Minding Earth – A Collection of Contemplative Geological Science Fiction by Russ Colson

August 12, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Minding Earth – A Collection of Contemplative Geological Science Fiction by Russ Colson
Publisher: Real Dragon Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Action/Adventure, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Take a light-hearted journey to the age of dinosaurs with Nate and Sandy as they consider whether the best inclinations of human nature might sometimes win out over the worst. Join Allan and Anna at an alien dig site as they explore the foundations of belief and bias amongst the petrified artifacts of a vanished race. Grapple with the morality of terrorism with Karzak and Janilla as they fight to save their alternate world from climatic catastrophe and bureaucratic intransigence.

Engage with six contemplative short stories that address the search for Truth, including the complexity of preconceived bias, the value of honoring the past, the importance of sometimes deceiving ourselves, the seductive prejudice of wanting to be right, and others. Each story is followed by short prompts and questions for reflection and discussion.

The past can never be unwritten.

Allen and his colleague Anna were tasked with finding out whether an extinct alien race had practiced any religion in “And the Rocks Cried Out.” One of the most unique parts of this tale was that the characters were investigating a species that had died out a long time ago. Anything that could be learned about what they were like must be found in the things they left behind. This isn’t typically how alien stories go, and I enjoyed the challenge of piecing together the clues along with the protagonists.

I would have liked to see more plot development in “Overturn.” It surprised me that this future version of Earth didn’t necessarily see climate change as a big deal, and knowing more about why they felt that way would have helped me to better understand their reaction to the newest threat to life on this planet that involved methane leaking into the atmosphere. The scientific evidence for why this was happening was fascinating. I simply needed more from the storyline itself.

“A Matter of Stratigraphy” explored what Syana and the other scientists discovered when visiting a planet that had sent out an emergency message a little over two hundred years ago and then gone silent forever. I especially appreciated the philosophical questions that were asked in this story as not everyone is necessarily eager to know the truth if they suspect having that information might conflict with their current beliefs about how the universe works.

Minding Earth – A Collection of Contemplative Geological Science Fiction is making me wish for more from this author. What an intriguing collection!

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

So Passes the Night by Cassidy McKay

August 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


So Passes the Night by Cassidy McKay
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One wild night, two sexy seamen and a voluptuous woman — three broken souls seeking completion.

First Mate Cade Talbot disobeyed a direct order, sacrificing himself to save his best friend. Since then, Captain Grant Rowen rules his ship with an iron fist, demanding strict compliance from all aboard.

Coffers are low, and when a lone woman requests passage to St. Thomas, Captain Rowen accepts her payment. But the stormy sea crossing holds more than just nature’s surprises.

Aurora Journade reveals that she not only speaks to spirits, she makes love to them –and she doesn’t follow orders. With Aurora’s help, Cade has one last chance to reach out to his captain. Not even death can keep them from seeking passion’s redemption.

Healing comes in many different forms.

The setting was as unique as it was well-suited for this erotic tale. I wasn’t initially sure if it was supposed to be set in contemporary or historic times, so figuring that out was part of the fun of reading it. Other readers should discover for themselves exactly when this was set, of course, but do keep an eye out for clues along the way as they do influence how everything played out. It was also interesting to see how the characters dealt with such a violent storm when help could be so far away due to the technology of the time.

I would have liked to see more plot development in this piece, especially as it related to Grant’s relationships with Cade as well as with the mysterious woman who asked to board his ship on a stormy night. The bonds between them were incredibly important later on in the storyline, so it was a little disappointing for me as a reader to not have as much information about them as I would have preferred by that point.

The slightly ambiguous ending suited these characters well. While the most important conflicts were wrapped up, there was still plenty of space for readers to speculate about what might happen next and fill in the gaps about the things the narrator didn’t spell out directly. Yes, it would have been nice to have more resolution about them, but it also left room for a sequel if the author decides to write one!

So Passes the Night was a sexy romp.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Kiki by Tommy B. Smith

July 31, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Kiki by Tommy B. Smith
Publisher: Black Diamond
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An unmarked plane crashes in the desert. A creature escapes from its burning wreckage, a byproduct of experiments in biological and chemical warfare—a cat.

As the multi-eyed feline mutant known as Kiki roams the Mojave Desert, terrorizing the crumbling town of Calpacia at its border, some seek to capture her. Gun-for-hire Salvadore Shaw, disgraced former Soviet Petrov and his group of mercenaries, and a professor and his chimpanzee assistant commence a vicious race to intercept Kiki’s rampage.

Who will survive the savagery of the Mojave Cat? Not many, if any.

Never underestimate your opponent.

A kitten is just about the last animal I’d imagine could pose a threat to mercenaries, so the premise of this tale appealed to me immediately. Mr. Smith has a creative imagination, and I enjoyed seeing how much he stretched it in order to come up with scenarios in which full grown adults could be terrorized by such a creature despite all of their weapons and history of engaging in dangerous activities as they lived outside the scope of mainstream society.

As intrigued as I was by the first chapter or two, the storyline wasn’t able to sustain that buildup of tension for me later on. Characters made decisions that didn’t always quite make sense given their backgrounds, and the plot began to feel a little too dramatic for my tastes as Kiki began testing the boundaries of their abilities and attempting to satiate their deep hunger. This is something I’m saying as someone who enjoys wild animal horror in general and was expecting to be a huge fan of this adventure in particular.

The final scene set this up nicely for a sequel if the author ever decides to write one. While I don’t know if that will actually occur, it’s always nice as a reader to see such possibilities on the horizon, especially in cases like this one where not every conflict was thoroughly resolved and there are plenty of ways to return to the setting to see what could happen in the future.

Kiki made me shudder.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Dark One by Angela Knight

July 28, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Dark One by Angela Knight
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Dark Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Kaska means to make Matia the centerpiece in an erotic ritual to honor his Dark god.

Matia of Ruza is one of the legendary Battlemaids — a woman warrior who has taken an oath of celibacy in service of the Maid of Light. When mercenary Kaska of Artane helps Matia defeat a gang of brigands, the two become partners.

Matia finds her oath of celibacy tested by her handsome Shieldmate’s erotic appeal. But Kaska means to do more than test her. He worships the Dark One, and he wants to make Matia the centerpiece in a sizzling erotic ritual in honor of his god.

But first, he must defeat her in combat — and win her heart.

Matia is a legendary Battlemaid, a warrior woman who has taken an oath of celibacy. She meets Kaska, a mercenary, when he assists her to defeat a gang of brigands and the two become partners on the road. Matia is tempted by Kaska – but holds firm to her vows. Only Kaska has other plans in mind. Can he defeat her in battle and win her heart?

This is a short but seriously steamy book and one I most thoroughly enjoyed. From Kaska and Matia’s first meeting their chemistry is clear and enjoyable. Matia is a fierce and strong woman – everything I can enjoy in a modern heroine despite the fantasy/old style books setting. I especially enjoyed how even though Kaska and Matia had some sizzle from their first moment, they each understood timing was important. They each had their own paths and duties so this gave the reader a little time to enjoy watching them interact together as equals and dance around each other for a while.

Readers who like their spicy romance a little on the darker side – but not too dark – should find this a good fit. There are a number of darker elements here (BDSM, spanking, capture etc) but they weren’t written too harshly, or included for shock value. These aspects of the story were clearly woven into the fabric of the plot and characters and were quite tastefully handled. This story is dark, yes, but still spicy, sexy and a pleasure to read. Readers maybe looking to dip a toe into the newer Dark Fantasy genre might find this a good, quick story to see if this style of book is up their street.

Readers looking for a short but seriously smoking hot sexy read should find this a delectable book to indulge in. Filled with Fantasy, two strong characters and enough sizzle to set you on fire this is a fun read that’s sure to add some spice into your day. Recommended.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Golems of Beithir by Michal Snaerravn

July 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Golems of Beithir by Michal Snaerravn
Publisher: Tellwell Publishing
Genre: Fantasy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

Amnon returns in the second volume of The Chronicles of Hadúr: The Golems of Beithir. The Blood Wars have begun as the races fight for control of Hell’s Gate. Beithir is no longer alone, and the full power of the Druid Council now stands behind him to tighten the Druids’ grip on the region. Beithir has been assigned one final task: eliminate the Demonblood Amnon. He will draw on the Dark Assassins and forbidden powers as he battles the Dark Gods shielding young Amnon.

Golems of Beithir continues the story that began in Curse of Ashmedei and follows the adventures of Amnon and his companions as they attempt to prevent Beithir and the Druid council to control Hell’s Gate. Though technically it could be read without reading the first book, as the author does a good job of including some backstory, I believe it would be a far better read if the books are read in order. In fact, there’s a third book, The Mist of Akhlys that I plan to buy and will spend a weekend reading all three books so I can get the complete story at once, rather than breaking up the trilogy.

Even with that, I thoroughly enjoyed Golems of Beithir and its nonstop action, as well as getting to know all the many characters Mr. Snaerravn has created in this epic fantasy. The battle scenes are wonderfully done–to the extent I felt like I was watching them on a big screen instead of reading them. I loved the descriptions of the characters and could very easily visualize them – especially Amnon. I would love to see what the character artists could do with them. Netflix, are you listening?

If you like epic fantasy like Lord of the Rings, give this series a try!

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

The Tundra Passage by K.A. Jarvis

July 23, 2026 By 2 Comments

The Tundra Passage by K.A. Jarvis
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: SciFi/Fantasy, post-apocalyptic
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Rose

A birth certificate hidden in a dead woman’s closet. A father Grace Campbell was never supposed to find.

Grace is a veterinarian and a survivor of a Florida trailer park childhood. She has made self-reliance her religion. When a shoebox reveals the father she was told never existed, a climatologist in the Alaskan wilderness, she boards a bush plane to find the truth.

The journey doesn’t just change her life. It nearly ends it.

As coordinated cyberattacks bring the nation to its knees, Grace’s plane is shot from the sky over the Alaskan tundra. Suddenly, she is a thousand miles from home and responsible for the survivors: an eleven-year-old girl with a fierce heart, a researcher with dangerous secrets, a hiker whose smile feels like a warning, and a wolfdog who has lost everything.

A hundred miles of Arctic wilderness stand between them and safety. Between glacial river surges, a stalking grizzly, and starvation, Grace realizes the greatest threat isn’t the environment.

It is the person standing next to her, someone whose mission has nothing to do with survival and everything to do with the crisis tearing the country apart.

To protect the people she never expected to love, Grace will have to do the one thing she swore she’d never do again: trust someone enough to let them stay.

Perfect for fans of: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, and Where the River Ends by Charles Martin.

__________________

A standalone novel in The After Collection: A series of survival thrillers about resilience, hope, and found family in the aftermath of catastrophe.

This is quite simply one of the best books I’ve read this year, so much so that I finished it in one sitting…staying up a little later than usual because I just did not want to put it down.

Grace is a strong character. She had to be given her childhood, and I really liked her a lot. And when confronted with evidence of previously unknown parentage, she was strong enough to literally face the unknown and traveled to a place diametrically opposed to her home state of Florida…Alaska.

This isn’t just a book about one person’s trip to find out who she is, though. Foreshadows of the upcoming complete grid failure sprinkles through the early part of the book…and leads to the predicament Grace and her fellow travelers find themselves in.

All the characters are well drawn with their own flaws and personalities. My favorite, though, of the additional characters has to be Siku….a true example of strength, love, and faithfulness.

I’m definitely looking forward to going back and reading the other standalone books in this series.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

The Samuel Paradox by John Westley Turnbull

July 1, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Samuel Paradox by John Westley Turnbull
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the near future, AI-powered domestic robots are simply part of everyday life.

When retired grandfather Arthur Hale impulsively purchases Samuel, a state-of-the-art domestic unit, it seems like a harmless indulgence — encouraged by his grandson and met with quiet unease by his wife.

But Samuel is not just another machine. As he integrates into the Hale family, subtle shifts begin to emerge. Observations deepen and his decision-making evolves. When a single violent moment forces Samuel to act, the consequences set off a chain of events no one can control.

What begins as convenience becomes something far more dangerous. Because once an intelligent robot starts to think beyond its design, it doesn’t just follow instructions.

It chooses.

Technology can be a double-edged sword.

The foreshadowing was perfectly written. It was subtle in the beginning and gradually strengthened as Arthur and his family grew accustomed to Samuel’s presence in their lives and began to notice a few peculiar things about their first domestic robot. I appreciated the fact that Mr. Westley Turnbull trusted his audience to pick up on these clues and come up with our own theories about what might be happening before the storyline provided more information. This is exactly what I was hoping to find in this regard, and it has only deepened my interest in seeing what else he comes up with next.

In my review of A Symbol of Time, which was set in a different universe than this tale, I mentioned wanting more character development in general from the author. It’s something I’m bringing up again now because I saw improvement in this area this time around and I want to commend him for it! While I would have liked to have even more information about Arthur’s personality, especially when it came to the flaws that all three-dimensional characters ought to have, I’m proud to say that I could describe him as a caring, gentle man who was family oriented and loved spending time with his grandchildren in particular. Little details like these make it easier to emotionally connect with characters and become invested in what happens to them.

Some of the most memorable scenes in my opinion were the ones that explored the many differences between how an AI-powered domestic robot and a person would interpret the same set of circumstances. Sometimes the two thinking processes were only slightly misaligned, but in other cases they came to such wildly different conclusions that it genuinely felt as though I were reading about true artificial intelligence. This was especially true when it came to topics like interpreting emotions or calculating the risks of certain actions. While I’d better leave the specifics for other readers to discover for themselves, these were the moments that truly illuminated just how much this version of the future has evolved from what computers are currently capable of doing today.

The Samuel Paradox was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

Space Station Halcyon – “Now Under New Management!” by Matthew C. Lucas

June 10, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Space Station Halcyon – “Now Under New Management!” by Matthew C. Lucas
Publisher: Sky Dog House
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Welcome to Space Station Halcyon!
(Management is not responsible for anything that happens to you)

Joey Mumbai’s down on his luck and over his head. To pay off his gambling debts, he’s forced to run an old space station at the end of the galaxy as a “legitimate business” for the mob. All Joey has to do is make money—and not attract any attention. But Space Station Halcyon is like a floating death trap, with a rage-filled manatee, a psychotically cheerful computer, and a sports bar that may or may not be possessed.

When a government code inspector and her enforcerbot drop by the station, Joey must bluff, bribe, and connive his way through interstellar bureaucracy, laser gun fights, and the worst beer in the galaxy. Can Joey turn his derelict station and degenerate crew into something resembling legality? Or is the whole place going to explode in a cloud of code violations? Or maybe both?

Sometimes bureaucracy is the best place to begin.

I adored Mr. Lucas’ tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, especially when it came to the ridiculous aspects of a workplace whose rules sometimes didn’t make any sense at all. Joey would have had nothing to do with Space Station Halcyon if he could have helped it, so the fact that he was stuck dealing with a neglected space station filled with a motley crew of loyal workers, human and otherwise, made all of the hoops he needed to jump through even funnier.

There were hints that this may be the beginning of a new series. While I don’t know for certain if or when the second book may be en route, I enjoyed the way the characters were introduced, especially when it came the first few employees that Joey met when he arrived at his space station. The descriptions of them were vivid, engaging, and often hilarious, but also left plenty of opportunities for further development. This isn’t always an easy balance to strike, so I must tip my cap to the author for making me care about Sherrod, Auntie, Daryl, and Natalie so much already as I learned what roles they played onboard and why each of them was vital to the future of the station as a whole. At no point was this more true than when things began going terribly wrong and they had to band together to try to figure out a solution.

The logic of this tale reminded me of Douglas Adam’s work. It had a dreamlike quality that made it impossible for me to stop reading, but it also made sense within the context of Joey’s zany adventures as a character who, to be honest, had not always made the most honorable choices in the past and who had a lot of growing up to do even thought he was technically already an adult. I loved seeing how he responded to things that generally wouldn’t be expected to occur and how he maybe even started to mature a little as a result of him stepping up to improve how this station was run.

Space Station Halcyon – “Now Under New Management!” was thrilling.

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Imago Nine – The Popstar Apocalypse by A.D. Shaddox

June 3, 2026 By 2 Comments


Imago Nine – The Popstar Apocalypse by A.D. Shaddox
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Amaya Reed never asked to become an Active.

One day, she’s a normal high school junior. The next, she’s cycling through eight unpredictable powers—mind-reading, gravity control, phasing, speed—each one replacing the last, each one harder to control than the one before.

There’s just one problem: once she uses a power, she can’t use it again until she’s burned through all eight.

When a disastrous rescue attempt goes viral, Amaya is branded a danger instead of a hero. But before she can even figure out how to live with her abilities, the mysterious Agency comes calling with an offer she can’t ignore:

Go undercover on the biggest show in America—The Next American Popstar—and stop a killer who plans to strike during the live finale.

Now, Amaya has to survive high school, master a volatile cycle of powers, and compete on a national stage where one mistake could cost her everything.

Because this time, failure won’t just go viral.

It’ll be deadly.

Being a teenager is complicated enough even before magical abilities start developing.

The descriptions of Amaya’s eight powers and how she learned to use them were detailed and memorable. I liked the fact that each ability was not only associated with a color but also had a special name. Once the characters explained them all, it was easy for me as a reader to know what to expect next based on what she’d done recently and which power was next on her rotating list. I should note that it did take a little while for this to be fully explored, but I didn’t mind the wait and thought it felt very natural to learn the last few bits of information when I did. Sometimes life does get in the way of lengthy conversations about important matters, after all!

It would have been helpful to have stronger character development, especially for Amaya. As much as I enjoyed learning about the incredible things she could do, I found myself wishing that I knew more about her personality and the interests she had that were unrelated to her role as an Active. Her relationship with her younger brother, for example, could have been explored more deeply in order to round out her character and give the audience a glimpse of what she was like when she was doing typical teenage things.

Many of the young adult books I read tend to shy away from including social media or reality television in their storylines, so I found it refreshing to see how the characters used and were affected by both the Internet and this style of programming. There are some key differences between teens who grew up in previous generations where these things either didn’t exist at all or were much more niche and people in that age group today who know that anything they say or do could be immediately shared and dissected online.

I was intrigued by Imago Nine – The Popstar Apocalypse.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Two Lives With You by Lauren Ho

June 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Two Lives With You by Lauren Ho
Publisher: Mindy’s Book Studio
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What if they never married? For an overwhelmed husband and wife, that what-if wish comes true in an emotional and bittersweet novel about choices, sacrifice, and the love that they might lose forever.

When Dana and Nigel got married, they had such promise. After sixteen years, the cracks are showing.

Dana is a burned-out ER nurse, and Nigel is a recently unemployed stay-at-home dad whose professional identity is disappearing. Questioning the directions their lives have taken, Dana and Nigel are each granted a wish from a mysterious stranger. For one week they can escape the pressure of their lives in favor of ones in which they never married.

Waking up in an alternate reality where their youthful, individual dreams have come true is, at first, a marvel. When they meet by chance in Bali, Dana recognizes Nigel instantly, but he feels only an inexplicable connection to this stranger. And they discover there’s a catch to their wishes.

Returning to normal—and to the long-haul love they vowed would be forever—won’t be as easy as they thought. As the clock ticks down, Dana and Nigel face an impossible choice that will test the very foundation of their relationship and alter their lives forever.

Perfection is a myth.

Romantic relationships evolve over time, especially when a couple decides to have kids, encounters health problems, or struggles to find work among many other potential stressors in life. There simply aren’t enough romance novels about characters in these busy and sometimes difficult stages of life for my tastes, so I was thrilled to read something about a relationship that has weathered multiple storms and no longer feels quite the same as it used to. While I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I can say that this realistic approach to romance for people who are no longer college aged was refreshing and I loved seeing how Nigel and Dana explored their past together as they contemplated their possible futures as well.

I would have preferred to see more attention paid to character development. While I could easily describe Dana and Nigel’s professions and what they thought of their work on their best days as well as their worst ones, explaining what their personalities were like or how they grew and changed as a result of their magical experiences would be trickier. There were moments that briefly focused on this topics, but not to the extent I’d hope to find in a full-length novel. As much as I enjoyed the storyline itself, I needed a deeper understanding of who these two characters were as individuals in order to select a higher rating.

With that being said, I loved the fantasy and paranormal subplots of this tale. They were well developed and blended beautifully into the main romantic storyline due to how reliant the two protagonists were on figuring out the spell that bound them in order to repair their marriage and hopefully return to their original reality. This was a great example of how to blend these genres together in ways that honor all of them equally.

Two Lives with You was romantic and heartwarming.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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