Book Review: Catalyst by Sloane Mercer

23/10/202527/10/2025Espionage, noir, Political, psychological thriller, Surreal Fiction, ThrillerLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Sloane Mercer
Release Date: 2 October 2025
~~Series~~:
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Political Thriller, Terrorism/Espionage Thriller, Literary Suspense, International Intrigue
Format: E-book
Pages: 193 pages
Publisher: AMEE Publishing
Blurb:
Everyone’s the hero in their story. Even the monsters.
Jake Rossi, a Capitol crewman trying to rebuild his life, isn’t looking for meaning — just a paycheck, a place to belong, maybe someone to talk to. Then he meets Emily, a reserved Belgian chocolatier with a scar on her collarbone and eyes that never blink. Her silence is magnetic. Her past, untouchable.

But the closer Jake gets, the more off-kilter things begin to feel. Curiosity twists into obsession. Obsession curdles into fear. Is Emily a survivor haunted by shadows, or the shadow itself? Every answer Jake uncovers only deepens the riddle, and every step closer drags him toward a truth too dangerous to name.
By the time the city gathers under banners and floodlights, it may already be too late.
For readers of dark, atmospheric, slow-burning psychological thrillers with flawed heroes and razor-wire tension, Catalyst will keep you turning pages deep into the night.

Review

Catalyst by Sloane Mercer is the kind of slow-burning psychological thriller that creeps under your skin rather than rushing to shock you. Sloane Mercer’s writing carries that rare balance of elegance and unease, drawing you in with the intimacy of character before you even realize you’re standing at the edge of something dark.

The brilliance of this story lies in its tension, not the loud, cinematic kind, but the quiet, suffocating kind that makes you second-guess what’s real. As Jake’s fascination with Emily deepens, the novel turns into an exploration of obsession, perception, and the fragility of sanity. Mercer’s prose is clean and deliberate, every sentence calibrated to tighten the thread of unease. You start to feel as though you’re peering through a fog, seeing outlines of truth but never the whole picture. And that’s precisely what makes Catalyst addictive; it’s less about solving a mystery and more about descending into it.

Jake is written with a refreshing honesty. He is flawed, lonely, and relatable. He’s not a classic hero; he’s someone doing his best to survive the static of his own mind. Emily, on the other hand, is mesmerizing; part riddle, part mirror , and Mercer wisely resists defining her too soon. Through their fractured connection, the book asks a chilling question: what happens when our need to understand someone else exposes the darkness in ourselves? By the time the truth begins to surface, you realize Catalyst isn’t just about the main character, but about the stories we tell to justify the monsters we become.

Catalyst is atmospheric, introspective, and razor-sharp. It’s a dark psychological thriller that trades jump scares for slow, emotional corrosion. It is perfect for readers who loved Gone Girl or You, and crave stories that linger long after the last page.

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Book Review: Gone to Ground by Morgan Hatch

10/04/202510/04/2025crime, Political, Political Fiction, Surreal Fiction, ThrillerLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Morgan Hatch
Release Date: July 31, 2025
~~Series~~:
Genre: Crime Fiction, Political Thriller, Suspense, Socio-Political Fiction
Format: E-book
Pages: 310 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
The first in a suspenseful new trilogy, a fast-paced thriller set in the streets of Los Angeles, featuring a Mexican American high school senior embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens to destroy his neighborhood.
Javier Jimenez is on a glide path to college while his brother, Alex, has done a 180 and is heading for trouble. Neither, however, have any idea what’s coming their way when George Jones sets in motion his plan for their neighborhood. “Some people flip homes. I flip zip codes.” It’s a cataclysmic vision of urban renewal replete with manmade disasters, civil unrest, and a tsunami of ambitious Zoomers.

Meanwhile, Alex and Javier’s feud quickly escalates, even as Alex finds himself in way over his head with Denker Street, the local gang. The bodies start falling, and Javier soon realizes Jones has put a target on his back. It’s time to go to ground. Can he keep Alex from falling further into the streets? Can he outplay Jones at his own game? All this and his own hopes, once so bright, now fading like a smog-shrouded LA skyline.

Review

Gone to Ground by Morgan Hatch is a bold, razor-sharp novel that dives headfirst into the urban sprawl of Los Angeles and never once comes up for air. As a writer and editor, I found myself appreciating not just the story’s complexity but the control with which author Hatch moves between perspectives, timelines, and characters. It’s dense but never bloated, gritty but with a heart that pulses beneath the asphalt.

The story follows Javier, a high school senior doing his best to keep his little brother Alex from falling into the gravitational pull of gang life in the San Fernando Valley. What begins as a familiar tale of familial loyalty quickly expands into a high-stakes political and financial thriller, complete with corporate sabotage, environmental scandal, and cold-blooded real estate warfare. The threads are numerous, but author Hatch pulls them taut with precision.

What I particularly loved was the author’s ear for dialogue and his eye for detail. Whether it’s a classroom filled with half-asleep teens or a power-lunch between political sharks, the writing is immersive and confidently observant. Characters like Betzaida—the tough, queer tow truck operator and half-sister to Javier—leap off the page with authenticity. And George Jones, the book’s Machiavellian fixer, is a villain you love to hate, dripping with charm and menace.

The pacing is deliberate, and that’s the one reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5. Some narrative detours, while insightful, felt slightly indulgent and slowed the momentum during otherwise taut sequences. But it’s a small price to pay for the scope and ambition of what author Hatch accomplishes.

Gone to Ground isn’t just about a city, it’s about the people hanging on to their dignity as the ground shifts beneath them. It’s a book that challenges, informs, and, most importantly, feels alive. Highly recommended for fans of Don Winslow, George Pelecanos, and Walter Mosley.

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Book Review: The Fossilarchy: It’s a WAR for the WORLD by Tom Clark

18/02/2025Dystopian, Environmental Fiction, Political, Political Fiction, Speculative-Fiction, Surreal Fiction, ThrillerLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Tom Clark
Release Date: March 7, 2022
~~Series~~:
Genre: Climate Fiction, Political Thriller, Speculative Fiction
Format: E-book
Pages: 394 pages
Publisher: Aurora House
Blurb:
As the world burns and floods, humanity stares into the abyss of climate apocalypse… but hey, a planet is a small sacrifice for a few more years of profits and executive bonuses.
Meet the Fossilarchy, the fossil fuel industry and its political cronies, cause of the climate crisis, doyen of denial.
All-powerful, it has captured government and nations. Ever-growing, it won’t stop until it has consumed the Earth.

In this epic tale of revenge, power, greed and travel, some start to think the unthinkable: Only sabotage will save the world.
But it will be dangerous. How can it be done without detection and retribution?
Don’t miss this fast-paced, action-packed thriller set against a global backdrop and the horror-comedy show of Australian climate politics.

“As a huge fan of modern climate fiction, it was exciting to see the action-thriller genre taking up the mantle in this excellent work by author Tom Clark.”
– KC Finn, Author, for Readers’ Favorite

“Engrossing…. the tension ebbs and flows throughout… descriptions of the Australian landscape and surrounding waters are picture-perfect……. a gripping and timely environmental tale with a combustible mix of deadly elements
– Kirkus Book Reviews.

Review

The Fossilarchy by Tom Clark is an ambitious, thought-provoking, and intensely relevant novel that plunges headfirst into the intersection of political power, environmental destruction, and activism. Tom Clark crafts a narrative that reads like a high-stakes thriller, yet beneath the surface, it is a scathing critique of the fossil fuel industry and the systems that sustain it.

What stands out most is how Clark brings his themes to life through an electrifying, multi-layered plot. The story unfolds in a near-future world where climate activism has escalated into sabotage and direct attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure. As industries and governments scramble to suppress the resistance, tensions rise to the boiling point. The novel doesn’t shy away from the moral dilemmas at the heart of this struggle: How far should people go to stop an industry that is actively destroying the planet? Can sabotage ever be justified, or does it simply fuel the oppressive mechanisms of the powerful?

The characters, while sometimes more symbolic than deeply nuanced, are engaging in their own ways. Activists, politicians, and corporate titans collide in a game of high-stakes chess, each trying to outmanoeuvre the other. Clark does a great job of highlighting the contradictions within both the movement and the industry, showing how power and corruption seep into every facet of society.

One of the novel’s strongest aspects is its pacing. The story moves quickly, with tension building in each chapter. The writing is clear, and while the exposition can sometimes feel heavy-handed, it’s clear that author Clark is deeply passionate about the subject. The book is not just a call to action, it’s a wake-up call, delivered with all the urgency of a world teetering on the edge.

That being said, The Fossilarchy can sometimes feel more like a manifesto than a novel. While its message is important, some sections are dense with political and economic discourse that might slow the momentum for some readers. The book shines brightest when it lets the narrative drive home its themes rather than spelling them out in long stretches of dialogue or exposition.

Overall, this is a gripping and eye-opening read, perfect for anyone interested in climate activism, political thrillers, or stories that challenge the status quo. It’s bold, urgent, and not afraid to ask the big questions. While the balance between storytelling and message could be fine-tuned, The Fossilarchy is undeniably compelling and leaves a lasting impression.

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Book Review: Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders (Triumvirate Book 1) by Solveig Larssen

19/05/202419/05/2024Dystopian, Political, Political Fiction, Science-Fiction, Speculative-Fiction, Suspense, ThrillerLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Solveig Larssen
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Series: Triumvirate (Book #1)
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Political Fiction, Thriller
Format: E-book
Pages: 152 pages
Publisher: Ostkorridor Books
Blurb:
Mountainland, the richest, proudest, and freest nation in the world, has resorted to forming a militia and creating incarceration camps to stem the influx of migrants… Fjordland, the most civilised, equal, and just nation in the world, is falling apart, unable to accommodate its newfound diversity…
Meanwhile, life is getting worse on the Savannah and in the Jungle, with autocratic high-tech city-states and abundant cheap labour to exploit. Somewhere, amidst it all, only the rootless global technology organisations seem to prosper.
Eskild, the sympathetic Brotherhood bear, expelled and humiliated—is on his journey to visit his younger, liberal siblings, Dag and Selma. Justice has deteriorated in the world because Selma, to navigate the changes of globalisation, has abandoned her old ways.

If Eskild cannot persuade Selma to support a new order that promises peaceful coexistence among all parties, even with the sinister C-Cult, Fjordland will cease to be a liberal democracy. Globalisation will grind on, forcing most people to join the workforce of the disruptive transnational platform organisations.
Don’t Feed the Beast is the first book in the Triumvirate series, featuring delightful fable animals in a dystopian world. It’s a fast-paced story, perfect for readers who want to explore our changing world.

Review

Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders by Solveig Larssen is a thought-provoking exploration of a dystopian world grappling with issues of migration, diversity, and justice. Set in the contrasting nations of Mountainland and Fjordland, author Larssen weaves a beautiful narrative that reflects the complexities of our modern society. Through the eyes of characters like Eskild, Dag, and Selma, the novel explores the challenges of globalisation and the rise of disruptive transnational platform organisations.

Author Larssen’s storytelling is both immersive and timely, offering a glimpse into a world where justice hangs in the balance. The addition of delightful fable animals adds a lot of character and depth to the narrative, making it an absolutely brilliant read. As the first book in the Triumvirate series, Don’t Feed the Beast sets the stage for a compelling saga that promises to delve deeper into the themes of peace, coexistence, and societal change.

It is a fast-paced novel, but I did feel that the character development might have suffered because of it. Though as this book is a part of a series, I will hold my judgement on characterisation for now. However, the author’s ability to tackle complex social issues within a dystopian framework is commendable. Overall, Don’t Feed the Beast is a wonderful read and I’d recommend it to all dystopian and sci-fi readers.

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Book Review: Prisoner Of Mauvias (Book #1 Of The God’s Game Series) by Tiffany Brazell

15/02/202214/02/2022E.T. McNamara, Historical, historical-romance, Political, R.J. O'Sullivan , Romance, satire, Science-FictionLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Tiffany Brazell
Release Date: 20th December 2020
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Series: The God’s Game Series (Book #1)
Format: E-book
Pages: 252 pages
Publisher: Regalis Publishing, LLC
Blurb:
The Destroyer’s Empire Part 1 is the first book in The God’s Game, a new epic fantasy series by Tiffany Brazell. A cursed world…
An immortal empress…
A girl with forbidden knowledge and unknown power…
Although she has read all about Vias the Destroyer’s dreaded liths, Salmaara has never seen one. In fact, she’s not even sure the nightmarish, mouthless creatures exist.
She’s never been to Mauvias, land created by the goddess Vias the Destroyer, ruled by a ruthless immortal empress, a place where the very air is cursed with insatiable thirst, or to the ancient city Kalitoomba, a city of soaring glass towers ruled by a benevolent god-king. Following her rescue from a river, Salmaara lives a quiet life working in her father’s pottery shop, trying to discover who she is in a town where her golden eyes and fair skin make it clear she doesn’t belong. Illun, the man she loves as her father, is keeping a secret. An important secret.

Her looks aren’t the only thing that makes her different. Salmaara can sense where people are by their souls, and can connect her soul to theirs.
One morning, she reaches for the feeling of her father’s soul and hears his thoughts, something she thought only the servants of the Destroyer could do. Before she can discover what it means, one of the liths appears, takes her captive, and carries her away to the gruesome prison city of Günhai, where even the stones cry out in pain. Within its lightproof halls, Salmaara will have to decide, will she do what she’s told, and become a pet, a tool of the empire, of the destroyer herself? Or, will she have to risk her life and very soul, to discover who she truly is and how her powers will be used?

“Imaginative and vast, The God’s Game Series is a big story vividly told, sure to satisfy fans of epic fantasy.”
Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of The Saga of Seven Suns.

“Tiffany Brazell’s imagination takes off where others’ end. This is a tale of high magic that is sure to please.”
David Farland, New York Times bestselling author of The Runelords.

Review

Prisoner Of Mauvias by Tiffany Brazell is the first book in The God’s Game series – an epic fantasy series. This book is an adventurous journey that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions where dangers are lurking behind every turn.

It is a fast-paced fantasy read that follows a simple yet meticulous plot structure that keeps the action tight throughout the story. This book had good, if not superb, characterisation. I was able to connect to or relate with most of the characters, secondary as well as primary. I enjoyed reading this book and am really looking forward to reading the next part in the series as I am sure the characterisation would be further developed in it.

I would definitely recommend this book to all fantasy readers.

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Book Review: Jamie Whistler Plays Out of the Park Baseball Because It’s the Only Thing That Matters by R.J. O’Sullivan

14/02/202214/02/2022E.T. McNamara, Historical, historical-romance, Political, R.J. O'Sullivan , Romance, satire, Science-FictionLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: R.J. O’Sullivan
Release Date: 15th December 2021
Genre: Science-Fiction, Political Satire
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 235 pages
Publisher: RHELM, LLC
Blurb:
After losing his entire family to COVID, the baseball-obsessed heir to a corporate empire uses his family fortune to hit the re-set button on America. Concocting a plot to kidnap a million QAnon followers for the purpose of “deprogramming” them, Jamie Whistler takes the lessons learned from playing his favorite simulation game and applies them to the real world.

Review

Jamie Whistler Plays Out Of The Park Baseball Because It’s The Only Thing That Matters by R.J. O’Sullivan is a unique and refreshing new political satire sci-fi novel.

This book has an intelligent plot, well-written prose to complement it and a cast of interesting and engaging characters that made this book a compelling read. The author has used his amazing sense of humour and subtle phrases to take digs on the current political scenarios, especially relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, drawing the readers attention to the real matter that should be of concern to all of us.

I loved reading this book and would definitely recommend it to all reads of satire and political fiction who won’t mind a sci-fi setting.

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Book Review: The Oncoming Revolution by Sam Mansourou

20/11/202124/11/2021Non-Fiction, Political, Sam MansourouLeave a Comment

Book Details:

Author: Sam Mansourou
Release Date: 20th October 2021
Genre: Non-Fiction, Socio-Political
~~Series~~:
Format: E-book
Pages: 50 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
Author Mansourou ignores the left-right discourse and targets the ruling class as he calls for united civic action against the current paradigm maintained by the elite’s media, politicians and academia.

Review

The Oncoming Revolution: Overcoming The Current Paradigm by Sam Mansourou is an essay-esque book about the current socio-political conditions in the world around us. The subject matter and the topics covered in this book by the author are not just confined to a particular country or continent, but is applicable and is relevant to each and every place I can possibly think of in this world.

The author’s writing style is very refined and the ideas presented did not, in the least, sound preachy which seems to be the go-to style for most political writers these days; on the contrary, the author’s views came across in a very graceful and elegant way as he first puts across his thoughts in a neutral form and then goes on to explain why he thinks what he thinks.

I’d recommend this book to readers interested in socio-political conversations and who enjoy reading non-fiction on politics and finding reasonable solutions to the problems faced by the world around us, especially the oligarchy countries.