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
February 14, 2024

FOG & FIREFLIES

By T.H. Lehnen
Rating:
4.3 / 5.0

Well-imagined and confidently told, T.H. Lehnen’s FOG & FIREFLIES is thoughtful and engaging enough to please both mature YA readers and adults alike.

IR Approved
September 13, 2023

THE RING ACADEMY: The Trials of Imogene Sol

By CL Walters
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

In THE TRIALS OF IMOGENE SOL, CL Walters creates an exciting, intriguing science fiction world—one that gives the impression of having been alive and functioning...

May 26, 2023

THE FIELDS DEFENSE

By Rebekah Johnson
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

A carefully composed literary work that skirts the edges of genre fiction, THE FIELDS DEFENSE by Rebekah Johnson is a debut novel that establishes the...

IR Approved
March 29, 2023

MALONE RIDGE

By James K Dill
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Author James K Dill shows great skill in keeping a perfect balance between despair and hope in MALONE RIDGE, a beautifully structured novel that is...

IR Approved
November 30, 2022

WELCOME TO THE FREE WORLD

By Lloyd Raleigh
Rating:
4.6 / 5.0

WELCOME TO THE FREE WORLD might start off as a standard dystopian sci-fi adventure, but Lloyd Raleigh’s debut novel quickly transforms into a satisfyingly unpredictable...

October 8, 2021

IN THE ECHO OF THIS GHOST TOWN

By CL Walters
Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

C.L. Walters has penned an emotionally satisfying and deeply-felt study of a teenage boy’s journey from anger and emotional trauma to healthy maturity in IN...

IR Approved
September 8, 2021

SAFELIGHT

By Casey Lown
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

A coming-of-age dramedy with a clever, sardonic edge, Casey Lown’s SAFELIGHT is a potent, superbly written novel that pushes boundaries, and maybe even a button...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

A high-stakes quest set against the dreamy backdrop of Rome, MY NAME IS NOT ROSLYN JAMES delivers a powerful and emotionally searing magical battle that...

March 31, 2021

THE SPACE BETWEEN

By DB Clement
Rating:
3.7 / 5.0

Stream-of-consciousness processes read as authentic in DB Clement's THE SPACE BETWEEN, but on the whole the actual characters in this life-review novel should feel more...

March 19, 2021

CREDENTIALS

By Rand McGreal
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

CREDENTIALS, Rand McGreal’s ambitious effort to embed thoughtful macroeconomic monetary policy into digestible, suspense fiction is energetic and well-intentioned in its economics though sometimes uneven...

January 29, 2021

FROM ABOVE

By J.D. Wynne
Rating:
2.9 / 5.0

Potentially powerful with a somewhat rough execution, the novel FROM ABOVE by J.D. Wynne explores how certain people live in a reality where loved ones...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

A superhero story for the modern era, J. C. Weston's THE SWEET UPLIFTING RUSH AND DRAWING HANDS offer readers a unique protagonist, an abundance of...

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