Reviewed by Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite

Be Still the Water by Karen Emilson is a historical novel set against the backdrop of the tranquil shores of Lake Manitoba in the early 1900s, a story centered around the immigrant Gudmundsson family and their struggles to settle among the Siglunes in the early years of the twentieth century. But it’s not just about immigrants embracing a new life in a new country. Things would have been different if Pjetur's daughter, Asta, didn’t fall head-over-heels in love with the miller’s son. As if that wasn’t enough to cause trouble for the family, Asta’s younger sister disappears. Will Asta be able to accomplish her mission of locating and bringing her sister home?

Be Still the Water is a family saga involving love and secrets, a tale that is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, but one worth reading. The story is told by the old woman who is nearing her death bed, and in a voice that is warm and intelligent, full of the wisdom of age. The first person narrative is a style the author uses as a master and it draws readers in immediately. At the very opening of the story, the author introduces one of the powerful conflicts and issues that move the gripping plot, the disappearance of Freyja, which immediately makes readers start asking questions. “Oh Freyja, where are you? Not knowing your fate has tormented me for nearly seventy years. Before I go, I will make good on my promise to find you.” After losing her sister for nearly seventy years and at her ripe old age, readers could well wonder if she has the strength to find out the truth. They won’t be disappointed because the narrator will navigate her family’s history with them and lead them through unusual paths.

I loved the language, the vivid descriptions, the occasional bursts of wisdom, and the compelling characters. Karen Emilson has won my interest in her work and she skillfully establishes herself as an expert in the historical fiction genre. One striking aspect of this work is to see how the author allows the narrator to portray her age and state of mind, allowing her personality to come across powerfully without distracting the reader. The idea of an old woman looking back at her family history lends the narrative style a flavor that will delight many readers.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

The Other La Bohème by Yorker Keith is aptly labeled literary fiction, an interesting story that explores the life and career of the Dolci Quattro. After their breathtaking performance of Puccini’s well-known opera, La Bohème, during their graduation, four friends form a band called the Dolci Quattro. Set in the very complex and rich backdrop of New York City, the Dolci Quattro pursues their dream and embraces a Bohemian lifestyle. But all is not sweet and easy. Readers will watch them as they fall in love, as they experience betrayal, and as they face obstacles and family challenges. What is it that keeps them together?

Yorker Keith writes beautifully and those who love music, especially fans of La Bohème, will be smitten by this story as well as those who just enjoy the opera. The author shows great knowledge of music and writes confidently about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d not lived this experience personally. The writing is elegant, flowing like music, and polished. The plot is well-paced and the conflict developed around the career and the love experiences of the characters helps to give the entire story a strong dynamic. The characters are well-explored and I enjoyed the psychological depth of the story. One of the things I enjoyed about the book is how the author skillfully weaves elements of the original La Bohème into the story. The narrative is great and the prose so descriptive that it allows the reader to have a great feel for the characters. The Other La Bohème is, indeed, a real treat for music lovers.

Reviewed by Dr. Oliva Dsouza for Readers' Favorite

If The Devil Had a Dog by T.K. Lukas is a wonderfully crafted, edge of the seat thriller that has equal amounts of suspense, action, romance and intrigue to keep you glued to the book until the end. Sidney McQueen is fleeing from her drug-dealing, abusive husband who also happens to be a powerful attorney involved with the Mexican cartels. The perfect foil for this lady in distress is the mysterious and intriguing character of Markus Yeager, a former Marine turned CIA operative. Suffering and dealing with his own past and demons, he is initially wary of Sidney. But, as the story unfolds, he becomes the hero who gets pulled deeper into the life he has been trying to avoid. Will Sidney escape the clutches of a man who is willing to do anything to get what he wants? Will Markus be able to overcome his past and emerge as the hero who saves the day?

If The Devil Had a Dog had me hooked from the word go! I simply could not put it down. This action packed book makes you want to finish reading it from start to finish in one go. The thrills and action are fantastic and one cannot wait to turn the page to learn more. Markus and Sidney are the kind of people we all know from somewhere and, even though their situations may not be something we see in our lives, their characters are totally realistic. A must-read for people who love thrillers with lots of action. Good job!

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

David Litwack’s The Light of Reason is Book Three in The Seekers series, another brilliant and compelling entry to a series that is already growing long legs. In an alternate world, two seekers return from across the sea, having acquired exceptional knowledge and wisdom, with the hope of bringing more light to their world. But when Orah and Nathaniel reach home, they are stunned to learn that things have changed drastically. A deadly usurper sits on the throne of the Vicar and his plans are to wreak havoc, and he’ll use all the knowledge at the disposal of the Vicar to strengthen his dark reign. Faced with such a deadly adversary, the dreamers must make a very difficult choice, and the survival of their knowledge and enlightenment depends on their choice. Will they return to the dark world or face certain extinction?

The Light of Reason reads so much like a dream; it’s the kind of story that rekindles a region of our soul where we feel the strange stirrings, the beckonings of a higher world. The story is well-imagined and masterfully told, with a cast of very compelling and convincing characters. Nothing feels so strange yet so familiar, so impossible yet so convincing as the conflict that permeates the whole story. This is the first book I have read in the series and David Litwack comes across as a master in the genre, doing a perfect job so that the reader doesn’t need to read previous books in the series to connect to the story. The writing is flawless, featuring beautiful and vivid descriptions, intelligent and plot-driven dialogues, and characters that readers will easily relate to. Now, I will have to go back and read the other books in the series. David Litwack is nothing less than a master entertainer and is perhaps himself a gifted dreamer.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

There are books you pick up, read, savor, and put aside; you forget them and move on to the next. But there are some you read, put down, and they continue to haunt you for a very long time. K.J. Simmill’s The Severaine is the kind that you will read and find it very painful to put down, and the author should better be ready with the next story in the series. This is the second book in The Forgotten Legacies Series, a gripping story featuring a powerful force in its wake and on a path to destroying every life in its way. Can anything stop the Severaine? It’s a mysterious and malicious force whose sole purpose is to absorb every ounce of energy from every living thing, and if it is not stopped, it could be the end of the world. It is in this climate that K.J. Simmill creates heroes and villains, resurrects the forgotten gods and summons powerful creatures.

The Severaine is beautifully written, fast-paced, with very compelling characters. You’ll find intrigue and betrayal, and a powerful and plot-driven conflict. There is a lot of action to hasten the pulse of the reader’s heart, a lot of beautifully crafted scenes that leave the reader looking forward, anticipating more surprises. I enjoyed the hints of Norse and Greek mythology. This book combines different genres — thriller, dystopian, and fantasy — to weave a spell that will have readers entranced as they leaf rapidly through the pages. This is one of the stories I would love to watch on screen, a very entertaining read.

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

A thousand years ago, the Menekarian Empire is responsible for ridding the world of sorcery using the Pure, their great paladins blessed by their god Ama. Since then, any sorcery will be forcefully purified or eliminated. Yet magic is rising again, as a young but powerful Dymorian queen takes command in the west, and a boy with strange powers comes of age in a small fishing village. Surviving immortals from the past emerge from hiding, with one of them intending to preserve their immortality at all costs.

A debut for The Raveling Saga, The Crimson Queen is an epic fantasy by Alec Hutson. Intriguing from the start, Hutson’s strong narrative weaves a deep sensitivity and emotional acuity into the story. This is definitely its strongest point, followed by a solid and complex plot filled with virulent twists. The pacing is well-balanced and suited for the different events in the story. Characterization is excellent - I don’t think any of the characters were typically compartmentalized into familiar stereotypes of the fantasy genre.

The Crimson Queen is a riveting, thought-provoking read, where ethical and power clashes between the memorable characters are not easily put out of mind. The vast and intricate world building shows a lot of care from Hutson. The detailed descriptions really make the ominous world that he created come to life, making it fascinating to delve into. The political and societal divides blend easily with the godlike immortals, sorcerers, warriors, assassins, and terrifying creatures in a unique universe. A commendable, thoughtfully crafted tale from Hutson, and I look forward to its sequel.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

The White Tower by Michael Wisehart is the first book in The Aldoran Chronicles. In this world, the use of magic is forbidden because the Great Wizard Wars wreaked havoc in Aldoran, yet the ones who judge and persecute wielders of magic use magic themselves - and often people without magic are accused of being wielders just because they know how to use herbs. It is like a witch hunt - the victims are often not guilty of any crime. This is the world Ty grows up in. His parents are not his real parents, and Ty carries a secret with him: he suspects that he knows how to use magic. Then the Black Watch turns up in his village, and Ty learns that his foster father is part of a group that helps wielders to escape punishment for having special gifts. Many characters come together in this novel, some wield magic and some are magical when it comes to their charming characters. Some fight for magic, some fight against it - but none of them can stop the world from changing.

I have to admit that I was wary of all the comparisons that have been made about The White Tower by Michael Wisehart. It has been said readers of certain famous fantasy writers would enjoy this book. And usually books that claim such things suck. This was not the case here. I would not call it the new Song of Ice and Fire and I would not call Michael Wisehart the new Robert Jordan. It is a fantasy world that can stand on its own and if the following books in the series keep up the quality of book one, then this series will make its own name, gain its own fans, and won't have to compare itself to anybody else's work. I am glad that I picked up this book even though I was skeptical. I loved how you got to see the different perspectives, i.e. there was not just a focus on one single character - though it soon becomes obvious who the heroes and villains are. It was fascinating to see how one character acted, and then learn what kind of effect it had in the life of one of the other characters whose point of view readers get to see.

In addition to some interesting plots (the main plot and the many sub-plots), the writing is very well done and makes it easy to dive into the world of Aldoran. You will forget time, and the world around you will, for some time, not have any influence on you. It's the kind of book that makes you live inside the book, become friends with the characters, and even wish you could really be part of that world. I can honestly say that I haven't read such a good fantasy novel since I've read the works of some more famous names.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

For a rollicking, unpretentious good adventure, The Crown of Stones: Magic-Price by C.L. Schneider has few rivals. Ian Troy is a descendant of a gifted, yet shunned race called the Shinree, whose magic can only be harnessed and used to help other races as the need arises. Ian joins the Rellan army to fight against their oldest enemy, the powerful Langorian invaders, but when he sees that Rella is about to fall, he turns to the one thing he knows best to end the war: magic. He uses an ancient relic, the Crown of Stones, which has incredible power and ends the war, but the price he pays is too heavy for him. Filled with regret, Ian retreats into a life of solitude, drinking his wits away, but when an assassin makes an attempt on his life and his old enemy comes after him, he reconnects with his past and his magic.

C.L. Schneider is a great writer and she has a particular gift for well-crafted scenes and an intricate plot. The story starts in the midst of intense action, and I loved the fact that the protagonist as well as the conflict is immediately introduced. From the first page, Schneider keeps the action cranked high and there is no slowing down. The setting is an imaginary world that will excite readers, brilliantly painted in breathtaking prose and vivid descriptions. The twists in the plot will hit readers powerfully and arouse their interest in the characters and the story. The Crown of Stones: Magic-Price is the perfect blend of fantasy and adventure, a tale of magic, bravery, and war. I couldn’t put it down until I had reached the satisfying denouement.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The cruel Nazil rule the land of Faélondul in The Rise of Nazil by Aaron-Michael Hall. They are terrible rulers, known for their pale complexions and hair. They enslave humans and treat them worse than animals. Pentanimir is the First Chosen and the leader of a military force that demands all his attention. But he is distracted when he meets Brahanu, hurt and alone in the forest. He is now torn between duty and desire and he knows which one of these feelings will win, no matter how hard he tries. But this encounter changes his perception of what he believes and what is the truth. Can he perform his duty with blind faith, or will he let his heart make decisions for him?

The Rise of Nazil by Aaron-Michael Hall is the novel for anyone who craves great action and drama. This book was a pleasant surprise. I was certainly not expecting something of this caliber. Boy, did this novel change my perspective. This is a complex plot at its best. The character development is perfect; the characters grow and develop right in front of your eyes. The novel is explicit and graphic, but this is all part of its charm. You certainly cannot read action without it being graphic. The style of writing fits perfectly with the theme of the novel. The cover is amazing. This is definitely a series that I would love to read and keep on my bookshelf.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

The Du Lac Devil is the second book in The Du Lac Chronicles by Mary Yarde, a story with a compelling historical setting and a drama that will surprise fans of fantasy. Saxon Britain is on the brink of war. Kingdoms fall under the might of the Wessex King, Cerdic. Only the Du Lac family can stand up to him, but the family suffers from internal discord which can play to their great disadvantage. Merton is a great warrior whose interests are very unpredictable. Will he join the ranks of the Du Lacs and stand against the invading king or will he follow his personal interests? This is a series that features a family saga, political intrigue, and war.

Mary Yarde has woven a compelling story with a beautiful setting, a story that features an equally compelling conflict. The reader is introduced to the key characters in the very opening pages of the story and the conflict comes across as a great hook. The Du Lac Devil combines great writing with storytelling skills to keep the reader’s eyes riveted on the pages. The writing is clear and beautiful and the descriptions are vivid, painting a picture that readers can easily visualize as they read. The dialogues flow naturally and they help to deepen characterization and to enhance the plot. I also enjoyed the narrative voice which came through as strong, clear, and confident. Yarde creates characters that are real and memorable and a story that readers will love to share.