On this, the first day of May, we are saying goodbye to our second round of contestants in this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO)!
And just as a reminder, we don’t read the books in any particular order, and so we don’t let them go from worst to best either. Each time, we will review five books until we get to our semi-finalists, who will get their own reviews.
Most importantly: All reading is subjective. So, what we didn’t like might be someone else’s next favorite read. So if what you see here sounds like something you’d enjoy, please check them out!
Thank you very much to all the authors who entered, we know it is tough to get judged like this, and we definitely appreciate the courage to put your work forward to a contest!
You can keep up with round one of the contest on the official SPFBO website. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more here.
Now on to the Second Five to Fall!
Moon Witch (Moon Witch, #1) by Grace Zhu
While exploring an abandoned manor, budding photographer Evangeline and her best friend Alice fall through a portal to the realm of witches.
On the other side, they’re separated. Initially swept up by this mesmerizing new world, returning home to the drudgery of everyday life is the last thing on Eva’s mind. She falls head over heels for Cassius, heir to the manor house and son of the most powerful witch in the realm. But when she persists in wanting to return home, he will not let her go so easily.
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Moon Witch started off strong, being a portal fantasy with an interesting premise. And while some of the judges applauded the word choice, others thought the prose felt a bit flat. The characters didn’t stick with most of the judges, though the worldbuilding was good and we think the author has promise as a writer. But this title didn’t click with us enough to continue on.
Oath of Betrayal (The Broken Bonds, #1) by Olena Nikitin
The dragon chose her. The rider would claim her. The fae would use her. To fight for herself, she may have to watch the world burn.
Sole survivor of a magical catastrophe that fractured the Barrier and killed the men she loved, Annika swore never to take another bond. To stay hidden from those who crave her power, she fakes her death and vanishes into obscurity.
But her magic is restless. A dragon haunts her dreams, and monsters are slipping through the cracks in the Barrier her magic created.
When a brutal attack forces her hand, Annika reveals the truth she’s fought to bury—drawing the attention of the ruthless Commander of the Dragon Riders and his dark fae Necromancer.
Both are men of war, forged in blood and duty. Their touch may be gentle, their eyes kind, but to them, she is a weapon—the first woman ever chosen by a dragon, whose magic cannot be contained by one bond alone.
Torn between the Commander, who ignites her power, and the Necromancer, who tempers its inferno, Annika must decide if her heart can bear another bond.
If she denies it, the Barrier will fall, and the kingdom she swore to protect will burn to ash.
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There are a lot of good things in Oath of Betrayal, especially for fans of romantasy. It features a main character who is a woman in her 30s, a polyamorous relationship, and spicy on page sex scenes. But there were also a few things that made it hard for our judges to stay immersed in the story, the main ones being the use of multiple 1st person POVs, some dense lore, and a very sexist feel to the world (for example: women are referred to as females instead of women). If you love dragons and romance in your fantasy, this might be a great read for you, but it couldn’t rise above the other books in our list to continue on.
Song of the Wolf by T. C. Smith
War rages across the elven kingdom of Kies Tor. In the capital, the exiled crown prince has returned, seeking to usurp the throne. Midst the bloodshed and chaos, Talin Zylvaris II must take her place as queen and lead the kingdom to safety. It’s a heavy weight for the youngest Torrian ruler in a thousand years.
There is, however, a glimmer of hope in an unlikely alliance to the west. Against her council’s advice, Talin rides out with her mysterious royal bodyguard to seize it, oblivious to the dangers stirring at home.
Caught between a court conspiracy and advancing Hellhounds to the north, Talin has only one chance to save her people. If it is not already too late.
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The highlight in Song of the Wolf is definitely the worldbuilding. Each character is also well written, though some inconsistencies in their interactions sometimes gave the judges pause. Which leads us into the biggest roadblock to this book moving forward: the plot. Specifically various characters’ odd decisions throughout made it hard for us to stay connected to the story. In the end we had to let this one go too.
Tethered to Darkness by Matt Falcon
In Eoden City, where relentless sands devour the land outside, Shen Auger is the reluctant heir to a dark legacy. His father Eoden, revered as the immortal Vessel of the Gods, holds sway over a dying world. But when Shen’s mother reveals whispers of hidden secrets that lie in the blistering wasteland, Shen’s sheltered life unravels.
Fuelled by a burning need for answers, Shen embarks on a perilous journey beyond the city’s walls, into the unforgiving Desolation. Alongside his fierce friend Griss, he encounters a Darkness that will not be sated until it consumes all. As rebellion ignites and the Darkness looms, Shen must confront his father’s tyranny and master a power born of love and rage to save his world—or watch it burn.
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Another story with dragons (which honestly is our favorite kind)! This one was a bit different in our list of books we let go, in that all the judges liked it in different ways, but it just didn’t grab any of us the way we hoped it would. As one of the judges put it, “I never found a reason to put it down. But I also never found myself desperate to pick it back up.” It’s possible this one just wasn’t our taste. So, if you like dragons and epic fantasy, you might really enjoy it, but for us it had to be a pass.
The Fire Within by John B. Cheek
Two vast armies battle for the fate of the world, and three tortured souls must give all they have to survive.
Lying between the Orkhlands of the south and the Human and Aelf realms of the north is a wide pass between high mountains. Ever has it been a gateway of invasion by the Orkhish hordes. Now it is again, and again the way must be barred.
Among the defenders of the pass are Bera, an unwanted half-Orkh lost among Humans. The Lady Zara, an impetuous captain of Aelfin cavalry who will do anything to erase an ancient stain of dishonor. And Earic, a young nobleman with a secret love that tears his world apart.
Each must confront a crisis of the heart, while together they are caught up in a titanic struggle between ancient foes for control of this vital mountain a battle that will decide the fate of realms.
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The Fire Within has some good bones. In fact is was good enough that one of our judges finished it in a single sitting! There is a solid storyline and premise, and good worldbuilding and characters. The fatal flaw for our judges was the editing. This book is a bit on the rough side and would benefit from another round of editing. So while at its heart is was a great story, it was not quite polished enough to continue on.
And there you have it! Our second five have fallen! Thank you again to the authors who took the time to enter and had the courage to let us read their work. We wish you all the best in the future!
That leaves us with 20 more books to get through. You can see the entire list of 300 books on Mark Lawrence’s website. Good luck to all the authors, and happy reading!
- The Artificer’s Knot by Eric Lewis
- Changebringer by Jean K. Silver
- City of Stone by K. T. Holder
- The Crimson Court by Brendan Noble
- Heroes of Valhalla by C. K. Kesterson
- Hunter’s Apprentice by Simon Shugar
- Island of the Dying Goddess by Ronit J.
- Keeper of the Gate by Margaret Feuerman
- Leave No Dragon Stone Unturned by Alexa Grave
- Legacy Bound by Elizabeth Daly
- Liches Get Scritches by H. J. Tolson
- The Non-Magical Declan Moore by Nathan Taylor
- Of Mages and Makers by Rel Carroll
- Physical Magic by William C. Tracy
- Remnant by K. R. Solberg and C. R. Jacobson
- Shadow of the Pyre by R. T. Silveus
- Shattered Peace by Megan Russ
- Sigil of Enderune by Rosaire Bushey
- Sweet & Wild by Alex Larkspur
- The Winter Mage by TJ Muir
Our judges this year Adawia Asad, Eva Geraghty, Evelyn Grimald “E.G.” Stone, Julia Kitvaria Sarene, Karen Lucia, Kerry Smith, Kit Caelsto, Maureen Neuman, Robert Max Freeman, Sara Rosevear, Sherry Cammer, Stacey Markle, Tianna Twyman, and Yaniv Rosenfeld Cohen. If you’d like to learn more about us, including our likes and dislikes, you can read about them here. And again, you can learn more about the contest here.
Any queries should be directed to the editor, Jennie Ivins (me), via DM (Bluesky/Threads).
Featured image by Anna Zakharova.
Tom Joyce
Colleen McMillan
Summer Hanford