Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
The Unbearable Lightness of Prose by By Brian J. Dolan
Writing has been a part of my life since childhood, but it’s rarely been for my own satisfaction, driven instead by mainly academic or professional concerns. In recent years, I’ve ground out several pieces a year for trade outlets, always with an eye towards a commercial outcome. Unsatisfying in the end, and a slog to write.
Read MoreA Crow in the Canyon by Melissa Widmaier (Book Review #1994)
**A Crow in the Canyon** by Melissa Widmaier is a gripping epic fantasy novel set in a world where elemental spirits, prophecy, and family honor intertwine. The story follows the Ganwin family on a dangerous quest to rescue their patriarch, General Nojhi Ganwin, who has been imprisoned for the murder of Chieftain G’Nirac and his daughter-in-law, Hereu. Despite his past as a traitor to the crown, Nojhi’s family—his wife Messa, sons Marl and Natsir, and other allies—are determined to free him.
Read MoreA Woman Like Maria by Gabriel Constans (Book Review #1993)
In *A Woman Like Maria*, Gabriel Constans delivers a deeply reflective and emotionally charged narrative that spans decades, exploring the life of Sophia, a young woman whose journey of self-discovery unfolds through her relationships and the choices she makes.
Read More*Devil by the Tail* by Caroline Lavoie (Book Review #1992)
*Devil by the Tail* by Caroline Lavoie delivers an intense blend of folklore, mystery, and coming-of-age challenges. Seventeen-year-old Alex is fiercely independent, stubborn, and reluctant to acknowledge a curse that supposedly runs through her family. When her mother left, Alex wrote it off as an excuse to avoid their tough life in the Rockies, despite local legends of a shapeshifting trickster—the chat-cornu—that brings doom to those who encounter it.
Read MoreHunted by Fate by Adam Opaciuch (Book Review #1991)
*Hunted by Fate* by Adam Opaciuch weaves a gripping narrative that spans decades and continents. The story begins in 1973 with the brutal murder of a New York City restaurateur, which lands David Archer in a psychiatric hospital under dubious circumstances. Pamela Gordon, a Legal Aid attorney, is convinced that Archer may not belong there and starts investigating his case. Her quest leads her to an astonishing, thirty-year-old tale from World War II-era Poland, where the Polish Resistance embarks on a dangerous mission to capture a Nazi scientist.
Read MoreI Didn’t Mean To, But… by I.D. (Book Review #1890)
*I Didn’t Mean To, But…* by I.D. is a powerful exploration of human complexity, where choices, secrets, and the consequences of our actions collide in a maze of emotional and psychological turmoil. The novel blends elements of social and philosophical themes, challenging readers to reflect on the enigmatic nature of humanity and the difficult paths individuals take in pursuit of their desires.
Read MoreWhat Now? by Joyce V. Harrison (Book Review #1989)
*What Now?* by Joyce V. Harrison is a poignant and suspenseful journey of self-discovery, where the past collides with the present in unexpected ways. The story centers around 24-year-old Dylan Ryker, who, after the death of his father, discovers a matchbook hidden in a drawer—one that may hold the key to his identity and the long-lost mystery of his birth mother. The matchbook, from a bar called the Blue Flamingo, leads Dylan on a journey from Chicago to a small village in the Florida Panhandle, where he takes a job working for the bar’s owner, Rita Cornwall.
Read MoreBelieve Nothing, Know Nothing by Jean-Claude Koven (Book Review #1988)
In *Believe Nothing, Know Nothing*, Jean-Claude Koven presents an audacious exploration into the very fabric of human existence, challenging everything we know and believe. The book serves as both a wake-up call and a survival manual for Lightworkers, offering a thought-provoking journey into the heart of consciousness, purpose, and spiritual awakening. Koven boldly proposes that the gods we worship are creations of our own making and that humanity itself has been caught in an illusion, enslaved to a false narrative for millennia. Through this radical lens, he invites readers to question their assumptions, their purpose, and their true origins.
Read MoreBending the Arc (LawForce), Nicholas Gretener (Book Review #1987)
In *Bending the Arc (LawForce)*, Nicholas Gretener delivers a gripping legal thriller that explores the intersection of law, justice, and corporate power. Drawing inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice,” the novel follows Jonathan Hendrix, the youngest U.S. Attorney General in history, and Steve Shane, an ambitious commercial litigator, as they team up to combat runaway civil jury awards that threaten the stability of the economy.
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