Category Archives: Small Press Book Reviews

Walking Through Fire by Sherri Cook Woosley (Talos Press) Rachel, a newly separated mother with her son—a ten-year-old, barely-recovered leukemia patient—are thrust into a new world when a series of insanely strong storms not only bring back ancient gods, but … Continue reading →

Calamity by Jo Jordan (Heliosphere Books) Calamity is a Wild, Weird West version of the story of Calamity Jane, “Being an account of Calamity Jane and her gunslinging green man.” Her “green man” is an alien, one of two species … Continue reading →

Scylla and Charybdis by Lindsey Duncan (Kristell Ink) Four generations ago a genetically-engineered disease that is only transmitted by human males,  Y-poisoning, caused widespread death and anarchy, and destroyed Earth. To escape that, a group of women set up a … Continue reading →

The Amiestrin Gambit (The King’s Daughter, Book 1) by J. Kathleen Cheney (Dream Palace Press)   The book opens with a ranking officer who is also a seer playing chess with the young man Llelas, who came to find out … Continue reading →

Walls and Wonders by S. R. Algernon (ReAnimus Press) ReAnimus Press is a small press publisher that brings back great books whose rights have reverted to authors. S.R. Algernon’s short story collection is divided into four parts: Calling Out, Breaking … Continue reading →

Guardians of Evion: Destiny by  Evelinn Enoksen (Kristell Ink) The author of this book is not merely a writer but also an artist and it shows: I very much appreciated the unshaded, gothic-gray illustration; it was quaint, precisely-detailed and lovely. … Continue reading →

Born to the Blade (series) by Marie Brennan, Cassandra Khaw,  Michael Underwood, and Malka Older  (Serial Box) This 11-episode series (season 1) is set in an interesting world of floating islands in the sky where noble classes rule. Below these … Continue reading →

Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra (Harper Voyager) Abyss & Apex only reviews small press publishers, and this book was from a major publisher. But Rati Mehrotha is an A&A author (“Hatyasin”) and I read this. So please follow this link to … Continue reading →

The Experience Arcade and other stories by James Van Pelt (Fairwood Press) Jim Van Pelt is both a storyteller and a teacher, so it’s fitting that each story in this entire collection has a short preface, and a short afterword … Continue reading →

Original (The Horn, Book 2) by J. Kathleen Cheney This worthy sequel to Oathbreaker (A&A’s review here), starts where Dalyan the outsider and Amal  left off: with Dalyan recovering from being shocked to death, and then re-shocked to life. Amal … Continue reading →