Upstream Reviews Presents…!

Presenting a list of eligible works for your enjoyment!

Aug 13, 2023

We here at Upstream know of more books than we can review. For one thing, we have our own books to write and promote. Then we have our acquaintances’ and/or friends’ novels to read, either for feedback or to review. It is a full load, and we often need (or just desperately wish) for a break!

So today is going to see a different kind of post here at Upstream Reviews – the promotion post. Looking for something to read to scratch that itch you just can’t name, but will know when you see it? Tired of the same old, same old from the usual purveyors of entertainment?

Below you will find books marked by genre that are recommended for your perusal. Some are new, some are independent, some are non-fiction, and some are short stories. A few have been reviewed at Upstream in the past. If the blurbs and/or linked reviews strike your fancy, feel free to click the links and follow them to see if you want to buy what’s on the other side.

Oh, and be sure to pass news of these books along via word of mouth (or shared links 😉). After all, if you want something new, someone else in your circle probably does as well!

Now, let’s get started on that list….

The Monkees GIF, Peter: "Ladies and gentleman, thank you very much ...

Science Fiction

Since we review sci-fi and fantasy works, it only makes sense to start with the science fiction. These days it is hard to find good sci-fi. Lucky for us, we happen to know – and to have reviewed – some very good science fiction novels. To whit:

Phoenix (The Carter Files Book 1) by Lori Janeski (reviewed here)

Humanity has colonized the solar system, but crime still doesn’t pay. David Carter is one of the most decorated agents in the Interplanetary Police Forces, but for the last two years, he’s turned reckless, throwing himself into his work—or into the path of a criminal’s bolt pistol. As a specialist in deception analysis and interrogation, Veronique de Tournay has been right where she wants to be: a profiler in the major cases bureau, Division 7.

Unfortunately, the director has reassigned her to Special Agent Carter, and neither of them are happy about it. After they stop a devastating attack on Mars, meant to kill thousands and cripple interplanetary travel, Carter and de Tournay discover evidence of other subversive attacks in the system. With time running out, the reluctant partners may be the only ones standing in the way of a conspiracy that stretches all the way from Luna to the Saturn Space Station.

Between Two Graves (Combined Operations Book 4) by Dorothy Grant

He swore he wouldn't be back while his parents lived...

Now, almost thirty years later, AJ is going home.

Ordered to attend his mother's funeral in the rugged northern border of the Empire, AJ is baring old wounds to his new wife, and burying familial feuds.

But the past won't die that easily, and grave secrets will threaten all the survivors and the women they love. Because the Feds are after AJ's unwanted inheritance...

And they're willing to risk a war to get their hands on it.

The Long Black (The Black Chronicles Book 1) by J.M. Anjewierdan

Morgan always assumed that if she could survive growing up in the mines of Planet Hillman – feared for its brutal conditions and gravity twice that of Earth – she could survive anything.
That was before she became a starship mechanic. Now she has to contend with hostile bosses, faulty equipment, and even taking care of her friend’s little girl. Once pirates show up, it’s a wonder she can get any work done at all.

White Ops by Declan Finn (reviewed here)

The Pharmakoi rampaged across dozens of star systems, taking on the toughest races in the Galaxy in their campaign of conquest. But they are only the beginning.

Sean Patrick Ryan sees that another race is behind the Pharmakoi expansion ; a race that wants to test our galaxy for weakness, and who needs to be eliminated from within. To fight the enemy in the shadows, Sean will put together a strike team to light up the darkness— with nukes if necessary.

They will get the job done at any cost.

They will be White Ops.

The Vixen War Bride (The Vixen War Bride Series Book 1) by Thomas Doscher

With the destruction of their home colony, Captain Ben Gibson and his Army Rangers have nowhere else to go. Six months after humanity’s victory in Earth’s first ever interstellar war, a group of soldiers are tasked with running a convoy refueling base in a rural part of the occupied enemy world. When they arrive, they find the local village has been abandoned in anticipation of their arrival by the panicked residents. Fearing a possible humanitarian crisis, the troops have to go into the alien wilderness to find them, reassure them that the humans are not the savages they’ve been taught they are and bring them back. And it won’t be easy. They will have to overcome language barriers, a fearful and hostile population, cross-cultural miscommunications, almost no support from the Army, and their own demons to succeed. With no idea where to start, it looks nearly impossible until the sudden arrival of a dirty, disheveled priestess who confesses to a host of war crimes and demands she be executed for them.

Fantasy

Tired of fantasies that are sprawling epics? In that case, you might just like some of these smaller, more personal tales instead. Introducing:

Pearl of Fire by C. Chancy

Bombs, fire, and murder....Caldera City. Stronghold and refuge, built by faith and elemental power in the heart of a volcano; surviving through magic, tactics, and a daring alliance with dragons. For Allen Helleson, Caldera was an escape from the lives ruined by his family’s hardline traditions; now he walks the streets as an Inspector for the Caldera Watch, defending the city other nations see as a pit of hell. For Shane Redstone, Caldera was the home she risked life and soul to defend as a Flame - until enemy curses blinded her, sending her away from the front lines forever. The war has come home again....Together they survive the first bomb. But Caldera’s enemies never stop with just one. Now a scarred yet deadly ex-soldier and a spirit-reading Inspector have to find and stop the bombers... before Wards fall, dragons die, and the caldera erupts in flame. One wrong move, and the city burns.

The Paths of Cormanor by Jim Breyfogle (reviewed here)

Amara is a young woman of Cormanor, a household whose womenfolk have the ability to transform into cormorants to fly and dive for fish. Kellen is the youngest prince of the realm, a seventh son of a seventh son, and wishes to see these remarkable women for himself.

During the pageantry upon the lake, Amara’s cousin falls into the water and is spirited away by the Grimly, a malign creature of the elder world! Kellen braves both water and monster to rescue the boy. However the Grimly manages to trap the prince’s soul and mark him for death! Amara tracks the Grimly to her lair, slays the wicked beast, and restores life to the young prince... but a piece of Kellen’s soul is trapped within Amara!

The death of the sinister Grimly is just the beginning—Kellen must find the means to recover his missing piece of soul, while Amara and her family are haunted by the vengeful offspring of the monster she had slain! Kellen and Amara each must undertake their own harrowing journey, meeting delightful friends and dastardly foes, along the Paths of Cormanor!

Jim Breyfogle’s beautiful new novel of fantastical romance is inspired by Eastern and Northern European myth and fairytale and sure to delight readers of all ages.

The Turquoise Serpent: Ashes of the Urn 1 by Alexander Palacio

Sharp swords ring and dark magic crackles! In this tense, high-speed story, an exiled warrior and a disfavored wizard find themselves stranded deep in the kingdom of a forgotten god. To survive, they will need overcome enemy soldiers, mythical beasts, a dark god, and their own hatred for each other - and even that might not be enough. This is the first novel in the Ashes of the Urn series.

The Standard-Bearer's Oath (Sarbotel Rising Book 1) by Daniel Zeidler

Avenge the fallen. Restore honor to her people. Someone else can be inspired to liberate the kingdom.

Fourteen years after Sarbotel fell to the armies of a mad alien mage, Ilse is the last surviving member of her resistance cell. When she's offered a chance to return to her homeland, she chooses vengeance instead. Allying with an immortal Guardian who has reasons of his own to want the mage slain, she's out to put an end the Tyrant's despotic rule.

The stakes are higher than she knows, for if Ilse fails to defeat the Tyrant, the entire planet may be destroyed...

The King's Prey: Saint Dymphna of Ireland (God's Forgotten Friends) by Susan Peek

An insane king. His fleeing daughter. Estranged brothers, with a scarred past, risking everything to save her from a fate worse than death. Toss in a holy priest and a lovable wolfhound, and get ready for a wild race across Ireland. Will Dymphna escape her deranged father and his sinful desires?

For the first time ever, the story of Saint Dymphna is brought to life in this dramatic novel for adults and older teens. With raw adventure, gripping action, and even humor in the midst of dark mental turmoil, Susan Peek's newest novel will introduce you to a saint you will love forever! Teenage girls will see that Dymphna was just like them, a real girl, while young men will thrill at the heart-stopping danger and meet heroes they can easily relate to. If ever a Heavenly friend was needed in these times of widespread depression and emotional instability, this forgotten Irish saint is it!

LitRPG/GameLit

Here are some books that take the GameLit and LitRPG tropes and make good use of them for telling stories!

Dungeon Samurai Vol.1: Kamikaze (An Anti-LitRPG Dungeon Crawl) by Kit Sun Cheah (reviewed here)

Yamada Yuuki is an ordinary college student with an extraordinary hobby: the classical martial art of Kukishin-ryu.

Until one fateful day when a demon rips through the fabric of space-time, abducts everyone in his dojo, and transports them to another world.

To return home, Yamada and his friends must join forces with other displaced humans to conquer the dungeon that runs through the heart of the world. Standing in their way are endless hordes of bloodthirsty monsters and countless traps. Armed only with steel, faith and guts, they must battle their way through the winding catacombs to confront the demon waiting at the bottom floor.

Yamada was once a student. Now he must become a samurai.

Monster Punk Horizon: A Monster Hunting GameLit Adventure by H.P. Holo (reviewed here)

THE HUNT IS ON!

Pix just wants to hunt monsters, craft armor, and pay off her college loans.

Her partner Jaz does, too. She just wants to pet the monsters more. While wearing impractical hot pants armor. And wielding a sword so massive she needs magic gems to carry it.

Their skill levels? Slightly above noob. But when a colossal new monster falls through the portals in the Dazzling Skies, they’ll have to raise their game.

The Screecher is a half-dragon, half-bug monstrosity bent on one thing only: to devour everything on the Monstrous Continent. If it lives, their home dies.

And Pix and Jaz might be the only ones who can save it. After all, Jaz is best friends with the legendary Harlequin Mantis, and what better way to fight a giant monster enemy … than with a giant monster friend?

Will Pix, Jaz, and Harly defeat The Screecher, or will it be Game Over for the Monstrous Continent?

A Healer's Gift: A LitRPG Fantasy (Adventures on Brad Book 1) by Tao Wong [oh, look, it’s free!]

A Gifted Healer. A Dungeon Town. A Fate Yet to be Determined.

Daniel was Gifted by the gods at birth, able to heal with a touch even the most grievous wounds. Born in a mining camp, he's unable to still his restless heart and journeys to a nearby Dungeon town to take his first steps as an Adventurer. Follow his journey in a world filled with monsters, dungeons and a leveling system.

A Healer's Gift is a traditional fantasy story with LitRPG elements inspired by popular light novels like Dan Machi, Konosuba and Grimgar. The Adventures on Brad is a series of short novels set in a fantasy world and details the day-to-day life of Daniel and his friends as he learns what it means to be an Adventurer.

Short Stories

We do not review short stories here at Upstream, a fact I frequently forget before setting out to write a review. But that does not mean we do not read short stories or know of those who write them. For those who like short stories (and, in the case of the first book on this list, poetry):

Lift High the Candle (Wyrd Rhymes) by Heather Strickler

When the storm rages onward
And the world comes tumbling down
And there seems no future forward,
And you’re deep enough to drown.

Some times a simple song uplifted
Can ease the burdened soul.
So here a book has drifted
With rhymes to ease the toll.

Call of the Rougarou by Kelly Grayson

When the blood moon rises and awakens the rougarou, good Catholic boys gotta do what they must, and it's more than following the rules of Lent so they don't become no rougarou themselves. You gotta have a brave and true heart, and a helluva lot of firepower.

And sometimes, even that ain't enough.

The Hall of the Heiress by Mary Catelli

She knows nothing of the hall where she lives, alone, where sea serpents prowl the shore, except that it bears the name Hall of the Heiress -- not even if she is the heiress it speaks of.

Any more than she knows her own name.

Or whether there is any escape from the hall.

Blood Stained Cliffs of Dover: a Love at First Bite short story by Declan Finn

In World War II, the allied invasion of the continent hinges on keeping one secret absolutely secure. No one must find out, or all hope is lost.

Tonight, German spy Konrad Achterberg is about to discover what that secret is.

He's also about to find out that the Nazis aren't the scariest predators in the night. Because something in the dark is colder than the dark. And it is hungry.

Contact: Angeles by Caroline Furlong

While removing a prototype sensor from the prow of her new Alliance battleship, the Ausa, Captain Elizabeth Goodwin and her crew encounter a setback when one of the engineers sent to remove and stow the device is injured in an accident. Before the other engineer can help the man, the two are surrounded by amoeboid creatures which seem immune to the effects of vacuum.

Thought to be hallucinations experienced by early spacers who had been alone in deep space too long, these creatures – known as “angel fish” – startle the crew by their sudden appearance. Despite her misgivings, Goodwin allows three of the aliens to be taken aboard for study. But less than an hour after the aliens have been brought on the ship, one of Goodwin’s men is killed and another is seriously wounded.

Her search for both the murderer and the escaped “angels” soon leads to a disturbing revelation. Eventually, Goodwin must decide which threat is greater: an old enemy of the Alliance, or the fabled “angels” encountered by the first explorers from Terra.

Classics

Ah, the books that inspired us to pick up a pen or begin tapping at a keyboard. We love them and can still curse the day we first picked them up, for writers enjoy writing – to a point. When the book just does not want to coalesce or the sales aren’t doing well, however…well, that is when we return to old friends to remember why we started on this journey in the first place.

Witch World (Witch World Saga Book 1) by [Andre Norton]

Witch World by Andre Norton

The first book in the classic Witch World saga by beloved fantasy and science fiction author Andre Norton. Simon Tregarth, a man on the run, escapes from our world into another, where magic still has power. He finds new purpose in the service of Estcarp, whose witches use their ancient knowledge of magic to protect their home. But a new threat is rising: the mysterious Kolder, who possess powers and technology unlike anything known in the Witch World. It will take Simon and the forces of Estcarp all their might, their courage, and their magic to drive back the insurmountable enemy.

The War Against the Rull by A. E. van Vogt (reviewed here)

When A.E. van Vogt wove several of his classic stories of The Rull into a novel, he created a work of enduring popularity in the science fiction field. Now back in print for the first time in the 1990s, this Tor edition includes "The First Rull," a story that postdates the novel and makes this book the first complete edition of the saga of the war between humanity and the alien shapechangers.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

"The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald is a classic fairy tale novel first published in 1872. The story takes place in a medieval kingdom and follows the adventures of Princess Irene, the only daughter of a queen, who lives in a castle on a mountain top. One day, Princess Irene begins to see goblins lurking in the shadows who want to capture her and take her to their underground kingdom. She eventually meets Curdie, a miner's son, who helps her to overcome the dangerous creatures.

Throughout their journey, Princess Irene and Curdie face various challenges and magical events that test their courage and friendship. They encounter a wise old woman who gives them important advice, a magical thread that guides them through the darkness of the underground tunnels, and a cunning goblin king who wants to keep Princess Irene captive in his kingdom.

One of the key themes of the novel is the power of imagination and the importance of courage, kindness, and selflessness. The imaginative descriptions of the supernatural elements, such as the goblins, the underground kingdom, and the magical thread, captivate the reader's imagination and bring the story to life. Additionally, the allegorical themes of good versus evil, the power of love, and the importance of standing up for what is right are woven throughout the story, making it a timeless classic.

Non-Fiction

Writers read anything and everything. That includes non-fiction, since it helps us craft our fictional worlds and tends to be more interesting than present news. (Who likes the news, anyway? It’s just depressing.) On that note, here are a few non-fiction reads which you might enjoy reading:

The Last Straw: A Critical Autopsy of a Galaxy Far, Far Away by John C. Wright (reviewed here)

Come quibble about a galaxy far far away!

Once, in a theater long ago and far, far away, young audiences thrilled to the nostalgic space epic of yesteryear, known then only as STAR WARS, and were duly enthralled. So much goodwill, so much affection, so much love has rarely been lavished on any franchise. So much money from so many eager fans was never so readily available.

And yet, with one potent Deathstar-like blast of mind-breakingly awful film making, the Disney Corporation has managed to alienate that goodwill, spurn that affection, and lose that money. Why? What makes THE LAST JEDI so appallingly bad? What made the film maker think he could win over his audience by insulting his audience?

Science Fiction Grandmaster John C Wright laments, analyzes, and autopsies the horrific story-telling of a film that, for so many of us, was the last hope for STAR WARS, the last dime we will ever spend on this once-beloved franchise, and the last straw that broke our patience.

Something Like An Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa

Translated by Audie E. Bock.

"A first rate book and a joy to read.... It's doubtful that a complete understanding of the director's artistry can be obtained without reading this book.... Also indispensable for budding directors are the addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of steeping oneself in literature, from great novels to detective fiction."
--Variety

"For the lover of Kurosawa's movies...this is nothing short of must reading...a fitting companion piece to his many dynamic and absorbing screen entertainments."
--Washington Post Book World

The Hobbit Party: The Vision of Freedom That Tolkien Got, and the West Forgot by Jonathan Witt and Jay W. Richards

Anyone who has read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings can gather that their author hated tyranny, but few know that the novelist who once described himself as a hobbit “in all but size” was—even by hobbit standards—a zealous proponent of economic freedom and small government. There is a growing concern among many that the West is sliding into political, economic, and moral bankruptcy. In his beloved novels of Middle-Earth, J.R.R. Tolkien has drawn us a map to freedom.

Scholar Joseph Pearce, who himself has written articles and chapters on the political significance of Tolkien’s work, testified in his book Literary Giants, Literary Catholics, “If much has been written on the religious significance of The Lord of the Rings, less has been written on its political significance—and the little that has been written is often erroneous in its conclusions and ignorant of Tolkien’s intentions…. Much more work is needed in this area, not least because Tolkien stated, implicitly at least, that the political significance of the work was second only to the religious in its importance.”

Several books ably explore how Tolkien’s Catholic faith informed his fiction. None until now have centered on how his passion for liberty and limited government also shaped his work, or how this passion grew directly from his theological vision of man and creation. The Hobbit Party fills this void.

The few existing pieces that do focus on the subject are mostly written by scholars with little or no formal training in literary analysis, and even less training in political economy. Witt and Richards bring to The Hobbit Party a combined expertise in literary studies, political theory, economics, philosophy, and theology.

For All Their Wars Are Merry: An Examination of Irish Rebel Songs by Declan Finn

"For all Their Wars Are Merry" is an examination of the uses and implications of songs in Irish terrorist organizations such as the IRA and all of their various and sundry splinter factions. Basically, it will examine why the Irish have these songs as such a widespread phenomenon, and what the songs tell us about these Irish terrorists.

From songs like “My Little Armalite” to “Come out Ye Black and Tans,” one gets the feeling that the IRA doesn't quite take their British opponents as seriously as one would think, given the amount of bombs and firepower the IRA and all of its mutations has thrown at them in their fight to have Northern Ireland united with the Republic of Ireland, or at least independent of the United Kingdom.

Along the way, it will cover why the Irish terrorists have such songs, why they apologize for their atrocities, how Catholic they thing they are. It will trace these traditions going back back to the days of the Druidic Bards-Irish poets-of the early Celts some three thousand years ago, up to and including the poet Patrick Pearse in the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin.

John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood by Michael D. Sellers

It took 100 years to bring Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars to the big screen. It took Disney Studios just ten days to declare the film a flop and lock it away in the Disney vaults. How did this project, despite its quarter-billion dollar budget, the brilliance of director Andrew Stanton, and the creative talents of legendary Pixar Studios, become a calamity of historic proportions? Michael Sellers, a filmmaker and Hollywood insider himself, saw the disaster approaching and fought to save the project – but without success. In John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood, Sellers details every blunder and betrayal that led to the doom of the motion picture – and that left countless Hollywood careers in the wreckage. JOHN CARTER AND THE GODS OF HOLLYWOOD examines every aspect of Andrew Stanton's adaptation and Disney's marketing campaign and seeks to answer the question: What went wrong? it includes a history of Hollywood's 100 year effort to bring the film to the screen, and examines the global fan movement spawned by the film.

Sites & Links

The interwebs are a wild and wooly place where you can get lost and not find anything ever again. Not unless you have great research of Google-fu skills. It seems like a good time in which to share a few sites that you might enjoy subscribing to, Upstream readers.

Maryh1000’s Substack, where she publishes short fiction: