 "Boys on Bleachers," 2017 Copyright Brian Braden Photography You're an indie author whose book caught my attention. Maybe you're on the candidate list, or perhaps your book is already reviewed or scheduled for review. Regardless, as an indie, you did something right. Now, may I please have your attention so you can do something else right?
Pass it on. Pay it forward. Help the next author up the stairs. How do you do that? Easy.When Rule One posts a review or new candidate list, simply like and repost it on X. It costs you nothing. You don't have to provide a quote or endorsement. Merely pass along the news that another indie author has a promising book. I heard this stat today: Three million titles published on Amazon annually, both traditional and independently published. Supposedly, about 2 million of those are independently published. I don't know how accurate that is, but it sounds reasonable based on my experience. That's a hell of a lot of books exploding into the universe every day. Yours might be one of them. What are the chances it's going to be noticed? Pretty damn slim. Think about that, and then consider this. As a reader and reviewer, I dove into that ocean of indie books and somehow found yours. Something about it appealed to me, and I bought it—either directly or via Kindle Unlimited. I invested up to a month reading it. At any time, I could have put it down and chosen NOT to review it, but it kept my attention. Then I spent several days writing a review and posting it on my social media because I felt comfortable enough to publicly recommend your book to others. I asked nothing from the author. I didn't ask any of them to read or review my books. I wanted a clean review, with no quid pro quo. Your book earned it without compromise. I'm a nobody—a humble book reviewer without much of a social media following—but your novel won my little personal monthly book award contest. Your book sits on that shelf with other books that have attained that humble status. Every month, one more title gets added. I want to see your book become successful for no other reason than I enjoyed it. It is my hope that eventually avid readers will find my blog and browse my bookshelf. Maybe they'll see a title—maybe yours—and take a chance on it. Maybe they'll come to the same conclusion about your novel that I came to, or even like it more. Maybe they'll come to trust my literary opinion and grab another title off the shelves. Maybe they'll tell their friends, and others will find my library. See where I'm going with this? Am I a gatekeeper? Yes. I am the gatekeeper of my own personal tastes and opinions. I opened that gate and let you in. Help me find others to let in the gate. Now I'm asking for something in return. Just share the reviews. Let's build a real community—together.
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2025 is coming to a close and I thought it would be a good idea to announce a few more indie book review candidates. These two candidates bring the 2025 nominee list to 30. All non-reviewed candidates will be carried over to 2025 to form a permanent book review candidate pool which will grow with time. If you haven't noticed, I review most genres. I can read just about anything if it's well-written, it merely has to hold my attention. I think this blog would get more attention if I focused on just one genre, like fantasy, sc-fi, etc. I can't do that, my mind wanders too much and I'd get bored. I'm just looking for good stories that I can tell the world about. BTW, I'm on Substack now. Check me out there. INDIE BOOK REVIEW CANDIDATE #029 TITLE: Rapture PUBLISHER: Independently Published AUTHOR: Steffen Jack GENRE(S): Literary Fiction/Horror PUBLICATION DATE: 3 March 2012 AMAZON REVIEWS/RATINGS AT DISCOVERY: 5/5.0 Star Average AMAZON KINDLE RANKING AT DISCOVERY: #1,559,151 WHY IT GOT MY ATTENTION: The author and I followed each other on X. This one has been out there since 2012 with only five reviews. The blurb didn't necessarily get my attention, but I saw nothing wrong with the sample. It had that gritty noir vibe with a great cover that matches. I feel like it hits effectively at the heart of its genre. DATE PLACED ON CANDIDATE LIST: 22 November 2025 STATUS: Active INDIE BOOK REVIEW CANDIDATE #030 TITLE: Travel By Star
PUBLISHER: Fourth Tree Press (Independently Published) AUTHOR: Paul Scott Grill GENRE(S): Adventure Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE:28 September 2025 AMAZON REVIEWS/RATINGS AT DISCOVERY: 17/5.0 Star Average AMAZON KINDLE RANKING AT DISCOVERY: #1,083,797 WHY IT GOT MY ATTENTION: I followed the author on X. He followed me back, I looked at his pinned post, went to the product page, read the sample and here we are. The sample hooked me in a page and a half with good tension and dialogue. I went back and looked at the blurb, and that sealed the deal. It's on my candidate list. DATE PLACED ON CANDIDATE LIST: 22 November 2025 STATUS: Active WHY IT WAS SELECTED The novel's opening and dialogue are excellent. The author's ability to write dialect is noteworthy. The characters are instantly real. I have a suspicion this author knows what he is doing. I don't think it's going to waste my time. I'm excited to read this one. READER CHALLENGE Like I say every time I announce a review selection, pick up the this book and read it. Do we have any readers out there, or just indie authors hawking their wares? Read other people's books. Take a chance on an unknown author. Highlight good storytelling. Learn more about your craft. Break out of your own genre. Tell me I'm wrong about a book. Tell me I'm right about a book. Just do something already. When I review it before Christmas, come back here and compare notes with me. Of note, this author has one of the lowest social media footprints of any author I've reviewed. I originally thought he might be a bot, but he contacted me and confirmed he was, in fact, real. Show him a little love and follow him on X and let's see if we can get his followers above 5 and get this novel a little exposure.  TITLE: This Burdened Clay
PUBLISHER: Independently published AUTHOR: Thomas Norford GENRE(S): Horror (multiple sub-genres) PUBLICATION DATE: February 24, 2025 AMAZON REVIEWS/RATINGS AT DISCOVERY: 10/4.7 Star Average AMAZON KINDLE RANKING AT DISCOVERY: #1,158,163 WHY IT GOT MY ATTENTION: It was late, and I have no memory of how I found this book (alcohol was not involved). It must have made an impression, because I bought it (maybe it was free, I can't remember). It had a fantastic and original blurb, and the sample pulled me in. The writing, so far at least, is good. My subconscious must know what was is doing. This author (it's a pen name) had two followers on X. I had to make sure his account wasn't a bot (and I'm still not convinced.) I love finding indie authors like this, relatively unknown and with such promise! DATE PLACED ON CANDIDATE LIST: 14 August 2025 STATUS: Selected for December 2025 Review RECOMMENDED - "A POSITIVE READING EXPERIENCE"This book provides the reader a satisfying experience, especially if the reader is already a fan the genre. This may not hold true for readers outside the genre. This book approaches the level of a contemporary traditionally-published book in its genre. This book met or exceeded the minimal editing quality of a traditionally published book. If spelling or mechanical errors were present, they were rare, hard to notice, and didn't detract from the novel's overall experience. The novel's structure (plot, characters, flow, dialogue, etc.) allowed reader to reasonably experience the story without unnecessary effort or distraction. The story met genre expectations, though did not necessarily bring anything new to the literary form. Click here to read more on Rule One Book Reviews rating system.  TITLE: The Voyage of the Nostalgia PUBLISHER: Independently published AUTHOR: Katherine Moon GENRE(S): Science Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: July 23, 2025 AMAZON REVIEWS/RATINGS AT DISCOVERY: 3/2.5 Star Average AMAZON KINDLE RANKING AT DISCOVERY: #1,441,596 WHY IT GOT MY ATTENTION: This title popped up on my X feed. The author didn't follow me, and I didn't remember following her, but sometime in the past I guess I did. It was the title that got my attention, I thought it highly original and catchy. I clicked on the link and read the pitch (fine) and then the sample. The sample caught my attention with its script-like dialogue and believable characters, set in a futuristic setting but with a contemporary feel. I read the whole sample and found it satisfying, but not spectacular. Overall, I assessed this novel as a potential light sci-fi diversion I might read while on vacation (which funny, because it's about people on a vacation). Then I glanced at its Amazon ratings. 2.5 stars? That didn't make sense. It appears that someone came along and slammed this newly-published indie novel, which had NO reviews at the time, with a malicious 1-star review on Amazon. This review wasn't even a verified purchase, which makes it completely suspect, and essentially served to sabotage the novel. That's bullshit. Is this novel going to win a Hugo? Probably not, but there was nothing in that sample that even hinted this novel would deserve such a low rating. That's not fair, that's not right, and that's not cool. Therefore, "The Voyage of the Nostalgia" is now purchased and jumps to the front of the line and is scheduled for a review. I challenge Rule One Book Reviews readers who might enjoy scifi adventure to purchase this book and meet me back here in November to compare notes. DATE PLACED ON CANDIDATE LIST: 2 October 2025 STATUS: Reviewed 12 November 2025 The ReviewPLOT  "Love, exciting and new. Come aboard, we're expecting you!" Somewhere in a distant, but strangely contemporary, future, the luxury space cruise ship The Nostalgia is about to take her maiden cruise. She is the first of her kind, built with every accommodation in mind to cater to the whims and dark desires of the solar system's ultra-wealthy. First Officer (Staff Captain) Elisa Sharp must not only keep the ship running smoothly but also deal with a passenger manifest that includes humanity's most powerful elite, including some unexpected guests. The ruthless Senator Laura McDonald has unexpectedly boarded The Nostalgia at the last minute, and brings with her a past that could wreck Elisa's future. Also onboard is the handsome and mysterious Xavier Blanc, a man with ties to the ship's captain and secrets that could put the entire voyage in mortal peril. The Nostalgia isn't just embarking on any cruise. She is venturing beyond "The Belt" to the outer solar system, a place no cruise ship has ever ventured before, a place from which this maiden voyage may not return. The Amazon product page sells this book as "Perfect for fans of creeping dread, psychological sci-fi, and slow-burn survival horror" and cites Blake Crouch, Alien, The Expanse, and Grady Hendrix as comps. I didn't get that vibe from this novel. It didn't have a lot of creeping dread or slow-burn horror. It came across to this reader as a sci-fi soap opera with a dash of action and horror thrown in as a side dish. The Voyage of the Nostalgia felt, well, nostalgic.  For those old enough to remember, it might remind one of those "made for TV" movies of the late 1970s or early 1980s. I could imagine this as a network pilot for a campy sci-fi episodic drama, one that might get picked up as a series if the ratings are high enough. Its dialogue-heavy scenes even read like a script. This novel is The Love Boat meets Fantasy Island meets Titanic meets Alien. I don't think it was the author's intention, but it was how it hit me (and that's not a bad thing). It should not have worked, but...it did work. The reason it worked was the solid character development and the dialogue-heavy story. CHARACTERS  Much like the 1970s television series The Love Boat, we meet all our characters during the ship's boarding process. There are many, and each boards The Nostalgia for their own reasons, with their own secrets and desires. I imagined each of these characters played by B-list television actors of the day, much like what one saw on The Love Boat. The main characters, or A-listers, are the ones who carry the plot. Once again, I'm not sure that's how the author intended it, but that's how I interpreted it, and I kinda liked it. Elisa Sharp is clearly the main protagonist. She's a competent, ambitious officer lost in her career. The author does a good job building her as a competent yet flawed character. Elisa has a past (abandoned by her mother, raised by her father) and shortcomings (heavy drinker), with a mix of strengths and vulnerabilities. She loyally serves in the captain's shadow; he largely performs the ship's ceremonial duties while she does the heavy lifting. She's lonely and finds the opportunity to spark a romance with Xavier Blanc, the captain's personal guest during the voyage. Author Katherine Moon breathes enough life and depth into Elisa Sharp that she defies "strong female protagonists" tropes and felt like a fully realized character. Xavier Blanc is the older and handsome love interest. There were some excellent scenes between him and Elisa with good romantic tension and snappy dialogue. Yet, in those scenes without her, he felt two-dimensional. Blanc was there mostly to serve as a love interest and (eventually) foreshadow and explain the main antagonists. He is perhaps my least favorite character because he had the thinnest character development.  Atlas Faladei, the cruise director, is the "Mr. Roarke" character in this story (for those familiar with the old television show Fantasy Island). His job is to make every guest's dreams come true. He does this by knowing everything about each guest, and through him the reader gets to know the key characters. At his disposal are the ship's powerful printers that can make anything for anyone at any time, as well as an army of pleasure androids that can satisfy any guest's appetites. Atlas is highly competent and has the pulse of the ship and the guests, yet is distracted by family events unfolding back home on Earth. My second-favorite character was Aurora Castillo Ramirez, a fading pop star/influencer who signs on as the ship's headliner act. "Rori," as her old friend Elisa calls her, is desperately trying to salvage her career while at the same time fighting a drug problem. She's brash, bold, impulsive, and on the verge of losing control at any minute. If I had written this book, she would have been the main protagonist. She was fully realized, interesting, and her presence in any scene made the other characters more interesting. My favorite character had the least "screen time" of any and was the best written. Lacey Albos, the middle-class housewife with big dreams and no common sense. Lacey and her husband open the novel during The Nostalgia's boarding process. Moon quickly and masterfully crafts Lacey into an interesting and fully realized character, and through her, hooks the reader (the opening scene is why I read the book.) I've met women like Lacey before, and Moon did a great job writing her. No other character, other than Rori, had this level of sophistication and depth crafted so quickly and effectively. To my disappointment, the author largely abandons this character throughout most of the novel, only bringing her in later as a plot device. Both Rori and Lacey demonstrate author Katherine Moon's writing chops and what her potential as a storyteller could be. THEMES There was no central, over-arching theme tying this story together, but there doesn't necessarily have to be one. In an adventure novel the plot is supposed to do this. Instead, the author relied on individual character-arcs, and how they interplayed with each other and the plot, to carry the story. It was these character arcs that kept me reading, even when the plot seemed to stall. ANALYSIS Let's get the novel's major weaknesses out of the way first—pacing and tension. The "slow burn" was too slow. The overarching plot really didn't get going until almost 60% into the book. Yes, there were teases and foreshadowing that something ominous was coming, but these scenes lacked any real tension and were too far apart. About halfway through the book, I began to ask myself where all of this was going. The major setback occurred about 80% into the novel, and then the climax felt rushed and somewhat anticlimactic. There was nothing structurally wrong with the major antagonist, or the creativity and originality that went into building the major plot. It was simply a matter of stretching things out too much and waiting too long to spring it on the reader. So, what saved this novel and earned it a RECOMMENDED rating? Individual character story arcs, interpersonal drama and tension, dialogue, and character building saved this novel. This is what carried most of the story and kept me reading. The actual sci-fi elements are fairly generic, but one element actually got me thinking. In Moon's futuristic setting, advanced glues are used as substitutes for metal and polymers. They are so strong they can even be used for ships' hulls. I'd never seen this concept before in sci-fi, and I thought it was pretty cool. This concept played a major role later in the novel in a way I did not see coming. RECOMMENDATIONS The Voyage of the Nostalgia entertained me. It was worth my money and time. It's fun and an easy read. It mixes several tried-and-true tropes in an original way. Its strengths are its characters and dialogue, and it's easy to lose oneself in the character interactions. The novel's weaknesses are pacing and tension, but the book eventually rewards the reader with a satisfying conclusion, albeit one that loses too much steam before we get there. Because the characters carry the reader to the conclusion, the novel's flaws are not fatal and could have easily been fixed with a good editor or feedback from knowledgeable beta readers.
With a little massaging, this novel could easily be turned into a fairly solid script. The Voyage of the Nostalgia is a worthy read. I recommend this novel for fans of light sci-fi, perhaps even those who enjoy campy horror. It is especially recommended for those who enjoy interpersonal drama. Katherine Moon is clearly a talented and promising author. |
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