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The Arch Mage
The Arch Mage throws readers headfirst into a world where alliances between light and dark are fragile, the stakes are cosmic, and the characters carry both swords and scars. This third installment of The Ebon Knight Chronicles follows Kelso, the Ebon Knight, as he navigates political tension, ancient vendettas, and his personal mission to rescue Ava, the Dark Witch, from the clutches of her own twisted sister. The book moves between tense councils, brutal fights, and moments of raw emotion, all under the looming threat of “the Other,” a force bent on total annihilation. Author James Wood layers the story with intrigue, moral compromise, and supernatural spectacle, making it an intense continuation for fans of the series.
I found myself pulled in by the emotional core of Kelso’s quest. His determination to save Ava isn’t dressed up in noble sacrifice; it’s gritty, stubborn, and rooted in a deep bond that feels real. The interplay between factions, Furies, Ghouls, Knights, and Sorcerers crackles with personality and danger. Wood writes action in a way that feels immediate but never hollow, and his dialogue gives the characters teeth. The politics sometimes tangle so thickly that I had to slow down to keep track. The number of factions, titles, and power plays might be overwhelming for a casual reader, but for someone invested in the world, it’s a feast.
What impressed me most was how unflinching the book is about its darker moments. The villains aren’t cartoonishly evil, they’re intelligent, cunning, and terrifying in ways that feel disturbingly plausible. Jesslyn, in particular, is written with a level of menace that made me genuinely uneasy. At the same time, there’s room for humor and warmth, especially in Kelso’s interactions with his dog and his begrudging banter with his cursed sword, Argenta. Those moments keep the story from drowning in grimness and make the characters feel lived-in.
If you’ve followed The Ebon Knight Chronicles this far, The Arch Mage is a worthy and rewarding next step. It’s best suited for readers who like their fantasy sharp-edged, with layered characters and high-stakes conflicts that don’t pull punches. You’ll need to bring your full attention to keep pace, but if you do, you’ll find a story that is absolutely gripping. This isn’t a casual wander through a magic-filled land, it’s a march into war, and it’s well worth the journey.
Pages: 476 | ASIN : B0D32QKL7Z
Adobo In The Land Of Milk and Honey
E.R. Escober’s Adobo in the Land of Milk and Honey is, at its heart, a story about identity, loss, and the complicated dance between assimilation and heritage. We follow Mirasol Mendoza Moreau, a sharp and ambitious Filipino-American executive who is sent to the Philippines to oversee the acquisition of a struggling fast-food chain, Pinoy Jubilee. What begins as a business assignment quickly becomes a deeply personal journey, forcing her to reckon with her late boyfriend’s absence, her mother’s silence about the homeland, and the messy, beautiful reality of a culture she has always kept at arm’s length.
Escober’s prose is remarkably vivid; rather than merely describing Manila, he immerses the reader in it. The airport scene, in which Mirasol is immediately enveloped by a wall of heat and commotion, vendors calling out, families embracing in noisy reunions, captures the overwhelming disorientation of arrival with striking immediacy. And later, the kalesa ride through Intramuros, Mirasol annoyed, Ramon smug, the horse nosing her shoulder, was both funny and strangely tender. I loved how Escober uses small, almost absurd details (like a horse drooling on a silk blouse) to pull Mirasol out of her polished New York shell. The writing has this knack for being sharp one moment and unexpectedly warm the next, which felt very true to the push and pull of identity crises.
What stood out most to me was how food served as the narrative’s foundation. The balut scene is a perfect example: Mirasol, determined to prove she isn’t just another “Fil-Am tourist,” dives into the duck embryo with salt and chili while Ramon watches like a judge at a reality show. It could have been written for laughs, but instead, it becomes a turning point, breaking down Ramon’s skepticism and showing Mirasol’s willingness to embrace discomfort. Later, when she eats Rosa’s adobo at the original Pinoy Jubilee, it isn’t just a meal, it’s an initiation into the heart of what the restaurant represents: family recipes, sacrifice, and tradition. Escober makes food not just symbolic, but alive, messy, and deeply emotional.
I felt conflicted about Ramon; his air of superiority often proved as frustrating for me as it was for Mirasol. His constant testing, comparing her to Olivia Rodrigo, making her ride a kalesa instead of a car, lecturing her about “real” Filipino culture, sometimes felt heavy-handed. But then Escober complicates him by revealing his own past heartbreak with another Fil-Am who “came back home” only to leave again. Suddenly, his sharp edges made sense. He wasn’t just gatekeeping culture; he was guarding against disappointment. That shift made him more compelling, and I found myself grudgingly rooting for the dynamic between him and Mirasol to thaw.
By the time I closed the book, I felt like I had been on the journey with Mirasol, not just through Manila’s crowded streets, but through the strange space of being between two worlds. Escober doesn’t sugarcoat it. The book is messy, emotional, and sometimes frustrating, but that’s exactly why it works. It’s not a polished postcard of the Philippines; it’s a story about finding pieces of yourself in unexpected places, whether in a noisy street market or in a bowl of perfectly braised adobo.
I’d recommend Adobo in the Land of Milk and Honey to anyone who enjoys stories about identity, grief, and rediscovery, especially second-generation immigrants who’ve ever felt the pull of a “homeland” that doesn’t quite feel like home. Even if you’ve never wrestled with cultural roots, the humor, the romance, and the sheer sensory detail make this a rich, rewarding read. It’s not just a business story. It’s not just a food story. It’s a story about being human and hungry, for meaning, for connection, and, for really good adobo.
Pages: 302 | ASIN : B0FHSZ95N7
Mental Health Matters
Ancestor: The Hooded Hero #1 follows a firefighter-paramedic who gets what he thinks is a routine 911 call, only to discover that it quickly escalates into a chaotic, bloody night. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Any time Cody is on duty, if he responds to a 9-1-1 call, it is a call I’ve managed as a firefighter. Of course, they are modified for patient privacy laws. The call I used for the inciting incident was a call I responded to, and the most difficult call for me to handle psychologically in all my 21 years in the service. Cody has similar reactions to me (the echo of the father’s screams causing the taste of blood in his mouth, the callousness toward criminals, the smells of the scene, the woman’s face, etc).
I had to respond to that scene, pronounce the woman dead while her father watched, and assist the coroner’s office with the investigation. Then, when we cleared the scene, we were the only available ambulance to go to the prison and evaluate the prisoner who killed her. I could tell you how compassionate I was toward the prisoner, but you can just read the book.
This is daily life for a first responder, or a nurse, or a soldier. I wanted to highlight the things we have to see and do to keep you safe, and the impact it has on our lives and our own health. It’s important to spotlight these things, because often we take for granted that the police or firefighters just exist to serve us, but they’re people too. And they’re twisted significantly by what they see every day.
I found Cody to be an intriguing and well-developed character. What inspired you to create him and his backstory?
Cody is the quintessential fireman. He’s derived from a variety of responders, including myself, my long-time ambulance partner, and other coworkers. His own mental health and the calls he responds to reflect my own career and my own downward spiral when I had reached my darkest moment. But I’m not a special case by any means. I just wish I was built like him, haha. I wanted him to have a major presence, like gravity, whenever he entered a room. So I made him large like Jack Reacher but with the type of reputation that makes everyone notice him when he enters an area.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
First and foremost, I wanted to explore the world of mental health. It’s not normalized enough, despite our 21st-century efforts. This whole series will be an exploration of mental health through the lens of a superhero and a first responder. Sadie, Cody’s love interest, is there to ground people because she’s the ‘civilian’ but still very much entwined in the mental health struggle. Sadie is also supposed to be the calm to Cody’s chaos. She is intelligent, dedicated, goes to therapy, takes her medications, and strives toward self-improvement like no other. She’s the example of what we can all be if we manage our mental health well, and obviously the example of no matter how well we’re doing, nobody’s perfect. Cody is the opposite. He’s the example of what we could become by burying our feelings under alcohol and pressure.
Mental health aside, I’d been looking for a way to tell my “war stories” from the fire department, and I had been excited to come up with a superhero idea for a long time. This gave me the chance to do both. Hopefully people enjoy the ‘peek behind the curtain’ at first responders’ lives.
What will your next novel be about, and what will the whole series encompass?
The Hooded Hero series will explore the ups and downs of managing one’s mental health. Readers will find both allies and enemies who struggle with some mental health issue, and it’s my hope that they can relate to all of them. The next few books in the series get dark. So if you thought Ancestor was dark, buckle up.
I’ve collaborated with a horror author, Carl Bluesy, to create novellae with a more fantasy/horror theme which will fit chronologically in the series timeline and will follow Cody through supernatural challenges, which unlock new superpowers and teach him new lessons about life and what it means to be a hero.
Book 2, titled Burnout, and the first of the novellae, titled Inferno Mirage, are coming Q4 2025. Follow me on social media @authormattoz or join my newsletter to keep up with the latest news.
Author Website
Cody, a US Army veteran who now works as a firefighter, is one bad 911 call from a complete mental breakdown. Then life feeds him two bad calls, back to back.
He begins to hallucinate and hear voices. But they don’t just speak to him-they grant him abilities beyond his wildest imagination. And they have their own agenda.
Meanwhile, sinister forces wreak havoc on the city, tearing apart its infrastructure bit by bit. Will this firefighter-turned-superhero quell the burning city’s flames, or will he be the gust that spreads them?
Ancestor is a dark urban fantasy thriller which explores the daily lives of first responders and mental health topics through the lens of a superhero’s trials.
Inside you will find:Justice and vengeance dealt with a bloody, heavy hand.
Revenge. Beautiful, satisfying revenge.
An unforgettably unique romance subplot.
Insight into the daily lives of first responders, written by a first responder.
Seriously flawed, regular people. Because to be flawed is to be normal.
Jump straight into the depths of Jade City. Buy it now.
Ancestor: The Hooded Hero #1
Ancestor drops you headfirst into the life of Cody Chance, a firefighter-paramedic in the gritty near-future city of Jade. It starts with what feels like a standard emergency call, but quickly escalates into a chaotic, bloody night that leaves Cody haunted by both what he saw and something darker that seems to be following him. A comet burns across the sky like an omen, strange voices whisper from nowhere, and Cody’s grip on reality frays. Between violent calls, moral compromises, and an unshakable sense that something supernatural is at play, the book builds a tense blend of urban fantasy, first responder realism, and psychological suspense.
Ozanich writes with the eye of someone who’s lived it, pulling you into the banter, the gallows humor, and the ugly truths of emergency work. At the same time, the creeping horror threaded through the story kept me off balance. I loved that shift. It’s not just gore for the sake of it. The unease builds slowly, like a shadow you can’t quite catch. The voice of the narrator feels raw and honest, even when the things he’s thinking aren’t noble. That unvarnished humanity made it hit harder.
The violence is vivid and unflinching, and the pace sometimes lingers on procedure in a way that slows the momentum. I found myself caught between being absorbed in the detail and wanting the story to push forward. And Cody, well, he’s not always easy to like. He’s stubborn, sometimes reckless, and definitely flawed, but that’s what makes him real. There’s a claustrophobic quality to the way the night unfolds, which works brilliantly for tension.
I’d recommend Ancestor to readers who like their urban fantasy grounded in real-world grit, especially those who aren’t squeamish about violence or moral ambiguity. If you enjoy character-driven stories where the supernatural seeps in slowly, and you can handle the rough edges of first responder life, this one’s worth the ride. It’s a wild, unsettling, and strangely relatable trip.
Pages: 376 | ASIN : B0FHRQS1JW
Buckaloo
Deborah J. Chavez’s Buckaloo is a warm and engaging novel that blends everyday joys and personal healing with a deep love for dogs and community. Set in the rolling foothills of Santa Barbara, the book follows Harley Fremont and her partner Bill as they open a dog training academy and prepare for their wedding. Alongside their dogs Gemma and Blackjack, they navigate past traumas, the complexities of relationships, and the chaos of planning two major life events. The story balances quiet domestic moments with emotional depth, creating a gentle but moving narrative about love, resilience, and second chances.
The story is unhurried, comforting, and full of small surprises. I loved the writing style. It was easygoing and heartfelt without being sentimental. Chavez has a gift for capturing the way dogs enrich our lives, and she writes with the kind of affection that makes you feel like you’re in the story. The dialogue is realistic and often funny, and I appreciated the strong sense of place. The natural beauty of California’s chaparral landscape is described with a soft reverence that made me want to lace up my hiking boots and head out with a dog of my own. Harley and Bill’s relationship, too, is a mature love story. It’s built not on drama, but on trust, compassion, and the shared work of building something together.
The pacing is slow, and there were chapters where the plot gave way to long descriptions of logistics, guest accommodations, shirt logos, and tent arrangements that could have been trimmed without losing the warmth of the story. But I didn’t mind too much. There’s a slice-of-life charm to it, like listening to a friend tell you about their big plans over coffee. The emotional core, Bill’s tragic past, Harley’s quiet strength, and the community that forms around them, kept me engaged. And the dogs are the beating heart of this book. Gemma especially is written with so much love and personality, she almost feels like a co-narrator.
Buckaloo is a cozy and heartfelt read that would appeal to dog lovers, fans of small-town fiction, and anyone who enjoys stories about real people trying to do good in the world. If you’re looking for something gentle, affirming, and full of canine charm, this one’s for you.
Pages: 287 | ASIN : B0FG3FGHJ2
The Ghost Who Wouldn’t Leave
The Ghost Who Wouldn’t Leave is a witty, immersive novel about a burnt-out writer, Lesley Tierney, who buys a crumbling country cottage hoping for solitude and a creative reset, only to find herself face-to-face with Nathaniel Ashcroft, the smug, brooding ghost of a long-dead Victorian actor. What follows is not a typical haunting. It’s a simmering standoff between two stubborn souls, one alive, one not. It’s filled with sarcastic banter, strange happenings, and slow, unexpected companionship. As Lesley unravels the mysteries of Nathaniel’s past, she also wrestles with her own creative doubts and emotional baggage, all within the creaky walls of a house that seems to watch her just as much as she watches it.
I didn’t expect this book to be so funny. The narration is sharp and self-aware, filled with dry British humor and a kind of biting internal monologue that had me laughing more than once. The pacing is tight, with eerie moments slipping into emotional ones, and then, just when things threaten to get too heavy, it throws in a perfectly timed quip or a floating teacup. Lesley is relatable in the most chaotic and relatable way. She doubts herself constantly but still finds the grit to stand her ground, even when the house (or the ghost) quite literally fights back. And Nathaniel? He’s annoying in the best possible way: smug, theatrical, and gradually, devastatingly real.
What I loved most, though, was how this ghost story wasn’t about fear. It was about being stuck. Stuck in houses, in stories, in past lives and unfinished business. The supernatural elements were clever and creepy, sure, but they always served something deeper. The slow emotional thaw between Lesley and Nathaniel is tender, strange, and oddly moving. There were moments that gave me chills, and others that hit far closer to the heart than I expected from a story that begins with a sarcastic property viewing and a possibly haunted Aga. The writing is rich but never stuffy, full of texture and mood.
I’d recommend The Ghost Who Wouldn’t Leave to anyone who likes their ghost stories with more heart than horror. It’s perfect for readers who appreciate layered characters, slow-burn relationships, and stories that blend the emotional with the uncanny. It’s especially for those who’ve ever felt a little lost or needed a reminder that sometimes, even haunted houses can be homes. I closed the book feeling like I’d been part of something strange and lovely.
Pages: 331 | ASIN : B0FH7LGB4Z
Living Their Best Lives
Cinematic Destinies is a sweeping, heart-filled continuation of the love story between Ella and Finn Forrester. It moves the spotlight onto their adult children and explores the complexity of family ties and personal growth. What inspired the setup of your story?
It’s the third and final book in the trilogy, and honestly, I never intended there to be three books. Each one inspired the next. The second book, After the Red Carpet, sees Ella and Finn building a life together and starting a family in the shadow of Hollywood. I wanted to explore the lives of those three children when they were grown up. How would the public fascination with their parents’ love story affect them each and their love stories? Ella was always fascinated by what love might look like and feel like over a lifetime, so I also wanted to know how that unfolded for her and Finn. I could see it all so clearly it just flowed.
I loved how different each of the children are, how they each had their own story to tell. What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
Thank you so much. I truly loved writing each of them. Because each is different—their personality, their struggle, where they live—as a writer it was an incredibly fulfilling project. There was so much to explore. If I had to pick a favorite to write, it would be Georgia. I loved the way her story mirrored her mother’s from The Location Shoot. Writing about a film shoot in Iceland was also a lot of fun, although it did present challenges, essentially writing a story within a story. I really had to take my time getting that right.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
Jean Mercier is a controversial filmmaker with a dystopian outlook. His films tackle the big questions of life. To him, artists are truthtellers, they shine a light in dark places, and sometimes they have to go dark so that others may see the light. Beauty has an underside and so sometimes it’s guardian is ugly. It keeps things honest. For all three books I’ve had a blast writing Jean. In Cinematic Destinies there’s a scene in the book in which Jean and Michael, the lead actor, discuss what the film is really about. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was by far my favorite scene to write. I was laughing the whole time.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
Enjoying their lives, living to the fullest, and embracing the messiness of the good times and bad. To me, the book is really about what it means to live a life and to do so with passion and love. So I know the characters are well and are living their best lives. I think they’re spending time together too, which is always so much fun. When they’re together, they’re a riot and the genuine love they have for each other always comes through.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Goodreads | Simon & Schuster
Legendary actor Finn Forrester and his wife philosopher Ella Sinclair Forrester met on the location shoot for Jean Mercier’s film Celebration. The world has been captivated by their fairy-tale romance since Finn famously proposed on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. As the couple now prepares to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary, they wonder if their children will ever find love.
Eldest daughter Betty is excelling in a medical residency program in New York City—and has convinced herself that distancing herself from emotions is the path to success. Youngest son Albert, a recent college graduate, is trying to find his footing in Boston as he struggles with his identity. Free-spirited Georgia, her mother’s spitting image and an actress following in her father’s footsteps, has been cast in Jean Mercier’s final film, mysteriously titled Beauty. When she arrives on set in Iceland and meets her costar, sparks fly. Is history repeating itself? How has growing up in the shadow of the world’s most iconic love story affected each of the Forrester children?
In this highly anticipated conclusion to The Location Shoot and After the Red Carpet, we see how Finn, Ella, and their children fulfill their cinematic destinies.
Where Truth Lies Waiting
Where Truth Lies Waiting is a moving and deeply introspective novel that follows Tina, a woman caught between life and death, as she reflects on her past, her relationships, and the truths that shaped her existence. After a traumatic accident leaves her hovering in an out-of-body state, Tina watches her own life unfold from above, visiting memories, conversations, and unresolved moments with a keen emotional eye. As her spirit wanders through these reflections, the story reveals the intricate ties of love, friendship, and grief, especially the ways honesty and truth both heal and hurt. Layer by layer, the novel uncovers the weight of unspoken truths and the surprising ways clarity can surface when we let go of control.
The writing has a slow, poetic rhythm that draws you in, even when the subject matter is heavy. I was struck by how intimate Tina’s thoughts felt like paging through someone’s private journal. Tanja Davia Tucker does a beautiful job of painting Tina’s inner world with honesty and raw emotion. The early chapters, especially the ones about Tina’s childhood and the death of her father, resonated with me. It made me pause and think about the things we carry from childhood that quietly shape us well into adulthood. The writing is calm and clean, but there’s real power in its simplicity. Every sentence feels deliberate. You can tell Tucker poured her soul into this story.
There were moments where switching perspectives from Tina to others pulled me out a little. Some of the flashbacks were so vivid and moving that I wanted to linger, but the pace often moved me forward. Still, I can’t fault the book for that. It’s reflective and careful, like Tina herself. What hit me most was the recurring theme of truth. How it’s not always simple, not always kind, but still necessary. It made me rethink moments in my own life where I either held back or pushed too hard in the name of “being honest.” The book doesn’t pretend that truth is easy. It shows how it can crack things wide open, or quietly save us.
I would recommend Where Truth Lies Waiting to anyone who’s ever grieved deeply, loved fiercely, or struggled with what to say when words feel too small. It’s a quiet book, but it echoes long after you close the cover. If you’re the kind of reader who enjoys stories that make you feel something real, especially those that sit in the emotional in-between, this one’s for you. It reminded me that sometimes we find peace not in having all the answers, but in being brave enough to ask the questions.
Pages: 220 | ASIN : B0F7GRHNR6
LITERARY TITAN 