Review: The Boys Upstairs by Jane Lebak

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, readers! But before we get to the chestnuts roasting on an open fire and presents under the tree, I have a last-minute gift for you. This would be Jane Lebak’s sweet Christmas story The Boys Upstairs,* one of her Father Jay novels. From the back of the …

Review: The Old Man and the Void by Karina Fabian

  Whew! I am finally making something akin to a dent in my TBR pile, readers! Today’s gem is a book by Karina Fabian, author of the DragonEye, PI* series and Space Traipse* books. She has also written the Neeta Lyffe* zombie apocalypse series and The Mind Over* trilogy, so she has a backlist you …

Review – Batman: The Terror by David Breitenbeck

Fan fiction is not my usual topic for review, readers, but this story was too good not to write about – particularly since I beta read it for the author before it was published. 😉 One must take the opportunity to praise worthy stories, and The Terror is no exception. This three-chapter Batman fan story …

Review: Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense: Vol. 2 No. 1 (Spring 2019) – by Cirsova Publishing

You thought I would review only one issue of Cirsova, correct? Guess again, readers! Since she was curious about the story on the cover, this author decided to pick up the 2019 Spring Issue some time ago. It was a good decision. Since Halloween is approaching, I thought revisiting this issue of Cirsova would be …

Review: Marymae and the Nightmare Man by A.M. Freeman (with Illustrations by Jesalyn Kate)

This is a first, readers: I have not reviewed a book strictly meant for children before. I was expecting it to be a picture book before I picked it up, but it happens to be a Grade 1-2 story. That is, it has illustrations and is simple to read for children in those grades, but …

Review: The Paths of Cormanor by Jim Breyfogle

I know that I am overdue to post book reviews here, readers. The knowledge eats at me; I have several books on my TBR list about which I wish to write. And that list is growing by the day, so I had better start thinning the ranks! Cirsova Publishing was kind enough to provide me …

Review – Wild Souls: A Werewolf Anthology by Julie Frost

A howlingly good series of stories waits for intrepid werewolf fans in this collection! Wild Souls: A Werewolf Anthology* has some of the best werewolf fiction I have ever read within its pages. From the back of the book: Julie Frost is best known for her Pack Dynamics series. However, in this collection, she explores …

Review – Dungeon Samurai Vol. 1: Kamikaze (An Anti-LitRPG Dungeon Crawl) by Kit Sun Cheah

Here we have another review of a work produced by author Kai Wai Cheah (who also uses the name Benjamin Cheah and Kit Sun Cheah). Dungeon Samurai Vol. 1: Kamikaze* comes from the creator of Amp, a superhero in Silver Empire’s Heroes’ Unleashed* universe. It is also a fascinating new look at the isekai genre. …

Review – The Last Straw: A Critical Autopsy of a Galaxy Far, Far Away by John C. Wright

The last time this author listened to an audiobook, it was on CD. While quite interesting, it required more attention than reading a novel. This means she had to be engaged in some kind of mindless activity that allowed her to focus on what is being read aloud rather than on what is before her …

Review – The Wisdom of Walt Disney: The Themes, Ethics, and Ideas of His Greatest Films by David Breitenbeck

This review is a special one, readers. Longtime followers of A Song of Joy will undoubtedly recognize Mr. Breitenbeck’s name, as he has been cited and/or mentioned here several times (plus, his site is in the blogroll). One of his short stories was discussed in this examination of Fantastic Schools, Vol. 2, and today, one …