Most of us these days are aware of the flood of self-pubbed books and how difficult it can be to find a gem in the sea of mediocrity.  We often see reviews of the sub-par and/or reports of unethical marketing schemes or unprofessional behavior on the part of some authors.

But some of us who have stuck a toe or two into those waters have come across a few gems.  I thought it'd be good to share a few self-pubbed & small press books I really enjoyed and that I feel stand well among their trade-pubbed counterparts. 

So here are a few I've discovered that I am proud to recommend.

“Only later, when she was locked away at Nightfall Gardens, would Lily realize that the moment she saw the man with the wolf’s-head cloak was the beginning of the end of her old life.”

Fourteen year old Lily has dreams of being an actress on the famous stages of Paris.  Her brother Silas is writing a play.  Theirs is a family of the stage, their parents trying to make a go of a run-down theater in New Amsterdam.

Lily is a bit shallow and vain, Silas a bit of a dreamer, but as the story unfolds they both show they have more spunk and backbone than we might have thought.  I liked them both.  Silas especially is caring, empathetic and loyal.  Lily isn’t as superficial as she comes across in the beginning.  And they care about each other, which is nice.

This book starts out in New Amsterdam, which would be New York about 100 years prior to the Revolutionary War.  I had thought it had a bit of a Victorian era feel, with carriages, etc.  I was only off by a bit there. :D

Soon though the story moves on to Nightfall Gardens, the mysterious, spooky and exceedingly strange estate of the children’s dying grandmother.

Their uncle tells them, “I’ve done my duty keeping the dark at bay for 13 years, but it draws closer with each sip of Deiva’s faltering breath.  Only a Blackwood daughter can keep the final night from coming.”

We get our first view of the house, “The ancient-looking palace rose out of nowhere to dominate the landscape.  It was protected by a high stone wall that stretched to the horizon.  He saw a jumble of towers, spires, and walls of windows that soared toward the heavens.  Statues of gargoyles dominated the eaves.”

On the Blackwood estate it is always dusk or dark, never day.  The gates only open to the outside world once a year for just a few days.

The house is strange, rooms move around, there are strange noises and sights.   There are dangers for the unwary.  The grounds, with the gardens, are strange and dangerous as well, full of odd, and bloodthirsty creatures determined to end the Blackwood line.

There are some grisly bits, and it’s definitely spooky, but would be fine for middle grade readers who can tolerate dark tales.  Not for those sensitive, nightmare prone kiddies though. (Well, that depends too, I was one of those sensitive, nightmare prone kids and I would have liked it around the 8 – 12 age, but I would have been sleeping with the hall light on!)

But, I wouldn’t classify it as firmly middle grade, in spite of the ages of the main characters.  It’s more complex in story and in writing than is typical for middle grade books.  I’d recommend this from older middle grade to young adult readers, and even adult readers who can enjoy stories with young protagonists.  

The story incorporates the myth of Pandora in an ingenious way, making it family history rather than myth.  There are plants with magical properties such as healing or protection from evil creatures.  The use of Greek myths, folklore, and other strange creatures, was reminiscent of Harry Potter.  Although the plot is very imaginative and original and not anything like Harry Potter.  I was very impressed, I can’t remember reading a book with a similar plotline.

A dark fantasy, also may appeal to fans of ghost stories, haunted house tales, and dark fairy tales.  This is not a ghost story or fairy tale, but some of those elements are here.

Fair warning, the book does end with a cliffhanger.

The Kindle version is only $.99.

I’ve already purchased and started reading the next book in the series.

   We are doing another giveaway over on our blog and I didn't want any of my interested booklikes buddies to miss out! Head on over to

https://bookwormcoalition.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/time-for-another-giveaway/

to enter to win an Ebook copy of Nightfall Gardens by Allen Houston!

It's going to be fun, we're over there talking about bad guys and the things that go bump in the night!

It's open from now until 8pm EST on Tuesday (2/24). I really hope to see you guys and gals there, and look forward to hearing your answer to the entry question!!

   The Labyrinth was the epic conclusion to the Nightfall Gardens trilogy. This book was everything I was hoping for with a few added gut-wrenching twists and a bittersweet end. After the other two stories in this series, it was apparent that we were heading towards a war of epic proportions in this book. I knew that the gardens would fall one way or another. What I was not prepared for was everything that would be lost in that happening! This book will send you in a tailspin of emotions. I thought I knew what I wanted when I started reading this, I was all jacked up and ready for this incredible battle.

And then it started going down and I was like...

As this battle was raging, in multiple locations, I then started having some doubts, did I really want this to happen? OMG what if something happens to one of these many characters that I have grown to love so much? Seriously at one point I was chanting, "No, not Arfast, oh god no, nothing better happen to him!" This trickster held a special place in heart! So I finally started to realize what this bloody battle to the end would mean, and I was struck with fear and longing for my favorites to all stay intact.

 It might have been even more unnerving considering how split up everyone was, half the brigade defending the Nightfall Manor, and the other troupe braving the most mysterious of gardens, the Labyrinth. Which by the way, the Labyrinth was, in one word, awesome! I loved that this housed most of the Gods of old. I immensely enjoyed the new characters that we met there, who were just full of surprises. Furrina brought a much needed comic relief to the savageness of the situation they were in. They were how I always envision the old world gods, strange, mysterious, kind of off their rocker, rather flippant, and having no real concept of mortality and the fragility of it. I loved this!

   I also loved that even in the face of seemingly inevitable doom, Lily's sense of right and her courage never wavered! She was a force to be reckoned with in this book, and I appreciated it so much more considering how far she has come from the vain and selfish girl she was in the first book. Silas, since the very beginning, always seemed to have a steadfast and truly good heart, and I loved him for it. But Lily's journey to becoming everything she was by The Labyrinth sky rocketed her into a top position in my heart! Even some of the reformed creatures from the gardens weaseled themselves in there! Polly with her utter devotion to Lily, decrepit Ozy the ever faithful servant to the Blackwood family, Osbold the pet gargoyle, Raga the witch, Erasmus P. Meriwether, Colonel Jackson, and many others! It was a fantastic line up of characters to care for, but it was also a large list of loves to say goodbye to.

On a final note I just want to say that one of the things I loved most about this trilogy was that this story felt ageless. It was one of those rarities along the lines of Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson, where I think someone at any age would find this tale enjoyable. It was extremely imaginative, well written, and centered around the timeless struggle of good vs evil. I was completely bewitched by Nightfall Gardens, and my only hope is that many, many other people will be too!

     **A special thanks to the author for providing copies of the whole trilogy in exchange for honest reviews.**

     The Shadow Garden is the second installment in the Nightfall Gardens series. You can see our review for the first book, Nightfall Gardens here....

https://bookwormcoalition.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/nightfall-gardens-by-allen-Houston/

  Everything that I loved about the first book, was still present in this addition. The setting is really the most intriguing thing about this story to me! I love this dangerous, magical place that Houston has created. And I really enjoyed getting to see further into it, the Shadow Garden is a terrifying place, but I couldn't look away! In Lily traveling there we also got to see some huge character development with her. The most frightening thing about the Shadow Garden  might have been it's way of looking deep into a person's soul and using every desire, fear, hope and worry against you.

"Every lie, every sin, every foul or petty thought preys on a person's mind. It grows and spreads like a cancer that consumes the soul."

It was quite a journey Lily went through there, and I've grown to really like her, I couldn't help but to root for her to pull through and come out of this situation stronger than ever.

 I also enjoyed Silas's journey into the mist! We got to meet a few new friends, as well as a few new chilling adversaries. As you know so far, the night itself is something to be feared in Nightfall Gardens, and we get up close and personal with some of it's worst inhabitants in this book. I was glad to see some glimpses of hope and light amidst the seemingly all encompassing dark of the night. It was nice to be reminded that goodness has a strong power too, which is something easily forgotten in this bleak place.

The alternating POV's between Lily and Silas are perfect for this story. Each of them have equally interesting voices, and stories to tell. I was happy to see the character depth that I was hoping for in this addition. It was just what I wanted, and it took this story overall up a notch in my opinion, because I now feel emotionally invested in these characters and their outcomes. I really look forward to seeing what the next book, The Labyrinth, has to bring!

       I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review