Review: Akarnae

Akarnae by Lynette Noni (Book 1 of The Medoran Chronicles)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Akarnae by Lynette Noni is a young adult, coming-of-age, fantasy. Although there aren't any wizards or witches, the story reminds me in many ways of the Harry Potter books, with a touch of Magic Kingdom For Sale...Sold! by Terry Brooks tossed in for good measure.

16 year old Alexandra Jennings, Alex to her friends, steps through a door and finds herself stranded in Medora, and quickly enrolled in Akarnae Academy, a school for gifted students. With no way to return home, she settles in with her friends' help, and becomes more comfortable in most of her ... unusual ... classes. She also uncovers some of the school's mysteries, and, perhaps most surprising, she learns she may have a larger role than just being a student.. a role that may be crucial in preserving the Medoran people against an ancient threat that has reappeared. 

Akarnae is terrific tale of found family, full of adventure, secrets, surprises, hidden places and unexpected danger. The story is an intriguing, fun, fast-paced read, and I was reluctant to put it down at night. I'm really looking forward to reading Noni's second book in the series, Raelia. 

Recommended especially for tweens and teens, and anyone who enjoys a fun fantasy full of adventure and intrigue!

Thanks to Astra Publishing House for providing an eARC to review via #NetGalley 

The US edition of Akarnae releases on Sept 22, 2026.

#MedoranTeamUS #MedoranABFYR

Review: Night Soldiers

Night Soldiers by Paul Michael Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

   Under the bed is where the 

darkness lives.

   Now, adults think darkness is 

simply the absence of light. That is a 

charming theory.

   Unfortunately, it is completely 

wrong.

   Darkness is a place.

I recently read Night Soldiers by Paul Michael Kane. It's a short story, in chapbook form, about the battle that occurs every night as children drift off to sleep and the night soldiers awaken to keep the monsters under the bed at bay. I LOVED IT, and can't wait to share this story with my grandchildren. 

Stan is a stuffed sloth who wakes each night as his boy, Parker, falls asleep. His goal: protect Parker from the monsters that emerge from the darkness under the bed. I won't spoil anything here, but will just say that poor Stan has his work cut out for him as wave after wave of different types of monsters try to get past his defenses and reach the sleeping Parker.

The design of this book is fantastic! It has a very cool cover, pairing a "Starry Night" blanket with a stuffed sloth under the bed, ready for battle against the approach of shadowy tendrils. And the two-column layout practically pulled my eyes down the page! 

I also loved the imagery - describing fear as a living thing that "grows best when it has time" and the sound one monster makes as something that "creeps into dreams." 

I also enjoyed the few nods to Stephen King's IT story.

Night Soldiers can be purchased directly from Paul Michael Kane's online store here: Night Soldiers purchase link

Review: Ender's Tribe

Ender's Tribe by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 4 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ender's Tribe is a collection of 8 stories set in the Ender Universe. Those who are familiar with Ender's Game - the novel, NOT the mediocre film adaptation from 2013 - will feel right at home diving into this collection which includes, among others, the original Ender's Game short story.

Each of these stories involves at least one character from the Ender Universe, and reading them is like visiting with an old friend, and hearing tales of their adventures since the last time we got together. 

What this collection is missing is something new. The 8 stories included here have all been published elsewhere, but collecting them as they are in this book provides a nice overview of the events that occur before, during, and after the final battle with the Formics.  All in all, this is a solid, enjoyable collection, but I recommend reading the Ender's Game novel first, to avoid spoilers and gain some familiarity with many of the characters featured here. 

Some of my favorites from this collection are: 

Ender’s Game - 

The original short story that was the basis for the longer Ender's Game novel and the series of stories that followed. I read this when it was first published in Analog magazine many years ago and it is as compelling a tale today as it was back then. 

Ender’s Stocking - 

Focuses on the Wiggins family, mainly older brother Peter and his mother, as Christmas approaches and they each deal with their reactions to Andrew (Ender) being away at Battle School. Ever ambitious, and jealous, Peter tries to find ways to gain influence and recognition, while his mother mourns the absence of her youngest and the impact that the Formic Wars have had on her family.

The Gold Bug - 

A story set on one of the Formic colony worlds which has been occupied by humans since the total destruction of the "Buggers." In this story a pair of colonists head out on an expedition to explore more of the planet and find some unusual, and dangerous, remnants of the Formic colonization. 

Renegat - 

This story stood out for me in large part because it reminded me of the original Speaker For The Dead novel. Andrew Wiggin, and his sister Valentine, arrive on a planet "speak the death" of a brilliant xenobiologist, and to learn whether his death was connected to his study of possible intelligence within local creatures. 

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing an eARC to review via NetGalley!

Ender's Tribe releases on Oct 20, 2026

Review: The Man On The Ceiling

The Man On The Ceiling : And Other Scary Tales from Young Authors by Chisto Healy (and 12 young authors)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Man On The Ceiling : And Other Scary Tales from Young Authors is a fun collection of dark and scary tales from a dozen young authors ranging in age from 6 to 13. 

The young writers in this anthology have given full rein to their wild and twisted imaginations - in all the best ways! The stories include shadows that come to life and attack the unwary, zombies, an unusual take on birthing new vampires, haunted and evil objects and locations (houses, forests and ponds), encounters with extraterrestrial horrors and an artist gifted/cursed with the power to get even with a vicious bully. While the themes may be familiar, the stories themselves are as unique as those who tell them. 

As Healy says in the book's foreword, the kids wrote their stories and then he worked with each of them "to flesh out their ideas, ... and did my best to help their vision come to life. Make no mistake, these stories are all theirs - not mine." The result is a wonderful anthology full of spookiness, chills, thrills and kills. 

I was drawn to this book by the variety of tales and the premise of helping young authors unleash their imaginations, bring their stories to print, and share them with others. With Healy's help, these young authors delivered the creepy goods!

Recommended for all, and especially for classrooms and programs looking for examples of what young writers can create when given encouragement and support.

Thanks to Chisto Healy for providing an eARC of this anthology for review. 

The Man On The Ceiling : And Other Scary Tales from Young Authors will publish on July 27, 2026 and contains stories from 

• Alexa Taylor: The Man On The Ceiling
• Madilyn Richie: The Dim Bonfire
• Rubi-Leigh Baynam: The Hybrid
• Welles Young: The Girl Who Became a Skeleton
• Mal Iler: Operation Thalassaphobia
• Tucker Coburn: The Invasion of the Dolls
• Gray Hernandez: In The Forest, They Dwell
• Boe Healy: The Revengecil
• Finn Ramirez: What's Wrong With Grandma?
• C.T. McKnight: The Music Box
• GiGi Volpe: The Color Red
• Key A.V.: Duck, Duck, Ghost

Review: Worry Box

Worry Box by Chris Panatier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I recently read Worry Box by Chris Panatier, thanks to the eARC I got from Angry Robot Books via #NetGalley, and let me tell you this is a killer story! The prologue alone is enough to make you say "WTF!"

As the story unfolds we meet the Martins, parents Nathan and Alison, their 9 year old daughter Dru and 11 year old foster daughter Lailah. The Martins hope to adopt Lailah, even as they help her cope with her intrusive thoughts, which often encourage her to commit dangerous or violent acts.

It's not long after they move into the perfect home in a desirable neighborhood that... unusual... events begin to happen. These inexplicable occurrences seem welcoming and even helpful at first, but soon take on a darker tone. The girls believe a ghost is responsible, while the parents feel one, or both, of the girls are involved, playing pranks that get out of hand. Both girls deny any involvement even as events escalate, and Lailah comes under extra scrutiny because of her intrusive thoughts.

Each of the chapters is written from a different character's perspective, so we get to experience each one's hopes, dreams, worries and fears. This shifting perspective highlights the Martin's confusion, concern, panic and horror, as weird events continue to occur within the house.

Worry Box is a master class in building tension and terror amid shifting family dynamics. As events spiraled out of control I found it more difficult to put the book down, and raced through the final third of the book to find out what happened and who was responsible.

Worry Box publishes September 22, 2026.

Review: #AuthorLife

#AuthorLife by Joe Zagets
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#AuthorLife by Joe Zagets is a dark tale, full of surprising revelations and twists.  It is also a fun, entertaining and satirical look at the publishing industry from the perspective of Mackenzie "Mack" Lane, a down on his luck author, who's hiding the extent of his financial difficulties from his wife, his extended family and his friends. While he had some success with his debut thriller years ago, his more recent books were received with much less enthusiasm and commercial success. The lower sales, along with some poor financial decisions, have left Mack on the brink of bankruptcy. 

Desperate to boost sales and fulfill his dream of being seen as an "important" author, he comes up with a plan (his "Daring Scheme") to increase the buzz around his upcoming novel, and enlists the help of his agent, who reluctantly agrees. Mack knows his plan will cause pain and anguish to his wife and teenage son, but rationalizes that the reward will outweigh the cost in the long run. 

I loved the book, although I must admit that I really didn't like the main character very much. It seems like every time he did something that might help someone else he had an ulterior motive. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! And to say that he doesn't make the best choices given his situation is a vast understatement... I found myself going between feeling slightly sorry for him, then thinking maybe he might have some redeeming virtues, and eventually just wanting to give him a (proverbial) slap across the face while shouting, in the words of Will Rogers, "When you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!".

#AuthorLife is a fictionalized, "behind the curtain" look at the publishing industry and some of the challenges authors and agents have, and the lengths to which they might go to give their books the best chance of success. It was fascinating and thought provoking, irreverent and, especially in the later chapters, a roller coaster thrill-ride!   

Many thanks to Bad Hand Books for providing an eARC to review. #AuthorLife releases on Sept 22, 2026.