The 10th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off – Introductions & Book List

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It’s that time of year again Factioneers! Time for the 10th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off to begin!

I can’t believe it’s already been ten years! We at Fantasy-Faction have been judging the contest since its inception way back in 2015. Along the way we have discovered some amazing self-published books and authors and had the privilege to share them with you!

How It Works

For those who are new to our site or new to the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (or SPFBO), let me explain how it works.

Before the contest begins, self-published authors submit their stories. Then 300 books are divided between ten different SFF review blogs. This year, those blogs are:

• Fantasy-Faction (us)
• Fantasy Book Critic
• Lynn’s Books + The Critiquing Chemist (joint team)
• The Weatherwax Report
• Before We Go Blog
• Queen’s Book Asylum
• Philip Chase
• Covers with Cassidy
• Kitty G Books
• Captured in Words

Each blog reads through their slush pile of thirty books and picks their favorite to go onto the finals. This works differently for each blog, but here we review five books at a time, saving our favorites for last. Then each of our semi-finalists gets its own review, and then we announce our finalist.

After all finalists have been picked, each blog reads the other nine finalists, and rates them on a scale of 10. Whichever book scores the highest is the winner!

What Books Are We Reading?

Here is our list of 30 books for round one of this year’s contest. They are listed in alphabetical order by title. You can click on each book to see its Goodreads page. If you like you can check out all the covers on our Pinterest board here.

You can see the entire list of 300 books on Mark Lawrence’s website.

• After Silence by by Natalie Northwood
• Beyond the Burning Sea by T. B. Schmid & R. Wade Hodges
• Bone Traders by Rachel Ford
• Children of Rima: Seeds of the Fallen by Miriam Yvette
• Defy by C. S. Doraga
• Dragon Princess by Jason P. Crawford
• Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle
• Godsfall: The Book of One by Adam Gaffen
• Hallowed by Y. R. Liu
• Hidden Worlds by Kit Campbell
• If the Walls Fall by K. Malady
• King’s Imitation by Erin Grunke
• Knights of the Alliance by Stefanie Chu
• Lady of Dragons by Shelby Elizabeth
• Moonshadow’s Guardian by Dianna Gunn
• Path of the Guardian: Unveiling Destiny by Paolo Danese
• Spark of the Divine by Louise Holland
• Stakes and Bones by Ken Bebelle & Julia Vee
• Strangers in Our Heads by Bri Eberhart
• The Apprentice Storyteller by Astrid V. J.
• The Ashen Orb Bounty by Patrick Dugan
• The Fall of Ahilon by Samantha Shaye
• The First Scars by Ivor K. Hill
• The Forest at the Heart of Her Mage by Hiyodori
• The Plagued Elf: The Dawn of Forest Black by Armanis Ar-Feinial
• The White Mask Society by A. M. Colwell
• The Will of the World by M. J. Lindemann
• The Winds of Change by Sam Paisley
• The Youngling: Synesthesia by Stephen Harrington
• Throne in the Dark by A. K. Caggiano

Who Will Be Judging?

We’ve got a big team this year with a bunch of new people from all over the globe! And all of us are super excited to get into our set of books. But let us introduce ourselves first.

Adawia Asad

I’m an Australian-born Palestinian, mother of seven, wedding dress embellisher, foodbank volunteer, crafter (or maybe a collector of crafting supplies), and this is my second year as a judge with Fantasy-Faction for SPFBO(X).

I’m also a former avid reader of literary fiction, occasional reader of science fiction, currently reading mostly indie fantasy—possible over-user of the em dash.

Agatha Lopez

I am a Mexican American interpreter and translator, with an unsatisfiable need to travel. When not geeking out about languages and cultures, my head is mostly stuck in a book or in recent times, crocheting and sewing. Fantasy has been a lifelong passion of mine since, through books and fantasy, I was able to learn languages, as well as travel worlds before I could travel on my very own. I will read anything and everything fantasy without a preference for one genre over another. I have followed SPFBO closely for several years now, and last year was meant to be my first year as a judge. Unfortunately, due to sad personal circumstances I had to drop out. I was invited back though and here I am, ready to tackle a new batch with gusto!

• Goodreads: Agatha Lopez

Calvin

I am a massive fan of fantasy fiction. Like all of us, my TBR is way too big for me to have any realistic hope of finishing it this century. My love for fantasy began when I was somewhere around ten and struggling to read at grade level. I found an old copy of The Hobbit and I haven’t looked back. In my experience, that’s actually a fairly typical origin story for those who love fantasy. 

I’m very pleased that fantasy has grown more diverse over the last several decades, and I look forward to seeing what this year’s SPFBO holds. I have bounced around on various judging teams over the years and this will be my 3rd time as a judge.

Outside of reading, I enjoy listening to music, playing video games, baking, and enjoying tabletop RPGs and other tabletop games.

Julia Kitvaria Sarene

A German bookseller of 20 years, and an absolute fantasy addict, I started to run out of new books that looked interesting to me. Oh, but was I happy when I discovered the indie book scene to give me even more variety, diversity, and books that just are a little bit different from so much of the mainstream!

I started judging SPFBO in round three I think, so this will be my 7th time round.

My hobbies, aside from devouring stories, are collecting books, running, crafting, and archery—I’m not especially good at any of them, but quite enthusiastic.

• Linktree: kitvaria

Kerry Smith

I’m an avid reader from Aotearoa/NZ and I have been a fantasy fiction fan for 50 years; ever since my Great Grandmother read The Magic Faraway Tree to me at the age of 5.

I discovered SPFBO5 and self-published books around the same time as I finally ventured into the world of ebooks. This opened a vast new world of books to me and authors who were willing to rewrite tropes and publish books that a number of traditional publishers were unlikely to touch. I joined Fantasy-Faction’s judging team for SPFBO6 and I love finding new favourites every year.

I also love sci-fi and this past year I have also been a judge (for the 2nd time) for the Self-published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC3).

Currently I volunteer for Gender Minorities Aotearoa, helping support our local Transgender community.

(As well as books I hoard weird handbags, hats, and anything Tartan.)

• Goodreads: The Reading Ruru
• BlueSky: The Reading Ruru
• Twitter (X): @devildauta

Lana

An NZ Maori and mama llama (if you know llama’s you know what I mean) to three crazy munchkins.

I’ve been chasing adventure between pages since forever ago. Found indie and self-published books in 2015 with a romance novel and thought, surely there are indie fantasy books out there and haven’t looked back ever since. I read very few mainstream books, though I own a few.

I’m a book collector well on the way to having my own personal indie library (which is officially 1,000 books). Could someone please tell my partner that reading and collecting books are two very different hobbies?!

Speaking of hobbies, when I’m not reading, I can be found shouting at my TV screen for most sports, or working on my next powerlifting PB.

Max Freeman

I’m a professional caregiver for the disabled, that has a lot of free time for reading. As far as my personal life goes, I’m a 45-year-old widower with no kids, located at the NJ shore. I enjoy movies, games of all kinds, and books that aren’t depressing. The latter has led to some controversial votes in the past, but I’m the sort that follows their heart.

• Twitter (X): @stillmellow
• TikTok: @someorangeguy

Ola

Hello fellow fantasy enthusiasts! By day, I navigate the intricate world of law, but by night, I dive headfirst into the boundless realms of fantasy literature. My name is Ola, from Israel and I’m thrilled to be a part of the SPFBO X competition as one of your judges.

A self-confessed nerd, I cherish all things that celebrate creativity, imagination, and complexity. Whether it’s the latest superhero movie, a gripping video game, or a challenging puzzle, I’m all in. But my true passion lies in the pages of a well-crafted fantasy novel.

I’m drawn to stories that push boundaries and challenge conventions, featuring morally grey characters and intricate plots that keep me guessing. I believe the best fantasy tales are those that make us question right and wrong, good and evil, and everything in between. I’m on the lookout for those hidden gems that offer fresh perspectives and original ideas, blending rich worldbuilding with deep, thought-provoking narratives.

As we embark on this exciting journey through the SPFBO X competition, I can’t wait to discover the incredible stories by up-and-coming authors. May the best book win, and may we all enjoy the adventure along the way!

Patrick Samphire

I’ve been reading and writing fantasy for as long as I can remember (and at my age, that’s quite a while…). What was once a hobby has now become a job. My first book was published in 2016, and I’ve published a fair few since. I was also a SPFBO finalist in SPFBO6. This is my first time as a judge, and I’m really looking forward to discovering the gems in this year’s batch. SPFBO introduced me to the indie publishing scene, and these days I read far more indie SFF than traditionally published stuff.

I live in Wales, UK, with my wife Stephanie Burgis (who is also a writer), my two kids, and our cat.

• Linktree: Patrick Samphire

Jennie Ivins (Me)

I am the editor of Fantasy-Faction and have been with the site since its beginning in the fall of 2010. I’m also a neurodivergent stay-at-home mom from New Jersey with three autistic boys, a fantasy writer, computer addict, and lover of geeky things! I will be the one posting the reviews, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

• Twitter: @Autumn2May
• Facebook: Jennifer Ivins (Jennie)
• Instagram: jennie.ivins

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So that’s us and the contest. We will be posting an article about once a month as we let go five books at a time. The first will be in June. Stay tuned to see what gems we find this year in the 10th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBOX)!

Good luck to everyone competing and may the best book win! Happy Reading!

If you’d like to follow along more closely, you can join the SPFBO Facebook group and follow the #SPFBO tag on Twitter! You can also keep up to date with all the books’ scores on Mark Lawrence’s website!

Logo image by Tithi Luadthong.

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