Reviews

Pink Corrosion

Costi Gurgu (Kult Books)

| Reviewed by Matthew Novak

In Costi Gurgu’s Pink Corrosion, Geo Woodman kills Prince Boris after the second Black Rain and becomes heir to the Silkers' crown. He struggles to win the trust of the commanders and council members in his efforts to stop the Silver Star from destroying the Caves. Geo must forge alliances with people like Lord Lakefront while facing enemies within his court, like Lady L and the wicked Silver Star. He faces personal betrayals, political intrigue, and military threats. While he fights to control an already fractured civilization and enforce his...

Servitude

Costi Gurgu (Kult Books)

| Reviewed by Cristina Prescott

Servitude by Costi Gurgu presents a dystopian, near-future world already destroyed by war, and characterized by economic collapse and the rise of a brutal culture of servitude. Blake Frye is a New York cop who has worked hard to dismantle illegal slave trade sponsored by political elites and big corporations, navigating treacherous terrains, facing the ruthlessness of an authoritarian regime, and underground camps that look worse than the Nazi death camps. He is framed for treason, and his pregnant wife is kidnapped. Blake must clear his name a...

Navigate to the Lighthouse: A Silicon Valley Guide to Executing Global Deals

Kurt Davis (Lionsgate)

| Reviewed by John Grossman

Navigate to the Lighthouse: A Silicon Valley Guide to Executing Global Deals by Kurt Davis is an all-inclusive guide for executing successful global deals, especially in the Silicon Valley tech environment. The book is divided into three parts: the first establishes foundational strategies for charting a course to major deals, explaining the Lighthouse marketing framework and why it works, and underlining the difference between sales and business development. The second part discusses the essential principles of team management, including how t...

The Wish

Lena Gibson (Black Rose Writing)

| Reviewed by Jayne Anne Rooney

Lena Gibson’s The Wish delivers a story that melds trauma, time travel, and the pursuit of redemption. Elizabeth is a woman haunted by a tragic past marked by a car accident, a failed marriage, and the loss of her voice—both literal and emotional. After wishing for a second chance, she inexplicably finds herself transported five years into the past, where she encounters her younger self and begins unraveling the tangled threads of her life. As Elizabeth faces her new-old reality, she seeks to alter her past mistakes, especially concerning her l...

Archer's Moon

J.W. Webb (Self Published)

| Reviewed by James Farlow

Archer’s Moon: Dawn of Legends by J.W. Webb is a wide-angled prequel to the fantastic universe of Legends of Ansu, delving into the creation of its mythical environment many years before the main story begins. The tale of the young goddess Argonwui “Aggy” and her relationship with the mortal Eltayn Elafan, a young hunter who finds himself embroiled in divine schemes, ancient rivalries, and cosmic forces. As Aggy yearns to be free and have an adventure in the mortal world, she struggles to understand her divine blood. She is constantly thwarted...

Mama’s Boy: A Young Boy’s Memory of Childhood

Rev. Michael H. Lavery (Readersmagnet LLC)

| Reviewed by Matthew Novak

Mama’s Boy: A Young Boy’s Memory of Childhood by Rev. Michael H. Lavery is a heartwarming autobiographical reflection that chronicles his early life, exploring the profound influence of his mother, grandmother, sister, and community. The book opens with Lavery’s emotional account of losing his father at a young age, shaping his understanding of love, loss, and inner strength. It then explores various themes, including faith, family, sacrifice, and moral lessons learned through everyday experiences, from childhood innocence to spiritual awakenin...

Desiderata

M.P. Desmarais (self-published (IngramSpark))

| Reviewed by Joanne Higbee

Desiderata by M.P. Desmarais delivers an engrossing science fiction novel with fully fleshed-out characters and a conflict that grows in stakes with each page. The hydropower systems of Gracyr are failing, and there is an urgent need for a new source of energy. Four unlikely allies—a gifted swordsman Gerrard, a fierce swordfighter Andromeda, a relentless scholar Regina, and a disturbed fighter Hector—are on a dangerous quest to find a solution. From bartending to privateering and bounty hunting, their journey takes them deep into uncharted terr...

Flying Circus Above and Beyond

Leona Cobham (Cobham Wings)

| Reviewed by Krishna Blackwood

Flying Circus: Above and Beyond is the third installment in the Airplane Adventures series by Leona Cobham. It is a captivating and hugely imaginative aviation adventure with an irresistible appeal to young readers. The story follows a diverse group of aircraft characters as they face challenges, seek resolution, and explore the themes of purpose, perseverance, and the importance of teamwork. The story opens with Nighthawk, a stealth fighter jet, on a tense encounter with a rogue Hercules C-One Thirty, known as Albert, who feels discarded and s...

The Assays of Ata

K.I.S. (K. Schultz)

| Reviewed by Brenda Baiocchi

K. I. S.'s The Assays of Ata is a spellbinding fantasy tale brimming with intrigue, political machinations, and the struggle for survival against the backdrop of a nightmarish setting and formidable foes. Set in the richly imagined world of Áitarbith, the story follows Ata—a Pandial spy masquerading as a maid in the Cinnaen royal household. The setting—a glass-encased palace highlighted by its fragility and vulnerability amid a winter storm—acts as both a luxurious home and a precarious haven fraught with danger. Ata's covert operatio...

Life Sucks: Memories and Introspections During the Great COVID Lockdown

PS Conway (Fictional Cafe Press)

| Reviewed by Louise Garten

Life Sucks by P.S. Conway is a darkly humorous, genre-defying collection of essays that pulls no punches in its exploration of modern life’s absurdities, frustrations, and existential foibles. The book is a chaotic yet strangely cohesive blend of satire, memoir, social commentary, and philosophical musings, all delivered with a sharp tongue. Conway fearlessly tackles everything from the chaos of the pandemic lockdowns and the failures of the American healthcare system to the banality of suburban living, the futility of diet culture, and the abs...