Voting for the final winners of the Gemmell Award has opened several weeks ago, though only today I managed to vote. I also did a post about the shortlist vote HERE.
Legend Award for Best Novel:
The Desert Spear (FBC Rv) by Peter V. Brett
War of the Dwarves by Markus Heitz
Towers of Midnight (FBC Rv) by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan
The Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Black Prism (FBC Rv) by Brent Weeks
I read three of the books (Brett, Sanderson and Weeks), while I have no interest in the Wheel of Time series or the Dwarves novel. The first Pevel novel (and previous Gemmell winner) was a huge meh for me though I may take a look at the second one here at some point, but it is not that high a priority.
As mentioned in the shortlist vote The Black Prism was my #1 traditional fantasy of last year (#3 in fantasy and #6 overall), though I voted there for Mark Newton's City of Ruin as more heroic. Here it was my clear vote by far. I liked The Desert Spear well enough but its subject is at the very limit of my interest and only the author's writing style and the way he managed to keep the story unpredictable so far keeps me in the series. I also liked The Way of Kings a bit unexpectedly since I have not been a Sanderson fan so far, but it was very bloated.
Prediction for winner: The Way of Kings
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Morningstar Award for Best Debut:
Spellwright (FBC Rv) by Blake Charlton
The Warrior Priest by Darius Hinks
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (FBC Rv) by N.K. Jemisin
Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov
Tymon's Flight by Mary Victoria
Here the choice was also an easy one since The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was one of my top debuts of last year as mentioned in the Hugo post. I was very meh on Spellwright and have no real interest in its sequel though Robert quite liked it as you can see in his review linked above, while Shadow Prowler is one of those books that while ultra-cliched for anyone versed with English language fantasy, may be a great introduction to the genre in other countries.
After all I read a ton of Soviet and Romanian sf decades ago when that was essentially my only choice and despite all (cliches...) it still nurtured my love for the genre. I have no interest in The Warrior Priest (the only tie-in universe I read in is the 163* one of Eric Flint) and I checked a sample of Tymon's Flight where I had no interest to read more based on it.
Prediction for winner: if the US/UK vote dominates, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, if the international vote dominates Shadow Prowler
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Ravenheart Award for Best Cover Art:
The Ragged Man
Power and Majesty
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Shadow King
Tymon's Flight
Here you can just go and check the covers at the Gemmell site, but I have a weakness for genre covers that show they are genre in an interesting way, so the cover of The Ragged Man had my vote here.
Prediction for winner: The Todd Lockwood cover for The Ragged Man
Legend Award for Best Novel:
The Desert Spear (FBC Rv) by Peter V. Brett
War of the Dwarves by Markus Heitz
Towers of Midnight (FBC Rv) by Brandon Sanderson and Robert JordanThe Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Black Prism (FBC Rv) by Brent Weeks
I read three of the books (Brett, Sanderson and Weeks), while I have no interest in the Wheel of Time series or the Dwarves novel. The first Pevel novel (and previous Gemmell winner) was a huge meh for me though I may take a look at the second one here at some point, but it is not that high a priority.
As mentioned in the shortlist vote The Black Prism was my #1 traditional fantasy of last year (#3 in fantasy and #6 overall), though I voted there for Mark Newton's City of Ruin as more heroic. Here it was my clear vote by far. I liked The Desert Spear well enough but its subject is at the very limit of my interest and only the author's writing style and the way he managed to keep the story unpredictable so far keeps me in the series. I also liked The Way of Kings a bit unexpectedly since I have not been a Sanderson fan so far, but it was very bloated.
Prediction for winner: The Way of Kings
********************************************************************
Morningstar Award for Best Debut:
Spellwright (FBC Rv) by Blake Charlton
The Warrior Priest by Darius Hinks
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (FBC Rv) by N.K. Jemisin
Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov
Tymon's Flight by Mary Victoria
Here the choice was also an easy one since The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was one of my top debuts of last year as mentioned in the Hugo post. I was very meh on Spellwright and have no real interest in its sequel though Robert quite liked it as you can see in his review linked above, while Shadow Prowler is one of those books that while ultra-cliched for anyone versed with English language fantasy, may be a great introduction to the genre in other countries.
After all I read a ton of Soviet and Romanian sf decades ago when that was essentially my only choice and despite all (cliches...) it still nurtured my love for the genre. I have no interest in The Warrior Priest (the only tie-in universe I read in is the 163* one of Eric Flint) and I checked a sample of Tymon's Flight where I had no interest to read more based on it.
Prediction for winner: if the US/UK vote dominates, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, if the international vote dominates Shadow Prowler
********************************************************************
Ravenheart Award for Best Cover Art:
The Ragged Man
Power and Majesty
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Shadow King
Tymon's Flight
Here you can just go and check the covers at the Gemmell site, but I have a weakness for genre covers that show they are genre in an interesting way, so the cover of The Ragged Man had my vote here.
Prediction for winner: The Todd Lockwood cover for The Ragged Man