SPFBO X is now well underway and I have now completed reading at least the first 25% of the fifteen books I was allocated.  My co-judges (The Critiquing Chemist.) have also been making their way through their books and will be posting separately at some point in the near future.

For those who don’t know about SPFBO (the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off) – this is a competition created and run by Mark Lawrence.  The competition is now in its tenth year and you can find more about all the other entrants and judges over on Mark Lawrence’s blog.

I separated my books into three batches which you can find here, here and here.  Having read the first 25% (at least) I’ve chosen five books that I intend to read further before choosing potential semi finalists to pass to the Critiquing Chemist to read.  The purpose of this post, which is the second of two such posts (the first is here), is to make my second batch of cuts.  This isn’t a part of the competition that I enjoy but it is unavoidable.  So, without further ado, and in no particular order please find my second batch of cuts below.  (My commiserations to the authors together with my utmost respect and appreciation for submitting your books into the competition).

The Hybrid by EK Frances

Sebastian Parker is thirteen. He thinks he is just an ordinary alpha off to join the Academy to refine his skills, but ‘the test’ shows something different. It turns out he is a Hybrid – a Quad-brid to be exact – and will grow up to be the most powerful alpha in more than two millennia.

Forced to join the Dark side of the Academy, Sebastian faces fear, rejection, and brutality. Making some unlikely friends and finding adventure, he strives to keep to the Light. However, in a final twist, unsure of who to trust, and what is real, Sebastian is faced with the ultimate decision of whether to embrace the Darkness …

Dark, brutal, and gripping, The Hybrid is the first novel in The Hybrid series. The series is set in a dark vision of the future where some humans, known as alphas, have developed abilities.

My Thoughts (read 25%)

The Hybrid is a ‘chosen one’ novel with a dystopian style setting.  It reminded me a little of Divergent and at the point I broke off it was moving firmly into the school setting category which is something I usually enjoy.

The world here is divided between regular humans and those with powers (alphas).  Occasionally an alpha can display a talent for more than one power although developing a talent for all four has not been heard of for a long time.

Sebastian Parker is the main pov.  He’s lived a rather tortured life with his father when the story begins.  His father can be inexplicably brutal and often punishes Seb for minor infractions.  At thirteen Seb is about to enrol into the Academy where he will be tested to see which category he falls into, one of either teleks, conjurors, healers, or necros.  As it turns out Seb has abilities in all these powers but eventually chooses necros because his father has coerced him into doing so.

At the point I broke off this was quite easy to read,  I would suggest it’s YA but I’m not an expert and defer to the author in that regard.  The writing was quite simple in some ways and I did have questions but at 25%  those answers may be forthcoming later in the book.

I think this will appeal to readers who enjoy academy settings.

Verdict: Cut

A Song to Wake A Thousand Sorrows by Michelle Manus

A woman with unimaginable power. A king hellbent on ruling the world. An ancient force that could mean salvation or destruction.

The survivor of a brutal childhood, Clare Brighton craves the kind of wealth and notoriety that will mean the horrors of her past can never again touch her. With nothing but a battered guitar and a Songweaver’s talent, she comes to the capital of the Faelhorn Provinces, determined to gain her place.

But there is another, more dangerous power that dwells within Clare. An entity she calls the Song, it is ancient and fathomless…and no longer content to be held in the cage she has trapped it in. It is a power the ruthless Jackal King has long been searching for, and should he discover she possesses it, the cost will be far greater than her life.

Clare has sworn that she will never again let anyone control her. But escaping the Jackal King’s notice will require the one thing she never wanted to help. It will come first from the two lords who have taken her under their wing. Next from the second prince of Faelhorn, who Clare alone knows is not what he seems. And finally, from the Song itself.

The Song has the strength to save her—if it doesn’t destroy her first.

My Thoughts (read 29%)

As the story begins we meet a woman, clearly having escaped from something terrible, living in a swamp, barely living and only just alive.  Luckily she makes the acquaintance of two men who kindly take her under their wing.  When we next meet this woman (Clare) she is intent on making a name for herself and seeks a place singing at an inn.  Clare has ambitions and the talents of a songweaver (plus some other unknown to me at this stage more powerful magic?)  She is however, not totally aware of the etiquette surrounding some of the magic and luckily for her the friends who helped her at the start of the novel now step up to help her again, claiming her as a magic apprentice.

Clare has also caught the attention of a Prince and at the point I broke off was engaged to sing at an event at his request.

I enjoyed up to the point I broke off although I won’t try and elaborate too much more as I am not sure of the lie of the land in terms of world building or of the trauma from Clare’s past.  I suspect the relationship between Clare and the Prince may blossom – although I could be wrong on that score.

In terms of niggles, in some respects Clare seemed to fall on her feet very easily for the first few chapters of the story.  The two men who originally helped her are rich and powerful and continue to shelter her once her powers become known (nothing wrong with that it just felt a little easy).  She easily conquered a powerful Songstress placing herself at the top of the ladder effectively and also seems to have captured the attention of a prince.  I don’t really have a problem with any of that per se, just it feels like things have landed very conveniently which for me robbed some of these moments of tension.  I’m also not at this point sure whether I really like Clare.  She is single minded which can sometimes make her a little bit cruel or manipulative even.  But, the story certainly hints at her having had a terrible time so I think she’s earned some leeway even if I’m not at this point familiar with everything she’s been through.

Verdict: Cut

Changeling by Arista Holmes

Fey go missing in the mortal realm. Everyone knows that.

When Lizzy’s mother is the next to vanish she’s expected to grieve and move on. Instead, Lizzy wants to find out what happened, but the answers she seeks can’t be found in the fey realm of Arbaon.

With the help of her best friend, Booker Reed, Lizzy’s determined to retrace her mother’s final steps… straight through an illegal portal and into the mortal realm.

Whatever leads she expected to find, it wasn’t an academy of vampires, and a world stalked by their rabid cousins—the kavians.

Forced to rely on the vampires for protection, and secluded away behind the high walls of Speculo School, it quickly becomes clear not everyone is pleased with Lizzy and Booker’s investigation. With danger building the further they dig, the two fey need to decide if the closure they seek is worth risking their lives for.

But the longer they remain amongst the vampires, the more Lizzy suspects that her answers lie with the deadly kavians instead.

My Thoughts (read 28%)

As the description above implies Lizzy has a plan to go and search in the mortal realm for her missing mother.   She is accompanied by her best (only) friend and guardian Booker.  The two illegally cross into the mortal realm where they are attacked by a feral type of vampire known as a Kavian and rescued by a (well, none feral) vampire who works at a vampire academy.  The two eventually agree to enrol for a predetermined period to allow the headmaster to make tentative enquiries concerning Lizzy’s mother.

To the point I read up to I quite enjoyed this.  It’s fairly quick paced and the story is unfolding at a reasonable clip.  There are hints that Lizzy might not be what everyone thinks (in terms of fae) and I guess the title could give something away in that respect but that’s just a guess.  I’m thinking that there might be some romance involved in this although at the moment that’s also just pure speculation.  I liked the idea of the fae and vampire worlds.  The fae world seems to be trapped in a time warp whilst crossing into a different realm seems to have brought Clare and Booker into a more modern world where they’re totally out of their depth.

In terms of niggles.  Although I had no problems reading the first third of this I think ultimately I’m probably not the target audience and this usually leads to me having certain frustrations.  For example Lizzy.  She seems to be inordinately annoyed at the slightest thing, clenching her fists repeatedly and acting as though she’s going to have a tantrum.

As I said though, I had no problems with this one and it is entertaining.  I’m thinking it will go into an academy setting now where Lizzy and Booker will probably be targeted for some unpleasant treatment.  If you like your academy settings and enjoy stories of fae and vampires then this could be the one for you.

Verdict: Cut

Facing Shadows by Anna J Worthy

“We’re more than our worst impulses, more than the shadows we face.”

When Evaya, a 16-year-old warrior, stumbles into one of the mysterious chasms that have suddenly appeared near her remote island village, she’s determined to find what’s causing them before another one destroys them all.

If only it were that simple.

Her concerns are ignored by her village’s Elders who are distracted by the decades-long feud between warriors and hunters—a conflict that has Evaya questioning which side she should be on. And a desperate power-play made by the volatile Elder warrior, Delcrom, could unravel any hope of unity.

Meanwhile, a prophesy suggests that pairing Evaya with the flawless young hunter, Rykas, would finally end the village feud. But she has developed complicated feelings for Aldric, a brooding cook who’s fallen hard for her. The only thing Aldric wants more than Evaya is to defeat his father, Delcrom, who intends to pair Evaya with Valgrun, a treacherous young warrior who will stop at nothing to claim her.

Evaya must unite her people and confront the mystery of the chasms before it’s too late. But can she save them without sacrificing her heart?

My Thoughts (read 26%)

As the story begins we meet Princess Aubrida who has run away, accompanied by her personal guard.  Taking a small boat they have eventually come across an island which is where they run into trouble.  We then switch povs to a warrior called Evaya, currently leading a foraging party.  Evaya is convinced there’s something wrong on the island and is trying to investigate.  Without going too much into the plot the hunting party eventually rescue Aubrida and return to their home with her.

Obviously there’s quite a lot more to the story than I’ve described above and also quite a number of characters.  We get to learn something more of the village where Evaya is from and the way in which the warriors go through an initiation ceremony.  There is a love triangle of sorts brewing in that the village have hopes of which direction Evaya will marry but she has different hopes and it seems like someone in particular is very keen on making a match with her.

To the point I broke off the story, following the rescue, was quire focused on the relationships in the village and the set up and politics.

I didn’t struggle to read up to this point but I wasn’t totally entrenched in the story and I didn’t really feel I had a good vision of the setting and there was something about the dialogue, being quite modern, that pulled me out of the story sometimes.

Verdict: Cut

Dark Empathy by Katy Morgan

For an empath, “How do you feel?” is never just a question.
Not when it can kill you.

These are the rules:

1. Rare and powerful empaths never escape the compound.
(Bastian Lucas escaped a year ago, and just because he’s been dragged back doesn’t mean he won’t escape again.)

2. Compound officers don’t ask questions.
(Captain Henry Mortimer has always followed orders, but Bastian’s arrival—and the disappearance of one of Henry’s team—have him wondering things he probably shouldn’t be wondering.)

When Major Valentine orders Bastian and Henry to investigate a series of murders committed by an asset with powers similar to Bastian’s, it brings to light more than just a cover up. Things like why an empath who shouldn’t exist is killing senators, what’s really behind the compound’s sinister asset program, and whether Bastian and Henry will live to see the end of this case.

Because they’re in danger of breaking rule number three as well:

3. Don’t fall in love.

My Thoughts (read 26%)

As the story begins we meet the main two characters.  Bastian has special empath powers and has escaped from a compound where he has been forced to live and has been experimented upon.  He is retrieved and taken back to the compound by the captain of a retrieval unit called Henry.  The two are paired together by the Major in charge of the compound to investigate a number of suspicious suicides.

This is an interesting concept.  I like the idea that this story revolves around murder mysteries and brings together two characters that are actually opposed to each other.

At the point I broke off, I didn’t feel like I had a good enough understanding of the world.  Why people with special abilities are treated so badly for example and just imprisoned and basically tortured.  I felt like there were a few little plot holes here and there that were raising their heads and it felt like the two main characters had a very decided case of instant attraction – that, for me, lacked chemistry but also I felt there would have been a lot more dislike (or at least resentment) at this point, particularly on Bastian’s side, at the fact that Henry has dragged him back to the compound.  I felt a real lack of emotion in that respect.  Bastian almost came across as casual about returning to a place where he’s been so badly treated.

Clearly there are early feelings and some of these concerns could be addressed later in the story.

Verdict: Cut

In conclusion this leaves me with five titles that I would like to explore further before making any decisions about further cuts or announcing semi finalists:

1. Fortitude’s Prize by Ceril N Domace
2. The First Assignment by Billy Kramer
3. Touched by Magic by Celine Jeanjean
4. River of Crows by NP Thompson
5. Smile and Be a Villain by Yves Donlon