Umbra is science-fiction with a bit of everything: Exploring worlds, dogfights, politics, and a slow-burn romance.
Self Published
Book Review: Centauri’s Shadow by Ross Garner
TL;DR Review: Great character work. A solid mystery driving the plot. A fascinating exploration of first contact and its ramifications. Synopsis: ‘Eight years ago they sent a single ship to test our defences. Now they’re building an armada.’ Cole grew up in the shadow of grief. Kyoko grew up in the shadow of war. Two […]
Review: Herald (Age Of The GodEater #1) by Rob J. Hayes
Synopsis A thousand years ago, humanity’s greatest heroes killed God. Across the land of Helesia, the iron grasp of the Godless Kings is failing. Demons stalk the deep forests, monsters break free of their prisons beneath the World Vein, and terrors of the old world rise again. Deep in the wintry village of Riverden, Renira […]
Australian & New Zealand Author Showcase No 25 – Assaph Mehr
An idea squeezed into my head in 2023, after seeing so many of the book community gathering at conventions across the US and UK. And once my FOMO subsided, I got to thinking about who might be gathered together if we had similar conventions closer to home. Pending the master planning required to arrange a […]
Review: Red Season Rising (The Red Season Series #1) by D.M. Murray
Synopsis A feud between Gods.A nation besieged by armies of man, and demon.A man seeking redemption, and peace. Kalfinar is a grieving addict. Once a decorated and respected soldier, he has been demoted and disgraced.The relative peace of his half-life is shattered by the onset of chaos and war.Tormented by visions, he is marked for […]
Australian & New Zealand Author Showcase No 24 – Calum Lott
An idea squeezed into my head in 2023, after seeing so many of the book community gathering at conventions across the US and UK. And once my FOMO subsided, I got to thinking about who might be gathered together if we had similar conventions closer to home. Pending the master planning required to arrange a […]
Review: The Hallows by HL Tinsley
TL;DR Version: Nuns with machine guns, a grim and gritty flavor, and a bizarre mystery I had to solve. An unforgettable reading experience! Synopsis: The Hallow serum was once sacred to the Auld Bloods. Used to gain access to their lost ancestral powers, now it is regulated and administered by the powerful Providence Company. Evolved […]
Book Review: Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson
TL;DR Review: Engaging, fascinating, and set in a unique and riveting world. Strong characters and a compelling sci-fi detective noir story. A truly stunning debut. Synopsis: TWO YEARS AFTER a devastating defeat in the decade-long Spore War, the island nation of Hoppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko are occupied by invading Coprinian forces. […]
Review: The Storm Beneath the World by Michael R. Fletcher
We’re going to need a bigger fly swatter Synopsis Cursed by the gods, the insectile ashkaro live on flying islands travelling the eternal River of Days while a hellish firestorm devours the world below. Collected into queendoms, the higher caste brights live in the luxurious windward rain-forest while the servile dulls scrape out a desperate […]
Review: Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker
Synopsis Why did they come? When they appeared across the sky, speculation wheeled around the world—the aliens were from heaven, the invaders were from hell… or they were proof that neither existed. But when they landed, curiosity gave way to suspicion and the nations reacted with nuclear force, setting off a chain reaction that left […]
BOOK TOUR/REVIEW: Renia (Luna Ruinam Vol. 1) by Karl Forshaw
SYNOPSIS The Halls of Venn are the seat of both knowledge and power in the great continent of Luna Ruinam. Renia, a scribe with a tragic past, spends her days expertly copying books that do little to satiate her desire for knowledge. When a fateful commission lands on her desk, she finds herself tasked with […]
Review: Mushroom Blues (Book #1 of The Hofmann Report) by Adrian M. Gibson
Synopsis Two years after a devastating defeat in the decades-long Spore War, the island nation of Hōppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko are occupied by invading Coprinian forces. Its fungal citizens are in dire straits, wracked by food shortages, poverty, and an influx of war refugees. Even worse, the corrupt occupiers exploit their […]