Blog Archives
Angel of Ashes
Angel of Ashes tells the story of Audie, a rare Phoenix Angel who is born from the ashes of her dying mother and raised by her human father on a Kentucky distillery farm. Her quiet life cracks open when strange forces break through the barrier meant to protect her. From that moment on, she is pushed into a hidden world of angels, demons, and breathtaking celestial places. The book traces her journey from a sheltered child to a young angel discovering her destiny. It does this with a mix of heartfelt family moments, wild mythical adventures, and a whimsical cosmic logic that shapes everything around her.
I felt completely swept up by the emotional core of the story. The opening chapter, where Evangeline dies and Audie hatches from the ashes, was very emotional for me. It felt tender and cinematic. The writing has this earnest charm that kept tugging at me. Even simple scenes shine with feeling, like August trying to raise a winged toddler who burps fire and floats out of bathtubs. The book often feels like a fairy tale that comes straight from their heart. The pacing shifts from soft emotional beats to frantic supernatural chaos, yet I found that unpredictability engaging. I never knew what corner the story would turn next, and that sense of surprise kept me turning pages.
I also found myself grinning at the creativity of the worldbuilding. The Tunnel of Delulu made me laugh. A pastel sewer full of scarecrows, glass spiders, cauliflower brains, and a giant furry mouth waiting to be fed. It is ridiculous in the best way. The Windmill Farm acting as a doorway into Heaven felt inventive and strangely beautiful. The angel culture is whimsical and full of personality, like the Cloudwalkers greeting each other with Haloha. The sheer amount of quirky ideas kept the story moving with an exciting energy. I loved how the author constantly surprised me, shifting from emotional moments to bold new landscapes that made the world feel vibrant and alive.
This book is a great pick for readers who enjoy heartfelt fantasy with a strong emotional center, younger teens who want adventure mixed with coming-of-age stories, and adults who love stories that feel like bedtime tales grown into something grander. If you want a read that mixes sweetness, chaos, magic, and genuine heart, Angel of Ashes will absolutely be your thing.
Pages: 256 | ASIN : B0FTYDTTLD
Remembering the Storm
Remembering the Storm by Lucy Davila Hakemack is a historical novel that moves between the devastation of the 1900 Galveston hurricane and the quieter years of 1970s memory and activism. We follow Ellie McLean from her youth as an idealistic new teacher and young woman in love, through the chaos of the storm, into her nineties as she fights to preserve the stories of survivors and the history of Black Galvestonians. The book braids personal loss, civic rebuilding, and local politics around race and memory into one long life story. At its heart, it is a love letter to Galveston and to the stubborn people who try to make that city more just.
The book feels warm and earnest, and I found that really moving. The prose leans descriptive and old-fashioned, which fits the period setting. I liked the vivid sense of place, from the smell of the Gulf to the streetcars and the old hotels, and I could picture the seawall, the storm surge, the ruined buildings, the quiet library tables stacked with letters. The dialogue between Ellie and her friends in the 1970s had charm and humor, and I enjoyed their teasing, their toasts, and their small complaints about modern life. The pacing felt gentle, even slow, and that gave room for the emotional weight of the storm and its aftermath.
I appreciated how the story keeps circling back to whose stories are remembered and whose are ignored, especially the Black citizens who buried the dead, built the seawall, and still got pushed off the page. Ellie’s push for markers, plaques, and school equity felt honest and sometimes uncomfortable, and I liked that the book does not paint her as flawless. Her position as a respected white teacher gives her power, and the narrative shows both her courage and her blind spots. The sections about Juneteenth, segregated schools, and the small acts of defiance around books and beaches were thought-provoking.
I would recommend Remembering the Storm to readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction, especially stories tied to real disasters and to questions of memory, race, and local history. If you like novels that feel like oral history, that take their time, this will be right up your alley. For anyone curious about Galveston, about the 1900 hurricane, or about how an ordinary woman can push for change over decades, this book is a thoughtful and heartfelt choice.
Pages: 435 | ASIN : B0G3QQY9X8
Trapped
Trapped follows Ava, an inventive eleven-year-old who gets lured into a creepy metal facility after accidentally wandering off her route home. Inside, she runs into a mad scientist with spiky blue hair, weird clues scribbled on the walls, disappearing doors, sharks, collapsing rooms, and two other trapped girls who’ve been missing for years. The whole place feels like a massive puzzle box that keeps shifting every time she thinks she’s figured it out. The story jumps from trap to trap with wild energy, humor, and a ton of heart, and Ava has to rely on her wits, her inventions, and her stubborn bravery to escape.
Reading this book felt like riding a roller coaster. I kept thinking things couldn’t get any stranger, and then boom. A shrinking room. Boom. Sharks. Boom. A magic chicken firing cereal. The writing is playful, and I found myself smiling even when Ava was in real danger because her inner voice is so funny and chaotic in the best way. The way she talks to herself cracked me up. And the way she uses random stuff in her backpack as tools was so interesting, because it’s so kid-like and creative in a way adults forget to be.
What surprised me most was how sweet the story felt underneath all the madness. Ava’s fear of dark spaces, her loyalty to her best friend, and the way she misses her family during the scariest moments all gave the book a really warm center. Even the weird clues and puzzles felt like they were nudging her to believe in herself. I didn’t expect to feel proud of a fictional kid, but I did. And I’ll admit it. I got a little emotional when her beat up stuffed bunny basically became her tiny furry sidekick.
I’d totally recommend Trapped to kids who love fast-paced adventures, wild imagination, and stories where the main character thinks their way out of chaos instead of waiting for an adult to save them. It’s also perfect for readers who enjoy jokes mixed with danger and don’t mind things getting a little weird. Honestly, I think lots of grown-ups would have fun with it, too, because it brings back that feeling of being a kid who turns everyday stuff into adventures.
Pages: 208 | ASIN : B0D8547F6W
Lucas James and the Legend of Maxa
Lucas James and the Legend of Maxa is a middle-grade sci-fi adventure about a sarcastic seventeen-year-old who would rather be at a party than stuck at summer camp, and the giant alien being who completely changes his sense of purpose. At Wee Great Falls, Lucas is dragged through traditions he has zero patience for, weird quakes, and swarms of strange eyeless bugs that seem to come from nowhere. Out of that chaos comes a deep, booming voice in his head that belongs to Maxa, an enormous, ancient traveler from another star system who wakes only when a mystical white flower blooms. Over the week, Lucas and his squad uncover the legend behind Maxa, the “control stone” that has enslaved him across history, and a dangerous plan by adults who want to weaponize him. The story builds toward a big, public reveal where Lucas has to decide what kind of leader he actually wants to be, and how to protect both his new friend and the people around him.
I really enjoyed the voice in this story. Lucas is prickly and dramatic in a believable teen way. He rants about killing bugs, line cutters, and forced “teachable moments” from adults, and those rants are often funny and sometimes uncomfortably real. The camp setting feels lived in, like the messy chaos of arrival day, the sweaty parade grounds, the gross-but-kind-of-iconic food in Cassidy Hall, the ritual songs about adventure, all of it gives the book a strong summer-camp backbone. Then the science fiction layer slides in: a telepathic voice that calls his name, a necklace stone that becomes a mental bridge, and eventually this awe-filled sequence where Maxa, truly massive, is tossing boys into the river like toys while Lucas is both terrified and exhilarated. Those scenes have a nice rhythm, switching between slapstick and wonder. Sometimes the book lingers a bit long in dialogue or camp bits when I wanted to get back to Maxa faster, but the banter is usually strong enough that I didn’t mind hanging out in the moment.
The ideas behind all the action are surprisingly tender. Maxa is not just “the cool giant alien”; his whole backstory is about being used, controlled, and turned into a tool by whoever holds that control stone, from ancient stone-circle builders to modern men with a mega-weapon. Lucas starts the book as the kid who rails against hypocrisy, angry about people nuking bugs just because they are small and inconvenient, but he is also kind of reckless with his own words and power. Over time, his connection with Maxa forces him to think about what it means to have influence over someone else, especially someone stronger than you are. I liked that the book does not paint Maxa as perfect either. His excitement can get dangerous, and Lucas has to read that, set boundaries, and still stay loyal. On top of that, you have the quiet through-line of Lucas’s relationship with his parents and his Apex Endeavor speech months later, where he frames everything he went through as a lesson about potential in “the smallest of critters” and “the largest of life forms.” It gives the story a hopeful, grounded core that fits well with the genre’s coming-of-age vibe.
By the time I closed the book, it felt like a complete little universe: with familiar camp rituals on one side, a stranded alien from Proxima Centauri on the other, and a kid trying to grow into the space between them. As a sci-fi adventure for middle-grade and young teen readers, it hits a nice, sweet spot between heartfelt and silly, with just enough cosmic mystery to keep older readers interested, too. If you like stories about summer camps, secret legends, big feelings wrapped in jokes, and giant beings who are more compassionate than half the humans around them, Lucas James and the Legend of Maxa is worth picking up. I’d especially recommend it for readers around 10 to 14 who enjoy character-driven adventures with a science fiction twist, and for any adult who still remembers what it felt like to be the cynical kid at camp who secretly wanted to believe in something huge.
Pages: 284 | ASIN: B0GGVJN19N
The Amplified Entrepreneur
The Amplified Entrepreneur blends personal memoir, music history, and practical business advice into a surprisingly heartfelt guide for entrepreneurs. The book ties rock legends like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and America to lessons about innovation, resilience, and creative courage. It follows the author through childhood moments in a musical home, early experiences in small family businesses, and his evolution into a serial entrepreneur who sees business as something closer to a jam session than a corporate exercise. The book moves through themes of self-doubt, creativity, opportunity, collaboration, reinvention, and promotion, with stories that stretch from basement guitar nights to the pressures of building companies in healthcare and technology.
As I read, I found myself caught off guard by how personal the writing felt. The stories are warm and vivid. The author talks about pumping gas at eight years old and hearing Beatles records that cracked his world open. Those moments made the business lessons earned and authentic rather than like a lecture. The writing feels like someone telling stories over coffee and letting memories tumble out. I actually liked that. It gave the book a human texture. Still, there were moments when I wished the ideas were tightened just a touch, because the storytelling is so strong that the transitions occasionally drift. Even so, I appreciated how consistently he circles back to the real message. Innovation is messy. Growth is personal. Doubt is normal. And nothing in business works without heart.
What surprised me most was how often the book stirred up my own emotions about taking risks. The chapter about embracing failure resonated with me. I could feel the honesty behind the author’s admission that he avoided things for fear of looking foolish. I’ve been there more times than I care to admit. And his stories about forming a band later in life or acting in indie films made me grin because they reminded me that trying new things can be joyful even when we’re terrible at them. His enthusiasm is contagious. I also liked how he uses music as a lens to talk about teamwork, experimentation, and seizing opportunity. It’s unusual and kind of charming, and it kept the book from feeling like every other business guide out there.
The Amplified Entrepreneur brought me a mix of inspiration, nostalgia, and a surprising sense of comfort. I’d recommend it to entrepreneurs who enjoy story-driven guidance rather than rigid frameworks, and to anyone who wants business advice that feels relatable and a little playful. It’s also a great fit for readers who love music and don’t mind their lessons wrapped in lyrics, memories, and the occasional backstage moment.
Pages: 142 | ASIN : B0F4FX3R13
Army of Three
Army of Three follows the Fassbinder brothers through a life shaped by loss, love, violence, and the weight of impossible gifts. The story opens small and personal, then builds into something that stretches across decades, worlds, and even versions of reality. It starts with two young men chasing criminals at night and grows into a tale about loyalty, grief, and destiny. Along the way we meet Azrael, a mysterious and powerful woman whose bond with Axel becomes the heart of the book, and later we see how her death fractures everything the brothers knew. By the time I reached the final pages, the story had folded back on itself in ways that felt both surprising and strangely right, and the letter from Karl brought a quiet and emotional sense of closure.
The writing is straightforward, yet it carries a sincerity that makes the emotional moments land with real weight. Scenes like Axel holding Azrael after the attack shook me. His heartbreak felt blunt and unfiltered. The author is not afraid to lean into big feelings, and the story benefits from that. I liked how the quieter moments in forests or diners or rooftops created space for the characters to breathe. Those scenes let me sit with them, and I grew to care about them, even when they made choices that frustrated me. There is an earnestness to the prose that makes the chaos of superhuman fights and government conspiracies feel grounded.
I also found myself surprised by how much the book weighs in questions of fate and identity. Axel’s struggle to figure out what kind of man he wants to be resonated with me. The story plays with the idea that heroism is not clean or noble, and sometimes it is just two broken people trying to survive what life handed them. Karl’s evolution unfolded cleanly and was emotionally potent as well. Watching him carry the burden of protecting his brother and then eventually writing that final letter made him feel painfully human. Even the supernatural touches, like Azrael’s powers and the strange forces lurking in the dark, worked best when they mirrored the characters’ inner fears. Sometimes I wanted the pacing to slow a bit so I could sit longer with those moments, but the urgency of the plot has its own appeal.
The story closes in a way that honors its emotional core, and it left me thinking about sacrifice and second chances. I would recommend Army of Three to readers who enjoy character-driven science fiction and action stories that are fueled by emotion as much as spectacle. It is a good fit for anyone who likes tales about brothers, unlikely heroes, and love that changes the course of a life.
Pages: 219 | ASIN : B0G26F47K1
LITERARY TITAN 