Reviewed by Savannah Edelen for Readers' Favorite

Daughter of the Fallen by Madeline Wynn is an incredible and fantastic story about a teenage girl. She doesn’t want to follow along with everyone else in their adoration of Jack, the popular rich kid. Starting The Daughter of the Fallen off, you are introduced to May at a graveyard doing a video report with her boyfriend Cay, the rich boy Jack, and a girl named Alicia. During their video, May falls down a mine shaft and sees something, something that leaves the mine shaft with her. Then she finds out that the demon from the mine shaft wasn’t released when she fell in; it has been with her all of her life. Now it is up to May to do all that she can to keep from falling into the darkness that threatens to consume her.

Daughter of the Fallen is a well written tale that captures not only your mind, but your heart as well. Madeline Wynn has created a wonderful book and I would expect the rest of the series to be just as fascinating. As Daughter of the Fallen progresses, more twists and turns are thrown in. Full of hope, despair, and romance, everything that makes a good book is all packed into this 200+ page book. Read and watch as you are transported to a wonderful place you will never want to leave. How much better could it get? Read the stunning first book in the series, Daughter of the Fallen by Madeline Wynn, to find out. May is waiting for you.

Reviewed by Karen Walpole for Readers' Favorite

In Sweet Desire, Wicked Fate by Wray Ardan, fifteen-year-old Jaden, her sister Ava, and their mother inherit a family mansion in Louisiana. The three travel there to spend the summer preparing the home for sale. Jaden happens upon an old, dilapidated building on the property and accidentally awakens some mutant creatures. Releasing these “Mal Rous” sets nightmarish events in motion that threaten the entire town. The Mal Rouse were created by Jade and Ava’s grandfather by crossing plant DNA with human and animal DNA. Jaden is attacked and bitten by one of the animals, which causes her to begin to become evil like them. A local teenager, Bris, who has fallen hard for Jade, joins her and several others in an attempted to reverse the effects of the bite and destroy the creatures permanently. They search for the grandfather’s lab reports and seek help from three albino sisters. These triplets had been able to concoct antidotes for the Mal Rous bites and scratches when the evil beings were first created.

I never wanted to put this book down. The story was suspenseful and the writing imaginative. In Sweet Desire, Wicked Fate by Wray Ardan, Jaden and Bris are in many ways typical teenagers, but have been thrust into a life and death struggle. Bris, as Jade’s boyfriend, struggles with doing the right thing for her. Jaden realizes that teens, and even children in other parts of the world, are forced to grow up too early because of war and national disasters. This thought helps her accept her role in the disaster, and demonstrates real growth in character and maturity. The reader is inspired by the courage of the teens as they deal with their desperate circumstances.

Reviewed by Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite

Remnants of the Damned, the first book in the Abyssal Sanctuary series by Gavin Hetherington, takes place in a little eerie town called Lakefield View. Five friends and co-workers from Pandora Café are about to experience the worst 24 hours of their lives. It all starts when Tiffany’s sister is murdered right before their very eyes. Thinking that was the worst of it, Justin, Christina, Eric, Carmen, and Tiffany all go home and try to move on from the tragedy they just witnessed. Unfortunately, they each go through their own living nightmare. As they each struggle to survive and protect their loved ones, horrible secrets are revealed and puzzling mysteries get closer to being solved.

I will start by saying that Remnants of the Damned does not end with a nicely wrapped bow. There is pretty much no closure and readers are left with even more questions than answers. That being said, the huge cliffhanger had absolutely no negative effect on my feelings for this book; if anything, it made me even more intrigued and desperate to continue reading the series. New author Gavin Hetherington is such a fantastic storyteller. Throughout the book, we see things happen from different points of view. In each part of the book, more details emerge and readers get to see how these five friends are ultimately connected. Also, the plot was awesomely horrifying. There are some disgusting and disturbing scenes that will be ingrained in my brain for a very long time. It was unpredictable, completely memorable, and terrifying to the point where I had trouble sleeping, and I enjoyed it beyond words could describe. I will most definitely be keeping my eye on this author and the rest of this series.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Pauline Creeden's Christian fantasy novel, Sanctuary, is the story of Jennie, a young woman whose plans to return to college for her sophomore year are abruptly shattered by her parents' decision to keep her close to them. While they have no problem with her attending a local college for the next year, they are adamant that the family should be kept together. Their reasons are clear, even to Jennie: the earth has been invaded by aliens -- at least the ship remains a fixture of the sky, silvery and spinning. The aliens seem to have done something to the sun, making it less powerful, and, even in August, the weather in Virginia where Jennie and her parents live, feels like late fall. Portions of the earth's water supply have also been contaminated, and many lives in other countries were lost as a result. It all seems distant somehow and not all that relevant to Jennie until later that day when an unusual vibration fills the air and she sees see strange lion-like dogs running through the yard. One attacks her mother, and the family rushes off to the hospital to have her injuries treated.

Sanctuary is a fast-paced Christian fantasy thriller that is original and quite entertaining. The story revolves around Jennie and her family, Pastor Billy and his wife, and two brothers who are polar opposites of each other. Each chapter is presented in the point of view of Jennie, Brad or Hugh (the brothers), which gives Pauline Creedon's Sanctuary, a multidimensional feel. The three different story-lines merge into a full-fledged fantasy/horror novel that never sags or lets up on the action.

While there are Christian themes present in Sanctuary, and Jennie's faith is an important part of who she is, I, a non-Christian, did not feel I was being preached to or proselytized. I recommend Pauline Creedon's Sanctuary -- it's well-written and a lot of fun to read.

Reviewed by Danita Dyess for Readers' Favorite

If you could strike a deal that would make all your problems vanish overnight, wouldn't it? That is exactly what happens in the book “The Gift” by Jonathan Lynch. Michael, the main character, is a pimply-faced, thin, 17-year-old teenager struggling with the daily torment of bullying, poverty and adolescent angst. Better to just end it all, he decides. So, he gobbles a mixture of pills and a bottle of Merlot and waits for death. But it doesn’t come. Instead, Lorcien, a 6-foot, mystical man with long, black hair and a knack for transcending walls appears in his apartment. He explains how he interceded Michael’s suicide. He calls it a gift. But this bestowal exacts a price, of course. Can you ever reclaim your soul after you haplessly sold it?

This work of fiction has paranormal undertones; Lynch says he grew up reading Stephen King. This intriguing, fast-moving book requires reading some parts twice. I recognized the conflict of man versus himself and good versus evil. I enjoyed the small-town setting and I appreciated the overall simplicity, that is, a teenage boy with an age old problem. Indeed, the birth of Lynch’s son inspired this novel. But his masterful narrative technique has made the plot more complex. He is skilled at writing in a conversational tone. He understands the importance of details that help the reader relate to the character. I will read his other book, “Dead Business.” “The Gift” is highly recommended.