Publishers Weekly: Swashbuckling adventure collides with mystical mayhem on land and at sea in this rousing historical fantasy series launch set in a magic-infused England in 1800. Rossalinde Tremayne has done well for herself as a privateer in Mad King George’s service, using her abilities as a witch and the ever-present ghost of her long-dead husband (whose reputation and identity she’s borrowed) to claim other ships for profit and the Crown. Her estranged mother’s dying request is for Rossalinde to take a mysterious box, drawing her into a deadly mystery. In order to harness the power within the box, she has to unravel the secrets of a family she never knew existed, all while eluding those who want her dead. When her quest takes her into the hidden land of the Fae, she’ll be forced to make a choice that could alter the fate of an empire. Bedford (Crossways) adeptly weaves together romance, action, and fantastical elements, all set against a richly realized series of far-flung locations. Conflict both nautical and emotional keeps things exciting.
Dec 212015
Publishers Weekly: Henry Denton’s life is in tatters—he was abandoned by his father; his boyfriend, Jesse, hanged himself; and he is regularly abducted by aliens who have put Earth’s very fate in his hands. The 16-year-old, nicknamed “Space Boy” by his tormentors, is self-destructing until he finds a friend in new kid Diego and an ally in Jesse’s former pal Audrey. In a style reminiscent of Slaughterhouse-Five, Hutchinson (The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley) intersperses Henry’s experience aboard the “slugger” spaceship with his trials on Earth, where he’s “a punch line at school, a ghost at home.” The extraterrestrial scenes are less the makings of a SF novel than a metaphor for Henry’s isolation and alienation from his family and peers, including a gang of bullies who brutally assault him in a shower and then publicly shame him. 
Library Journal: Jacob “Trace” Tracy and Boz, his African American partner, are looking for jobs to tide them over until they get hired for their usual work of guiding wagon trains West. Wealthy Miss Fairweather of St. Louis employs them for what looks like an easy task: retrieving a box from a nearby town. Miss Fair- weather didn’t choose the duo by chance. She wants Trace for his ability to see the spirit world, a talent he has possessed (and hidden) since he was injured on the battlefield at Antietam. This first trip entangles Trace and Boz with the interests of a man of unusual talents and evil intent named Mereck, and even as Trace continues to take jobs for Miss Fairweather, Mereck’s attentions grow more dangerous. 
Locus: A fascinating and propulsive tale about what could happen when actual humans try to settle a planet and about how little protection technology can really offer in the face of our inherent weaknesses.
RT Book Reviews: Leah Beiler and her twin brother left their Amish community 10 years ago. She is now returning with her orphaned niece Mandy in tow. Many in the community, including her own family, never understood their departure. Former love Ezra Stoltzfus is cautiously optimistic about Leah’s return. However, he longs to know the truth. Will Leah’s dad accept her and Mandy back into his life? Is it too late for Leah and Ezra? And how will a little dog save the day? 
Library Journal: Building beautifully upon the richly detailed world introduced in the first book of the series, Bennett serves a stew of fantasy and adventure with a healthy dose of humor and a ladle full of violence. Switching protagonists from sneaky Shara to the blunt soldier Turyin gives the sequel a fresh feel, and readers will be eager to read more books set in this fascinating universe.