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
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN SHOELACE is an exciting story for middle-school readers that plays for laughs more than swashbuckling high seas adventure, with an endearing...

June 20, 2022

OBSIDIAN’S AMULET

By Karen Bailey
Rating:
3.7 / 5.0

Karen Bailey's OBSIDIAN’S AMULET, book two of a trilogy, is a solidly well-written erotic paranormal romance set in the secret realm of Rashwa concerning two...

IR Approved
June 20, 2022

AND THEN THERE’S MARGARET

By Carolyn Clarke
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

Carolyn Clarke’s skillful and subtle storytelling in AND THEN THERE’S MARGARET, a playful coming-of (middle)-age novel, navigates a path that is funny without being absurd...

IR Approved
June 17, 2022

BONES

By Audrey Taylor Gonzalez
Rating:
4.7 / 5.0

With BONES, Audrey Taylor Gonzalez delivers a rich and poignant Southern narrative in a perfectly-paced, page-turner package—simply superb writing.

Rating:
2.9 / 5.0

Sam Sumac's AIN’T NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS is imaginative and light, but without greater attention to storytelling fundamentals, it remains ultimately unsatisfying.

IR Approved
June 17, 2022

SNOWLANDS: A Blood Moon

By Morr Meroz
Rating:
5.0 / 5.0

The next installment in a long line of animal adventure stories, Morr Meroz's SNOWLANDS (A Blood Moon) mixes stunning art with relatable characters to deliver...

IR Approved
June 15, 2022

DISTORTED PERCEPTION

By Jonathan Snowling
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Jonathan R. Snowling does an exemplary job at luring readers into the corrupt inner workings of Panamanian politics in DISTORTED PERCEPTION, an intriguing political thriller...

IR Approved
June 15, 2022

BURNING AND DODGING

By Julie Wittes Schlack
Rating:
4.9 / 5.0

BURNING AND DODGING, Julie Wittes Schlack's intoxicating literary novel, uses poignant, conversational dialogue to elevate sophisticated discourse on the nature of truth, whether unbiased or...

June 15, 2022

THE EMMA EFFECT

By Gordon Bocher
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Gordon Bocher's THE EMMA EFFECT explores the notion of male vulnerability through the lens of a sexual assault in a story that is deliberately discomfiting...

IR Approved
Rating:
4.0 / 5.0

R.L. Fink's MICKIE MCKINNEY: Boy Detective, The Case of the Absent Answers is a clever, fast-paced novella introducing a schoolboy private eye and setting the...

June 13, 2022

DARK AGE MONARCH: The Reign of King Arthur

By Joseph J. Swope
Rating:
3.5 / 5.0

Joseph J. Swope’s well-researched DARK AGE MONARCH: The Reign of King Arthur works as a solid introduction to the rich lore of the Arthurian legend.

IR Approved
June 13, 2022

THE 7TH PRELIGHT

By Brett Mumford
Rating:
4.5 / 5.0

Part hard science fiction novel, part forensic murder mystery, Brett Mumford's fascinating THE 7TH PRELIGHT is a truly unique story about alien life and a...

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