One more week of May, and one more month for Round One of this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO)! Today we will be saying goodbye to another five books: our Third Five to Fall.
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 Third Five to Fall!
Sweet & Wild by Alex Larkspur
Micah Harlow has just moved to Roseyard, a small town on the edge of a mysterious forest. Filled with hope for a new start here, Micah ventures into the woods to forage and, of course, make an offering to the guardian spirit within.
However, this forest is unlike any Micah has been in before. The spirit himself appears and takes an interest in Micah, helping him to find whatever he needs and spending time with him. To complicate things further, the town of Roseyard is far different than Micah expects. The citizens call the guardian spirit within the woods a beast, and they seem to be held under the thumb of one affluent man.
In order to survive and thrive, Micah will be pulled further into the magic of the forest and its spirit, all while cultivating relationships within Roseyard. And hopefully, heal the wounds of his damaged heart.
– – –
Sweet & Wild revolves around the budding relationship between the main character Micah and the spirit who guards the forest. Romance in fantasy is one of the things that normally splits our judges down the middle. Some love it, some, well, not as much. Unfortunately, this story brought our judges together in a negative way. No one felt there was enough chemistry between the two, but the bigger issue was the age difference. Our judges felt slightly uncomfortable with the power dynamics and how the much older spirit treated the much younger hedge witch. ‘Older magical entity falls for young human’ is popular trope in some romances, but this one just didn’t work for us.
Shattered Peace by Megan Russ
The world of Aearth broke due to a Great War 3000 years ago. It is a world that lost its magic when the Gods knit the Aearth back together. Sealing the magic into the world itself. They then turned their backs on the world that could no longer feel their touch.
Secretly nestled in the heart of the ancient forest, there is a tree that towers over all others. Within its embrace, the future generation of warriors trains for the day their nation calls upon them.
An elven outcast with a secret to keep. A rare free human with something to prove. These two young monks have just graduated from training within the Monastery of the Leaf. With their training days behind them, it is time for them to find their place in the world.
But darkness rises on the horizon. Will the heroes rise in time to save Aearth or will this world shatter for good?
– – –
Shattered Peace comes out of the gate with a good premise. Elves learning to be warrior monks in a ruined world? What’s not to like? Our judges also liked the main characters, but felt the flow of the story was a bit slow, and the plot didn’t hold our attention as much as we’d hoped. So we had to let this one go.
Heroes of Valhalla by C. K. Kesterson
The north has descended into darkness. Abandoned by the empire. Deserted by the old gods. Left to fend for themselves. The Kingdom of Asgard is a light in the darkness, a beacon of civilization in a dying land. A place of heroes.
But war is coming.
Driven by prophecy, Odin, king of Asgard searches tirelessly for a hero who can stop the coming destruction.
– – –
It’s always interesting to see how each author uses Norse mythology to tell stories in their worlds. Heroes of Valhalla, is a well written and follows all the usual suspects. And while our judges didn’t find anything they hated in the story, they also didn’t find anything they absolutely loved either. So while other fans of Norse mythology might enjoy this book a lot, it wasn’t quite enough to move on in the contest.
The Winter Mage (Legacy of the Lost Mage #1) by TJ Muir
Centuries after the Night of Ashes and the purge of the Arcana, magic is slowly creeping back into the world. Mages are tolerated, but true power is still feared, hunted, and half-buried beneath the ruins of the past.
Kadaris refuses to let it stay buried.
Determined to master magic, she has spent her life chasing every scrap of it she can find—any teacher, any book, any spell. She will carve her own path, no matter who stands in her way.
When rumors of rogue mages and outlawed magic draw her into an investigation, Kadaris uncovers something far more dangerous than she: an ancient relic, carrying the long-lost power of a vanished age.
But she is not the only one hunting it.
Rogues, bandits, and unseen enemies close in, and even those she trusts may have plans of their own. As the struggle for the relic deepens, Kadaris must decide how far she is willing to go to hold onto the magic she has always wanted—and what it may cost her to keep it.
– – –
The Winter Mage takes us to a fantasy setting where two young women are training for their lives ahead. The split POVs between the mage whose magic is banded in the kingdom, and the budding warrior studying marshal arts, kept the story interesting. And while our judges were hooked at the very beginning, and many liked it overall, the heavy worldbuilding and a decent number of editing errors, kept us from enjoying the story the way we’d hoped.
Legacy Bound (Legacies #1) by Elizabeth Daly
Mages bound to the Queen want free of their bindings, whilst those found unbound are put to death. Rebellion is in the air.
Isobel, an empath, hides in plain sight, dreading the day they will come for her. Older sister to William, she has spent her life protecting him while searching for a cure to the demonic corruption that will eventually consume him.
Looking for redemption, former soldier, William, has turned to the Light, renouncing his violent ways. If he doesn’t, he risks losing the battle raging inside him and fears the consequences of that happening to those he loves.
Youngest grandson of the Queen, free spirited Prince Marcus cavorts throughout the empire, determined to enjoy his remaining moments, and with one year left, his time runs short. But when he meets Isobel, Marcus discovers there is more to life than indulging every whim and fancy.
Not knowing friend from foe, and with the repercussions of their actions closing in, Isobel, Marcus, and William find themselves on the run whilst trying to stop an uprising that could shatter the empire.
Can they succeed and break free of the shackles of their past, or will they be forever bound to it?
– – –
Legacy Bound is a medieval epic fantasy/romantasy that follows three characters whose paths collide: a sister, a brother, and a prince. There is romance in the story (as the romantasy bit in the last sentence might imply), but it leans harder into the epic fantasy side overall. Our judges were split on the characters themselves, some not clicking with them, while others enjoyed their interactions, especially between the siblings. The story and setting are standard fantasy fare, however the ending’s twist might not be to the taste of many romantasy readers. The split feelings on this one kept it from moving forward, but if you’d like something a bit different from a romance leaning epic fantasy, this might be your next favorite read!
And there you have it! Our third 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 15 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
- 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
- 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
- Sigil of Enderune by Rosaire Bushey
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 Ruslan Sikunov.
Colleen McMillan
Summer Hanford
Julia Kitvaria Sarene