Book Reviews
Explore thoughtfully curated book reviews that help you discover your next favorite read.
I Am Danvers, by Kate Kaminski—Book Review
Kate Kaminski’s “I Am Danvers” is an imaginative novel that transforms Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca into a searing contemporary thriller that pulses with queer desire, class rage, and the kind of obsessive love that burns everything in its path. This is…
Read More
ZCN & Friends: Adventures In I*V: The Angel’s Curse, by CRK—Book Review
CRK’s “The Angel’s Curse”, the first volume in the ZCN/TIES series, is an imaginative novel in the same vein as “Good Omens”. What begins as a seemingly straightforward adventure story about twelve-year-old Zena Nena—also known as Vessel of the Angel of Battle…
Read More
Subtle Shadows: Where the Truth Hides, by Amelia Bennett—Book Review
For her new novel, Amelia Bennett presents “Subtle Shadows”, a gripping romantic mystery with Christian themes. At the heart of the novel is Paige Turner, an accomplished yet somewhat lonely investigative journalist. Her world is shaken and transformed by the arrival of…
Read More
Namuh, The Awakening, by Desmond Knipe—Book Review
Desmond Knipe’s “NAMUH, The Awakening” drops five strangers into a New Zealand forest, where they touch an ancient tree and suddenly find themselves conscripted into saving humanity. It’s a setup that could easily veer into eye-rolling territory, but Knipe grounds his mystical…
Read More
The Regression Strain, by Kevin Hwang—Book Review
Part medical thriller, part biological horror novel, Kevin Hwang’s “The Regression Strain” takes readers aboard the luxury cruise ship Paradise. However, don’t be fooled, this is nothing like a relaxing vacation beach read. Seeking respite from personal tragedy, Dr. Peter Palma joins…
Read More
A Cold Wind Blows, by By R.J. Barron—Book Review
The middle volume of a fantasy trilogy faces a particular challenge: it must advance the story without feeling like mere connective tissue between a promising beginning and a climactic end. This is the case in retired English teacher R.J. Barron’s “A Cold…
Read More
How to Stand Up to Bullying, by M. C. Ryder—Book Review
Part memoir, part self-help guide, M.C. Ryder’s “How to Stand Up to Bullying” draws from Ryder’s personal encounters with bullying across different contexts—childhood, workplace, and family—to create a roadmap for others facing similar struggles. The book’s core argument is that bullying stems…
Read More
Under the Blue Moon, by Joan Schweighhardt—Book Review
Joan Schweighardt’s “Under the Blue Moon” is the type of novel that will leave you feeling more optimistic by the time you finish it. The story follows two protagonists across Albuquerque as their seemingly separate lives gradually converge, both going through a…
Read More
The Seven Wonders of Westerly Point, by E.K. Luke—Book Review
E.K. Luke’s “The Seven Wonders of Westerly Point” opens with sixteen-year-old Bethany Brown contemplating her ceiling while “November winds whip against the windowpane,” when suddenly the postman knocks like a call to adventure. Their mission: scattering the ashes of Bethany’s estranged grandmother…
Read More
The Binding of the Twelve, by Nathanael Bazzell—Book Review
Nathanael Bazzell’s “The Binding of the Twelve” opens not with an epic battle or a chosen one discovering hidden powers, but with Fife, a world-weary Keeper, meeting a mysterious nobleman in a filthy tavern that “reeked of unwashed bodies” and looked like…
Read More