Book Reviews – Sassy Reviews

January 31, 2026

Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Richard W. Coad ✍️
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Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir is an account of a young Englishman’s journey into post-Soviet Ukraine in the mid-1990s, a country still finding its identity amid political uncertainty, cultural awakening, and underground power structures.

From the beginning, the reader is drawn into a world of bone-chilling journeys, unfamiliar languages, and the quiet tension of crossing borders. The background setting is done well. Ukraine itself becomes a living, breathing character in the story.

As an English teacher navigating daily life in Kyiv, the narrator moves between classrooms, family kitchens, metro stations, and secretive social spaces. These encounters, whether with students, host families, diplomats, or dubious “businessmen” offer an intimate look at ordinary lives shaped by extraordinary political change. The warmth of Ukrainian hospitality sits alongside the ever-present undertone of danger, corruption, and uncertainty, creating a constant sense of tension.

While the book is based on true events, its fictionalized elements made it more interesting. Readers interested in Eastern European history, travel memoirs, or personal stories set against geopolitical change will be delighted to read this book. The author has done an amazing job in this book.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 29, 2026

Heir of the Fallen

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Heir of the Fallen 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: M.D. Holly ✍️
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Heir of the Fallen is a dark, gripping fantasy. At the center of the story is Dante Valerius, a reluctant heir caught between prophecy and survival. The novel opens with a nightmare that quickly becomes reality, setting the emotional tone: inheritance is not a gift, but a curse. Dante’s journey is not about seeking power, but about enduring it and that distinction makes him a deeply human protagonist.

The character of Cassian, the eldest brother, is well-written. His descent feels inevitable. Lucian and Lucia provide sharp contrasts: control versus compassion, silence versus resistance. The family does not merely shape the plot; it is the plot.

The recurring imagery of falling, suffocation, and erased evidence reinforces the novel’s core themes: loss of agency, inherited guilt, and the cost of survival in powerful families.

I appreciate the author’s vivid imagination in world building. Heir of the Fallen is ideal for readers who enjoy morally complex fantasy, intense character studies, and stories where power reveals rather than redeems. It is a strong, unsettling opening to what promises to be a dark and emotionally rich series.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 27, 2026

By Still Waters

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: By Still Waters 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Barbara LeForge ✍️
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By Still Waters is an intriguing memoir that explores grief. Barbara LeForge writes about the death of her mother and the tangled history that shaped their relationship. From the very first pages, the reader is drawn into a story that honors the painful complexity of love, responsibility, and unanswered questions.

LeForge’s role as a daughter, caregiver, and mother unfolds simultaneously, revealing how grief often demands strength before healing is possible. The prose is vivid and intimate, capturing moments of terror, tenderness, and divine intervention with equal clarity.

The author’s faith journey is woven gently throughout the narrative, offering hope to the readers. Rather than presenting easy answers, By Still Waters acknowledges doubt, anger, and exhaustion as part of spiritual survival. Readers who have wrestled with God during moments of deep loss will find this portrayal comforting.

Ultimately, this book is a testament to resilience. It speaks to anyone who has loved imperfectly, grieved deeply, etc. Those who love reading memoirs will be glad to read this one.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

Book is available for Pre-order

January 25, 2026

Sage Town: The Library Kids

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Sage Town: The Library Kids 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Andre R. Whittle ✍️
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Sage Town: The Library Kids opens in the quiet, curious world of Sage Town, where a group of children form an unexpected bond around their local library. From the very beginning, the story sets a warm tone, presenting the library as a space filled with mystery, knowledge, and possibility.

The initial storyline introduces readers to a close-knit group of kids who share a natural curiosity and a desire to understand the world around them. Each child has a distinct personality. Some are eager leaders, others thoughtful observers, and some quietly brave in their own way. These differences help shape the group’s dynamic and make their interactions feel genuine.

The opening chapters focus on how the children come together and why the library becomes central to their lives. The author takes time to build atmosphere and character, allowing readers to connect emotionally with the kids and their shared sense of wonder. The library is portrayed as a place where questions are welcomed and imagination is encouraged.

Andre’s writing is clear, and well-suited for children, while still offering meaningful themes that adults will appreciate. The story highlights values such as friendship, curiosity, teamwork, and respect for learning.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 21, 2026

Lock Down Protocol

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Lock Down Protocol 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: J.T. Fluhart ✍️
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The novel opens with a chilling premise: a world thrown into chaos as animals once harmless companions mutate into savage predators under the influence of a mysterious supermoon. What makes this setup particularly unsettling is how defenseless humanity feels. Humans are forced into survival mode as civilization begins to fracture. This sense of global vulnerability immediately pulls the reader into the story.

At the heart of the action is CIA agent Benjamin Masters, who collaborated with Rurales, a Mexican law enforcement group. Watching Masters in action throughout the story kept me on the edge of my seat. The fast-paced missions, escalating danger, and relentless attacks by mutated beasts keep the tension high throughout. The author ensures that the stakes never feel small, as every encounter carries life-or-death consequences.

Combined with well-developed characters who each possess unique backstories and voices, this novel is a gripping read. Rob and Mel’s characters are well developed. The storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing style of the author is amazing. The narration is smooth and strong. The story is fast paced and pulled me in immediately.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 21, 2026

Super Moon Protocol

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Super Moon Protocol 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: J.T. Fluhart ✍️
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Jonathan Fluhart’s Super Moon Protocol is a chilling thriller. Beginning in 1970, the novel introduces Joe Florchett, a hardworking man whose life has already been destabilized by the unexplained collapse of a major business partner. Just when he seems to be rebuilding his livelihood through poultry farming, an eerie lunar event sets the stage for something far more sinister.

The supermoon, an occurrence said to happen only once every fifty years, becomes a terrifying catalyst. Fluhart skillfully transforms an ordinary farm setting into a place of horror as Joe’s chickens, led by the aggressive rooster Colonel Sanders, turn violent against him and his family. The attack is shocking and unsettling.

The story then shifts to 2020, where Rob Florchett, Joe’s descendant, is unraveling under the weight of recurring nightmares connected to the events of 1970. His academic failure, fractured family relationships, and declining mental health create a deeply human contrast to the supernatural elements of the plot. Rob’s sessions with Dr. Maria Sheltie adds a psychological depth.

The connection between 1970 and 2020 is revealed with careful pacing, making the book difficult to put down. Super Moon Protocol is a true page-turner that delivers suspense, mystery, etc.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 20, 2026

The Orb of Destiny: Tome IV

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: The Orb of Destiny: Tome IV 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Jonni Jordyn ✍️
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The Orb of Destiny: Tome IV by Jonni Jordyn is a great fantasy novel that is set in a world where a long-dormant magical veil has been torn away, the story explores the uneasy coexistence of witches, sorcerers, and an oblivious modern society on the brink of revelation.

At the heart of the novel is Blake, a compelling protagonist whose journey leads him through ancient libraries, secret archives, and supernatural encounters in search of a powerful relic, the Orb of Destiny. Jordyn excels at weaving mythology with suspense.

The novel stands out for its detailed world-building and rich cast of characters. Multiple perspectives, from magical trainees to government operatives add depth and tension.

Jordyn’s writing is vivid. Fans of epic fantasy and prophecy-driven stories will appreciate the complexity and layered storytelling. The Orb of Destiny reads like the opening movement of a much larger saga, leaving readers eager to continue the journey.

Overall, The Orb of Destiny is an engaging and thought-provoking fantasy novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy magic-heavy worlds, secret histories, and slow-burning epic adventures.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 19, 2026

The Bratinsky Affair

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: The Bratinsky Affair 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Jim Loughran ✍️
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At the heart of the novel are two parallel narratives that gradually converge. One follows Tom O’Brien, a young journalist in 1970s County Wicklow, frustrated by the limitations of local reporting but driven by a strong sense of justice. His curiosity about corruption in the antiques and property trade pulls him into a dangerous world of intimidation, buried secrets, and unresolved violence from Ireland’s revolutionary past. Tom is a believable and sympathetic protagonist.

Running alongside this storyline is the haunting life story of Countess Irina Bratinsky, an aristocratic Russian exile whose past stretches back to the chaos of the Russian Revolution. Irina’s journey from privilege to survival captures the trauma of displacement, sexual violence, loss, etc.

Loughran’s background research is evident, particularly in his depiction of the antique trade, and post-independence Ireland.

The Bratinsky Affair is a gripping novel that combines suspense with historical depth. It will appeal to readers of literary crime fiction, historical novels, and anyone interested in how private lives are shaped by the great upheavals of history. The narration is strong and kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 18, 2026

Bastymania: Love is Strange

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Bastymania: Love is Strange 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Mary Ganim ✍️
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Bastymania is a lively graphic novel that chronicles the rise of a rock band from its humble beginnings. Two teenagers started a skiffle band in 1950s England. The book then time-travels the reader through the 1960’s and 70’s. Following five, later four young musicians, the story captures not just their musical evolution but also the chaos, career setbacks, ups and downs during their journey.

These characters are far from polished professionals. In fact, their constant misadventures lead to career-threatening setbacks and near failures. Their journey is messy, loud, etc which makes this novel entertaining.

While Bastymania is undeniably funny, it is much more than a comic book. Beneath the satire lies a deep affection for mid-twentieth-century popular music and its pioneers. Legends like W.C. Handy, Carl Perkins, etc are lovingly referenced, creating a rich musical backdrop that will resonate with longtime fans of the era.

Ultimately, this book is a celebration of music, memory, etc. It invites readers to savor not just the laughs, but the history, influences, and passion that shaped a transformative period in popular music.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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January 18, 2026

The Velvet Ghetto

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: The Velvet Ghetto 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Dustin Grinnell ✍️
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The Velvet Ghetto is a collection of twenty-five interconnected poems that together create a compelling narrative in verse. The book powerfully explores what happens when workplaces prioritize obedience over originality.

Anyone who has worked in a corporate environment will easily connect with the emotions woven into each poem.

“Life Sentence” stands out as a striking piece that captures the feeling of being trapped within a corporation. Dustin vividly portrays how employees often end their days feeling miserable, burned out, and completely exhausted.

The poem “Better Opportunities” highlights how employees live in a state of fearful obedience, lacking the courage to speak up and instead choosing to remain silent while they suffer.

Drawing from his own experience in Corporate America, Dustin brings authenticity to this collection. As someone who has also worked a 9-to-5 job, I found this book deeply relatable. The language is simple and accessible, making the poems easy to follow. I’m truly glad I had the opportunity to read this book.

𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

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