I have had the pleasure of being a judge for the SPSFC this year, and it’s been a very cool experience with lots of learning for me, too. I’ve had books in the SPFBO and BBNYA as a contestant before and I help organize the Indie Ink Awards, but I’ve never actually judged in a contest. Our team lead and my fellow judges have been super fun, and it turns out it’s not all that dissimilar to reading slush piles for anthologies or small presses.
Be sure to check out the Team Updates Page for more news! Also, Dave does a great job of explaining the process we used (along with Athena’s explanation on the updates page).
We as a team were allotted 31 books from the entries, and of those, I read the first chapter or more of 26 of them. We have 6 quarter-finalists I’ll be giving more in-depth thoughts on in later posts, but I also wanted to share my thoughts on each book I “taste-tested” in the hopes of them finding more readers, even if they weren’t for me.
Now, before Athena split our pool in half for reading, we each read the blurbs and genres given to us and told her if any particularly caught our eye. I wrote the following:
“I divided my wants into two groups– the ones I really, really want to read and the ones what I still also want but if someone else wants them too that’s ok too, lol. I realize this is more than a handful, sorry!
Top Tier
- Devil to Pay by R. M. Olson
- Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle
- Horizon by David W. Adams
- In the Valley, A Shadow by Samantha Tano
- Mendel’s Ladder by E. S. Fein
- Sealed Empire by Norbert Zsivicz
- The Dream of the Forest by Stjepan Varesevac Cobets
- Whiskey and Warfare by E. M. Hamill
Second Tier
- Broken Mirror by Cody Sisco (was traded away)
- Embers of Esper by Tyler Aston
- The First Herald by Carol T. Luna
- The Forsaken Planet by Bryan Wilson
- Transference by Ian Patterson”
After that, Athena managed to give everyone almost all their wants within 4 days and we began reading.
For all of these, I went in without letting the cover bother me, and without refreshing myself on the blurb or genres, because I didn’t want those to factor into my first impressions. I wanted to keep first impressions to story alone. I’m not too worried about formatting issues, and blurbs are hard so I don’t care about them. Just looking at the story: characters, world (I’m a sucker for worldbuilding), prose, pace, and grammar (not in that order).
Some of the books had backstory and extra worldbuilding material (again, which I love), but I kept to skimming those so I could see how well the story alone could bring me up to speed. I went back to read those or the blurbs later if I needed to or was curious about where things were expected to be heading.
My top picks that I want to read more of: Devil to Pay, The First Herald, The Ghost Gun, To Spy a Star, Transference, Wakers of the Cryocrypt, & Whiskey and Warfare.
Make sure you check out Dave’s initial thoughts as well as his positive thoughts on the departing books.
Also don’t miss Athena’s reviews on the updates page as well as her quick thoughts in Scout Pile Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, and Update 5 with our Quarterfinalists announcement. Note– I have not yet read the other judges’ thoughts on these pages (though we have chatted a bit and shared some notes) before writing these taster mini-reviews.
Alright, are we ready? Here we go, in order of when I read them, with the information we were given by the SPSFC team!
First Taste Mini Reviews
A Universe Upon Us by Marc B. DeGeorge
Blurb: When Ceri boarded the colony ship with her parents, they were escaping the destruction on Earth. They’d sleep in stasis for a thousand years, then wake on their new home, free from the ravages of war. But for Ceri, it was not to be. The adults of the Stratford stole her childhood and replaced it with terror. For seven years, they forced her and her squad to fight against a rival faction. They were called the enemy, but just like her, they were children, trying to survive. One day, Efa, her squad mate and friend, confesses a forbidden love that can only be considered treason. Ceri is furious, but also confused. They were like sisters. Why had Efa kept this from her? The reason forces Ceri into a choice. Should she do what Efa asks, or risk losing the only person on the ship she could trust?
Subgenres: Adventure, Dying Earth, Dystopian, Galactic Empire/Colonization, Military, Noir, Romance, Space Exploration, Space Opera
Target Audience: Young Adult (YA) – Ages 13 – 18
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Harm to a child, Suicide/self harm, Torture
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As of this point, this book has 10 reviews on Amazon with a 4.4 average, and 9 ratings/7 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.56 average.
My thoughts: I wasn’t sure this story necessarily began in the correct place. I liked the fight sequence, but the limits on the communication technology confused me (I wasn’t sure who could hear what when and why) and I would have enjoyed more reason behind the adults’ actions. The possible treason tension was great but it’d have been even more heightened if I hadn’t been confused (and that could be a me thing, for sure!) I really liked the beginning bit about the enemy being the same as them, but it didn’t seem to jive with Ceri’s internal voice, and I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to or not. The writing is good, though a bit more distant than I personally prefer, and I’d have preferred a stronger sense of setting for it to come alive. The general premise, however, is intriguing! I actually really liked how the romantic plot focuses on side-characters while from the blurb, the main character’s conflict centers on how she deals with her best friend’s forbidden romance. Very cool twist. Also, tiny side note point, but I also just personally love the names of Efa and Ceri.
Read this if you: Want a female-led Ender’s Game type plot with more romance, where the reader is thrown into the action and plot right away. This also seems perfect for people who like to see characters rising up against corrupt authorities, especially in a pseudo-military in space!
Blurb: Beautiful World is a take on modern society’s image culture told through a dystopian medieval sci-fi showdown. It tells the story of how people lose their individuality in exchange for a recipe of beauty and popularity. In a broken future, ink-like stains have appeared on people’s skin splitting the world in two. Now the beautiful people all wear masks and live in a luxurious haven kingdom where strict beauty laws are enforced. The others, ‘stainers’, are segregated to a lawless life in the Outlands ruled by chaos and warlords. But when Chesterman, a mysterious, ruthless leader from the north rises to power with plans to bring the kingdom to its knees, people will have to find out what they truly want to live for beneath their masks. Beautiful World is a grand scale story of Anna, Barvarik, Talessa and the individuals who will shape destruction, hope, terror and change to a broken future where only the most beautiful can sit at its apex.
Subgenres: Dystopian, Military, Post-Apocalyptic
Target Audience: Young Adult (YA) – Ages 13 – 18
Content Warnings: Martial arts/combat, None
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As of this point, this book has 0 reviews on Amazon, and 1 4-star rating without a review on Goodreads.
My thoughts: When doing a contest like this, I think everyone’s excited to find hidden gems, and this one, man, this book is just incredibly creative in its packaging. The table of contents is all pictures! How cool is that? I was very excited when I figured it out, especially since it looks like the pictures not only are the chapter title but also whose head the reader is in for that chapter. The premise is also super, super cool. Some of the descriptions were confusing, but other descriptions absolutely transported me away into the world. I loved the difference in the stories of the outlanders vs Anna, and it raised really intriguing questions. However, the character actions didn’t make enough sense to me.
Read this if you: I just… I just… Please just try this book. You might love it. Especially if you want a picture painted with words, even if the plot doesn’t make a ton of sense at first. Are vibes important to you? This might be your book.
Da Vinci on the Lam by B. D. Booker
Blurb: One week. One chance. Earth is dying as a fungal ‘grit’ and dust storms smoother crop lands and destroy the oceans. The rich flee into space, leaving the poor to die off. If gunslinger Artis Quinn delivers a priceless da Vinci artwork to an offworlder hub on the other side of the country, his kids get tickets off-world. But he’ll have to fight his way through the ruthless Onyx Group and a civilization-ending grit storm to succeed.
Subgenres: Adventure, Dying Earth, Dystopian, Noir
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: None
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As of this point, this book has 16 reviews on Amazon with a 4.5 average, and 14 ratings/7 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.43 average.
My thoughts: This book kicks off with a bang that I certainly wasn’t expecting, but it sure got me to turn the page! The dual PoVs swap at lightning speed, with many chapters being only a couple pages. However, from them, it’s cool to see the picture of the plot build and build. (And we get an antagonist PoV later on too!) Cool worldbuilding, cool tech, and the strong writing pulled me in. After a little while I had trouble taking notes because I was too pulled into the story.
Read this if you: want a fast-paced mafia-type plot with grit and short chapters.
Blurb: In a world of pirates and murderous ghosts, one naval cadet must choose between loyalty and survival. In the Level’s Naval Academy, officer candidate Silas Hunt stumbles across a secret that could get him hanged for treason. The only hope he has to save his own life and to find justice is to join up with a ruthless pirate captain, a woman known as Mad Dog—even if it means sacrificing everything he’s spent his life working for. The Verity is just a ship of the line, but for Stacks-born Captain Hollis Ives, it’s not just her first command. It’s her one chance to prove that a woman from the slums can handle a high-ranking naval position—even if it means accepting a posting that’s likely to be a death sentence. Treasure Island meets Master and Commander with a science-fiction twist in R.M. Olson’s thrilling new space opera series, The Devil and the Dark.
Subgenres: Adventure, LGBTQIA+, Military, Space Opera, Steampunk
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat
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As of this point, this book has 128 reviews on Amazon with a 4.2 average, and 73 ratings/7 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.37 average.
My thoughts: Space. Pirates. Plus Space Ghosts!!!! I enjoyed the action sequences and it was easy to picture them in my head. Loved the space ghosts and how they’re real and a legitimate danger. Some quibbles with logic but nothing that removed my suspension of disbelief, especially when I loved the main and side characters (especially meeting the pirate crew!) Gracie and Silas are great foils for each other, and I loved the diversity on the crew–disability rep, trans rep, and various social classes all included. This book stuck in my head even when I wasn’t reading it.
Read this if you: want a quick paced plot with strong action scenes, rebellion against corrupt authorities, and pirates with heart and style. Plus did I mention the cool space ghosts?
Blurb: Even gods have secrets… On planet Vastire, worth is set by the sins of one’s ancestors. Good families rise to the elite and the wicked fall into poverty. Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Darynn Mark, his father incited a revolution. Now, Darynn scrounges his way through life in the slums. When Vastire is surrounded by an embargo, it gets even harder to survive. That all changes when an alien ship slips through the embargo, seeking Darynn with an offer: finish the revolution and the embargo ends. He might have a chance thanks to mysterious magic powers, and his two companions: clairvoyant crush Fyra and soldierly alien Kaylaa. Cutthroat killers, mystical beasts, Vampires, power-hungry priests and lords, and self-serving spies stand in their way. If the three of them can crack his father’s secret, maybe they can end the embargo and save the poor. If not, another poor orphan will be added to the growing piles of dead.
Subgenres: Adventure, Fantasy, Space Opera, Young Adult
Target Audience: Young Adult (YA) – Ages 13 – 18
Content Warnings: None
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As of this point, this book has 56 reviews on Amazon with a 4.8 average, and 36 ratings/28 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.28 average.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed being thrown right into the action and having to figure out the world as we go. I also liked the idea of the embargo making things worse for those in need–very powerful. The main character’s reactions felt a bit disjointed to me, however, throwing me fairly regularly, and some of the descriptions were rather odd. Some events seemed set up to be big but then were handled fairly easily, while other conflicts seemed like they’d be small and then blew up quickly. We whip from scene to scene at times, rather than flowing more smoothly, though that could be a style preference, but some of the blocking of where characters were in the scene seemed a little odd to me. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding though, especially things like the training manual excerpt, and the big plot points were fun.
Read this if you: fast paced plots with epic overtones and no shortage of violence and desperation. Great for readers who are looking for sci-fi/fantasy space opera vibes.
Blurb: Kyra groaned as she uncoiled the swords from her waist. It looked like she was about to spend another night shampooing entrails out of her hair… Tristan is on the verge of becoming a Warden. It is one of the greatest honours the galaxy can bestow – not bad for a scrawny kid from Earth. With it comes a new life of responsibility, dedication and sacrifice. But after a lifetime on the run, the rainbow-haired mercenary Kyra has a problem. Her past, it seems, has finally caught up with her… And innocent people are paying the price. Her family are in danger. Her home planet is under attack. She is the only one who can make things right – but she can’t do it alone. Join Tris and Kyra on a desperate mission to the furthest reaches of space. Together they must confront an enemy that has haunted Kyra’s dreams, and pursued her across the stars since she was a child. But you can’t fight the past. Or can you? Find out now, in this fast-paced and explosive space opera – perfect for fans of Firefly, The Expanse and Killjoys. (Book is an alternative entry point to a series)
Subgenres: Adventure, Artificial Intelligence, Humorous, Space Opera
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat
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As of this point, this book has 523 reviews on Amazon with a 4.7 average, and 230 ratings/8 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.60 average.
My thoughts: The prologue was immediately intriguing, and it connected nicely with the first chapter. I enjoyed slowly realizing that the characters all know each other already and have had other adventures (that you can read before this book, but it’s not necessary to). The characters are strong, and the worldbuilding is fully realized, with strong conflict in the plot. Tris felt a little immature sometimes to me, though, and Kyra felt callous. However, the reading was smooth and the storytelling is well done. Also, I love the hair-color-changing scalp crystals–so cool!
Read this if you: love familiar tropes and banter, and are willing to suspend your disbelief in exchange for fun action sequences.
Blurb: An action-packed sci-fi western tale of revenge, love, and identity. The frontier planet Celestine, millennia from now. It was supposed to be the furthest Alix could get from the Xypha Corporation, that all-consuming entity at the heart of humanity’s interstellar expansion. After the Xypha forward station arrives in orbit, Alix, a transgender pilot, finds herself out of work and her ship grounded. She’ll do anything to pay off her mounting debts so she can fly again—even if it means killing for the meanest crime boss in the Isidis Valley. As Xypha’s influence grows, Alix is trapped in a web of betrayal and politics that threatens more than just her life. Armed with a pair of Plasveld-7s, a sharp wit, and with the love of her life by her side, Alix embarks on a deadly path across the valley. Can she flee Xypha’s creeping shadow, or is it time to stop running and stand her ground?
Subgenres: Adventure, Artificial Intelligence, Galactic Empire/Colonization, LGBTQIA+, sci-fi western
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat
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As of this point, this book has 10 reviews on Amazon with a 5.0 average, and 15 ratings/9 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.93 average.
My thoughts: There are some super cool characters here, from a dapper android to our main character Alix, and all surrounded by strong space-western vibes and immersive worldbuilding. The head-hopping and omniscient narrator didn’t work for me but it very well might work for another reader or a different mood.
Read this if you: are a space western fan missing Firefly and wanting to zoom in cinematically to get your bearings! Definitely don’t pass this by without at least trying it.
Mendel’s Ladder by E. S. Fein
Blurb: Outlast. Outgrow. Outlive. In the ashes of Earth, evolution is the ultimate weapon. The Earth will never be the same. Ravaged by climate destruction, nuclear devastation, and other cataclysmic events, the planet and its people continue to undergo radical changes to survive. A portion of humanity now lives aboard the city-size utopian space station Astrea—the lucky few. Most who fend for themselves on the Earth’s surface have become Nomads: plant/fungus hybrids connected to the growing planetary mind of Earth. The few remaining human societies on Earth survive through incredible cunning, calculation, and courage. Shira and Myriam, cybernetically enhanced warriors hailing from the now destroyed Matriarchy of Wintersvilla, travel across the world in search of a way to protect two human-like girls with seemingly impossible powers. As the women clash with giant mutated beasts and a diverse array of deadly flora, they are intercepted by a Huntress and Hunter—catastrophically lethal creations of the old world thought to have gone extinct over a decade earlier. While these characters’ paths intersect in surprising and explosive ways, ancient powers lurk in the shadows, wielding god-like influence over their lives. Will Shira and Myriam be able to overcome their nightmarish adversaries, or will they succumb to the endless perils of the neoevolved Earth? Dive into Mendel’s Ladder, book one of this epic series, and prepare for an adrenaline-fueled journey set on a post-apocalyptic future Earth, brimming with high-stakes action, adventure, and mystery.
Subgenres: Adventure, Alternate History/Parallel Universe, Dystopian, Fantasy, Genetic Engineering, Hard SF, LGBTQIA+, Post-Apocalyptic, Weird
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Body horror, Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat, Torture
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As of this point, this book has 113 reviews on Amazon with a 4.3 average, and 177 ratings/127 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.55 average.
My thoughts: Ok, this is so cool how we begin with a snooty quote that is “published” by the same publisher of this book. That’s just a sweet detail that caught my eye. I really loved realizing through the prose what’s going on, and the worldbuilding is both incredibly clever and unique, as well as well-thought-out and ecologically-minded, even if it’s very anti-humans. (But that’s the whole point of the book, too, so that makes sense in-world.) The Hunter and Huntress were really cool, with some interesting possible symbiosis, and I wanted to learn more there. However, I didn’t like the point of view with the twins and hybrid/nomads, and the writing didn’t fully grab me. Cool concept, but it was a bit too far anti-humanity for me.
Read this if you: want a fresh new world with sentient trees and everything coming back to evolution. Also, if you want a unique tale with immersive worldbuilding including epigraphs showing Mendel becoming worshipped as a god.
Blurb: Ser Edward, an experienced sailor, embarks on perhaps the most daring expedition of the Kingdom of Esenworth so far. His mission is to try to earn the blessing of the Reverend Sven, who is none other than his love’s father, probably the most influential man in the realm. But on his journey beset by fierce storms, he and his men encounter something that could shake to the core not only their faith, but their very concept of the world as well. Meanwhile, far from the oceans, his love, Emma, is trying to disentangle herself from the spider’s web of intrigue and scheming, into which she is being drawn ever deeper by Erick the new king. And the dark clouds just keep gathering above – ancient beasts, stranger than ever, appear at sea, on land and even in the skies more and more frequently. They roar with a metallic screech, their eyes glow with an unnatural light, their skin hard and rigid as armor. Can order be upheld in this age blind to divine prophecy, in the largest kingdom of the North, where the monarch’s mind is coming undone just like reality itself? Our heroes must struggle ceaselessly to understand the hidden secrets of their world and their own origins. But what are they going to do once they have the answers?
Subgenres: Adventure, Artificial Intelligence, Crime & Mystery, Fantasy, Horror, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Weird
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Sexual violence/rape, Torture
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As of this point, this book has 44 reviews on Amazon with a 4.3 average, and 156 ratings/78 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.03 average.
My thoughts: This is a dark tale with a dangerous sea monster and a love torn apart by being thought dead by shipwreck + a prince who can’t take No for an answer. There’s a big time gap in the story (and age gap in the relationships) and it was cool to be immersed in this mostly-fantasy world, but I was just not the target audience for this story.
Read this if you: want Game of Thrones mixed with mechanical Godzilla!
Blurb: “Some secrets are best left undiscovered.” Pyramid, the great heart of Redemption, lies under siege by tribal invaders that threaten to destroy the very civilization that the Dominions have created. The Engineer, Actaeon, leads a force of Raedelleans from the south, where they pause to investigate the secrets of abandoned Travail in search of aid for the battle to come. At the same time, the new Princess of Raedelle, Eisandre, sails down the River of Arches with her Thyrian allies to attack from the Great Sea to the west. Travail’s secrets are darker than expected, and the reason behind the Loresworn evacuation may soon spread to the rest of the city. Meanwhile, far to the north, Ajman and Shield fight over the lands of Czeryn, left desolate by an artifact that just might extinguish all life in the city at the hands of an unseen enemy known only as the Veiled One. In his quest to save Redemption, will Actaeon be able to overcome the old enmity between the Dominions to unite against these threats? Or will all civilization fall, just as the Ancients had ages ago? One thing is certain: in Redemption, everything comes with a cost.
Subgenres: Adventure, Dying Earth, Fantasy, Hard SF, LitRPG, Military, Post-Apocalyptic, Engineering
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Cannibalism, Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat, Torture
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As of this point, this book has 4 reviews on Amazon with a 5.0 average, and 9 ratings/7 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.22 average.
My thoughts: This one had a primer on what went before, but I skimmed it since this is supposed to be able to be read without knowing the previous adventures of the main characters. I love the idea of a Prince Engineer, and the blend of science fiction and fantasy totally worked for me. Much of the banter was cool, though I think there might have been some possible racism and homophobia in the characters–possibly by design? The racism definitely seemed by design, with characters wanting to wipe out less advanced peoples because they were annoying.
Read this if you: want a blend of science fiction and fantasy that is deep in worldbuilding and has already-established relationships including side-characters.
Blurb: -The Power of the Stars- “With it, we are capable of greatness or are a weapon that will only bring suffering to the universe.” When mysterious aircraft wreak havoc across Earth’s skies, it is revealed that there are clusters of other planets where humankind resides, distant worlds where the people wield the power of the stars themselves. It is an energy force that can bring about miracles or, as the alien fleet’s ruthless leader displays, unleash horrors beyond imagination. After experiencing a loss during the onslaught, Colton Samson, an ordinary college student, vows to protect his loved ones at any cost. But to learn the power to do so, he must enlist into the Army of the Universal Throne—a second alien force with its own agenda. With the revelation of a secret prophecy foretelling humanity’s demise and Colton’s improbable role in preventing it, he embarks alongside a diverse group of friends to the Throne’s capital, the planet of Vintara. There he faces prejudice from supposed allies, lifelike combat simulations that test him to his core, and the looming threat of a universal war. Only by embracing his true potential can Colton hope to secure the safety he seeks, in a universe that views him as nothing more than Forsaken.
Subgenres: Adventure, Fantasy, First Contact, Military, Space Opera
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat
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As of this point, this book has 147 reviews on Amazon with a 4.4 average, and 120 ratings/52 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.28 average.
My thoughts: The prologue set up an interesting scene, very different (by design) from the first chapter, set in modern day Earth. The attack was interesting, and I liked seeing how the prologue tied into the story. The aliens felt a little villainy, but I enjoyed the newcomers and the tension there. I liked the magic surprise, too, with magic + aliens and spaceships here.
Read this if you: want a college-age protagonist coming into his magic and joining a galactic army to fight evil aliens! If you like stories of Earth realizing we’re not alone in the universe, with space opera vibes, give this book a try.
Blurb: When tradition means damnation, and the future is the past… Alia Academia – school for the elite. Genetically modified Oka Latellay faces discrimination orchestrated by fellow student Allen Debois. Allen enforces a caste system by the Purveyors of Tradition, keeping modified people in the bottom rung of society. But Oka’s gumption inspires him to start a fencing tourney where everything is at stake. If she loses, her life in high society is over. But if she wins, so ends the bullying of all mods in the school. Oka struggles with her fencing bouts and growing feelings for Allen as he reveals there is more to him than the cold cruelty he portrays. Simultaneously, Allen is torn between adoration for Oka and the Purveyors of Tradition influence. Choosing the former could risk his family’s wealth and good name. Little do the two know how much their struggles intertwine when Allen’s friend begins to vie for Oka’s affections, and Allen finds himself blackmailed about his family’s past. In a post-World War world where society functions on sleight of hand and discrimination, Oka and Allen must find the one thing that will save them. Love.
Subgenres: Dystopian, Genetic Engineering, LGBTQIA+, Romance
Target Audience: Young Adult (YA) – Ages 13 – 18
Content Warnings: Martial arts/combat, Bullying
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As of this point, this book has 0 reviews on Amazon and 0 ratings/reviews on Goodreads.
My thoughts: Our main character vacillates between haughty and self-assured, and being shy and unsure, overly eager for acceptance, but this totally works for the character and backstory. There’s great worldbuilding well-woven into the plot with a world war leading to the outlawing of modified humans, “mods”–of which our main character is one. Loved the “Father, I need a sword” line.
Read this if you: like enemies-to-lovers (especially bully romance) and not-like-other-girls vibes. Enjoy fencing stories with teenage characters in elite schools– especially with an anime feel.
Blurb: Mission: Impossible meets The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet in this fast, fun, and action-packed spy-fi adventure. One star can break a galaxy. Agent Renault plays cloak and dagger against her most formidable opponent yet – a ruthless and cunning expert at cards and more deadly arts besides. Her mission: retrieve a stolen asset known as the Star Eye. Aided by her eccentric agency team and armed with state-of-the-art gadgets, she races to solve a devious conspiracy and bring down her elusive foe. But a specter haunts the agency’s halls, whispering secrets from its past. Allies and enemies alike wear masks in the espionage game. Lilline must decide who to trust if she hopes to take down a sinister and vengeful mastermind before a wave of terror crashes across the stars.
Subgenres: Adventure, Space Opera, spy-fi
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat, Torture, hostage
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As of this point, this book has 18 reviews on Amazon with a 4.6 average, and 29 ratings/11 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.52 average.
My thoughts: This throws the reader right into the story with great worldbuilding and quick pacing that pulled me right in. I enjoyed the tech, and the action sequences were great. Things slowed down a bit after chapter 3, but there’s so many cool aliens and fun side characters (love, love, love Pin) to meet, plus political-organizational ramifications and intrigue that there’s still good tension. The main character’s grandma is a great addition, with her ex-spy past both helping and annoying the main character.
Read this if you: James Bond in Space! James Bond in Space! I totally see Mission Impossible, too, with amazing worldbuilding, but I don’t see much TLWTASAP except for the amazing, well-thought out range of aliens. If you like spy stories with great action scenes, try this book!
Blurb: Nicholas Fiveboroughs is a Sicko, someone that takes on others’ illnesses. In a city where diseases can be transferred, the rich buy longer lives without pain, and the poor get a short life of constant sickness. Maybe it was fate, or maybe someone is looking out for him, but after Nicholas barely survives his latest affliction, he gets the chance to try and change things. To finally stop the whole disease transfer network. Tensions escalate as Nicholas infiltrates a higher society he doesn’t understand, and starts to fall for the very person he needs to manipulate to be successful. And between run-ins with a talking animal and genetically modified humans, the world around him just keeps getting stranger. Can Nicholas tear down the disease transfer architecture? And can he do it without losing his own humanity along the way?
Subgenres: Adventure, Dystopian
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Drug use, Explicit sex, Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat
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As of this point, this book has 23 reviews on Amazon with a 4.5 average, and 36 ratings/25 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.33 average.
My thoughts: I love the illustrated ads at the beginning–what a great way to establish mood and theme! I also love the opening pages. The discombobulation of a long illness was shown so well, and it’s a great way to introduce the reader to what we need to know. The wrist-screen tech is also cool, as well as the rest of the tech we get introduced to (not just flying cars, but yes, those as well!) Great worldbuilding details, and strong characterizations really make this an enjoyable read.
Read this if you: want a bring-down-high-society book mixed with infiltration and the lower classes being literally preyed on by the rich. Also if you like great characters plus tech that you don’t need to fully understand to accept.
Blurb: Running on caffeine and spite with nothing left to prove. GOLDEN GIRLS meets FIREFLY in this rollicking space opera adventure. Maryn Alessi retired from mercenary service after her last assignment went horribly sideways and settled down on a quiet planet with the love of her life. Unexpectedly widowed, Maryn must fulfill a promise to return her mate’s ashes to zer home planet for funeral rites, but a brutal civil war has destabilized space travel. Former Artemis Corps sisters-in-arms and their sassy ship, the Golden Girl, are up to the task, counting on luck and their rather sketchy cargo business to get Maryn passage through the contested star lanes. But when the crew of the Girl rescues survivors of a ruthless war crime, Maryn and her ride-or-die friends must take up their old profession to save the lives of innocents from a genocidal dictator.
Subgenres: Adventure, LGBTQIA+, Space Opera
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder
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As of this point, this book has 9 reviews on Amazon with a 5.0 average, and 14 ratings/10 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.86 average.
My thoughts: Holy. Smokes. I love this voice. It’s totally the Golden Girls. I forgot to take notes, I was so pulled into the story, and it also stayed with me even when I wasn’t reading it anymore. The ship name (Golden Girl) was a bit on the nose, but it also made me chuckle, so. My biggest quibble is the cover, but I can ignore that in favor of the amazing story inside.
Read this if you: want amazing friendships to whisk you away into a whole other world with new, unique aliens and fully-realized middle-aged characters on a foundation of excellent writing. If you want an entertaining read that also feels like a hug (with some The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet Becky Chambers vibes) pick this up!
Blurb: Hypatia is a companion child, a cyborg with the consciousness of a child, designed to help her non-verbal human sister, Alexandra, navigate the world. When a flash knocks out the power and a civil war erupts, the sisters are forced to travel through powerless cities and dangerous country roads in search of refuge on the eastern coast of the United States. Realizing that without access to a charging station it’s only a matter of time before her battery fails, Hypatia must deliver Alexandra to safety before it’s too late. Yet, as Hypatia and Alexandra encounter other companion children that have gone berserk, Hypatia begins to suspect the flash may have done more than just take out the power. Can Alexandra trust her sister, and is Hypatia exactly what she seems?
Subgenres: Adventure, Artificial Intelligence, Dystopian, Horror, Post-Apocalyptic
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Harm to an animal, Martial arts/combat, Implied sexual violence, but never actually explicitly or graphically written.
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As of this point, this book has 1 5-star review on Amazon, and 4 ratings/3 reviews on Goodreads with a average 4.50.
My thoughts: This was a really cool premise with background shown through time jumps back and forth, plus another storyline in a different location that impacts the main one in chilling ways. I enjoyed Alexandra’s autism rep, though I had some trouble placing about how old she was, and I liked the way the major plot points were unveiled. The action sequences were fun, and I was rooting for our protagonists.
Read this if you: are looking for a story that can’t be fully shown without the two storylines, and enjoy piecing together what’s going on from the clues given between the storylines.
Blurb: ENTER THE FUNGALVERSE. BEAT THE WINTER BLUES. Blade Runner, True Detective and District 9 meld with the weird worlds of Jeff VanderMeer, Philip K. Dick and China Miéville in Adrian M. Gibson’s hallucinatory, fungalpunk noir debut. Two years after a devastating defeat in the decade-long Spore War, the island nation of Hōppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko are occupied by invading Coprinian forces. Its fungal citizens are in dire straits, wracked by food shortages, poverty and an influx of war refugees. Even worse, the corrupt occupiers exploit their power, hounding the native population. As a winter storm looms over the metropolis, NKPD homicide detective Henrietta Hofmann begrudgingly partners up with mushroom-headed patrol officer Koji Nameko to investigate the mysterious murders of fungal and half-breed children. Their investigation drags them deep into the seedy underbelly of a war-torn city, one brimming with colonizers, criminal gangs, racial division and moral decay. In order to solve the case and unravel the truth, Hofmann must challenge her past and embrace fungal ways. What she and Nameko uncover in the midst of this frigid wasteland will chill them to the core, but will they make it through the storm alive?
Subgenres: Crime & Mystery, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Fantasy, Noir, Suspense, Weird
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Body horror, Drug use, Graphic violence/murder, Harm to a child, Torture
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As of this point, this book has 101 reviews on Amazon with a 4.4 average, and 289 ratings/120 reviews on Goodreads with a 3.99 average.
My thoughts: Ok first off, this is a well-done story, and my quibbles with it are my preferences. I was way too excited for “fungalpunk” and honestly, the mycelial network and fungal worldbuilding were easily my favorite parts. The characters feel real, and the mystery unfolds skillfully. I was just expecting the fungus worldbuilding to permeate through the whole of the Hopponite culture, instead of awesome mushroom stuff with a layer of faux-Japanese-coded culture on top. I wanted all mushrooms, so I was disappointed. The main character, too, is very racist by design–she doesn’t realize she’s part of the problem, but being privy to her every prejudiced thought made me dislike her. I loved Koji, however, and rooted for him quite a lot!
Read this if you: love Legacy of the Brightwash and want an intimate first-person narration to carry you away into another murder mystery involving colonialism and racial divides. If you’re looking for gritty murder, corrupt police, a jaded detective with a fully fleshed out background, plus amazing fungus powers, check this out.
Blurb: In a post-cybernetic world where most have abandoned their neural enhancements, seventy-year-old Herbert Ferris clings to his outdated tech—and the troubled legacy it carries. Once a rogue hacker, Ferris now clocks in at Re/Live Corporation as a digital ecologist, crafting biomes for the popular fantasy game world, New Europa. But when a glitch starts turning players’ avatars pink, triggering an online uproar, Ferris is thrust into the heart of a spiraling corporate crisis. Ferris is ordered to clean up the mess alone. Fed up, he decides to go non-con, using his neuromod to become the perfect corporate zombie until the storm blows over. But when he reawakens, the chaos has only escalated: protesters are picketing Re/Live’s head office, his job is on the line, and, to make matters worse, an innocent schoolgirl has gone missing. Gripped by a paranoia he hasn’t felt in decades, Ferris races to uncover the truth, clashing with police, protesters, ruthless rivals, and—worst of all—his vindictive ex. Non-conscious is a darkly humorous journey of one man’s battle to reclaim his dignity and sanity in a world where the line between fantasy and reality has blurred beyond recognition.
Subgenres: Artificial Intelligence, Crime & Mystery
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Explicit sex
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As of this point, this book has 0 reviews on Amazon and 0 ratings/reviews on Goodreads.
My thoughts: My first thought with this was “what am I reading?” and it continued well into the first couple chapters. It took me a bit to realize we’re inside a virtual reality style system, but the way this is shown and the technology clicked nicely when it was revealed. The voice is crude and the story is weird, but it’s also like The IT Crowd plus Mythic Quest but with VR and implanted data jacks. I really liked the biome crafting portion.
Read this if you: love the IT Crowd and Mythic Quest and want to embark on a new, unusual, storyline.
Blurb: More than one hundred years have passed since the cataclysm. The year is 2197 and Earth’s surviving inhabitants now live in heavenly cities above the clouds, unwilling to descend back to the unstable surface. Helen is a lawyer whose life is seemingly perfect, complete with career, partner and plans for a family. But she soon discovers that it is all an illusion. A car accident turns her life in a different direction and she finds herself on the Earth’s surface, in a forested world utterly foreign to her. Is it true that Earth cannot sustain life? What if the truth was entirely different? What if there were survivors — and how would Helen return to her own world?
Subgenres: Adventure, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Cannibalism, Sexual violence/rape
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As of this point, this book has 23 reviews on Amazon with a 3.9 average, and 47 ratings/39 reviews on Goodreads with a 3.94 average.
My thoughts: I was looking forward to reading this, and I like some of the ideas here, but I felt like the sex scenes were entirely unnecessary and I got whiplash with the boyfriend-person. I did like the crash and entry in to the forest, and I enjoyed Arn and the conflict between nature savvy vs tech savvy. The additional tension of killer robots was good, but the writing style didn’t work for me personally.
Read this if you: love nature vs technology tropes and uncovering dystopia veiled as almost- utopia.
Blurb: What price would you pay to protect your country? When his city burned around him, Zacharias Eld swore on his life it would never happen again. Sworn in as the First Herald, there is no camera he cannot access, no idle chatter he cannot hear. No secrets he cannot unearth. But a break-in at a lab reveals the hole in the network he spent seven years to build. Worse, the evidence is contaminated, the suspects missing, and the innocent refuse to speak. Zach soon finds himself in a world he thought he had purged years ago, festering in the shadows he once scoured. As the layers of the conspiracy peel back, so too, does the safety of Zach those around him. Either Zach finds the culprit or he will witness the fall of the city he’d spent his life to protect.
Subgenres: Crime & Mystery, Dystopian, Fantasy, Genetic Engineering, Post-Apocalyptic, Suspense
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat, Non-consensual medical procedures, Torture
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As of this point, this book has 3 reviews on Amazon with a 4.6 average, and 5 ratings/5 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.20 average.
My thoughts: I really liked this story, and I enjoyed Zach. Him having GERD was an interesting addition to his character, plus his forgetfulness, both helping to round him out and making me curious how they might affect his case. His son was interesting, and then Ekkehart was a total wild card. I didn’t think all the chapters were necessarily required, but overall I really enjoyed this and plan to read more. I enjoyed the investigation aspect into the rebels, and the tension inside me sorta rooting for the guy whose job it is to catch the people trying to bring down the immortal god ruler who probably has reigned too long.
Read this if you: love strong space opera vibes and multiple PoV stories with immortal god rulers and rebellions looking to take them down.
Blurb: A newbie pilot with a secret, broken comms, alien artifact, viral code, empty space. What can go wrong? Jax, a freshly minted spaceship pilot had a simple job: taking a group of sick people to Rebels’ Republic space station to have their brain implants fixed while keeping her secret – secret. She had a smart plan to get it done: just some tweaking of the comms to make it look like an accident. But her ship had some surprises aboard: two healthy passengers, who weren’t who they claimed to be, a real emergency, and a piece of virally spreading rogue code. Then… came some more problems… Can a loner learn teamwork to survive and save the solar system from collapse?
Subgenres: Adventure, Artificial Intelligence, First Contact, Galactic Empire/Colonization, Space Exploration, Space Opera, Techno Thriller
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: None
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As of this point, this book has 21 reviews on Amazon with a 4.0 average, and 8 ratings/1 review on Goodreads with a 3.88 average.
My thoughts: I really liked Jax’s predicament, and her and Rutger’s interactions were interesting as they both tried to figure out if the other could be trusted, while both are simultaneously holding back secrets. Lulu was an interesting side character and I was curious what she was after. I didn’t fully follow the reasons behind the decisions the characters made, however.
Read this if you: like secrets-driven plots with learning-teamwork character arcs.
Blurb: The future. The human race is extinct. Earth is ruled by “eltecs”, descendants of the AIs humans created before their demise. While searching for prehistoric cave paintings, two eltec explorers discover a hidden cryogenic crypt containing 23 perfectly preserved human bodies frozen inside crystal columns. As eltec society argues over who might have built the crypt and what to do with it, one of its occupants is restored to life. Human beings are no longer extinct, but, for reasons of their own, not every eltec wants to see them come back. The only living man on Earth is in terrible danger.
Subgenres: Artificial Intelligence, Hard SF, Metaphysical/Visionary, Post-Apocalyptic, Techno Thriller
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Descriptions of nuclear holocaust/mass death/starvation/illness, etc.
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As of this point, this book has 4 reviews on Amazon with a 4.0 average, and 8 ratings/4 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.25 average.
My thoughts: Very interesting beginning–what a cool way to suck the reader in. I love the archaeologist sentient robots and the descriptions were great. There’s some narrative distance, but it didn’t bother me too much. I love the way the tension develops as the robots (eltecs) try to figure out what they’re going to do about their discovery. The Assembly and their differing thoughts was very cool to read, plus reading about the secret museum that shouldn’t be secret. This jealousy over aliens not contacting the eltecs is amusing and yet understandable. It amuses me that the eltecs make such leaps to conclusions and anxieties, instead of being more logical and methodical, but I adore Shulvara’s compassion and curiosity, and I’m enjoying the tension of this timetable.
Read this if you: want to follow nonhuman characters as they deal with an extraordinary blow to some fundamental truths of their culture in very human ways.
Blurb: There is no salvation among the stars… With every known planet, colony or settlement mostly ruined or completely destroyed, a desperate crew of humans onboard the starship Odyssey, hear rumours of a mythical phenomenon called the Horizon. This magical place on the edge of known space is believed to transport those who traverse it, back in time to the moment they were at their happiest. With only death, heartache and baron wastelands surrounding them, the crew head toward the Horizon. However to reach this phenomenon, they must cross the Expanse – a 30 day trip through entirely empty space. No light, no stars, no planets… nothing. At least that’s what they think.
Subgenres: Cosmic Horror, Dystopian, First Contact, Horror, Post-Apocalyptic, Space Exploration
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Body horror, Graphic violence/murder
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As of this point, this book has 8 reviews on Amazon with a 4.8 average, and 16 ratings/13 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.56 average.
My thoughts: I had wanted to read this one, but the prologue felt almost like a textbook in places (perhaps by design?). I did like the mystery of what happened to the ships 3 months out from Earth, but I wasn’t sure why constraints were the way they are. The action felt over-dramatic for me, like it was going for shock. I did like the mystery of finding the Odyssey, though.
Read this if you: want spaceship combat sequences with a potential cosmic horror mystery creeping in.
Blurb: Sasha Michaels has it all. She’s got the looks, some natural, some bought-and-paid for. She’s got the fame, with over one-hundred million Omniverse subscribers and a shot at breaking into the coveted Top 100. She’s got the wealth that comes with both. And she has the ultimate accessory, an even more famous husband. Alex Michaels is a HotDropper, a cybernetic corporate mercenary whose missions are streamed worldwide. But when Alex is killed on only his second mission, Sasha soon finds out that everything she thought she owned is now property of his paymasters, who invested hundreds of millions in him and intend to collect on the debt. Now she must serve as a rank-and-file trooper in the militia of the LifeWise corporation, until she pays off or she dies. Some people call it indentured service, but the troopers know it by a different name. They call it the Widow’s Tithe.
Subgenres: Military
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Martial arts/combat
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As of this point, this book has no reviews on Amazon and 3 ratings/2 reviews on Goodreads with a 3.33 average.
My thoughts: This has an interesting structure, with a prelude plus multiple interludes scattered throughout (and lots of footnotes). Interesting way to dump the reader into the world feet first. I liked the idea of taking streaming (especially monetized) and running with how far a society could potentially take it. This plus gamifying police and military action really worked for the book I thought. I was excited to see some Capoeira–but then a detail threw me out of the story a bit, as a capoeirista. First time that’s happened, lol! I really liked Wilma, though, and the side characters were interesting.
Read this if you: want and exploration of monetizing human life, while following a character being dumped from riches into rags (or in this case, indentured servitude). If you also like main characters who may not be nice but are 100% stubborn in their refusal to give up, you might enjoy this!
Blurb: The Ghost Gun kills what it hits, its ghost bullets ensnaring the victim’s soul to their killer. Except nothing is that simple. Certainly not an apparently simple theft that leads detectives into a war between secret societies over artifacts which have been around for millennia, their origin unknown, their abilities inexplicable. Demoted to Vice due to departmental politics, Detective Cassie Kinsala sees an opportunity to restore her career path. But what looks like it might offer a decent arrest soon turns into a quagmire the law might not cover, and might not protect her from. Jimmy Bancroft used to be a cop. Working for the other side lets him avoid paperwork. Investigating rumours of a competitor moving in on his employer’s interests, he becomes entangled in a war between criminals and a secret society. And someone might be trying to set him up.
Subgenres: Crime & Mystery
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: None
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As of this point, this book has 1 4-star review on Amazon, and 2 ratings/1 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.00 average.
My thoughts: Great voice, fun beginning, and enjoyable banter! I really like how the reader is shown the world around us, and while there’s not a ton of technology immediately, the artifacts are intriguing (and sus). I enjoy both main characters and the investigation from both sides–very cool tension.
Read this if you: want a noir mystery with dual PoVs and great banter, but easy on the sci-fi elements right away.
Blurb: Kara is an outcast. A freak. A non-telepath. The only person to ever show her any kindness − Caethiid, is dead. Ever since the state informed her of Caethiid’s death, Kara’s life has been bleak, consisting of a tedious job, a small book collection and the painful memories of a love that never was. But Kara also harbours a dark secret. Within her is a terrible power, one that’s manifested in times of great danger, with devastating consequences. When Caethiid miraculously reappears, Kara’s joy is short-lived. From across the galaxy, Caethiid has been listening to Kara’s thoughts. He knows her secret and he wants to use her power to overthrow the state. Kara finds herself trapped in his twisted game of psychological manipulation. As Caethiid’s ruthless nature is revealed, Kara realises the man she once knew may no longer exist. With Caethiid’s grip tightening, Kara begins to wonder whether she can trust her own mind, or whether everything she thought she knew was part of his plan all along.
Subgenres: Galactic Empire/Colonization, Noir, Weird, psychological
Target Audience: Adult – Ages 18+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence/murder, Sexual violence/rape, Torture
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As of this point, this book has 15 reviews on Amazon with a 4.1 average, and 12 ratings/10 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.67 average.
My thoughts: Wow, love the showing of this worldbuilding. Nicely done, and great onboarding for the reader. Our MC is very easy to like, and her hearing Cae when he’s dead is very intriguing. (I also ran out of time before we decided on quarterfinalists, so I haven’t read as far in this one. I’m excited to read more though!)
Read this if you: psychological thrillers with sci-fi elements and mainstream telepathy.
Please, please remember that these are only my thoughts. So much of reading enjoyment is subjective, so my hope is that you’ve discovered something new to take a chance on!
Also, let me give a big thank you to all the authors for providing judges with review copies, as well as the team of the SPSFC for organizing the contest!
