Reviewed By Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

What our minds can achieve is certainly beyond what we truly understand at this point in time. John Darryl Winston explores that concept in IA: Initiate. Doctor Cory Andersen has tapped into other parts of the mind and has begun to experiment along the edges of what the mind can truly become. That brings us to Naz, a young teen growing up in an inner city environment, the Exclave, which is extremely rough. With Meri, his little sister, as the only family that he has left, he is constantly concerned with making sure that she is well taken care of and protected, and even holds onto the hope of getting her out of the Exclave entirely. As Naz faces the struggles of starting at a new Middle School, he is also faced with the problem of a gang that have made it their mission to either add him to their numbers or kill him. If these problems weren't enough for a thirteen-year-old, the voice in his head and the disconnection with his past that continues to haunt him leave him to face a struggle that is advancing toward him as an unseen enemy. Naz has to sort it all out or drive himself crazy.

IA: Initiate is an excellent beginning to a sci-fi series that is certain to thrill sci-fi enthusiasts. John Darryl Winston has created a believable premise with just a touch of the concept of mind and thought control mixed in. The reader will be engaged from start to finish, feeling the emotions and thoughts, as well as playing out the actions as each scene unfolds. This is not only sci-fi, but also a coming of age story as our hero is forced to discover who he is and where his true gifts lie. Excellent intrigue throughout, joined with plenty of underlying mystery to keep the reader stirring, IA: Initiate has the potential of becoming a new literary phenomenon.

Reviewed By Lex Allen for Readers' Favorite

Fractured Glass: A Novel Anthology by authors Tia Bach, Casey L. Bond, Kelly Risser and N.L. Greene is an imaginative and exciting journey through some of the strangest dimensional worlds, with a cast that exceeds anyone’s wildest imagination. Though a stretch to title this novel an anthology, it is certainly a collaborative effort in keeping with the finest tradition of melding science fiction and fantasy. Twins Sloan and Harley have birthmarks that…well let’s say they’re remarkable and critical to the story. Starting with identical nightmares, the twins soon find themselves ensnared in a series of dimensional worlds that, at first, have no rhyme or reason. They are joined by their mother and friend Diego, as well as a number of new characters that arrive throughout to enhance the plot. Initially unsure of their purpose in these worlds, they remain occupied with escaping deadly creatures and traps. Added to their burden and stress, they often become separated and spend a good deal of their time searching for each other.

Having written collaborative fiction with an online writers group for several years, I am well aware of the complexities involved. Maintaining a consistent narrator ‘voice’, harmony in character actions and dialog make words and rhythm essential. I enjoyed the novel and was particularly intrigued by the description and role that fractals played in the story. A quantum physicist would likely throw the book through the wall, but I thought the artistic license taken with these mathematical elements of quantum mechanics unique and fun. The various dimensional worlds were well imagined and described as were some of the weirdest characters I’ve seen in a long time.

Character wise, I have to admit a bit of a struggle accepting the names Sloan and Harley for the twin girls. A school friend of mine was a hulking bear of a guy, named Harley, and each time I read Sloan, I thought of a sleazy pawn shop broker! Well, never the mind, I came to accept both names, and thoroughly enjoying these characters, forgot my hang-ups. The entire cast of characters was very well done but, other than the twins, I especially liked Calix and Diego.

I thought the pacing, the twists and introductions of new characters well into the half-way point of the story very well done. An exciting YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy tale, well worth my heartiest recommendation.

Reviewed By Chris Fischer for Readers' Favorite

Red Angel by C.R. Daems follows the story of Anna, a young prodigy rising through the ranks of a naval space fleet. Anna has a secret. A survivor of the deadly Coaca virus that killed her family when she was only four years old, Anna needs her snake, Red, to survive. Red’s venom is the only thing that prevents Anna from succumbing to the virus, and her blood keeps him alive. Anna struggles through the foster system, and as kraits like Red become known throughout the three star empires, she has to use her wits to fight off those who would harm her to get to Red. Eventually recruited by the Naval Intelligence Agency for her ability to break codes, Anna begins to wonder if she and Red are a help or a liability to her elite team as they work to track down interstellar smugglers.

Wow! This book is a fast-paced page turner, and kept my interest from the very first page. C.R. Daems’ story-telling ability is evident in his extremely readable and enjoyable work. I think this book would most appeal to the young adult reader, but any lover of science fiction would enjoy it as well. The symbiotic relationship between Anna and her snake was a creative and unique element that added a whole new level of complication to this space adventure. Red Angel was a fun read, and I am happy to highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and unique story.

Reviewed By Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite

In The Cloud Seeders by James Zerndt, Thomas and his young brother Dustin haven't seen a drop of rain in over a year. With the water drying up, the government had gone from Eco-conscious to Eco-hysterical making sure that every drop of water is accounted for, turning things like home gardening and car washing into serious infractions. Thomas is more intent on keeping his brother safe and making it through the day while his rebel rousing friend, Jerusha, feels that there's more to the drought than what the government's spilling. She's determined to find out even if it means going with Thomas and Dustin on a cross-country road trip. A novel that defies easy explanation, The Cloud Seeders is great for anyone interested in the HAARP project or post-apocalyptic, road tripping adventure.

In his acknowledgment, Zerndt said that The Cloud Seeders was turned down by several publishing houses, which is usually my cue to avoid the book like a vampire shuns sunlight. However, The Cloud Seeders was a fantastic read, one that I would love to see on the shelves (mine especially). The characters were very realistically written, nothing struck me as manipulative or sentimental, the way Thomas, Dustin, and Jerusha reacted to various situations I couldn't imagine happening any other way. I found myself thinking of them long after the book was done. I even enjoyed the poems. Usually after reading one or two I wind up skipping over the rest, but in The Cloud Seeders the poems were funny and interesting and gave us little hints about the characters. A thoroughly enjoyable book and I’d be interested in seeing more what Zerndt has to offer.

Reviewed By Si Ning Yeoh for Readers' Favorite

Beneath the humdrum reality of life as most know it, there lies a secret, intriguing world that only a privileged few can access. Willoughby, a lonely and bored young mathematician genius, is drawn into this world where he befriends a group of similarly gifted eccentrics, including the beautiful and mysterious violinist, Sydney Senoya, and their jolly but cryptic leader, H.S. But even as they seek out thrilling adventures and push the boundaries of the impossible, grotesquely terrifying enemies stalk their every step and threaten to take their secrets. Soon, Willoughby will see his friends fall into terrible danger. Soon, Willoughby will have to face that danger head-on. Such is the story of Deen Ferrell’s brilliantly-crafted novel Cryptic Spaces: Book One: Foresight, and oh, what a story it is.

I initially approached this book with pretty moderate expectations, as I’ve found most authors’ debut novels to be, no matter how promising, somewhat stiff and unpolished. What I got instead, however, was the best story that I have had the pleasure of reading in a long while. Cryptic Spaces has all the key components of a great novel - well-developed and consistent characters, richly descriptive settings, whimsical dialogues, a smooth pacing and an utterly gripping plot. I particularly enjoyed how Ferrell skilfully blends scientific truths into the fiction - concepts like circumpolar stars, Riemann’s hypothesis, Nostradamus’ predictions are tied neatly into the story. This is worth so much more than five stars; my only gripe is that I have to now wait for its sequels to know what happens next. So please, buy it. Read it. Love it. You will not regret that decision.

Reviewed By Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

In Donor 23 by Cate Beatty we meet Joan Lion, a donor. She lives in a society where the Governor is the authority. Joan is his daughter’s donor. They have taken her leg, shoulder and arm muscles and implanted them into Teagan. In return, Joan is furnished with an apartment, food and money. The donors are bred to be donors and are referred to as a number. But the day comes when she discovers they want her heart and lungs, not because her benefactor needs them, but to make her stronger and a better competitor. Joan escapes and becomes a folk hero whom other donors want to follow. She learns that true freedom comes from inside.

Donor 23 is an excellent thriller. Author Cate Beatty has combined action, thrills, fantasy, science fiction, and a bit of romance to create one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Emotions run high in this book featuring a dystopian society. Joan is an amazing character with physical strength from constantly working out to stay in shape in case her benefactor needs a muscle. She is also filled with guilt, believing she is responsible for her mother’s death. The reader witnesses Joan’s transformation from a scared, fragile girl to a courageous and strong young woman. There are quite a few secondary characters and yet each one has been fleshed out. This book left me wanting more. I hope Cate Beatty plans to pen a sequel.

Reviewed By Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

In Fairest (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 2) by Chanda Hahn, the readers have to learn that fairy tales are not always full of happily ever afters. The main character, a girl called Mina (short for Wilhelmina) Grime, has quite a difficult job in addition to going to school: her real family name is Grimm and she inherited a certain family trait, or some might call it a curse. Fairy tales seek her out, characters from well-known tales appear in her life and it's her job to get them out of the world in which they actually do not belong. For this, she needs the help of the Grimoire, a book in which the characters can be caught.

Fairest is the second book in the Unfortunate Fairy Tale series by Chanda Hahn and I would recommend readers to read UnEnchanted first even though the books can also be enjoyed on their own. The experience is even better though if all books are read in the right order. But be warned: once you read one of the books, you'll want to read them all and then you'll head over to the author's site to find out when she'll be finished with the next one!

I enjoyed reading Fairest, especially because it isn't always the way it seems to be. Mina is quite a clever girl and has to deal with school, fairy tales, love, jealousy, fairies, and pixies. It's hard not to take a liking to Mina and to silently cheer her on while reading the book(s). Sometimes you won't like what Chanda Hahn makes Mina go through but if everything in Mina's life was a piece of cake, nobody would want to read the books! The story keeps you holding onto the book - just one more chapter - and suddenly you've read the whole book.

Reviewed By Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

Fable (Unfortunate Fairy Tales) by Chanda Hahn is the third book in a very interesting and exciting fantasy series for young (and not so young) adults. If you would like to enjoy the story as much as possible, I'd recommend you read UnEnchanted and Fairest first. In Fable, Mina and her mother move into a big house after their old apartment on top of a Chinese restaurant has burnt down, with her little brother in it. Everybody assumes he is dead, even though no remains have ever been found. Mina then learns that it all was a plot to get her attention because she had ignored her job of 'killing' fairy tale creatures for months. Her brother has been taken to the fae plane and it will not be easy for Mina to get him back, especially because the decisions she must make will have an effect on others, too.

I've read all books in this series so far and enjoyed Fable by Chanda Hahn just as much as the other two books, even though I have to admit that I sometimes thought Mina was acting quite dumb in this installment. Sometimes you simply roll your eyes at her behavior - but I guess she's a teenager, so maybe I simply can't see things from her perspective anymore. And sometimes even intelligent people do dumb things.

During the book, the readers will quickly have their own suspicions about what might happen and why it might happen but you'll have to wait until the end of the book to actually have your fears or hopes either confirmed or completely crushed. I certainly don't regret a single minute I spent with Chanda Hahn's books and will surely read the fourth installment once it's out on the market.

Reviewed By Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite

Have you ever wished you could go back in time? Maybe see what life was like before you were born? Well, in J.H. Walker’s Rewrite Redemption, A.J. gets to do just that. However, this ability is not as glamorous as you might think. She has no control over it, and she’ll just randomly disappear and end up in the past, sometimes for a few hours and sometimes for a few days. It has happened all her life and she has no idea why; she’s also afraid of someone witnessing it, which could drastically and terribly change her life for good. Then along comes Constantine. She can sense that he may be like her. Little does she know that he time travels too. In fact, he rewrote his own timeline, which resulted in tragedy for his family. His time travel privileges have been revoked. He needs her help. She has no idea what she really is and how to control it. She needs his help. They need each other … for more than even they realize.

If I didn’t have responsibilities, such as raising a child and earning an income, I would have devoured this book in one sitting. It was absolutely incredible. I loved every second of it. The closer and closer I got to the end, the more and more I repeated to myself, “Please don’t end; please don’t end.” And it wasn’t even short. It was over 380 pages, but I was just so hooked that I never wanted the story to end. There are so many wonderful elements to this book. The plot had different science fiction, fantasy, and romance aspects to it, which made it unique and exciting. The characters were completely unforgettable. Not only do you have the lovely A.J. and Constantine, but you also have A.J.’s family and friends, my favorite being Lex, her overprotective, hilarious, well-intentioned best friend. There’s also the point of view it is written from. It alternates between A.J. and Constantine’s points of view. In my opinion, this can either make or break a book for me, but it definitely worked in this case. I really enjoyed seeing things from both of their perspectives. And the ending! All I can say is “wow!” So, I will leave you with this: Rewrite Redemption is a must-read, and I must get down on my knees and thank the very talented J.H. Walker for writing it. I am impatiently waiting for a sequel, which I will purchase immediately.

Reviewed By Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

How would a sorcerer punish a thief? Ganfrey was caught by Ragonnard when she broke into his mansion and attempted to steal some of his belongings. The anti-social Ragonnard, however, was willing to overlook her crime on one condition; steal a painting for him from King Credos’ palace. A suicidal task for a small thief, especially when the palace was guarded under the watchful eyes of Lautrec, a dedicated and no nonsense captain of the guards. A funny, fantasy tale of misadventures filled with clumsy thieving, sorcery, illusions and talking furniture – all due to one mysterious painting of a grumpy old man.

Chapter one was a humorous start right away. The author successfully depicted the talking furniture in a casual, funny tone. My favorite character would be Ganfrey. I loved her tenacious and calm demeanor when she tried to talk herself out of trouble. There were more than one protagonist in the story, and all of them were very well-developed and memorable. The cheeky names of the characters, places and things – such as the Yellow Parchments, the fantasy version of Yellow Pages - made me smile. My only disappointment was that the cover could be better in compliance with the exceptionally well-crafted tale. Overall, "Growing Disenchantments" was the most enjoyable, casual and funny story in fantasy genre that I've read so far. I do wish that there will be more stories such as this one and hopefully they will be written by K.D. Berry.