Joey Madia, New Mystics Reviews

  (Serene Publications, 2016). ISBN: 978-0-9949968-0-0 As a lifelong creative and professional storyteller, I have very fond memories of a whole host of animated, narrated stories that kept me enrapt as a child. There is Sebastian Cabot and the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and friends, the Rankin and Bass Christmas specials (with narrators like Fred Astaire and Burl Ives), the animated Tolkien adaptations, The Secret of NIMH , and my favorite, The Flight of Dragons . Their pacing, color palette, themes, music, tensions, and A-list voice talent all worked together to transport, educate, challenge, and comfort me. Perhaps most importantly, they inspired me to do the work to which I have devoted my life. Carole Elaine Borgens’s The Curious Adventures of Flossie the Cat , from its opening illustrations (by Ros Webb Design) and very first enticing words (“… And thus began the journey”), immediately brought me back to those days of my childhood and early teenage years. The Curious A...

    (MG Cobb Books LLC, 2022). ISBN: 978-0-578-37143-6 A few months ago, I reviewed Mike Cobb’s exquisite work of historical fiction, Dead Beckoning , set in 1895 in Atlanta, Georgia, during the Cotton States and International Exhibition. In my review, I said, with no exaggeration, that it easily holds its place on the bookshelf next to Caleb Carr’s Alienist novels. When I learned that Cobb had also written a contemporary crime thriller (also with aspects of historical truth), and that another, connected novel, was due to be published in the next couple of months, I happily rearranged my schedule to read The Devil You Knew and write this review. It did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, its being in many ways distinct from, yet equally (if not more) impactful and emotion provoking than Dead Beckoning , cements my opinion that Mike Cobb is a writer fans of this genre should be reading. Taking place in 1963 before moving forward to 1980, The Devil You Knew centers o...

  (4 Horsemen Publications, 2024). ISBN: 979-8-8232-0432-3 In August of 2022, I was asked to review Eric N. Lard’s Dawn of the Construct , which uses narratives in a trio of timelines to give us a fantasy/sci-fi hybrid that evokes Tolkien, Dungeons and Dragons, and George R.R. Martin. Drawing its three heroes together over time and space, it also reminded me of Stephen King’s second book in the high-fantasy/sci-fi series The Dark Tower : The Drawing of the Three . Another innovative element that struck me in Dawn of the Construct is that all of the heroes were struggling with doubt. Lard continues this theme in Arcfire of Antiquity with Captain Cadian Galas. Arcfire of Antiquity begins a different series, which resides predominantly in the sci-fi genre, although elements of fantasy are also threaded through. Cadian Galas, who reminds me a little of Ripley in Aliens , has lost everything precious in her life—her family and hometown (as we watch unfold in the prologue, or Ch...

  “The Benefits of Writing (and Reading) a Series”: A Review of Double Takedown , by Kevin G. Chapman (A Mike Stoneman Thriller, First Legacy Publishing, 2024). ISBN: 978-1-958339-21-3 In April 2022, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first book in what is now a six-book series. Righteous Assassin , which introduced Manhattan detective Mike Stoneman, is a hard-hitting police procedural that employs all of the tropes one would expect in this popular genre. Stoneman himself is a trope—single, impatient, difficult to please, untrusting, and intensely hard on himself. His job is his life, and he takes it seriously (just consider his name: Stone man). Stoneman’s introduction is compounded by his being assigned a new partner, Jason Dickson—a fast-rising Black man, which leads to accusations of affirmative action over merit. Despite their lack of trust in each other (which creates a nice underlying tension in Righteous Assassin ), they manage to work well enough together to...

  (MG Cobb Books LLC, 2022). ISBN: 978-0-578-33988-7 Every so often, a novel comes along that is so well researched, so well written, with such compelling characters and attention to detail that it deserves more than five stars. Dead Beckoning by Mike Cobb is one of those novels. This exquisite work of historical fiction, set in 1895 in Atlanta, Georgia, during the Cotton States and International Exhibition, easily holds its place on the bookshelf next to Caleb Carr’s Alienist books. Yes. It is that good . As my readers know, I am also a writer of historical fiction, as well as a historical education teaching-artist, performer/Chautauquan, and history-based immersive experience/Escape Room designer. Through those experiences, I have come to understand not only the countless hours of work that go into research for a novel with this level of authenticity and detail, but the challenges that come with integrating the gathered data into the story without resorting to “info du...

    (Self-published, 2023). ISBN: 9798861535755 Dominion Lost is one of the most compelling, convincing narratives of ET abduction that I have ever read. This is no small compliment: over the past 15 years, after my own experience with missing time and probable ET abduction, I have studied this field intensively, reading many books, interviewing dozens of abductees and contactees, and carefully considering the evidence. Although UFOlogists lament the lack of attention paid to your “everyday person,” and I have long been skeptical of the assumption that being a police officer or airline pilot makes that individual’s report of an experience more accurate and credible, there is something encouraging about the increasing numbers of medical professionals and scientists taking a serious look at UFOlogy. Dr. John Mack, Pulitzer Prize–winning Harvard psychiatrist, nearly lost his position in the university medical school because of his study of abductees. Since that time, other p...

  (Dimensionfold Publishing, 2024). ISBN: 978-1-998395-06-4 In the past 18 months, I have gotten to know W. Wallace Wagner, Jr., both as an author and as a two-time guest on my podcast. I have reviewed Crossing the Crevasse and Within Grasp , Wagner’s first two books, which I highly recommend to anyone seeking alternative interpretations of the Bible and other religious texts beyond organized religion, especially in the context of Off-World Intelligences and anomalous archaeological structures and other phenomena that defy an easy explanation when considered through the lens of traditional narratives. Of the three books, The Nucleus is the most intense, which makes sense given the author’s nearly decade-long journey through an evolving set of viewpoints concerning the accepted Word of God after his encounter with a Tic-Tac UAP in 2016—well before the government release of Navy footage of this type of craft. Since that time, Wagner has been a committed researcher, seeking out a...

 It is always both a pleasure and a challenge to review a novelist’s debut creation. In the wise words of W. Somerset Maugham: “There are three rules for the writing of a novel. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.” The success of this young adult/teen fiction novel, which I believe seventh to ninth graders will best enjoy, hinges on the acceptance of Magical Realism as its dominant device. From the first appearance of a mysterious headdress to a series of dangerous and arguably should-be-fatal experiences the novel’s trio of heroes survive against the odds, to their encounters with Indigenous peoples in the Amazon, if one focuses on the adventure and the characters’ experience of it, and not the implausibility of individual events and circumstances, this debut novel succeeds. The central characters are 13-year-old middle school students Katelyn and Eva, who have been friends since the second grade. Like characters in a fairy tale, Cyril’s characters do not have a great de...

  (Self-published, 2024). ISBN: 978-1-304-32531-0 Let me be up front. I am a longtime fan of this gifted writer and artist. His comic strip about two Moai on Easter Island, Monumental , is exclusive to my art and literary site, New Mystics. Pendleton illustrated the covers of two of my novels, as well as doing many additional illustrations for them. I am honored to have his art throughout my home. A few decades ago, I was privileged to read some of his unpublished short stories, about false memories, among other provocative topics. One scene in particular, involving a man in a bar getting a full-body tattoo, has stayed with me as though I read it yesterday. But I am not doing this review to talk in depth about any of those projects. The subject matter at hand is his long-awaited novel, More Argonauts: Another Argonautica . If you like Greek—and many other—myths, then this is a book for you. By way of warning (and no reader really should be warned, nor any writer have to suffer ...

  (Roundfire Books, 2024). ISBN: 978 1 80341 569 7 Penelope Holt’s new novel, The Angel Scroll , proves that the history meets mystery (or theological-thriller) genre popularized by the likes of Dan Brown, Barbara Wood, Paul Christopher, and Katherine Neville can have at its core a genuine humanness and examination of personal loss without sacrificing the searing pace, relentless intrigue, and globetrotting action its readers love and expect. The Angel Scroll is replete with the requisite cast of professors, artists, clergy, doctors, researchers, and rare manuscript and documents dealers and collectors that readers of the theological-thriller genre have come to expect and love. The main villain is suitably dark as well, with proclivities that should bring a considerable chill to your spine. This well-funded, well-connected cast of characters moves between Manhattan, Jerusalem, London, Rome, Milan, Northern France, and other intriguing, exotic locales in search of three paint...

   (2nd ed. Dimensionfold Publishing, 2024). ISBN: 978-1-989940-90-7 Last October, I had the pleasure of reviewing the follow-up to this book, Within Grasp . Since that time, this new edition, published in a beautiful 10 × 8 format by Dimensionfold Publishing, became available. I seized the opportunity to read it. W. Wallace Wagner, Jr., or Wally to his friends and colleagues, is an articulate, religious man who had a life-changing experience in 2016, when he encountered a Tic-Tac UFO (similar to the ones in the footage “leaked” by the Pentagon in 2020) as he was on his mail delivery route. As they have for many others, myself included, this profound experience led Wagner to reexamine everything he was taught in the Christian church. The result was two books that are required reading for anyone interested in biblical interpretation, UFOs throughout history, and a wide range of paranormal phenomena. I was impressed at the onset—and continue to be—by Wagner’s grasp of b...

    (Self-published, 2023). ISBN: 979-8-871896-14-3 I have to begin this review by saying this is one of the most compelling, convincing narratives of ET abduction I have ever read. This is no small compliment: over the past 15 years, after my own experience with missing time and strange occurrences, I have studied this field intensively, reading many books, interviewing abductees and contactees, and carefully considered the evidence. Although UFOlogists lament the lack of attention paid to your “everyday person,” and I have long been skeptical of the assumption that being a police officer or airline pilot makes that person’s report of an experience automatically more accurate and credible, there is something encouraging about the increasing numbers of medical professionals and scientists taking a serious look at UFOlogy. Dr. John Mack, Pulitzer Prize–winning Harvard psychiatrist, nearly lost his position in the university medical school because of his study of abductees. ...

(Self-published, 2009/2023). ISBN: 979-8-85775-271-5 In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report with the following statistics on the prevalence of obesity in America: 39.8% among adults aged 20 to 39 years, 44.3% among adults aged 40 to 59 years, and 41.5% among adults aged 60 and older. The CDC defines obesity as a Body Mass Index of 30 or above. A few weeks ago, I reviewed a book linking eating disorders with past life traumas. As I say in that review, although the case studies are compelling and the past life exercises had a lot of value, the first step is to explore what is happening in your current life that may be leading to overeating. Why Am I Eating This? provides resources for those ready to find answers to the question posed in my review. This is a new, expanded edition, covering cutting-edge topics such as the gut–brain connection. It offers additional questions Robertson has devised since the book’s original release in 2009. ...

 (Pisgah Press, 2023). ISBN: 978-1-942016-81-6 Amongst the masses of every generation, there are those who possess such a strong Vision, clear Voice, and dedication to the betterment of humankind that they rise above the noise with a message of Hope, Love, and Enlightenment to which we all should pay attention. Reverend Michael J. S. Carter, who shepherds a flock of Unitarian Universalists (UUs) in western North Carolina, is one of those rare individuals who possess both strength of Conviction and depth of Humility. If you watch the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens , you may have seen Rev. Carter. He is easy to spot—a rare African American voice in the world of UFOlogy and the paranormal. Having an actor’s training (he has led many intersecting, cumulatively synergistic lives), Rev. Carter has a pleasant voice, soothing cadence, and commanding presence. He knows of what he speaks. I first met my Reverend Brother several years ago, through a mutual colleague in UFOlogy. I ...