The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Ravening Deep
Tim Pratt
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082412, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ravening-Deep-Arkham-Horror-Novel/dp/1839082410

Synopsis: When dissolute fisherman Abel Davenport discovers an ancient temp=
le in the deep ocean, he comes under the influence of a long dead god. In h=
is attempts to restore the god's cult, Davenport unleashes a plague of twis= ted doppelgangers on Arkham.

Horrified by the consequences, Davenport realizes that he alone cannot stop=
the monsters from resurrecting the Ancient One. Sometimes the only way to = end one cult is to start another... Teaming up with redeemed cultist Diana = Stanley and notorious thief Ruby Standish is the first step.

The second is convincing Carl Sanford, the powerful leader of Arkham's Silv=
er Twilight Lodge, to join their cause. Together they might be the only hop=
e of averting a cataclysmic eldritch invasion.

Critique: Original and fascinating, "The Ravening Deep" by talented and awa=
rd winning novelist Tim Pratt is an Arkham horror novel published by Aconyt=
e Books. It is the type of Ancient Lost Gods themed horror story that fully=
measures up to the kind of tale that would be published in the Golden Age =
of science fiction & fantasy pulp magazines. While also available for the p= ersonal reading lists of dedicated action/adventure fantasy fans in a digit=
al book format (Kindle, $9.95), it is a highly recommended pick for communi=
ty library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: Tim Pratt (http://www.timpratt.org) is a Hugo Award-winning=
SF and fantasy author, and finalist for the World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Stoke=
r, Mythopoeic, and Nebula Awards, among others. He is the author of over tw= enty novels, and scores of short stories. Since 2001 he has worked for Locu=
s, the magazine of the science fiction and fantasy field, where he currentl=
y serves as senior editor.

Dreams of Fire
Davide Mana
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082436, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Fire-Descent-Legends-Novel/dp/1839082437

Synopsis: Soldier. Dreamer. Exile. Dragon hybrid Vaerix has already lived a=
n age in Terrinoth and seen more than their fair share of horror and hatred=
.. Cast out for their strange ability to dream, Vaerix wanders the world in = search of connection.

When an expedition to the volcanic Molten Heath offers Vaerix the chance to=
confront those who wronged them, they cannot resist the temptation. But th= ere is more at stake than treasure and truth. There are powers here beyond = comprehension, and everyone has their own game to play. The future of Terri= noth will be written in blood and flame.

Critique: A 'Descent: Legends of the Dark' novel and of special and particu= lar appeal to readers with an interest in the Sword & Sorcery fantasy genre=
, "Dreams of Fire" by Davide Mana is a carefully crafted, original, and tho= roughly fun read from cover to cover. While also available for personal rea= ding list in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Dreams of Fire" is a f= antasy action/adventure novel that will prove to be an immediate and enduri= ngly popular addition to Fantasy Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Davide Mana was born and raised in Turin, Italy, with brief=
stints in London, Bonn and Urbino, where he studied paleontology and geolo= gy. He currently lives in the wine hills of southern Piedmont, where he is =
a writer, translator and game designer. In his spare time, he cooks and lis= tens to music, photographs the local feral cats, and collects old books. He=
also co-hosts a podcast about horror movies, called Paura & Delirio.

Mystic Pursuit: The Inner Realm
Erik Daniel Boudreau
https://edbbooks.com
Cosmic Egg Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803410340, $18.95, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Pursuit-Inner-Realm-Novel/dp/1803410345

Synopsis: It was a world like our own, in an age lost to time. For millenni=
a, humans co-existed peacefully with three distinct orders of sentient bein= gs, the mystics, each helping to maintain universal balance by governing ei= ther life, matter or spiritual energy. Overseeing this grand orchestration = was one solitary being, belonging to a sacred lineage all its own, the Vodu=
ss Grei -- the Gray Mystics.

Spurred by a premonition of the world's end at the hands of a rebellious hu= man from a small seaside village, Noryssin, the last of the Gray Mystics, s=
aw the village destroyed. The events from that night set off thirty years o=
f chaos and discord among all beings. Lakos, one of the few human survivors=
from the tragedy, emerged with the singular goal of exacting revenge again=
st not only the Voduss Grei but also all mystics.

Caught amid the conflict was Thayliss, a human who had spent the past three=
decades living among the Ohlinn, or spirit-mystics, as one of their own. F= inding his once-peaceful life destroyed, and the only family he has ever kn= own ripped from his grasp, Thayliss must try to stop Lakos from his plot to=
control all mystic orders and assume the throne of the Voduss Grei.

Critique: Original, carefully crafted, and a fun read from start to finish,=
"Mystic Pursuit" is the first volume in what promises to be an epic fantas=
y series author Erick Daniel Boudreau called 'The Inner Realm'. Leaving his=
readers looking eagerly toward the next title in this series, fantasy nove= list Boudreau has a genuine mastery of the genre and "Mystic Pursuit" is an=
extraordinary and highly recommended pick for community library Science Fi= ction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading li= sts of dedicated fantasy fans that "Mystic Pursuit" is also readily availab=
le in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Erik loves the challenge of creating a story and trying to = bring it to life. From suspense/thrillers and epic fantasy to screenplays a=
nd even health/medical publications, he enjoys delving into a wide variety =
of different worlds. He lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, wit=
h his wife and daughter.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

https://www.amazon.com/Weltall-File-Gordian-Division/dp/1982192658

David Weber and Jacob Holo's The Weltall File (9781982192655, $28.00) is a = Gordian Division novel of murder, political struggle, and investigation tha=
t juxtaposes death threats with detectives that struggle to solve a mystery=
and unfold who is actually telling the truth. As the conspiracy threatens =
to explode, Isaac Cho and Susan Cantrell find their partnership and own liv=
es challenged by an impossible timeline and confrontations.

https://www.amazon.com/Live-Free-Troy-Rising-Book/dp/1439133328

John Ringo's Live Free or Die (9781082192709, $18.00) is an action-packed f= irst contact story that tells of the unexpected grip of the Horvath that fo= llow the peaceful alien traders, the Glatun. As the world struggles to unde= rstand these invaders and their disparate special interests, a hero is requ= ired to put the pieces of the puzzle together ... one able to confront alie=
n and human special interests alike. That would be Tyler Vernon. And his ow=
n special interests come into play in a dangerous game that readers will fi=
nd thoroughly action-packed, engrossing, and filled with satisfying twists = and turns.

The Green Mage
Michael Simms
https://www.michaelsimms.info/home
Madville Publishing LLC
https://madvillepublishing.com
9781956440188, $21.95, PB, 324pp

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Mage-Chronicle-Dragonqueen-Trilogy/dp/19564401=
86

Synopsis: Norbert Oldfoot is a simple mage who makes his living traveling t=
he Bekla River Road, selling trade goods, performing healing magic, and sin= ging traditional songs of heroes. He becomes friends with Kerttu, a coppers= mith who has developed a new alloy which is perfect for manufacturing sword=
s.

When Kerttu is kidnaped by the evil Wizard Ludek, Kerttu's teenage daughter=
Tessia, a skilled hunter, recruits three friends, including Norbert, and s= ets out on a quest to find a legendary dragon who lives in the mountains. W= ith the help of the dragon, Tessia plans to save her father.

Little do they know that in order to save Kerttu, they will first have to s= ave the kingdom!

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, "The Green Mage: The First Chronicle of=
Tessia Dragonqueen" a fun and fascinating read from start to finish, and d= ebuts novelist Michael Simms new heroic fantasy series 'The Talon Trilogy'.=
Populated throughout with interesting characters and unexpected plot twist=
s, "The Green Mage" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciate=
d pick for personal reading lists of dedicated action/adventure fantasy fan=
s and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be=
noted that "The Green Mage" is also readily available from Madville Publis= hing in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Michael Simms (https://www.michaelsimms.info/about) has wor= ked as a squire and armorer to a Hungarian fencing master, stable hand, gar= dener, forager, estate agent, college teacher, editor, publisher, technical=
writer, lexicographer, political organizer, and literary impresario. He is=
also the author of seven collections of poetry and a textbook about poetry=
.. In 2011 Simms was recognized by the Pennsylvania State Legislature for hi=
s contribution to the arts.

Becoming Crone
Lydia M. Hawke
https://www.lydiahawkebooks.com
Michem Publishing
https://www.overdrive.com/publishers/michem-publishing
9781989457085, $14.99, PB, 244pp

https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Crone-Lydia-M-Hawke/dp/1989457088

Synopsis: Claire Emerson is adrift. After a lifetime as a wife, mother, and=
grandma, she never saw divorce or loneliness coming and is desperate for s= ome sense of purpose. But when her sixtieth birthday brings a snarky gargoy= le, an annoyingly sexy wolf shifter, and an unknown magical calling, she th= inks she's losing the only thing she has left -- her sanity.

Refusing to believe she's the powerful defender of humankind her so-called = protectors claim, Claire attempts a return to her safe life, only to have h=
er powers ignite when she's attacked by dark supernatural creatures. And wi= thout the training she was supposed to have received, she has no idea how s= he'll defeat sinister mages plotting her demise.

Can Claire overcome creaky joints and major hot flashes in time to save the=
world - and her own life?

Critique: "Becoming Crone" is the first volume in the new fantasy series 'T=
he Crone Wars' by author Lydia M. Hawke. It's the story of a 60 year old wo= man who wanted a new purpose for herself now that her children were grown a=
nd had children of their own. Be careful what you wish for! Because what sh=
e got was dark magic and war. An original, fun, and deftly crafted action/a= dventure fantasy with a most unlikely hero, "Becoming Crone" is a great rea=
d and a welcome pick for personal and community library Science Fiction & F= antasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of al=
l dedicated fantasy fans that "Becoming Crone" is also available in a digit=
al book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note: Lydia M. Hawke (https://www.lydiahawkebooks.com) is a Canad= ian writer possessed of both a light side and a dark one. On the dark side,=
she's the author of the Grigori Legacy, an apocalyptic urban fantasy serie=
s featuring a hard-as-nails cop caught up in the war between Heaven and Hel=
l. In her lighter moments, she writes romances (contemporary and suspense) = under the pseudonym of Linda Poitevin.

20 Moon Road: An Angel's Tale
Jody Sharpe
Independently Published
9780988562042, $2.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Angels-Tale-Mystic-Book-ebook/dp/B09W75ZMNC

20 Moon Road: An Angel's Tale adds the fifth book to Jody Sharpe's cozy urb=
an fantasy series, continuing the theme of kindness, transformation, and in= teractions between angels and humans which formed the foundations of prior = Mystic Bay stories.

In "20 Moon Road: An Angel's Tale", a wide cast of characters (and their an= imal companions) explore their relationships, town, and beliefs in a story = that opens with the ongoing friendship between Madame Norma, the town's psy= chic, and the angel narrator, who knows that their friendship ties are endu= ring and will remain strong even after death.

From angelic community programs and interpersonal relationships to the hist= ory of a town that embodies God's promises and reflects a prosperity that c= omes from spiritual connections, Sharpe creates a compelling story powered =
by a writer's reflections of his town's characters and world and Madame Nor= ma's thoughtful, ongoing influences on those who reside there.

Do angels come to children with special needs? In Mystic Bay, they do. As t=
he truth emerges about the town's makeup, history, and mission, readers bec= ome immersed in a spiritual story of angels and beliefs that drive positive=
changes and kindness in the world and spread beyond the small town of ange= ls.

Sharpe's Mystic Bay series embodies hope, belief, the power of conviction a=
nd angel influences, and the acts of kindness that lead humanity on a bette=
r, gentler path. 20 Moon Road's revelations of relationships with Madame No= rma that changed lives and transformed beliefs through documented angel sig= htings by special needs children makes for a warm tale of revelation and di= scovery that explores guardian angels, lasting legacies, and blessings.

Libraries and readers looking for blends of fantasy and spiritual examinati=
on will welcome the Mystic Bay series as a whole and this latest addition i=
n particular, which expands the nature, purposes, and insights of Mystic Ba=
y upon the larger world outside its borders.

Combining Both Worlds
Kim Cousins
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com
9781666767780, $33.00

https://www.amazon.com/Combining-Both-Worlds-Clashing-Kingdoms/dp/166676778=
6

Combining Both Worlds presents the third book in the Clashing Kingdoms seri= es, and is especially recommended for prior followers. This audience will f= ind the events, characters, and Christian themes further developed in a sto=
ry replete with vivid action from the very beginning. Here, a "tigress-of-a= -woman" is giving birth to a daughter when an earthquake of a different nat= ure rips through the fabric of their lives.

As the story evolves, it turns out that the continuing earth tremors aren't=
the only things affecting the community of families and survivors. Also al= ive and fluid are movements to leave and bring God's word into the greater = world.

Christian readers who have appreciated the presence of miracles and transfo= rmation in the previous books in the Clashing Kingdoms series will find tha=
t Combining Both Worlds unfolds a greater plan, depicting an ongoing war be= tween Satan and God which plays out not just in communities, but in the hea= rts and minds of men. Here, the battlefield is not just physical, but menta=
l and spiritual as the characters face struggles presented on different lev= els connected by an undercurrent of meaning that requires slow absorption o=
f the events.

Cousins is particularly adept at capturing the interplay between physical a=
nd mental changes, employing a descriptive voice that both cements environm= ent and connects it to the shifting internal and external worlds the charac= ters face: "The Smoky Mountains seemed more scrunched together, like the fo= lds in a closed accordion. This folding made their course more strenuous be= cause their path became a relentless sequence of steep inclines and descent= s..." The journey is not conducted on a singular level, but is carried out = over a period of time and place that embraces encounters with angels and ce= ments its themes and progression with many footnoted Biblical references.

Christian readers who have both Biblical background and familiarity with th=
e prior books in this series will find the blend of action and contemplativ=
e reaction in Combining Both Worlds to be an exquisite study in God's promi= ses and the intersections of humanity and spiritual realms. Operating as a = quasi-fantasy and a story of revelation and growth,

Combining Both Worlds is highly recommended for Christian libraries and fan=
s of the previous series titles that will discover in this story of the end=
of days a promise of new spiritual beginnings.

Town of Angels Christmas
Jody Sharpe
Independently Published
9780988562028, $9.00 Paper/$2.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Town-Angels-Christmas-Animal-Rescue/dp/0988562022

While the fourth book in Jody Sharpe's Mystic Bay series should ideally be = read by those who have enjoyed the prior books, this should not be consider=
ed a prerequisite for newcomers, who will find this urban fantasy story of = holiday secrets to be compelling and freshly original.

The premise involves a town in California that is inhabited by angels, but = opens with the new mission of Angel Kenneth Heart, charged with helping a h= omeless man in San Francisco. He can do this by transporting Walt to Bay St=
ar Shelter in Mystic Bay, where he volunteers. There's more going on than a=
n angel's do-good mission, however, because Mystic Bay also keeps its secre=
t angels close, but faces changes and threats of exposure even as more need=
arrives in the form of horses that need rescuing before Christmas.

Jody Sharpe unfolds a wonderful saga that cements its plot with a first-per= son reflective story that builds the backdrop of Mystic bay in a seamless, = compelling manner: "We angels let the humans live their lives and choose th= eir days. We are just here living as humans experiencing friendship, and fa= mily life, guiding with the gentleness of persuasions. Once we come down to=
live as humans, we grow old with the rest of the folk. I guess I'm about f= orty something in human years, but over four hundred in angel years."

The ways angels move, operate, and help are profiled in a gentle story of s= ecrets that must be kept at all costs, efforts that must be fostered toward=
s man and animal alike, and challenges faced by guardian angels who find th= eir missions more complicated than one would expect. The intersection of my= stique and kindness evident throughout angel Ken's moves and the special in= terests of those who swirl around him creates a moving story that is especi= ally perfect for holiday reading and filled with memorable moments.

It matters not if the reader is new to Jody Sharpe's magic or the allure of=
previous Mystic Bay books or is a prior fan. Both audiences will become im= mersed in the missions of angels and men and in the town that is a focal po= int for harboring kindness, discovery, and revelations of a spiritual and s= ocial nature. Libraries and readers looking for cozy urban fantasy reading = and inviting stories of kindness, miracles, and God's work will find Town o=
f Angels Christmas a fine invitation to consider the actions and efforts th=
at transform lives, whether they be human or animal.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

These new books from Baen are top picks for libraries seeking solid sci-fi = writings and plots that draw with a blend of strong characterization and sw= ift action.

https://www.amazon.com/Salvage-Right-25-Liaden-Universe%C2%AE/dp/1982192682

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Salvage Right (9781982192686, $27.00) is anot= her Laiden Universe novel that is especially recommended for prior readers =
of this universe-spanning scenario. The story of a malevolent intelligence =
of Tinsori Light, two Light Keepers who stand between it and its infection =
of the universe, and the failure of the Light and the keepers makes for a p= owerful struggle of special interests, new dangers, and forces that clash i=
n an effort to control the universe.

https://www.amazon.com/Between-Princesses-Other-Jobs-Indrajit/dp/1982192690

D.J. Butler's Between Princesses and Other Jobs (9781982192693, $25.00) is =
an Indrajit and Fix tale that tells of the two partners' latest task. How c=
an a failed monk and a poet also prove powerful in matters of the sword and=
heart? As stolen documents, shipwrecks, and a treasure hunt pits them agai= nst sorcerers and criminals, the world of Kish comes to life in a heady ble=
nd of intrigue and fantasy.

Both of these new titles from Baen Books are simply outstanding choices for=
discriminating libraries Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, as well as=
the personal reading lists of science fiction buffs and fantasy fans.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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