Book Reviews

Odd Devils

There once was an angel named Satan who’d lived as a simple mortal shepard, but died at the hands of a brutal fallen angel. His soul was remade into the cold-hearted, serpentine angel of the damned. He had no memory of his former humanity, and reigned over the abyss as the jailer of God for many centuries, until one day his icy heart was opened, and he had no choice but to leave Hell behind forever.
An evil wizard created an innocent child-like spirit in his own image. He mistreated the little boy made of stars, and forced the young entity to live on as a wicked copy of his own beastly self. The enslaved spirit fed on the wizard’s followers for many years, until fate intervened. Through the power of love and self-sacrifice the boy was released from the wizard’s influence, and able to finally gain his freedom.
A mortal woman fell in love with a dangerous demon, who came to love her in turn. They joined their souls together to become as one, but both died in the process, resulting in the birth of a terrifying new creation. The ravenous monster devoured so many before it was taken under Heaven’s wing, and transformed into the strange demonic angel of Satan’s orchard.
Angels, demons and humanity collide throughout the short stories of Odd Devils, weaving a tapestry of darkness and redemption, with the only certainty along the way being that love is as powerful a force as vile wickedness.

Book Reviews

Kakapo and the Fiery Sundown Case of the Berjudas Hellhole Triangle

An eccentric wild beast with a mysterious kaleidoscopic nature, camouflaged into endless skins by the braves who venture beyond its glorious thousand corners and the puniceous mist that befalls upon the verdant city.
A sci-fi novel, an operatic thriller, the Kakapo Sonata nº 2022 in 3 movements, a horror comedy (or a horror of a comedy), a silent movie where frames are wordy Time, a sensical nonsense, a parody, a mutant mimiambi, a baroque extravaganza hit by monsoons of ironies and rivalries, a friendships’ tale, a love story, a cosmic puzzle, a pulsing star, a booming wish, an epopee, an epic battle, a minutes burning survival race, a yearn for celebration, an unveiling, a whirlwind resurrection. An homage to the brilliance, beauty and imagination of life and nature, to the triumph of self-love and the love we have for whom and what surround us, to the challenges of being and (co)existing. A surreal shapeshifting creature. A fine brew. A chimera. A you. Kakapo.
So to you plucky kakapoan who enters with open heart this Time in space your beloved home, what else to say other than “what you do before the astronomical clock bangs the fateful midnight counts”. And remember. We are stronger united. For sublime 12 step into lucky 13, will Kakapo cross 24 to abundant 24 embrace? Let’s hope so. And many more. Raise your glass fellow life! We’re all stars! Chin, chin!

Book Reviews

Remnant: The Palimar Saga: Book One

The shocking death of an immortal sends Collector Mavell, a master of shadows, on a quest for the killer. He believes a foreseer of Drawlen, a religious regime, knows something about the murder.
Jon Therman and his family of sunrock smugglers stumble into this manhunt. A former slave, he only desires to live unnoticed and to avoid the corruption of the world. But when a Drawlen immortal pursues his children, Jon retaliates.
Jon’s daughter, Ella, attempts to rescue her friend from a ritual sacrifice. To do so, she must defy the commands of her fellow smugglers.
Shane zem’Arta, a Freelander spy, searches for his missing commander. His orders complicate Ella’s effort to save her friend and Jon’s mission to protect his family, leading these old friends on a perilous adventure. Smugglers, rogues, and lords clamber to stand against the Drawlen immortals. Can these fragile factions set aside their mistrust to survive a burgeoning war, or will they fall divided?
Remnant, the first of the four-volume epic fantasy The Palimar Saga, introduces a world of magic, trolls, shapeshifters, and guns. It tells the story of a family’s struggle to survive a manhunt for a godkiller, one who has the power to vanquish immortals.

Book Reviews

Sheg

“This book is a strange but eclectic collection of tales. Through them, it tells a story of hope and togetherness, and looks at the potential of our planet to be better. It defies the readers’ expectations at every turn, and is all the stronger for it. If you’re after a light read that is unique from just about everything else, it’s a thought provoking collection that will entertain, inspire, and linger. It has to be read to be believed.”
W.A. Stanley

Book Reviews

Third Name’s a Charm: Tales of Trios & Triple Threats

All good things come in threes.
Once upon a time, a group of authors accepted the challenge from a fairy tale name generator. Not just once or twice, but thrice! Volume three of these quirky stories is a collection featuring trios and triple threats.
In this clean YA anthology, follow the fates of three begotten triplet princesses, be enlisted as the third lucky bodyguard to stave off monsters, see if the third wand works wonders for an unlucky mage, try to discover the true name of a unicorn prince, discover why magical artifacts come in threes, and climb towers with thieves to abduct well-known fairytale characters.
Don’t forget, with the rule of three, there are always exceptions. Venture into this collection of adventurous stories by award-winning and up-and-coming authors, and maybe you’ll be thrice enchanted.
All proceeds donated to a charity in support of reading and literacy.

Book Reviews

BattleFront: Chronicles of Rondure: Book II

A troubled outcast on the run from her home nation’s wrath…
I thought we only needed to deal with the Nation of Bastille…
…Yet I was wrong. Bastille labeled our uprising as something more sinister than we could ever imagine
According to Bastille brass, we’re assets of the notorious regional power of the Northwest, the Nation of Gelida.
The same Bastille brass who spent three decades funding and building military bases in their client state of Ragland. Inching closer to Gelida’s border, daring its leaders to draw a red line and retaliate.
Back home, the Bastille Military is imprisoning or killing every man and woman even suspected of being linked to the Insurrexxion. And they will overrun entire cities if it means destroying its two most wanted souls: Me and my twin sister, whom I was born to protect with my life.
BattleFront is Book II in the Chronicles of Rondure Series. This military science fantasy leans into apocalyptic territory rich in elemental magic and genre fusion. If you like strong female characters and epic battle scenes with suspense and metaphysical elements, BattleFront is for you.