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 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.

Reviewed by Dianne Bylo for Readers' Favorite

"Secret of the Crystal Dragon" by Paula Blais Gorgas is a delightful fantasy about two worlds whose histories have been closely tied together since the beginning of man’s time on Earth. Myra Goodfellow, now twelve, has heard the stories of the Dreamkeeper and a place called Kasan where the Dragon People lived since she was very young. Of course Myra knew these were make-believe, that is until one day when she finds a dragon egg in the woods! With her new friend Aiden, they discover a special connection to the baby dragon and dream-travel to the world of Kasan, home of the Guardian Dragons of Earth. Myra must protect ‘Baby’ from the Red World Society, an alien group trying to take over both Kasan and Earth, while learning to put her trust in others and still find a way back home. Can she save the dragon and find its mother? Is this the beginning of some hidden destiny for Myra?

Myra’s struggles with her parents’ divorce, her sense of loss and betrayal, as well as her mannerisms and speech are very realistic for a twelve-year-old girl. In creating a world closely paralleling life on Earth, Paula Blais Gorgas has made “Secret of the Crystal Dragon” an easy to understand read for younger children, while still be entertaining for adults with vivid descriptions and constant action. I was captivated throughout and strongly recommend this book to younger readers with its positive outlook and fast-paced plot! A perfect chapter book!

Reviewed by Lauren Lichliter for Readers' Favorite

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"The Jericho River" by David Carthage is a fascinating coming-of-age story that follows the main character, Jason Gallo, on the search to find his father. Jason is swept into the dream-world called Fore, where his mission is to find and rescue his father by bringing him back to the real world. Fore is a land separated by a river that carries along with it much of Earth’s history, from the early days of the Fertile Crescent until modern times. Jason travels and searches along this route in his quest. On his journey Jason also gathers allies as well as enemies and encounters Lumins, magical creatures that live side-by-side with humans in Fore.

This novel is wonderfully creative and enthralling. We receive a short history mini-lesson in the form of Jason’s father, the professor, and then we live the history through Jason as he travels along the river. Carthage weaves the two worlds together in a masterful style that is all his own. The plot is a carefully crafted idea that brings together both history and the imagination of the author. This book is captivating and creative, a completely new idea in a young adult world littered with so many plots dealt with over and over again. The author took history and then blended it with the magic and the creativity of Fore to produce a fantastic and original young adult novel.

Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite

"Seventh Dimension" by Lorilyn Roberts is a book that puts us right into the thick of today's society. Everywhere you look these days, there are hurt feelings, broken homes, cheaters, bullying, and all sorts of negative self-doubts.

Shale Snyder is a girl who has been a victim of what happens in society today. Emotionally, she has been damaged, thanks to bullies and torment in school and a broken home that left her abandoned. Like many others in her situation, she longs for something else deep down and she hopes to someday find what it is she is longing for.

Then one day in an Alice in Wonderland type-twist, Shale is transported to a garden. In this garden she meets a donkey and a rabbit who both talk. They tell her something about the garden and the King whose garden it is, until evil transports them and pulls them into the seventh dimension. There Shale must learn several lessons and look to within herself as she does so.

This is a book that will make you think. While it is geared towards young adults and teens, it can certainly convey its message to an adult audience as well. Lorilyn Roberts writes a book that is unique and intriguing. The message of hope and love is clear. It is a story of healing and being able to accept love even if you think you are not worthy of it because everyone is worthy of love. The message in this book alone makes it worth reading for anyone. I would especially recommend giving it to someone you might know who is hurting. Maybe they suffered from bullying, too, or just need a hand in guidance.

Reviewed by Ty Mall for Readers' Favorite

"The Silver Sphere" by Michael Dadich is about six teens sent from the Earth to a place called Azimuth after members of the Aulic Assembly disappear. Only these members can work the Silver Sphere. The Sphere pinpoints the location of an evil being called Biskara, whose sons threaten an entire civilization. Each teen is mentally connected to one operator of the Silver Sphere, and inherits some of their operator’s abilities. With the help of the native military, some renegade knights, the mysterious Fugues, and others, the teens set out to rescue the Assembly members and foil the plans of Biskara’s son Malefic. Along the way, these teenagers find that there might be more that connects them to this strange new land than the portal that transported them there.

I liked how the author assembled each member of the group, while keeping some away for a while. Some words slow things down from time to time, but not enough to be a major impact. This book has intrigue, betrayal, suspense, and a lot more. I appreciated seeing the threads of the plot tied together, after they started so far apart. Certain interactions between characters were predictable while some others were a complete surprise. The characters’ backgrounds were worked out well throughout the story, and appear to have influenced their actions in ways that made sense. The illustrations of some of the creatures in the book helped a lot. The best part by far was that this author made me care about his characters. "The Silver Sphere" is a very enjoyable book.

Reviewed by Tamera Lawrence for Readers' Favorite

"Zebulon and Other Short Stories" is a collection of stories ranging from science fiction to ghosts to the very devil himself. One depicts a small town where an unusual arcade game allows a strange little man to claim to be transforming into a god. In another a teenaged genius makes a fantastic dimensional discovery opening the possibility of time travel, and the creation of universes. A final dance takes place in another for a devoted couple who love the sound of big band music. The drowning of an innocent young man brings about forgiveness and closure for two special people in yet another. Some tales are touching and mysterious with a bit of paranormal in the mix, while other accounts dig in with a bit of fire and brimstone. These stories touch on the unusual, too.

"Zebulon and Other Short Stories" by Ronald L. Herron is an interesting assortment of tales with all the right elements necessary to make a short-story click. The pages flow easily as we meet some interesting characters and the dilemmas they face. The writer has a good grip of the human existence and the ability to weave it together with a bit of havoc and heart. These stories are creative and fun. It truly is a diverse collection from all walks of life. I especially liked the wager with the devil and the surprising outcome. Herron is a highly imaginative author with a great sense of wit and style. I look forward to reading more by this inventive author.