Synopsis: 20 Climbers. 20 Watchers. 5 Hunters. 1 Colossus. After both their parents die during the live broadcast of the Tournament of the Colossus, Quinne promises to always keep Benn safe. Even from the deadly Hunters who scour the slums for those who can wield magic. But when Benn’s rare ability manifests during a public […]
About A.J. Calvin
Review: Our Ways Unmasked (The Apidecca Duology #2) by C.B. Lansdell
Synopsis: Return to Knyadrea, a world of sea-born people shaped by tumultuous forces. Picking up nearly a year after the events of Far Removed, we follow our protagonists, the resourceful Oklas and guarded Prismer, as they face a unique set of challenges in their socially stratified society. Knyadrea’s sovereigns grow ever more paranoid. Armed enforcers patrol […]
Cover Reveal: The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier by Natalie Kelda
I’m excited to help with this cover reveal for Natalie Kelda’s upcoming book, The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier. It’s a gothic historical fantasy standalone novel with sapphic/queer romantic main plot, releasing October 27, 2026. * * * * * * * Cover illustration by Natalie Kelda, with assistance/advice from C.B. Lansdell, Miriam Yvette, and […]
Review: StarHawks: Aegis (StarHawks #1) by Vennessa Robertson
Synopsis: Citizen. Civilian. Veto. In the distant future, when mankind leaves FirstEarth to forge a new home among the stars, these three words are used to classify every person in the galaxy. Alanwe Treskae, commander of the StarHawks, has always served the High Council with honor. Until she is asked to falsify a report concerning […]
Review: The Pawns of Havoc (Envoys of Chaos #0.5) by Dave Lawson
Synopsis: No Mercy, No Questions Asked. Cork has quickly made a name for himself among the Kosellan mercenaries, but now his boss has come to him with an unusual job. Cork’s erstwhile countrymen, the Winn, have hired to him to travel into the barren Frozen Lands and destroy a convoy, leaving only one survivor. Cork […]
Review: The Rill Lord (The Triempery Revelations #6) by L.L. Stephens
Synopsis: The final battle is here. The Wall has been destroyed–and magically restored–by Dorilian Sordaneon. Instead of a hero’s return to Prince Handurin’s army, the Kheld and Esseran troops are mutinous, fearing Dorilian’s newly revealed powers. The rift allows the sorcerer Nammuor to spring a deadly trap. When Handurin and Dorilian finally engage with Nammuor’s […]
Review: Children of Memory (Children of Time #3) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Synopsis: Earth failed. In a desperate bid to escape, the spaceship Enkidu and its captain, Heorest Holt, carried its precious human cargo to a potential new paradise. Generations later, this fragile colony has managed to survive, eking out a hardy existence. Yet life is tough, and much technological knowledge has been lost. Then strangers appear. They possess […]
Review: Children of Ruin (Children of Time #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Synopsis: Thousands of years ago, Earth’s terraforming program took to the stars. On the world they called Nod, scientists discovered alien life—but it was their mission to overwrite it with the memory of Earth. Then humanity’s great empire fell, and the program’s decisions were lost to time. Aeons later, humanity and its new spider allies […]
Review: The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen
Synopsis: The starship Horizon’s crew spent ten years trapped across the expanse of space. Now they’re finally home—only it’s not the home they knew. The Cluster, once a peaceful coalition of planets, has fractured in the wake of civil war. Captain Demora Kim wants nothing more than to protect her surviving crew. It’s what she owes […]
The One Thing I Always Prioritize
The One Thing I Always Prioritize Written by Tao Wong The one thing that always creeps into any of my work – even the cozy works – has always been about the cost, or the price, for choices. I think without considering, or valuing the cost of actions, the sacrifices one makes, work and life […]
Review: The Wings of Ashteroth by Steve Hugh Westenra
Synopsis: The great city of Qemassen is at a crossroads. A powerful empire from beyond the ocean threatens to reignite a centuries-old feud. A slave rebellion brews in the tangled labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city streets. And Crown Prince Ashtaroth, the city’s supposed saviour, is considered unfit to rule even by those closest to […]
Review: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Synopsis: The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age — a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden. […]