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 6, 2024

VEILPIERCER

By Bruce Berls
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

With both dry absurdism and great humanity, Bruce Berls’s VEILPIERCER successfully turns 21st-century concerns about technology and society into a rollicking vision of their looming...

IR Approved
August 26, 2024

UTCAN’S TALISMAN

By Stella Atrium
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Though it may be inaccessible to readers unfamiliar with previous installments in the series, Stella Atrium’s UTCAN’S TALISMAN is complex and sensuous enough to please...

IR Approved
August 19, 2024

BROKEN MIRROR

By Cody Sisco
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Crisply and actively told, Cody Sisco’s BROKEN MIRROR expresses powerful empathy for those suffering from the stigma of mental illness in our own society today.

IR Approved
August 16, 2024

INHERITANCE

By Lou Iovino
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Lou Iovino’s INHERITANCE is a gripping read, a moving portrayal of labor, and a promising start to the Rare Earth Trilogy.

August 14, 2024

ANDROBIOTICA 2: Journey In Time

By David Gittlin
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

David Gittlin's ANDROBIOTICA 2: Journey In Time offers an intriguing and timely tale of artificial intelligence and corporate intrigue.

July 5, 2024

GLITCHES OF GODS

By Jurgen "jojo" Appelo
Rating:
3.6 / 5.0

Jurgen “Jojo” Appelo's GLITCHES OF GODS is a thought-provoking cautionary tale for fans of cerebral, philosophical science fiction.

June 28, 2024

CARGO HOLD 4

By Lonnie Busch
Rating:
3.9 / 5.0

Tightly plotted and well-paced, Lonnie Busch’s CARGO HOLD 4 offers a surprisingly thoughtful twist on some sci-fi tropes with both arresting body horror and uneasy...

IR Approved
June 21, 2024

PHOENIX SAGA: PEACE ON EARTH PROTOCOL

By amalL era JesuseႱ
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

PHOENIX SAGA: PEACE ON EARTH PROTOCOL by poet amalL era JesuƨɘႱ hO (aka Joshua James Eller) is an inventive and experimental work that skirts the...

IR Approved
May 15, 2024

THE MONARCHS

By Mark Sabbas
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

Elevated by debut author Mark Sabbas's infectious passion for music, philosophy, and matters of the spirit, THE MONARCHS delivers an uplifting, vividly imagined tale of...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Readers new to Mike Murphey's series would do best to read the first four novels first, but the worldbuilding and clever time travel mechanics in...

IR Approved
April 17, 2024

THE ENGINEER’S MECHANIC

By L. K. Wintur
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

A promising beginning to a new series, L.K. Wintur's THE ENGINEER'S MECHANIC is an action-packed adventure set up in a well-crafted future world with engaging...

IR Approved
April 15, 2024

BRINGER OF LIGHT

By M Thomas Apple
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

In BRINGER OF LIGHT, author M. Thomas Apple crafts a believably complex interplanetary future complete with twisting politics, well-drawn characters, and resource management woes.

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