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!
VIBRATIONS: CHILDREN OF ATLANTIS by A. R. Alexander is an exhilarating young adult adventure that blends captivating mythological elements with unique science-based supernatural powers. As Nada, who sees sound as light, and Kani, with the power to control vibrations, uncover their Atlantean heritage, they must navigate high-stakes battles and deal with the emotional weight of their newfound abilities. With well-developed characters, fast-paced action, and a vibrant narrative enhanced by alternating viewpoints, this novel will keep readers hooked from start to finish, making it a must-read for fans of Percy Jackson and myth-inspired fantasy.
Angela Douglas’s debut novel EVERY FALL mixes a thriller with a ghost story. Bree is married to Jake, an RCMP officer, and they live in a dangerous town. When one of his collars shows up at the door to threaten Bree and their young son, they move to a house outside of the radius of Jake’s job, hoping to be safe. When Jake’s best friend and fellow cop is murdered, he suffers increasing PTSD, frightening the now-pregnant Bree. Or is their new house, known for “strange happenings” haunted, and what effect does that have on both of them? The heart of the story is the relationship between Bree and Jake, and how they try to navigate the increasing stresses and needs of their marriage, their children, and Jake’s job. The thriller and procedural aspects add texture. The ghost story layers in multiple possibilities of both hope and fear. Ultimately, the heartbeat of the story is the relationship between Bree and Jake and what they are willing to do to protect it. EVERY FALL is a multi-layered novel weaving in multiple genre elements for a fascinating read.
J.P. MacDonald’s THE WATCHERS is a gripping dystopian techno thriller set on Kangaroo Island, Australia, in a future where freedom is but a distant memory. The narrative follows Ame Goto-Loch, a young bio-robotics engineer, who becomes entangled in a rebellion against the oppressive People’s Global Republic (PGR) regime. MacDonald masterfully crafts a vivid portrayal of a society under constant surveillance by AI bio-robotic Watchers, blending elements of advanced technology with human resilience. The novel’s rich character development and immersive setting draw readers into a world where the fight for liberty is both perilous and inspiring. This book is perfect for fans of the sci-fi and dystopian genres.
Tony Stewart’s memoir CARRYING THE TIGER describes the diagnosis of his wife Lynn with terminal cancer, her final months, and what came after. This heartbreakingly candid account of multiple treatment rounds, the couple’s coming to terms with mortality, and Stewart’s subsequent grief and determination to follow his wife’s wishes and find new love offers a nuanced take on understanding, love, and hope in equal measure.
Ex-Green Beret Jamie Morales hoped to leave the horrors of battle behind and live peacefully with his wife, Brooke. But his mother, Maria, is hiding something, a relic she’s kept safe since leaving Mexico thirty years earlier. When Brooke’s sister Ashley divulges Maria’s secret to barbaric cartel boss Marco Delgado, who believes the artifact is his, her stupidity triggers brutal consequences, leaving Jamie with no option but to mount a revenge mission. THE EMERALD CROSS is a gripping novel that begins intriguingly before hurtling the reader into a twisty, high-octane military takedown that maintains focus and empathy on the human cost behind the cartel’s carnage. Cruickshank has created a strong, convincing protagonist in Morales, ensuring THE EMERALD CROSS is a highly readable, action-packed thriller.
Part One of THE LITTLEST PELICAN by Susan Marie Chapman lays the foundation for a heartwarming story of perseverance in the face of adversity. The tale of the Little Penguin, who tries out for the Pelican Squad and fails miserably, only to resolve to try again, is enlivened by Natalia Loseva‘s simple but effective illustrations and a compelling storyline that younger readers will follow, understand – and hopefully learn from.
DANCING IN THE DARK by Christopher Kantz is a profound narrative that intertwines romance with an exploration of life’s complexities. The story follows Alex, a writer and beekeeper, and Eden, a dedicated doctor, as they navigate challenges of love, ambition, and the unpredictability of life. Their journey, spanning vibrant circuses to introspective moments, serves as a mirror to our own struggles and triumphs. Kantz enriches the narrative with practical activities and insights, encouraging readers to reflect and grow alongside the characters. This blend of storytelling and self-help makes the book not just a tale to enjoy but a guide for personal development.
C.V. Vobh’s SOMNUS’ PALACE is a masterful blend of imagination and adventure, plunging readers into a mesmerizing realm where twenty-seven-year-old Proto awakens as a dream visitor in the ethereal halls of the Lord of Dreams. As Proto and his companions navigate strange dreamscapes guiding sleeping souls toward destiny, they notice something ominous lurking within each dream they visit—a chilling sign of a looming catastrophe for them and the world. With its fluid prose, intricate world-building, and captivating exploration of subconscious realms, this tale marks a brilliant start to the SLEEPWALKER CYCLE series, that will leave readers yearning for more.
Kyle Palmer’s THE LAST RIVAL: A TIME OF OUR CHOOSING blends historical intrigue with emotional depth to explore the human spirit against the backdrop of World War II. Palmer spins a gripping tale of covert agents Jim Bolden and Lew Weinman, whose secret missions to unearth the remaining embers of the Nazi regime force them to face external enemies and their own moral struggles. With stirring action sequences, the novel explores questions of vengeance, justice, and humanity’s capacity for forgiveness. A powerful exploration of resilience, it truly transcends the thriller genre.
MASTER VERSION 1.1 by author Antanas Marcelionis plunges readers into a gripping near-future Ukrainian war zone, where a lone soldier named Master relies on cutting-edge technology and ingenuity to survive. With its vivid descriptions and seamless integration of AI and experimental tech, the novel delivers relentless action and sharp commentary. Marcelionis’s impeccable writing, paired with illustrations and authentic settings, makes this book an impressive debut and a must-read for fans of fast-paced military sci-fi and dystopian thrillers.
EVERYTHING IS NOT PEACHEY by Lisa Peachey is a raw, unguarded memoir that charts her courageous battle with chronic illness while exposing the hidden dangers of everyday products and environmental triggers. Through personal anecdotes, practical advice, and a refreshing dose of humor, Peachey challenges conventional wisdom and empowers readers to advocate for their health amidst a confusing, often unsympathetic world. This moving narrative is a wake-up call to anyone overwhelmed by health challenges, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, hope and resilience can light the way forward.
It is today’s business fact of life: Prospects, customers, influencers and the like must be met online, 100 percent of the time (or close to it). DIGITAL THREADS, Neal Schaffer’s sixth book, guides both newcomers and pros through the new rules and new mindsets. He does so sequentially, enabling anyone to build the right kind of digital marketing. Erase preconceived ideas: Schaffer provides the facts and figures to steer anyone on the right path.
Lynn Marie Jackson’s beautiful historical novel UNEXPECTED DETOUR makes the universal personal and the personal universal in wonderful ways. Instead of staying in Evanston, Illinois when her boyfriend is drafted for World War II, Faye joins her friend Midge in San Francisco. As men go to war, Faye gets a corporate job that includes top security clearance business with the military. She marries Steve before he ships to the Pacific Theatre, and blossoms in her new city and career. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco in World War II, the story captures the spirit of the women who stepped up and stepped in to keep things running while the men fought war on two fronts. It also explores the misogyny, the racism (especially toward the Chinese and Japanese populations), and the darker side of patriotism. The city is very much an additional character, in all its charm and at times, all its menace. UNEXPECTED DETOUR is a page turner of an historical novel, with characters who will stay with the reader long past that last page.
Sachiko Otohata and Brendyn Zachary’s A STORY ABOUT A MOTHER AND SON tells the story of a boy and his mother, told from the perspectives of each. The innovative story format and striking watercolor visuals make the book a heartwarming confession of enduring love, and the passing down of that love across multiple generations.
With an overwhelmingly extensive cast of quirky characters, A.A. Smith’s ISERIS: House of Power is a fast-paced fantasy that exemplifies extraordinary world-building as a young woman journeys to find her family that was separated amidst war, discovering along the way mysteries buried in the past that will unravel both her personal identity and the nation she calls home.
Michael S. Day’s THE RENAISSANCE MIND (ffers a holistic perspective on the questions of health and happiness. Employing a remarkably wide-ranging combination of philosophy, the classics, and history, as well as a little memoir, Day puts forward a compelling plan to nurture physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being.
Eva Frances’ THE NEXT ROUND is romantic chick lit that lives up to its category. Based in Australia, Andie Herrera and Chris Vaughn hook up again and again over seven years, presented through flashbacks. Real people inhabit this love story; the dialogue sparkles, the situations are down to earth, and the characters, easily relatable. A quick read that calls for more.
Mark Leggett’s TEXAS TOAST is a riveting mystery novel that wonderfully balances an action-packed plot full of suspense and dark themes with witty dialogue for comedic relief as a young woman from Texas travels to a small Michigan town on a mission to find her mother’s killer.