Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers' Favorite

The Parfit Knight, Book One of the Rockliffe Series by Stella Riley, is a historical romance set in Georgian England. Meet Dominic “Nick” Ballantyne, the Marquis of Amberley. At thirty-four, he’s a wealthy, worldly, and athletic nobleman just as comfortable dancing with Madame Du Barry at Versailles as gambling at White’s or driving his own carriage across the English countryside. What Nick didn’t expect to be comfortable with was falling in love with Rosalind, a twenty-two-year-old woman who lives a secluded life far from the worldly enticements of London or Paris. As fate would have it, a wounded driver and a winter storm bring him to Rosalind’s door. But fate wasn’t through with Nick just yet, for he soon realized that he and Rosalind had crossed paths before in a tragic accident that left her blind.

In The Parfit Knight, Riley touches on themes of love, guilt, jealousy, and most of all, blindness. In the eyes of society, Rosalind’s blindness renders her flawed, despite her wealth and beauty. Her well-meaning family and devoted servants keep her out of sight. Nick, on the other hand, is blind to Rosalind’s visual impairment. He sees only her beauty, both inside and out. Others are blind to Nick’s goodness, while Rosalind sees it clearly. This engaging tale of true love in search of the truth is told in a flowing, richly descriptive, and emotionally evocative narrative. Riley is an expert at bringing out the deepest emotions of her protagonists. An entertaining and satisfying read. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

The Prodigy Slave: Journey to Winter Garden is the first book in a series by Londyn Skye, a story that combines pathos, passion, and an exceptional storytelling craft to transport readers to the world of a teenage girl sold into slavery by her own father. Lily is just ten when her father tears her away from her mother and sells her into slavery. But she quickly learns to adapt, stealthily learning to play her master’s piano, something she does consistently for fourteen years with no one finding out. She could have gotten away with it except that James, her master’s son, discovers her secret. The punishment given to her by James will set her on a transformational journey towards love and freedom, but will she be able to achieve her freedom and embrace the love of the one person who has loved her madly and has not been able to express it? This is a wonderful tale that reminds me of the writing of Langston Hughes and many a famous Negro writer like Richard Wright.

Londyn Skye has just become one of my favorite storytellers and has created a story that feels real, a story that explores the themes of family, slavery, love, and freedom in a masterful way. Readers will be enticed by the writing and the pace will literally compel them to keep on turning from page to page, eager to discover what happens to the protagonist. This is one of those novels that transport readers back to a historical setting, allowing them to relive a portion of history. The Prodigy Slave: Journey to Winter Garden is a rip roaring, masterfully written and entertaining novel with great potential to keep readers captivated. I couldn’t put it down.

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for Readers' Favorite

All her life, Belle has been raised as the daughter of a powerful alpha werewolf and his equally powerful wife. Just as her eighteenth birthday is nearing, her world is shattered when her parents finally reveal that they are not her biological parents. She was found on the edge of the pack boundary as an infant and they have raised her and loved her no matter what. But the Demon Lord is after her. Enter the Werewolf King, who claims he will protect her, but they immediately get off to a bad start. He doesn't believe she is a werewolf and she thinks he is joking. He thinks she is a witch, and she doesn't even think such things exist. Mated to the Werewolf King is the story of discovering who Belle really is and why the Demon Lord wants her, why he thinks she is his mate, and why his twin brother thinks she is his mate, but why she feels like the Werewolf King is who she wants, after she gets past his overly macho attitude. Author Alena Des has created a paranormal fantasy world of werewolves, vampires, demons, fae, witches and more, all living in the same world while a single girl has the power to upset the balance of everything without knowing it.

Mated to the Werewolf King is a complex and muti-layered family saga. We are finally able to learn the true story of Belle's parentage, but even then there are some difficulties. This story is not just your typical girl meets boy, falls for boy but has to prove its real for boy to accept. Author Alena Des has created a story that is complex yet feels almost natural. You can understand each point of view and why certain characters did what they did, but at the same time there is so much going on that this is one of those books that you could probably read two or three times and catch things each time that you missed the first time around. There is some violence, it's an all out battle for the world, and some sexual scenes, but pretty mild by today's standards.

Reviewed by Eeva Lancaster for Readers' Favorite

In The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami, Angela Renatus is an art historian plagued with dreams about Leonardo Da Vinci, Giuliano Medici and his mistress, Fioretta Gorini. When the dreams become more vivid, she starts to wonder if they are really dreams. Angela's life is not working out as planned. What was supposed to be a promising start to her career -- an internship at the Getty Museum -- is not the dream job she envisioned for herself. The museum director is less than a gentleman and Angela has to fend off his advances. Meanwhile, art detective Alex Caine contacts her about a missing painting ... by Leonardo Da Vinci. Is it a coincidence? Is it destiny? The mystery goes deeper. If a painting by Da Vinci is discovered today, it will be worth millions. Enough money to kill for. Angela and Alex embark on a journey to discover if the painting really exists. What they discover is so much more than they ever imagined.

The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci is a paranormal, romantic, erotic, historical suspense story with reincarnation at its core. Well-written and fast paced, the story gripped me from page one. The author skillfully shifts from the present to different time periods, and I enjoyed being given a more intimate glimpse of the different characters. I found the concept original and intriguing, and coupled with the author's excellent writing skills, I found the book hard to put down. The mystery was fascinating and the reincarnation aspect made it more so to me, as someone who's interested in this phenomena. The author, Belle Ami, did not disappoint. I loved the historical and romantic aspect most of all. For readers who love history, art, romance and the paranormal, I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Within the Heart of Silence by James William Peercy and Jacqueline E Smith is a collection of deeply moving spiritual poems that are rich in symbolism. What immediately catches the reader’s attention is how the authors instill life into what appears to be commonplace — images like the receding footsteps on the beach, the splash of water likened to a warm embrace that “washes our woes.” Then it becomes deeper and talks about hearts that see within, “a place of comfort.” Then there is the bird and the idea of freedom.

From themes of nature, to the celebration of faith, to the essence of love, and to the sheer delight in the little joys that fill the human experience, these poems reminisce on the beauty in our humanity and our anchor in someone higher than us. Some lines are insightful, deep, and imbued with universal truths. Beautifully illustrated with images that capture the essence of the poems, Within the Heart of Silence is delightful and written with an effervescence of style that will please readers as much as the depth of its message. Each poem is short, crafted with an unusual economy of word and elegance, with familiar diction and occasional rhymes that soothe the mind. Not one of the poems is titled. In place of titles, the authors offer images that are inspiring and that offer their own interpretation of the poems. An emotion, an idle thought, a phenomenon — they are captured in short lines that will delight readers. James William Peercy and Jacqueline E Smith give words to some of the beautiful human experiences for which we find no language.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

The Four Deadly Horsemen: Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, and Fear by Brandt Schubbe is a collection of poems that are, curiously, grouped thematically under different sentiments and moods. In these poems, the author explores different emotions of life, including terror, bewilderment, frustration, and fear. These emotions are very symbolic in this collection and the author rides high on them.
The opening poem makes an insightful statement and points to the mental and physical lethargy that sometimes overwhelms us when we experience chaos. The poems cover a wide range of topics, including lessons of war, the questions that life throws at us, and the experience of love and loss.

Brandt Schubbe’s style is unique and evocative, with short lines that are strong in rhythm. The diction is awesome and the author shows deftness in coining phrases that allow readers to feel what he writes about. Some of the poems are very insightful and loaded with life lessons. One of my favorite poems is “An Early Twenties Revelation,” and the following stanza caught my attention and left me mulling:

“I must focus
For this moment
Is just right…”

This is the kind of collection for readers who love poems that are simply written, intimate, and emotionally rich. The reader is pulled in and compelled to see the world and reality through the eyes of the poet or the persona. The use of the first person lends great force to the poems, elevating them to a state of intimacy. The poet ceases to be an observer and becomes the subject of the poems. The Four Deadly Horsemen: Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, and Fear is beautifully written and evocative, sweet to the ears, and emotionally appealing.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

From The Dust by Anastasia Bolinder is a story of bravery about a wingless fairy's fight to save two kingdoms. Called an imp her whole life, Alayna has always been different from the other fairies for her lack of wings. Though Alayna enjoys her life working in the stables and enjoying time with her friends, she daydreams about traveling outside of Dust. Everything changes when the queen summons her for a meeting. She learns about a vision foretelling of the kingdom withering with Alayna playing an unknown part. When a great evil invades her kingdom and steals the queen's life stone, Alayna is determined to prove her bravery and follows after the thieves into the snow. Her quest for allies leads her to the source of the evil, to the secrets of her past, and on a journey to her destiny.

Anastasia Bolinder has a spunky hero in Alayna who enjoys simple things like working in the stables and being around animals. She's constantly having to prove herself, because most people treat her as an imp or demon simply because she doesn't have wings. Alayna is a sweet character, at times naive, but always compassionate which is her largest strength. Her heart is what leads to her bravery, because it drives her to enter this fight to save her friends, two kingdoms, and the land. The characters are colorful with vibrant personalities, with everyone having a role to play in the story - from her mentor and friend, Eplices, to the grumpy Elder of the forest. Even Alayna's horse, Runner, and the dog, Zinxz, she meets on her journey have equally in-depth and bright personalities, proving to be much more than helpful companions.

The story mainly focuses on her journey to save these two kingdoms, but it's also an emotional journey of self-discovery and an important part of her becoming a hero. Her adventure is personal, more than saving two kingdoms, but uncovering the secrets of her past and who her parents were. She always believed there was nothing special about her and was treated as though not having wings made her just an imp, so seeing her become a hero with abilities that connect to everything around her and a true sense of bravery is deeply rewarding. The writing remains fairly light overall with an almost bubbly quality about it, but Bolinder weaves in serious danger without ever getting too dark. The fairies have a fun spin to them, with their personalities mainly bubbly or serene, moving away from the typical devious and trickster personalities of fairies. Bolinder mixes a symbiotic relationship with nature and a powerful connection to magic in this fun fairy adventure. From The Dust is a journey of discovery that uncovers the secrets of the past in a fight to save the future of two kingdoms.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Collapsing Kingdom: The Land Without Color, Book 3 is a fantasy/adventure novel for children and preteens written by Benjamin Ellefson and illustrated by Kevin Cannon. Something awful was happening in Brandon’s home town, and it seemed that there was no one in charge who could do anything about it. The exact degree of awfulness hit home to Brandon as he surveyed the deep abyss that had just swallowed up Grandpa Alvin. Was he still alive? Brandon considered going down after him, but figured he’d drop something down first to assess the depth of the impenetrable darkness. The can of peppers flashed briefly as it fell, but Brandon never heard the answering impact. He realized that he had to leave his grandfather’s house -- and quickly -- when he saw that a dull gray color was spreading out over everything he saw, all the normal colors one takes for granted turning gray and getting closer and closer to his feet. As he dashed up the basement stairs and out of the house, he looked back and saw that the whole house and yard had turned gray. Then, he watched horror-struck as the house and yard collapsed and fell into the pit. He and Grandpa Alvin knew who was responsible for this and, with Grandpa gone, Brandon realized that he had a lot of work to do and not much time in which to do it.

Benjamin Ellefson’s fantasy/adventure novel, The Collapsing Kingdom: The Land Without Color, Book 3, is a fast-paced and exciting romp as Brandon races against time to halt the destruction of his town and the surrounding countryside. This is the third book in Ellefson’s Land Without Color series, and it can be read on its own, but I’d strongly recommend that you read the books in order to get the full impact of this imaginative and compelling story -- which also gives young readers some rather novel ideas on why fruits and vegetables are much better for eating and growing as crops than, say, ice cream or chocolate. While I’m fully on board with the importance of a healthy diet, I still couldn’t resist a sigh as I beheld the mint ice cream plants -- surely they could be considered of some value as a treat after the salad? The real highlight of this series for me is watching as Brandon comes of age, which he really does in this third book. He’s resourceful, fast-thinking and courageous as he navigates the obstacles, which seem never-ending, in his quest to bring color back to the kingdom and its citizens. Kevin Cannon’s illustrations work perfectly with the story and add dimension and impact. The Collapsing Kingdom: The Land Without Color, Book 3 is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Stephen Fisher for Readers' Favorite

The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket by Suzanne Lowe is a marvelous adventure story for children of all ages. It begins with Charlotte, or Lottie for short, in an orphanage. It's the only place where she has lived since her mother died when Charlotte was still very young. Then, on her 12th birthday, she is told by Mrs. Thumble that she has to get her belongings and leave. She has been hired to be the lady's maid for Mr. Henderson's wife. They have to leave right away, because they are setting sail on the ship, The Dorchester. Once they shove off, Lottie finds out that she also has to take Mr. Jacks, their dog, for walks. Shortly after setting sail, the ship runs onto a reef during a storm and sinks. Lottie is able to save the dog and straps herself to some barrels. They finally wash up on the beach of an island. While exploring, she smells food cooking and she finds that pirates are also on the same island. When she gets caught trying to steal food, she is placed in the care of the cook. Then her adventure really begins when the local cannibal tribe pays the pirate camp a visit.

Ms. Lowe does a superb job of bring this adventure story to life, with wide array of characters and events that are vividly described. Redface, the cook, puts her to work alongside Jasper, the cabin boy. Suzanne Lowe weaves this adventure tale with enough surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. The story moves along at a near breakneck pace, and there is no let-up in the action. For a book that really isn't very long, it is by no means short on all of the elements that make this book action packed. I was immediately drawn into the story. The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket was just a joy to read from beginning to end, and tough to put down. I would love to see this entertaining masterpiece on the silver screen some day. The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket by Suzanne Lowe is a page-turner for sure. Brava!

Reviewed by Kristen Van Kampen (Teen Reviewer) for Readers' Favorite

The Adventures of Samba Rat and Friends in Sherman the Last Dragon by Steven and Mary Munsie is an exciting tale of a rat, a squirrel, and a porcupine who have to find a home for the last dragon on earth. Samba Rat, Squirrely, and Peter Porcupine find an egg one day after a picnic, and are surprised when it hatches into a dragon, who they begin to call Sherman. They decide that they have to take him to a sanctuary for dragons and other mythical creatures where he will be safe. But the going isn't easy. Along the way, they bravely face a silver spider, a griffin, a waterfall, and a saber-tooth tiger. Will they be able to get Sherman to his true home despite all of the challenges?

I really enjoyed reading The Adventures of Samba Rat and Friends in Sherman the Last Dragon by Steven and Mary Munsie. The book is well written and very descriptive. I really liked how the plot combined many different myths in a way that makes sense. The story is intriguing and filled with action and adventure. The characters are all very likeable, and young readers will want them to succeed in their quest. They are also unique and well developed. The story is fast paced and exciting. I was hooked by the first page and I never wanted to put the book down. The story contains many adorable, colorful illustrations readers will love. I would definitely recommend this book to all children.