David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy: Morningstar Award

There’s a certain something about watching a debut fighter take to the ring.

It could be that there’s an element of the unknown. The chance of something new and different. Maybe, because the fighters are out to prove themselves, they’ll go all in, give it their everything – blood, sweat, tears and then some.

Or maybe it’s something bigger than that.

Maybe, the debut fighter is set to one day become a Legend – but this is where it all begins.

The Morningstar award, one of three categories in the David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy, celebrates the best traditionally-published newcomer/debut author to the fantasy genre in the past year. It invites you, anyone and everyone, to judge a selection of authors and their debut works and vote for your favourite.

This year’s shortlist nominees are:

• Mark de Jager, Infernal (Del Rey Publishing)
• Christopher Husberg, Duskfall (Titan)
• Megan E O’Keefe, Steal the Sky (Angry Robot)
• Adrian Selby, Snakewood (Orbit)
• Jon Skovron, Hope and Red (Orbit)

Previous winners include debuts from (at the time) newcomers include: Helen Lowe, Heir of Night; John Gwynne, Malice; Brian McClellan, Promise of Blood; Brian Staveley, The Emperor’s Blades; and Peter Newman, The Vagrant.

But it’s not just the winners of this category that go on to throw their names in the ring for further title fights. Other authors have first appeared in the shortlists for the Morningstar award, who then go on to battle it out for the coveted Legend award (best novel). These include Jay Kristoff, John Gwynne, Christian Cameron and David Guymer. And of course, not forgetting, Mark Lawrence who even though having lost out with Prince of Thorns in the Morningstar award to Helen Lowe’s Heir of Night, has now earned himself not one, but two Legend awards.

Personally, the Morningstar award is my favourite category for that reason. Sure, the Legend award celebrates the big daddy (or mummy) of the year, but voting on the best debut, which in turn could one day be in the running for the Legend award, for the second, third, fourth book in the series…now that’s something special. No pressure Mark, Christopher, Megan, Adrian and Jon. No pressure at all!

Voting on the shortlists closes on Friday 2nd June. Cast your votes on the David Gemmell Awards official website HERE. The awards will be presented on the 15th July 2017, at the Edge-Lit 6 event in Derby.

Title image courtesy of FantasyMagazine.it

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