Mylee J. Miller's SPFBO Semi-Finalist Pick
This was my first year acting as a judge of SPFBO via SFF Insiders, and I was so excited to dive into the books that I was assigned for this competition. I got to read five self-published titles, and they included the following:
The Hilarious Dead Guy's Last Chance Undies by Lorain O'Neil
Bellcaster by CW Okey
A Spark of Magic by Tabatha Shipley
The Blade Unchained by Max Shepherd
The Gift of Guardians by Justin D. Bello
In order to be as fair as possible (and because of my workload) I read in a random order based on the list I was given, and I read 100% of each novel, no matter what I thought of it at first, in order to give each author a fair chance and proper review. I’ve seen other judges review books based on plot, pacing, worldbuilding, characterization, and overall enjoyment—so that’s what I used as the basis for my decisions!
Below are my thoughts on each of the titles.
The Hilarious Dead Guy's Last Chance Undies by Lorain O'Neil
In The Hilarious Dead Guy’s Last Chance Undies, the story was packed with raw characters and an intriguing take on mystery involving the skewed perspectives of children and potential culprits. The variation of recollections and accounts throughout the narrative gave the telling of it an interesting, original twist and made it all the more engaging in terms of figuring out what happened to those who died and why.
While this story had an intriguing plot with a mass of potential, I do think it simply wasn’t for me. The novel was dialogue-heavy and head-hopped quite a bit, which is a stylistic choice I’m not fond of. The setting also wasn’t as fleshed out as it could’ve been, though I am a connoisseur of lush description and strong worldbuilding. Lorain doesn’t shy away from violence or hard topics, which I appreciated, and her cast of characters was both large and diverse. The story made lots of room for reader interpretation and discussion.
Bellcaster by CW Okey
In Bellcaster, the story took a unique spin on traditional fantasy elements like fantasy species, fantasy races (think elves, dwarves, halflings, etc.) and magic overall. The multi-timeline elements were incredibly unique, and the action sequences were to die for. It was pacey and quick, with a large cast of characters, true to the best epic fantasy stories in the genre.
While I enjoyed Bellcaster, it did feel quite a bit longer than stories I normally like to dive into, and it felt very dialogue-heavy throughout the entire narrative. The elements of multi-timelines excited me but didn’t feel as well-executed as I’d hoped. Additionally, much of the prose leaned on awkward explanations, and the “scripture” verses in the narrative, alongside the odd segments of character perspective with stilted language, made this story a bit difficult to understand at times. I applaud the author for taking on such a challenging story format and for executing it so well, and the characters were vivid and relatable, especially considering how many there were.
The Blade Unchained by Max Shepherd
In The Blade Unchained, the author puts a spin on historical fantasy and creates a world similar to the one we know in history, but with notable differences. With a large cast of characters and engaging conflicts–with war as a constant threat–it was packed with tension and high stakes throughout. Strongly paced, its premise hooked me.
While The Blade Unchained showed promise, it did read more like a stream-of-consciousness than I would’ve liked, putting distance between me and the characters who narrate the story. The story's explanations and backstory was sometimes a bit too vague, especially during the first hundred pages, which made it difficult to understand what was happening at times. There was an abundant use of flashbacks, which while intriguing in terms of plot motion, were jarring. It was difficult to track where the characters were and what they were doing. I think the author had something strong here, and the characterization was impeccable, but this novel unfortunately won’t be my pick for the SPFBO competition.
A Spark of Magic by Tabatha Shipley
In A Spark Of Magic, the writing was fresh and spunky, the characters both narrated and secondary were authentic and realistic, and Tabatha Shipley’s authorial voice showed through in the best way throughout every turn of a page. The book boasted extensive and impressive characterization, with an intriguing magic system to boot, and there was absolutely loads to love about this novel overall.
To be frank, there wasn’t much I didn’t like about this novel. It was one of the strongest competitors for the semi-finalist pick in this competition, a good candidate for the book that I would push forward and into the next round of reading. Shipley truly knows how to write an engaging young adult narrative, and I enjoyed everything from the rapid pacing to the masterful dialogue to the inventive magic system. However, my choice came down to choosing between two books I loved from my list, and this book was not the one I ended up selecting.
The Gift of Guardians by Justin D. Bello
In The Gift Of Guardians, Justin D. Bello has an expert pen for prose and description that’s clear and precise but not overbearing, and exceptional line-level writing. The concept of this novel is an original and intriguing twist on existing epic fantasy tropes. Containing strong, visceral dialogue and intricate, imaginative worldbuilding, it is a true standout from the list of books I read.
This book is my pick! I absolutely adored what Bello did with The Gift Of The Guardians. It truly sucked me in. It’s the kind of novel that you don’t want to put down after you pick it up, and made me as a reader tear through the (digital) pages to see what happened next. An absolutely phenomenal and well-executed read, I’m thrilled to present this book as my semi-finalist!
