I’m a big fan of the annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off competition AKA SPFBO, and had been following the contest closely until I entered it myself in its eight year, coming 2nd out of 300 books! Started by grimdark and fantasy author Mark Lawrence, SPFBO is now in its tenth year, and there was no way I wanted to miss out on this special milestone. Sadly, I didn’t have a book to enter, so I chose the next best thing – to become a judge!
So here’s a little bit about my experiences as a judge coming in as a previous SPFBO finalist.
For SPFBOX, I joined Queen Timy’s Book Asylum alongside Terrible Timy herself and four other judges. Our team was randomly allocated 30 books, which were then divided between us. We each got to vote on books that we wanted to read i.e. that we thought we’d enjoy more, or that were more suited to our tastes. From that batch of five books each, we’d then pick a semi-finalist.
The Books in my Batch
I’m pleased to say that each of the five books in my batch were enjoyable in their own unique ways, and I read each book to 100% completion. As an author, it was important to me that I gave each book my full time and attention so that each would be judged fairly. Naturally, each judge has their own interests and bias, and thus our judgements are highly subjective – what did or didn’t work for me may land quite differently with other judges or indeed other teams. Entering your book into a large contest like SPFBO can be nerve-wracking, but do understand that sometimes your success in the contest comes down to luck. Maybe your book didn’t land with the right reader or team this time, but that doesn’t mean your next one won’t, or that your book is bad! I know authors in this contest that were cut straight away one year and became finalists the next, so please don’t be disheartened. Keep on writing and entering!
With that said, here are the five books that I read in round one of SPFBO, and a bit about what I liked about them:
A Circle of Stars by Craig Montgomery
Sometimes you have to leave home to find itโฆย
All Casper Bell has ever wanted is to belong. But now, abandoned by his friends and family after being outed, he has nothing left to lose when the people of Novilem abduct him.
Except Earth.
Teleported to a world where stars grant humans magic, Casper discovers he has the rare ability to draw power from all twelve astrological signs โ a gift that makes him a political pawn for the Estellar Council. But Novilemโs inhabitants seem as hard and cold as the stone their city is carved from, and Casperโs new role leaves him more isolated than ever. Until he meets the grandson of the councilโs most powerful woman. Helix is kind, playful, and heartbreakingly handsome, yet itโs how Helix makes him feel that gives Casper hope.
As rebellion brinks in the city, even the Council starts to fracture, reaching
for extreme measures that could cost Casper not only his newfound abilities, but the first place he has ever wanted to call home. Together with Helix, he must uncover the secrets of his full potential โย because the survival of Novilem hinges on Casperโs powers, whether heโs using them or not.Set inside a hidden lunar city, where astrology is magic and your birth sign defines your social status, A Circle of Stars is a queer young adult fantasy filled with political intrigue and romance.
A science-fantasy YA coming of age story about a teen who is kicked out of their home for being gay and finds themselves whisked across the universe as the chosen one. I loved the unique setting and worldbuilding, as well as the magic system with powers based on the zodiac. I also really appreciated the queer representation here amongst the lead POV characters and side characters.
Add A Circle of Stars to your Goodreads
Chosen by Scarlett Strange
To have faith is to believe not when everything is certain, but when nothing is.
Living in a world with no sun, murderous bastards for leaders, and fighting being the highest form of entertainment, Raven has no faith left. Not in the people, not in the universe, and definitely not in herself.
But when the deadliest chase of her life plunges her into a world ruled by sunlight, peace, and cities full of abundance, her lack of faith is challenged. Her arrival triggers a thousand-year-old prophecy that sets her on a path far more dangerous than anything she has ever faced before. To survive and find a way back, Raven must learn to play by the rules of this deadly place.
The assassination attempts aren’t a problem. The court intrigues aren’t a problem. Even the dangerous king who seems obsessed with her isnโt a problem. It is the thing that wakes beneath her skin that might prove to be her biggest challenge yet.
To survive, she must make a choice.
Answer the call she has been ignoring or return to the darkness that now whispers her name.
Perfect for those who love epic adventures, high stakes, badass heroines, and swoon-worthy romance.
Another chosen one story where a badass heroine finds herself transported from a dystopian future into a medieval world where she’s suddenly the most important person! Our heroine has to lean to navigate the rules of this new world while making a decision of which world she belongs to, and which is worth saving. I really enjoyed the main character as she struggled to adapt to her circumstances and the political storm she found herself thrown into.
Ghosts of the Catacombs by Janna Ruth
I’m a ghost whisperer, not a catacomb crawler. But when you live in Paris, sometimes you end up being both.
Hi, Iโm Alix. During the day, Iโm a history student at the time-honoured Sorbonne University. After class, I hang out with the ghosts of the revolution, the many undead misunderstood Parisian artists, and adventurous scientists that glow in the dark. None of them are alive, but they come to me to solve their problems with the living.
When a recently deceased catacomb tour guide asks me to retrieve a mysterious personal item from the underground, things take a turn for the weird. Suddenly, I find myself in a city of ghosts, hunted by murderous cave crawlers, and stumbling across haunting secrets. If Iโm not careful now, I might end up a ghost myself.Urban Fantasy with a French twist. If you like cave-crawling adventures, hopeless romantics, and ghosts, you’ll enjoy Ghosts of the Catacomb, the first instalment of the Parisian Ghosts series. Travel to Paris today to embark on your catacomb adventure.
A fun Urban Fantasy featuring a ghost whisperer in Paris! This felt like a cozy mystery as our MC explores the catacombs of Paris on a quest for a ghost while also learning to balance her ghostly duties with her real life and the chance to date. I loved the twist at the end!
Add Ghosts of the Catacombs to your Goodreads
Of Shadows and Death by Sharlene Healy
I have heard my tale being told. A story about a princess with long hair trapped in a tower, saved by a handsome prince, who kills the wicked witch imprisoning her.
How sweet. How charming. How wrong. Except for the hair, of course.
A fateful meeting with the Vampire King and my world shatters. All I’d ever known ground into dust. I must separate truth from lies and become who I am destined to be. Consequences be damned.
This is my story.
A story of power. Love. Hope.
And above all?
Revenge.
A romantasy retelling of Rapunzel, but with added vampires and a handsome vampire king. This is a tale of overcoming abuse and revenge. This felt like a power fantasy, as the MC goes from strength to strength, but this may be just the cathartic story you need.
Add Of Shadows and Death to your Goodreads
The Gatekeeper of Pericael by Hayley Reese Chow
Twelve-year-old Porter would much rather spend his weekends playing soccer than channeling spirits in the parallel universe of Pericael. Unfortunately for him, Porter’s family has guarded the gate between Earth and monster-filled Pericael for generations, so he’s not getting out of Gatekeeper lessons anytime soon.
But some after-school activities are more dangerous than others.
When a soul thief threatens the gate, Porter reluctantly comes to its defense… and gets thrown deep into Pericael’s dangerous jungle wilderness. With the help of two fierce native girls, Porter must learn to embrace the creepy spirits and find his way back to the gate. But the soul thief is racing for the gate too, and if he gets there first, Porter won’t have a home to go back to.
A fun Middle Grade adventure featuring a young boy who is training to be the gatekeeper of a magical jungle world via a portal in his house. But when danger threatens this world, he finds himself trapped and must rely on his teaching and allies to find his way home. I enjoyed the unique setting and magic system of casting spells by writing rune rings.
Add The Gatekeeper of Pericael to your Goodreads
Do any of these books sound interesting? I’d urge you to check them out if so!
Our Semi-Finalists
Now came the time for myself and my fellow judges to pick our semi-finalists! We chose five semi-finalists this year and the judges certainly struggled to choose which books to put through out of their batches due to some very strong books they enjoyed. Again, so much of this competition comes down to subjective tastes and luck.
Alas, there can only be one semi-finalist per judge, and so I made my choice:
I chose A Circle of Stars by Craig Montgomery. This book shared a few similarities with Chosen: a chosen one is transported from their ordinary life into a fantastical one where they must to learn the rules of their new world and great things are expected of them. However, what made A Circle of Stars stand out for me was the interesting sci-fi worldbuilding and magic system based on the zodiac, as well as the queer representation that I found missing in the other books of my batch.
So in the semi-finalist stage, each of the judges reads the semi-finalists in order to then choose a finalist. Alongside a Circle of Stars, here are the other semi-finalists I read and my thoughts on each:
Bringer of the Scourge by M. Daniel McDowell
To save them all, the princess must first rescue herself.
Vierrelyne du Talorr, the last living daughter of the tyrant king, waits locked in a tower cell for the prophesied apocalypse only she can prevent. An army of three brittle allegiances, united under a rival prince, aims for the throne and lays siege to the castle in search of the princess and the fabled weaponry of the empire.
With the aid of her mentor in music and swords, and a desperate cultist sent to find her before the mercenaries do, Vierrelyne steals that formidable ancient weapon from her family crypt: a holy suit of armor and a diadem infused with the soul of a demon princeโthe Bringer of the Scourge. With it, Vierrelyne discovers an unstoppable power, but the demon within is corrosive, hungry, and dangerously persuasive.
Vierrelyne is haunted by what it means to tame this power bequeathed to her, and by what means she might conquer it. When that rival prince finds her, it will take all the strength she can muster, for if the prophecy she dreads is true, the very weapons she wields might destroy everythingโand everyoneโshe holds dear.
This is the tale of a princess trapped in a tower, the subject of a dark prophecy, who must then escape and face this prophecy head on. This is one for fans of dark and classic fantasy. However, I will confess that I DNF-ed this book at the 25% mark as the writing style wasn’t for me. I tend to struggle with writing that’s a bit too heavy, but this is a “it’s not you, its me” situation as our other judges enjoyed this one!
Add Bringer of the Scourge on Goodreads
Temper the Dark by L. Ryan Storms
Servant girl Alaris Kahlanik finds out about her familyโsย giftย the hard way when she discovers her ability to dreamwalk after being condemned to the Cells. With thoughts of escape, she uses her newfound ability to spy on the emperor and his secret search for something important. Nothing the emperor wants could possibly be good for the people he rules, and so whatever the emperor is looking for, Alaris must find first.
Throlani Guardsman Kagan Liis has served the Empire since Emperor Patukโs reign began eight years ago. He can also communicate with a vicious oracle referred to only asย the Darkness.ย When the Darkness tasks Kagan with investigating the Servant girl in the Cells, Kagan takes on a special mission that will require more than his usual interrogation methods of brute strength and intimidation.
From vastly different echelons of the same tribal society, Alaris and Kagan are surprised to learn they share one important goalโensuring the best for the people of their island nation. Alaris discovers what the emperor is looking for โ a dragon! But warning a senile dragon against impending danger is no easy task. Together, Alaris and Kagan must save a forgetful dragonย andย a divided nationโฆwhich may mean giving up any hope of saving themselves.
A YA fantasy adventure set across a unique setting of tropical islands. This is the story of a servant girl who is locked away by her cruel masters, only to discover she has the ability to dreamwalk. Taking advantage of this, she spies on the empire oppressing her people, she then discovers that the emperor is looking for a dragon – a dragon she is able to find and communicate with! However, this poor dragon needs help, and with rebellion on the horizon, our heroine faces many difficulties. I loved how stubborn and headstrong our MC is, though this story also features the secondary POV of a solider in the empire that must also face the empire’s cruelties and change. This was a fun, fast-paced read, that other YA fantasy and dark fantasy fans would enjoy.
Add Temper the Dark on Goodreads
The Stranger of Ul Darak by S.C. Eston
Sometimes saving a world means rebelling against it.
In an age long forgotten, nineteen hundred and eighty-three Seals were forgedโmagical disks placed around the world to repel the cosmic chaos beyond.
In the centuries that followed, the Sentinels were tasked with protecting those Seals. For countless generations, they succeeded.
Until now.
At six years old, Shรฉana is recruited to the order of the Sentinels. A decade later, she displays powers unlike anything any Sentinel has shown before. When she feels the world stirring in pain, she knows the shield surrounding Tyronia has been breached. The great chain is broken. And the order of the Sentinels lies in discord.
In the isolated village of Valdur, young Arth struggles to belong. Spurned by the other children, he ventures south to the endless mountains, and the strange barrier marking the edge of existence. The Final Horizon. Here he witnesses the a man emerging from beyond the veilโwhere nothing can possibly exist. A man Arth knows he must protect.
Now the fate of two worlds rests on a knifeโs edge. Only the courage of a village boy and the power of a fledgling Sentinel can save them.
But to save their worlds, they must reject all theyโve been taught, leaving behind everyone and everything theyโve ever known.
An ambitious epic fantasy stretching across generations, locations, and various POV characters. This is the story of a world on the cusp of change. Magical seals keep this plane together, protected by Sentinels, but strange happenings across the world are weakening the seals. There are many layers to the worldbuilding and story here, and it’s clear the author spent a lot of time and care on constructing it! If you’re looking for an epic story that takes its time, then this may be for you.
Add The Stranger of Ul Darak on Goodreads
Wolf of Withervale by Joaquรญn Baldwin
An ambitious, sweeping saga. As epic as it is queer.
Lago was only a child when the shapeshifter entrusted the wolf-like mask to his careโan artifact so powerful that it could come to shape the entire world of Noss.
Now that he is coming of age, Lago is becoming ever more fearful of the ominous relicโs influence, of the empire who has scented its trail and is coming after it. Coming afterย him.
Aided by his best friend, an enigmatic scout, and his trusty dog, Lago seeks refuge in the vastness of the Heartpine Dome. The eighty-mile-wide structure had remained sealed for centuries, safeguarding more than mere secrets. Now that the domeโs entrails are stirring, the mysteries of the long-vanished Miscam tribes are coming to light, and the shapeshifting animal spirits are making their return.
Powers untold hide behind the blinkless eyeholes of the canid mask, powers that could tip the balance in the war. Lago is barely beginning to learn how to wield the dark visage, but he can already feel its potential.
โฆ And he can feel a different change coming, deep in his marrow.
Riveting in scope and worldbuilding, and exquisitely illustrated by the author, this tale of transformation and self-discovery is filled with unabashed wonder and a lust for places unknown. A profoundly queer adventure that explores sexuality, our connections to other species, unconventional kinds of love, and the very nature of consciousness.
Wolf of Withervaleย is the first installment of theย Noss Saga, an epic LGBTQ+ fantasy series.
Another epic fantasy with ambitious worldbuilding in a uniquely realised setting featuring mysterious domes across the continents. This is the story of Lago, a boy who is gifted a mysterious wolf mask as a child. As he grows up, enemy forces come looking for the mask, and he is forced to flee everything he knows on a perilous adventure to restore the mask to its rightful owner while learning of its strange powers. This story is both epic in scope, but also feels cozy at times. The worldbuilding is incredible in this one, with illustrated art and maps included in the book and on the author’s website. I also appreciated the queer representation throughout. But bear in mind this story does come with content warnings.
Add Wolf of Withervale on Goodreads
Each of these books had the potential to be our finalist, so please do check them out as well.
And Our Finalist Is…
It turns out that picking a finalist is a lot harder than I’d thought! For some teams, there may be an obvious finalist, and for others, there many be more than one potential finalist, which leads some teams to nominate a Senlin – a book that is good enough to be finalist and that is offered up to other teams to take as their finalist if they can’t choose one from their batch.
Honestly, we did consider the Senlin books provided by other teams so far, because having options is good, and some of our judges weren’t sure if our batch of books would be strong enough contenders for the finals. How we chose our finalist came down to the scoring between each books, as well as arguing about it – all friendly, of course!
For many authors, becoming a finalist within SPFBO is the dream. I can say from experience that being a finalist is a big boost to your career in some ways – you get more eyes on you and your books, and your sales definitely get a boost. However, you won’t necessarily have agents kicking down your door with publishing deals and movie rights. It doesn’t work that way. Once you enter the finals, it doesn’t really matter how you do at that point – you’ve already won. But being in the finals also adds a lot more pressure. Now you’ve got all of these teams and judges scrutinizing and reviewing your books, and in past years, some of these reviews have been brutally honest. If you’re not used to critical reviews yet, then SPFBO can certainly toughen you up. I can again attest to the fact that writing a book while being in the SPFBO finals is nigh on impossible. It takes over your life, to a certain extent. These were all things I thought about when choosing our finalist.
We ultimately decided to stick with our batch and not choose a Senlin as there wasn’t enough time left within the month for us all to properly consider the Senlins, and we really wanted to put forward a book from our batch. To me, I had a clear favourite that I really enjoyed. Our scoring was very close between two books: Temper the Dark and Wolf of Withervale.
Who did we choose as our finalist?
Congratulations to Joaquรญn Baldwin and his queer fantasy epic, Wolf of Withervale! This was my favourite book of SPFBOX so far, and I’m eager to see what the other teams will think of it. Good luck!
For me, my judging continues when the second stage of SPFBOX begins. By the end of October, all ten finalists from each team will be announced, and then I can start reading the other nine books. Again, my follow judges will read and score each one. You can keep track of each book and the scores each team gives them by following the leaderboard on Mark Lawrence’s SPFBOX page.
I look forward to reading them all!
While this article is about my experiences, you can find my official reviews of these books on the Queen’s Book Asylum SPFBOX page. Be sure to follow our review of the finalists, and a big thank you to Queen Timy for having me along for the ride.