(Long post, Wall-o’-text incoming)
A pull ahead at the end of the week and a competitive fight for the 10th place highlight this first week of the Geek and Sundry Fantasy Contest right here on Inkshares! Let’s take a closer look.
(All numbers and placements based off where they were when I wrote this, may be different now)
10. Seven Days a Servant by @Trick Dempsey
Coming in at 10th place as of Saturday 8/6/2016 is Seven Days a Servant by Trick Dempsey. Mr. Dempsey goes on to describe the book as:
“In the palaces of Brilliance, the fear of death is a distant memory. For the Dynasties of The Enlightened, the flow of Nectar assures youth and health for all eternity. When a young heir discovers the rotten truths behind her ideal nation, she must choose between justice and order.
When life is everything, what is worth dying for?”
A Chapter 1 that highlights a family that is great at lying sets the tone for an introduction to a series not to be missed.
The 10th place spot is often one of the most entertaining as 7DAS(Hope it’s ok I abbreviate it my own way!) just recently pushed into 10th with 20 readers. Honorable mentions to Morose(a comedy) by @Jim McDoniel and The Fairy Stepmother Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt who both held that spot numerous times throughout the first week and are hot on Mr. Dempsey’s trail.
9. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara Polk
The Delicate Art of Soul Ripping by Sara Polk is one of the most fascinating stories in the top 10. The main focus is on a character named Oz who has been in the Soulripping business for 800 years ever since he died of the Black Plague - he does the job without questioning much about it(mostly due to fear of the ones who ultimately claim the souls - the Reapers) He follows his usual suspects throughout the week, often partaking in their activities(like watching their favorite TV shows) without them even knowing that he’s there. Suddenly, the Reapers begin acting strangely - even interfering with his ripping, which can permanently damage a soul - and he even makes eye contact with one of the living people he’s been following! Here’s the last part of the description from Ms. Polk:
“But then the reapers start to behave oddly. They interfere with when souls are ripped, a dangerous business that can leave a soul damaged beyond repair. And Oz isn’t sure of it but he would swear that he made eye contact with Dalila, something that should not, and indeed can not, happen between planes of existence. The reapers even come to him with an ultimatum: peacefully accept his own reaping or be forced into it, something he knows is a fate worse than, well, any regular death.“
Sounds intense! Definitely check her out and her comments section(She calls her fans “Rippers”; Love it!)
8. Exile, Magus by @Thomas J. Arnold
Exile, Magus by Thomas J. Arnold follows Pentaz Muix(Awesome name!) a dwarf who, despite his race mostly shunning magic, needs to utilize magic to save his own people. Ironically, even though he’s trying to help, he’s forced to leave his home due to their discovery of his magic-studying. On his journey to save them, he meets(and forms a relationship with) a half-dwarf warrior named Buscidia. Turns out Pentaz can’t quite shake his old homeland and those living there so easily. Here’s part of the description from Mr. Arnold himself:
“While he explores the mainland and its many perils, he is unaware that his homeland has not let go of him as easily as he believes. Unbeknownst to him, he is pursued by the last surviving member of his family, his brother Palkaz. Their reunion follows closely on the heels of Pentaz’ biggest mistake and tragedy, and they find themselves facing off against one another amidst a danger neither of them had imagined. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive?”
Mr. Arnold is no stranger to Inkshares contests as part of the Too Many Controllers 1st place victory in the Nerdist contest, something that has been quite the heated debate here on the forums. With a solid following and a love for uploading his work(Which none of his readers mind, I’m sure!) he could be the man to beat in this contest.
7. Flames in the Dark by @Tara Roquemore
The first book of a trilogy that has been over 15 years in the making, The Flames in the Dark by Tara Roquemore only has a prologue uploaded so far but it is definitely worth the read. Following the story of Ivy, Hayden and their two children Brand and Edana - the prologue begins with Ivy having a vision of a terrible flood that’s coming to ruin their village during an annual Artist festival. Many people will die but Master Dillon, the village’s mayor, thinks that Ivy’s visions are nothing to worry about and is basically tired of hearing her warnings. I don’t want to get too much into it because A LOT does happen in this prologue and you should go read it! What I will talk about is Ms. Roquemore’s beautiful and powerful imagery throughout. Definitely worth a look for that alone. (That second paragraph especially!)
Also: Shout out to Hayden, Ivy’s husband, for awesome fire-story telling. Read it and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Sounded awesome.
6. Storm Song by @Allison Griner
Storm Song by Allison Griner has one of the best descriptions and intro sentences: “Like any good story, it started with a bit too much to drink.” - Fantastic opener! Storm Song follows Thoster Chatwyn from Merrowport who has always thought his role in life would be telling Fairy Tales, not actually living one. A chance-meeting with a captain of a ship at the local harbor changes everything and we soon find our leading man embarking on an adventure so dangerous and “wonderous” that it puts his own fairy tales to shame! After reading the first Chapter, Thoster Chatwyn is a character for the ages with overflowing charisma and perfectly constructed dialogue(kudos, Ms. Griner!) he could easily be a character seen on the big screen right now. I wonder if Ms. Griner has thought of who would play him in a film yet, I know we’ve all done it with our own stories - maybe she can let us know!
Either way, this is a story worth checking out - lucky she’s already uploaded 3 Chapters to wet our appetite.
5. A Beast Requires by @Jay Lockwood
A Beast Requires by Jae Lerer, the self-proclaimed(?) Keeper of the Ice Cream Harem(I seriously need to know more about this!) , has been up and down the top 5 throughout the first week of the contest. Judging by its description it certainly deserves to be there. In Mr. Lerer’s own words:
“A comedy with a body count, A BEAST REQUIRES has a bit of everything: riots, royal plots, forensic gastronomy, interspecies politics, and a collection of historically significant chamberpots.
When conspiracies threaten to plunge Aurum into civil war, the city’s only hope is Deputy Constable Albicon Pine. Unfortunately, it’s his first week on the job.
Urban life isn’t what Albicon imagined: his landlord is a huckster, the constables are as shady as the criminals, and the sprawling, ancient city overflows with garbage. But when bodies start dropping, Albicon and the constabulary must unravel a mess of grisly deaths, pointy shoes, and a forgotten sewer system before the city burns.”
With a prologue and five chapters available for our viewing pleasure, the flow of this story is unique and well-executed. I’m looking forward to reading more!
4. Chronicles of An Domhan by @Conri
“A political power struggle between diverse factions in a Victorian Horror/Fantasy universe. Mysteriously unconnected events lead three Marshals down dark paths to hidden Truths in Aberdown.“
If this introduction to the story, Chronicles of An Domhan by Conri doesn’t spark your intrigue, then I’m not sure what will. With Cover Art by Kassandra Leigh Purcell(Off Topic: I recognized the name immediately, have been a huge fan of her cosplay for years! No idea she could draw so amazingly!) that is both dark and gripping, an editor worthy of praise in C. Sacco, this one, two(three!), punch is building up to one heck of a story. And build up seems to be the key when discussing Mr. Conri’s work. He has been working on short stories loosely based on the overall narrative for over 20+ years and it is finally culminating in this novel. Be sure to check it out if you’re into Victorian era things, Gothic Horror and drama done by an author with roots in gaming, role-playing and creative writing!
3. The Living God by @Kaytalin Platt
It’s time to talk top 3! The Living God by Kaytalin Platt follows two mages(Saran and Keleir) who dwell upon “The First,” a medieval-fantasy style world of magic which is one of three universes accessible through portals called “Gates.” As a writer of medieval fantasy worlds myself, this story really stands out to me as something that I would choose off a bookshelf or download as an e-book. Here’s some of Ms. Platt’s own description:
“The Living God is the first in a four-book fantasy/science fiction series about Mages who fight to stop a Rauke, a creature forged from the excess matter left over at the birth of a universe, from collapsing dimensions upon themselves in order to form a single, perfect one for his kind.”
I don’t know about you, but the description and concept of a Rauke sounds equally awesome and terrifying! This is the first book in what seems to be shaping up into a can’t-miss 4 book series. Don’t miss her comments section, she has some pretty good book recommendations by other Inksharians, thank yous and even mentions uploading a video about the book, her project and the contest itself and what it means for her and her fans/supporters! Definitely worth a look!
2. Arcadia by @André Brun
Arcadia by Andre Brun is the work of another winner from the Too Many Controller’s Inkvengers from the last Nerdist contest. Mr. Brun knows how to sell his work - don’t believe me? Be sure to go check out the video on his page. It’s only 15 seconds but it’s enough to give you chills and haunt your nightmares for quite some time. Chilling and haunting things might deter the average person but to the readers on this site, I would think that just sparks your interest even more!
Arcadia itself is a collection of 10 short stories that are based on 3 themes: Love, Sacrifice and Death. In the end the 10 stories connect for one epic finale. As a lover of stories of this nature, I am totally psyched to read this. The manuscript is already complete and ready to go, so either way it will be in production when the contest ends.
1. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace follows the story of Thom, a mischievous prince who discovers his lineage lies in the slave race. Armed with a magical dagger and heeding the call to become “the chosen one,” Thom must venture out to save his people.
Ms. Grace is no stranger to Inkshares. Her previous project, The Battle of Oz, was fully funded back in January 2015. A year after that she entered the Sword and Laser Collection contest but unfortunately didn’t make it. As she put it: “Third time’s the charm, right?”
Right she is! Currently sitting two readers ahead in the first place spot(as of this post), Ms. Grace is generating a lot of buzz as her fans and supporters are back for more. She’s been working on this title off and on since 2013 and is finally ready to shed some more light on it here on Inkshares. With a lot of competition in this contest compared to the recent Nerdist video game contest, it will be interesting to see if she can hold on to the top spot!
-----
Sorry for the long post. What do you guys think? Do you like something like this? Should I do more of these? I understand this might provide more exposure to the top ten and the people fighting for one of the top ten spots(myself included) might not like this as it might make it harder for them to crack the top ten but I thought it would be cool to add some more exposure to the contest itself. Let’s face it, we’re all going to be watching those reader numbers go up throughout the contest anyway. Why not discuss it? Whether or not it’s your book, it’s still kinda exciting to see 5th place and 4th place are only separated by a single reader. 1st place and 2nd by only 2 readers. Let me know what you think so I can improve the next one, or let me know why I shouldn’t do another one.
I also want to point out that I’m not a hypocrite. I understand I’m shedding more light on former winners from the last Nerdist contest but in order to make this a fair “update on the top 10” I couldn’t simply omit people because of my feelings. I already feel bad that my post may or may not be the reason why Rick Heinz backed out of this very contest when he was in 1st place by a large margin. If winners of the Nerdist contest are still allowed to participate - I leave that up to the people who run this site and those authors themselves and will not speak more on the matter.
Lastly, as I am also in this contest myself, as a fellow “player of the game,” I’d love to do some quick shameless plugging for my own entry and simply ask that you check out A Soldier’s Crest: Heroes of Khroma.
Thank you, I hope you enjoyed the read and let me know what you all think!
(Obviously readers and placement in the top 10 may or may not have fluctuated during the writing of this - it took longer to write than I thought it would. I get carried away sometimes... Sorry if it doesn’t reflect it perfectly when you read it, should be close!)
EDIT1: Aesthetics purposes, made it so clicking a work will link you directly to the work, tagged Jim and Maggie at the top because I forgot - sorry guys!
