Review Group discussion

The review group is the most successful group for peer reviews on Goodreads. It hosts non-reciprocal reading/review rounds of ten authors with a variety of themes and genres, as well as ‘general’ rounds where any book is permitted, from non-fiction, to horror. When a round has ‘now forming’ in the title, there are places available, you can sign up. If it doesn’t, it’s full – look for another round or check back another time.

The Amazon rules state that authors/publishers are not allowed to specifically supply published books in return for reviews on Amazon. To comply with this rule, we don’t insist members review on Amazon, but we do insist that every participant in the round has the capacity to leave a review on their local Amazon store, so we all start with the same options.

The founding principle of the group is honest, non-reciprocal reviews, so please help maintain the integrity of the group by letting me know as you sign up if you have been reviewed by, or have reviewed another author in the group and do check back as the group fills to report any clashes. Usually places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

This is an Out of This World round

Fiction books classified as sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, paranormal.

Please note it is always possible that the books you are assigned may contain material you find upsetting or offensive. If you can't commit to this, please do not sign up.

Now for the boring stuff, but please read it, it saves a lot of time if everyone is on the same wavelength.
Before signing up below with your Goodreads author and Goodreads book link in the thread below, please ensure that:

1. You have enough time to read and review 4 books within the 12 weeks of time allowed.

2. Your book is currently available for sale on Amazon (not pre-order) and it complies with the individual round theme, if there is one.

3. Your book is fit to be reviewed.
If it is not, due to editing or other issues, you risk poor reviews. This is your problem, not that of the reviewers or the groups. For a small fee, the group admin will look at the first few pages of your book to advise. The number one error new authors make is not having their book beta read and edited, by non-family members.

4. You can submit reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.
Amazon allows only those people who have spent $50 in the last year to leave reviews in each of their stores. If you are unsure about your Amazon reviewer status, try posting a ‘test’ review before signing up. If you are unable to post reviews on Amazon, please do not sign up.

5. You can provide (and accept) at least PDF files.
You are not expected or required to buy the books you are allocated to review, but as this will give a ‘Verified Purchase’ review on Amazon, it is welcomed when you choose to do so. Many authors have books available via KU and others might provide smashwords coupons. Most authors can provide mobi and/or epub files directly by email. Please note: International Copyright laws apply. You cannot sell, or give away material you have received without the author’s express permission.

6. You have completed your reading if you are currently in another review round in this group. You can be involved in the ‘one for one’ list whilst you are in a round.

7. You have an author profile set up before you join.

8. Your Goodreads profile allows people to message you, i.e. your profile is not set to private.

9. You declare any relationship you have with another member in the round.
Amazon will not allow reviews from the same household on the same book or if you are an editor, relative or close friend of another member.

10. You agree that your reviews will be unbiased and honest, whatever the star rating, and you will try to avoid ‘spoilers’. i.e. giving away the finale of a book. Please note the Review Group will back any reviewer's right to express their opinion about a book, but personal comments about a fellow author are against both Review Group and Goodreads policy.

11. You will not ask a fellow author to change a review of your book because you don’t agree with it.
If you think you have a legitimate concern, talk to the mod of your round, NOT the other author. Personal attacks, or pressurising other members WILL NOT BE TOLERATED and will result in you being blacklisted.

Please note:
We all want reviews, it’s why we joined the group. It is bad taste to expect other people to review your book and then not do the same for other people in the group. People that DNF and/or don’t post reviews will find it difficult to get into a subsequent group.

It is not necessary to leave any kind of disclaimer in your review, but ultimately, it is up to individuals. Reviews that state you received a copy ‘in return’ for a review will probably be removed/not allowed by amazon.com. ‘I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review’ would be more acceptable if you feel the need to add a disclaimer.

Your Goodreads details and the rounds you participate in may be recorded by the admin mod on a database. We do not retain details of email addresses etc.

Allocation is entirely random and there will NOT be any rearranging of the listing to accommodate personal preference. The ONLY circumstance in which you may duck out of giving a review is if YOU provide a stand-in reviewer.

The only way this group can function is if we trust each other to behave honourably. And it IS perfectly possible to give a fair-minded review of a text that does not coincide with our normal choice of reading matter. If you need a few hints/tips, please see this thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I will do my best to fit everyone into the group they request, but occasionally, particularly in the case of our more prolific good standing members, I may have to decline a member request to fit the maximum number of people into a particular round. I will always endeavour to start another round as soon as possible with that member in mind.

It is permissible to review an author more than once if a different book is available.
If you need anything clarified please ask, either by goodreads personal message to me or on the thread below, before signing up. It’s a pain to have to keep rearranging the list because people haven’t read the above.

Your group moderator will be:
Kat

Member Links * Book Links
1. P.L. Tavormina*Vengeance: A Tale from Turaset
2. S.T. Blake*A Lunatic's Laugh
3. Seth Hobbs*Plutocracy of the Gods
4. Phillip Murrell*The Soldiers' Perspective
5. Isaac Nasri*Into the Violet Gardens
6. Dennis Strubbe*Dr. Metifunger’s Transdimensional Veterinary Clinic
7. S. Lynn Helton*Duplicity of Power
8. K.A. Burgess*The Strange Taste of Metal
9. Loralee Evans*Felicity~ A Sparrow's Tale
10. Joseph Carrabis*Empty Sky


In order to participate in this round, your setting for 'Who Can Send Me Private Messages' needs to be 'anyone'.
Please follow this link to check - and if necessary change - your privacy setting.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/edit?t...

Oh hey I'd love to pop in on this one. I will remove myself from the '18+' round now forming.

My profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

My NEW release, "Vengeance" (a novella languishing with zero reviews... hope to remedy that!): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Thanks Kat!

Welcome, Patricia.

Hi Kat! I'd like to join with The Strange Taste of Metal, please.

All, it will help me greatly if as people join the round, you will update me with anyone you have reviewed in the past, or who has reviewed you. I will try to check bookshelves as well, but the more eyes we have checking, the more likely we are to get an order that works for everyone from the get go. :)

To check if you have reviewed someone in the past, please go to your My Books, and type in the name of the author in question. That will tell you if you have reviewed them before.

To check if someone has reviewed YOU, go to their author profile, click under their avatar where it says 100 reviews (or whatever) and that will take you to their bookshelf. Then type in your name in their search bar to see if they have reviewed you before.

Hope this helps!

I’d like to join too, if possible, with Dr. Metifunger’s Transdimensional Veterinary Clinic, but PL has already reviewed my book, and it’s my only publication. Will that be an issue?

Just in case, here’s my info:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...

I have no relationship to KA (we were in blind spots in group 327 and have never crossed paths otherwise.)

Dennis, it might not be a problem at all. You and I could go in blind spots, for example. It might depend on how the round shakes out, but let's see what Kat says.

Sounds good. I’ll wait and see. :)

Yay, an out of this world round!!

I'd love to join with When the Traveler Stands Still:
When the Traveler Stands Still

My author profile:
Noor Al-Shanti

P. L. has already read it, but I have other books.

And I have already read Dennis' book.

Welcome, Karlee and Dennis.

Noor has reviewed me as well.

Noor, I wish I could fit you in here, but Dennis only has one book out at the moment, and his blind spot is already taken by PL. May I suggest you sign up over in the 18+ round where there are still slots open? If not there, we should have other rounds opening in the next few weeks. Sorry I couldn't make this one work out.

I hope it won’t be necessary, but if I become a problem for too many people, I can always bow out. :)

Thank you, Dennis, but we add people in the order that they sign up. We will make the sudoku work.

I'd like to join with my fantasy book Duplicity of Power, if I can fit.
-Lynn

My Goodreads book link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
My Goodreads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I've reviewed P.L. before, but not this book.

Dennis has reviewed me before (this book), but I've got others he can review.

I have no clashes with K.A.

I'll join with The Soldiers' Perspective.

Phillip Murrell

I've reviewed S. Lynn. No other conflicts.

I’m good with anything Lynn has to offer!

Kat, may I join? I'm modding Group 328, but have finished all my personal reviews.
I have reviewed P.L. Tavormina, and could review something else. Dennis Strubbe has reviewed me, but not this particular book.
Here's my book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Woops, I didn't see that S. Lynn and Phillip had asked to join before me. S. Lynn has reviewed me, but could review something else, and I have reviewed Phillip. If I can't fit because of that, no worries.

To sum up:
Has reviewed me: S. Lynn, Dennis.
I have reviewed: P.L. Tavormina, Phillip.

I’m also good with anything Loralee has to offer!

I've only been in one previous review round, no conflicts so far.

Hi, I'd like to join with 'Operation Outfect': https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I've read Phillip's 'The Soldier's Perspective'.
I don't see any other clash.

Welcome, Lynn, Phillip and Loralee.

Alex, I'm sorry. You have clashes with several other people and I am not able to fit you in this time. May I suggest the 18+ round, which still has two slots open?

I have reviewed Alex.

I'm in if there's still room.
Haven't read any of the books so far listed.
I'd like to go with either Empty Sky (http://nlb.pub/GEmptySky) or The Augmented Man (http://nlb.pub/GAugmented) (if someone's already read one or the other).

I've reviewed Joseph before, but he's still got a book that I can read and review.

Phillip has already reviewed Duplicity of Power, but not the second book in the series, so he can read and review Power Awry.

Dennis has already reviewed Duplicity of Power, as well as the second book in the series, but not yet the third book in the series, so he can read and review Power Redeemed.

I'll need to review a different book of Loralee's - she's still got some I haven't read yet. :)

-Lynn

I’ve reviewed Joseph, but not those books. :)

hi
can i join with my scifi series for middle grade Black Hole Radio any of the books
Ka'Azula
I have read all of PLs books and S. Lynn, Loralee and Phillip have read some of my books. S lynn has read all of mine.
Ka'Azula

(Ann has not read my new release--no one has--but it's fine with me if we're in blind spots.)

Ann would have to be in my blind spot since I've already reviewed all the books she currently has available.
-Lynn

Welcome, Joseph.

Patricia, that's a good thought, except Dennis must be in your blind spot for this round as you have read his book and he only has one out at the moment.

Ann, I apologize, I do not see a way I can fit you in with everyone's clashes. May I suggest the 18+ round, which has several slots still open? We should also have additional rounds opening in the next few weeks.

P.L. wrote: "(Ann has not read my new release--no one has--but it's fine with me if we're in blind spots.)"

I'd like to read it PL

No worries, I'll wait for another out of this world round. :)

Thanks, Noor. Hopefully we'll have another one opening soon.

Oh, oops, I forgot about Dennis and me being blind.

Ann, we'll see one another in a future round, I'm certain! :)

Thanks Kat but I don't think my MG books fit the 18+ groups. :-(

Good afternoon,

I'm interested in being a part of this group that is currently forming. PL had reviewed my debut cyberpunk novel, Into the Violet Gardens.

Into the Violet Gardens (second edition)
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sho...

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Violet-Ga...

I've reviewed one of Isaac's books

I have no clashes with Isaac.
-Lynn

Welcome, Isaac.

Thank you, everyone, for keeping a keen eye out for potential clashes. Also if you have a second and can check the updated order. I think I have checked bookshelves and it should work, but it is always possible I have made an error so I would appreciate you letting me know if you spot one.

I've read into the violet gardens but Isaac has two other books and I'm happy to read either one of them.

Since my preferred book is baby new, my previous reviewers (Joseph, Loralee, Lynn) should be able to review it.

In other words, the order looks fine to me.

Ann, I'm very sorry. I'll open a new round as soon as my 325 finishes up. Hopefully you can get into that one.

Hi, I've just completed all my rounds for review group 324. Can I join with my modern Gothic horror novel? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK56VNSF

Thanks,
Sean

I have reviewed Joseph, but it looks like he's where he'll be reviewed by me anyway.

Welcome, Sean.

Yes, I would like to join this round with my latest book, "Plutocracy of the Gods".

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B...

I have reviewed the book here by KA Burgess, but could do a different book, if applicable. I have also reviewed a book by S Lynn Helton, but could review her other books. PL Tavormina has reviewed my other book, "4 Puppet Kings", but not my others.

Also, just as a sidenote, as I see other authors mentioning triggers for people-- my books take place in an alternate universe with ancient, medieval, gunpowder, colonial periods that are moving at a rapid pace. They contain brutal violence and adult themes such as rape, gore, and horror at times--though, I don't believe them to be overly vulgar, explicit or numerous. The themes are not meant to degrade anyone, but rather to show the brutality and difficulty of life in other cultures/worlds and how it affects people. Just thought I would throw that out as a warning, though it is pretty much in the disclaimers. Thanks!

Welcome, Seth.

We'll check now to make certain there are no conflicts, and alternates are available for those who need them.

Please tell me if you have reviewed any of the four people above you on the list (the list wraps around so (10) is 'above' (1) ). Please also check that if you have already reviewed any of the four people 'below' you on the list, they have more books available that you have not yet reviewed.

Remember you're SENDING your book to the four names above you (the list wraps so 10 is above 1) -- and you're RECEIVING books from the four names below you on the first post of the thread.

Once EVERYONE confirms they're good to go, the round can begin.