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What is SPFBO 9?  This is  a competition where authors of self-published fantasy can enter their work. The objective to find a winner out of the 300 entries submitted.  Ten judges (or judging teams) each receive 30 entrants.  Each judge/team will eventually submit one finalist to the second round where a winner will eventually be decided upon. Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.

My introduction post can be found here and also the Critiquing Chemist recently posted their first elimination post.

I would also point out that the books listed below have been randomly selected and are not in any particular order. So, let’s begin.

Price of Innocence by Michelle Piper

SPFBO Status: Cut

Blurb:

In an unconventional plot, Queen Aspera enlists four criminals to conceal her role in Sosten’s fall. If they don’t bend the knee and give unyielding loyalty to her cruel reign, they forfeit their lives. However, when they steal an infant child in the night and destroy his family, they quickly realize how flimsy the queen’s justice is.

The infant, Sonder, is the last known descendant of the Auza-Verndari, a blessing given by The Goddess of Stars. He becomes the queen’s ward to continue his father’s bloody legacy. Growing up alongside him is a Lorist Princess named Rhianwyn, similarly held captive. Despite the joy they find as children, they grow to realize they’ve become ensnared in her war against their lineages.

Standing between them and Aspera’s ambitions is a man named Bran, the last living Black Knight of Old, once a protector of the Auza-Verndari, and Aspera’s right hand. When he discovers a sliver of the truth, he convinces the four to defy the queen to protect the children. But when the lines between who they were and who they can become in her shadow blur, their alliance frays. They grapple with what it means to be good when they’re the villains bearing torches rewriting the kingdom’s history and concealing how deep the treachery goes.

General Thoughts:

This story certainly has an unconventional feel and is without doubt character driven.  The Queen has enlisted the help of four criminals to help her or at least to keep hidden her evil nature and the role she played in the downfall of Sosten.  The story jumps back and forth showing us events from the past (occasionally even jumping forward a little) and gradually begins to paint the picture of what’s taking place here.

The Queen has been taking, I suppose you could call them wards of court (if you were being generous), basically stealing children and eradicating their families in an attempt to hide her past deeds.  The people she has enlisted are not entirely happy with their roles however and cracks are beginning to appear.  Criminals they may be but being coerced into child stealing and murdering families is not something they can stomach easily.  At the point I broke off (just over 30%) the characters were beginning to fray, tensions were rising and clearly something was about to give.

We spend time with two ‘wards’.  Sonder, a young boy and Rhianwyn, a princess.  The two have started to form a firm friendship helping each other with their studies and the like.

I enjoyed the style, I think there is maybe a pacing issue in that at the 30% mark not much has really taken place although I appreciate that the author is taking time to establish the characters. I felt a little frustrated at points because there are a lot of issues being implied and skirted around although presumably these will become much clearer as the book progresses.  I liked Sonder and Rhianwyn although they were still very young at the point I stopped reading (I think around 7/8 years of age).  I think following their progress so closely is a double edged sword because clearly at that age they don’t always understand what’s going on around them or have any idea what is to come (although there is always an edge of tension as though their future lies in the balance) and in turn this slows down the progress a little.

An interesting story with definite potential but at the 30% mark it hadn’t quite ensnared me.

Crown of Rebellion by Felix Taylor

SPFBO Status: Cut

Blurb:

An apprentice healer. An exiled noblewoman. To defy tyranny, they’ll need to even the odds. They’ll need to grow stronger.

Every year, the youth of the North are tested for a Reyad—a magical bond with an animal with the potential to grant immense power. Pirin is ripped away from his village, and from his healer’s duty. As far as he’s concerned, he’ll be tested like everyone else. He doesn’t expect anything to come from it. He certainly doesn’t expect to meet Myraden, a noblewoman whose hunt for revenge draws him into a destructive war.

Desperate to fulfill his mentor’s dying wish and stay alive, Pirin embarks on a quest to earn a power greater than he could have ever imagined. Surrounded by enemies, all odds are against him. Worst of all, he can’t shake the feeling that something is very, very wrong…

General Thoughts:

As the story begins we get to know an apprentice healer called Pirin.  Soldiers raid his village enlisting everyone of a certain age to be tested to see if they have the ability to form a magical bond with a particular animal, these bondings create great power and the Dominion want to enlist any with this ability into their cause – although killing Pirin’s mentor and forcibly dragging everyone from the village isn’t likely to encourage much loyalty imo.  Meanwhile, at the city we make the acquaintance of Kalenier and Myraden.  Kalenier has enlisted the help (a bit begrudgingly) of Myraden.  She is of an age to also enter the trials and he wishes her to do so and protect and try to escape with Pirin.  Things go a little bit pear shaped and although the two meet their acquaintance is only brief.  Although I’m certain that the two are about to meet up again as that was the general direction when I stopped reading.

My first thoughts of this are it’s a little slow.  The writing is good but I think there’s a bit too much detail and this slows down the story a bit too much.

I liked the world and the ideas.  The magical bonding with animals for example is interesting and has a lot of potential.  There are various different races.  Pirin is an elf for example, and Myraden a sprite.  I guess you could say it has a Tolkien(ish) feel and the author has even created a different language.

I did enjoy this although, as I mentioned, it isn’t a quick read. At the point I broke off I would think this would appeal to someone just starting out with fantasy, it follows some very popular notions such as ‘the chosen one’ and the characters at this point were easy to get on with.

In terms of small issues.  In spite of the depth of description this doesn’t always extend to plausible action scenes, for example, during a particular daring escape – I would say things felt a little too easy or convenient.  They found a hiding place and hunkered down for the night even though the place was overrun with soldiers.  I didn’t get a feeling of tension or fear.

I certainly didn’t dislike this but I think it could be trimmed a little.

Khirion by Maxime Jaz

SPFBO Status: Cut

Blurb:

For the skin of humans might hide monsters. For black feathers might hide a heart as big as the sun.

Once upon a time, far beyond the round forest and glass mountain, there was a black castle. Long forgotten, but forever waiting. Waiting for its king to return.

Darven, bound to a human king by a curse, heads a Black Army of fifty raven men.

Kort, his lover, and his captain, is his mate and forever companion.

Izolda, the human king’s wife, fears her husband and is desperate for love.

Dangers lurk as creatures, thirsty for blood, fight to end human tyranny over the land. Trapped by the curse, Darven has no choice but to spy for his king, and fight by his side when his enemies attack. But not all is what it seems—soon, a discovery about his past and his heritage will flip Darven’s world upside down. And the love he and Kort share has to be deep enough to give space for another to join them, and strong enough to survive the grief which comes from new knowledge of a brutal past.

A talking sword, a sentient forest, a necromancer, and an old spell book all play their parts as the drama unfolds.

Maybe a new life can be born out of hate. Maybe three hearts can beat as one.

General Thoughts:

This is the story of a raven army, led by Darven and his companion Kort.  Darven has been cursed and effectively trapped to serve a human king who keeps the kingdom in the grip of tyranny.  But, a dark force threatens the frail stability and Darven and his cohort are sent to investigate.

This is dark, erotic, fantasy that flips a few notions on their heads.  The ravens are thought to be monsters and yet that role here is clearly taken by the vicious king who starts the story by dragging his wife to Darven and Kort and instructing them to make her more obedient (and I’ll leave you to reach your own conclusions as to how they were supposed to accomplish this). The two defy the king and instead decide to embrace the woman and show her love and the three become entangled in a polyamorous and secret relationship.

Now, I read up to about 22% with this one.  And, to be absolutely fair I will say it’s a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’.  Put basically, I don’t really read erotia, in fact I don’t really read romance (although I don’t mind either providing they’re not the main element of the story).  With Khirion, I think the author has introduced fantasy and lore, shape shifters, a curse and a looming war involving other supernatural elements, but, the love between the two mates and the growing love they feel for the King’s wife plays a very central role here – and, for those interested, yes, there is a lot of sexual encounters.  And, so for this reason, this book didn’t really work for me which isn’t to say it won’t work perfectly for others.  With that in mind, I would also mention trigger warnings for some readers.  Violence and abuse, explicit sex, swearing, etc.

Soulstealer Origins by Reed Logan Westgate

SPFBO Status: Cut

Blurb:

Every evil has an origin…

In the Lord’s year 1303, a holy order of knights faces the brink of extinction. Their holy crusade falters as a fiendish monster from beyond the mist decimates their numbers. In desperation, the Knights Templar dispatch a unit to find an ancient relic hoping to tip the scales in the battle against the forces of darkness. Sir Marcus Le’heroux bravely leads the knights into the Hungarian wilderness, but when the weapon he finds buried in the Mátra Mountains turns out to be an awakened Soulstealer, he faces much more than he bargained for. Will the Order’s new weapon prove to be more monster than man?

Embark on the thrilling origin story of the death eater Oxivius Soulforge from the Baku Trilogy. Before being shaped by the Witch of Endor into the master of necromantic arts, he walked the earth as Soulstealer.

A Baku-verse Novel

General Thoughts:

As this story begins we are introduced to the soul stealer as he is trapped inside a mountain by a dark druid.  We then jump forward approximately 300 years.  A number of knights head into the mountains in search of a weapon – little do they know what they’re about to encounter. Of course, the soul sealer (Oxivius) is the ‘weapon’ and he eventually forms a pact with this unit of knights.

I found this a very easy read.  The writing is well done.  The pacing is good and I liked Oxivius.  He’s supposed to be a monster and yet in exploring his humanity with one of the knights that he becomes friends with (Marcus) he just comes across really well – well, he is a soul eater, but come on now!

The history and fantasy elements were good and I easily read over the first 30% of the book.

I had a few little issues here and there but nothing that spoiled the read for me to the point I read up to.  In fact, time being on my side I would like to return to this story and complete it at a later date. So, I realise that this probably causes confusion, why is it being cut – well, put simply, I found myself completely enamoured by the next book I picked up – which doesn’t detract from this one but makes it an inevitable cut eventually.

My commiserations to the authors cut today.  And my thanks to you for entering your books into the competition.