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book reviews |
A Survival Thriller of Faith, Fear and Redemption(Into the Unknown Trilogy Book 1) Debut author Hai Van Le introduces us to the first book of his trilogy, “Into the Unknown”: A man is taken hostage in the Sahara. A woman fights to survive in a desert prison. And time is running out—for both of them. Mali, 2010. When a major gold discovery near Timbuktu triggers a chain of violent events, Jake Hall—a young mining executive—is thrust into a mission that quickly spirals beyond control. Captured by Islamist militants and dragged deep into the desert, Jake finds himself in a brutal world where survival depends not only on strength, but on resilience, trust, and the will to endure the unknown. Elsewhere, Ayesha—held captive in a remote camp—faces her own fight for survival. Stronger than her captors realize, she must navigate fear, isolation, and the quiet battle to hold on to hope. As their paths begin to converge, unseen forces tighten their grip across the region. What follows is a journey through one of the harshest landscapes on earth—where every decision carries weight, and survival demands more than courage alone.  This is an interesting story. It's set in a land that is a curious mixture of ancient and modern. People, technologies and religions. I must guess that the author has spent a lot of time in that part of Africa because his descriptions are so vivid. He seems to know the people and tribes intimately. Satellite phones, AK-47s and camels are important to the story. Learning more about Islam, Eastern Mysticism and meditation deepens the colorful experience this book draws the reader into. I am picky about certain things and award 4.7 stars.  You can buy the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Into-the-Unknown https://www.goodreads.com/-into-the-unknown You can connect with the author: https://www.haivanle.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hai-van-le The author’s publisher: https://sattvapublishing.com/ Tags: Terrorism, political, politics, geopolitics, action, kidnap, thriller, gold, mining, mine Copyright © 2026 Mark L. Schultz. Except for the author’s introduction.
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Multi-genre, award-winning author George Yuhasz introduces us to his children’s story, “Imagine That”: On a night when the sky is full of stars, sometimes there appears light that cannot be explained, even by the smartest astronomers... Evelyn is a little girl who lives with her parents and brother in a house with a big backyard. On nights when the sky is filled with brightly shining stars, she loves to go outside before bed to see the Milky Way and the Big Dipper and dream about the planets. But Evelyn has a secret: She is able to see flashes of light streaking across the night sky that no one else can see. And she’ll soon learn that her secret is actually a wonderful gift!  What a beautifully illustrated story! A little girl learns about using her imagination to achieve her goal of aspiring to be a teacher.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Imagine-That-Magic-Mysterious-Lights https://www.goodreads.com/-imagine-that https://www.barnesandnoble.com/imagine-that-george-yuhasz You can connect with the author: https://x.com/GeorgeYuhasz https://georgeyuhaszauthor.com https://linkedin.com/in/george-yuhasz https://www.facebook.com/george.yuhasz.524 I have reviewed another book by the author: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/righteous-allegiance-by-george-yuhasz Copyright © 2026 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction. Debut Amazon author, Elizabeth Adams, introduces us to the first book in her romantasy series, “The Last Realm Weaver”: Cassie never believed in hidden worlds, until reality tore open in front of her. When a violent surge of energy awakens something buried deep within her, Cassie discovers that the world she knows is only a fragile layer woven over ancient forces. She is a Realm Weaver, one of the last capable of bending the threads that hold existence together. But power always comes at a cost. As shadowed enemies rise and long-buried secrets begin to surface, Cassie is drawn into a hidden war between Guardians, Conduits, and a force older than memory itself. Guided by the mysterious and fiercely protective Jared, she must learn to control an ability that could either restore balance, or unravel everything. Because something is watching. And it has been waiting for her: In a world where destiny is written in light and shadow, Cassie must decide who she is willing to become... before the Weave decides for her.  What an amazing story! I love stories told from alternating points of view! It is so fresh and intimate. This is a wonderful tale that switches from our reality to an alternate reality or dimension. The author does such a good job of moving from one dimension to another. The characters are well developed and come across as quite real. Please note: there are some steamy parts. I am liking shapeshifters more after reading this book. There are some things about this story that I am picky about, so I award 4.5 stars.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Realm-Weaver-Adams-book-1 https://www.goodreads.com/-the-last-realm-weaver https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-last-realm-weaver-e-a-adams You can connect with the author: https://x.com/EAAdams215490 http://lastrealmweaver.com/ https://www.facebook.com/authorelizabethadam/ https://www.instagram.com/lastrealmweaver/ Tags: romantasy, action, adventure, romance, fantasy, modern Copyright © 2026 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction. |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
July 2026
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