Indie Books Read: July

Here at Phantom Owl we support indie authors. We've asked book bloggers to share their indie book reviews with us, and at the beginning of every month, we're going to share with all of you the wonderful books they've suggested. We hope to not only bring attention to indie books, but also to promote the bloggers that are taking the time to read and review them.

The list includes books of all genres.

To find out how to link up to your indie book reviews click HERE.

Books are arranged by rating.

Adam's List by Jennifer Ann
April Books Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads Rating: 4.08 Stars

"Throughout the novel there is this bittersweet tug and pull between living life to the fullest and being responsible, which is exactly what becoming an adult is all about." - April Books

Faded by Chloe Miles
Bookwyrming Thoughts Review: 4 Stars
Goodreads Review: 4.38 Stars

"While Faded isn't the greatest start in the entire world or made a dent into my favorites, it's certainly memorable with the characters and its uniqueness" - Bookwyrming Thoughts

The Duke's Holiday by Maggie Fenton
Victorian Soul Critiques Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating: 4.07 Stars

"The Duke's Holiday surpassed my expectations, has the atmosphere of its subgenre (historical/Regency), and made me believe that there are great romance books still lurking out there, waiting for me to discover." - Victorian Soul Critiques

Tankborn by Karen Sandler
Chick Lit Chickadees Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating: 3.66 Stars

"Even though it started out as probably a two, Tankborn finished as a solid four. A really good read!" Chick Lit Chickadees

Prom Impossible by Laura Pauling
The Bookish Owl Rating: 2 Stars
Goodreads Rating: 3.26 Stars

"This book is being marketed as a romantic comedy reminiscent of Shakespeare but it is anything but. Sure, the situations can be considered hysterically funny but Shakespeare creates characters who are memorable and distinctive whereas Prom Impossible is an epic fail in that aspect." - The Bookish Owl 

The Duke's Holiday surpassed my expectations, has the atmosphere of its subgenre (historical/Regency), and made me believe that there are great romance books still lurking out there, waiting for me to discover. - See more at: http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-dukes-holiday-rr1-mf.html#sthash.Kf26J62h.dpuf

"The Duke's Holiday (The Regency Romp Trilogy #1)" by Maggie Fenton - See more at: http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-dukes-holiday-rr1-mf.html#sthash.Kf26J62h.dpuf

The Duke's Holiday (The Regency Romp Trilogy #1)" by Maggie Fenton - See more at: http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-dukes-holiday-rr1-mf.html#sthash.Kf26J62h.dpuf

The Duke's Holiday (The Regency Romp Trilogy #1)" by Maggie Fenton - See more at: http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-dukes-holiday-rr1-mf.html#sthash.Kf26J62h.dpuf

The Duke's Holiday (The Regency Romp Trilogy #1)" by Maggie Fenton - See more at: http://victoriansoulcritiques.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-dukes-holiday-rr1-mf.html#sthash.Kf26J62h.dpuf

Native Silver by Blake Hausladen
SKJAM! Rerviews Rating: Unrated
Goodreads Rating: 4.6 Stars

"I can recommend this volume much more than the first in the series, and if the author continues to improve at this rate, the next volume should be well worth it." - SKJAM! Reviews

Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch
Chick Lit Chickadees Rating: Unrated
Goodreads Rating:3.73 Stars

"From the world building, to the character development, to the dialogue, to the beautiful descriptions, this book was incredible!" - Chick Lit Chickadees







See what books were suggested by bloggers in June.

If you are a blogger who would like to contribute to the "Indie Books Read: August" post, you can do so HERE. Reviews submitted must be for books read in August of 2014, must be self-published or  published by an independent or small press (like Phantom Owl), and must be added by the reviewer not the author. You can add a review for a book that we've already featured, but cannot submit the same review twice.


How can we improve this post? Let us know, leave a comment.  

Indie Books Read: June

Here at Phantom Owl we support indie authors. We've asked book bloggers to share their indie book reviews with us, and at the beginning of every month, we're going to share with all of you the wonderful books they've suggested. We hope to not only bring attention to indie books, but also to promote the bloggers that are taking the time to read and review them.

The list includes books of all genres.

June was a bit of a slow month. We want to thank The Good, The Bad and The Bizarre for their submissions, and to let book reviewers everywhere know that we'd love to know what indies you've read in July. To find out how to link up to your indie book reviews click HERE.

Books are arranged by rating.



Shadowcursed by Gelo Fleisher
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre Rating: Good
Goodreads Rating: 4.46 Stars

"The characters are easy enough to understand and sympathize with, and have enough complexity to keep them interesting, but enough simplicity that they don’t trouble the reader with questions afterwards. All in all, a good show and worth the read." - The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre

The Guests of Honor: Tales from the Virtue Inn, Book One by Cat Amesbury
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre Rating: Bizarre
Goodreads Rating: 4.46

"The novel was sometimes exceptionally thick with the wacky and the strange—and, though we could share the heroine’s exhaustion at the end of each day (no wonder for that, given that she’s essentially battled the bizarre for her life all day long), we were always eager to turn the page and almost always surprised at what we encountered there." - The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre
 

Stranger in the House by Chris Vaughn
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre Rating: Bad
Goodreads Rating: 3.33

"we were ultimately disappointed because this story was only a few steps away from greatness, and with all its problems it just could not cross the finish line." - The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre






See what books were suggested by bloggers in May.

If you are a blogger who would like to contribute to the "Indie Books Read: June" post, you can do so HERE. Reviews submitted must be for books read in July of 2014, must be self-published or  published by an independent or small press (like Phantom Owl), and must be added by the reviewer not the author. You can add a review for a book that we've already featured, but cannot submit the same review twice.


How can we improve this post? Let us know, leave a comment.  

Indie Books Read: May

Here at Phantom Owl we support indie authors. We've asked book bloggers to share their indie book reviews with us, and at the beginning of every month, we're going to share with all of you the wonderful books they've suggested. We hope to not only bring attention to indie books, but also to promote the bloggers that are taking the time to read and review them.

The list includes books of all genres.

Books are arranged by rating.

Ravensdale by Lucinda Elliot
April Books Rating - 5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.62 Stars


"Overall this was a fun read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance, or who are looking for a break from the YA genre" - April Books









Six Moon Summer by SM Reine
Bookwryming Thoughts Review - 3.5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.83 Stars

"Six Moon Summer was an interesting story, yet a not so interesting story. The story mainly focuses on Rylie's transformation from a human to a werewolf at a summer camp, with the prologue giving a flash forward." - Bookwryming Thoughts

22 Leadership Fundamentals: the Door to Success Says Push! by Alison Vidotto
The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre Rating - Good
Goodreads Rating - 4.83 Stars

"We found this to be a very good introduction into the world of self-help and leadership books." - The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre

A Letter From Hell by William Presley
The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre Rating - Bizarre
Goodreads Rating - 4 Stars

"All in all, this is a good way to spend an afternoon when, like us, you occasionally hunger for a thrill and a scary page-turner. Horror fans will not be disappointed." - The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre

Beyond the Rails by Jack Tyler
The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre Rating - Good
Goodreads Rating - 3.88 Stars

"This book single-handedly convinced us to reconsider our dislike of Steampunk." - The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre

The Pericles Conspiracy by Michael Kingswood
The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre Rating - Good
Goodreads Rating - 3.71 Stars

"There’s enough in here that you could read it a couple times over and discover new things every time. Like all books it has its flaws, but it does a great job of presenting its strengths first." - The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre





See what books were suggested by bloggers in April.

If you are a blogger who would like to contribute to the "Indie Books Read: June" post, you can do so HERE. Reviews submitted must be for books read in June of 2014, must be self-published or  published by an independent or small press (like Phantom Owl), and must be added by the reviewer not the author. You can add a review for a book that we've already featured, but cannot submit the same review twice.


How can we improve this post? Let us know, leave a comment. 

Indie Books Read: April

Here at Phantom Owl we support indie authors. We've asked book bloggers to share their indie book reviews with us, and at the beginning of every month, we're going to share with all of you the wonderful books they've suggested. We hope to not only bring attention to indie books, but also to promote the bloggers that are taking the time to read and review them.

The list includes books of all genres.

Books are arranged by rating.


Beauty Is for Suckers by M.A. Carson
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.40 Stars

"This incredibly funny vampire tale was well-written, with engaging characters and ludicrous situations that were nevertheless so viscerally described that they were ultimately believable." - Martyn V Halm




The Arrival by CM Doporto
 Bookwyrming Thoughts Rating - 4.5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.27

"The Arrival is completely different... Miranda is a determined heroine." - Bookwyrming Thoughts

Voice by Joseph Garraty
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.10

"From the prologue, that gets the chills going, the story plunges the characters in a downward spiral that is both inevitable and horrifying." - Martyn V Halm





Six Dead Spots by Gregor Xane
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.07 Stars

"Disturbingly funny, or hilariously disturbing, Xane’s wonderful Six Dead Spots chronicles the protagonist’s floundering descent into madness." - Martyn V Halm
 



Crazy For Cowboy by Roxy Boroughs
Icequeen's Bookshelf's Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.34 Stars

"An entertaining light read. Which I enjoyed immensely." - Icequeen's Bookshelf

Fall of Venus by Daelynn Quinn
Bookwyrming Thoughts Rating - 3 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.21

"Fall of Venus is a really interesting story." - Bookwyrming Thoughts

Looking for Chet Baker by Bill Moody
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 3 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.56 Stars

"I enjoyed Evan’s first person narration, and I know Mr. Moody is a musician himself by the way he can write interestingly about performances and the life of musicians." - Martyn V Halm

Sark by Steven Price
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 3 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.25

"Recommended to fans of Douglas Adams/Terry Pratchett." - Martyn V Halm

Severance Kill by Tim Stevens
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 2 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.75 Stars

"Only recommended if your suspension of disbelief is made out of sturdier material than mine." - Martyn V Halm

The Killing League by Dani Amore
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 2 Stars
Goodreads Rating- 3.62

"I had high expectations of this book, due to the enticing blurb, but the story failed to deliver." - Martyn V Halm

Girl Fights Back by Jacques Antoine
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 1 Star
Goodreads Rating- 3.83

"I understand how the author probably created a kick-ass teenage heroine that other teenage girls could empathize with, but in my opinion that would require a heroine who would also feel doubt and fear and anger and sadness." - Martyn V Halm

The Cleaner by Mark Dawson
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 1 Star
Goodreads Rating - 3.81

"John Milton sounded interesting until I got too much information in the worst way possible." - Martyn V Halm

Agent In Training by Jerri Drennen
Amsterdam Assassin Series Blog Rating - 1 Star
Goodreads Rating - 3.53

"So, for those who enjoy a good laugh, this book comes highly recommended if you can overlook the poor editing, but people looking for romance or suspense might better look elsewhere." -Martyn V Halm

Aristocrats and Assassins: Detectives Chen and Castilblanco by Steven Moore
The Good, The Bad and The Bizzare Rating -Good
Goodreads Rating - 5 Stars

 "Leaves the audience satisfied, fulfilled, and looking forward to the next big adventure." - The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare

 Chains of Prophecy: The Samuel Buckland Chronicles by Jason Crawford
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare Rating - Good
Goodreads Rating - 4.25

"We seriously hope that this is a series. Although it ended with an actual ending, we were left craving more." - The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare

The Elect: Allison’s Story by Elle Todd
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare Rating - Good
Goodreads Rating - 4.11

"What really makes this story shine is its characterization and emphasis on personal interactions. Each of the characters felt unique and real, and we really enjoyed the mystery of figuring out what was happening." - The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare

Strange Eight by K.L. Nappier
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare Rating -Good
Goodreads Rating - 4 Stars

"Strange and unexpected in the best of ways." - The Good, The Bad, The Bizzare

Reprobate: A Katla Novel by Martyn V. Halm
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare Rating - Good
Goodreads Rating - 3.91 Stars

"An impressive set of writing, plot, and suspense. If you like foreign settings, police procedurals, and insight into the criminal mind, then this is a definite plus." - The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare

How to be Bad: A Decision Select Novel by Michael La Ronn
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizzare Rating - Bizzare
Goodreads Rating - 4.57 Stars

"For those who like to see a story’s inner workings, this book presents a fascinating extra layer." - The Good, The Bad, The Bizzare

The Wired Man by David Suski
Easy Reader Book Reviewer Rating - Unrated
Goodreads Rating - 3.56

"The Wired Man is a very interesting look at the current trend of on-line social networking.  It is an action adventure science fiction work." - Easy Reader Book Reviewer





See what books were suggested by bloggers in March. 

If you are a blogger who would like to contribute to the "Indie Books Read: May" post, you can do so HERE. Reviews submitted must be for books read in May of 2014, must be self-published or  published by an independent or small press (like Phantom Owl), and must be added by the reviewer not the author. You can add a review for a book that we've already featured, but cannot submit the same review twice.


How can we improve this post? Let us know, leave a comment.

Indie Books Read: March

Here at Phantom Owl we support indie authors. We've asked book bloggers to share their indie book reviews with us, and at the beginning of every month, we're going to share with all of you the wonderful books they've suggested. We hope to not only bring attention to indie books, but also to promote the bloggers that are taking the time to read and review them.

The list includes books of all genres.

Books are arranged by rating.

Paranormal Keepers by Jen Naumann
April Books Rating - 5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 5 Stars

"The very first chapter sent chills through me, and I couldn’t help but be sucked into Harper’s life." - April Books



  



The Devil's Cradle
KT Book Reviews Rating - 5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.61

"If you like a thrilling story line and don't mind a little bit of dark content... I highly recommend this book. I LOVED it." - KT Book Reviews

Cup of Life by Juliana Haygert
Bookwyrming Thoughts Rating - 5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.58

 "Micah's a fun character; I'm sort of wishing Destiny Gift and Soul Oath had more of Micah, and it's a lot of fun seeing things from the another corner." - Bookwyrming Thoughts





A Different Kind by Lauryn April
Pretty Little Pages Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.67

"A Different Kind is inviting and fast-paced. The story took off on the very first page, and I found myself engrossed immediately." - Pretty Little Pages

Shattered Veil by Tracy E. Banghart
Anatea's Bookshelf Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.55

 "Shattered Veil, after starting out not that great, turned out to be a really enjoyable read, and I'm happy to say that I'd recommend it to anyone and am happily waiting for the next book in The Diatous Wars." - Anatea's Bookshelf




The Rookie's Guide to Guns and Shooting by Tom McHale
SKJAM Reviews Rating - Unrated
Goodreads Rating - 3.62

"I’d recommend for future editions, if any, that the politics and “humor” be cut back considerably in favor of more solid information, which is what the book does best." - SKJAM Reviews





See what books were suggested by bloggers in February. 

If you are a blogger who would like to contribute to the "Indie Books Read: April" post, you can do so HERE. Reviews submitted must be for books read in April of 2014, must be self-published or  published by an independent or small press (Like Phantom Owl), and must be added by the reviewer not the author. You can add a review for a book that we've already featured, but cannot submit the same review twice.


How can we improve this post? Let us know, leave a comment.

Indie Books Read: February

Here at Phantom Owl we support indie authors. We've asked book bloggers to share their indie book reviews with us, and at the beginning of every month, we're going to share with all of you the wonderful books they've suggested. We hope to not only bring attention to indie books, but also to promote the bloggers that are taking the time to read and review them.

The list includes books of all genres.

Books are arranged by rating.

Mind Static by Jen Naumann
April Books Rating - 5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.44 Stars

Merlin's Children by Megan Joel Peterson
Bookwyrming Thoughts Review - 4.5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.5 Stars

Lichgates by S.M. Boyce
Bookwyrming Thoughts Review - 4.5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4.10 Stars

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes
Bookwyrming Thoughts Review - 4.5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.96 Stars

Touching Smoke by Airicka Phoenix
The Book's Thing Rating - 4.5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.91 Stars

Ephemeral by K.A. Poe 
Bookwyrming Thoughts Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 4 Stars

The Princess Problem by Diane Darcy
Ice Queen's Bookshelf Rating - 4 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.6 Stars

Unbound by Georgia Bell
Bookwyrming Thoughts Review - 3.5 Stars
Goodreads Rating - 3.96 Stars

Grief: 5 Stories of Apocalyptic Loss by Michael Coorlim
The Book's Thing Rating - Unrated
Goodreads Rating - 4.43 Stars

Frances Elizabeth Willis by Nicholas J. Willis
SKJAM! Reviews Rating - Unrated
Goodreads Rating - 4.33 Stars

The Thirty-Ninth Man by D.A. Swanson
SKJAM! Reviews Rating - Unrated
Goodreads Rating - 2.88 Stars










Phantom Owl would also like to make a special shout out to Follow the Yellow Brick Road, for submitting Braedric's Bane by A.J. Nuest. However this particular book is published by HarperImpulse UK. Considering this is an Imprint of HaperCollins we do not feel this book fits the guidelines for this post.

If you are a blogger who would like to contribute to the "Indie Books Read: March" post, you can do so HERE. Reviews submitted must be for books read in March of 2014, must be self-published or  published by an independent or small press (Like Phantom Owl), and must be added by the reviewer not the author.


How can we improve this post? Let us know, leave a comment.