Blog Archives
That Dark Edge
That Dark Edge is a cerebral and vividly textured science fiction novel set in the Unified Terran Alliance universe. The story follows Hedda Tocq, a genetically enhanced Bastet and exoethnologist, as she investigates the enigmatic culture of the Vyssae—an alien species with a unique social and linguistic structure—on the planet Vyss. As tensions rise due to a fatal misunderstanding between humans and the Vyssae, Hedda is forced to navigate layers of political tension, cultural mistrust, and personal trauma. The narrative switches between action, introspective memory loops, and philosophical questions about humanity’s evolution and morality, all wrapped in the richly imagined backdrop of interstellar colonization.
I found McGarry’s writing to be both ambitious and meditative. Her prose is poetic in places, dense with meaning, but never self-indulgent. The integration of science fiction tropes such as genetic engineering, interplanetary politics, and AI technology is handled with confidence, but what really resonated with me was the emotional depth beneath the tech-heavy surface. Hedda’s memory loops, especially the ones surrounding the loss of her family, broke my heart in quiet, aching beats. McGarry doesn’t just world-build, she soul-builds. The dialogue can be cryptic at times, laced with allusions and codes, but I grew to enjoy its rhythm. The characters feel like old friends that keep you coming back.
I occasionally found myself needing to slow down and reread, especially during early chapters packed with new terminology and cultural cues. The glossary helps, but I wish some of that worldbuilding had been woven more naturally into the dialogue or action. Also, the constant memory recalls, though meaningful, can get heavy. Still, there’s a lyrical quality to how McGarry treats memory and grief. And there’s a quiet feminist thread I admired. Hedda isn’t just strong, she’s complex, vulnerable, and unapologetically driven.
This book is not your average space opera. It’s smart, layered, and patient. If you’re into character-driven sci-fi with moral gray zones, deep cultural clashes, and sharp emotional undercurrents, this one’s for you. Fans of Ursula K. Le Guin or Octavia Butler will find echoes here. It’s not for folks looking for fast-paced adventure or explosions every ten pages, but if you’ve got a taste for nuance and depth, That Dark Edge will reward you.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0D364RKGP
The Worst Explorers Ever
What I Did After I Died follows a man who is unaware he is dead as he enlists his family to accompany him on an unconventional treasure hunt. Where did the idea for this story come from?
I traveled north for a guys’ fishing trip in New Hampshire and a bartender told us about a lake in the mountains with free canoes. We found the lake on Google Maps and drove up a road that turned into gravel, and then into complete brush. We abandoned the car and started hiking through thickets for miles, getting totally exhausted, and never finding the lake. We were the worst explorers ever, which planted the seed to write about a disastrous mountain adventure. Maybe the ghosts idea came from all the jokes we made while hiking, that we would surely die out there. By the way, there was an alternate road that we discovered hours later, with a nicely paved trail to the lake.
What part of this book was the most fun to write?
My two prior novels, To the Top of Greenfield Street and When To Fire, are coming of age and psychic-western, respectively. Writing an adventurous quest felt different and fun. I liked the parallel of a family searching for treasure alongside a ghost searching for spiritual peace.
What characters in your book are most similar to you or to people you know?
This book is heavy on family dynamics that echo my daughter, wife, and my sister. The latter especially loved this story and urged me forward.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I’m a high school teacher looking forward to writing all summer. Sometimes I read short stories that I wrote decades ago and find inspiration. So far my novels involve realism, psychics, and ghosts, so maybe my next move is aliens, haha.
Author Links: X | Facebook | Website
What I Did After I Died
Ryan Standley’s What I Did After I Died offers a fresh and imaginative take on the afterlife through the eyes of Kevin, a man unaware of his own death. When Kevin stumbles upon a clue leading to a crashed plane filled with gold, he enlists his family in an unconventional treasure hunt. Their journey is packed with humor, adventure, and heartfelt moments, making the story both entertaining and deeply touching.
The narrative captures an intriguing premise—what would you do if you didn’t know you were dead? Kevin’s obliviousness adds a layer of comedy to the tale, while the treasure hunt serves as a backdrop for exploring family dynamics. The family’s antics, mishaps, and clever teamwork are not only amusing but also showcase their deep bonds.
Standley excels at weaving humor into heartfelt moments, creating a story that’s as emotionally resonant as it is entertaining. Despite its brevity, the story delivers a satisfying experience. The fast-paced plot keeps readers engaged from start to finish, even though some sections feel a bit rushed. However, this pacing adds to the book’s charm, making it easy to dive in and lose yourself in Kevin’s afterlife escapades.
For anyone who enjoys treasure hunts, quirky adventures, or a quick and delightful read, What I Did After I Died is a great choice. Standley’s blend of humor, warmth, and clever storytelling ensures a memorable experience. I recommend this book and eagerly look forward to reading more from the author.
Pages: 126 | ASIN : B0FD4VR557
A World of Wonders
The Death Wizard Chronicles: Volume 1 follows a warrior-king whose mystical powers strengthen each time he dies and returns to life as he stands alone against a sorcerer capable of dark magic. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
Back in high school, I was a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, who inspired me to write my own epic fantasy series. I envisioned a magical world called Triken with a main character named Torg, a powerful wizard who was ruler of an army of desert warriors called Tugars. I called him a Death Wizard because of his ability to die, enrich himself with death energy, and then return to life. I ruminated over this before I fell asleep at night, while driving alone in my car, even when taking a shower. Characters developed, plot lines thickened, and settings took on new depth. I grew more and more excited about it, but I couldn’t seem to write it no matter how hard and often I tried. Life kept getting in the way. This went on for 25 years. I finally decided enough was enough and took a big risk, stepping away from the rat race for three years and living off savings. Freed from the restraints of my day job, I was able to write and revise 750,000 words in 34 months. My dream finally came true, not in high school but in middle age.
Writing about fantastical worlds isn’t easy for everyone, but for me it’s a piece of cake. My larger-than-life imagination was seared into my brain during my childhood growing up in Florida during a time when kids ran as far and wild as their imaginations would take them. All we needed was a Pop-Tart for breakfast and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (on Wonder Bread) for lunch, and we were good to go. We’d throw on T-shirts and shorts and rush out our front doors into a world of wonders. Some of the things we did—climbing towering trees, swimming in surging seas, riding our bikes to faraway places—were downright dangerous. We didn’t care. We were the rulers of our domain.
I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything. I wouldn’t trade my imagination, either.
In fantasy novels, it’s easy to get carried away with the magical powers characters have. How did you balance the use of supernatural powers?
This isn’t an idea unique to me, but in my series most of the magical characters derive their powers from something specific. In Torg’s case, it is death energy. In the evil sorcerer’s case, it is sunlight. Torg’s love interest, Laylah, derives her powers from moonlight. Another example is a monster called a Stone-Eater, who literally devours obsidian to obtain his powers. There are many more examples of this in the series. As for balancing the use of supernatural powers, I did this in two ways. First, I made it clear to my readers that Triken is a world ablaze with magic, so it’s not unusual to encounter a magical being. Second, my magical system has a hierarchy, as in some magical beings are far more powerful than others. This helps to create tension and unpredictability.
Do you have a favorite scene in this novel? One that was especially enjoyable to write?
My favorite scene in Volume 1 is when Torg emerges from the mouth of a cave and reaches the surface of the world after being trapped deep underground in claustrophobic conditions for more than a week. There’s a lot going on between the lines in that scene, and it is quite powerful, IMO. I cried when I wrote it, with Sade’s extraordinary song Pearls blaring in my headphones to help set the appropriate mood.
Can you give us a peek inside Volume 2 in this series? Where will it take readers?
The series is composed of three volumes, with each volume containing two books (LOTR was also set up this way). In Volume 1, Torg and Laylah are imprisoned by the evil sorcerer (in separate locations) and finally escape. Fate brings them together and they fall in love. In Volume 2, Torg and Laylah spend much of their time on the run while being hounded by the sorcerer’s monstrous minions. Meanwhile, three great wars begin to take shape that will alter the course of the world.
FYI: Volume 2 will debut in July 2025 and Volume 3 in October 2025.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Newsletter | Amazon
In the desert kingdom of Triken, sorcery is feared, power is brutal, and one man defies the laws of life itself. Torg, a Death Wizard, draws strength from the moment of his own death, returning again and again to protect a realm teetering on the edge of annihilation. But his greatest battle lies ahead—not just against armies and dark sorcerers, but against a monstrous evil that feeds on suffering and threatens to consume everything he loves.
As war ignites and ancient powers awaken, Torg must confront a destiny soaked in blood, bound by sacrifice, and forged in a darkness deeper than death.
Perfect for fans of The Witcher, The Malazan Book of the Fallen, and The First Law series, The Death Wizard Chronicles delivers relentless action, rich world-building, sexual tension, and a haunting exploration of power, mortality, and what it means to be truly alive.
From award-winning fantasy author Jim Melvin comes a new three-volume edition of his dark fantasy series, The Death Wizard Chronicles. Volumes 2 and 3 will debut in July and October 2025.
If you’re ready for fantasy that doesn’t hold back—this is your next obsession.
Choice, Redemption, Love and Sacrifice
Zodak: The Last Shielder follows a teenage orphan who grows up in a cruel household where he’s treated like a curse, his life is bleak and miserable, till a water sprite calls his name and beckons him toward a greater purpose.
In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
This book is about relationships. While the dynamic between Zodak and his bully of a step-brother Ergis is drawn from childhood experience, thankfully, most of the horrible hardships, loss and abuse are not drawn from my story, but my life experience definitely fills gaps and let’s me juxtapose healthy relationships against unhealthy ones. My personal family is 100% the opposite of Zodak’s (again, thankfully), but the redemption in the story is drawn from truth I see and have experienced.
Also, since I was a boy, I was always enthralled with adventure.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Choice, redemption, love and sacrifice were all themes I wanted to explore in the book.
Choice was one theme. Life happens to us all, sometimes in unusual and unexpected ways, but we’re the sum of the thousands of choices we make every day. Zodak made choices (and failed to choose at times) that made the difference.
Redemption is another theme I wanted to explore here, both redemption of a seemingly worthless and insignificant life, but also redemption of broken relationships. Alana is one of the characters who experienced a life-changing about-face in her character arc.
Love – I hoped that the love found in the tuk family, in Ardon and in Daen would shine through the slog of trouble and trial Zodak faces.
Sacrifice – like the focus on choice, the emphasis on sacrifice was an important element in the book. The culmination of Book 1 sees lots of hard choices demanding sacrifice from characters, some intentionally and some not.
Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?
I’m really excited about book 2. We will continue to follow Zodak’s journey, but book two weaves in the primary POV storylines of Alana and Daen. I can’t wait to share it. The expected release is in the first half of 2026.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
In the village of Laan, Zodak endures a bleak life of misery at the hands of his hateful cousins and aunt. His steadfast uncle Ardon is his only anchor. When a water sprite arrives, speaking of destiny and an epic journey that awaits, Zodak struggles to grasp how an adventure with goblins, krikkis, and dwarves could ever be his story.
But when his uncle falls in a kidnapping plot and entrusts Zodak with a mysterious medallion, Zodak flees into a vast, unknown world. Seeking answers about his past and the medallion he carries, Zodak finds himself drawn to the magnificent city Uth Becca. In his journey, he unearths a clandestine order, a corrupt Magistrate, and a sinister plot that threatens humanity’s very existence.
A great evil awakens. Dark hordes are on the march. In a world desperate for a hero, can an outcast be enough?
Get swept away in an epic fantasy adventure with an unlikely hero on the edge of manhood, world-building reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson, and a protagonist who must decide whether to fight for truth, even if it costs him everything.
Zodak – The Last Shielder
Max Moyer’s Zodak: The Last Shielder, the first in the Tempest Rising series, follows a teenage orphan, Zodak, who grows up in a cruel household where he’s treated like a curse. But something stirs in the shadows of the world—a hint of destiny, magic, and ancient prophecy. When a water sprite calls his name and beckons him toward a greater purpose, Zodak’s quiet, harsh life begins to unravel. What starts as a simple, grounded coming-of-age tale soon reveals a broader mythos full of forgotten magic, ancient books, secret lineages, and the deep, thrumming power of belief and identity in a broken world.
The writing is fluid and vivid, making the world feel dirty, real, and magical at the same time. Moyer does a brilliant job of pulling readers into Zodak’s narrow, painful life, so much so that I found myself wincing at every insult and rooting for his small moments of rebellion. The prose is clean but emotionally rich, with bursts of beauty that feel earned rather than forced. What hit me hardest was the aching loneliness in Zodak’s voice—the way he yearns for love, belonging, and meaning in a world that treats him like an afterthought. It’s not just a fantasy story, it’s a story about being seen.
The book doesn’t lean too hard into tropes. There’s prophecy, yes, but also doubt. There’s magic, but it’s quiet, hidden, uncertain. The characters feel alive, especially the complex ones—like Alana, Zodak’s cousin, who starts cruel but unfolds in a way that’s strangely touching. I’ll admit, some parts were slow, especially early scenes where the abuse piled on so thick I wanted to yell at the pages. But that pain pays off later, making Zodak’s small victories feel like revolutions. And the moment he realizes his story has power? That got me.
Zodak: The Last Shielder is about truth, pain, and the quiet force of imagination when it’s all you’ve got. It’s about choosing to believe in something bigger when the world tells you not to. I’d recommend this book to fans of grounded, character-driven fantasy with a slow build and emotional punch. Especially to teens who feel like outcasts, writers who write in secret, or anyone who’s ever hoped for a better world in the silence of their room. If you’re a fan of Brandon Sanderson’s world-building, Patrick Rothfuss’s lyrical prose, or the emotional depth and quiet magic of Lois Lowry, then you’ll really enjoy Zodak: The Last Shielder.
Pages: 430 | ASIN : B0CPCNNZST
Gynarchy’s Collar
In Gynarchy’s Collar, the first book in the Zhiva Legacy series, T.R. Schneider crafts a futuristic, sensual tale where gender dynamics are upended and power plays out through collar technology, political seduction, and raw emotional entanglement. The novel begins with a space expedition led by Lieutenant Ethan Drake and his crew, who are flung 200,000 years into the future and awaken in a galaxy now ruled by the Gynarchy—a matriarchal empire where men are property and emotions are often weaponized. Amid the sweeping backdrop of galactic intrigue and technological marvels, Ethan finds himself entangled in a dangerously intimate triangle with Anaisa, a brilliant engineer, and Dr. Bennett, a calculating psychologist with dark designs of her own. As passion meets submission and politics slips between the sheets, survival hinges on loyalty, vulnerability, and the cost of surrender.
The writing often walks a tightrope between lush and lurid, sometimes dipping into camp, but it works. Schneider isn’t afraid to lean into the drama, and that boldness kept me flipping pages late into the night. The world-building is ridiculously imaginative. Cryogenic sleep cycles, neural dampeners, collar-based control systems—these aren’t just sci-fi gimmicks, they’re woven into the emotional core of the story. Ethan’s internal war between duty and desire struck a chord with me. He’s a character who starts out commanding and composed, only to be slowly and methodically unraveled. And Anaisa is the heart of the book. Fierce, brilliant, but haunted. Her slow dance between empowerment and submission made her feel utterly real. And then there’s Dr. Bennett—seductive, sadistic, and absolutely terrifying in the best way. I hated her. I feared her. I was riveted by her.
At times, the eroticism felt heavy, and the psychological games Bennett plays, though chilling, sometimes strayed into over-the-top villainy. Still, I admired how Schneider used sensuality not just for heat, but to explore identity, control, and the ways trauma clings to us in unexpected ways. The prose flits between stark, almost clinical observation and poetic sensuality, which kept me off-balance, in a good way. The story thrives on tension, and the love triangle is both steamy and agonizing. I felt the ache of their choices, the way intimacy gets twisted in the gravity of power. And that final moment of self-doubt Ethan experiences stuck with me. It’s rare for a sci-fi novel to leave me feeling so bruised and breathless.
Gynarchy’s Collar is not for the faint of heart. It’s erotic, intense, and unapologetically subversive. But if you’re drawn to stories that blend sci-fi spectacle with intimate human messiness, and if you’re into high-concept world-building with sharp emotional stakes, this one’s worth your time. I’d recommend it to fans of The Expanse, Dune, and Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s a rare cocktail: space opera meets dark romance with a psychological edge.
Pages: 528 | ASIN : B0D8P91SV1
The Kindred Chronicles: Gathering Storm
D.A. Chan’s The Kindred Chronicles: Gathering Storm is a sweeping epic of war, identity, power, and the complex webs of loyalty and love. Set in a rich and layered world teeming with fantastical cultures and mythic structures, this third installment dives into the aftermath of a major conflict and sets the stage for a larger confrontation with a corporate villainy that blends magic with modern industry. We follow Chris, a reluctant hero burdened with both trauma and responsibility, alongside a cast of warriors, mystics, and rulers, each with tangled motivations and deep emotional wounds. As the characters navigate political alliances and personal betrayals, the book pushes forward with high-stakes missions and wrenching personal decisions, all laced with lyrical prose and carefully built lore.
Reading this felt like slipping into a world I didn’t want to leave. The writing is confident and lush, but never overbearing. There’s something poetic about the way Chan strings his sentences together, even when he’s describing something as brutal as a blade through bone. The worldbuilding is top-notch. You can smell the marble in the war rooms, feel the dust of battlefields, and get lost in the shifting allegiances of ancient houses. The dialogue, particularly the kindred tongue, gave the book an almost sacred cadence. And those moments of silence between characters? They said just as much—sometimes more—than the battles. Sometimes the pace slows in philosophical musings or dense political mechanics. But even then, I didn’t mind lingering. I liked the thinking space it gave me.
Emotionally, this book hit me harder than I expected. Chris is haunted in a way that’s painfully familiar—trauma doesn’t just disappear, and Chan gets that. Watching him fight while shouldering his ghosts is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring. Elline and Empyrean’s relationship, especially, brought a kind of intimate storm to the plot. Their love was more than just romance, it was a war of wills and ideals. I didn’t always like Empyrean, but I understood him. The jealousy, the pride, the grief, it all made him maddeningly relatable. And Grace is the wild card, the heartbeat of something new and unpredictable. I found myself caring about her more than I expected.
If you love your fantasy high-stakes and high-emotion, Gathering Storm is your kind of book. It’s perfect for readers who want more than just sword fights and magic—they want characters who bleed, who doubt, who love fiercely and fail spectacularly. It’s not a light read, but it’s a worthy one. I’d hand this book to fans of The Stormlight Archive or The Broken Earth series in a heartbeat.
Pages: 454 | ASIN: B0FB8J837R
LITERARY TITAN 