I've been extraordinarily fortunate in securing a number of wonderful reviews for my writing. Here are some excerpts, with links to the full review where applicable:
(Secrets of the Sands) "An absorbing story, a unique world, and fascinating characters. Leona Wisoker is definitely a writer to watch!" -Tamora Pierce
(Secrets of the Sands) "...a lushly visual and highly detailed world..." -Library Journal (may need to scroll down)
(Guardians of the Desert) "Compelling characters and a colorful setting make this a satisfactory multivolume fantasy." -Library Journal (May need to scroll down)
(Secrets of the Sands) "A storyteller with a good deal of promise. Give this one a try." -C.J. Cherryh, author of Deceiver
(Secrets of the Sands) "Secrets of the Sands, the first novel of Leona Wisoker, is a truly amazing accomplishment. Restrained yet tense, compelling, intricate, and imaginative, it contains so much of the everything lacking in most modern fantasy one can find oneself moved to tears when the pages finally run out. If all first novels were this good, no television would ever be turned on again." -C.J. Henderson, author of Brooklyn Knight
(Guardians of the Desert)"Desert justice as tough as leather and sometimes just as palatable, city-dwellers too far lost in propriety, an inhuman race so alien in thought as to be dangerous always. I look forward to reading the third in the series." --nrlymyrtl for Darkcargo's Review Blog
(Secrets of the Sands) "With a flair for evoking exotic locales and an eye for detail, Leona Wisoker has crafted a first novel peopled by characters who are more than they first seem. From the orphaned street-thief who possesses an uncanny ability to read situations and people, to the impetuous noblewoman thrust into a world of political intrigue, Wisoker weaves a colourful tapestry of desert tribes, honour, revenge, and an ancient, supernatural race." -Janine Cross, author of the Dragon Temple Saga
(Secrets of the Sands) "Leona Wisoker is a gifted storyteller and in Secrets of the Sands she has succeeded in crafting a refreshingly unpredictable tale set in a stunningly rich and detailed world." -Michael J. Sullivan, author of the Riyria Revelations Series
(Secrets of the Sands) "Leona Wisoker makes a praiseworthy work when it comes to world building, creating with care and without haste a strong world, one piece at a time . . . . the storylines are treated with care and with an attention given to detail . . . . a setting with a unique flavor and that together with the story incites to a further exploration in the novels to follow." -Mihai Adascalitei, Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews
(Secrets of the Sands) "Leona Wisoker's first novel Secret of the Sands is a refreshing piece of fantasy literature and quite an impressive debut ... (I won't mention any names here but the world building was reminiscent of something out of an Ursula K. Le Guin novel in detail and complexity.) ... a completely original society ... a wonderful, extremely well-thought out piece of fiction ... full of richness and depth ... a breath of fresh air in a rather stuffy marketplace." -SFSite.com
(Secrets of the Sands) "I was enchanted with the characters, from Idisio finding his feet as a servant to the cranky, crafty and sometimes clueless Scratha to Alyea, who at first seems a dilettante, but like many who lived through the mad King's reign, has scars both physical and emotional. This book so captivated me that I have read it twice and expect to read it again before the next volume in the series comes out this Spring. Bravo for a winning new fantasy, one full of wonder and fun!" -Colleen Cahill for SFRevu.com
(Guardians of the Desert) "For its complexity, intriguing story, and (as in the first volume) for its characters I find totally fascinating, I heartily recommend Guardians of the Desert." --Colleen Cahill for SFRevu.com
(Secrets of the Sands) "...it's a work that doesn't beat you over the head with itself, but allows you to put pieces together, to have a role in building a fascinating world. Any writer who assumes that I have some degree of intelligence and an attention span longer than that of a not-very-bright gnat has won my immediate favor. And a writer who works from that assumption to create a story that is lean, understated, rich, clear, and totally absorbing has won my undying admiration.This is Book One of Children of the Desert. I am waiting impatiently for Book Two." -Robert Tilendis for Green Man Review.com
(Secrets of the Sands) "Wisoker has created an elaborate, well-crafted fantasy world that doesn't feel like the too-familiar pseudo-Celtic Medieval Land, and a complex desert society that doesn't feel like, say, Dune or The Arabian Nights. She's created a logical and consistent language that feels exotic but (despite the ubiquitous apostrophes) doesn't feel like Klingon or Tolkien's masterful Elvish. She manages to use her language to make her world seem textured and real, but still keeps her dialogue fresh, lively, and yes, even contemporary. Secrets of the Sands is a fun read-it's delightfully original, and it deserves attention." -John Adcox
(Guardians of the Desert) "It's refreshing to see a sequel that not only lives up to the promise of a bright debut, but actually surpasses it. This is a more mature book....if you enjoy a good fantasy with a complex and interesting world, compelling characters, and elegant prose, I hope you'll take a chance on it." --John Adcox
(Secrets of the Sands) "Ten years ago Leona Wisoker's debut novel -- the first book in a series -- would have been published to much fanfare by a large house. Secrets of the Sands (Mercury Retrograde Press) has the kind of clarity of voice and vision and extreme depth of scope that one associates with large publishing companies and media fanfare. It's a very, very good first book." -January Magazine, August 05, 2010
(Secrets of the Sands) "It's a bit nerve-wracking when you read a book by a friend. What will you say if you don't care for it? . . . But when the two lead characters . . . enter the exotic desert south lands of this book, I knew there was nothing to worry about. I was reading something good, being transported in the way that I desire when I pick up a fantasy. " -Neil Hollands via Goodreads, Nov 02, 2011
(Guardians of the Desert) "Overall Guardians of the Desert...keeps the superb writing style of the author's debut and has in Alyea a powerful character one likes and roots for" --Liviu Suciu for Fantasy Book Critic, April 2011
(Guardians of the Desert) "Overall I loved Guardians of the Desert and found it an engaging read." --Cindy Hannikman for Fantasy Book Critic, April 2011
(Secrets of the Sands) "...a lushly visual and highly detailed world..." -Library Journal (may need to scroll down)
(Guardians of the Desert) "Compelling characters and a colorful setting make this a satisfactory multivolume fantasy." -Library Journal (May need to scroll down)
(Secrets of the Sands) "A storyteller with a good deal of promise. Give this one a try." -C.J. Cherryh, author of Deceiver
(Secrets of the Sands) "Secrets of the Sands, the first novel of Leona Wisoker, is a truly amazing accomplishment. Restrained yet tense, compelling, intricate, and imaginative, it contains so much of the everything lacking in most modern fantasy one can find oneself moved to tears when the pages finally run out. If all first novels were this good, no television would ever be turned on again." -C.J. Henderson, author of Brooklyn Knight
(Guardians of the Desert)"Desert justice as tough as leather and sometimes just as palatable, city-dwellers too far lost in propriety, an inhuman race so alien in thought as to be dangerous always. I look forward to reading the third in the series." --nrlymyrtl for Darkcargo's Review Blog
(Secrets of the Sands) "With a flair for evoking exotic locales and an eye for detail, Leona Wisoker has crafted a first novel peopled by characters who are more than they first seem. From the orphaned street-thief who possesses an uncanny ability to read situations and people, to the impetuous noblewoman thrust into a world of political intrigue, Wisoker weaves a colourful tapestry of desert tribes, honour, revenge, and an ancient, supernatural race." -Janine Cross, author of the Dragon Temple Saga
(Secrets of the Sands) "Leona Wisoker is a gifted storyteller and in Secrets of the Sands she has succeeded in crafting a refreshingly unpredictable tale set in a stunningly rich and detailed world." -Michael J. Sullivan, author of the Riyria Revelations Series
(Secrets of the Sands) "Leona Wisoker makes a praiseworthy work when it comes to world building, creating with care and without haste a strong world, one piece at a time . . . . the storylines are treated with care and with an attention given to detail . . . . a setting with a unique flavor and that together with the story incites to a further exploration in the novels to follow." -Mihai Adascalitei, Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews
(Secrets of the Sands) "Leona Wisoker's first novel Secret of the Sands is a refreshing piece of fantasy literature and quite an impressive debut ... (I won't mention any names here but the world building was reminiscent of something out of an Ursula K. Le Guin novel in detail and complexity.) ... a completely original society ... a wonderful, extremely well-thought out piece of fiction ... full of richness and depth ... a breath of fresh air in a rather stuffy marketplace." -SFSite.com
(Secrets of the Sands) "I was enchanted with the characters, from Idisio finding his feet as a servant to the cranky, crafty and sometimes clueless Scratha to Alyea, who at first seems a dilettante, but like many who lived through the mad King's reign, has scars both physical and emotional. This book so captivated me that I have read it twice and expect to read it again before the next volume in the series comes out this Spring. Bravo for a winning new fantasy, one full of wonder and fun!" -Colleen Cahill for SFRevu.com
(Guardians of the Desert) "For its complexity, intriguing story, and (as in the first volume) for its characters I find totally fascinating, I heartily recommend Guardians of the Desert." --Colleen Cahill for SFRevu.com
(Secrets of the Sands) "...it's a work that doesn't beat you over the head with itself, but allows you to put pieces together, to have a role in building a fascinating world. Any writer who assumes that I have some degree of intelligence and an attention span longer than that of a not-very-bright gnat has won my immediate favor. And a writer who works from that assumption to create a story that is lean, understated, rich, clear, and totally absorbing has won my undying admiration.This is Book One of Children of the Desert. I am waiting impatiently for Book Two." -Robert Tilendis for Green Man Review.com
(Secrets of the Sands) "Wisoker has created an elaborate, well-crafted fantasy world that doesn't feel like the too-familiar pseudo-Celtic Medieval Land, and a complex desert society that doesn't feel like, say, Dune or The Arabian Nights. She's created a logical and consistent language that feels exotic but (despite the ubiquitous apostrophes) doesn't feel like Klingon or Tolkien's masterful Elvish. She manages to use her language to make her world seem textured and real, but still keeps her dialogue fresh, lively, and yes, even contemporary. Secrets of the Sands is a fun read-it's delightfully original, and it deserves attention." -John Adcox
(Guardians of the Desert) "It's refreshing to see a sequel that not only lives up to the promise of a bright debut, but actually surpasses it. This is a more mature book....if you enjoy a good fantasy with a complex and interesting world, compelling characters, and elegant prose, I hope you'll take a chance on it." --John Adcox
(Secrets of the Sands) "Ten years ago Leona Wisoker's debut novel -- the first book in a series -- would have been published to much fanfare by a large house. Secrets of the Sands (Mercury Retrograde Press) has the kind of clarity of voice and vision and extreme depth of scope that one associates with large publishing companies and media fanfare. It's a very, very good first book." -January Magazine, August 05, 2010
(Secrets of the Sands) "It's a bit nerve-wracking when you read a book by a friend. What will you say if you don't care for it? . . . But when the two lead characters . . . enter the exotic desert south lands of this book, I knew there was nothing to worry about. I was reading something good, being transported in the way that I desire when I pick up a fantasy. " -Neil Hollands via Goodreads, Nov 02, 2011
(Guardians of the Desert) "Overall Guardians of the Desert...keeps the superb writing style of the author's debut and has in Alyea a powerful character one likes and roots for" --Liviu Suciu for Fantasy Book Critic, April 2011
(Guardians of the Desert) "Overall I loved Guardians of the Desert and found it an engaging read." --Cindy Hannikman for Fantasy Book Critic, April 2011
