The Traitor’s Sonby Dave DuncanPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Toby A. Welch  $26.99 ISBN 9781989398913 The Traitor’s Son is the ultimate worst case scenario book and I couldn’t put it down! This science fiction read is about a colony in futuristic times. The colony has limped along for centuries but it is now at a crossroads; either they change almost everything in their world or they face extinction. I don’t want to give away too much! Duncan does a phenomenal job of making readers feel like they are immersed in the action taking place on the pages. For example, check out this paragraph about a crew fighting to keep their ferry on course despite storm surges and squalls: “Melchior sighed in relief. ‘That’s Touchdown. Stand by for a sharp turn.’ He has landmarks to guide him now, and swung the boat to the left just as it cleared the island. The tide itself shot them around into the calmer water in the lee, although Doig’s stomach thought he had slid over a cliff.”   Science fiction isn’t one of my must-read genres. But every time I dive into a sci-fi book – especially one as engrossing as The Traitor’s Son – I resolve to make…

Corridor to Nightmareby Dave DuncanPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Toby A. Welch  $26.99 ISBN 9781989398937 Why is it that tales that involve portals to other worlds are fascinating? Corridor to Nightmare falls firmly into that category. It starts off with a bang and jumps into a world of sorcerers, gatekeepers, and beasts that are half-man, half-Krendel. To keep things spicy, unexpected nasty people and things also go through the portal. When I crack open a book and find a list of characters before chapter one starts, I appreciate it so much. (I wish more authors did that.) The list is only nine characters long, but I referred to it often as I couldn’t always keep people straight. Such a bonus!  The premise of Corridor to Nightmare is an interesting one. An elderly lady, Agatha, is looking forward to retiring from her job as a village schoolteacher. But that doesn’t happen as she is sent through a portal and lands in another world. What comes next is a roller coaster journey! Agatha’s adventure could’ve been fun and lighthearted – but it wasn’t. (I love books with a tinge of darkness and this one delivers!) When it comes to names, Duncan gets huge kudos for creativity, both…