Mini Reviews: Fellow Indie Authors!

        

Good morning! The title of this post gets right to it! Today I’ll be reviewing two indie author titles I recently read, and previewing one that I’ll be featuring in the near future!

Christmas in Talesend by Kyle Robert Shultz

This was actually released last Christmas season, but I only got around to reading it (ahem, sorry, everybody) this year (2018). Anyway, it was all so worth the read, regardless of time frame compared to original publication. These holiday stories are so charming and fun, all packed with Shultz’s trademark humor and wit, as well as plenty of heart, and more than enough reference to past events in the Afterverse and foreshadowing towards things likely to come up in future books to please even the most pedestrian fan. This is a lovely, simple, straightforward fantasy series — in terms of just being fun fantasy stories based around fairytale retellings — and then it deviously rips your heart out and requires you to buy stock in Kleenex. I’m continually pleased with whatever is produced from Shultz’s pen, and always look forward to more.

The Raventree Society (season 1) by JE Purrazzi

I won an annotated ARC in a giveaway, and this was the first time I’d read something by this Phoenix Fiction Writer, so it was doubly an event! The Raventree Society is about one of those TV shows that go to “haunted” houses and films “encounters” — but in reality, it’s all faked. Until the day it isn’t; until the day the host’s brother crosses perilous paths with a real ghost. This collection of stories was an intriguing, creepy, and unexpected take on this sort of scenario. I was surprised at how gritty the author was willing to be; and for the subject matter of such a tale, it really worked to get across all the powerful and raw emotions the characters were experiencing (as well as highlight the unfortunate tragedy that surrounds sudden death, a fact we like to ignore but would be unwise to forget). Those of you who get jumpy over paranormal thrillers, be forewarned; there’s plenty of suspense and scares and unpleasant description; but Purrazzi used this technique to poignant effect, and not simply for “shock and awe,” so it fits the genre and yet doesn’t cater to some of its more debase tropes. And she’s working on the sequel — so you’d better get reading the first! Just…leave a light on.

The Beast in the Machine by EB Dawson

This is an ARC I was given by the author (the release date of which will probably be confirmed later in 2019), and I am very excited to get to it when time permits. This is a sci-fi retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and no one does twists on sci-fi quite like EB Dawson. So this will be a pleasure to read and review. (I promise I’m getting there, Beth!)

One of my goals for this year is to read more titles by indie authors — toss me your recommendations in the comments!