Lucia, an innocent young girl anticipating her birthday celebration, discovers her parents bloodied and beaten ....
…Because He Was Evil is the debut novel from Domenico Del Re, the pseudonym for an anonymous European writer with German and Italian roots. It opens with a punch. Young Lucia, an innocent young girl anticipating her birthday celebration, discovers her parents bloodied and beaten in their Salerno restaurant. This haunting prologue sets the tone […]
....
Review By
What if a man’s drowning breath was not an ending, but a doorway to another type of existence? This is the electrifying premise of Cracks, Houston-based writer L.A. Prendergast’s ambitious ....
What if a man’s drowning breath was not an ending, but a doorway to another type of existence? This is the electrifying premise of Cracks, Houston-based writer L.A. Prendergast’s ambitious debut novel, a fantasy novel that largely trades sword-and-sorcery spectacle for something a bit more ....
What if a man’s drowning breath was not an ending, but a doorway to another type of existence? This is the electrifying premise of Cracks, Houston-based writer L.A. Prendergast’s ambitious debut novel, a fantasy novel that largely trades sword-and-sorcery spectacle for something a bit more philosophical. The result is a tale at once intimate and […]
....
Review By
There’s something satisfying about a noir that knows exactly what it is. Daniel P. Douglas’s new novelette, the pen name of identical twins Phil and Paul Garver, Blood Tide doesn’t ....
There’s something satisfying about a noir that knows exactly what it is. Daniel P. Douglas’s new novelette, the pen name of identical twins Phil and Paul Garver, Blood Tide doesn’t apologize for its cigarette smoke and rain-slicked streets, doesn’t try to subvert the hardboiled tradition. ....
There’s something satisfying about a noir that knows exactly what it is. Daniel P. Douglas’s new novelette, the pen name of identical twins Phil and Paul Garver, Blood Tide doesn’t apologize for its cigarette smoke and rain-slicked streets, doesn’t try to subvert the hardboiled tradition. It simply executes it with precision and genuine affection for the […]
....
Review By
All You Need Is Love is a new contemporary romance novel set in Ann Arbor from Meg Macy, author of the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear series. Clearly a genre pivot ....
All You Need Is Love is a new contemporary romance novel set in Ann Arbor from Meg Macy, author of the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear series. Clearly a genre pivot for the author, at its centre is Jack Riley, a former actor determined to rebuild ....
All You Need Is Love is a new contemporary romance novel set in Ann Arbor from Meg Macy, author of the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear series. Clearly a genre pivot for the author, at its centre is Jack Riley, a former actor determined to rebuild his life by opening a café with his best friend. […]
....
Review By
In her new children’s book, Karyn Wills has crafted a delightfully absurd children’s adventure that reads like a cross between Roald Dahl’s mischievous humor and the zany cartoon logic of ....
In her new children’s book, Karyn Wills has crafted a delightfully absurd children’s adventure that reads like a cross between Roald Dahl’s mischievous humor and the zany cartoon logic of Captain Underpants. The Mozzarella Heist is the kind of book that will have children giggling ....
In her new children’s book, Karyn Wills has crafted a delightfully absurd children’s adventure that reads like a cross between Roald Dahl’s mischievous humor and the zany cartoon logic of Captain Underpants. The Mozzarella Heist is the kind of book that will have children giggling uncontrollably while secretly making adults crave pizza. At its heart, […]
....
Review By
The Seer’s Curse is the debut book from A.K. Nikole, a YA fantasy novel that weaves together multiple timelines in a fantasy romance that will have younger readers glued to ....
The Seer’s Curse is the debut book from A.K. Nikole, a YA fantasy novel that weaves together multiple timelines in a fantasy romance that will have younger readers glued to their books. The novel operates on two primary plot threads: Rune’s contemporary awakening to her ....
The Seer’s Curse is the debut book from A.K. Nikole, a YA fantasy novel that weaves together multiple timelines in a fantasy romance that will have younger readers glued to their books. The novel operates on two primary plot threads: Rune’s contemporary awakening to her magical heritage following her grandmother’s death, and Perrone’s 17th-century journey […]
....
Review By
Margot Arden’s Vampire so Virtuous operates on a deceptively simple premise: what happens when predators develop moral codes? The question drives this dual narrative thriller which follows Cally, a Boston ....
Margot Arden’s Vampire so Virtuous operates on a deceptively simple premise: what happens when predators develop moral codes? The question drives this dual narrative thriller which follows Cally, a Boston taekwondo instructor navigating terrible dates and inexplicable nightmares, and Antoine, a centuries-old vampire whose self-imposed ....
Margot Arden’s Vampire so Virtuous operates on a deceptively simple premise: what happens when predators develop moral codes? The question drives this dual narrative thriller which follows Cally, a Boston taekwondo instructor navigating terrible dates and inexplicable nightmares, and Antoine, a centuries-old vampire whose self-imposed ethical boundaries alienate him from his own kind. Even if […]
....
Review By
“Hear Me” is a new paranormal romance thriller that manages to sneak deeper themes past readers who came for the sexy supernatural love story. Set in the small town of ....
“Hear Me” is a new paranormal romance thriller that manages to sneak deeper themes past readers who came for the sexy supernatural love story. Set in the small town of Auralia, this second installment of the Dark Sides series follows Ainsley Durham and Keegan Jameson, ....
“Hear Me” is a new paranormal romance thriller that manages to sneak deeper themes past readers who came for the sexy supernatural love story. Set in the small town of Auralia, this second installment of the Dark Sides series follows Ainsley Durham and Keegan Jameson, two members of the Aeons, psychically gifted descendants of Atlantis […]
....
Review By
Harker Jones has crafted something special with “The Bird Who Was Afraid to Fly,” a picture book for children that manages to tackle the universal experience of fear while charming ....
Harker Jones has crafted something special with “The Bird Who Was Afraid to Fly,” a picture book for children that manages to tackle the universal experience of fear while charming adults too with its beautiful illustrations. This isn’t your typical “face your fears” children’s story, ....
Harker Jones has crafted something special with “The Bird Who Was Afraid to Fly,” a picture book for children that manages to tackle the universal experience of fear while charming adults too with its beautiful illustrations. This isn’t your typical “face your fears” children’s story, it’s a nuanced exploration of anxiety that respects both the […]
....
Review By
Geoff Clodd’s “Wild Oz” occupies an interesting niche in contemporary travel writing, being neither the polished wanderlust of Elizabeth Gilbert nor the calculated outrageousness of Tucker Max, but something more ....
Geoff Clodd’s “Wild Oz” occupies an interesting niche in contemporary travel writing, being neither the polished wanderlust of Elizabeth Gilbert nor the calculated outrageousness of Tucker Max, but something more genuine. This memoir of backpacking through Australia (with detours through Las Vegas and Fiji) during ....
Geoff Clodd’s “Wild Oz” occupies an interesting niche in contemporary travel writing, being neither the polished wanderlust of Elizabeth Gilbert nor the calculated outrageousness of Tucker Max, but something more genuine. This memoir of backpacking through Australia (with detours through Las Vegas and Fiji) during 2008-2009 presents itself as crude comedy but operates on more […]
....
Review By
There’s something achingly relatable about the world Abigail E. Myers creates in “The Last Analog Teenagers”, even if you’ve never shoplifted cucumber melon lotion or waited by a landline for ....
There’s something achingly relatable about the world Abigail E. Myers creates in “The Last Analog Teenagers”, even if you’ve never shoplifted cucumber melon lotion or waited by a landline for someone to call. Myers’s debut collection manages to capture that specific loneliness of adolescence with ....
There’s something achingly relatable about the world Abigail E. Myers creates in “The Last Analog Teenagers”, even if you’ve never shoplifted cucumber melon lotion or waited by a landline for someone to call. Myers’s debut collection manages to capture that specific loneliness of adolescence with such precision that you can practically smell the mall food […]
....