#Bookreview of Kauai Spies and Bald-Faced Lies

By: Rosemary and Larry Mild

Publisher: Magic Island Literary Works

Publication Date: May 18, 2026

ISBN: 979-8986386430

Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki

Review Date: June 8, 2026

Kauai Spies and Bald-Faced Lies by Larry and Rosemary Mild starts in 1996 in Kharuta, a town in northwestern Russia. Ramza Damynia, a heavily bearded giant of a man, and his four drunk friends attack and burn down a print shop as well as the house above it, belonging to the Volkovs: Max and Anya, Jews who have been publishing political-opposition propaganda in a newspaper called "Free Will."

Max and Anya narrowly escape the inferno and are later taken in by Anya's sister, Polina, and her husband Zigfried Kuzman. At this time, the latter is unemployed and Max has no job. The quartet decides to explore the idea of moving away from mother Russia to America in search of greener pastures. The Volkovs' confidence is in the belief that they have been presumed dead and therefore might not encounter travel bans or rejection of their application for hardship and asylum visas. The book chronicles their later encounter with Nakita, a print shop owner in Soho in lower Manhattan who employs Max, and who sends him to evaluate and report back on the status of his recently deceased brother's printing shop in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The novel shifts to attorney Kent Peter Brukner, a former spy, who after meeting a secretive client and requesting him to draw a five-way partnership agreement, is threatened against attending to the client's request by two goons. As he wonders what he may have entangled himself in, Kent learns that his wife earlier on encountered Anya, a Russian woman she suspects may be her cousin. The possibility sends chills down his spine as he realizes that the web threatening him might somehow have found its way into his home. He is called to help the Volkovs in a matter that appears straightforward at first glance. However, the situation quickly becomes more entwined with a larger mystery surrounding his secretive client. Every step he takes leaves him not only deeply involved, but deeply unaware of where coincidence ends and where conspiracy starts.

This novel uses several techniques to develop the suspense including running two parallel stories which the reader knows must at some point connect, delaying their convergence, allowing anonymous written threats at key moments, offering a partial glimpse of the main villain, and employing cliffhanger chapter endings. It pulls at the reader's emotional investment by incorporating intent to harm on innocent characters like 17-year-old Rudy as well as two-year-old Paulie, whose safety is directly threatened. It uses flashbacks or backstory as a substitute for character growth. The reader notices that many characters remain who they are from beginning to the end, including Kent who is already competent, brave and ethical at the start, and the Volkovs who start and remain resilient, hardworking and resourceful throughout.

Quill says: Kauai Spies and Bald-Faced Lies is not your ordinary thriller. It doesn't carry a revenge or an eye-for-an-eye subplot; instead, it uses resilience as its engine. The heroes seek safety and survival, the violence is endured, then left behind, and its climax emerges in the form of a rescue. This is unique and might deeply interest the reader who loves stories that use fear, love and determination as their driving emotions. Kauai Spies and Bald-Faced Lies always allows readers to know when and where they are, thanks to its clear date headers. One cannot fail to notice its family theme, which elevates every threat into something deeply personal and impossible to look away from. It is a great read, whose turning of pages is not forced, but irresistible, with cliffhangers that arise from character decisions rather than cheap tricks.

For more information about Kauai Spies and Bald-Faced Lies, please visit the author's website at: magicile.com/

 #Bookreview of Essentials Vol. 1

By: Luke Arnold and Chris "Doc" Wyatt

Publisher: The Lab Press

Publication Date: February 25, 2025

ISBN: 978-1964226002

Reviewed by: Diana Coyle

Review Date: June 5, 2026

Mathematician Harris Pax has a premonition that the world is coming to an end, but he doesn’t prevent it from happening in Essentials Vol. 1 by Luke Arnold and Chris “Doc” Wyatt.

The world becomes post-apocalyptic and those left living in it find themselves in a warped reality. Stuffed toys are talking, people aren’t who they seem to be, and there are zombies out to kill everyone. But are all these occurrences truly happening? What can Harris do to restore the world as he knew it?

This isn’t a book that this reviewer would normally read, but the blurb and the cover were very attention-grabbing. The storyline, right from the start, was rich with details that would entertain sci-fi/fantasy readers and keep them engrossed until the very last page in this graphic novel. The storyline was enjoyable and often times humorous, so much so that readers will find themselves chuckling at what’s being said or what’s happening in a scene.

Although some of the characters were so off-the-wall at times, even with their oddities, they were believable to readers. They molded together well, whether they were odd or not, and they only enhanced the storyline being told.

The illustrations provided throughout this graphic novel were done by six artists and it was amazing how well each page blended into the next. It was a surprise to find that a team of artists did it together. Each artist had exceptional talent in illustrating their pages and all provided one cohesive book for readers to enjoy. Also, Bill Sienkiewicz was the cover artist of the book and he did a wonderful job presenting the cover illustration to set the tone of the story that would unfold once the book was opened. Other artists did illustrations for two additional covers for this story.

This debut graphic novel was written by Luke Arnold and Chris “Doc” Wyatt. Although not familiar with either author, this reviewer was pleasantly surprised to find out that Luke Arnold is a novelist, actor, and Emmy-nominated writer. Chris “Doc” Wyatt is a producer as well as a writer. He is known for many popular movie titles.

Quill says: If you are looking for a sci-fi/fantasy graphic novel with a unique storyline, well-developed, believable characters and expertly crafted illustrations, look no further than Essentials Vol. 1. This book checks all the boxes and more!

For more information about Essentials Vol. 1, please visit the publisher's website at: thelabpress.com/pages/essentials

 #Bookreview of Catabasis

By: Armen Melikian

Publisher: Erzenka Publishing House

Publication Date: November 27, 2026

ISBN: 979-8-950315-00-8

Reviewed by: Alma Boucher

Review Date: June 2, 2026

Armen Melikian’s Catabasis is an intellectually demanding and emotionally resonant novel. It explores exile, identity, and the collapse of cultural certainty through the journey of its protagonist, Brathki.

The narrative follows Brathki’s continual descent into a fragmented world where mythological echoes, political realities and metaphysical reflections collide with tangible human suffering. This is not a traditional plot-driven structure. Melikian crafts a philosophical odyssey in which Brathki becomes both observer and participant in a civilization struggling to define itself amid displacement and ideological manipulation. The novel’s title, evoking the ancient concept of a descent into the underworld, serves as an apt metaphor for Brathki’s immersion into increasingly unstable psychological, cultural, and existential terrain. As the story unfolds, readers are confronted with unsettling questions about the forces that shape identity and the extent to which culture itself may be constructed, imposed, or weaponized.

Brathki is a compelling and enigmatic central figure, whose evolution is less about conventional transformation and more about gradual exposure to uncomfortable truths. Melikian develops him as a reflective and often alienated character whose observations reveal the fractures beneath society’s accepted narratives. Supporting characters appear almost symbolically at times, representing conflicting ideologies, historical burdens, or spiritual anxieties rather than functioning solely as traditional characters. This unconventional approach may distance readers seeking emotional familiarity, yet it powerfully reinforces the novel’s thematic concerns. The interactions Brathki experiences become meditations on belonging, exile, memory, and survival in a world where stable meaning appears elusive. Through these encounters, Melikian successfully captures the psychological disorientation of individuals caught between inherited traditions and contemporary political realities.

Thematically, Catabasis is ambitious and fearless. Melikian examines the fragility of cultural identity and the dangers of systems that seek to define humanity through rigid ideological constructs. The novel challenges readers to reconsider assumptions about nationalism, heritage, and the narratives societies use to maintain control. There is a prophetic quality woven throughout the text, as the story often feels less like fiction and more like a warning about the spiritual and intellectual consequences of cultural stagnation and political manipulation. Readers willing to engage deeply with the material will find rich philosophical undercurrents concerning individuality, existential purpose, and the cyclical nature of history. At its core, the novel suggests that identity cannot remain static, nor can truth be comfortably contained within institutional boundaries.

Melikian’s writing style is dense, poetic, and intentionally disorienting, mirroring the unstable reality Brathki inhabits. The prose often shifts between abstract philosophical musings and sharply concrete imagery, creating a rhythm that feels challenging yet immersive. The pacing is deliberate rather than fast-moving, prioritizing contemplation over action. Some readers may find the nonlinear structure and symbolic complexity difficult to penetrate, but others will appreciate the novel’s refusal to simplify its ideas for the sake of accessibility. The language carries an almost hypnotic intensity that rewards patience and close reading, particularly for audiences drawn to literary fiction that prioritizes intellectual exploration over straightforward storytelling.

Quill says: Catabasis is not a novel for casual reading, but a novel for those prepared to embrace its philosophical depth and unconventional structure. With this work, Armen Melikian delivers a haunting and profoundly thought-provoking literary experience.

For more information about Catabasis, please visit the author's Amazon page at: amazon.com/stores/Armen-Melikian/author/B004FJSYLY/

 #Bookreview of The Quest For Freedom

By: Matthew Devitt

Publisher: BOLD Publishing

Publication Date: July 5, 2025

ISBN: 979-8998938801

Reviewed by: Ephantus Muriuki

Review Date: June 1, 2026

The Quest For Freedom (The Conquest Trilogy Book 1) by Matthew Devitt follows Fletcher Rush, an enslaved man who refuses to stay down and watch his kind suffer in captivity any more. Their captivity, which has surpassed centuries, began over 473 years ago when five species including angels, demons, the dammed, hybrids, and elves, joined forces against the humans and defeated them in a battle that was known as the Great War.

Fletcher has been secretly training for years while forging swords in Titanan, the third-largest city in the demon kingdom. He hopes to soon escape and reclaim the rights of his species. The day he has been waiting for to make his move finally arrives, and just as planned, his friend Abe stages a confrontation that sends Fletcher to the infirmary, unconscious. He meets Ji there, a fellow slave, who offers to help Fletcher escape as long as he takes him along. An array of brutal action and coordinated one-sided battles follow, against demon guards of various ranks.

The novel takes us to Admont, where the duo meets a former angel slave who has been living alone since her escape. Fletcher forges new weapons and together, they come up with a plan to attack the weakest city in the weakest kingdom before moving on to the rest of the cities. Readers, in full awareness of the man Fletcher is--dangerous, rash and with nothing to lose--find themselves pulled into a conversation between the trio, which suggests that this will end with fire and blood. Here, a question arises about how their three-man army will win a four-centuries-old war, and whether by the time they arrive, any soul worth saving will still be alive.

The greatest surprise of this book is how humorous the characters are, especially during and after brutal scenes. They joke about finding full meals in their escape car's glove, when in reality, it's dry oat bars they find. Fletcher calls Ji's sword a "butter knife," just because it is chipped and dull, implying that all along Ji has been fighting using cutlery! These, among other hilarious moments, do not feel like forced jokes, but rather natural, deliberate, and strategic breaks from the brutality. The action scenes flow very well, making sure that the reader never loses track of where the characters are or what they are doing. The pacing is equally impressive, and is far smoother than what many authors struggle to achieve. It is remarkable how the author choreographs every blow, dodge, and counter with precision. You also notice that he keeps raising the stakes by bringing on harder challenges, forcing the main characters to adapt mid-fight. The beauty of it all is that he ends up making the reader feel like a witness to the chaos, a witness who cheers them on from a point of understanding of why they should not stop.

Quill says: The Quest For Freedom is not your ordinary debut fantasy. It doesn't rush; it's confident enough to let its hero spend over a decade training before the story even begins; it lets you feel the significance of every blow; and by the last page, makes you feel like a survivor alongside everyone who makes it out. It is a very inspiring read that proves that one doesn't need to be strong or brilliant but instead unwilling to give up, that rising up after failing is crucial to success, and that an insignificant beginning doesn't mean the end will be insignificant. It is graphic but not careless, and so readers who are sensitive to detailed violence should proceed with caution. For those who can stomach it, it is deeply rewarding.

For more information about The Quest For Freedom, please visit the author's website at: theconquesttrilogy.com

#Bookreview of Creatures & Corridors

By: Brandon Auman

Illustrated by: Andrea Mutti

Publisher: The Lab Press

Publication Date: November 11, 2025

ISBN: 978-1964226316

Reviewed by: Rebecca Jane Johnson

Review Date: June 1, 2026

Creatures & Corridors, written by Brandon Auman and illustrated by Andrea Mutti, thrills a reader with action, suspense, and vivid graphics that make the story come alive, and this story has teeth.

This graphic novel is set in the home of Brian and Joelle Daly, normal teens in the year 1992, enjoying a Saturday evening engaged in an ordinary role-playing game with friends in their basement. Joelle, a popular girl with a chip on her shoulder, just broke up with her boyfriend. She’s feeling resentful that her younger brother has dragged her into playing this silly game. Their God-fearing, Christian mother warns them that role-playing games conjure Satan.

When a loud intrusion shakes the house, what can protect them? All hell breaks loose while the threats and horrors start to pile on. Their lives are at stake, and their abilities are tested at every turn.

The illustrations convey precise emotions. It feels almost miraculous the way color and lines can portray fear, anxiety, courage, determination, and even love amidst the threat of violence and death. The graphics, both realistic and fantastic, draw a reader in to be part of a live action. Each page deserves slow perusal. The images provide the mind with the kind of escape that makes excellent fiction mesmerizing. This is a reading experience that will make you forget the time of day. Plus, it gives goose bumps. It’s easy to see that each panel was considered and crafted with care and precision, making this whole book a splendid piece of artwork. The cover art and the box that it slides into make the entire book like a relic you could display on a coffee table.

When the story’s friend group must navigate the terrifying trials of an alternate dimension, their relationships take on satisfying turns and develop in unexpected ways. The whole story is equal parts plot driven and character driven, which achieves unique depth for this genre.

Quill says: Creatures & Corridors deserves classic status for its ability to spellbind the reader with characters and graphics that deliver pure entertainment again and again. This story is easy to share and this book would make a great gift for your loved ones who are fans of Dungeons and Dragons, “Stranger Things” or graphic novels.

For more information about Creatures & Corridors, please visit the publisher's website at: thelabpress.com/pages/creatures-corridors

 #Authorinterview with Lynn Lobban

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Diane Lunsford is talking with Lynn Lobban, author of One of the Boys: Surviving Dartmouth, Family, and the Wilderness of Men.

FQ: I was instantly fascinated with your memoir with the title (and subtitles) of your book. I was intrigued by the one tag line: ‘…and the wilderness of men…’ Please elaborate on your definition of wilderness in terms of its usage with men.

LOBBAN: Dartmouth’s motto is “A voice crying out in the wilderness.” I certainly felt I was crying out as one of seven women on a campus of three-thousand men. As I tried to blaze a path that hadn’t existed before, I was on a mission to prove I was equal to any man. Personally though. As I look back at my own relationships and marriages, it tended to feel like I was hacking through untamed territory. Theirs and mine.

FQ: I’m assuming you are still living in Los Angeles. What is the one thing that stands out that has drastically changed from when you first moved there to today?

LOBBAN: Funny you should ask. In February 2020 I put all my belongings in storage (in LA) and was making my back to NY. Then Covid hit. So I took everything out of storage and resettled in Santa Monica to sit out the pandemic. A year later, my first grandchild was born (in LA) and then my daughter had a baby (in NY), so I put things back in storage in December 2022 and have been bouncing between coasts trying to be “super Grammy.” Not having a home has been tiring to say the least, but now I’m making moves back to NY where I once lived for 42 years. Basically I’m a New Yorker even in LA. But how have things changed? Like many places, but especially here and LA, things are so expensive! Honestly, it feels like NY is for those who have never left their affordable apartments and the very rich.

FQ: Out of your well-rounded credentials of actor, singer, and writer, what do you enjoy engaging in most and why?

LOBBAN: Probably singing, which sadly I haven’t been doing much of lately. Think it tops everything because it’s such a full use of one’s body, breath, expression. And I love music (like most humans). I also tend to approach songs as an actor, so singing kills two birds.

FQ: You captured a quote from the iconic Maya Angelou at the very end of your credits that was quite powerful: “I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now,” I would be lying if I didn’t say I’m glad this part of it is over. May we all find peace.” I think your acknowledgement to her quote is wonderful. At what point in your incredibly layered life journey did you realize it was time for you to have peace? How do you embrace your peace now?

LOBBAN: Honestly, am still realizing it. It’s been such a long journey and I am still in the acceptance stage. Writing and putting the book out made my history more painfully real in terms of feeling the grief. I am still working through it. Also finding peace especially hard to come by living in this awful time we are in. Why I practice transcendental meditation, read a lot of Pema Chodron, and go to 12-step meetings. I need all the help I can get!

FQ: I once read that ‘forgiveness’ is not an invitation to welcome someone back into your life who has hurt you. Rather, it is a means to heal your own being to release the hurt from within. What is your view on forgiveness?

LOBBAN: I think forgiveness can’t be forced and shouldn't be. It comes, or doesn’t, after whatever work one needs to do. I find the whole “forgive the person but not the act” confusing because the act doesn’t exist without the person. But I have stopped worrying about forgiveness. Having to get to it as if it should fix everything. For me, it’s all about letting go.

FQ: As a writer, I often find myself trying to instill the importance of reading and the wonderful escape a great book provides. In a world of rapidly advancing technology and perpetual scrolling, what would you say to our young adults to convince them of the great benefits of putting down their cell phone and picking up a book from time to time?

LOBBAN: That it will help them with focus in general, not to mention lower their chances of dementia later? Honestly, don’t know. My alcoholic mother was a voracious reader and I turned on my TV in rebellion, and I loved movies. She used to tell that I was “ruining my mind” and that I should read a book. I didn’t listen to her. TV helped me survive my alcoholic home. I probably read more now than I ever have, though as a young adult I was all over self-help books.

FQ: You clearly have an artistic calling. If you were asked to produce a play on one of our current events of today, what would the subject matter be and why would you choose this?

LOBBAN: Actually just finished a play called Food about end of life issues and women’s eating disorders. Always interested in plays/musicals about women. Sorry I missed Suffs when it was on Broadway.

FQ: I am curious to know your experience in writing One of the Boys. Were there times when you had to walk away because of the raw nature of the scene? If so, how did you overcome the stall and get back to writing?

LOBBAN: It took a long time to write and finish the book, but I never gave myself a hard time (or worried) when I needed a break. I always went back to it though because I wanted my story out there. I thought it might help others which is always a powerful motivation to keep going. I will say I had to learn to write and cry at the same time. In fact, when I would cry, I knew I was going as deep as I needed to go.

FQ: I enjoyed your view on ‘…one of the lies I told myself in order to survive was that I didn’t need help…” Help comes in many forms. How much of this came from your siblings and how did that fuel your inspiration to keep telling your story?

LOBBAN: Not at all from my siblings. They were horrified I was revealing family secrets even though I clearly state at the start that the book is only my story. My relationships with my brother and sister were never close in the way I think of as close—we’re so different in so many ways—but now they feel non-existent. Help has always come from my close friends and colleagues. They feel more like family to me and I’m okay with that.

FQ: It’s been such a pleasure to chat with you today. I applaud you for having the strength and courage to pen such an impactful body of work. Are you working on anything new? If so, can you share? If not… when?

LOBBAN: I have a few essays on Substack and am about to post a new one about the parallels between the political time we’re in and an alcoholic home. Think I will work on a solo show where I can write, act, sing, and even dance!

Thank you! This was a pleasure!

 #Bookreview of Miz Country Goddess

By: Cat Treadgold

Publication Date: August 1, 2026

ISBN: 979-8998986079

Reviewed by: Lily Andrews

Review Date: May 29, 2026

Miz Country Goddess by Cat Treadgold begins in May 2003 on a desolate stretch of US-95 between Goldfield and Tonopah where 23-year-old Henry is driving an old Honda Civic hatchback. He spots a 1991 Jaguar that has broken down and quickly stops to help. The owner is a woman who he quickly feels is special. Her looks, sense of banter, voice and laughter are unlike anything he has recently encountered. He offers her a ride and just as impulsively as they met, asks her to join him for a drink.

The woman, Serena, is a divorcee and a talented singer who has been scarred by early exploitation, a rape, and a traumatic marriage. When we meet her, she is wearing oversized sunglasses that give signals of someone who is either trying to hide something or someone who doesn’t want to be seen. She flashes her charm before Henry, a total stranger, calling him harmless, giving hints at her need to take early charge and control the conversation. As her character develops, she emerges as someone who desperately wants a genuine connection, but every time she reaches for it, her trauma yanks her back. She feels like a strategist, and one hopes to see her, with every new page, take her disguise off perhaps with the help of Henry, a man who wants nothing from her that she isn’t freely and comfortably offering.

This book’s suspense is built on uncertainties regarding their relationship, their reputation and revelations. Every moment they share triggers the question of what new detail will be discovered about each other, and whether that discovery will feel like a betrayal or as something that can bring them closer. The book weaves in grave situations, descriptive songs, dilemma situations, seduction, and confessions that make the reader wait and worry at the same time about the impact each might have on the duo.

This story’s brilliance lies in how it touches on deeply universal experiences, including the question of who hasn’t worried about whether people will walk away from them if they learned about their scars, past mistakes, and insecurities. It also clearly reveals the true reality of most sexual assault survivors, showing their messy, shame-filled and complicated aftermath, in a manner that many of them might recognize but perhaps have never seen portrayed with such raw honesty. This is an essential read that rejects the hypocrisy around older women dating or marrying younger men. It boldly challenges this persistent cultural bias, offering a model for how such a relationship can work. And in a world that often suggests quick fixes, it calmly advocates for patience and love, not simplifying or romanticizing a happy ending but making it feel worth the wait and the work. It is conversational and immersive, and carries a “can’t put it down” rhythm.

Quill says: Miz Country Goddess is for readers who love romance but want more than just escapism. To anyone who has ever suffered emotional abuse, the story might be painfully familiar, just like it might to readers whose lived reality includes being denied love due to perceived flaws.

For more information about Miz Country Goddess, please visit the author's website at: cattreadgold.com/