#Bookreview of Secrets of the Emerald Tablet

By: Stewart F. Brennan

Publisher: Friesen Press

Publication Date: September 12, 2026

ISBN: 978-1038381026

Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki

Review Date: September 29, 2026

Secrets of the Emerald Tablet is book two in Stewart F. Brennan's New Horizons series. This intriguing action-packed thriller, and the sequel to The Shard of Asclepius, pulls you into a world where nothing is as it seems.

We are first introduced to Colonel Cedric Marshall, the second in command to Isaac Roth, a senior director of the Collective, who has just been vaporized together with his men while on a mission to destroy a terrorist cell and to apprehend an energy device. Marshall narrowly escapes the same fate, just in time to witness the horrifying event, when two beams of white energy vaporize Roth and the rest of the team in a split second.

One name lingers on Marshall's lips: David Collins, the man who carries a weapon unlike anything the Collective has seen before. From later pages, we learn that David doesn't see the weapon as his, but as something to share and use for the good of others. He also sees it as a key to something greater than just destruction. This stems from the realization that it comes from an ancient civilization, a civilization that was destroyed thousands of years ago, but left the weapon behind so that humanity might one day rediscover what it had lost.

While Marshall dreams of holding the weapon in his hands and watching his enemies disintegrate before him, David kneels beside the wounded and pours energy into their bodies until they are whole again. This simple contrast forms the spine and axis on which every event, decision, and consequence in the novel rotates.

The brilliance of this story lies in how it expands beyond the aforementioned characters. It reaches into history, bringing back to life Kemet, the ancient name for Egypt, The Order of Thoth, the guardians of the ancient record, The Order of Hermes, the protectors of esoteric knowledge, as well as the Shards of Asclepius and Thoth, tools that open the mind, heal the body, and connect consciousness. These are not just mentioned. The book places them in the reader's hands, letting them see them, feel them, and sense their weight.

The ancient world comes back to life because the characters interact with it. They enter the catacombs. They read The Emerald Tablet. They wear the rings. They carry the record forward. Also, the present world’s stakes rise because the ancient world is not just history, but a warning. The cataclysm happened before. An asteroid called Apep crashed into the ice sheet. The poles reversed. The sea rose. Ultimately, a civilization was destroyed. The world was reset. It happened before. It can happen again.

This story rides on the use of technology as a narrative device. And it rides well. Every decision, implant, drone, phone and shard serve a purpose. In a world where technology in writing is often used as a prop, this book uses it as the story's language, the means by which control is enforced, resistance is mounted, and transformation achieved. That is rare, the kind of rare that makes you refresh the author's website every day, every hour and every minute, hoping for a sign of the next book in the series.

Quill says: If you enjoy thrillers that move fast, technology that means something, and ancient mysteries that feel real, or pacing that never lets up, and writing that never wastes a word, you won't go wrong with Secrets of the Emerald Tablet. It's lengthy in the best way, allowing you to bask in the atmosphere, the tension, and the slow burn of a story that never rushes, yet never drags.

For more information about Secrets of the Emerald Tablet, please visit the author's website at: stewartfbrennan.com

 #Bookreview of Victory Syllabus: A Graphic Novel

By: Dean Ware

Publisher: The Victory Syllabus Company

Publication Date: August 25, 2026

ISBN: 979-8234136480

Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki

Review Date: October 2, 2026

A lot of sports manga have been written. We’ve had Ninja volleyball and superpowered soccer. We have seen tennis players who’ve looked like they could bend the laws of physics. We’ve also seen basketball players who can dunk from the three-point line. But we have never seen a fully realized, competitive sport that fuses basketball and tennis together, not just in a compelling manner, but also in a way that feels like you could walk to the nearest abandoned tennis court and play it yourself. It’s been like that until now, thanks to Dean Ware’s Victory Syllabus: A Graphic Novel.

A group of 3-4 freshmen lost a pick-up game to the JV basketball team. Out of frustration with the traditional basketball, one of them asked, “what if we made our own game?” They went to a place called Larklaw’s place and invented it. One of the illustrations presents basketball as a sport and a system that was built on ego, reputation, and crushing of the weak. That’s exactly what the freshmen intended to remove.

Their invention was a game called Travelling. It wasn’t just a physical game but an intellectual one too. You could only get better by carefully studying the Map. The map treats rules with the same reverence as fantasy books treat magic. It comprises a set of details that turn the sport into a puzzle, a puzzle similar to a fast-paced game of chess, where the board is a tennis court, and the pieces your own movements. Every step is calculated. Every dribble is well-thought out.

Ware has dedicated enough space to the actual rules of Travelling. Most comics would simply show the protagonist studying them. Ware refuses that. He instead pulls us into the game’s mechanics to understand them, and to keep up with the players. By doing that, he turns us from passive spectators into active participants, who, just like the players, feel the weight of every Forward Reset, the risk of every Folly, and the ticking of the 22-second rally clock.

This character-driven story is propelled by art that doesn’t just show us what’s happening but also, how the characters feel about the happenings. Their faces are incredibly expressive, which is really important to the reader for such a sport that’s deeply psychological. They enable the reader to see the mind behind the action and the movements.

Ware uses a saturated and bold color palette that pops off the page, making everything feel alive and energetic. He also strategically uses color change to signal shifts in tone, the way a filmmaker uses light. He uses red during tense moments, blue during cleaner, more strategic moments, and purple during moments of shock or revelation. That color variation makes the reader feel the game and experience it from the inside.

Quill says: Dean Ware’s Victory Syllabus: A Graphic Novel is for the young reader who appreciates a protagonist who wins with his brain as much as his body. But more than anything, it’s for the reader who doesn’t mind being trusted by the author to memorize the mechanics and understand its characters on a psychological level. It’s a great graphic novel, and one whose art serves the story.

 #Bookreview of Behaving Badly: A Tess Hammond Novel

By: Rochelle Staab

Publisher: Garfield & Lloyd

Publication Date: April 30, 2026

ISBN: 979-8-9956763-0-0

Reviewed by: Lily Andrews

Review Date: October 2, 2026

In Behaving Badly: A Tess Hammond Novel by Rochelle Staab, Tess Hammond, a crime journalist for the Los Angeles Examiner, rushes to the King Edward Hotel following a call about shootouts in the hotel's tunnels. To her shock, she finds her detective husband Johnny lying on the floor, shot. He and his partner have been gunned down by an unidentified informant. Johnny dies, but his partner survives.

As soon as the funeral ends, Tess goes back to work. She can't afford to survive without working now that Johnny's salary is gone. At first, she is asked to cover preparations for the 1932 Summer Olympics happening in August. But later on, she is asked to investigate the disappearance of Merilee Lockwood, the teenage daughter of a prominent banker. This, she hopes, will be her ticket back to the front page, proving she hasn’t lost her edge.

The investigation happens when the depression is at its worst. Families are struggling. Banks are failing. People are standing in bread lines. The Dust Bowl is beginning to displace farmers in the Midwest. But nothing will stop Tess: not the corrupt cops, not the men who tell her to sit down, not the prohibition, and certainly, not the empty pillow beside hers.

Tess has spent years covering the crime beat. She knows what violence looks like. She knows what the mob is like. But nothing has prepared her for what she's about to uncover, precisely as she tracks the missing girl to a no-tell speakeasy: "A twenty-four-hour cop-and-gangster haunt with bootleg booze and live jazz." She discovers from her husband's red notebook that this is the same place where Johnny was meeting someone called Willie Wilke. It is also the same place he took his last breath. The girl disappeared a night before he died. The timing is too close. Tess cannot ignore this. She marches forward to connect the dots. But the truth might be something she never wanted to know.

The best mysteries do not hide the truth, rather they place it in plain sight. This book does the latter. It plants clues, but misdirects the reader from them by having the protagonist trust the wrong people. Consequently, the reader trusts them too. This technique is classical. It is taught in every writing program. But most authors use secrets, lies, or red herrings to distract the reader. Staab uses grief. Grief is the book's atmosphere and the lens through which everything is seen. It bypasses the intellect, going directly into the heart. Grief blinds the reader. But it's what makes the story haunting.

Readers will appreciate Staab's creation of several villains. Each one of them is a product of their own circumstances, but they all come together under the web of the same evil. They are not strangers to the protagonist or the reader. The reader has to pay attention to understand them, lest they find themselves accepting the surface. In doing so, they are given the experience of discovering that evil is not a stranger, but a network of the unexpected and the seemingly trustworthy.

Quill says: Every part of Behaving Badly: A Tess Hammond Novel--the dialogue, the pacing, the clues, the twists, and the mystery--will pique your curiosity, keep you guessing, and reward you for paying attention. This is a fancy way of saying that you will be unable to put this story down, you will forget to eat, you will cancel your plans, and then you will, in the best way, blame it all on Staab. It's well-written, flawless, and it deserves a place on your shelf and in your hands.

For more information about Behaving Badly: A Tess Hammond Novel, please visit the author's website at: rochellestaab.com/

 #Bookreview of Dragon Cartel

By: Carmen Amato

Publisher: Laurel & Croton

Publication Date: July 20, 2026

ISBN: 979-8-950864-01-8

Reviewed by: Alma Boucher

Review Date: October 1, 2026

Carmen Amato’s Dragon Cartel: A Detective Emilia Cruz Novel plunges readers into Acapulco's dangerous underworld, where corruption, organized crime, and international intrigue collide.

Detective Emilia Cruz is already stretched to her limits as she hunts El Barracuda, a ruthless cartel hitman, whose violent trail has left the city reeling. When a Customs inspector disappears from the port, his desperate wife turns to Emilia for help, forcing the detective into an investigation that quickly becomes more complicated than a simple missing-person case. Port officials resist her questions, the inspector’s colleagues remain suspiciously uncooperative, and the only tangible clue is a list of commercial shipping containers. Then Emilia discovers an identical list during an operation targeting El Barracuda. Could the missing inspector and the cartel assassin be connected? As the investigation deepens, the interrogation of a mysterious Chinese national introduces multiple passports, encrypted communications, and the unsettling possibility of international espionage. What begins as a local crime soon expands into a dangerous conspiracy reaching from Mexico and the United States to China.

Emilia Cruz is a compelling central character, and Amato gives her the determination and resilience expected of an experienced detective as readers can see the toll her work takes on her. Emilia is not simply chasing criminals; she is navigating institutional resistance, personal danger, and a city where powerful interests can make the truth difficult to uncover. The supporting characters add further layers of suspicion, particularly those connected to the port and the enigmatic Chinese national whose secrets broaden the investigation. The novel explores themes of corruption, loyalty, greed, justice, and the consequences of treating human lives as expendable commodities. One of its strongest underlying ideas is that criminal enterprises rarely operate in isolation. Seemingly unrelated crimes can connect through money, power, and international networks, and uncovering the truth requires persistence and courage.

Amato’s writing is crisp and atmospheric, effectively capturing the contrast between Acapulco’s beauty and the darker forces operating beneath its surface. The setting feels integral to the story rather than merely providing a backdrop, while the criminal and international elements create an increasingly tense atmosphere. The pacing is deliberately driven by investigation, discovery, and escalating danger, with new clues continually raising questions rather than providing easy answers. The shipping container lists provide an intriguing thread that gradually connects the strands of the mystery. The combination of police procedural, cartel thriller, and international conspiracy gives the novel a broad scope without losing sight of its detective at the center.

Quill says: Carmen Amato successfully combines a missing-person mystery with cartel violence and espionage, creating a story in which every clue seems capable of leading Emilia deeper into danger. With its determined heroine, atmospheric setting, and steadily mounting tension, Dragon Cartel offers a suspenseful crime thriller that keeps the question of who can be trusted at the forefront.

For more information about Dragon Cartel, please visit the author's website at: carmenamato.net/

 #Bookreview of Blackout

By: J. Luke Bennecke

Publisher: Jaytech Publishing

Publication Date: October 6, 2026

ISBN: 979-8990527362

Reviewed by: Rebecca Jane Johnson

Review Date: June 19, 2026

J. Luke Bennecke, #1 Amazon bestselling author of Civil Terror: Gridlock and Waterborne, delivers another thrilling, high-stakes crime novel that reveals the challenges humanity confronts when technological advancements outshine human kindness. Blackout: A Jake Bendel Thriller is a fast-paced tale full of mission-driven power brokers, hackers, smugglers, bikers, murderers, gangsters, and criminal masterminds.

The hero, civil engineer Jake Bendel, faces impossible odds. Every decision could save or destroy thousands of American lives. What’s more: the fabric of democracy seems tattered beyond repair. Terror threat levels exceed critical, and even AI algorithms and engineering prowess may not be enough to prevent the imminent doom.

After a coordinated drone bombing downs Air Force One, assassinating the president of the United States, the FBI needs Jake Bendel for his expertise in airport safety. He is entrusted with the impossible task of ensuring every single airport in the nation is impervious to further drone attacks. Can Jake anticipate whatever unimaginable attack these enemies may plot next? While trying to solve these problems, law enforcement ropes Jake into finding the assassin and fixing the electrical problems at the nation’s Capitol building, the Supreme Court, and the D.C. area power plants.

While Jake attempts to solve a mystery of a strange black brick that may be the cause of the electrical outage, FBI leaders pull him back into another investigation. The assassin turns out to be Tracy Ciacchella, a seasoned criminal mastermind who has successfully seated a puppet in the oval office. She is narrowly escaping FBI detainment while coordinating a coastal ambush with Russian and Chinese militants at the ready. She is also coordinating drones to take out the electrical grid that powers the nation. Meanwhile, the hero’s team gets a tip from a mental patient that Jake’s wife, who he believed to have died five years earlier in a fire, may still be alive. Told from multiple characters’ perspectives, the twists deliver unending suspense, and the plot complexity pins the characters into impossible predicaments.

Since Jake had earned hero status for building communications and water desalination systems that improved technological infrastructure for the United States, the new president offers him a cabinet position as Secretary of Transportation. Jake turns the position down, sensing something off about the leader. Jake starts to realize those who are in command may not be who he thought they were. Is he being protected by allies or being watched by the same criminal mastermind who coordinated the assassination? This antagonist has an even more sinister plans for Jake. Tracy’s motivation? She tells herself she wants the wealth of the world to be more evenly distributed and people treated fairly. Sure, this means destroying innocent lives in the process, but she thinks her motives are pure.

This novel presents moral dilemmas while also showing Jake Bendel at his best, facing the highest risks to combat cyberterrorism. This novel contains strong writing, believable characters, and plot twists to keep the reader turning the pages. But beyond that, it provokes thinking about our vulnerability when we rely on technology. How easy is it for hackers to control our handheld devices? What kinds of outside attacks can the nation’s electrical grid handle and combat?

Quill says: Blackout: A Jake Bendel Thriller will grip readers from the first scene and take them on an exciting cinematic adventure full of thrilling political intrigue, technological ingenuity, and provocative plot twists of high drama, while still honoring the emotional depth of humanity.

For more information about Blackout: A Jake Bendel Thriller, please visit the author's website at: jlukebennecke.com/

 #Bookreview of The Catchings Press

By: Robin McMillion

Publication Date: September 29, 2026

ISBN: 979-8-9924644-3-6

Reviewed by: Nellie Calanni

Review Date: September 1, 2026

Set against the turbulent backdrop of late 1960s America, Robin McMillion’s The Catchings Press offers a compelling, evocative coming-of-age narrative centered on fifteen-year-old Annette Calvert and her family as they relocate from Houston to the small town of Catchings, Texas. The novel follows Annette’s father, Sam, an ambitious journalist who purchases the town’s local newspaper, thrusting the Calvert family directly into the heart of small-town politics, entrenched traditions, and social friction.

Through Annette's perceptive viewpoint, the story delves deeply into the complexities of community dynamics, small-town power structures, and the broader socio-political upheavals of the era – including the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war sentiment. As her family fights to preserve the newspaper's journalistic integrity amid political pushback and advertising boycotts, Annette faces her own local battles against strict school codes and institutional hypocrisy.

McMillion skillfully balances personal coming-of-age struggles – first love, family tensions, and youth rebellion – with heavy historical realities. Themes of integrity, justice, and the quiet courage required to stand up against unfair authority ripple throughout the book. The narrative paints a vivid portrait of central Texas during a period of immense cultural transition, featuring authentic period details from hot-type printing presses to high school culture.

At its core, The Catchings Press is a moving story about moral courage, identity, and the price of seeking the truth. Readers are treated to a richly detailed historical drama that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Quill says: Robin McMillion’s The Catchings Press is an engaging, beautifully grounded novel that captures the spirit of small-town Texas during a transformative era, delivering heart, historical detail, and quiet triumph in equal measure. This novel is a fantastic pick for readers of coming-of-age and historical fiction.

For more information about The Catchings Press, please visit the author's website at: robinmcmillion.com/

 #Authorinterview with Susan Marie Chapman

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Shrubaboti Bose is talking with Susan Marie Chapman, author of Growing Up Is Hard To Do Part 1 (A Grumpy the Iguana and Green Parrot Adventure).

FQ: Could you tell us a little about yourself, your background, hobbies and what drives you to write?

CHAPMAN: I was born and grew up in Pennsylvania. When I was twelve years old, my parents moved from the Philadelphia area which is a big city to a farm in rural Pennsylvania. It was there that I learned all about nature and animals that I would have never experienced in the city. We planted a huge garden every year and we planted each seed by hand. To give an example, we had over two hundred tomato plants, rows of corn, lima and string beans. We had cabbage, watermelon, cantaloupe and potatoes and lettuce. This garden was two acres wide. We also had animals, dogs, cats, over one hundred chickens, turkeys, pigs and geese. After we harvested all the fruits and vegetables, we canned them and stored them in our dry cellar for winter. I loved being around my neighbor’s horses and cows. It was fascinating to witness a birth or ride horses bareback through the fields or catch fireflies at night.

Being the oldest of eight children, I was always teaching my younger siblings things like when our momma cats gave birth and my brothers and sisters wanted to watch and to help. Children are like sponges, they soak up everything. So why not teach them something new while telling them a story.

FQ: In the series Growing Up Is Hard To Do, readers are introduced to several different characters, each with their own personalities and perspectives. How did you develop these characters, and was there a particular character or idea that came to you first?

CHAPMAN: Growing Up Is Hard To Do Part 1 and 2 (books 10 & 11) are part of a 17 book series called Grumpy the Iguana and Green Parrot Adventure series. Each character, starting with Grumpy and Green Parrot, are introduced into the series with their own book. These animals live in Flamingo Park in Miami, Florida until Grumpy and Green Parrot move to Naples, Florida. It is here that they meet the pelicans, grandpa and his grandson, the littlest pelican.

The series began with the Grumpy The Iguana book. This book is based on true events and I wrote the story in twenty minutes while walking home from Flamingo Park. I was very inspired by this iguana that lived in the park.

FQ: What motivated you to choose the themes of growing up, friendship, individuality and belonging as the core point of these books?

CHAPMAN: I think that most children want to fit in or blend in. They do not want to be singled out and called names because they are different. As children grow and become more confident, they do like to be unique and special. Self confidence comes from your parents encouraging you to be yourself and follow your dreams. It is in this frame of mind that you will find others that desire the same. You might call them your soul tribe because they feed your soul with positivity.

FQ: When you began writing the first book, did you already have ideas for the larger series and the kinds of adventures that the characters would experience together?

CHAPMAN: When I wrote the first book in the series, Grumpy the Iguana, I had no idea that this would become a series. I was just inspired by an iguana that I would see every time I visited the park. It was very organic and I never thought about more books. I actually thought this would be a one only book.

FQ: Baby’s mother tells her that being different can be a good thing and that she will eventually find her “soul tribe.” What do you hope young readers take away from Baby’s experience of feeling different and learning to appreciate who she is?

CHAPMAN: Being a child is tough. You want to be accepted but it does not always happen and it can be a painful experience. But you can not give up hope that you will find others that appreciate you for you. Every child is special and carries a special gift. It is in the journey of life that you discover exactly what that gift is. Some discover their gift early on while others might take a lifetime to figure it out like me. I did not become a writer until I was sixty years old. Now I cannot stop the books that are pouring out of me.

FQ: All the characters come from different parts of the animal world. What possibilities do you see in bringing them together, particularly when developing their friendships and individual personalities across the series?

CHAPMAN: Each animal, Grumpy the Iguana, Green Parrot, Mr. Squirrel, Little Mouse, the Screech Owl family, Grandpa Pelican and the Littlest Pelican, has a story and they all work together to help one another, even the sea animals, Mr. Sea Turtle and Baby the Manatee.

FQ: The book combines storytelling with information about manatees, including their behavior, eating habits, physical characteristics and their relationship with the environment. Why did you incorporate these educational elements into the story?

CHAPMAN: Children love to learn new things but it is much easier to learn if it is woven into an adventure. Then it does not feel like a lesson, it feels fun.

FQ: I’m sure you have been asked this question a lot, but could you share what inspired you to become a children’s author? What advice would you have for someone considering venturing into the art of writing stories for children?

CHAPMAN: I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always loved reading and read every classic novel by the age of twelve. I read Jane Eyre, Gone With The Wind, Pride And Prejudice, all of Charles Dickens' novels, Vanity Fair, Wuthering Heights, etc. Later, I loved the Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames and The Hardy Boys series.

In sixth grade, I wrote a short story that was published in a Children’s Readers Digest magazine with the help of my English teacher. I still carry the award with me to this day, fifty years later. It is a small medal with an inscription of excellence. Teachers can be so inspiring and a great teacher can make a world of difference in a child’s life.

My father discouraged all of his eight children away from the arts, although he himself majored in English in college. I graduated from college with an Associates degree in Business and a Bachelors degree in Economics.

It was not until after I married, raised my two children, got divorced and moved to Florida, that I started to write. When other matters take precedence in your life, you do not stop to think about yourself and what you want. I put everything and everyone before me but I have no regrets. I have lived a very full life and now I am doing something that I was meant to do, write! It is my passion and I get excited just thinking about the possibilities.

For more information about Growing Up Is Hard To Do Part 1 (A Grumpy the Iguana and Green Parrot Adventure), please visit the author's website at: susanmariechapman.com