Category: Fiction Page 4 of 348

The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Urban Fantasy

On July 23, 2026

In Books, Fiction, Miscellany, News/Misc., Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, Urban Fantasy

(updated 7/23/26

From the first moment that people did the strange thing of asking me to talk about their books on my blog, I’ve been impressed by the quality of a lot of what’s been published by authors going out on their own, taking all the risks, shouldering all the responsibility, and doing all the work to get their words, their dreams, their blood, sweat, and tears on to the page (paper or electronic). This should be celebrated—it’s definitely appreciated, as we’re trying to show this week.

As part of this week-long celebration, I’m continuing my habit of highlighting the self-published works that I’ve blogged about over the last few years (or meant to blog about, but at least read)—just a sentence or two. Hopefully, this’ll be enough to make you click on the link to the full post. Beyond that, it’d be great if I inspired you to add a few of these to your TBR. Also, be sure you check out the other posts over at the SPAAW Hub.

Today I’m focusing on Self-Published Urban Fantasy. Magic-users of various stripes, creatures that’ll push your imagination, and more dragons than show up on my Self-Published Fantasy list, believe it or not. There’s a lot to dig into here.

bullet Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron—A nice-guy dragon learns how to get by in a dragon-eat-dragon world with the help of a human mage on the lamb from the mob. (my post about it)
bullet Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Episodes 1-6 by Kate Baray—a fixer for the paranormal community and debunker of paranormal frauds takes on an assistant, just in time for some real hairy cases (apparently I haven’t written about this one yet)
bullet Justice Calling by Annie Bellet—a magic user on the run, living among a bunch of shape-shifters, is accused of killing some. She works to clear her name, save her friends, and stay off the radar of those hunting for her. (my post about it)
bullet Vale Investigations by Cristelle Comby—a P.I. who is the emissary of Hades’ daughter on Earth investigates mysterious deaths and other happenings.
bullet Hostile Takeover (my post about it)
bullet Evil Embers
bullet Bad Little Girls Die Horrible Deaths and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy by Harry Connolly—a collection of short stories that I still think about. (my post about it)
bullet Twenty Palaces by Harry Connolly—I loved this UF series, but sadly was one of the few who read it. After the publisher declined to keep going with it Connolly has published a prequel and a sequel—with more on the way.
bullet Twenty Palaces—the prequel to the whole thing (my post about it)
bullet The Twisted Path (my post about it)
bullet The Iron Gate—catches up with our heroes and throws them into a life-changing situation (even for people in their…circumstances), a great way to resume the series. (my post about it)
bullet Ella Grey Series by Jayne Faith. A minor demon hunter in a slightly-futuristic Boise finds herself tangling with some major powers.
bullet Stone Cold Magic (my post about it)
bullet Dark Harvest Magic (my post about it)
bullet Demon Born Magic (my post about it)
bullet Blood Storm Magic (my post about it)
bullet Soul Fraud by Andrew Givler—stories about someone selling their soul to a demon are as old as fiction, but a demon forging a signature? Well, that’s a little different. Our victim teams up with some supernatural heavy hitters to fix the situation–while extraordinarily great things are happening to him otherwise. (my post about it)
bullet Bloodlines by Peter Hartog—an Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction/Detective mashup in a world that looks not dissimilar from Scott’s Blade Runner, powered by magic, and that has pan-dimensional aliens walking around. (my post about it)
bullet Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog—the sequel to Bloodlines and continues to expand our understanding of this world while delivering a great story. (my post about it)
bullet Fred, The Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes. The misadventures of a vampire accountant and his increasingly diverse and lethal band of friends trying to make their way in the world.
bullet The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (my post about it)
bullet Undeath & Taxes (my post about it)
bullet Bloody Acquisitions (my post about it)
bullet The Fangs of Freelance (my post about it)
bullet Deadly Assessments (my post about it)
bullet Undeading Bells (my post about it)
bullet Out of House and Home (my post about it)
bullet Posthumous Education (my post about it)
bullet All Accounts Settled (my post about it)
bullet Terra Chronicles by JC Jackson. Another SF/Urban Fantasy mix (I didn’t realize how many of these I read until I did this post) about the adventures of an Elven arcanist and her paladin partner working for a Law Enforcement agency.
bullet Twisted Magics (my post about it)
bullet Shattered Illusions (my post about it)
bullet Twice Cursed (my post about it)
bullet Conjured Defense (my post about it)
bullet Mortgaged Mortality (my post about it)
bullet Divine and Conquer (my post about it)
bullet Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley—a candy maker discovers she’s a witch when she’s arrested of murder by magic. Fun ensues. (my post about it)
These next three series are hard to talk about, they’re sort of one series, sort of separate (actually, there are four threads, but I haven’t gotten to the last one yet)…
bullet The Guild Codex: Demonized by Annette Marie. A woman with plenty of theoretical and no practical magical knowledge finds herself bound to a rare and very powerful demon.
bullet Taming Demons for Beginners (my post about it)
bullet Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (my post about it)
bullet Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (my post about it)
bullet The Guild Codex: Spellbound by Annette Marie. A bartender with an anger-management (and therefore staying employed) problem finds herself working for a Mage Guild.
bullet Three Mages and a Margarita (my post about it)
bullet Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (my post about it)
bullet Two Witches and a Whiskey (my post about it)
bullet Demon Magic and a Martini (my post about it)
bullet The Alchemist and an Amaretto (my post about it)
bullet Druid Vices and a Vodka (my post about it)
bullet Lost Talismans and a Tequila
bullet The Guild Codex: Warped by Annette Marie, Rob Jacobsen. A former two-bit criminal gets pulled into helping the MPD police magic users.
bullet Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (my post about it)
bullet Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections (my post about it)
bullet Pure of Heart by Danielle Parker—a sole werewolf and her family try to keep her secret under wraps and keep her wolf side from hurting anyone in this small Colorado town. (my post about it)
bullet Electric City Switches by M.D. Presley—the third Inner Circle novel throws more new concepts at the reader–and they’re all great. We get some good backstory and some better action and magic on display. (my post about it)
bullet Rites of Passage by M.D. Presley—An atypical magic system fuels this intricate UF series debut (my post about it)
bullet Ghost Stations by M.D. Presley—Corbin finds himself in NYC and spending time with a group of rich teens (as magic as he is) who go hunting for makers of a new drug wreaking havoc on the magic subculture. (my post about it)
bullet Time-Marked Warlock by Shami Stovall—a PI/Warlock is pulled out of retirement by a twelve-year-old who needs her mother’s killer and father’s kidnapper brought to justice. Adair Finch’s abilities include the power to reset time up to 24 hours previously–and he’s going to need to make several attempts at almost every interaction he has while on the hunt just to stay alive. (my post about it)
bullet Chronos Warlock by Shami Stovall—Finch is back, forced to work for an old client to find a missing woman and to solve the murder of a social media star.(my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet Ree Reyes series by Michael R. Underwood. Ree’s a barista and comic shop worker with ambitions of becoming a screenwriter. She inadvertently finds herself in a world of magic powered by Geekomancy “A style of magic where your love of pop culture becomes the source for amazing abilities – from bringing props to life to borrowing amazing skills from your favorite movies.” These were originally published by others, but Underwood has the rights back and is putting them out in new editions.
bullet Geekomancy (This came out before the blog, so check out my Goodreads review)
bullet Celebromancy (This came out before the blog, and I apparently didn’t write anything about it)
bullet Attack the Geek (my post about it)
bullet Hexomancy (my post about it)
bullet The Nameless Restaurant by Tao Wong—an unspeakably good restaurant (with lousy service) that caters to the supernatural set. The descriptions of the food will make you wish you lived in a UF world more than anything else on this list will. (my post about it)
bullet Arcane Casebook series by Dan Willis—This series is set in the 1930s about a P.I. who practices rune magic. Think Depression-era Harry Dresden mixed with Al MacBharrais.
bullet In Plain Sight (my post about it)
bullet Ghost of a Chance (my post about it)

If you're a self-published author that I've featured on this blog and I didn't mention you in this post and should have. I'm sorry (unless you're this guy). Please drop me a line, and I'll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.
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The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

A Murder Most Fungal by Adrian M. Gibson: Survival Does Not Equate to Freedom

By HCNewton

On July 23, 2026

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Science Fiction, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

A Murder Most Fungal

by Adrian M. Gibson

DETAILS:
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Format: e-Book
Length: 232 pg.
Read Date: July 6-8, 2026

…for all the damage the Coprinian humans have done to his homeland of Hōppon, they have introduced the fungal peoples to marvels of their colonial culture: Orchestras and operas, films and theater, new genres of music and literature.

What’s A Murder Most Fungal About?

Following the events of Mushroom Blues, the occupation forces have really clamped down on the Hōpponese (aka fungals). Life seems truly miserable for most of them.

But some of them get some perks, a life that’s slightly less oppressive. For example, the chef and his kitchen team who prepare the food for the Military Governor, Duncan MacArthur. MacArthur is of the opinion that to understand his enemy (and that classification tells you a lot about his attitude towards the fungals), he must understand their culture—and the easiest way to do that is by eating their food. So day after day, Pocho Jiro and his small staff prepare the best meals possible for MacArthur and his staff and commanders—and his personal taster (because you can’t trust these people). It should be noted that MacArthur is the only one who tries to enjoy the food, the rest of the humans spend their mealtimes complaining about the food and insulting the cooks (when they’re not ignoring them)—although one new officer arrives who might share MacArthur’s interest partway through the book..

Then one of the many resistance groups threatens the life of Pocho’s only remaining family. Get this intelligence for us and we’ll let her live. And then they come back with another task—kill MacArthur.

The Food

There is harmony in these component parts, in the commingling of delicious flavors that he knows MacArthur and his guests will soon experience. If only things in a kitchen were that easy… Food never holds grudges, nor does it talk back. Food does not disrupt the flow of the song, and instead makes its rhythms possible.

Okay, I don’t have an adventurous palate—there is no way that I’d eat 98% of the dishes described in this book, I know that. But I tell you what—when I read the descriptions of the food that Pocho and his team prepare, the care they put into it, and the way that Gibson and/or Pocho describe it? I wish I could give it a taste, or even just smell and see the meals.

Even better is the way the book depicts the preparation of the food, what it means to the people working in the kitchen to do so, or even just the procurement of the ingredients. It’s just magic. It’s why people watch cooking shows—yeah, I have no idea what the things on Iron Chef or Alex Versus America or whatever taste like—but I love watching them prepare the food. This is like that, but better (if only because the chefs have had time to think about the courses and prepare them without a ridiculous time restriction).

Really, Gibson could abandon the whole Hofmann Report report to just write about fictional chefs (or maybe the occasional passionate fry cook) and I’d be in for it. Sure, Tandri or Viv can brew a heckuva cup of coffee—but Pocho’s fungalfin dishes are works of art.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

If we keep it to humans strictly—the book tells us nothing good. But there is some hope for the species if we treat the fungals Hōpponese as representatives of humanity (as the book wants us to believe).
The humans in the book are utterly despicable—and there are maybe two with a trace of decency (and one of them you have to wait for almost the entire book to encounter). They are hateful toward the Hōpponese, speak of them as animals in their presence (while barely acknowledging that presence), and harass them (at best) constantly.

Now, the Hōpponese, on the other hand. They resent their chains, resent the occupiers, and do what they can to survive under the occupation. Some try to do more than survive—but it has to be done in secret, worried about exposure. We get glimpses of their rich culture from before the occupation—which just makes the current state all the worse.

Then there are the those fomenting rebellion, and well, they’re basically what you think.

If nothing else—we get the idea that those who see people as people who treat them with respect and decency (even if they find themselves on opposing sides of a war/occupation), and those who don’t…well, they’re inhuman at best.

So, what did I think about A Murder Most Fungal ?

the restaurant industry is one that drowns in vices and addictions. Alcohol, drugs, sex, long hours, infidelity; Pocho has seen it all, done it all. But the worst offender is obsession. The addiction to pouring everything you have into an idea, a dream, a project, a craft. Pocho’s experience has taught him that his addiction to cooking has given him everything he ever wanted— success, recognition— but left little room for anything else. Friendships. Family. Love.

As good as I thought Mushroom Blues was, this is better—didn’t Gibson get the memo that second novels are supposed to be a drop in quality? Pocho is just a brilliantly conceived character, and his friendship with/mentorship of Mori is fantastic. I really wish that the circumstances of the novel let us see more of that before we had to get to the nastier stuff. But Gibson gives us enough of a taste of it that we can imagine the preceding years for their friendship—and the rest of the found family. Which makes it worse when things come to disrupt it.

I don’t think I have a criticism of this book—just glowing compliment after glowing compliment. The closest I can come is that I wanted more of everything that wasn’t the plot. More of the street market and Pocho shopping for food, more time in the kitchen with his staff—just them interacting with him and each other. The day to day stuff.

Maybe a little bit with the one officer who seemed to truly want to understand and appreciate the Hōpponese culture and language—let us see him get through to Pocho and start to form some kind of understanding. That’d have raised the stakes for the end game, too.

But that’s just me wishing for more frosting on an already wonderful cake. (and here is where we all understand my struggles keeping my A1C in check).

This is a great SF novel (I think that’s where to categorize these Fungalverse books). It’s a gripping thriller. It’s a fantastic character study of a man with great passions stuck in horrible circumstances. It’s really something you need to read.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Eternal Blades by Vlad V. Imakaev: A Tale of Wielders and Watchers

By HCNewton

On July 22, 2026

In Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, YA/MG/Children's Books

Eternal Blades

by Vlad V. Imakaev

DETAILS:
Series: Maks Kolba, #1
Publication Date: October 5, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 252 pg.
Read Date: June 20-22, 2026

What’s Eternal Blades About?

In the middle of a nasty snowstorm, Maks Kolba tries to drive home from work and comes across dragon and a winged warrior of some sorts in the middle of an epic combat. He can’t believe his eyes, but he also has to get out and see what’s happening. He perhaps got a little too close—but no matter.

He wakes up the next day in his room—completely unscathed, but with a voice in his head. He’s apparently replaced the winged warrior in their multi-dimensional war against that dragon and its ilk.

Poor Maks now has to get used to this seemingly-permament voice in his head (think Roen and Tao) as he tries to understand his new abilities and powers, learns to combat his foes, successfully get the police to stop asking questions about that night in the storm, and to try to figure out what he’s going to do after he graduates from high school.

Senior years are just never easy…

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I met Imakaev at the Nampa Library’s Book Fair and not only was it a fun chat, his book seemed like it’d be plenty of fun.

I kept with it because it was a fast and engaging read—it didn’t take itself too seriously and had some fun with things—but it still treated the stakes as important. It was just an entertaining read.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

One of the things I appreciated most was the way a bunch of people got together to address a looming calamity. These people had little in common (some were open antagonistic toward each other), not all of them believed in the supernatural forces before their eyes—or that there was anything good that possibly could come from them. But a threat was there, and obvious, and they were able to set all of that aside to work for a common goal, and form some sort of bond over it. Bonds that might be tested—probably will be—and some may not stand up to the pressure. But still—a common goal was faced.

It’s easy to focus on division right now. It’s nice to see an example of the alternative—and a nice reminder that humans frequently act that way.

So, what did I think about Eternal Blades?

This was fun! A solid action-adventure for younger YA readers* with some cool supernatural aspects.

It’s easy to like these characters—even those who are a bit prickly. The supernatural system is pretty cool. The action scenes are well excuted and will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. It took me very little time to decide that I could’ve read this in one sitting if I just had the time.

It feels like I should have a lot more to say, but…I really don’t. It’s a great intro to this universe, we get just enough of the supernatural world to entice and satisfy for the purposes of this book and to still have questions, and, welllll…basically, I want more of these, and I want them soon.

* Or readers who don’t get hung up on that kind of thing.

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

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The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

Cover Reveal: The Wolf in the Lantern by Iseult Murphy

By HCNewton

On July 22, 2026

In Fiction, Science Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome the Cover Reveal for Iseult Murphy’s The Wolf in the Lantern to The Irresponsible Reader today. Murphy was nice enough to schedule this reveal during Self Published Authors Appreciation Week, so I’m able to stay on-brand 🙂

Before we see the cover, let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all take a peak at the cover.

About the Book:

Quick Stats / Facts

- Title: The Wolf in the Lantern
- Author: Nicholas W Fuller
- Cover Design: Fabled Beast Designs
- Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
- Length: 90k words

Blurb

A buried past, a dangerous future, a fiery destiny.

Orphaned at a young age, Simone has never felt she belonged to the Champion class of her parents, despite her ability to work fire that far surpasses her peers. When Simone’s best friend is killed by fearsome beasts, Pyra, a magical flame wolf, visits Simone with a request. The flame wall that protects the town of Ember is failing, and the Dimmers – terrifying creatures that dwell in the wasteland beyond the fires – are breaking through. Only by finding and reuniting the three keys to Pyra’s power will the flame wall be strong enough to once again protect Ember and its inhabitants.

To aid Simone on her hunt, Pyra nudges her towards the reclusive Champion, Fisher, with his knowledge of a forgotten past, as well as Robin, the daughter of the Champion of Champions, who has fallen into a dark world of artisans and freemen in her desire for revenge.

As the three unearth the secrets hidden in the heart of Ember, enemies gather around them. Their search brings them closer to those who want the flame wall to fail, threatening the lives of Fisher and Robin, and forcing Simone to confront her destiny.

An exciting new epic fantasy from the author of The Mountains of Sorrow and Snowmane.

Goodreads ~ ARC Sign Up Link

About the Author

Iseult Murphy is an Irish multi-genre author. Her writing combines dark themes with a dose of humor to entertain and bring a new perspective on the complexities of life. She loves to explore how the most dangerous monsters wear the most pleasing masks. Her experience with chronic illness and mental health issues inspires her stories. She is the author of 7 Days in Hell, which was a finalist in the IAN Book of the Year Awards. She has published eleven books, and her short fiction has appeared in over forty publications, including Your Flight Has Been Cancelled from Little Ghost Press, and Aurealis. Find out more about her and her writing at https://iseultmurphy.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/iseultmurphy.

Website ~ Ko-Fi ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~ Bluesky

Map of Ember

Click that map if you want a better look at the work of Adam Bassett, the illustrator. He can be found at his Website and Bluesky.

Character Art of Simone and Pyra

Character Art of Simone and Pyra
Illustrated by R. Blaylock, who can be found at Website and Bluesky.

and now…

The Cover

cover for The Wolf in the Lantern by Iseult Murphy

Kudos to Cover Designer Fabled Beast Designs, who can be found at their Website, Bluesky, and Twitter.

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The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Steampunk

By HCNewton

On July 21, 2026

In Books, Fiction, Miscellany, News/Misc., Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, Steampunk

(updated 7/21/26)

Today I’m focusing on Self-Published Steampunk. Sadly, this list is the same as last year’s. It’s still so small that it hardly seems to justify a separate list. But I kept these on their own so they wouldn’t get lost in the SF mix. Consider this an open invitation for people to fill up my comment section with recommendations so I can post a longer version of this list next time I run this.

bullet The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris—set in the same world as their Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, this puts the adventurous group of homeless kids the Ministry uses in a private school to find an Egyptian artifact. I still need to write my post on it, but it’s worth your time.
bullet Bartleby and James: Edwardian Steampunk Chronicle by Michael Coorlim—these short stories are a nice little dose of Steampunk with a thin coating of Victorian P.I. Light fun. (my post about it)
bullet Bodacious Creed: A Steampunk Zombie Western by Jonathan Fesmire—the reanimated corpse of one of the most-feared lawmen in the West roots out a criminal organization set to rule California. (my post about it)
bullet Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake by Jonathan Fesmire—Creed heads to SF and tangles with a human trafficking ring. (my post about it)
bullet Bodacious Creed and the San Francisco Syndicate by Jonathan Fesmire—Creed has settled into San Francisco and is on the hunt for an outlaw who uses machines to alter the bodies and minds of his victims. I haven’t read this yet, but I can’t pass up the chance to talk about it. Really looking forward to diving in.
bullet Aether Powered by James T. Lambert—A UW Engineering student inherits a trunkful of steampunk goodies from a distant relative. Action ensues. (my post about it)
bullet Steam Opera by James T. Lambert—An imaginative engineer/inventor and a gutsy investor attempt to land on the moon pre-1900. (my post about it)
bullet The Silk Empress by Josef Matulich—a brilliant and reckless British orphan finds himself on an airship on the Silk Road (well, technically, above it). It’s a rollicking adventure. (my post about it)
bullet The Golden Spider by Anne Renwick—a steamy Kraken-filled Steampunk story, lots of good action, and great inter-personal moments. (my post about it)

If you're a self-published author that I've featured on this blog and I didn't mention you in this post and should have. I'm sorry (unless you're this guy). Please drop me a line, and I'll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

Manitou by Glen Gabel: It Went Badly

By HCNewton

On July 21, 2026

In Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

Manitou

by Glen Gabel

DETAILS:
Publication Date: March 21, 2026
Format: Paperback
Length: 367 pg.
Read Date: June 23-25, 2026

Roy glanced at Tahney. He looked feeble in the firelight, but his eyes were sharp and knowing, flashing a final warning that gave Roy pause. Even with every assurance and every answer in place, an icy dread still pricked at him. As they slowly pulled away from the cabin in Jess’s jeep, he could hear Tahney’s final warning linger in his mind.

“It will go badly.”

What’s Manitou About?

A (mostly) functional alcoholic forest ranger interrupts his attempt at ending his life to go to the site of a small plane crash in the forest. What he finds when he gets to the crash site is a pile of cocaine and a severed arm from the pilot. It’s never easy to see a human like that—but something strikes Roy Farmer as odd about the scene.

It doesn’t matter, the local sheriff chases him off so he and his people can take care of things until the DEA shows up. Roy can’t let it go, though, he believes the sheriff is corrupt and that the drugs may not end up with the DEA. So he starts to do some unofficial digging by talking to a local drug dealer.

It turns out that there’s a local motorcycle club that seems to be trying to expand its business and take on partners from south of the border. But there’s another source for narcotics in the small mountain town, too.

And then more people start dying deaths as grizzly as the pilot did (if not more so). It almost seems impossible for a human to do what the killer is doing—but the only other option isn’t one that Roy Farmer is prepared to believe possible.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I picked this up because I keep running into Gabel at local events and he seems like a good guy—one that I want to read. And he’s been talking about working on this since we first met, so when it was in front of me finally, I had to try it.

I kept at it because it moved fast and I couldn’t stop asking “what’s next?” Either one of those is generally enough to keep me invested—you add both together—along with a subtle garnishing of “is Character X going to make it?”—and of course I’m staying with it.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

I’m not sure it has a lot to say about humanity or the human condition, really. The book isn’t quite focused on that sort of thing.

But there is a strain of—where did it go wrong? (well, with a couple of the characters that’s not the question, they’re very aware). This marriage, that career, this lifestyle, this dream…something happened that turned it from something good, positive, successful into a struggle to keep going. Into crime, addiction, corruption, or something worse.

Something similar could be said of the small town that this all takes place in. Once it was a thriving—or at least healthy—community where people could raise kids, see them start their adult lives, maybe start families of their own—and so on. Now, it’s a place that kids want to leave when they can. It’s a place that adults want to leave if they could. Or just to wait until their eventual death, stuck in one place because of inertia or loss of hope.

I’m not going to say that anyone comes out of this book whole and ready. I’m not going to say that anyone comes out of this book at all. But somewhere along the line some of these characters realize that they need to make a change, they might even have a glimmer of an idea how to fill that hole in their lives that was created when things started to go wrong.

So, what did I think about Manitou?

This one is a little out of my genre-preferences. It’s near the border of Fantasy and Horror. I think maybe half a foot crosses the border into Horror (maybe more). But it also feels like something that someone trying to C.J. Box would come up with. Actually, replacing the Manitou with a drug-crazed serial killer (or cult of them) would make it look like someone trying to do Joe Pickett, but edgy.*

I joked in a WWW post that there were too many characters in the book, but given the mortality rate, I expected it to get to a manageable level soon. It’s actually not much of a joke—that’s a pretty good way to think of the book. It was too, too crowded with promising characters that would be killed shortly (or several chapters) after their introduction. Some took me completely by surprise when and how it happened. But most were clearly coming from miles away—that didn’t make them less horrific, it just made it easier to take.

I will note that there is one death that I think I understand the reasoning behind, but I will be chastising Gabel about next time I see him.

If the criminal activities in the book were more of a focus, I think I’d have a quibble or two about the depiction of it—it seems a little too easy and obvious. But given the role of them is just to propel certain characters along—and to provide a red herring (for the characters, not the readers) into what’s going on. I’m going to hold my fire on them. Again, if you take out the Manitou, there’s a decent crime novel here after a couple of editing passes.

From the beginning, Gabel focuses on two characters—and it’s pretty obvious that he’s doing so. They’re clearly the protagonists and are going to survive the novel—or at least up to the climactic scene so that you’ll be extra outraged when they meet a violent end. I’m not going to say which way(s) that Gabel goes with them in the end. But keep your eyes on them, everything that Gabel wants to say is there.

Well, at least everything he wants to say about people is there. The overall message of the book—be careful who you don’t give several pounds of cocaine to—comes through without them. And really, who doesn’t need to hear that? Yes, it’s stupid to feed a deer; it’s dangerous to feed a bear—but it’s asking for wanton destruction when you give coke to an unknown.

I’ve gotten off the path here—this is a solidly entertaining novel. The story moves quickly, the action is fierce, and the twists are enough to keep you near the edge of your seat.

* Actually, I think the book might belong in Horror if only because it violates a “rule” that I’ve heard even hard-core noir and/or serial killer novelists won’t touch.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

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The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published “General” Fiction

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2026

In Books, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Miscellany, News/Misc., Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

(updated 7/20/26)

Today I’m focusing on General Fiction (for lack of a better term)—there’s some Lad Lit, a dash of historical fiction, some humor, a couple of things I don’t know how to categorize beyond “Fiction”, and a bit more. Hopefully, you can find something that tickles your fancy.

bullet Dispatches from a Tourist Trap by James Bailey—Jason (see below) and his mother move from Seattle to a small town in the middle of Washington to stay with her parents as she establishes a life away from her husband. Hilarity and conflict ensue. (my post about it)
bullet The First World Problems of Jason Van Otterloo by James Bailey—an epistolary novel (through emails) from a 13-year-old whose life is turned upside down in 2003 Seattle. A lot of heart and a few laughs. (my post about it)
bullet This Is Who We Are Now by James Bailey—he doesn’t just write YA, Bailey attacks coming-of-Middle-Age, too. This not-so-young man, deals with changes to his parents’ lives, his younger siblings’ successes (and struggles) and coming to grips that his life may not end up just the way he wanted it to.
bullet The Glamshack by Paul W. Cohen—A lifestyle reporter’s obsessive love for a woman and the havoc it wreaks on his life. (my post about it)
bullet Ways And Truths And Lives by Matt Edwards—this is tough to summarize in a sentence, but let me try, because this is more about the internal life. James Dall is a struggling writer and reporter, who is still trying to figure out what he thinks about life, love and meaning. This is about him on the verge of making a big move for his life and career, and those things that move him to it.
bullet The Chronicles of Iona: Exile by Paula de Fougerolles—The first novel in a series about the founding of Iona. Some historical fiction with a hint of Fantasy. (my post about it)
bullet Love Stories by Robert Germaux—based on actual events, the story of a love that might have been, and one that is. (my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet Not Awkward by Matthew Hanover—a young man attends the funeral of his ex’s father and gets roped into staying during shiva in the days leading to his wedding. Nah, not awkward at all. (my post about it)
bullet Not Dressed by Matthew Hanover—Hanover’s (seemingly) effortless charm makes this “romantic comedy of how love goes wrong—and right—when you’re a twenty-something still figuring out how to adult” a real winner. (my post about it)
bullet Not Famous by Matthew Hanover—Hanover’s first novel is about a guy who falls for a socially awkward musician. It will steal your heart. (my post about it)
bullet Not Prepared by Matthew Hanover—a bachelor takes in his eleven-year-old-goddaughter when her mother skips town, and maybe finds love, too. Great stuff. (my post about it)
bullet The Flight of the Pickerings by John Grayson Heide—a heart-warming story about an older couple dealing with dementia and the end of their life together get their world turned upside down when their rebellious teenage grandson comes to live with them. (my post about it)
bullet Didn’t Get Frazzled by David Z. Hirsch, MD—a bildungsroman following a 20-something through his 4 years of medical school: from Gross Anatomy to the verge of residency. (my post about it)
bullet Love and Other Monsters in the Dark by K. B. Jensen—I could probably put this on most of my Self-Published Fiction lists, so I’ll limit it to this one. It’s sort of the same genre as The Twilight Zone—SF, Fantasy, Horror, Crime. Sudden Fiction and Short stories that’ll knock your socks off. (my post about it)
bullet XYZ by William Knight—A mature, old-school programmer has to start his career over at a 21st Century Startup as his family life falls apart in every way imaginable. Clearly a comedy. (my post about it)
bullet Dirt Road Home by Alexander Nader—A lot of charm fills this YA(ish) Coming of Age story about a teen forced to move from Detroit to a small town in Tennessee before graduation. (my post about it)
bullet Coffee and Condolences by Wesley Parker—A widower tries to begin recovering from the deaths of his wife and children by reconnecting with his step-sister and maybe finds love. (my post about it)
bullet Detours and Do-overs by Wesley Parker—A sequel to the next on the list. This follow-up had a lot of heart. (my post about it)
bullet Headphones and Heartaches by Wesley Parker—A teen finds home, safety, and love in a Foster Home, but is torn about leaving his mother behind. One sentence doesn’t do it justice, I simply loved this one. (my post about it)
bullet The Worst Man by Jon Rance—Ollie’s desperately in love with the girlfriend/fiancée of the man who’s been his best friend since childhood. And now he has to be the best man at the wedding he wants to derail. (my post about it)
bullet The Summer Holidays Survival Guide by Jon Rance—an out-of-shape teacher tries to prepare for a half-marathon while surviving the summer with his three kids, a marriage on the rocks, and his father (with dementia) moving in. (my post about it)
bullet However Long the Day by Justin Reed—A Depression-era take on The Prince and the Pauper, an impressive debut (my post about it)
bullet The Crescent and the Cross by Kurt Scheffler— the story of The Battle of Tours (in 732) and events leading up to it, told through the lives of people close to Charles Martel and Charles on the one hand and a couple of the leaders of the Muslim forces involved in the Arab invasion of France. (my post about it)
bullet In Ten Years by Ian Shane—The reductionist description is “A 21st Century When Harry Met Sally“. We watch a couple of college friends over 18 years start to figure out that they’re in love. Hilarious and sweet. (my post about it)
bullet Postgraduate by Ian Shane—When your life falls apart, why not take your college radio show and turn it into an Internet radio show? And then, why not attend a reunion with the old college radio gang, including “The One That Got Away” (because you foolishly dumped her)? (my post about it)
bullet Radio Radio by Ian Shane—A maverick DJ is forced to get creative when a corporate radio management team takes over his station. A love letter to what radio used to be as much as anything else. (my post about it)
bullet The Museum Guide by Nicole Sharp—”A snapshot of life, love and third grade field trippers” in a natural history museum. (my post about it)
bullet The Jackals by Adam Shaw—A local band on the verge of making it big/big-ish falls apart after high school due to a love triangle that shouldn’t have happened. When one member of the band dies, the group has to get together for a funeral and to clean up his stuff. (that’s a bad summary, but best I can do in a sentence) (my post about it)
bullet KA-E-RO-U Time to Go Home by B. Jeanne Shibahara—I’m so glad the blurb contains a one-sentence description because I couldn’t write one: “Desert-dweller Meryl travels to Japan, returns a WWII flag, and brings home an understanding of life that opens her heart for the unexpected.” (my post about it)
bullet Lingering by Melissa Simonson—It’s sort-of SF, sort-of a Thriller, but not really either, so I put this here. This is a novel about grief, about dealing with death—while telling the story about an effort to design an AI to mimic a dead loved one in order to help a survivor cope. (my post about it)
bullet We Be Dragons by Michael Weitz—It’s a trip back to the mid-80s in an Idaho small town. A group of boys spend the summer playing D&D, working, and thinking about girls. A local woman succumbs to Satanic Panic and tries to shut them down. As a bonus, we get several chapters from the game’s POV. (my post about it)
bullet Leveled Up Love by Tao Wong & A. G. Marshall—It’s LitRPG-ish, it’s also a Rom-Com. You mash the two of those together and you get this entirely entertaining and sweet read. (my post about it)

If you're a self-published author that I've featured on this blog and I didn't mention you in this post and should have. I'm sorry (unless you're this guy). Please drop me a line, and I'll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

We Be Dragons by Michael Weitz: A Nice Bit of 80s Nostalgia

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2026

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

We Be Dragons

by Michael Weistz

DETAILS:
Publisher: Rook & Rook
Publication Date: May 23, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 438 pg.
Read Date: June 15-18. 2026

What’s We Be Dragons About?

It’s 1986 in Weston, ID, a small town in Northern Idaho, near Moscow (interestingly, that actual town in Idaho with that name is on the southeast corner, and is probably smaller). It’s practically idyllic—wholesome town, solid community where everyone knows everyone and looks out for each other. We focus on a group of six teens in the summer before their senior year, one of the last chances they have to make money for college. Their big concerns are getting to an AC/DC concert, trying to come up with the nerve to ask out a girl, overbearing bosses, and keeping their cars running. Well, and their D&D game.

Which, to their surprise, is becoming controversial—someone in the large church just outside of town has decided to buy into all the hype surrounding the game right then—that it’s Satanic, involves actual demons and spells, and will lead children to a life of destruction, drugs, and deviancy. She’s trying to rile up the city against this kind of thing—and they’re about to become the poster children for this effort.

The book focuses on John Brewer, the DM for the game, who loses his job at the beginning of the summer—thanks to some changes in town. He ends up having to scramble for a job helping with the harvest efforts (and the run-up to them) for a farm a little way out of town, where he and Toff, another member of the group, live during the week.

There are three types of chapters in this book, and I want to attack each of them in turn.

The A Story

There’s the everyday life chapters—the slice of life, the coming-of-age stuff. This is perfectly fine. I do wonder if John acts a little too immature for someone of h is age and place in life (especially compared to his friends). But then again…at that age, how many of us acted like we were supposed to?

The main conflict in these chapters if between John and his boss who is antagonistic toward him from the instant he hires John. Toff tries to keep John and his temper in check (and it mostly works). Jim Henley, the farmer in question, attends the same church as the anti-D&D crusader, but that doesn’t seem to be all of it. There’s something else afoot.

Mrs. Henley and the other adults on the farm seem to be fine with Toff and John—they’re friendly and helpful, taking the boys under their wings to show them what to do. Their basic decency really makes you wonder about Jim.

The Gaming Nights

Then we get the chapters where we see the gang as a D&D session begins or ends. I really loved these chapters—it feels so right. This is what a gaming session should be like—although some of these chapters feature the abrupt interruption of the anti-D&D campaigners breaking up the games in various ways. Those interruptions are not what a gaming session should be like, but the way that the teens and John’s mom react are really good.

Paulette Dickerson keeps interrupting the games—ignoring common manners and private property laws in an unbelievable, yet completely believable, way. Sometimes with an audience, sometimes with just a henchman/hanger on. The police get involved more than once.

These chapters sold me on the book more than anything else—it’s the core of the book. I enjoyed watching the reactions to Paulette and her antics. But more than that, it’s just watching the way the boys play.

The Game POV

If the core of the book is the gaming nights, then the chapters which are told about the game—from the POV of the characters—are the cherry on top. It’s basically scenes from a fantasy novel. We don’t see Truck, Charlie, or Nick—we see the characters Kryger, Domo, Bellator, and the rest—plus all the monsters and hazards that John throws at them.

These chapters are just perfect. I mean, I might not love them if they were in a proper Fantasy novel (I’d need to see more to form an opinion). But in this format? Just love them.

My sole complaint is that there aren’t enough of them.

So, what did I think about We Be Dragons?

I liked the book. I thought the anti-D&D stuff ended well. I thought the character arcs were pretty well resolved. I’m not 100% that the A Story chapters told a story that needed to be told, or had a satisfying/worthwhile conclusion. But, I’m not annoyed by that—and the pluses of this book outweigh that.

It took Weitz a little while to settle into the book—he was trying too hard initially to set the stage, I think. Two detailed descriptions of oil changes in the first 20 pages seems a little overkill. But once he settled into things, that went away. He nails the setting—granted, I didn’t move to the area until 5 years after the events depicted here, but his description jibed with my memories. Once we move past the opening chapters, the writing was smooth and while you wouldn’t ever call this a fast-paced novel, it reads like one.

The two antagonists of the book—Paulette Dickerson and Jim Henley—were a bit too thinly drawn to take seriously. I don’t get where Henley is coming from or his capricious treatment of his workers—why did any of the adults stick with him? Was work that hard to find in the community? Paulette is a good representation of the worst of the Satanic Panic of the time. But she feels as solid as a Hollywood backdrop. I just didn’t believe her (I believed people’s reactions to her, though).

All that said—this is a nice way to spend some time. Weitz does a good job of taking you back to the 80s (especially if you’re familiar with smaller rural towns), and reminding the reader about high school friendships—and, for some of us, that group of geeky guys they could spend quality time with.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

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In large letters 'Literary Locals' and in smaller 'The Irresponsible Reader' are at the bottom of the image. An image of a book opening and snow-capped mountains rising from between the pages, a stalk of some sort of grain is next to each side of the book, like parentheses.

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The Museum Guide by Nicole Sharp: A Literary Stroll through Lives and a Museum

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2026

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

The Museum Guide

by Nicole Sharp

DETAILS:
Publication Date: June 1, 2024
Format: Paperback
Length: 50 pg.
Read Date: May 2, 2026

What’s The Museum Guide About?

This is a very small novella, so I have to be careful not to say too much. The text on the cover describes the book very well: “A snapshot of life, love and third grade field trippers.”

We follow museum docent Martha Stein as she guides a class of third-graders through a natural history museum. Third-graders + museum = barely-controlled chaos, and we do get to see Martha and the teacher try to maintain that. But as Martha takes them around, the narration pauses to watch a security guard, an event planner, a museum visitor, someone working on a display, and so on.

We see where they are that day—their emotions, the goings on in their life, just a quick glimpse—as if they’re displays at a museum we’re strolling through.

So, what did I think about The Museum Guide?

I’m more afraid to say much here than I was above. This feels like one of those things that the more you talk about it, the worse the subject is for it. To come back to this well one too many times, it’s one of those beautiful displays in a museum that it’s best to just stand and take in rather than to try to talk about. (there’s a scene in Walter Mosley’s Ghalen that captures this wonderfully, where a man just stands in front of a painting for hours, unable to really talk about what he’s seeing)

This novella has none of the zaniness of Sharp’s other work, or really almost any other characteristic of it. However, it does have the same quality of writing, story-telling, and character. How she’s able to draw so many strong characters in a mere fifty pages is something else.

If anything, it’s assuring to see that she has another gear—as delightful as her typical gear is.

I was completely immersed in this and was utterly charmed by it. It was over too soon for my taste (although I couldn’t tell you how it could be expanded/extended without losing something).

The Museum Guide is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon, and I’d encourage you to get it.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow in front of an open book
In large letters 'Literary Locals' and in smaller 'The Irresponsible Reader' are at the bottom of the image. An image of a book opening and snow-capped mountains rising from between the pages, a stalk of some sort of grain is next to each side of the book, like parentheses.

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Opening Lines: The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman

By HCNewton

On July 16, 2026

In Fiction, News/Misc., Opening Lines, Quotations

We all know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover (yet, publishing companies spend big bucks on cover design/art, and we all do judge them that way). But, the opening sentence(s)/paragraph(s) are fair game. So, when I stumble on a good opening (or remember one and pull it off the shelves), I like to throw it up here (especially if I’m out of time to come up with a post that involves writing on my part).

from The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman:

I saw my first goblin the same day I saw my first shipwreck.

I was under sail, on my way to war.

On my way to fall in love with death, and with a queen.

On my way to lose all of my friends, and two of my brothers.

I would see a great city fall in blood and fire, betrayed by a false god.

Later, I would be commanded to die on a high stone bridge, but I would fail in this.

The rest of the First Lanza of His Majesty’s Corvid Knights would not fail.

This is not a happy story, but it is a true one.

I have no time for lies, or for liars.

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