by Ellis Shuman Rating: ***** Rakiya is a beautifully crafted collection of a dozen character-driven short stories that effortlessly immerse the reader into Bulgaria's cultural fabric, history, and traditions by subtly straddling the genres of travel memoir, mystery, and romance. Shuman unfolds his absorbing little narratives in first and third-person perspectives, through the eyes and everyday experiences of seemingly ordinary Bulgarians and those visiting the country. Conn

by Carly Rheilan Rating: ***** After serving fourteen years in prison for the murder of a little girl, Ralph Sneddon is under no illusions that he is a complete outcast, rightly loathed, and regarded as a depraved monster even by his mother, Verity. Some crimes are unforgivable, no matter the passage of time, and Ralph’s is one of them. But seven-year-old Mary Crouch knows none of this when she chances upon him while chasing an injured cat. Ralph knows how his friendship with

by P. C. Darkcliff Rating: ***** As the empire is engulfed in a war against the Darkside and Archmage Gadram is indisposed, only Baard has the power to summon the living and the dead to the Ultimate Battle with the magical battleaxe, Tarroth. Mages and warriors who were adrift in the Sea of Oblivion are re-animated as Tarroth strikes the ground for the second time. However, can their combined Might overcome the Dark Overlord, and do Baard and Co., have any fight left?... Thi

by Chris Leite Rating: **** Mr. Portis Strawberry harbors dreams of becoming a famous director but instead works as a low-grade math teacher. Late one Friday night in Brooklyn, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to a strange cinema featuring the opening night of a film that promises to be box-office gold. It's a film that he supposedly made. The thing is, Mr. Portis did write and plan the film, nineteen years ago … so who exactly is the Mr. Portis Strawberry who has brought

by Daniel Hall Rating: ***** Born in Dagenham, East London in 1958, Edward “Eddy” Turner is expected to follow his father, Lenny, into factory work and football hooliganism. But no matter how hard Eddy tries to gain his father’s approval, it becomes clear he isn’t cut out for the hard-drinking, violent working-class community that Lenny is a stalwart of. Eddy is a thoughtful, compassionate, and clever young man who is also gay. It Was a Riot takes Eddy from the mean streets

by Thurdy Rating: **** Oddities is an aptly named collection of eleven weird and quirky short stories that fall under the speculative fiction umbrella as they mash up and/or move broadly between horror, sci-fiction, and fantasy. However, this description is rather too simplistic, frankly, Oddities , is a mixed bag of downright surrealism. There is a seam of subtle cynical humor through most tales, some are fairly similar in theme and a couple carry motifs from others. All,

by Yvonne Osborne Rating: ***** Trying to cope with the recent loss of her mother, Sadie Wixom is immersing herself in the rural Michigan farmstead she shares with her father and Grandfather. When her aunt temporarily houses an Indigenous family from Saskatchewan, Canada, Sadie is intrigued, especially by the son, Stefan. Both free-spirits, damaged, and impacted by loss, Stefan and Sadie forge a connection. But, as racial bigotry in the local town escalates, and Stefan’s eld

by Chet Nairene Rating: ***** Thirty-six-year-old tech wizard, Lew Clarke is about to ascend to god-like status at the corporate behemoth he has worked for since leaving Harvard. Accolades, and more importantly to Lew, eye-watering levels of financial recompense are raining down on him. But when a minor, forgotten issue floats shockingly to the surface, Lew’s gold-plated, superficial existence implodes. After licking his wounds, Lew embarks on a new business venture, import

by George Veck Rating: ***** Twenty-five-year-old cue hustler, Alfie “ Whack a Tenner on ” Fenner has exhausted the Gwynedd pool and snooker small-time money matches and tested the patience of a few old faces. It's time to aim big, Cardiff no less. Wangling a place on a Sports psychology degree course and with his student loan tucked away, Alfie plans to set the City alight with his cueing prowess and take full advantage of the fame and fortune that will surely follow… Rough

by Mathias B. Freese Rating: ***** In the Throes introduces the reader to “ Gruff ”, a colossal, grotesquely-rendered, primitive creature who exists in a dystopian toxic hellscape. Gruff develops awareness, linguistics, and the capability for artistic expression through an anomalous evolutionary quirk. He can communicate with humankind, who have always been his prey, and the relationships he forms with them have profound consequences for both species. In the Throes was draf