October 2025 Indie Book Reviews

Eclipsing the Storm by C.G. Jaquish

Category Five Magical Hurricane
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
4 Stars

Since there’s a fourth book in the To Be Nameless series, this third installment mustn’t murder Eclipse. However, she’s sorely tested as usual and, to my astonishment, nearly undone by mind-bending revelations. Obliteration lurks (deriving primarily from Victor & Amy) & bitter trials ensue from many unexpected angles, even her friends. Avoiding these severe spoilers, I’ll cautiously generalize that maybe both Eclipse & myself took too much for granted. Also, the title definitely applies.

Fabulous features: Classic Eclipse outfoxing lazy bureaucrats. Shrugging eyebrows. Incognito Eclipse going silent to conceal her identity but then must remain inconveniently mute for longer than she’d like. A cute little girl & her “unamused” cat playing Eclipse & Adamere! The leveled-up weekend: “Duotween.” Consulting the First Aid for Dummies manual & her critique thereof. Amy’s television network broadcasting the Eclipse Reality Show, live as she duels to the death.

The God Spear by L.L. Stephens

Teambuilding Retreat: Fruitful, Fiasco or Both?
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
5 Stars

Dorilian finds new ways to outsmart himself & Hans takes to fisticuffs when words won’t suffice in this superlatively captivating fourth novel of The Triempery Revelations series. If some dastardly HR department decided not to fire an employee but nonetheless demanded his resignation, they’d probably orchestrate a scenario similar to what Dorilian faces surrounded by hostile Khelds in Amallar. While extolling the bumbling Stefan, they disgracefully swaddle Hans in their “tradition” without deigning to stop, look or listen to him or his grave tidings. Nothing would please them more than if Hans would foolishly ignore reality, discard his integrity & promise to walk Stefan’s path, rehashing or exceeding his grievous blunders. Only level-headed Robdan understands their dilemma. Wait until they see Nammuor in action! Maybe cooperation will seem palatable after he’s melted them…

The God Spear clobbered me at least twice within the first dozen pages: Descriptively, “… complete with that Kheld love of ostentation which they so steadfastly denied.” And assertively, “I think I’ve learned to recognize a somebody when I see one. And I don’t believe in nobodies.” Memorable & outstanding expressions of innuendo/subtleties, depth/magnitude or humor/irony abound throughout (minus my paperback edition’s six numerically missing pages), including epigraphs preceding each chapter. Among those, a nugget of Mark-Frederick’s wisdom, urging readers to patiently discount the intention of hostile acts & instead rationally examine their consequences, excels to the foremost rank of sound advice. Evocative & prescient realizations walloped several characters, dawning upon them like the finales of The Usual Suspects or The Sixth Sense. Capturing those instantaneous, irrevocable tectonic shifts in a manner where text reads like watching such films could be the author’s hidden forte.

My favorite moment was an accidental glimpse of Dorilian, still juggling his incognito identity but making progress, effortlessly tossing six rings at once in one fluid motion & impossibly staking all six.