Synopsis:

A collection of eight stories, Digital Extremities shines a spotlight on ordinary people in a callous yet hopeful future. Set across small towns and remote islands, where neon flickers against old buildings and oaks, this collection paints a unique view of a traditionally cyberpunk setting.

In 2089, a woman miscarries and seeks a way to find peace amidst overwhelming grief. Years later, a young man must find a way to pay rent outside of his job at the glassblowing studio. A pair of students, excited to go to college, install new hardware that promises to improve their cognitive functions. A private investigator searches for a missing child who has a reputation for embarking on risky adventures. Each tale is shaped by love, loss, and perseverance, weaving a vision of life outside of the megacities.

Review:

Digital Extremities is a delightful and interesting collection of stories from the future. Bassett gives us small snippets of people’s lives and how they go about navigating the world and maneuvering through dilemmas.

Stylistically, this book kept reminding me of World War Z. Each story was set in the same world, around the same time, featuring the same technology. This made it easy to carry over information and continue picturing a world where people modified themselves with enhancements and shiny chrome.

The stories typically focused on one person and ranged from a major dilemma to a slice of their life. I enjoyed familiarizing myself with each character and getting to know the world around them. The best part was probably what was unspoken. While characters faced decisions or hardships, I often found thought-provoking questions nagging at me about what else could go wrong with the current technology or what would happen if they had made a different decision. This did not make the stories feel lacking, just opened up my mind to more possibilities.

While Bassett does a wonderful job digging in with tension, he has mastered the slower, quieter moments: playful banter, reminiscing about times past, and ruminating over a hobby.

I listened to this one on audio, and I found the narrators to be excellent. No bias at all. With a wide cast of characters from all over the world, the accents were impeccable, and the differentiation was excellent.

Digital Extremities offers a glimpse into a world we may know someday, which brings excitement over technological advancements to assist in helping the elderly or finding a lost child. It also quietly lays out the ways in which this tech could fail us.

If you enjoy cyberpunk adventures, short sci-fi stories, and tales that say more with fewer words, this one is for you.

Synopsis:

In this Lovecraftian tale of horror and espionage, Tomb of the Black Pharaoh follows Robert B. Danforth, a former Miskatonic University scholar still reeling from the horrific events At the Mountains of Madness. Now part of the newly formed Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI) – the predecessor of the famed Office of Strategic Services (OSS) – Danforth is dispatched to Cairo to thwart a Nazi plot to recover the Talisman of Nephren-ka, buried deep within the lost tomb of Black Pharaoh. Said to grant unspeakable power, the artifact could tip the scales of World War II in the Nazis’ favor. As Danforth delves into the ancient tomb, he faces cults devoted to Nephren-ka, Nazi occultists, and cosmic horrors that strain the limits of his sanity.

Danforth must battle not only the looming threat of the Nazis but also the terrifying implications of the Amulet’s power. As eldritch forces close in and the boundaries between reality and madness begin to crumble, Danforth realizes the cost of failure may be far greater than even the war—humanity itself may be at stake.

This heart-pounding mix of Lovecraftian horror and historical espionage will captivate fans of cosmic terror and WWII thrillers alike. It immerses readers in a world where ancient gods and modern warfare collide in a fight for ultimate power.

Review:

Lovecraft is an author I haven’t dabbled in much, but over the past year, I read At the Mountains of Madness to acquaint myself with the writer beloved by so many. Being familiar with that story—and its characters—was the perfect lead-in to Tomb of the Black Pharaoh by Christopher Michael.

This tale follows Robert B. Danforth, who survived the harrowing Antarctic expedition in At the Mountains of Madness. Though those events were both treacherous and horrifying, Danforth finds himself longing for more of the unknown. So when he’s sent to Egypt to uncover secrets of hidden, dangerous power, he accepts without question.

The most compelling aspect of Danforth’s character is the tension between his nobility and his obsession. While he is committed to doing the right thing, he’s also mesmerized—perhaps fatally so—by the eldritch horrors he encounters. That fascination consumes him, and his descent into obsession is both disturbing and deeply human.

The story moves at a strong pace, especially once the initial groundwork is laid. The action is tight and purposeful, and the characters Danforth meets are a blend of intriguing, informative, and, at times, utterly monstrous.

Where this story truly shines is in the way its world is rendered—rich in dread, thick with mystery, and painted with a thoroughly Lovecraftian brush. Each scene drips with decadent vocabulary and vivid atmosphere.

Christopher Michael masterfully weaves historical detail into the narrative without weighing it down. The backstory of Nephren-Ka, a figure borrowed from Lovecraft’s own mythos, is especially gripping. And, true to form, the story leaves readers with the central, haunting question that defines cosmic horror: Why?

Filled with the mythology, madness, and occultism that define Lovecraft’s legacy, Tomb of the Black Pharaoh is a harrowing continuation that fans of the genre will appreciate.

I had the pleasure of experiencing this book on audio, and narrator J.T. Verona brings the characters to life with impressive skill, delivering pitch-perfect accents, suspenseful monologues, and a voice that’s easy to listen to for hours. If you enjoy poetic horror, historical adventures, and obsessive journeys into the unknown, Tomb of the Black Pharaoh is a must-read (or must-listen).

Synopsis:

Twenty-four-year-old Liam is a traumatized warrior in a paradise free of war. He works his high-rise job. He is safe, comfortable, and free of suffering. For years, the portals to the brutal and magical world of Erentyr, where Liam came from, have been sealed, civilization protected. All that Liam wants is to live a normal life, to forget about his family’s slaughter in Erentyr before he escaped. But soon he learns that one of his family members is still alive. Flush with terror but clinging to hope, Liam illegally returns to Erentyr’s savage but Fairywild beauty. Once there, however, he finds that much more than fear and hope has awakened in him…

Review:

King of the Forgotten Darkness swept me off my feet into a grim fantasy world full of characters I would die for.

Starting out, I knew I was in for a fantasy read. I was surprised when the book began in a futuristic, sci-fi-like city. I soon learned that King of the Forgotten Darkness features two worlds that deeply contrast with each other.

You have Midworld, which is exactly as it sounds. Though it is peaceful and full of routine, it is uneventful. People work and socialize (mostly through technology), they train, dine, and enjoy their hobbies. There are no conflicts or political tensions.

Then there is Erentyr: a world full of clans, dragons, monsters, and strange phenomena.

The main character, Liam, is from Erentyr but escaped there to spend 15 years in Midworld until being called to return. Erentyr has been struck by a blight that only he can diminish because of his mother’s powers. His previous girlfriend, and long-time friend, Mia, joins him.

The adventure that ensues is harrowing, providing scenes of raging battles, deep character introspection, and constant attempts to overthrow the evils that rule over Erentyr.

Liam is a deeply troubled character, often battling the traumas that followed him from his childhood in Erentyr. Mia, though she grew up in Midworld, was abandoned by her parents and met Liam in foster care. They instantly developed a close relationship, eventually dating and then calling it off when they found it difficult to communicate through their pain.

The side characters in this were delightful. Sea Breeze, the helpful yet mischievous crow, was hilarious, and every time she showed up, I knew we were in for a conversation riddled with mystery and humor. Maple, the gnome, spoke exactly as I figured a gnome would, though I haven’t met many myself—using silly made-up words and overly positive, I think even Mia and Liam got tired of it at times.

There were some deep themes I picked up on in this book, and I loved the way they were depicted. Forget the typical good vs evil trope. The bones of it were there, but what Goodwyn constructed was something more realistic. Once Mia and Liam arrived in Erentyr, they were determined to crush evil and save the day. Yet, the ancient power that resided there called to them. It seduced them. And the decisions they made were not always the right ones.

Something else I enjoyed about this tale involved Liam’s character arc most. When he arrived in Erentyr, he had this view of Midworld being good and Erentyr being bad. His mission was to rid Erentyr of its evils, then return to Midworld where he and Mia could continue living their lives. While he did come to find valued friends and love the righteous bits of the dark world, he came to find that both worlds were two sides of the same coin. The familiar adages of not being able to have light without darkness, or joy without pain, resonate strongly here.

The prose is exquisitely written, each sentence bearing importance without the use of repetitive descriptions or phrases. The pacing was lovely, just enough downtime between action for me to fall deeper for the characters. The banter and dialogue were unique, especially between characters. There was never a question as to who was speaking.

I entered King of the Forgotten Darkness not knowing what to expect, especially after arriving in Midworld, a city full of robots and AI. I left this book with an intense appreciation for the characters’ journeys, a love for who the characters transformed into after such grueling feats, and all around satisfied with the adventure I went on.

Goodwyn’s writing is top tier. Fantasy fans need this on their TBR yesterday.

Synopsis:

Don’t kill the messengers.

As a bodyguard for the King’s Envoys, Gen has the perfect job: traveling, drinking wine, and hitting things with her sword. Her latest mission is to accompany Cordyn, an Envoy and her best friend, through enemy territory to deliver vital military intelligence to an allied nation.

The problem? The mission is a sham.

The King believes Cordyn might be a spy. While Cordyn may be the worst kind of libertine—brash, arrogant, and on the run from half the husbands in the kingdom—Gen can’t imagine him betraying her or their nation.

With obtuse bandits, vengeful mages, and a resolute lutist, they embark on a daring rescue mission, complicated by Cordyn’s increasingly complex schemes. As ominous enemy plots surface, Gen and Cordyn must decide what matters most, their nation or their friends.

A rollicking fantasy adventure for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, Nicholas Eames, and Michael J. Sullivan.

Review:

I went into the Envoys of War in my favorite fashion, without knowing a single thing about the book other than the genre and who wrote it. Being newer to fantasy, I expect a close group of friends, one major quest, and some minor obstacles along the way. Envoys of War left me pleasantly surprised.

The close friendship box is checked off by Cordyn and Gen. Cordyn is a mess, and it’s curious why Gen favors him so much. Gen is straightforward with a good heart. Cordyn often entertains himself with devious activities. The pair is given a quest right from the beginning, and while their friendship seems mismatched, their interactions offer humorous banter and fun contrast.

However, rather than every effort propelling our characters toward achieving their main goal, the conflicts line up and their courses change throughout until the main quest is irrelevant. The characters don’t just encounter stumbling blocks, but events that change their direction completely. They don’t allow their duties to overpower their morality, regardless of the shenanigans Cordyn dabbles in.

We pick up a few people along the way, and the dynamic between several of the characters shifts throughout the book. Characters that I didn’t like at the beginning, I became fond of later on. Characters who didn’t like each other but maintained a mutual goal worked together. Some even started as enemies, or uncertain strangers, only to become the best of friends.

The banter between characters was enjoyable, suitable for the atmosphere of the book, not over the top, while still feeling genuine. It also served to help world-build in a way that wasn’t overly informative and easy to digest.

The action itself is a bit of a slow burn as Lawson takes the time to build up the characters and introduce new plot lines. However, I never felt bored or that the pacing was too slow. I delighted in the slower moments when characters were discussing plans, or trying to determine who was friend or foe.

My favorite thing about the plot is that it was not a straight line from point A to point B. The characters would head out to complete something, end up having to deal with a different task, that task would take them elsewhere, etc. I was never sure where things would end up, and I was unable to predict the storyline.

Within those caveats, the characters would make plans on how to get out of certain debacles. Yet, a lot of plans were thwarted, which fueled my enjoyment, not because I did not want the characters to succeed, but because it forced the characters to come up with unique ways to problem-solve.

The Envoys of War was a very fun adventure. With characters to love, characters to hate, and a plot that evolves as the story goes on, it’s a must-read for fantasy fans, especially those who are newer to the genre. Lawson builds strong characters, navigates them through exciting twisty plots, and crafts fierce battle scenes. I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, whose narrator was superb and perfect for each character involved.

How far would you go to save your best friend?

Chloe Espinoza and her crew pulled off the unthinkable: a heist inside the Kingdom’s impenetrable Koin Vault. But the cost was too high, and nothing was what it seemed.

With the crew fractured and trust hanging by a thread, Chloe’s only hope lies in a long-lost colony buried by history and soaked in blood.

Now Chloe and her crew must pull off one more impossible heist: steal a spaceship, infiltrate the Lost Colony, rescue her best friend, and escape with their lives.

But with danger lurking around every corner, one mistake could mean capture—or worse, death.

The crew is back. The stakes are higher. And failure isn’t an option.

RELEASE DATE: June 18th, 2025

FIND THE SERIES ON AMAZON

COVER ARTIST: Grace Walker

AUTHOR BIO:

Gregory Michael, a tenured cyber security advisor, has always been captivated by the boundless possibilities of science fiction. With a life long habit of immersing himself in stories, he has dedicated over 10,000 hours to exploring worlds found in books, television, and movies. Now, he embarks on a new journey to share his own imaginative universe, debuting with his first young adult, science fiction, heist novel.

Gregory Michael resides in Arizona with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. He enjoys tennis and golf in his spare time, but above all, a good book to read.

Synopsis:

On the Seventh Webway planet of Exteron, an unprecedented disaster wipes out two-thirds of the terraforming colonists. Two teams are sent to the pre-terrestrial world on behalf of the Galactic Human Alliance, mankind’s centralized governing structure, and FLORA, the terraforming super-conglomerate whose technology allowed mankind to inhabit new worlds. The prospect of future Human dominion over Exteron, a world hellbent on rejecting mankind, rests on this investigatory slew of mercenaries, statesmen, and corporate catspaws.

Review:

Burkhardt is a master at Lovecraftian horror, so when I started Doril Song, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I only had an inkling. This tale, a futuristic science fiction horror, took me by surprise within the first few chapters. I thought I knew where it was going, but Burkhardt killed that notion early on.

Burkhardt creates his science fiction world in my favorite ways: snippets of information, dialogue, and description. He keeps it short and simple, giving only pertinent details without breaking the suspense.

Written in third-person, the horrific accounts are delivered by multiple characters. There are many instances of contact with the planet of Exteron, and each one is brutal and terrifying. Each character has their personal goal as to why they venture to the doomed world—politics, money, duty—and some moments reminded me of slasher films, where you are shouting at the screen for the character not to go investigate that sound in the woods, but of course they do anyway.

Exteron is inhabited by…something. The creatures are not just brutal and violent, they seem to have supernatural abilities that ensure the end of anyone who meets them.

Burkhardt’s descriptions of fatal moments are not just visceral and descriptive. At times, they are nearly poetic. Each demise was unique, and I felt that I was visualizing it in front of me.

Though Doril Song is a short read, Burkhardt offers backstories and banter to familiarize the reader with the characters. He provides reasons to root for the characters and relate to them. In horror, this is always bad, but as a reader who loves horror, I enjoyed the heartbreak. The version I read was the audiobook, narrated beautifully by Farah D. This came along with voice effects to mimic helmet comms and space transmissions. The creatures even had their own eerie vocalizations.
Burkhardt’s writing is always precise and sharp. Doril Song blends an eerie atmosphere with a horror that can never be escaped. This story will leave the mind wondering what horrors abide in deep space and haunt you like a lingering melody.

Synopsis:

Fear – arguably humanity’s strongest emotion – is both a blessing and a curse.

It hinders some, while it fuels others, but without it, our species would not have survived hundreds of thousands of years. However it might affect you, you’ve felt fear. We all have. Within this book, you’ll come face to face with new fears as you open your imagination and experience the incredible lives of original characters in eight vast different short stories that span many unique and gripping genres, including thriller, tragic romance, crime, science fiction, retelling, and more.

Each story is a different face of fear.

Review:

Fear by Jose Trevino is a short story collection featuring nine horror tales. Trevino works across horror genres to bring us tales ranging from psychological, supernatural, paranormal, and science fiction.

Trevino’s ability to move seamlessly between past and present tense, along with point of view shifts, is impressive. One story may be written in the third person past tense, then the next in first person present tense.

Trevino displays a variety of characters, all of which were natural and full of depth, even in the short time we get to know them. From a grieving son to a misled youth who has joined a cult, each character is unique and enjoyable.

In some of the stories, the horror builds alongside the plot, revealing unsettling details slowly to help understand each event. In others, Trevino wastes no time. He pulls you in, terrifies you, and leaves enough to the imagination that there is no choice but to continue flipping the pages.

Trevino writes with authority. Though he often drops the reader into an unknown setting, he continues on, delivering just enough knowledge to understand what is happening but leaving the questions unanswered until the right moments.

The stories themselves were unique: twisted retellings of familiar legends, and distinct perspectives on common subgenres. In particular, Dinner For Two and the Hunger took me by surprise in such a delightful way. Both were dark, unprecedented takes on the familiar vampire and zombie stories.

The stories within Fear provided a great balance between dreadful and hopeful. There were terrible endings (my personal favorite), happy endings, and some stories ended with ambiguity, leaving the reader to make their own decisions as to what occurred thereafter.

Fear is a must-have for any horror reader’s shelf—perfect for those who appreciate thought-provoking narratives, fear rooted in everyday life, and genre-spanning, morbid tales.

Synopsis:

Their goal: Survive. It’s been brewing, spreading for months. Now, the line between soldier and civilian is blurred. In the cities, more than a third of the population is carrying the contagion and turning into hyper-aggressive predators, with their family, friends, and neighbors are their prey. Now, a group of survivors must band together and face the chaos of the new world.

Book 1 of the Alone Together series.

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Preorder Alone Together from Amazon

About the Author: Shaun S. Fitzgerald grew up in Carson City, Nevada, and served in the Army before settling in Tallahassee, Florida. He writes horror stories, thrillers, and science-fiction, grounding his works in reality with actual experiences from his travels, and stories he accumulated along the way. When he is not writing, he is researching, building terrifying costumes, at the range on some humid Florida range, or spending time with his wife and loyal Doberman.

Synopsis:

It’s the summer before senior year of college, and Abby’s boyfriend has just booked a weekend away with friends at a rustic lakeside cabin. Located in northern Pennsylvania, the dwelling is tucked away and boasts a breathtaking view.

As drinks are flowing on a moonlit evening, paranormal stories begin to be told—and when talk of the Clatter Man comes up, his grisly tale draws attention. He’s an urban legend with a grim lore, notorious for the ways his victims are slain.

Tensions rise when these friends realize their dark curiosity about the Clatter Man may have gone too far, and what began as a relaxing getaway turns into a battle for survival.

Review:

While Schieke’s Death Cult gave epic ’80s horror vibes, the Clatter Man took me back to the great slasher films of the 2000s. Like Cabin in the Woods or Cabin Fever, this novella starts out with a group of friends excited to get away for the weekend to a lakehouse.

Schieke’s character work, as always, is on point. Not only does she give just enough information to care about and relate to the characters, but they are exactly on par with the personalities required for this type of slasher tale. The sexy and sweet boyfriend, the wild and crazy best friend, the nervous best friend’s boyfriend, and the goofy, carefree fifth wheel. Then there’s Abby, who has had some run-ins with dark entities throughout her life, along with a few tragedies. She tries to be relaxed and fun while still maintaining common sense.

The friends get settled into the lakehouse and begin their weekend of fun with a dip in the water and burgers on the grill. They enjoy a few beers and have a lot of laughs. Then, the talk of urban legends finds its way into the conversation. Dustin, the odd man out, tells the group about the Clatter Man. While most of the group shakes it off as nothing more than a scary story, the wild and crazy best friend takes it to the extreme and attempts to conjure the nightmarish murderer.

I was aware that this story had a bit of romance in it. Ben and Abby’s relationship was sweet. He was patient with her during the times when she was feeling especially anxious or thinking back to the atrocities she experienced in her past. However, I found myself rooting for another outcome, and Schiecke did not disappoint. This tale even depicted a bit of spice as one of the couples moved their evening of alcohol and fun into the bedroom.

Once all hopes of a relaxing weekend are dashed, the story becomes fueled by terror and gore. The Clatter Man is unstoppable, driven by hatred after his own tragic events tore him apart a century ago. Abby feels as though she may be able to stop the Clatter Man, and this is where the story took a fun turn, from Wrong Turn to A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Schiecke will forever go down as my go-to for cozy horror. Her stories are reminiscent of the classic horror movies while always offering a unique spin. Schiecke takes the cabin-in-the-woods trope, decorates it with eerie windchimes, then desecrates it with a bloodbath no one saw coming. As a delightfully creepy cherry on top, the ending is a brutal reminder that “tortured souls never rest.”

Synopsis:

Ruling as king does not suit a man like Mute. The boredom. The monotony. The permanent stagnation…

Until he arrived. The one with the Gift of Silence. The one wielding a dagger. The one who would mold Balewind into a temple to the Silent Almighty. Lord Deaf intends to be the scream that replaced a whisper, offering one final message to the realm before it never hears again:

Bestow upon me your pain, your illness, your sorrow. Silence will absolve them all.

Review:

After reading part one of the Whisper That Replaced God, I was in awe. The writing style, the prose, the character work—I loved all of it. So much so that I listened to the audiobook twice and read the novella in paperback once. When part two was announced, I scooped it up right away.

Part two took me right back into Mute’s deranged world. He rules over a kingdom now. Not sure who allowed that, but the ordeal is bittersweet for King Mute. He battles internally with the deeds done against his family, a lost love, and ruling a kingdom he cares little about.

Timothy Wolff is a clever wordsmith. One of my favorite lines was when Mute’s general speaks and breaks his “wagon of thought”. Wolff often breaks the fourth wall by speaking to the reader in a way that does not break the immersion of the story and often adds a good laugh, such as his references to ratings on Pleasant Reads.

The one-liners Wolff drops throughout are pure gold. I broke out the highlighter and found I might as well have used it for a bookmark.

All that comes close to my heart, eventually ends up close to my dagger.

While Mute is not a hero to root for or a complete villain, he is relatable. He cares for only certain people, appreciates being an introvert, thinks far too highly of himself, and makes selfish decisions. But at least he is able to question himself from time to time. When he faces the supreme version of himself, it is time to face the music. Or the silence.

Shame may fade for a time but never leaves completely. It lingers, waiting for us to be happy, then reminding us why we should never entertain such nonsense.

These lines broke me. And offer an example that Wolff’s prose isn’t always built on humor or to deliver clever zingers. His words dig at the parts of the soul we tried to escape from by diving into a book.

This was an excellent final installment in King Mute’s journey. The plot pushed me along, worried for an otherwise deplorable character that Wollf made so lovable. If you haven’t read anything by Timothy Wolff, you’re missing out. And if you plan to, get your highlighter ready.