Indie book reviews

IndieReader’s reviewers are tough, but fair

Our Reviewers won’t judge your book as compared to other self-published titles, but against other books, period. Our ratings are based on the following criteria, although reviewers are able to award partial stars (i.e. a 1.3 or a 4.7), rather than rounding up or down to a whole or half number.

1/5

Really bad 
Work on it.

2/5

Mediocre
1-2 bright spots.

3/5

Good
Worth reading.

4/5

Very Good
1-2 spots that need work

5/5

Excellent!
Must-read.

* IndieReader receives compensation for most of the books it reviews, along with copies of those books.

IR Approved
September 4, 2024

JOURNEY OF SEVEN CIRCLES

By Russell Pike
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

A remarkably imaginative flight, Russell Pike's JOURNEY OF SEVEN CIRCLES bristles with energy and verve in its fantastical story of duty and self-sacrifice.

August 19, 2024

THE CHIMERA SNARE: Fragments

By S. Black, E. Black
Rating:
2.5 / 5.0

Energetic but disjointed, S. and E. Black’s THE CHIMERA SNARE: Fragments needs to make more deliberate structural decisions for its storytelling to shine.

IR Approved
July 12, 2024

HOURGLASS

By Daniel James
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

In HOURGLASS, Daniel James presents a worldview that is at once dire and hopeful: the afterlife by way of The Expendables. While its apparent pessimism...

July 8, 2024

REUNION OF THE THREE

By C.S. Harris
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

REUNION OF THE THREE by C.S. Harris is an entertaining, surprisingly heartfelt series opener for fantasy readers seeking a series with scope, ambition, and a...

IR Approved
July 5, 2024

THE MAKER OF WORLDS

By David Litwack
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

David Litwack’s adventure THE MAKER OF WORLDS is a luminous portal fantasy, an intimate epic that tenderly chronicles two world-weary travelers' quest for connection and...

IR Approved
June 26, 2024

CITY OF RAIN

By William Lejeune
Rating:
4.6 / 5.0

William Lejeune’s creativity shines in his fantasy debut novel, CITY OF RAIN, where mages, wizards, and magic entwine with politics, conspiracies, and secrets to deliver...

May 24, 2024

THE OTHERS

By Evette Davis
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Evette Davis’s THE OTHERS showcases her deep passion for storytelling and the enchanting world of the supernatural.

May 8, 2024

THE WATER MAGE

By TJ Ripley
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

T.J. Ripley's THE WATER MAGE (Lord of Chaos, Book 1) creates a fantastical story of colliding worlds, magic, and dark intentions.

IR Approved
May 6, 2024

HEIR TO CHAOS

By Adrian Holmes
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

A flair for detail, strong characters, and a dynamic plot make Adrian Holmes’s fantasy fiction debut HEIR TO CHAOS an engaging read.

April 5, 2024

THE MEANING OF MISCHIEF NIGHT

By R. Van Brabant
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

R. Van Brabant's THE MEANING OF MISCHIEF NIGHT is a fun read—lively, colorful, witty, and packed with mostly nonviolent action.

IR Approved
March 29, 2024

THE LAST REFUGE

By Christina Bacilieri
Rating:
4.4 / 5.0

For a debut novel, THE LAST REFUGE bodes well for Christina Bacilieri’s future work—not least this promising YA fantasy saga. The novel’s prose is assured,...

March 25, 2024

HOODWINKED IN HOTLANTA

By Elizabeth R. Jensen
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Elizabeth R. Jensen's HOODWINKED IN HOTLANTA offers a unique take on the effects of a pandemic.

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