Tag Archives: war

Steel Horizons by Lamar Golden and Liana Golden (Book Spotlight)

 

The Ashlands were never meant to be conquered. Ravaged by war and poisoned by time, this vast wasteland was the last stronghold of the machines—a relentless force threatening humanity’s survival. For the Pacific Union fleet, battered and weary from countless battles, there is no choice but to fight. Failure means extinction.

Akira Tanaka, Maile Kaulani, and Kento Mori have led their crews through impossible odds, dismantling the machines’ network node by node. But with every victory comes heavier losses, and the final push tests the limits of their strength, resolve, and unity. As they venture into the heart of the machines’ fortress, where every step could be their last, the cost of survival becomes painfully clear.

Set against a backdrop of steampunk-inspired technology, relentless action, and haunting landscapes, Steel Horizons is a gripping tale of resilience, sacrifice, and the unyielding human spirit. Will the fleet endure, or will the Ashlands claim their last hope?

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Meet the Authors!

Lamar and Liana Golden are a dynamic father-daughter duo on a mission to captivate hearts, inspire minds, and leave a lasting legacy through the power of storytelling. With a shared passion for imagination and creativity, they weave tales that transport readers of all ages—from whimsical children’s stories that ignite wonder to gripping YA adventures and thought-provoking novels that linger in the soul.
 
For the Goldens, storytelling is more than a craft—it’s a family tradition. Lamar brings years of life experience, wisdom, and a knack for spinning unforgettable narratives, while Liana infuses their works with youthful energy, fresh perspectives, and a deep connection to the dreams and struggles of today’s readers. Together, they create a symphony of stories that resonate across generations.
 
Beyond their writing, Lamar and Liana share a zest for life’s simple joys. They’re adventurers at heart, often found savoring delicious food, laughing over spirited games, and seeking thrills at theme parks. These moments of connection fuel their creativity, reminding them of the importance of building a legacy of love, imagination, and goodness in the world.
 
Their dream is simple yet profound: to inspire readers everywhere, one story at a time, and to leave behind a world just a little brighter for having shared their journey. Join Lamar and Liana Golden as they open the door to extraordinary worlds and unforgettable adventures—you won’t want to miss a single tale.
 
You can contact us at lamar.golden1@gmail.com or via X (Formerly Twitter) @LNLGolden
 

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Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War (The Graphic Novel Book #1) by Ram Khatri (Book Review)

Justice is the story “with all too familiar human challenges,” says Paul Levitz, former president at D.C. Comics. He further adds that it seems like “the world keeps getting smaller” with the emergence of such graphic novels.

Ram Khatri’s Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War is the story of a young girl’s brave journey to reclaim the life she left behind during the unforgiving conflict of the Nepali Civil War. With its sublime settings, diverse characters, and riveting narrative, the young girl learns the truth about the life that she left behind.

During the decade-long “People’s War” in Nepal, more than 17,000 people were killed. Thousands of innocent civilians were also abducted and beaten by both government and Maoist forces. Even today, years after the war has ended, it is unknown what happen to many of the nearly 1,400 people who went missing. While the people mentioned in Justice are fiction, the story is based on events that actually occurred during and after the Civil War era in the country.

The graphic novel has two sections. The first section was illustrated in color by Sandipan Santra while the second was illustrated in black and white by Ingrid Lilamani.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War (The Graphic Novel Book #1) by Ram Khatri is based on actual events that occurred during and after the Civil War era in Nepal. The people and places mentioned are fictional, but the story shows the magnitude war has on a country and its people despite using a fictional cast of characters. 

Before the graphic novel began, I read “A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR.” In it, the author informs the reader the book is divided into two sections. “The first section was illustrated in color by Sandipan Santra while the second was illustrated in black and white by Ingrid Lilamani. The purpose is to show how different artists from diverse backgrounds visualize the unique Nepali settings, characters, and its historical events.” As an avid reader of comics and graphic novels, this unique feature intrigued me because I have never witnessed any other book mimicking this setup. 

Going into the reading, I was unfamiliar with Nepal and enjoyed the brief overview of it. I learned many new facts. For instance, the currency is the Nepalese Rupee. Since geography is not my strong suit, I liked the zoomed-in image of Nepal on the map. 

Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War (The Graphic Novel Book #1) shows war’s effects on a country. It affects every component: economy, citizens, and livelihood. Both illustrators did a lovely job of making the reader feel the family’s fear, sorrow, and regret. As the illustrated story demonstrates, no matter how hard you try to avoid getting involved, often, there’s no hiding from the battle. 

Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War ends on a cliffhanger, making any reader eager to read what happened next for the major character. 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading comics and graphic novels. I would also recommend this book to those who want to share the effects of war with their children (elementary age and older).

 

 
 
 
Meet the Author
 
Translator of Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ in Nepali, Ram Khatri works in book publishing. He holds an M.S. in publishing from New York and an M.A. in English literature from Kathmandu. Ram is always fascinated by truly diverse, unrepresented, and heartwarming stories that touch lives.
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Nova’s Blade: A Young Adult Dystopian Cyberpunk by Will Scifi (Book Spotlight)

Content Rating: PG-13 + M: So there are no curse words or sex scenes in the book. There is violence such as people getting stabbed, limbs cut off, head cut off. There is a mention of an abortion in it, no depiction of it. No suicides’, but talks about it as well.

 
 
THIRTY-TWO WOMEN. ONE ARENA. A BATTLE TO THE DEATH.
After a long war, corporations have replaced countries. Sports are fought to the death. The most popular game is Last Valkyrie, a live tournament where women kill each other for marriage into a powerful family.
For Nova, living in poverty with her mother and sister is a harsh reality that she cannot escape. But when she is kidnapped and forced to fight on the show, her world changes. If she refuses to fight, the bomb in her head goes off. Now winning means her freedom.
With death lurking at every moment, Nova has no idea if her next fight will be her last. But one thing she knows for certain: only one is making it out alive.
Perfect for fans of Hunger GamesThe Selection, and The Princess Trials. You won’t want to put down this exciting page-turner!
 
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Meet the Author: 
 
Author Will Scifi

 
Will Scifi is a pen name for an author from California. He loves reading and writing mainly science fiction that touches on themes surrounding American culture. He draws inspiration from the over 500 movies he has watched in the last 5 years, books, tv shows, and real life. When he is not writing, he can be found in the gym or watching movies at home or in the theaters. He thanks all of his fans for their support and highly encourages anyone who has read his work to always leave a review.
 
 
connect with the author:  
website twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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To Every Page a Turning: One Life’s Journey by Carl Buccellato (Book Spotlight)

 

In this novel, the journey begins in the innocence of America in the 1950s. Traveling through hope, a great cause, disenchantment, hopelessness, discovery, and rebirth, the novel also recounts the travel of a generation as they move through time. As you read the pages of this book, you will discover a man perhaps not unlike yourself, seeking knowledge, peace, and faith. Perhaps you, like he, have traveled through the paradigm shift of the twentieth century both in awe and fear of what lies ahead.

 

 

 

 

Each man who journeys through life must travel through its season and ultimate lessons. For some, the journey is brief, and their life’s light is fleeting. They are like rockets that flare to the heavens, glowing brightly only to go black in the next instant. Still others travel what seem to be an abbreviated journey, missing some of life’s seasons, never knowing the agony or the ecstasy of what they have missed. But some live each season, taste each tear, relish each sunrise, and brace themselves against each burst of wind. They have traveled life’s highways and finally joined the many pieces of themselves into the whole person they were born to be.

When a man is clearing old files out from his garage, he comes across a folder containing an old manuscript he wrote twenty years previously as part of his recovery therapy. It had served as a catharsis for him to help transition old painful issues from his past. He was still a young man when he wrote the words, and as a senior in his seventies, he begins to reflect on his life s journey. As he reads the old papers, many memories come flooding back. He begins to find that our lives are like pages turning from one place in our lives to another, each unique, holding treasures and pains of its own, and each a window to growth, learning, and acceptance of who we are and who we were born to be.

 

 

 

For all things there is a season, a time to laugh and a time to cry, a time for planting and a time for harvesting, a time for making war and a time for peace, a time to live and a time to die. Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

Each man who journeys through life must travel through its seasons and ultimate lessons. For some, the journey is brief, their life’s light is fleeting. They are like rockets that flare to the heavens glowing brightly only to go black in the next instance. Still others travel what seems to be an abbreviated journey, missing some of life’s seasons, never knowing the agony or the ecstasy of what they have missed. But some, some live each season, taste each tear, relish in each sunrise, brace themselves against each burst of wind. They have traveled life’s highways and finally joined the many pieces of themselves into the whole person they were born to be.

Nietzsche has written, “That which does not destroy us makes us stronger.” This journey begins in the innocence of America in the 1950s, and travels through hope, a great cause, disenchantment, hopelessness, discovery, and rebirth. It is the travel of a generation.

And a man who was uniquely part of that generation.

Overcoming, survival, and success. It finally centers on the one day in 2019 when he must reflect upon his lifetime and must come to terms with who he is today. He must acknowledge he has kept himself apart from his surroundings and buried his feelings deep inside.

 


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Meet the Author:


Carl Buccellato was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942, and is of Italian-American descent. Throughout his career and travels, Carl has met a broad array of different people. Some, down on their luck, some at the pinnacle of their careers and personal lives. Many of the people and their stories left a mark on Carl’s heart and mind. It is from some of these encounters that Carl has drawn inspiration for a few of the fictitious characters in this novel. Today, Carl resides in Coral Springs, Florida, with his wife Mary Ellen. She is an award-winning multimedia artist and speaker. Together, Carl and Mary Ellen love traveling the globe and looking for new inspiration for their gifts and talents given to them by their loving God.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook  ~ youtubegoodreads

 

 

 

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The Last Imperator by M L Tishner (Book Review)

 

How much will she sacrifice for peace?

After six months of campaigning, Rei and the other Volocio have barely convinced half the star cluster to vote for the Federation.

Activist groups from all sides are calling for a war Rei is destined to declare, but she won’t do it. While she wants to kill the Dominion Sovereign – Anekris Praymer – she wants to destroy him herself. She can channel lightning – she is the god queen – she doesn’t need more than that and the whole star cluster doesn’t need to go to war for it.

But tensions are rising beyond both their control and when both Rei and Anekris are trapped together after an attack – they strike up an uneasy alliance.

As time progresses, Rei finds herself wondering – will they remain enemies or will they join together and finally unite the Federation and Dominion?

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Niklaryn

(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)


WOW, what a marvelous read! 

The Last Imperator by M. L. Tisher had continuous action sequences, betrayal, family drama, love, magic, and surprise developments. It’s the type of story you’ll want to pull an all-nighter to read so that you can finish it in one sitting. I would’ve done just that, but I had to teach the following morning, so I reluctantly put the book aside to catch some zzz’s. However, come bright, and early the next day, I hurried back to The Last Imperator. 

M. L. Tisher did a spectacular job developing a solid storyline. I loved every dramatic moment—sibling against sibling. Even though this story took place in space and with individuals who possessed unique talents/powers, M. L. Tisher gave them qualities we would see here on Earth: anxiety and panic attacks. The Last Imperator didn’t shy away from mental illness; you’ll read multiple mentions of it. As a person who suffers from several mental issues, I appreciated how M. L. Tisher presented it in The Last Imperator.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

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Read the first four chapters for FREE!

 

 

Mari, a native Hoosier, currently lives in southern Germany where she entertains people with her adventures as an American expat in the Land of Beer and Pretzels on her blog adventuresoflamari.com as well as the adventures of her pugs, Abner and Roxy. When she’s not writing, Mari cooks, snowboards, dances to the beat of her own drum, reads late into the night, and binge watches Netflix with her husband. The God Queen is her debut novel.

 

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