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Of Love and Peace
Of Love & Peace is a heartfelt and fast-paced novella that continues the story from the Light Passers Chronicles series, weaving a powerful tale of friendship, spiritual strength, and hope amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Set primarily in Gaza and Jerusalem, the book follows young characters like Liyah, Esty, and Ahmad—teenagers from opposing sides of the conflict—who work together, sometimes mystically, to resist violence and spread compassion. Through shifting perspectives and emotional journeys, Campelia blends fantasy with the grim realities of war, anchored in a deep desire for healing and peace in one of the world’s most fraught regions.
Campelia doesn’t write from a distance—this feels lived-in and relatable. You can sense his pain, especially in the preface and author’s note. He lays bare his admiration for caregivers and his disdain for cruelty, threading these values through his young characters. The writing style is direct and intimate, sometimes lyrical, often urgent. The dialogue feels natural, even when it’s brushing up against heavy ideas like generational trauma, betrayal, and moral courage. There’s an aching truth in Liyah’s disillusionment and Esty’s fierce love for her friend Hanna, especially as both girls struggle to find light in the darkness. At times, the mystical elements—like the being Ooray—felt a bit out of place, but they also served as a poetic escape, a needed counterbalance to the brutal real-world setting.
There were moments when the pace raced ahead. Events can happen suddenly, characters jump into danger or revelations, and then the story resets. It gave the book an episodic feel, which occasionally pulled me out of the emotional core. Still, there’s something refreshingly honest about this book. It doesn’t pretend to have easy answers, and it never demonizes one side or another. Instead, Campelia calls out extremists, regardless of background, and invites readers to imagine a world where love and peace aren’t slogans but real, hard-won possibilities.
I would recommend Of Love & Peace to anyone who wants a story with heart, especially young adult readers or educators who are looking for literature that humanizes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If you’re drawn to novels that mix grit with grace, or if you believe that stories can be weapons for peace, this one’s for you. It won’t fix the world, but it might make you believe we still have a shot at something better.
Pages: 236 | ASIN : B0D84DKQ44
The Son of Poetry
The Son of Poetry is a contemporary coming-of-age novel wrapped in folklore and urban grit. At its core, it follows Louis Song, a high-achieving and emotionally frayed teenager navigating high school in Edinburgh while being unwittingly drawn into a mysterious, supernatural conflict. The story spirals out from a single unsettling encounter with a trio of schoolyard bullies and unfurls into something deeper and stranger—intertwining ancient Celtic myth, school rivalries, emotional trauma, and questions of identity, fate, and power. With alternating character perspectives and a keen focus on inner conflict, Gill weaves together the ordinary and the uncanny until they’re nearly inseparable.
I didn’t expect this book to affect me the way it did. It starts like a gritty YA drama with sharp edges and painful truths. Gill doesn’t flinch from the ugliness of teen angst, class tension, or casual cruelty. But then something slips into the cracks of the real world—an invisible force, a memory that doesn’t belong, a tug of fate—and that’s when I couldn’t look away. The prose can be raw and jagged. But it’s also lyrical in strange, surprising bursts. I found myself drawn to Louis not because he was brave or brilliant, but because he was painfully human. His quiet ache, his confusion, the moments he second-guesses himself all felt real. His voice, at times, hit me in the gut. And Collin Gannet is one of the most sharply drawn, unforgettable characters I’ve read in a long time.
That said, part of the book’s charm is how it doesn’t rush to explain everything. The pacing takes its time, often drifting into rich layers of lore and dreamy, metaphysical turns that feel more like an immersive experience than a straight path. Some of the fantasy elements are elusive. It adds mystery and atmosphere, inviting the reader to lean in and wonder. A few of the side characters appear just briefly, like passing spirits, and it left me curious and hungry for more. These unexpected textures gave the story a raw, unfiltered energy. It didn’t feel like a polished fairy tale—it felt alive, and brimming with pain, wonder, and a quiet kind of magic.
I’d recommend The Son of Poetry to readers who love literary fiction with a supernatural bent—people who can sit with mystery and don’t mind feeling a bit off-kilter. Fans of The Secret History, Skellig, or The Ocean at the End of the Lane will find something here to love. It’s a story that haunts, confuses, and occasionally sings, just like poetry should.
Pages: 526 | ASIN : B0DBV9XM4J
A Complex Mixture
Wishes and Choices: Mythral’s Wish follows the intertwined destinies of a powerful yet emotionally walled-off wizard, a teenage girl aching for purpose and adventure, and a dark wizard with revenge in his veins who live in three different realms. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Wishes and Choices evolved after years of reading the classic sci-fi authors, then the magical realism/fantasy writers, and finally stirring in personal values and interests. A very complex a mixture.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
Cat was fun to write. He did not begin as the narrator, but those who read the early versions wanted more of Cat. Perhaps we all wish we could be that snarky at times.
Visualizing and articulating the story’s events and emotions from the perspective of a teenage girl was challenging.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The primary theme is personal integrity and courage–being true to oneself. Learning to avoid the biases and distractions that keeps us from seeing clearly what is right and what is wrong is a critical lesson in life.
A secondary theme is solving problems or finding answers, in life and in theory, by creative processes.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out and what can your fans expect in the next story?
This is the first book in a series of three. Book two, MorKano’s Wish, should be released by the end of 2025. My hope is that each book will entertain, challenge and encourage the reader. There is always a surprising twist at the end. I’d like to know if anyone saw the twist coming. There are clues along the way.
Author Website
Wishes and Choices: Mythral’s Wish is filled with moral dilemmas and mental puzzles to engage and challenge the reader. The quest to alter Mythral’s foreseen death leads them to all three Realms. Within these Realms, the reader will encounter gryphons, dragons, wizards with unique talents, and even stranger dwellings, myths, and mysteries. As they confront dark magic and betrayal, they must face their own flaws. Surviving the final confrontation compels both of them to fundamentally alter themselves in unforeseen ways.
The reader will learn why using wands and hand gestures to do magic is only for beginners. The secrets and physics behind the Time-Space Continuum, déjà vu, and visions into the past and the future will be explained. Did I mention the sarcastic and smug Cat who narrates the story? Warning: Cat never lies, but he does like to toy with you readers.
Heightened: Project Evolve
Kevin E. Morris’s Heightened is a fast-paced, emotionally layered YA science fiction novel centered around Kai, a teen orphan struggling with trauma, mysterious memories, and unexplainable auditory visions. When Kai starts hearing events from miles away, he’s pulled into a world of genetically enhanced people known as the Heightened. The narrative follows his journey from the confines of Hope Street orphanage to a secret underground society, revealing long-buried truths about his family, abilities, and the sinister government agency that wants him dead. What starts as a quiet mystery spirals into a full-blown adventure involving betrayal, secret powers, found family, and the growing pains of discovering who you really are.
I genuinely enjoyed the writing. Morris has a gift for voice—Kai’s inner thoughts are sharp, sarcastic, and often painfully vulnerable. The bursts of humor are well-placed and don’t undercut the gravity of what’s happening. His dialogue is natural, making even the exposition-heavy moments feel conversational. Structurally, the pacing is solid. Short chapters keep the action moving, and the moments of quiet—Kai lying on the roof, dreaming of a different life—are haunting in their stillness. The world-building doesn’t try to do too much at once. Instead, it layers slowly, revealing only what Kai learns, which makes the reader feel like they’re discovering things right alongside him.
What hit me most was the emotional undercurrent of the story. This is a book about abandonment, but also about resilience. Kai’s grief, anger, confusion, and hope are all tangible. Some scenes, like his first realization that his nightmares are real, or the moment he discovers his parents were murdered and not just absent, genuinely made my chest tighten. At times, I wanted to shake Flint (his mysterious protector) for being too vague, too secretive, too late. But that’s the point—Morris doesn’t write flawless saviors or heroes. He writes about damaged people doing their best in a broken world. And that makes the story feel real, even when the powers get borderline supernatural.
Heightened is ideal for readers who crave emotional connection in their sci-fi, who don’t need nonstop battles to be hooked, and who love underdog protagonists with grit and heart. If you liked The Maze Runner or Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, you’ll probably fall for this one too. Teens and adults alike will find something to hold on to here.
Pages: 214 | ASIN : B0F27J2Z5J
Be Your True Self
The Alternate World follows a thoughtful and quietly bold teenager, as she transitions from junior high to a prestigious New England boarding school, who learns what it really means to follow your own path, even when it hurts.
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?
Definitely! Someone asked me how I knew about teenage problems, and I told them that I was a teenager. I have also provided literacy consulting for middle schools and high schools over the past few years to understand teenage problems in 2025. The main character, Eve, has similar characteristics and traits to me (both as a teenager and present day).
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Authenticity, uniqueness, being your true self, and knowing your true self were the important themes to explore in this book.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
Interestingly enough, we wrote this book as a stand alone title; however, it’s set up to be the first book of a series as well. I’ve heard from readers that they are interested to learn even more about Gina, the keeper of the alternate world. The other piece is the fact that anyone who is true to themselves at any age can be tapped into the alternate world for a variety of reasons, so you never know what could come next.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Websiter | Instagram
Every decision is ultimately determined based on two choices-one that comes from following your heart and one that comes from following your head. So, what prevents people from achieving their own hopes, dreams, and desires?
Eve Thompson enters a New England boarding school for high school where she and her classmates are presented with an array of everyday life choices and decisions faced by teens. Will each student take the most common route or the road less traveled? There is no right or wrong answer, but only one choice leads to the path that represents your true self.
What if a world existed where people could be their authentic selves without judgement-where life choices are entirely up to you and what’s best for you. What are you going to choose to do? Welcome to The Alternate World.
Kalani: Mists of Despair
Kalani: Mists of Despair is the second book in Jolene Fine’s Fostering Worlds series, and it picks up right where Shadows of Destiny left off. This time, the stakes are higher. The setting? The terrifying and eerie Mists of Despair—a bleak, supernatural realm that challenges every ounce of faith, hope, and courage in its characters. The story follows Desiree and Zach as they plunge headfirst into this cursed land, guided by a mission to rescue their loved ones and, in Zach’s case, to redeem himself. Alongside them are companions—new and old—who are tested by darkness, literal and spiritual, at every turn. It’s an emotional gauntlet through grief, loyalty, and destiny, steeped in poetic writing and mythic world-building.
This book grabbed me harder than the first. It’s darker, sadder, messier—and that’s a good thing. Jolene Fine doesn’t just raise the stakes; she drowns you in them. Desiree’s transformation is so raw, so tangled in grief and courage, that I felt every emotional throb right alongside her. And Zach? He’s still chasing Gretchen, but it’s not just about love anymore, it’s about proving he’s more than a reckless teen with a cause. His struggle with faith in the middle of soul-swallowing despair resonated with me. I’ve read a lot of “chosen one” stories, but there’s something unique about the way Fine lets her characters flail, fail, and still push forward, bruised but not broken. It made me root for them even more.
The language is lush. There were moments I had to slow down and reread to make sure I caught what was actually happening beneath all the ornate phrasing. And the philosophical and theological undercurrents are deep. If you’re looking for light, fast fantasy, this isn’t that. But honestly, I didn’t mind. The weight of the words matches the weight of the story. It’s thoughtful, patient, and unafraid to linger in its own sorrow.
Mists of Despair is a hard-hitting sequel. It’s for readers who like their fantasy with a spiritual backbone and their characters with real, jagged edges. If you love stories about chosen families, quiet acts of bravery, and finding light when everything screams darkness, this one’s for you.
Pages: 332 | ASIN : B0CVH1CC8S
Chasing Moonflowers
Pauline Chow’s Chasing Moonflowers is a vivid and haunting novel that weaves together historical fiction, supernatural horror, and coming-of-age themes. Set in 1920s colonial Hong Kong, the story follows Ling, a young woman caught between her family’s traditions and the turbulent sociopolitical currents of the time. As Ling uncovers strange disappearances tied to mythic horrors and colonial oppression, her journey through the Kowloon Walled City and the surrounding marshlands becomes a fight for truth, identity, and survival. The story is steeped in Chinese folklore, political tension, and eerie mystery, creating a rich and unsettling atmosphere.
From the first few pages, I was hooked. The prose is crisp, full of sensory detail, and never afraid to get gritty. Chow doesn’t just describe Hong Kong, she drags you into its alleys, lets you feel the damp walls of Kowloon, and hear the eerie lullabies whispered to children. I felt a real emotional attachment to Ling, a clever and fiercely curious young woman who manages to be brave even while terrified. Her relationship with her family, especially her younger brothers, grounded the novel in a warmth that balanced the story’s darker turns. And make no mistake, the horror elements here are chilling. The supernatural is strange, grotesque, and soaked in myth. Think Lovecraft meets The Monkey King.
Some chapters fly by in a haze of thrilling discoveries and shocking twists, while others linger long on introspection or minor characters’ subplots. That said, I appreciated how Chow dared to explore trauma without giving neat resolutions. Her portrayal of colonialism’s reach, how it deforms not just cities, but psyches, is brutal and honest. There’s a weight to this story that sticks with you.
Chasing Moonflowers is a powerful story that blends historical fiction and horror in a way that feels timeless. If you’re someone who enjoys complex female leads, folklore-laced thrillers, or tales of rebellion against monstrous systems—literal and figurative—this book’s for you. It shook me, entertained me, and made me think.
Pages: 298 | ASIN : B0F1G51FWX
The Alternate World
The Alternate World is a coming-of-age story that follows Eve, a thoughtful and quietly bold teenager, as she transitions from junior high to a prestigious New England boarding school. What begins as a classic high school journey soon spirals into something much more surreal: Eve is recruited into a mystical realm called the “alternate world,” a place reserved for people who have stayed true to themselves despite societal pressures. Through friendships, first love, personal boundaries, and identity, the book delves into what it really means to follow your own path, even when it hurts.
I didn’t expect this book to get under my skin the way it did. The writing is deceptively simple. It reads like a diary, a direct, honest voice that made me feel like I was sitting across from Eve at a coffee shop, hearing everything firsthand. The author nails the teen voice without making it whiny or dramatic. The opening chapter that describes the ninth-grade dance was spot on. The little details, like the boutonnieres, the whispered gossip, and that tense moment when Rachel ends up ditching the afterparty plan to hang out with the wrong guy, those parts felt painfully real. Starke has a gift for showing how a single night can change everything for a teenager.
When Eve meets Gina, a mysterious woman in a pastel pink dress who basically ushers her into a parallel life, it hit me hard. There’s something powerful about being seen and celebrated not for what you’ve achieved, but for the quiet moments when you choose yourself. The scene where Eve tells her boyfriend Matt she’s not ready to sleep with him, and then gets initiated into this hidden society for staying true to her boundaries, gave me goosebumps. It’s not a preachy moment. Instead, it’s empowering. This book doesn’t shame teenage choices, but it celebrates agency in a way that feels fresh and affirming.
One of the things I found interesting was how the story kept a quick pace, even with significant events like Jennifer’s unexpected pregnancy. The plot didn’t linger too long, which gave the book a snappy, forward-moving rhythm that kept me turning pages. Even in the more dramatic moments, the focus stayed on Eve’s journey and growth, which I really liked. And while some conversations, especially between Matt and the girls, had a slightly polished feel, they still helped move the story along and kept the tone consistent with the book’s style. That said, the central friend group, Erin, Ellie, Maggie, and Annie, was portrayed with a striking sense of realism. Their dynamic captured the emotional complexity of adolescence, complete with the bittersweet drift that often accompanies growing up. The winter break dinner scene especially stood out; beneath the laughter and familiar exchanges, there was an unmistakable undercurrent of change.
By the end, I didn’t want to leave either of Eve’s worlds. I wanted more of Gina, more of the portraits in the mansion, more glimpses of what’s possible when we live our purpose. If you’re someone who’s ever felt torn between who you are and who people want you to be, The Alternate World is for you. Teen readers will relate. Adults will remember. And anyone who’s ever made a hard choice and wondered if it was worth it, this story gently says, yes. Yes, it is.
Pages: 240 | ASIN : B0DL8D41ZS
LITERARY TITAN 