Since Round 1 of the BBNYA (Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award) is officially over, I’m sharing my impressions of the excerpts I enjoyed the most. For this round, we got 2k words excerpts of the beginning of participating novels we stated to be interested in reading.
I knew authors were worried they would be soon dismissed since they believe “not much happens” at the beginning of their stories. Personally, I don’t care about how much action there is; I take into consideration whether I get a sense of who the main character (MC) is, that the exposition feels natural and not thrown at me, and the voice of the author/narrator. I also prefer them not too heavy on the description before I get a feel of the setting and current situation of the MCs.
It must be hard to convey emotion, character, and setting in such a short portion of the whole thing, but some of them managed to surprise me. Out of the 23 excerpts I got, 16 got 4 or 5 stars from me. Sadly, not many of them made it to the semi-finals, but I’d gladly be picking some in the future. You can check all the contenders still in the running on the BBNYA Twitter account. Here are the 10 books from my batch I liked the most, in the order I read them, along with some of my notes.
1. Debunked by Dito Abbott
Starting with a semi-finalist. Debunked opens with a letter in a different writing style than what comes next, presenting the character and mood to perfection. It gave me strong Gravity Falls vibes, which is a compliment, while still feeling unique. My only complaint was that the characters felt a little younger than what they are supposed to be. I found myself engrossed even when it’s not the type of story I usually go for.
2. Poison Forest by Lauri Starling
This was superb. The only book in my Top 3 that made it to the semi-finals. From the first pages I knew I wanted to read it in its entirety, it has a great hook. I connected with the inner turmoil of the MC and wanted to know more about her life. I already need more of it. I’m usually not a fan of similes but they were on point. Loved the casual queer rep too.
3. Yellow Sky Revolt by Baptiste Pinson Wu
It was intriguing enough to pique my interest even when historical fiction is not my preferred genre. Although I found the writing style a little bit plain, the characters’ emotions are believable, and it was very atmospheric.
4. Petition by Delilah Waan
Interesting world and one of the most fascinating magic systems I’ve encountered (I can’t expand, I don’t remember much, sorry). The writing is a little dense and I had to re-read some lines. Great use of the “show, don’t tell” to get to know the MC and I got her struggles and motivations; I already want her to succeed.
5. The Tale of Nathaniel Cracklock by C.A. Deegan
I wouldn’t have picked this book for cover alone. I liked the writing style, but the characters were just starting to show more of themselves when the excerpt ended. I genuinely cared about their well-being.
6. The Stray Spirit by R.K. Ashwick
Another one of my Top 3 and a book that’s been on my watch for a while. The introduction of setting, characters, and mood flowed naturally. Fantasy is my preferred genre so I’m very familiar with it but the start of this novel still felt original. It had a great way to introduce characters, letting me get a taste of each of their personalities and immediately making me like them. I got the MC’s frustration and fears. I need more of this world and characters! Even though it was cut off this round, I will be picking it up. This book is exactly what I’m into.
7. Storm and Flame by Mallory Wanless
This one has a slow start, but it piqued my interest and left me wanting more once it was over. I want to know more about this world.
8. Perception Check by Astrid Knight
Very engaging! I found myself entrapped and I’m usually not into contemporary settings. The fact that it’s D&D-themed is a plus.
9. Becoming a Druid by Mike Mollman
I looooved the tone and it was definitely thanks to the MC that I was hooked from the start. Another one on my Top 3 and I even added this on my notes: “It looks like a potential favorite of mine.” Unfortunately, this one was the end of the road for it on this competition.
10. Starlight Jewel by E.L. Lyons
A girl doing anything to protect her younger brother. The brother in question has some sensory issues that were well-handled.
If you want to know my opinions about it, you’ll have to wait until next week when it’s on tour. My stop is August 10.
Special mention to Godfrey’s Crusade, that at the moment of writing this I could remember nothing about, but still got a 5-star from me and this note:
“If people killed my horse, I’d go berserk too.”
Tiny Elf Arcanist 
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