And I read other books, too! Some were good. Some were… not as good.
The Deadline
By Zach Ryan
Seth has returned home for his grandfather’s birthday for the first time in almost a decade. He’s come with a plan, though. At dinner he announces: He has poisoned the meal. Everyone here will die in one hour. He has the antidote, though, and will share it if the person who hurt him the most will confess their crime to the family. With sixty minutes of life left, who will confess? And who will live?
I wanted to try a new-to-me genre. I usually stay in science fiction and fantasy. I picked up this novel at a small press stand at a renaissance faire. And is the book any good? I honestly don’t know if I can answer that question, as I’m approaching it as a newcomer to the genre. I saw the twist coming a mile away, but that may be because I’m trope-blind in this particular book. I also wasn’t a fan of the format; every-other chapter was a flashback, showing how Seth’s family had tortured him for years. So for me, it wasn’t great. For you? Maybe you’d like it far better!
Six Gun Snow White
By Catherynne M. Valente
Born of a miner and a Crow woman, Snow White must survive in hiding when her mother dies and her father remarries. She finds herself running from her father, trusting her skills with a gun, and finding what she needs to survive in the brutal old west.
Catherynne Valente has a very distinct voice. When you read one of her books, you know you’ve read something unique. That’s very true here. That said, unique doesn’t always equal awesome. I wasn’t enamored by this story, and there was very little linking it to the Snow White tales I know. It ended up disappointing me, as I often enjoy Valente’s works.
Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2025
Edited by Robert Greenberger
Some stories demand attention. They’re filled with personality, action, and even romance. This collection of tales includes crime, occult, sword and sorcery, science fiction, and fantasy yarns. Dive in!
This is the fourth Thrilling Adventure Yarns collection, and I’ve backed every single one on Kickstarter. If you’re a pulp fan, this is a fantastic series. That said, this is the weakest of the four. Even with it being weaker than the other three, I still had a blast reading the collection. I love that it feels pulpy as an artifact, too. The stories are printed in two columns per page, and the publisher even included ads that feel pulpy!
Big Smoke Pulp Volume 1
Edited by Adriano Ariganello
Some stories thrill you. They grab you and refuse to let go. This collection of stories run a gamut of genres, but all are designed to keep you reading!
Look! Another Kickstarter project! This is a CHONK of a book, coming in at over 50 stories and 500 pages. Many of them are great, and I’d eagerly read more of those authors’ works. However, there are also some clunkers there, too. Overall this was well worth it, and I’ll be backing a volume 2 should it happen.
Reckless Range
By Johnston McCulley
Larry Brice has a thing for the ranch owner’s daughter, and she has a thing for me. Thing is, Brice has a temper. After he gets thrown out of the ranch, he decides to make a name for himself so he’s worthy of the girl’s love. He sets out to take down local bandits, joins them, runs off and joins another ranch, and faces even more complications before he can come home and hopefully rescue his love.
I picked this book up because it’s written by the same man who created Zorro, a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, this isn’t that great. The plot meanders, and the main character changes character so many times, I can’t help but feel that Johnston wasn’t paying attention to what he was writing. This one wasn’t worth my time, unfortunately.
Systema Paradoxa, Volume 14: Out for Blood
Accounted by Jorie Rao
Prudence thought they were fairy tales until one of them murdered her mother. Prue witnessed the attack. Mentally scarred, she sets out to make things right. Does she have any hope facing the werewolf Rougarou?
I grabbed this slim paperback at a thrift store, and I’m glad I did. Though the book is very short, it felt like a full adventure. I’m going to be keeping an eye out for the rest of this series. I really enjoyed it!
Spoiler Alert
By Olivia Dade
Marcus plays Aeneas on the biggest show on tv, but he hates it. Actually, he doesn’t hate it so much when the show stuck to the books, but now they’re past the content of the books published so far, and everything is going downhill. The only way he can deal with it is by writing fanfic trying to fix the problems the writers keep introducing to the show. But then he falls for another fanfic writer. How can he reveal who he really is? Meanwhile, April can’t reveal she writes fanfic. It could seriously damage her work persona. She longs to cosplay openly, though, if only she wasn’t so fat. But with the encouragement of a friend who also writes fanfic, can she gain confidence to be unapologetic?
I’ve only rarely read romance books. I am so not their target audience. However, the plot of this one grabbed me when I read the back of the book, so I thought I’d give it a try. This book was generally a blast. I really enjoyed both MCs. These were mature adults with real problems looking for romance. I never felt frustrated that they could fix things if only they would talk to each other. My only issue was that, for me, this book was pretty spicy. I’m not interested in reading that! For you, however, you might be interested!
Once Upon a Wardrobe
By Patti Callahan
Meg attends Oxford, exploring the great mysteries of physics. Her beloved little brother is dying, though. He finds hope in an odd little book: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He begs Meg to ask the author, who is a professor at Oxford, where Narnia came from. She forces herself to find the professor and ask. He invites her to tea. He’s willing to talk about so many things… but not about Narnia. Why won’t the professor give her a straight answer? And why is her brother just as delighted in the non-answers she brings him?
I loved the concept of this book, exploring the life of C. S. Lewis from a different angle. The prose is brilliantly written, and Meg is an easy character to love. Still, when I finished reading the book, I felt… hollow. Despite being all about Lewis and Narnia, perhaps his best-known work, there is nothing about Jesus and precious little about any religion at all. It feels like Callahan, the author, or perhaps her editors or publisher, wanted to ignore that part of Lewis’s life. I’m mystified why they would do that and still purport to be about Lewis.
The Triumph of Felix
By Taylen Carver
The world has changed. The old races are being reborn. Humans who catch the sickness, if they survive, become something older, like fae or dwarves or sirens. Dr. Michael Jones is the human specialist in old races and one of the few willing to work with them at the camp where many are taken. He must navigate political tensions and real suffering. And then a siren, angry at how humans are treating them, decides to strike back.
This is book two in the series Magorian & Jones. Like the first book, I love the concept, but I still don’t have a real good grasp of the characters. That said, the action is well paced, and I wasn’t bored at all. I’m planning to read book three.
The Sea at the End of Everything
By Emily McCosh
A man came from the sea. The sea wanted him back.
I can’t say a whole lot about the book, because it’s not about the plot or the characters even. It’s about the vibe. And if you look at that cover and you say, “I have to read this book,” you’re right. This book is for you. That cover communicates the vibe perfectly.
Once Upon a Rose
Once Upon an Apple
Tales of Cake and Comfort
Once Upon a Pumpkin
By Gabrielle Landi
Welcome to Galamere, a land of caring lords and ladies who honestly try to rule their people well and with kindness. In such a land, it’s possible to find love, but it might take a little bit of magic. Each of these short novels follow one couple in this nation as they battle curses, stepmothers, and kidnappers to find true love.
I backed these projects on Kickstarter, and I’m glad they did. They’re Hallmark romantasy stories. You won’t find anything overly surprising or suspenseful, but you’re in for a lovely time. If you want something nice and laid back and whimsical, I recommend these short books.
Alias the Whirlwind
By Johnston McCulley
In 1700’s California, a masked man rode the night on a black stallion, righting wrongs. He was the Whirlwind, hunted by the Spanish soldiers and beloved by the people! What no one suspects is that he is a simple servant at an inn, listening for clues for where to strike next. Beware evildoers! The Whirlwind rides!
Johnston McCulley also created Zorro, one of my favorite characters, and this feels like he was just tinkering with the basic ideas of Zorro. In fact, the first story in the collection could well be a Zorro story with the serial numbers filed off. Thankfully as the stories continue, the Whirlwind becomes more distinct. If you like Zorro, you’d probably enjoy this!
Jonathon Mast: Author 