★★★★★ Women know there’s something magical about finding the right little black dress. But, what happens when the little black dress finds you? J.E. Clarkson’s eerie, 26-page short story revolves around this concept.
Category: Indie Reviews
Before Dawn by Laura Murphy
★★★☆☆ Max Abbracciaventio, a biracial young woman living in New York with her adopted family, has made some questionable choices in her life. One of them was having an affair with an abusive married man 14 years her senior.
The Day After Never by Nathan Van Coops
★★★☆☆ The Day After Never is book three in Nathan Van Coops' time-traveling series. I loved In Times Like These, the first book in the series and, while I didn’t like The Chronothon (Book 2) quite as much, its Amazing Race-style plot and pacing held my attention.
Music in the Mirrors by Greg Kuznetsov
★★★☆☆ Music in the Mirrors takes place in a colorful fantasy kingdom of snow globes and mirrors - one that features a blowfish, 5,857 worlds, and intoxicating purple lemonade. The language is heavily metaphorical. There were times I read and enjoyed the observational, almost lyrical flow of this collection of connecting acts and short stories.
Emma’s Fury by Linda Rainier
★★★☆☆ Based on ancient Greek mythology, this book centers on Emma, who is reincarnated as a Fury after her savage death. Protected by a Gyges, a Fury exists to serve justice and preserve harmony between humans and the supernatural world. Through a story revolving around mythological beings that shouldn’t experience human feelings, Emma’s Fury presents an interesting perspective on ethics, human nature, and the impact an individual’s actions have on others.
Embryo Zero by Trevor Wynyard
★★★★☆ The second book in the dystopian fiction Streetlighters Trilogy, Embryo Zero again features brothers Matthew and Kevin Turner, along with a few new characters and familiar faces from the first book. The brothers are estranged as Matt takes Kevin’s place at university, and finds himself propelled into national hero status. Meanwhile, his younger brother makes a risky move in an attempt to have a different future for himself and his family.
Rise of the Phoenix by Anne Winchell
★★★★☆ The Rise of the Phoenix is the first book in The Imperial Saga, a fantasy series by Anne Winchell. Tahirah, and her brother, Khalid, are the only remaining royals after Tamarud is invaded. Tahirah must learn to harness her magical powers, lean on her allies, and claim her destiny.
Midnight Tales by Raven Kamali
★★★★★ A wonderful, eclectic collection of ten compelling short works, Midnight Tales contains a mix of genres, including mythology, horror, and even a fairytale. Midnight Tales by Raven Kamali The collection can easily be read one or two at a time or consumed all at once. Like with any collection, there were some stories I … Continue reading Midnight Tales by Raven Kamali
Recovering Alice by Catherine Morrison
★★★★☆ Equal parts romance and self-discovery, Recovering Alice tells the story of Alice Patterson’s struggle with alcohol addiction amidst a new relationship. Our main character meets Bob in a bar during a relapse and has to decide whether she can get her life back under control while dating someone new.
The Heathback Break by J.E. Clarkson
★★★★★ This installment in the Nemo & Co. series takes us to a prison, where The Cleaner has been captured. The Cleaner undergoes her most significant transformation to date through the course of this story.