July 2025 Indie Book Reviews

Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm

by Joel C. Flanagan-Granemann

Cultist Warbringers Threaten Recent Peace Between Fairies & Humans
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
4 Stars

As far as book ones go, Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm introduces the series & sets the stage very well. We meet all the players, learn about their post-war world, magical powers, wings (iridescent, feathers, leather or lack thereof) & other attributes, and witness both dastardly & heroic deeds. Seeking conflict between the realms, entrenched power-hungry sects, both fairy & human, coordinate surreptitiously with likeminded greedy, would-be despots in the “enemy” faction. These backstabbers deceive their “friends,” promote hostility & incite violence for to gain influence or wealth. Certainly, the cure for such warped politics must be tolerance… and magic! However, don’t expect a standalone novel’s resolution (the worms’ can is wide open!).

Highlights: Suitable mannerisms definitely add breath to these characters & ample gestures flavor their customs. From the “Just so” replies & waving away an argument to sneering honorific titles & twice rubbing one’s hands for secrecy, many social interactions seemed quite balanced & dynamic. Colorful expressions including “Goddess speed” & the delightfully repetitious ado about those uber-useful fireberries. Clever innovations (or perhaps rediscoveries from delving into the remote past) in the art of folding space. And beautiful but often simple imagery (“They reached the grove of trees one cloud ahead of the storm.”).

 

The Convergence by Casie Aufenthie

This Multiverse Has It All
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
4 Stars

Note: Please read the also aptly named Drift & Symbiosis books first.

Fang spins propaganda so backwards much of the populace fanatically supports her & her dystopia. Cruel enforcers protect her agenda of hate by crushing dissent with swift punishment which is often public executions. Uncowed by her lies, Tristan envisions a better, Watership Downy community where equality spans a peaceful globe. Alas, he’s terminally ill & outfoxed. Could perhaps he or Samara be a latent Level Four? Or might prophecy, prayer & prenatal jumbles maybe intersect for an improbable (but promised) happy ending?

As a sci-fi geek, I thoroughly enjoyed The Convergence for sampling a buffet of Star Wars’ worlds (and droids), explaining the mechanics of Star Trek, viscerally implementing the X-Men’s evolution & sifting the paths/visions of Dune. But it’s romantasy too, full of frustrating bickering & splashes of Harry Potter, principally a Snape surprise & a horcrux effect (“Stuck somewhere between alive & dead, he lacked the freedom of the former & the peace of the latter.”). People die left & right, some gruesomely. But throughout there’s an imaginative variety of means (ex. melted, eaten alive…) applied to ushering in the finally redundant fates. A creative angle differentiates this particular, meaningful demise from both earlier, similar instances (for named characters) & those uncountable, generalized deaths (of the masses, civilians & soldiers).

Assorted other highlights: Prison collars reminiscent of The Running Man. The old fake tooth ploy. Some Braveheart decisions, sacrifices & climatic battles. One of the coolest touches was how Wyatt’s ghost spoke to those who listened… as the universe lives, so too don’t we all, in a sense? Alternate Wyatt’s advice to Tristan alone was worth the retail price & then some. Lastly, barring any page-skipping accidents from all the commotion, you’ll find nothing missing herein.