The Nameless Land by M. Laszlo

October 28, 2025 By 1 Comment


The Nameless Land by M. Laszlo
Publisher: Alkira Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Drama
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

This metaphysical novel, like its predecessor, Anastasia’s Midnight Song, is a mix of stream of consciousness narration and imaginary happenings. Mystical and mysterious, The Nameless Land follows the misadventures of Rupert Lux and Anastasia T Grace.

Rupert, a young New Zealander working as a night clerk in a hotel in Sinai, is beset by a daemon that inhabits his eye. His delusion is much the same as Anastasia’s was when she was tormented by the Arctic fox and the diadem spider in the earlier book.

Anastasia, now blind, travels to Sinai at the behest of a Spiritualist Society to seek hidden treasure by dowsing. She longs to find someone she can heal and love. Perhaps Rupert is the one she can save and thereby save herself.

But Rupert is plagued by females who seem to blend into one another and appear and disappear at will. Traumatised by childhood abuse, he worries that he is not worthy of love. He races headlong through many strange encounters, while Anastasia maintains a calmer stance, though troubled by what she is being coerced into doing. She has been urged to find lost Egyptian treasure and, though reluctant, manages to do so. A sense of menace attends the discovery.

Both protagonists are troubled by wild imaginings and beset by odd visions, smells, sounds, and touches as the pair descend into hallucinatory madness. This is a fast-paced metaphysical adventure, the events hiding many layers of emotional turmoil and insanity. The reader is whisked through a dreamlike landscape, disoriented, and made to experience a kind of madness themselves.

THE NAMELESS LAND is the second book in Anastasia’s travels and begins shortly after the incidents in ANASTASIA’S MIDNIGHT SONG (see our review here). However, if you haven’t read the first book, no worries. It definitely can be read alone.

Anastasia, now blind, falls victim to a group of spiritualists who use her in their pursuit of treasure. She very much wants to be free…that is her overriding pursuit during the course of the book, but she escapes from one group only to fall victim to yet another. She wonders if perhaps Rupert Lux, a hotel clerk in Sinai will be the one to set her free.

Rupert has longed to meet Anastasia but has his one daemon to face – and this leads him to not know what to do. Overcome with different hallucinations and dreamlike episodes, he is beset on all sides.

Mr. Laszlo brings his readers into this world and invites them to join the madness and the dreams that surround Anastasia and Rupert. Beautifully written, you never quite know what is real and what the characters have imagined. This leads to a big of tension during the reading, and that’s not a bad thing. There is definitely a depth to his writing that can take more than one reading to completely dive into.

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The Fox Creek Plantation Trilogy by M. E. Torrey

October 6, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Fox Creek Plantation Trilogy by M. E. Torrey
Fox Creek: Book 1
Publisher: Sly Fox Publishing, LLC
Genre: Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

The year is 1843 when six-year-old Monette, the pampered and beloved daughter of a French Creole sugar planter, is taken to New Orleans and sold into slavery. Sold along with her is Cyrus, a boy big for his age, torn from his mother without a chance to say goodbye.

Together they go to Fox Creek Plantation in “English” Louisiana, home to the Jensey family. While Cyrus is sent to the fields, Monette becomes the childhood playmate of Kate, the planter’s daughter, and catches the eye of Breck, the planter’s son. It’s easier and safer for Monette to pretend life is normal. That she belongs. To forget her past, even to forget Cyrus, whom she’d loved. But as the years pass, it becomes clear that children of color do not belong in the world of the white elite—at least, not as equals. The brutality and powerlessness of slavery begin to take their toll upon Monette.

Who is she now? Who will protect her? And who is that big boy from the fields who keeps pestering her?

Fox Creek is a powerful novel set in 1843 Louisiana, during one of the most turbulent times in American history. The story follows six-year-old Monette, a French Creole sugar planter’s daughter, and Cyrus, who is a little older, after they are sold into slavery and sent to Fox Creek Plantation. While Cyrus is sent to the fields, Monette becomes a playmate for the planter’s seven-year-old daughter, Kate, and forms a bond with the planter’s son, Breck.

While the novel’s subject matter is compelling, I found its narrative flow to be challenging at times. The story jumps between multiple perspectives and over several years, making it difficult to identify the central plot and a clear main character. For a book of its length, I felt the plot lacked focus, and I was often left waiting for a significant event to occur. This untraditional narrative style made it hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level, as many were introduced and then given little attention. For example, Cyrus, a significant character at the beginning, is barely mentioned again.

I understand that plantation life wasn’t always exciting, but for the sake of fiction, I was hoping for more. The book was unnecessarily long, with a lot of slow-paced and less interesting details—such as the in-home schooling from Mr. Gilbert, singing and dance lessons, social gatherings that introduced additional characters, and every detail of Sarah’s pregnancies was very slow-paced and not that interesting. What I assumed would be the heart of the story—the bond between Monette and Cyrus—never developed. Instead, the focus shifted to Monette and Breck, and my excitement for a climactic taboo romance was short-lived.

Despite these issues, the book’s greatest strength lies in its ability to show the complexities of life on a plantation from various perspectives. The author provides a glimpse into the bonds between Kate and Monette and the relationship between Breck and Monette. The character of William Jensey, the father, is particularly complex. He is shown to be a “kind master,” yet his actions reveal a more ruthless, less compassionate side. I wanted Monette to have a happy ending, but the author’s uncomfortable portrayal of reality ultimately felt more true to the time period.

Overall, M. E. Torrey’s writing captures the pain and complexity of the era, providing insight into the characters and events. Although the narrative structure could be improved, the book succeeds in exploring the painful legacy of slavery and the difficult truths of that time.

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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

September 29, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Contemporary, Literature
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live. A novel of charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterly irresistible—storyteller.

Sometimes when our lives become a little too predictable, we need a purpose to sort of shake things up. It may seem like a small thing, a long-term thing, or even a little nutty thing. Nonetheless, it becomes important to us. That’s what happened to Harold Fry. Maybe he got a little carried away, but his focus became one of the most important goals in his life.

Moving toward our purpose sometimes makes us look backward; we get a picture of what could have been or what was. That puts a whole new perspective on the initial task we set out for ourselves. That too is what this book is about…self-reflection. The feelings or emotions might not sound so unusual to some of us. We might not have taken on such a strenuous task as Harold did, but many of us might recognize ourselves somewhat in this story.

The author’s writing contains some serious inner thinking and some humor too. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t read it again. Nor would I recommend it to someone unless they were at a point in their life where they needed a read about good people and happy endings. I am not going to say it was my favorite book. It is a sweet, well-written book but was rather bland to me. Maybe it was my mood rather than the author’s plotline.

Nevertheless, it is a good read. As you can see from any review platform, many people enjoyed it. This is a moving and sweet book. Either term is a good description in my mind.

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Widow Fantasies by Hollay Ghadery

September 18, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Widow Fantasies by Hollay Ghadery
Publisher: Gordon Hill Press
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Poetry
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Fantasies are places we briefly visit; we can’t live there. The stories in Widow Fantasies deftly explore the subjugation of women through the often subversive act of fantasizing. From a variety of perspectives, through a symphony of voices, Widow Fantasies immerses the reader in the domestic rural gothic, offering up unforgettable stories from the shadowed lives of girls and women.

Life is filled with shades of grey.

“Jaws” explored the warm, loving friendship between a lonely woman and her goldfish. There aren’t enough tales out there about this type of pet, so I was immediately intrigued. I enjoyed learning about how they grew so close and why the woman’s husband was jealous of that bond. This could have easily been expanded into a novella or full length novel, and yet I was still satisfied with how it was written and what the characters chose to reveal about their lives.

Some of the stories in this collection had endings that were too abrupt for my tastes, especially since I only had a few pages on average with each one. When combined with the subtle messages in some cases, it was tricky for me at times to connect with the characters and their conflicts. As much as I wanted to choose a higher rating, these issues were an obstacle in my path to do so. “Widow Fantasies,” which captured a moment on a farm that changed the lives of everyone who lived there, was one such example of this. I needed a few more pages of exposition to understand what was going on with Leyla and Georgette on that unforgettable day.

Using a kayak in a ditch after it floods with melted snow from the entire winter was never something I’ve considered doing, so I was curious to see how this game would work out for Cassie in “Ditch Run.” She planned it all out so thoroughly that I was surprised by how her ride actually unfolded for her. What an adventure! It would make an excellent addition to a scrapbook.

Widow Fantasies was thought provoking.

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Shakespeare in Virginia by John Leonard

September 8, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Shakespeare in Virginia by John Leonard
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In February 1616, William Shakespeare finds himself on the brink of financial ruin and trapped in an unhappy marriage. Desperate for a way out, he agrees to resume his clandestine work for the English secret service. His mission: to report on the Virginia Company and their activities in the Virginia Colony. To maintain his cover, Shakespeare must fake his own death and assume a new identity. As he embarks on this dangerous journey, Shakespeare befriends John Rolfe and his wife Matoaka (Pocahontas), who are visiting England. The couple provides invaluable insights into Virginia, Powhatan society, and the complex situation unfolding in the Colony. Following Mataoka’s tragic death, Shakespeare accompanies Rolfe to Virginia, taking on the guise of a tobacco planter. In this new world, Shakespeare must navigate the treacherous waters between the avaricious English colonists and the hostile, embittered Powhatans. Can his experience as a renowned actor and playwright help him survive and thrive in the Colony? And how will the most famous life in history come to an end?

Pretending to be dead is easy, right?

Shakespeare was a complicated character whom I had all sorts of reactions to. There were scenes when I was impressed by how open-minded he was to new experiences only to shake my head in exasperation at his stubbornness a few pages later. It was almost like spending time with an uncle who was so set in his ways that he couldn’t quite see how his actions were affecting others. As much as one loves relatives who act like that, they also might wish for five minutes of clarity to help smooth things over. Honestly, I think it’s wonderful when a protagonist can evoke so many different types of emotions in me as a reader, and I’d happily read a sequel if the author ever writes one.

I found myself wishing for more character development in this novel. For example, some of the characters held surprisingly modern opinions about slavery and race that I would have loved to dig into deeply in order to understand where they came up with those ideas and how they had been able to develop them in a society that often firmly disagreed with them. It would have also been easier for me to keep track of everyone if I had stronger impressions of their personalities and interests.

Some of my favorite passages were the ones that described Powhatan culture in vivid detail. Their reactions to English culture, especially when it came to topics like cleanliness, the afterlife, or how one should spend a long, cold winter, were completely understandable. Honestly, I could have read an entire book about their tribe and still wanted to learn more about how they thought about the world.

Shakespeare in Virginia made me smile.

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Father of One by Jani Anttola

August 25, 2025 By 8 Comments


Father of One by Jani Anttola
Publisher: The Book Guild
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Maka, a young Bosnian soldier, has survived three years under siege. When the enemy forces launch their final attack on his hometown, he must escape to the hills. But traversing the vast woods is a task against all odds: to stay alive, and to find his infant son and his wife, he is soon forced to make a desperate move.

Set against the harrowing background of raging guerrilla warfare and the genocide in Srebrenica, Father of One is, at heart, a story of deep humanity, compassion and love. It is the account of one man’s desire to reunite his family, separated by war, and of bonds unbroken by trauma, sustained by loyalty and tenacity. Writing in a voice that rings with clarity and authenticity, Jani Anttola lays open a dark moment in Europe’s recent history.

Knowledge is a powerful weapon.

War makes many forms of communication difficult or even impossible. The most memorable scenes in my opinion were the ones that showed how the characters coped with not knowing as much about their loved ones and the world at large as they would normally expect. Whether it was knowing if someone was still alive or if they should trust a stranger, there were many moments that were filled with danger and uncertainty that would not have otherwise been there. This was where Mr. Anttola’s writing style shone brightly as he gave the audience many examples of how the characters dealt with all of these unknowns.

I struggled with the slow pacing, especially given the subject matter. War is a difficult topic to discuss, and there were times I thought the author’s thoughts about it would have been easier to understand if this were a shorter read. While the detailed descriptions did give me a vivid mental image of what Maka and his fellow soldiers were enduring, it also slowed down the storyline at times when I would have preferred things to move along a little faster.

This book did an excellent job of exploring how even seemingly tranquil moments can still be traumatic for a soldier in retrospect. Not knowing when violence is going to erupt again can make it extremely difficult to take care of basic human needs like eating, sleeping, bathing, or using the bathroom. Nobody should live on high alert twenty-four hours a day for years on end, and yet this was what Maka had to do in order to have any chance at all to survive. The effects on his mental and physical health were serious but left understated in some places so readers could figure out for themselves what was happening with him.

Father of One was a sobering read.

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A New Life by L.J. Ambrosio

August 19, 2025 By 6 Comments


A New Life by L.J. Ambrosio
Publisher: self-published
Genre: contemporary, literary fiction
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Rose

From America to the streets of Paris, A New Life follows two friends as they navigate grief, love, and self-discovery in a city filled with history and hope.

A New Life is a story that lingers long after the last page.

This book is the ending of the Reflections of Michael trilogy (actually a bonus book – book 4) and is a complete ending to the circle that began in A Reservoir Man. You can see all the reviews of the trilogy here: A Reservoir Man, Reflections on the Boulevard, and Exiles.

Like the other books, Ambrosio takes the reader on a lyrical journey into the lives of Louie and Ron. This stream of consciousness way of writing is like sitting with an old friend and finding out what they have been up to.

This book is probably one of the most emotional of all the books and, without giving away any spoilers, I have to admit to more than a few tears and will stay with me for a long time.  I’m so glad I read it.

This book gets a solid 5 stars for a wonderfully stirring and emotive closure, and I recommend the entire series to everyone.

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The Room of Lost Steps by Simon Tolkien

August 6, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Room of Lost Steps by Simon Tolkien
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Barcelona 1936. Theo helps the Anarchist workers defeat the army that is trying to overthrow the democratically elected government, and he is reunited with his true love, Maria. But all too soon, his joy turns to terror as the Anarchists turn on him, led by a rival for Maria’s affection.

Lucky to escape with his life, Theo returns to England to study at Oxford. But his heart is in Spain, now torn apart by a bloody civil war, and he is quick to abandon his new life when his old schoolmate Esmond offers him the chance to fight the Fascists. He is unprepared for the nightmare of war that crushes his spirit and his hope until, back in Barcelona, Theo is confronted with a final terrible choice that will define his life forever.

As Theo’s tumultuous coming-of-age journey reaches its end, can his dream to change the world—so far from home—still hold true?

“The Room of Lost Steps” by Simon Tolkien, the second installment in the Theo Sterling series, is an engaging historical coming-of-age epic that plunges readers into the turbulent Spanish Civil War. Following an exciting start where Theo Sterling, an American boy with big dreams, finds himself in Barcelona in 1936, the novel immerses you in the chaos and uncertainty of the era.

The narrative picks up from its antecedent, “The Palace at the End of the Sea,” and continues Theo’s notable journey. We witness him aiding the Anarchist workers in their fight against the invading military forces. The reunion with his true love, Maria, adds a layer of personal stake and emotional depth to the unfolding political drama. However, Tolkien doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of conflict, and Theo’s joy is quickly replaced by dread as internal strife within the Anarchist movement, fueled by a rival for Maria’s affection, forces him into a desperate escape.

This sets Theo on a path back to England, where he attempts to find relief and a new life at Oxford. Yet, his heart remains connected to Spain. The appeal of fighting against fascism, presented by his old schoolmate Esmond, proves too strong to resist. This decision leads to an upsetting descent into the grim realities of war, which, as the synopsis hints, crushes Theo’s spirit and hopes. The story highlights the profound impact of these experiences on the young protagonist.

The novel excels in its portrayal of a protagonist navigating an “epic expanse” of setting and “struggles of different types.” Theo’s resilience and his internal battles are central to the storytelling, making it intriguing to see how Theo handles things. Tolkien masterfully injects tension to keep things rolling, ensuring that the reader remains invested in Theo’s fate.

As Theo confronts a terrible choice back in Barcelona, the novel questions whether his youthful dream of changing the world, far from home and battered by war, can truly last. “The Room of Lost Steps” is a story that will resonate with readers who appreciate historical fiction and coming-of-age narratives.

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The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien

July 23, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

A young man comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity—and a cause—at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War in a thrilling, timely, and emotional historical saga.

New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling’s world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip. He finds it hard to relate to his parents: His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American dream, and his mother, a refugee from religious persecution in Mexico, holds fast to her Catholic faith. When disaster strikes the family, Theo must learn who he is. A charismatic school friend and a firebrand girl inspire him to believe he can fight Fascism and change the world, but each rebellion comes at a higher price, forcing Theo to question these ideologies too.

From New York’s Lower East Side to an English boarding school to an Andalusian village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Theo’s harrowing journey from boy to man is set against a backdrop of societies torn apart from within, teetering on the edge of a terrible war to which Theo is compulsively drawn like a moth to a flame.

Simon Tolkien’s “The Palace at the End of the Sea” promises a sweeping historical saga centered on a young man’s coming-of-age during the tumultuous lead-up to the Spanish Civil War. The synopsis paints a compelling picture of Theo Sterling, a young New Yorker grappling with identity and purpose as the Great Depression reshapes the world around him. Caught between his father’s unwavering belief in the American dream and his mother’s devout Catholic faith rooted in Mexican refugee experience, Theo’s foundation crumbles when personal tragedy strikes. The promise of a journey spanning continents, fueled by youthful idealism and a desire to combat Fascism, certainly piques interest.

Tolkien’s strength lies in his prose. The writing is well-done, suggesting a level of sophistication and craftsmanship that should appeal to readers who appreciate beautifully written historical fiction. The historical setting seems well-researched and convincingly rendered. The grounding in real-world events of the late 1920s and 1930s in New York and Spain provides a solid backdrop for Theo’s personal narrative. The novel captures the clash of cultures in the late 1930s and the pervasive uncertainty surrounding the looming war in Spain.

However, the novel’s potential weaknesses also warrant consideration. The characters could perhaps have a little more depth, particularly the protagonist, and their motivations could at times be more precise.

Also, sometimes the story’s pace could be quickened. A sprawling historical narrative needs a strong narrative drive to keep the reader invested.

Overall, the book is worth the read, a well-written historical tale.

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

July 11, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Publisher: Catapult
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Snowdrop

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

Did you ever wonder why you didn’t look like the rest of your family? Maybe your hair color is different, your skin tone a different shade. Didn’t your family always laugh it off and say it was because your great-great Aunt Hilda had dark hair or some such thing? In The Blueberry Pickers, Norma asks about this a lot, only to have her mother say it’s the sun, or that your thoughts are farcical. And when you grow up in a loving, caring family, you accept these things.

This hard-to-put-down book of loss and of love is written around the seasonal berry pickers in Maine. It never occurred to me that people came from Nova Scotia or Canada to pick berries. I only pictured workers from Mexico coming to earn summer work. Even though this is fictional, it is true about the varied cultures coming to the same places to pick berries each summer.

Amanda Peters writes in a sort of lyrical way. I’m using this term to explain how easy this book is to read.

I’m not fond of chapters being composed from a different POV. Sometimes this can make the story somewhat disjunct, hard to keep track. Peters has written chapters from the point of view of various characters. But somehow, I was never lost, never had to look back. I think that the reason for cohesiveness is her ability to not just describe her characters well, but to make you see them. Each one had his or her own story, but somehow, they all intertwined to make a special story with a special outcome.

This is not a beach read. It is something that could and has happened to many. Racial injustice might be somewhat fairer but still exists today. But the poetical way in which it is told, the emotions it will evoke in you, make it well worth the time to read it.

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