Review - Fractured Souls by Ava Marie Salinger
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About 500 years ago, a rift opened, expelling angels, demons, and other assorted paranormal creatures who fell to Earth, where they were trapped with no memories of who they were. Among “The Fallen,” as they became known, Cassius is an outcast. He is mistrusted by both angels and demons, who aren't quite sure what he is. Only a few people on Earth have an idea of Cassius' power, and he likes to keep it that way.
Tags: Paranormal Fantasy Mystery Crime
Review - The Price of Paradise by Meraki P. Dark
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Please note: this is one of those stories that's hard to review without giving away a few (hopefully minor) spoilers about the plot. On a future planet Earth ravaged by climate change and solar storms, most of what's left of humanity lives in purpose-built "hives" that protect them from the toxic atmosphere. Everyone works for the good of the hive. Around their twentieth birthday, everyone is tested for their genetic desirability.
Tags: Science Fiction Non Consensual
Review - Ash Belives the Impossible by Kim Fielding
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Ash lives a rather mundane life. He has a very fulfilling job helping people who have been out of work due to personal crises find jobs. It doesn't pay very much, but it's enough to get by. Since the breakup with his last boyfriend, Ash has been renting an apartment from two aging hippies with a forest in their backyard. One day, gifts start appearing outside Ash's door. They're not fancy, but obviously handmade with love.
Review - Before the Shutdown by Mack J. Lou
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Kindly note: The author generously offered a free copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. By the mid-22nd century, the earth is in the midst of drastic climate change and also suffering from random gravitational anomalies. Most cities and even whole countries have died. In their place are new sophisticated cities, which are mostly underground and protected by advanced technology. The main responsibility for keeping everything running rests on a small team of highly trained technicians who use immersive technologies to network with the environmental controls as well as each other.
Tags: Graphic Science Fiction
Review - Delicatus by S.P. Somtow
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In the first century AD, a small village on the very edge of the Roman empire was overrun by pirates, who took a young boy hostage to sell on the slave market. The pirate's ship is captured by Romans, but the boy is still transported to the slave market in Ostia, on the coast near Rome. While waiting to be sold, someone notices that the boy bears a strong resemblance to one of the most powerful women in Rome, Poppaea.
Tags: Ancient Rome
Review - Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean
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James is a Detective Sergeant in London's Metropolitan Police, working in the murder investigations team. He's on the fast track to becoming a full inspector in a few months. It's a radically different career than the one James' father had mapped out for him in the family oil business, but after coming out, James was estranged from his father and determined to create the life he wanted independent of his family's wealth.
Tags: Crime Mystery UK Setting
Review - Tinman by C.J. Dragon
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Astin feels lucky to have gotten a job on the moon. The company that runs the mining operation may not give a damn about the people making it work, and living conditions may be spartan, but it beats dying of starvation, which was where Astin and most other people on Earth were headed. Astin's nickname among his coworkers is “Tinman.” It's a play on his name as well as a mild jibe at the perception that the man doesn't show his emotions.
Tags: Science Fiction
Review - Murder at Union Station by David S. Pederson
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Charlotte Castle is moving to Los Angeles to try and break into the film business. However, just before she's about to board the train at Phoenix's Union Station, the body of her former roommate is found in her trunk. It doesn't look good for Charlotte, so her father hires Mason Adler to prove his daughter's innocence. It doesn't take long for Mason to uncover several people with motive and opportunity, but which one really killed the young woman?
Tags: Private Eyes Mystery
Review - The Bond by Xavier Axelson
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Declan is a farmer, from generations of farmers who have worked the land in his small New England town. It's never been a really easy life. Declan's wife died giving birth to their daughter, and keeping the farm going is always a challenge of coming up with new ideas. Still, Declan gets by with help from his mother and friends, such as Chester and Ivan. Those friends prove to be essential when a goblin, of all things, appears on Declan's land.
Tags: Paranormal
Review - Uncle Zach by Bey Deckard
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Owen's particular kink is being “used” – topped by anonymous men who orgasm inside him and then make way for another. He rented a cheap motel room, left the door unlocked, and posted on a hookup app inviting all comers. However, Owen is mortified when he realizes that one of the men using him is his uncle Zach. Zach is equally upset when he recognizes Owen and quickly leaves. Owen can't get the encounter out of his mind.