#Bookreview of Toby's Trip

By: Charles Weeden

Publication Date: June 8, 2021

ISBN: 979-8517567383

Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki

Review Date: July 13, 2026

Toby's Trip by Charles Weeden, a coming-of-age tale, emerges as a thoughtful, deeply engaging, and funny story.

We are first introduced to Toby as the kind of kid everyone likes. Toby is the catcher for his baseball team, even though he struggles to squat as low as a catcher should. Interestingly, his inability to crouch helps the team more than if he were a flexible catcher. Toby is not your typical young character, as we quickly discover. This is seen, for instance, when he and the narrator stop at an ice cream store where Toby ends up sending the store clerk's temper through the roof as he samples too many ice cream flavors before he makes a choice. When he transfers to a new school, he sneaks into the computer room and alters his friend's results before flashing his deep dimples as if nothing happened. This he does on his first day at school, sending the signal that with him now around, things were going to be very different.

The story also captures the magic of the two friends' reconnection years later, years after they had drifted apart and survived what felt like apocalyptic disasters. Among them, one of them narrowly escaped death after being involved in a police chase while in a car that had drugs in it, while the other found himself watching his dad unravel into an unemployed, whiskey-soaked mess. These dark moments, marked by physical trauma, a broken family, and failed dreams, are made bearable and manageable by the narrator's sense of humor, which in this book feels like his secret weapon. Phrases like "adults do things backwards," "a doctor enters with a look indicating my life span should be measured in hours," and "Pipes is now doing eternal time" (he had just died) make both boys feel like lovable menaces--our menaces. We can't help but smile, especially because of how they look at disasters with straight faces and crack jokes out of them.

In what feels like Weeden's deliberate decision to focus on transformation instead of just the events happening in his characters' lives, he includes significant jumps between sections, masterfully skipping the over-in-between moments. This is a sign of mature craft, making us focus on what matters. He starts with a relaxed pace in the first pages where the stakes are still low, accelerates it during the baseball training moments with Toby, and then takes a sharp turn when adult expectations enter the picture. He makes the narrator feel like he is sitting right across from us, talking to us and working things out with us. His voice makes us appreciate the characters' growth, which feels earned because we have lived through the struggles with them.

Quill says: This book for young adults is definitely made for them because it speaks their language and celebrates their passions. It also addresses things that keep teenagers up at night, from identity issues to the terror of failure, parental expectations, financial anxiety, and the terrifying uncertainty of the future. If you want a book that will open conversations about resilience and the often unfamiliar path to becoming, Toby's Trip by Charles Weeden is your go-to.

 #Bookreview of Outside Eden's Gate: A Shadow Falls

By: Adam Kervale

Publisher: Enochian Stone Press

Publication Date: April 11, 2026

ISBN: 979-8995722304

Reviewed by: Alma Boucher

Review Date: July 13, 2026

Outside Eden’s Gate: A Shadow Falls blends political intrigue, biblical prophecy, and speculative fiction as Adam Kervale crafts a story that moves between earthly power struggles and ancient spiritual mysteries.

At the heart of the novel is Ava Trudeau. She is a senior intelligence analyst specializing in pattern recognition and extremism. The current president’s social media posts fuel growing unrest, and nationalist and hate-driven ideologies begin replacing older political movements. Ava notices troubling shifts in online behavior, suggesting coordinated manipulation rather than organic public discourse. Ava follows encrypted directives and hidden speech patterns that point towards a covert network seeking to influence and destabilize the political landscape. Meanwhile, her brother, Kurt, investigates long-anticipated revelations through rare scrolls that may hold the key to understanding the larger conflict unfolding behind the scenes.

Kervale succeeds in making both Ava and Kurt compelling protagonists whose contrasting perspectives strengthen the narrative. Ava approaches every mystery through data, intelligence analysis, and observable patterns. Kurt seeks answers within centuries-old prophecies and sacred texts. Their separate investigations gradually converge, creating an engaging balance between modern political suspense and theological exploration. Ava’s analytical mindset lends credibility to the unfolding conspiracy, while Kurt’s spiritual journey provides the novel with its deeper philosophical and prophetic dimensions. Supporting political figures adds further tension as questions arise over whether their changing behavior stems from ideology, manipulation, or something even more sinister. Character development unfolds steadily, allowing readers to appreciate not only the siblings’ personal growth but also their evolving understanding of the forces shaping the world around them.

The novel explores timely themes of misinformation, political polarization, manipulation, faith, free will, and humanity’s search for truth. Rather than presenting simple answers, Kervale encourages readers to examine how technology, propaganda, belief systems, and power intersect in an increasingly fractured society. His writing is descriptive without becoming overly dense, balancing action sequences with reflective passages that invite readers to consider the broader implications of the story. The prophetic discussions ultimately enrich the narrative by giving greater context to the larger conflict. The pacing builds methodically before accelerating into increasingly suspenseful revelations, rewarding readers willing to invest in both the political and spiritual aspects of the plot.

Quill says: Outside Eden’s Gate: A Shadow Falls is an ambitious and thought-provoking blend of conspiracy thriller, political drama, and biblical speculation. The novel’s engaging characters, timely subject matter, and steadily escalating mystery create a memorable reading experience that lingers well beyond the final chapter.

For more information about Outside Eden's Gate: A Shadow Falls, please visit the author's website at: adamkervale.com/

 #Bookreview of At Liberty: Reconciling to a Life Worthy of the Calling

By: Christina Nordstrom

Publication Date: June 3, 2026

ISBN: 979-8240465307

Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki

Review Date: July 6, 2026

In her introduction of At Liberty: Reconciling to a Life Worthy of the Calling, Christina Nordstrom describes herself as a lifelong learner, a position that makes the reader feel invited as a companion into her ongoing journey of understanding.

What follows in the first chapter is a deeply moving moment of her confession and awakening where she shares a dream in which she encountered her seven-year-old self, who was angry and wounded from years of being silenced by an oppressor, none other than her now-grown self. For Nordstrom, that dream marked her turning point, where amends with her inner self and confronting that which was still unresolved inside of her felt not only necessary, but urgent.

Next, Nordstrom, after finally deciding to take action, turns her attention to the deeply rooted bias against women in her cultural environment where male dominance was prevalent. The oppression, she states, ran deep, and for the longest time contributed its version of trauma to many women, herself included. This was a culture in which many parents visibly got disappointed when they gave birth to a girl instead of a boy, and worse still, children's books and television shows displayed a clear male preference by making sure that the main characters, sometimes up to 95 percent, were male. Looking at herself, Nordstrom feels that many of the beliefs she held growing up were simply not from her own convictions, but that they were unconsciously inherited from that culture.

In the book, she engages with a number of thinkers who have boldly questioned deeply embedded concerns and assumptions about women's roles in both society and intellectual life. They include Irene Stiver and Professor Manning, Professors Mary Frank Fox and Sharlene Biber-Hesse, among others. She uses their findings to bring on board a cumulative argument especially about how the bias was, and is, still woven into the very frameworks through which knowledge is produced, validated and circulated. Beyond that, these voices push a greater idea: that what we often treat as normal knowledge is actually shaped by relationship and institutional habits that go unquestioned for a long time.

As you read this book, you realize that instead of moving fast in a conventional narrative sense, it actually circles around the same ideas but from different angles. This helps you, as the reader, absorb the ideas slowly and more deeply. Additionally, what you encounter through a deliberate pacing is a deeply researched exposition whose weight lies in the author's ongoing observations, questions, reflections and realizations, many of which are lived-in. Step-by-step, she reveals how she arrives at certain conclusions, revealing the mark of a great author, one who is willing to let meaning develop gradually. The question of the actual source of what we call 'choice' in life is what really makes the book feel current, in a world where as of today, the patterns haven't really disappeared but simply become subtler.

Quill says: At Liberty: Reconciling to a Life Worthy of the Calling is, without a doubt, a book that will continue to echo in the background of how its target audience sees themselves and the world around them. It is especially outstanding for how it treats knowledge as something you unlearn as much as you learn. This rare approach contributes deeply to its depth. The intellectual frameworks that helped the author understand her experience, including Liberation Theology and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, are brilliant. It is a meaningful work to gift a friend or to yourself, especially if you are drawn to thoughtful, reflective works that linger long after the final page is turned.

For more information about At Liberty: Reconciling to a Life Worthy of the Calling, please visit the author's website at: christinanordstrom.com/

 #Bookreview of A Flower from Keanu: A Town of Hidden Glen Novella

By: Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra

Publication Date: June 12, 2026

ISBN: 979-8989985821

Reviewed by: Lily Andrews

Review Date: July 2, 2026

A Flower from Keanu: A Town of Hidden Glen Novella by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra follows Cassandra Finlay, a woman who embodies profound loneliness as seen in Sacred Heart Catholic Church where she is all alone, apart from two extra people praying in the pew. It's her mother's burial day at Hidden Glen, a town where people always avoid the uncomfortable as demonstrated by the arrival of one of Cassandra's flower shop customers, who bows, then leaves as quickly as she arrives. And as she awaits the priest's arrival, Cassandra confesses to a deep feeling of relief following her mother's death, especially because of the brutality the disease had inflicted on her mother's character and personality, and indirectly, on Cassandra's emotions.

The story later introduces Ken Rivers a.k.a. Keanu Rivers, a chef who arrives in Hidden Glen from New York after thirteen long years. He is well known to Cassandra since he worked at her mother's flower shop when he was a teenager. His comeback feels like the best move he would ever make, a move that will give him significant growth and success that will surpass the restaurant he created in the city.

Woven into the story is a development scheme involving a land venture capitalist Lucas Finlay, who is Cassandra's biological father. Many years ago, he left her mother with a lot of debt and a toddler to raise. Now, he is wealthy and is hunting for various real estate deals upstate for his investors back in Nevada. Working with him is the former mayor, an opportunist who's disappointed that Rivers recently bought a property he was also interested in. The story captures Cassandra's shock at the mention of her father, as well as her strange relief that she cannot recognize herself in any feature on his face.

This story invites the reader to witness the protagonist's healing and rise from trauma and emotional wounds that are seated right at the core of her soul. She is drawn as a survivor who takes small, hesitant steps, and whose redemption feels outweighed by the weight of her past as well as the fear of repeating it. Her response early in the novel to Rivers when he asks whether she is okay confirms this, while further revealing the wall she has built around herself from years of betrayal and loneliness. Most remarkable is how, through her, the story weaves in the power of memory and symbolism. The latter includes the rare Nativitas germens flower that is said to bloom once in ten years. The Nativitas germens doesn't emerge as a mere plot device, but rather, as a living symbol of the protagonist's lived experience with love and hope. Among the other themes she beautifully propels is the question of whether vulnerability is a weakness or a strength. The reader evaluates this as events pass, following her decision to trust again while at the very edge of her despair.

Quill says: A Flower from Keanu: A Town of Hidden Glen Novella by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra, though it follows familiar genre conventions, is emotionally satisfying, and rewards the reader with the happiness one of the main characters has long been denied. It doesn't break new ground; instead, it follows the usual tropes of the romance genre with a welcome dash of danger and suspense. However, it finds its uniqueness in its emotional impact and thematic coherence, executed through steady pacing that smoothly leads to a renewal and a restoration of magnificent proportions. This novel is undoubtedly a memorable work that speaks right to the often invisible resilience of the human spirit.

For more information about A Flower from Keanu: A Town of Hidden Glen Novella, please visit the author's website at: mariaelenawrites.com/

 #Bookreview of Hunger

By: Nihaarika Negi

Illustrated by: Joe Bocardo

Publisher: The Lab Press

Publication Date: October 28, 2025

ISBN: 978-1964226088

Reviewed by: Anne Hubbard

Review Date: June 22, 2026

Hunger by Nihaarika Negi is a bold science fiction graphic novel that fans of dark fantasy will find themselves relishing.

The narrative is set in Bombay in 1896, as its residents suffer greatly due to the widespread famine and plague of the times. Izna, a young girl, is imprisoned in a concentration camp, where she is subjected to vicious medical experiments. While the medical experiments are intended to produce a controlled and submissive subject, the opposite actually transpires, resulting in Izna transforming into a monstrous, primeval form. Izna eventually accepts this transformation and begins using it to her advantage. What is exceptionally striking about this transformation is how Izna’s shift to a “monster” makes her come across as more of a victim reclaiming what was rightfully hers rather than a monster seeking to destroy.

The entire book, with its stunning artwork, chilling cover and protective outer box, makes this quite the conversation piece. The graphics that accompany the story are bold, expressive, and often able to tell a story wordlessly better than some other stories do with the use of words. The artwork is graphic but meaningful, and will appeal to fans of dark fantasy. With the crux of the story centering on the actual historical event of the 1896 Bombay plague, this story also has the ability to cross genres and appeal to fans of historical fiction.

Quill says: Hunger tells a bold, captivating story with stunning visuals and unexpected characters. Readers who appreciate stories with heightened tension, emotions, and an emphasis on the grotesque will find this book greatly rewarding.

For more information about Hunger, please visit the publisher's website at: thelabpress.com/pages/hunger

 #Bookreview of Blackout: A Jake Bendel Thriller

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/

 #Authorinterview with Helena P. Schrader

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Alma Boucher is talking with Helena P. Schrader, author of Voices on the Wind — Assault: A Novel of Malta in WWII.

FQ: What inspired you to write a novel centered on Malta during World War II? 

SCHRADER: The story itself. You can't make something like this up. Literally, more bombs fell on an island one-fifth the size of Los Angeles than on all of Germany in 1942. In April 1942 alone, more bombs rained down on Malta than in the entire Blitz of London -- which was three times larger! On top of that, the island was slowly starving to death. Yet the Maltese didn't surrender and they didn't wallow in self-pity. They kept fighting, and won.

In a way, Malta was a microcosm of Britain itself; Britain too was dependent on imports carried by ships -- simply at a far larger scale. The Germans came close to choking off Britain's lifeline too, but the Battle of the Atlantic raged over five years, while the crisis on Malta came in eight months. The combination of a massive air offensive and a near successful siege make the story of Malta in 1942 especially dramatic and so uniquely suitable for fiction.

FQ: Malta itself feels like a character in the story. Was that your intention from the beginning? 

SCHRADER: Not really. Malta is fascinating, unique and indomitable. It's a tiny island with a history that reaches back before the age of the Pyramids in Egypt. It was conquered and settled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and finally Napoleon himself! In 1565, it withstood a massive siege by an Ottoman  seaborne army and a tiny force of defenders led by the Knights of St John (one of my favorite militant orders) emerged victorious. What followed was a period of artistic and architectural flourishing that is unique in the Mediterranean and left a magnificent legacy. Yet the Knights of St John became decadent and corrupt. They were swept aside by Napoleon only for the Maltese people to rise up in rebellion and defeat the French in weeks -- with a little help from Admiral Lord Nelson! The people invited the British in -- but issued a Declaration of Rights that articulated limits to British rule. The next century and a half was one of mostly symbiotic relations between the Maltese and the British. In addition, Malta played a important role in both World Wars. You can't ignore -- or invent -- a character like that.

FQ: The novel portrays both military and civilian experiences. Why was it important to include multiple perspectives?

SCHRADER: Because there are so many perspectives. I would argue that is true of nearly every historical event. All my novels include multiple perspectives and story lines. I detest books written in the first person. It's like filming a movie with only a single, handheld camera.

FQ: Were there any real-life accounts or personal stories that particularly influenced the narrative?

SCHRADER: I relied heavily on the wonderful memoir by Charles Grech, a native of Malta, who lived through the war as a youth, Raiders Passed: Wartime Recollections of a Maltese Youngster. I loved Paul McDonald's tribute to Christina Ratcliffe and other women who lived through this crisis in Ladies of Lascaris: Christina Ratcliffe and the Forgotten Heroes of Malta's War. Another important source was Wing Commander T.E. Neil's Onward to Malta and Angus Mansfield's "I Wish I Had Your Wings: A Spitfire Pilot and Operation Pedestal, Malta 1942." Another gem is Frank Leighton's memoir, Frayed Lifelines: A Siege Survivor's Story, which depicts life on Malta in this period from the perspective of an ordinary 'erk' (aircraftman) working with the Air/Sea Rescue unit; very detailed right down the color and design of ration cards. No heroics whatsoever! And since nothing is better than a novel for evoking a society, I must mention Nicholas Monsarrat's The Kappillan of Malta.

For the maritime story line, I relied heavily on The Quiet Heroes by Bernard Edwards and At All Costs by Sam Moses. These books don't single out any specific 'hero' or character, but they provide a wealth of information on what it was like manning merchant ships in WWII.

FQ:  What was the most surprising fact you discovered about Malta during your research?

SCHRADER: Although I suspected that Malta was an 'intelligence hub' simply due to its proximity to Sicily, I was astonished to discover that the only X-machine for deciphering German enigma messages located outside of the British Isles was installed in the British HQ bunker at Lascaris.

Because of the high levels of classification, the Official Secrets Act, and wartime training, we know far less about intelligence operations than other kinds of operations. While the release of F.W. Winterbotham's book The Ultra Secret made "Ultra" and "Enigma" household words and the role of Bletchley Park has become famous since, these are only part of the story. Malta's role in intelligence was first hidden, and has now largely been forgotten. Historians appear not to have fully explored it. We do know, however, that at least one WAAF was assigned to Intelligence on the island. So Candice is not implausible.

FQ: How do the characters reflect the resilience and determination of the Maltese people?

SCHRADER: Malta didn't surrender. The Maltese didn't rebel against British rule. They didn't offer passive resistance. They didn't scrawl graffiti on the ruins demanding British withdrawal. The Maltese manned the anti-aircraft batteries, they served in the RAF and RN. Maltese women were plotters and Y-Service operators. Maltese health care professionals ran and manned the hospitals. Malta was not simply a base for action; Malta was a participant. As my novel suggests, morale was worse in the RAF than among the civilian population.

FQ: What role does hope play in sustaining your characters through the hardships they face?

SCHRADER: That's really more for you to judge as a reader. Robin certainly is not hopeful about the situation! He's a cynical realist. Ned is far more focused on his own role than the overall situation. Stevie states baldly that the Admiralty cannot afford to sustain the losses incurred by supplying Malta and suggests they will abandon it 'soon'. (But, of course, in this volume he has not yet become directly involved in the situation in the Mediterranean and has no direct insights.) Candice is simply struggling to do her job and not disgrace herself in her own eyes -- and falling in love, of course.

FQ: How important was it for you to highlight the sacrifices made by the people of Malta?

SCHRADER: It's the very least we can do. The Second World War was not a "war of choice," or a war of domination, much less an aggressive war on the part of the Allies. Malta's role was critical to Allied victory, and as such we all owe a debt to the Maltese as we do the veterans of the war the world over.

FQ: Why do you think Malta's wartime story remains relevant today?

SCHRADER: I believe that we can best understand ourselves by understanding the past. The assault and siege of Malta doesn't have a one-to-one relevance with anything happening today -- although one reader said she felt like she was reading about Gaza, and another reader said they thought of Ukraine.  The main point is simply that this novel is based on real events. Most of what I describe really happened. This isn't fantasy. It isn't dystopian or alternative fiction. The broad events depicted happened and understanding how people cope in such situations should be an inspiration to us all.

FQ: If readers could take away one message from Voices on the Wind — Assault: A Novel of Malta in WWII, what would it be?

SCHRADER: When fighting tyranny, you don't calculate the chances of success or fight because you expect to win; you fight because you define yourself by your opposition to evil.

Thank you for the lovely review and the opportunity to answer a few questions.