In the year 2100, a century and a half before the present of Gerwitz’s intergalactic saga, Mordecai Dak of Earth successfully colonized the Proteus galaxy. The legacy he leaves behind is a utopian society of independent worlds among multiple planets and systems—or, at least, that’s what most everyone believes. Enter the Independent Thinkers, a defiant band weary of the mere illusion of freedom. The Dakker Chronicles series follows disillusioned tech wizard and “Indie” Colston Kayne on his unexpected journey from hiding out from the government to leading a revolution of “warriors” who, as one officer puts it, have dedicated themselves to “fighting to take our lives back, even if that means laying them down.”

Quick-paced, action-packed, and slightly philosophical, Birth of the Defiance treads a familiar path in SF and dystopian fiction. The story’s swiftness can keep it from transcending its most familiar elements. The book opens with Cole already on the run from the DakolonEyo secret police, relegating character background to memories or conversations about his past; readers don’t get to experience the home he’s lost or the hard choices that pushed him into revolt and leadership. Much the same can be said for the other main characters, who often feel like caricatures. As the action jumps from planet to planet, it’s hard to keep up with the many proper nouns without consulting the glossary—planets, cities, galaxies, and some characters become a blur.

Seasoned sci-fi readers or fans of the revolutionary dystopian thrillers are sure to find enjoyment in staples of the genre, here deployed with conviction as the “Indies” stand up to tyranny with their “heaters blasting and plasma shots exploding”—here’s supercharged plasma weapons, warpspeed space travel, daring pirates, a strong villain, and a budding romance amidst varied sequences of fighting. SF fans looking for a quick dose of action, subterfuge, and the beginnings of a revolution will enjoy this fast-paced adventure.

Takeaway: This fast-spaced series centered on an intergalactic revolution debuts with phasers blasting.

Great for fans of: David Weber, Richard Baker.

Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Dakker Chronicles: Birth of the Defiance

Virk, an MIT computer scientist and author of The Simulation Hypothesis, makes a cogent, clear-eyed guide to the head-spinning science of parallel universes, quantum indeterminacy, and the possibility—terrifying or relieving—that our perceived reality is in fact part of a great simulation. That idea doesn’t just refer to a Matrix-style simulation of our particular patch of existence: instead, Virk entertains the idea that what we know is merely a part of a “complex, interconnected network of multiple timelines.” With an eye for games and pop culture, like Philip K. Dick and the “Arrowverse” TV shows, plus a willingness to dig into the metaphysical implications, Virk picks apart both the dead serious science supporting this hypothesis as well as quirky, quantum-flavored “speculative” ideas that tend to go viral, like the Mandela effect.

Especially interesting, after Virk has grounded readers in the science and the possibilities, is the author’s discussion of qubits and quantum parallelism, which rises out of a fascinating consideration of the convincing worlds conjured up by the creators of video games, reaching back to the text adventures at the dawn of the medium and then up to the current cutting edge. Virk takes pains to simplify the material for those not steeped in quantum or game mechanics, though the discussions can get heady enough that, when deep into some tricky passages, readers may find themselves having to return to an earlier point and start again, a “save state” process that itself resembles playing some of the games Virk examines.

Virk excels at working familiar cultural examples (Black Mirror, Star Trek, Devs) into his explorations, but the broader argument is never subordinate to his pop interests. Even deep into an explanation of quantum parallelism, considering the fate of the universes a quantum computer might create but essentially discard, Virk imbues the material with a sense of playful awe but also practical know-how, not just considering the possibilities but showing how they could be brought to life.

Takeaway: This head-spinning examination of the possibility of multiple realities argues that you, right at this moment, might be in a simulation.

Great for fans of: Tom Siegfried’s The Number of the Heavens, Carlo Rovelli’s Reality Is Not What it Seems.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Simulated Multiverse

Calling for a collective awakening to heal the “spiritual disease” threatening the very survival of humanity, this forward-thinking synthesis binds together scientific and spiritual approaches to facing the world’s continual crises. In the face of climate change, rising fanaticism, and self interest, Legrand, an economist and social scientist, not only urges for a wisdom-based, science-guided evolution of humanity–he also endeavors to show how to make it happen within a generation.

The title refers to a vision of a politics dedicated to the “fulfillment of all beings,” a phrase that might sound pie-in-the-sky, but probably not as much as it would have just a few years ago. Legrand argues, with some rallying power, that the shift he advocates has already begun in global populations battered by relentless catastrophes and the shared realization that “not only our economic system was dysfunctional but all aspects of society.” The path forward, he suggests, is inward, as individuals—and then the political bodies representing them—reorient on an “inward path toward sustainability,” focused on a set of spiritual values including love, peace, happiness, and “light,” which describes a connection, often spiritual, to one’s true purpose.

Separate chapters address those values in detail. Setting Politics of Being apart from less rigorous utopian visions is Legrand’s thoroughness and clarity, and especially his careful consideration of how to achieve this species-wide awakening and what in practice it would look like. Drawing as much on up-to-date sociological, economic, and political thinkers as he does on spiritual ones, Legrand examines the impact the politics of being could have on our health and diet (and the systems linked to both), on nature and economics (which do not have to be at odds), on justice and governance (he’s infectious in his enthusiasm for Nicolas Berggruen and Nathan Gardels’s model for intelligent government.) As much a guide as a vision, Legrand’s work will inspire futurists, idealists, and other readers at the intersection of planning and spiritualism.

Takeaway: This daring vision for global, human-centered change blends scientific approaches and ancient spiritual wisdom.

Great for fans of: Sulak Sivaraksa’s Wisdom of Sustainability: Buddhist Economics for the 21st Century, John Edward Carroll’s Sustainability and Spirituality.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Politics of Being

The polished second entry in Michaels’s Linfield Hall series of Regency romances kindles fresh possibilities between neighbors Louisa Strickland and Charles Finch, heir to the Earl of Bolton, six years after the abrupt end of their fake courtship. Unlike many women of her time, Louisa is herself named as the heir to a manor and fortune, and she doesn’t intend for any man to destroy her life of independent means. Charles, meanwhile, has drunk and gambled himself and his estate into debt and is obligated by his friend and debt holder, the Duke of Rutley, to pay back the funds–preferably by marrying into money. Realizing that it’s Louisa that he truly wants, Charles eagerly pursues the heiress, insisting he’s put his rakish ways behind him, although she’s not sure she’s ready to trust him with her heart—or her property.

As with Michaels’s previous romance, Lady August, this will prove a perfect fit for readers who relish the wit, society, family dynamics, and focus on smart independent women of Jane Austen novels but prefer a purely romantic storyline. Amid the balls and gossip, Louisa is easy to empathize with: her position of not having to rely on a man for her living gives her rare agency, and readers can easily relate to her disinclination to marry, especially when the man determined to have her as has shown such questionable judgement in the past. (“Insufferable ninny,” she calls herself, when she finds herself enticed.)

This puts welcome focus on Charles, who must convincingly change his ways and learn what sacrifices he must make. Not all of the characters are as richly developed or engaging, with the Duke of Rutley, in particular, a contradictory figure who pushes the plot along. Yet the central couple are memorably conflicted: “Against my better judgment, I cannot,” Louisa sighs when Charles asks if she despises him, and readers who enjoy that dynamic will find much to savor.

Takeaway: This engaging Regency romance features an heiress with rare agency and a rake who must prove himself worth her.

Great for fans of: Minerva Spencer’s Rebels of the Ton series, Evie Dunmore, Sarah MacLean.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A Rake Like You

This wide-ranging collection of essays, many originally published as op-ed columns in a host of newspapers, finds Clayton taking on topics as disparate as the degradation of the English language (“the sooner we get old-fashioned grammarians to the rescue, the sooner we begin the march back to sanity, not to speak of honesty and truth”), the legacy of American asceticism (“one of the foundation stones, perhaps the very cornerstone, of this phenomenon—capitalism—[created] so much wealth, for good and bad, in the world today”), and the remembrance of soldiers missing in action (“No one who knew him, in the marines or the South Vietnamese army, ever saw him again.”) Tying it all together is Clayton’s warmth, curiosity, and Christian faith.

A savvy sense of rhetoric also distinguishes this companionable volume, as Clayton proves adept at structuring column-length considerations of controversial or challenging topics—the nature of authority; the state of the U.S. armed forces—so that they read like searching, open-minded journeys of mind rather than received opinions or polemics. When making an argument, he seems to be teasing out and testing a personal truth. An essay on the tense relationship between religion and the state strikes a wise, reasonable tone unlike what readers have grown accustomed to from firebrands on either side of the issue. “Christianity is the guardian of our conscience,” he writes. “It can be exaggerated or twisted into theocracies that are cruel and pale distortions of the true principles of the faith. But choosing the alternative—destroying religion—leads to a far worse outcome.”

A polished prose stylist, Clayton holds to foundational truths but remains open to new ideas. And he’s funny, writing light yet serious pieces about what a believer learns from golf or on the horrors he encounters in his inbox. Christian readers will find much to enjoy and consider in this lively collection.

Takeaway: These wise, lively essays consider topics both light and challenging from a perspective of Christian faith.

Great for fans of: David Bentley Hart, Cindy La Ferle’s Writing Home, Deadline Artists: America's Greatest Newspaper Columns.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Through My Christian Prism, or at the Port Rail

“Child, whatever you do, know the difference between ambition and greed,” non-profit founder Viswanath recalls her father telling her as she grew up. Echoes of Light finds her setting that wisdom down for others, along with insights gleaned from a lifetime that has taken from India to Afghanistan to the world at large. In a preface, she urges readers to understand that “destructive greed, self-obsession, petty politics, corrupt overwhelming capitalism, and fanatic extremism” are destroying humanity and the planet, and she asks us to be ambitious in kindness, empathy, and gratitude. In the globe-trotting poems and short stories that follow she warns that “the human touch has been killed” in our lives.

Crafted to a purpose, Viswanath’s poetry tends toward the direct and even didactic, free verse that celebrates possibility and the natural world, decries the inhuman pace of contemporary life, and reminds readers that no matter what you do—or how much fame and fortune you’ve accumulated—“You return to whence you came from, my friend.” The stories cut deeper and, like their author’s biography, range the globe, set among Indonesian garment factories, the Surobi district of Kabul, the Hindukush mountains, and a grandmother’s home in Coimbatore. Each centers a lesson about our essential humanity, but their approaches are as varied as their locales, with parables, literary realism, and even a Scheherazade-inspired tale within a tale.

Viswanath proves adept, in her fiction, at bringing life and character to the precepts she advocates, and her handling of various cultures, peoples, and locations is arresting and respectful. (That’s little surprise, as she’s the founder of Healing Lives, which funds the education of future nurses and doctors in Kenya, India, and Bangladesh.) In Echoes of Light she fulfills a related ambition, presenting characters faced with what she presents as the everyday human dilemma: “The choice is ours—to make each day beautiful and memorable; or toxic and damaging.”

Takeaway: This global-minded collection of fiction and poetry urges us all to make a difference in the world each day.

Great for fans of: Jamil Zak’s The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, Phyllis Cole-Dai and Ruby R. Wilson’s Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Echoes of Light

After divorcing her adulterous ex-husband, 35-year old high school ASL and Life Skills teacher Cecilia Galván is ready for a fresh start, but before that new life can begin, she must survive an international school tour with a group of teenage students to Spain in this humorous contemporary romance. Done with fairy tales, Cecilia wishes for independence and some distraction, which she gets after a meet-cute at the airport with 39-year old Catalonian businessman, Felip Segura, whom she at first thinks of as “Mr. Magic Abs Ankle Banger.” Repulsed by the similarities he shares with her ex-husband, Cecilia decides he’s “the kind of trouble that had already gotten her into trouble.” However, after a series of fortunate coincidences place Felip as the group’s substitute tour guide, Cecilia is faced with a decision–tread carefully or give into passion and “kisses that threaten[ed] to wake her slumbering libido.”

Merrill excels at incorporating a large cast of diverse, realistically written characters into the overall plot. Cecilia’s character has a hearing disability, while one of her students is on the Autism spectrum. Felip’s handsome looks are “made a little more human” thanks to a crooked front tooth. Amusing dialogue between Cecilia and her students, who prove both raucous and thoughtful, plus innuendo-laced banter between her and Felip make up for minor typos and editing oversights.

The use of Spanish and Catalán in dialogue as well as an enticing tour of popular destinations in Spain is charming while adding a sense of authenticity to the story. (Some students are both surprised and relieved to discover that Barcelona’s most famous bull-fighting arena is now a shopping mall, complete with a Sephora.) Although this winning couple’s attraction is evident from the beginning, Merrill weaves an appealing and comic contemporary romance with just enough angst and suspense to keep readers guessing about the relationship until the end.

Takeaway: Fans of contemporary romances will be drawn in by this holiday in Spain’s diverse characters and comic pleasures.

Great for fans of: Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation, Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A Match Made in Spain

Mehlman-Orozco’s first picture book achieves a difficult balancing act: presenting the terrifying topic of human trafficking in a way that will enlighten children. Nicolette, a restless canary who lives in Kiev with her caring, strict parents, wants to escape from their restrictions and travel to glamorous foreign destinations. Her growing discontent draws the attention of a wolf in peep’s clothing. Disguised as a bird, Big Bad Wolf offers Nicolette the world, and lures her from Ukraine to the United States, where she’s forced into hard labor–with no end in sight.

Criminologist Mehlman-Orozco, who chronicled real-life trafficking cases in Hidden in Plain Sight: America’s Slaves of the New Millennium, uses Ana Rodic’s exquisite illustrations to make this bleak subject approachable at story time. Rodic combines expressive pen and ink drawings with color washes that range from soft Frankenthaler smears to the hard brilliance of oxidized metal. She renders golden canary Nicolette with her avian friends as a joyous fledgling eager to leave the nest, which emphasizes the tragedy of having her wings clipped.

Mehlman-Orozco effectively employs a familiar villain in the duplicitous wolf and cleverly--chillingly—includes the words of actual traffickers in the text, such as the wolf’s vow to “feed her ears exactly what she wants to hear.” While the message comes through powerfully, Mehlman-Orozco proves less successful at crafting a memorable contemporary fable. The upbeat rhyming never quite meshes with the lessons the story has been crafted to impart, and some awkward sentence constructions make reading aloud at times a minor challenge. Still, parents will find this a valuable resource for opening discussions about the uncomfortable topic of how predators manipulate children. Learning who to trust is a lifelong process, and Big Bad and the Bored Canary introduces young readers to the insidious danger of wolves cloaked as fairy godmothers, preying on the dreams of their victims.

Takeaway: Gorgeously illustrated, this cautionary bird tale aims to warn young readers from the allure of human traffickers.

Great for fans of: Brodrick Nettles’s A Free Me: How Taylor Escaped Becoming a Victim of Human Trafficking, Jacqueline A. Bartley’s Ice-Cream Saturdays.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A+
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about Big Bad and the Bored Canary

​​Howard’s polished debut YA fantasy follows Godfrey de Bastogne, son of a duke, as he transitions from squire to knight. After hearing a crusade-pitch in a town square, Godfrey quickly pledges to fight “the war of the gods”––and aid his mother’s homeland, Azgald, against a rising tyrant. During the crusade, he meets Madeline, the daughter of another volunteer commander, who is introduced as a “damsel” but is secretly a sorceress. Godfrey has a vision that prophesies that their “crusade” cannot end until they defeat a dragon, but there’s a catch: dragons don’t exist anymore. Meanwhile, Alvir of Clan Black Dragon, the rising tyrant, and his wife, Nera, the Great Witch of the North, vow to take over Azgald. Will the crusade successfully thwart the mysterious dragon of Godfrey’s prophecy?

While familiar in its plotting, this action-packed adventure and coming-of-age story offers elements of romance and its fair share of supernatural elements and creatures. Howard’s plot is tightly wound and layered, with no details that aren’t essential to the novel’s progression. Each trial Godfrey undergoes builds on the last, culminating in an entertaining finale. The majority of Howard’s protagonists prove well developed and form believable relationships. Rather than a damsel in distress, Madeline is a strong young sorceress at risk of marrying a man she does not love because of a deal her father made, while Godfrey is more than the son of a duke—he reveals himself to be a trustworthy and loyal young man who wants to honor his mother and father.

Howard does a great job world building and balancing the story’s fantastical and naturalistic elements. The villains could be more developed to make the material richer and more resonant, and because the mode here is the hero’s journey, prophetic quest division, the plot at times will be predictable for readers steeped in the genre. Still, Howard has crafted an engaging, well-written tale that will please young devotees of classic high fantasy.

Takeaway: This fast-moving classic fantasy brings appealing life to a familiar tapestry.

Great for fans of: Tamora Pierce’s Squire, Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about Godfrey's Crusade

Oral historian Geary’s illuminating study examines the emigration of Swiss Italians to Australia and California through the letters of the Rotanzis, a middle-class family from the “isolated alpine village” Peccia in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Three brothers—Francesco, Virgilio, and Alessandro Rotanzi—choose to seek fortune far from home, each writing to their father, Luigi Rotanzi, of their excitement, frustrations, hopes, and worries over twenty-five years. The narrative closely follows their success (and failures) as they chase riches and bear witness to monumental historical events–all set against the fascinating backdrop of immigration in the 19th century.

In 1855, eldest brother Francesco is the first to leave; later, after experiencing severe food shortages and illness, he would write in a letter to his father “I would not wish this trip on anyone.” Six years later, Virgilio chooses the adventure of journeying to California, along with “hundreds of Swiss-Italian Emigrants who had taken off for [the] state,” eventually being joined by Alessandro. Readers will appreciate the opportunity to compare the brothers’ different journeys, as well as life in both Australia and America from the viewpoint of the same family. Images throughout the narrative provide clarification and context for the Rotanzi brothers, including a family tree and maps of important places like Australia and the Ticino Districts, in addition to numerous photos, portraits, and various documents, such as advertisements and handwritten letters.

Though this account will most interest readers specifically interested in the emigration of Swiss-Italians, Virgilio’s life in California naturally intersects with other facets of American history, including the Civil War, discrimination against Chinese workers, and the Ghirardelli chocolate and soda factories. The Rotanzi family is the main focus of the narrative, but Geary adeptly weaves in the experiences of other immigrants, ensuring anyone fascinated by the experience of emigration to the U.S. will find revealing and resonant.

Takeaway: A fascinating study of the 19th century American immigrant experience, drawn from letters between three Swiss-Italian brothers and their father.

Great for fans of: Leo Schelbert ‘s America Experienced: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Accounts of Swiss Immigrants to the United States, Howard Blum’s The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Miners, Milkers & Merchants

After years of working as a financial advisor to soldiers in the National Guard, Frank Molinar, CFP, realized that the financial issues faced by service members often boil down to the same common problems and can be solved with the same solutions—an SOP, or standard operating procedure. In Financial Dominance he details practical steps service members and their families can take toward fixing those problems and set themselves up for future wealth. Using mission readiness language keyed to his audience, Molinar devotes separate chapters to the five key steps of his plan: stop the bleeding, secure the perimeter, engage the enemy, build future ops, and plan the exit. Throughout, he draws anecdotes from training, briefings, and personal consultations to demonstrate the effectiveness of his strategy.

The first three chapters are straightforward and offer clear, actionable steps, while the final two--including the book’s longest, “Building Future Ops,” which is dedicated to the notably volatile topic of investments—take on a vague, advisory tone. Molinar urges readers to secure and maintain their financial perimeters first, and is adamant about the distinction between investing and speculating as he explains the structures and types of investments, but readers who pick this guide up for its clear-eyed advice about eliminating debt or prioritizing creditors, much of this chapter may prove impractical.

Molinar’s style is usually uplifting if firm, but sometimes his can-do attitude turns into victim blaming, as when he argues that fear "induces" poverty. Angie Moline’s illustrations synthesize the main concepts into cheerful infographics readers will find useful as reminders and reference points. Similarly, Molinar’s worksheets are useful tools to put his suggestions into action. Soldiers and military families will get the most out of this, but general readers looking for an introduction to financial planning can also benefit from his advice. Ultimately a unique take on personal finance, with practical steps geared towards military professionals, Financial Dominance will give money-minded readers much to consider.

Takeaway: Soldiers and military families looking to sort out their finances and build a better future will find clear, practical advice.

Great for fans of: Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover, Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Financial Dominance

Offering a fresh take on that perennial favorite, Robin Hood, McNellis’s (Developing Historical Characters) debut YA novel, first in her Heroes of Sherwood series, brings to bear both a passion for the material and clearly demonstrated talent for storytelling. At seventeen, daughter of a craftsman father and disgraced nobility mother, Alys Fletcher might be expected to be married with her own household, according to the mores of Jolly Olde England. Alys, though, grew up more tomboy than nurturer, as evidenced by her attempt to take her brother Robert’s place in the military when he marches with Robin of Locksley to the Crusades. Instead of getting the chance to save her brother, she’s left behind to act as a handmaiden for Maid Marian, a position secured by her noble cousin, Guy. But Alys has made a pact with Robin–and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether they’ll each be able to play their roles.

Despite a slow beginning that dares a slightly anachronistic voice in the flavor of the film A Knight’s Tale, the novel quickly gains traction as readers are drawn along for the adventure that becomes Alys’s life. She both misses her family and the work on the farm, but finds a strange sort of peace with Marian, teaching the noblewoman the fine art of archery. The Sheriff of Nottingham, as portrayed in popular versions of the work, here is a somewhat typical villain—instead, it’s Alys’s reaction to him, and to her cousin Guy, that begins setting this tale apart from the pack, as The Red Fletch takes flight as something fresh and powerful.

Particularly strong is McNellis’s portrayal of Alys as feminist icon, a woman who, while never embracing the roles society dictates, doesn’t reject them outright, either. Her independence is both celebrated and examined in the context of consequences. The shifted perspective and voice of the story allow for a deeper, richer development of the characters, adding a nuanced depth that will captivate and delight–and leave readers anxious for the next chapter.

Takeaway: This artful retelling of the Robin Hood mythos from a new perspective breathes fresh life into a beloved classic.

Great for fans of: Raven Kennedy’s Gild, Anita Valle’s Sinful Cinderella.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Red Fletch

Aluma Banks has spent her life dreaming of becoming a member of the kingdom of Eirelannia’s Empyrean Cavalry, just like her father. Empyrean Riders, sworn to King Breasal himself, take to the skies on winged horses to protect Eirelannia from their constant enemy, the Laithlanns. There’s just one problem: Aluma’s father has forbidden her to enter the yearly competition for entry into the Calvary. Everything changes when he suffers a devastating fall, however, and seventeen-year-old Aluma finds herself competing for the glory in his stead. Together with her best friend Thayer, Aluma discovers new powers, unsettling secrets, and forbidden love. When it turns out that her father’s injury may have been no accident, Aluma is forced to reconsider everything she thought knew—while possibly restoring balance to her world.

As Aluma takes the reins, Reynolds conjures a high fantasy journey with plenty of romance, danger, and intrigue that’s sure to delight—think The Hunger Games meets fantasy favorites but with an equestrian twist. Though it at times relies heavily on tropes common to the genre, such as love triangles and chosen-one arcs, any fan of those stories should find something to love in this blend of the epic and the dystopian. Eirelannia is a kingdom where nothing is as it seems, and readers will be hooked right along with Aluma as she uncovers the truth about the non stop war between her homeland and Laithlann.

Reynolds offers intriguing world building, richly drawn characters, and convincing details, like the distinctions between how different groups treat the winged Empyrean steeds, for example. Both accessible and engaging, A Light in the Sky is well-suited for younger YA audiences, while older readers may find some plot points predictable despite the age of its protagonist. Still, this first entry in Reynolds’s Clashing Skies series offers non-stop adventure for readers who ever wished for a flying steed of their own.

Takeaway: Younger fans of high fantasy adventure won’t be able to put down this novel boasting high-flying equestrian action.

Great for fans of: Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, Victoria Aveyard’s The Red Queen series.

Production grades
Cover: A+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about A Light in the Sky

Williamson’s debut novel is the brief but sweeping saga of the Selbsteiger family and the city-state of Rust–a curious semi-independent state in the American midwest that, due to pre-Civil War politics, never became a state. Not content with his share of a family farm, Norman Selbsteiger builds a Great Lakes shipping company, which initially proves a great success, but bad times arrive when conditions change after the wars. Diversifying to rescue the business, his son Selby starts a widget company, and the family’s fortunes rise again. But the philandering Trey Selbsteiger III possesses talents that lie elsewhere, and with no one to take control, the Selbsteiger fortunes hit an all-time low. Will Norm Selbsteiger IV be able to rescue the family’s, and Rust’s, fortunes?

Written in an expansive style attentive to economics and generational shifts, The Parable of Rust offers a bird’s-eye view of a boom-bust cycle of the industrial Midwest, from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Readers should not expect close analysis of the lives of interesting characters like Trey and his wife, the independent Anne, or the family philanthropist Cornelia. Williamson delves into two interesting conflicts—the dissonance between Trey’s nature and Selby’s concern for the health of the business, and the conflict between Louisa and her daughter-in-law Anne for the upbringing of the latter’s daughter, Drew—but never gives them the close-quarters analysis that makes for compelling drama.

Instead, the novel concerns broader shifts of history, deftly examining the macroeconomic impact of individual business fortunes–and those how those fortunes weathered a tumultuous century. By creating a micro-America in Rust, he attempts to portray the far reaching consequences and ripple effect created by business policies–some of them questionable, if not exactly illegal. Throughout, Williamson’s familiarity with the world of high finance is evident, and his command of the material is convincing.

Takeaway: A multi-generational, economics-minded saga of a Midwestern family, its wealth, and the American century.

Great for fans of: Charles Stiefel’s Skin Saga, Dan Baum’s Citizen Coors.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about The Parable of Rust

“Just like a blossoming flower needs to be pollinated, so does the female psyche,” Posner writes in this inspirational collection of verse, insights, and photography. Her aim: to nourish contemporary women with “passages,” or short poems, that encourage mindfulness, the embrace of everyday moments and pleasures, and celebration of the gains women have made in society since the 1960s--and the courage it still takes to keep them and secure more. The thread tying Aspire together is Posner’s championing of sisterhood, as in the poem “On Sisterhood,” in which she cheers the “rigid, unwavering goodness” and “wholesome nobility” of an unidentified woman—or perhaps of womanhood itself.

That same key poem notes, one of several dozen, declares that this woman, bound to the author by sisterhood, will “elect and choose with fervor /and stand where it suits you, planting your feet in rich soil.” These lines encapsulate Posner’s chief themes and concerns: the power of being intentional, of being “fierce” and “brave” with purpose (as the poem “Becoming Free From Worry” urges), and of cultivating a space of one’s own in life in soil enriched by the other women also making such bold choices.

The suggestion of a connection to nature runs through the book, as Posner reflects on the “benediction found in the light of a setting sun” and likens the spiritual growth of a soul to the “promise of the new springtide.” Her aspirations for women are expressed mostly in spiritual rather than social or political terms—she declares herself “in service to God”—and on occasion she turns playful, as in a lark of a poem about daylight savings time. The photos illustrating the verses feel less original than Posner’s words, which will prove most potent to readers already curious about mindfulness practice and spiritual sisterhood.

Takeaway: These accessible inspirational poems celebrate contemporary women while encouraging mindfulness, gratitude, and ferocity.

Great for fans of: Morgan Harper Nichols’s All Along You Were Blooming, Phyllis Cole-Dai and Ruby R Wilson’s Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: B
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Aspire

Woolf’s memoir details his brief trip as a young journalist through the uncertain Afghanistan of the early 1990s, after the Soviets had withdrawn and before the Taliban had taken over. He recounts seeing death all around, striking out at random, interspersed with a beautiful countryside and welcoming, hospitable people. This two week long excursion left him with nightmares, and Woolf masterfully conveys some of how that felt. Woolf tells his story as primarily one of trauma—his own trauma admittedly brief in comparison with that of those living in the war zone but nonetheless real.

Early in his reporting career, Woolf had considered serving as a foreign correspondent, so when the chance came to visit the BBC’s correspondent in Afghanistan and see what the job actually entailed, he took it, trusting that his experience in the army and in stressful situations would prepare him for what he faced. In his journey into Kabul, taking part in a caravan traveling to the rebel-held north of the country, and leaving the country after his visa expired, he was shot at, under artillery attack and nearly stranded on the wrong side of a pass when winter made it impassable. In between all of that, he also managed to take the photos which ably illustrate the text, and interview a Russian prisoner who converted to Islam and joined the Afghan forces.

Woolf is both gripping as he relates these tense stories and humble in his reflection on the heroism of the Afghans and various international aid workers and journalists he met. He describes many more unforgettable incidents than you might expect given the brief length of his time in the country. Readers looking for an exciting memoir about travel through Afghanistan or a look at how the trauma of continued danger can weigh on someone will find this a satisfying read.

Takeaway: Fans of travelogues or war stories, particularly of Afghanistan, will find this memoir compelling.

Great for fans of: Deborah Copaken's Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War, Carmen Gentile's Blindsided by the Taliban.

Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Bumbling Through the Hindu Kush: A Memoir of Fear and Kindness in Afghanistan