The Best of 2011

Like last year, each reviewer here at the New Podler Review of Books picks the book (or books) which he/she feels are the very best independently published (or small press) work. Before, when it was just Podler, it was very easy to come up with one book to receive the Independent Novel Award. One reader, one judge. Getting four people with very different tastes, not to mention genre interests, to agree on one book out of thirty-three as being the very best would be impossible.

First up is S.B. Jung.

"My pick for 2011 is Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson. This book is a great read that I highly recommend to anyone who loves a different kind of fantasy fiction."

Libby Cone had two picks.

"I nominate Helen Smith's Being Light—a tale well-told, with interesting characters of real depth—and Gunshot Stigmata by Scott C. Rogers. It takes a great deal of talent to employ a highly unreliable narrator, explore his delusions, and keep the narrative from flying apart altogether. A very sensitive treatment of the world of a very damaged soul."

Rob Steiner picked Oathbreaker Book 1: The Knight's Tale by Colin McComb.

"Vivid language, unique characters, and a compelling story combined to put it far above the other books I reviewed last year. It's the first of a planned series, so I hope to read more of McComb's work in 2012."


For me, the 2011 winner, hands down, was Mirror Shards. This anthology, about the impact of augmented reality upon society, featured a diverse array of authors. Indie author, Thomas Carpenter, assembled the stories from both traditionally published and indie writers and published it under his Black Moon Books imprint. The end result was a highly entertaining and thought provoking read.

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We reviewed 33 books last year. Over 150 submissions were rejected due to various reasons. Time is a big factor. We rejected some well-written stories because we didn't have the time to stick with a book that didn't grab us right away. When we were open to submissions, we received 20-30 submissions each month. It's just too much for us to handle. We need more reviewers to handle the flood. Until then, we'll finish up the remaining submissions from 2011 before we open the submissions window for a new batch.

Thanks for reading!

Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson

Kudos, Mr. Arenson. You got my attention. I'm supposed to be on sabbatical.

Daniel Arenson's story takes place during the Armageddon as the armies of Heaven and Hell battle for supreme dominance over the Earth. There are few humans left, and those that survive eek an existence out of what they can find of the human world and what they can create from the devastation.

Heaven and Hell are at a standstill after twenty-seven years and battle for what foothold they can grab in Jerusalem, the holy city. The battle seems to hinge upon a young woman named Laila, purported to be of half-angel, half-demon blood due to Lucifer's rape of Archangel Gabriel's wife. She cannot live in Heaven—Godlight burns her demon blood; she cannot live in Hell—Hellfire boils her angel blood. Earth is her only haven and humans are the most accepting of her, which says very little. Only Laila's older half-sister, Bat El, loves her unconditionally and has earned Laila's loyalty, love, and trust.

Arenson takes the reader through storylines that embrace Laila, Bat El, Beelzebub, and the Archangel Michael in unexpected and compelling ways. What makes Arenson's story interesting is his departure from the expected. Angels are normally depicted as God's boy scouts who never doubt his rule, world, or law. Arenson depicts Angels who become humanized as they fight the war and stay on Earth. They drink, swear, gamble, and sleep with as many women as much as human male soldiers do; Arenson's humanization of angels is thought provoking and risky, which, to me, is the mark of a good author. They believe in their war, they love God, but many of them follow the mantra of "the end justifies the means." Humans lie, cheat, steal, and commit atrocities in the name of God and what is right; why can't angels?

In the same vein of humanizing, arch demons are given emotions such as love and being able to be emotionally hurt, along with the ability to be tender and apologetic. Again, this is risky and thought provoking because it is so easy to blanket hate demons; it is infinitely harder to get a reader to actually sympathize with the enemy. Arenson masterfully makes this believable.

The one and only thing that really, truly annoyed me was the constant—and I mean constant—over-dramatization of Laila being "of the night" or of her drive and need for a home. The reader needs some reminders of a main character's motivations, but it doesn't have to happen every time we return to her storyline. Many times, I could lay my finger over Laila's internal monologue and see exactly where Arenson should have stopped to maximize the impact of Laila's thoughts before her actions. That being said, this book is a great read that I highly recommend to anyone who loves a different kind of fantasy fiction.

The book is available through the author's website.