Indie book reviews

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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
November 6, 2023

THE DAYHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE NATIONAL PARKS

By Michael Joseph Oswald
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

Michael Joseph Oswald's THE DAYHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE NATIONAL PARKS is chock-full of useful guidance for the dayhiker, offering descriptions of trails, available amenities, the...

IR Approved
November 3, 2023

LETTERS TO UNTITLED

By Tósìn Peters
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Tósìn Peters's poetry collection LETTERS TO UNTITLED offers affecting and personal observations on loss, pain, and the modern world.

Rating:
3.0 / 5.0

Allie Compeau's ASTER AND THE SPIRIT TALKER is an environmentalist fairy tale that over-relies on genre tropes and yet still offers a cozy adventure for...

IR Approved
November 3, 2023

WATER MUSIC: A Cape Cod Story

By Marcia Peck
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

Marcia Peck's WATER MUSIC: A Cape Cod Story is a touching, alternately heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of family strife and love—told with the innocent wistfulness...

IR Approved
November 1, 2023

QUEENS OF MOIRAI

By Rhiannon Hargadon
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

A myth retelling that uses familiar fantasy and romance genre tropes, Rhiannon Hargadon's QUEENS OF MOIRAI is a refreshing, enchanting first installment in a proposed...

Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Author Merlin Franco’s satirical wit and keen, absurdist humor are blunted in SIR RICHARD PARKER (His search for love and enlightenment across India, Singapore, Thailand,...

IR Approved
November 1, 2023

THE SOUL SECTOR

By Michael Karolewski
Rating:
4.8 / 5.0

Michael Karolewski's THE SOUL SECTOR is a complex, emotionally charged fever dream of a story, a lesson in morality and coping with grief that introduces...

IR Approved
October 30, 2023

STAKED: A Vampire’s Tale

By Kim Catanzarite
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

For a vampire story, Kim Catanzarite's STAKED is a startlingly warm and wholesome tale of love, found friendship, strength of will, and purity of heart—with...

IR Approved
October 30, 2023

MADHOUSE

By Stephen Ball
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Stephen Ball's MADHOUSE takes readers on a 16-tale journey through haunts and horrors. Strong characters and a playful narrative tone make these stories endlessly engaging.

IR Approved
October 27, 2023

VALE

By Tess Bentley
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

An assured and inventive debut by Tess Bentley, VALE is an modern update of the classic Victorian romances with a neat twist that adds a...

IR Approved
October 27, 2023

NOT MY FAULT

By SB FRASCA
Rating:
4.2 / 5.0

A unique and endearing teen protagonist drives S.B. Frasca’s NOT MY FAULT, a feel-good coming-of-age novel about loneliness, relationships, and accountability.

October 27, 2023

DRAKOMUNDA

By Guy Quartley
Rating:
3.8 / 5.0

Though as a collection it never truly coheres, Guy Quartley’s DRAKOMUNDA will thoroughly please fans of Lovecraft, Howard, and the golden age of fantasy-horror.

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