Today, Team Secret Scribes will be announcing our 5 semi-finalists to move on in the SFINCS competition!
You might be asking ‘What is SFINCS?’ And that is a great question! SFINCS (pronounced ‘sphinx’) is short for the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship. It is an annual competition to recognize, honor, and celebrate the talent & creativity present in the indie community. A sister competition to both SPFBO and SPSFC, SFINCS is all about the novella format (less than 40k words), with all genres of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc.) applicable for submission.
100 novellas are accepted into the contest and are allocated to 5 judging teams (Team Secret Scribes being one of the teams!). Each judging team is required to have two judges read/rate each of their 20 allocated novellas before selecting 5 semi-finalists to move on. In the semi-finalist round, each judging team will receive another 5 novellas, and from there, they will choose their 2 finalists. The 10 finalists will go head-to-head, scored by each team. The finalist with the highest overall score will be crowned the champion!
Before we get to the part you all care about, aka who Team Secret Scribes chose to be their semi-finalists, first a bit about who we are and how we reached our semi-finalist decisions.
The Secret Scribes are an indie fantasy author collective of 13 fantasy authors with books in every subgenre of fantasy; from epic and traditional, to humorous, to romantasy, to charming adventures and so much more. This year, 7 of our members were involved in the judging panel (listed alphabetically):
Tom Bookbeard (our team captain) (@TomBookbeard) / X
Bill Adams Linktree
L.M. Douglas Linktree
Bella Dunn Linktree
Dave Lawson Linktree
R. A. Sandpiper Linktree
Alex Scheuermann Odyllic Stone
Ok, now to the important stuff. As authors ourselves, we understand and appreciate that every reader has their own taste, likes and dislikes. And we 7 are no different. To ensure that we put forth the best quality novellas into the next round, we assigned each of our 20 novellas to two judges (as per the rules) but vowed to read the entire novella cover to cover. Additionally, to remain objective, we all used the same scoring system, namely scoring each novella on plot, characters, world, pacing & prose, and overall enjoyment. Each category had 2 possible points, for a total of 10 points per judge. When both judges scored their allocated novellas, an average score was produced out of 10.
See our scoring system in the image below:
We had so many amazing entrants this year, so without further to-do (and in no particular order), our 5 semi-finalists are…
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As Born to Rule The Storm by Cate Baumer
Blurb:
Cadet Charlotte Amsel will trade her life to win a war- but not all at once. As part of an elite group of experimental soldiers, she can move through time, with each jump taking months from her own fated lifespan as she struggles to prevent the cold war from boiling over into an apocalypse. With her own side just as untrustworthy as the enemy, the only thing she cares about is keeping her best friend and fellow soldier (and in some timelines, lover) safe. But each time loop adds violent complications, and saving anyone before she runs out of life to give may prove impossible.
What the Judges Said:
“Beautifully written, twisty in all the best ways, and absolutely fantastic! One of the better novellas I've read and something that I think everyone should read. Worthy of a semi-finalist spot, and honestly, would be worthy of winning the entire contest..”
Dave
“As Born to Rule the Storm is a phenomenal science fiction, time travel romance set in a unique, but familiar world where the decisions made by one person might never be enough to stop the coming tide of war… A powerful story, one that I could not put down. Highly enjoyed this novella and will gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a shorter, character-driven science fiction story!”
Bill
Leafdust & Deadwood by Justin Greer
Blurb:
Welcome to the world of The Garden Knight. Derry is a gardener who has made his home in the quiet woodland village of Haverdell. Accompanied by his faithful dog Barrow, Derry intends to spend all his days tending to his gardens, roving the wilds, helping his friends in town, and enjoying the peaceful solitude of life in the hills. But as Harvest Night approaches, strange plants begin to appear, first crawling from the lakeshore near Derry's cottage, then emerging from a hollow in the hills overlooking Haverdell. These plants wriggle along the forest floor, pierce man and beast with long prickling needles, and devour the forest around them with rapid new growth. Their hunger is increasing. As the gardener of Haverdell, Derry must employ all his wits, woodlore, and cunning to thwart the invasive, ravenous frond-tendrils before they consume the forest completely—as well as his own home and everything he loves.
What the Judges Said:
“Enjoyable cozyish read. Wonderful descriptions--truly atmospheric writing. Derry and Barrow shine in this short novella, where the focus is more on setting the scene and delving into Derry's character than filling it with action. I've gone forward to read the connected novels because I needed more!
Dave
“This was beautifully written, almost lyrical in its descriptions. This is a languid and glowing tale of Derry, Barrow and the beauty and terror of nature. The author brings it to life with such care, painting each lead, hollow, clearing and bark with magic.”
Rach
From the Depths by B.S.H Garcia
Blurb:
The world can sustain the needs of many, but the greed of a few can destroy it for all. In a life steeped in peril, the Brune family has thrived on the knife’s edge. Renowned for their smuggling and bounty exploits, Konar and Karliah’s parents command both respect and fear. Comfortable yet haunted, the family faces the constant threat of perilous assignments, leaving scars that even a parent’s protective embrace can’t heal. Still, Konar dreams of scholarly pursuits, and Karliah sees the world as something ripe for the taking. When the emperor dangles an irresistible offer—a job to end their dangerous pursuits forever—the Brunes seize the chance. But there’s a catch: the item in question is little more than a myth, deemed impossible to find. As the family embarks on the voyage of a lifetime, their bonds are tested like never before. Locating and securing the prize will require sacrifices beyond measure, and when your family is in the business of pirating, trust is the greatest myth of all.
What the Judges Said:
“Excellent worldbuilding and some really interesting characters. I loved the sea-faring culture and the pirate aspects of the story. Pacing was a bit off, especially in the second half, but I was intrigued throughout.”
Dave
“A character-driven pirate adventure with a lot of heart-pounding tension on the high seas (and land, and a cave) mixed with a lot of family drama.”
Bill
Oksy, Come Home by Phil Williams
Blurb:
She came to make a difference, if only they’d let her…Sniper Oksy hasn’t found her place in the army yet. She knows she’s good – maybe even the best – but Command won’t even give her a gun. In fact, they mostly want to blame her for everything that goes wrong. the latest disaster behind enemy lines, she’s being reassigned to the harrowing trenches, under the threat of ogres, mages and tentacles. How can she convince them to let her fight? How can she prove she belongs here – and not in the miserable home she left behind?
What the Judges Said:
“Fast-paced action story with a satisfying end and I'd be curious to read more about these characters.”
Bella
“This military story is as brutal as it is tense. It’s a short novella, but it hits hard and grabs the readers by their throat and doesn’t let go as Oksy tries to survive a hellscape she signed up for.”
Bill
Marked by R.M Krogman
Blurb:
Curses are powerful, if you believe in them enough. Davon and his family live a simple life in the beautiful valleys of the Sikrat Mountains, as long as they don’t draw the attention of roaming ghastwolves or the keen Earth Dragons on the ridges above. Davy’s purpose is clear: to protect the flock and to help his mother and father. But when Davy’s life is ripped away in one violent night, he learns that he is cursed. Left to the vicious wolves and dragons of the Sikrat, Davy must find a new way to survive. Evil hounds him and his flock as he works tirelessly to somehow earn his place in a superstitious and demanding society. Was his curse the reason for so much lost? Was he an insidious curse infecting everyone around him? With nothing left, Davy must face the bitter cold of abandonment and reclaim his life, before those who know his secret turn on him.
What the Judges Said:
“Heartbreaking tale, exposing the masks of an apparently tightly-knit society with a phenomenal ending.”
Bella
“A well-told story from an accurately limited perspective of a child. The midpoint turn made me want to cry, and I just wanted to give Davy a hug. A fantastic tale, well-paced and with a great amount of character development for a novella, woven with evocative agrarian description.”
Rach
And there they are, Team Secret Scribes’ semi-finalists!
We want to thank the SFINCS organizers for letting us be judges, but more importantly, we want to thank each of the twenty authors in our allotted group. We know how much effort goes into writing our stories, so we appreciate you allowing us into your worlds and for trusting us with your stories. We don’t take that trust lightly. Although we could only choose 5 novellas to move on to the next round, please give all these amazing novellas a chance! Let’s support this indie community with nothing but love!
And as always, if you read and love these novellas, give them a shout on social media, rate and review!
The other entrants in our allotment, click on the covers to be taken to their Goodreads pages.
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