IndieReader Discovery Awards 2025 Entrants
Added as our reviewers read them, find the latest verdicts for the 2025 IndieReader Discovery Award entrants, leading up to the big winner announcement in June!
WORSE THAN YOU KNOW is a visceral and at times irreverent account of the unsuccessful candidacy of progressive schoolteacher Todd Allen for the 2018 Democratic primary in Texas’ 24th congressional district. Allen and his friend and campaign guru Heath Hamrick craft a narrative that is heavy on can-do grassroots activism, but also dishes the dirt on the maneuverings and goings-on in local politics in a post-truth society.
Michael Hoffen, Christian Casey, and Jen Thum team up to create BE A SCRIBE: WORKING FOR A BETTER LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT, the first in a series of books for young readers. In a delightful mix of story and asides for factual information about the place and time, the book follows Pepi as his father takes him up the Nile River to a school where he can train to be a scribe, a highly revered profession. Along the way, Pepi learns about 18 other not-to-great jobs open to him, should he fail in learning to read and write well enough for his chosen profession. With a combination of maps, photographs of artifacts, drawings, and stories, the book uses gentle humor to teach young readers different facets of life in Ancient Egypt. It even has a primer on how to read hieroglyphics. Hoffen, sixteen, began translating ancient texts when he was in middle school, and partners with Egyptologists Dr. Christian Casey and Dr. Jen Thum to bring this story to life. Filled with both fact and fun, BE A SCRIBE! is an educational romp enjoyed by all ages.
The second book in Evette Davis’s urban fantasy The Council Trilogy, THE GIFT, is an erotic urban fantasy with an international scope. Olivia Shepherd is still learning the breadth and depth of her gifts as a witch, and how to control them. Her mother is murdered in Paris, and her estranged father, with whom she recently started building a relationship, is fighting for political power with the thousand-year-old vampire behind it, using election monitoring in Eastern Europe as a reason to send Olivia and a team to get evidence of the vampire’s corruption. Olivia is engaged to vampire William, but also attracted to his brother, also a vampire, who often serves as her bodyguard. Vampires, werewolves, and witches add the urban fantasy elements, as well as plenty of action, well-written erotica, and intrigue. Urban fantasy readers who enjoy international intrigue will find THE GIFT, the middle book of the trilogy, enticing, and look forward to book 3.
Set against the backdrop of Florida’s vanishing agricultural legacy, Pete Clements’ THE LAST FLORIDIAN is a compelling story of resiliency and transformation. The novel examines the fall of the citrus business, the invasion of urbanization, and the challenge of creating a future in an unpredictable environment via Clayton Ian McIver’s perspective. Clements tells a gripping tale of survival, family, and self-discovery with vivid storytelling and a profound admiration for Florida’s natural beauty.
With MAGDA REVEALED, author Ursula Werner has crafted a droll and rather moving meditation on all that is wrong with the world with a vibrant re-imagining of Biblical times featuring a very demotic and straight-talking Mary Magdalene who sets the record straight about Jesus and her relationship with him.
DESIGNING SUCCESS offers profound practical and philosophical insights into running businesses. Author Catherine Connolly draws on stories from two decades’ worth of experience in tech to offer lessons in life and the workplace that get the reader thinking about success – what it looks like, how to measure it, and, once you’ve achieved it, how to preserve it.
GLOSSOLALIA AND OTHER STORIES is an excellently-observed meditation on the possibility of contact with alien lifeforms. In clinical, incisive prose, John Lazarus explores the human condition in a collection of five stories that are sometimes witty, occasionally elegiac, but always compelling.
WORLD OF SHE by G.W. Darcie is a deeply introspective novel that explores themes of gender, identity, and the quiet resistance of those who take the path that defies societal constraints. Darcie’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, creating an immersive world that feels both intimate and universal. The novel truly shines in its psychological depth, offering a protagonist whose internal struggles and external conflicts resonate with raw authenticity. While the book’s narrative structure is unconventional and often shifts between stream-of-consciousness reflections and more traditional storytelling, this stylistic choice adds to its emotional weight. Some readers may find certain passages dense or abstract, but those willing to engage with its complexities will be rewarded with a deeply affecting and thought-provoking experience.
Elaine Stock’s book THE LAST SECRET KEPT deftly creates a dual-timeline story examining love, family secrets, and how historical events impact personal lives. The book offers an emotionally gripping journey of resilience and truth by means of the interconnected experiences of Fanny, a 1961 lawyer, and Helene, a grandma with a secret past from World War II. The strong character development combined with a mix of historical intrigue and legal conflict makes this book an engaging and emotional one.
SCAR SONGS: STORIES is a collection of nine brilliantly composed short stories by author W. Royce Adams which focus on family, ethics, fear, sorrow, and confusion. Easy to read chapters give each tale a fulfilling beginning, middle, and end which draws the reader deep into the world of characters who are hurt, imperfect and fully human.
Jim Shankman’s TALES OF THE PATRIARCHS is set in old Hollywood, the time of silent movies and casting couches. The patriarchs? Judah Ben (JB) Mayer and Jacob Lasky. Their entourage, primarily Nina Michaels and Sidney ThrallStern, carry the story, about the make it/break it mentality in the business and the rise and fall of stars. These key characters stand out sharply, with memorable short scenes and sharp, crisp dialogue.
ARES by Jayson Adams is a gripping science fiction thriller that intertwines mystery, political intrigue, and survival elements. The narrative follows Commander Kate Holman, who, on the brink of leading humanity’s first manned mission to Mars, is abruptly relieved of command in favor of the mission’s security officer, Julian Grimes. This sudden shift reveals a covert military objective leading to the unearthing of a mysterious artifact. As the crew grapples with unexplained deaths and system failures—rumored to be the result of a Martian curse—Holman must confront her own past traumas while uncovering a conspiracy that reaches the highest echelons of power. Adams’ storytelling is both fast-paced and thought-provoking, with well-developed characters and a plot rich in tension and unexpected twists. The novel’s fresh perspective and intricate plotting make it a standout in contemporary science fiction.
Gripping spy thriller CULT STALKER by Ephraim Clark deftly combines high-stakes political maneuvering, espionage, and cult intrigue. The novel is set in Paris during the 1970s and follows undercover agent Brad James as he navigates a complex web of covert organizations, drug cartels, and terrorism. Clark provides a suspenseful and immersive read that keeps readers on the edge, with its intricate plot, intense action sequences, and historical depth.
THE LEMON GOLF DIARY by Christine Foster is a beautifully written and deeply poignant story about a girl who struggles to fit into a world that constantly tells her to be someone she’s not. Rory’s vivid imagination becomes both a refuge and a source of trouble as her friendship with Paige—born from a shared desire for adventure—takes a dark turn when Paige’s expectations spiral beyond her control. Written with honesty, warmth, and a touch of humor, this novel masterfully captures the loneliness, wonder, and unintended consequences of a child’s search for belonging, making it an unforgettable read for both young adults and parents alike.
Christopher McKeon’s THE BIG HEALING is a unique blend of spirituality and personal transformation, delivering an uncommon yet thought-provoking narrative. McKeon delves into serious issues like healing, energy testing, and spiritual awakening, combining real-life experiences with philosophical musings. Through captivating storytelling and a deeply introspective approach, the book questions traditional beliefs while urging readers to embrace self-discovery and liberty.
LYING DOWN WITH DOGS by Linda Caradine is a heartfelt memoir comprising interrelated essays that chronicle her journey in establishing and managing Other Mothers Animal Rescue. Caradine offers readers an intimate glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of animal rescue, sharing vivid anecdotes ranging from rescuing kittens beneath houses to securing sanctuary for pigs. Her narrative comes across as effortless, intertwining personal experiences, including overcoming childhood trauma and navigating life’s adversities, highlighting the profound impact animals have had on her path to redemption.
SUNDRI AND MUNDRI’S LOHRI ADVENTURE by Reenita Malhotra Hora is a charming blend of history, culture, and magic that transports readers on an unforgettable journey. With inventive problem-solving, a daring rescue, and delightful references to Lohri traditions, the story is a perfect celebration of bravery, family, and heritage.
The fantasy novel DESULTI, by Ross Hightower and Deb Heim, is one of the prequel novels to Hightower’s Spirit Songs Saga. The Desulti are women who escaped from the Empire and established themselves on their own terms. Tove, who has worked with the resistance since realm walker Alar rescued her, agrees to go with the murtair (warrior) Brie to seek sanctuary with the Desulti. The prospect of belonging to a community of women who support each other is intoxicating. The worldbuilding in the story is strong and the characters engaging while the machinations, plots, and counterplots are well-detailed and distinct. DESULTI is a page-turning, well-written fantasy novel, part of the Spirit Song Saga, but capable of standing proudly and independently.