SPFBO Champions' League has found its winner. The Sword of Kaigen took the first place by a comfortable margin. Using a simple Borda-style aggregation (1st = 10 pts … 10th = 1 pt) the results were as follows:
- The Sword of Kaigen (89/100)
- Orconomics (77/100)
- By Blood, By Salt (73/100)
- Small Miracles (61/100)
- The Lost War (54/100)
- The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids (48/100)
- Murder at Spindle Manor (45/100)
- Gray Bastards (43/100)
- Where Loyalties Lie (33/100)
- Reign & Ruin (29/100)
Here are the score results each finalist got (yearly SPFBO are rated) in the year they won:
- The Grey Bastards 8.65
- The Sword of Kaigen 8.65
- Orconomics 8.65
- Small Miracles 8.65
- The Lost War 8.35
- Where Loyalties Lie 8.10
- The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids 8.00
- Murder at Spindle Manor 7.85
- Reign & Ruin 7.70
- By Blood, By Salt 7.70
As you see, the results don't align very well. Let's play with data and try to get some insights.
The Sword of Kaigen never placed dead last and appeared in the top 2 for 5 judges. It’s also one of only two books (Kaigen and By Blood, By Salt) that multiple judges ranked #1. Crucially, it avoids the “love it / hate it” split that drags down other entries. While it's not universally considered best, it's almost universally respected.
It seems the real race was for second place, where Orconomics beat By Blood, By Salt. Orconomics rarely won outright but almost never crashed. It was rarely anyone’s favorite, but almost never disliked and lived comfortably in the 2-6 range.
By Blood, By Salt peaked higher (more #1s) but also hit several bottom placements, which hurted its aggregate. In other words, polarization hurted it. It was the most divisive pick with multiple #1s and multiple bottom-3 placements. Judges either connected hard or bounced off completely.
Speaking of polarization, it hurted more books:
- Reign & Ruin: regularly bottom 3, almost never top 3.
- Where Loyalties Lie: multiple 10th-place finishes killed its chances despite some mid-tier love.
- Gray Bastards: scattered placements with no strong center of gravity.
- Meanwhile, Small Miracles benefited from mid-to-high consistency, landing a solid 4th without dominating anyone’s list.
- The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids won outright for some judges, but crushed near the bottom for others. Clearly, it hit some judges' preferences hard, but lacked broader appeal.
I found it fascinating that historical high scores don't align with the results of Champions' League. Four books tied at 8.65, yet they aged very differently. Now, it's good to emphasize that SPFBO Champions' League asks different question than any SPFBO finals. SPFBO scoring tries to answer the question “How good is this?” whereas ranking asks “Would you pick this over that?”. With that in mind, it's still fun to try to answer this question.
Gray Bastards scored 8.65 historically, got a deal from Orbit and was traditionally published. And yet, it dropped to 8th in the Champions' League. There are many reasons, but I think the most important one is that SPFBO began in dark fantasy/grimdark-adjacent circles, and it shows. The first few winners were on the darker side of the fantasy. With time and new judges with a wide variety of tastes, the scores in the finals generally dropped and it became trickier to find a clear winner. Gray Bastards didn't got worse, but the audience and its tastes changed. The same is true for Where Loyalties Lie.
By Blood, By Salt's final results is the most striking reversal: despite lowest historical score for SPFBO winner (7.70) it won 3rd place in Champions' League. And frankly, I have no explanation for this except for the fact that it may appeal to more craft-focused and detail oriented readers but irk those craving more action, here and now (that was my case). Objectively, it's a well-written book and, clearly, many readers adore it.
Anyway, it seems that early SPFBO scoring rewarded excellence within a narrow subgenre and technical success at executing a specific and rather dark vibe. With time we saw the shift of preference toward cross-genre literacy, emotional accessibility and structural clarity.
If SPFBO winners were decided by collective critical consensus, The Sword of Kaigen still wins. And while I know there are readers who don't understand its phenomenon, they're clearly in the minority. With almost 90 000 GR ratings (still growing) The Sword of Kaigen is one of the most successful fantasy-adjacent books of the last decade.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cameron Johnston is a Scottish writer of fantasy and lives in the city of Glasgow in Scotland. He is a member of the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers' Circle, loves archaeology and mythology, enjoys exploring ancient sites and camping out under the stars.
Publisher: Angry Robot (August 13, 2024) Length: 386 Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.
Publisher: Michael R. Fletcher (December 15, 2025) Page count: 295 pages Formats: ebook, paperback
Read a review of book one, The Serpent and the Wolf
FORMAT/INFO: The Wicked and the Damned will be published on February 24th, 2026 by Saga Press. It is 416 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook..
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Forced to return home to spare the ones she loves, Vaasa finds herself in dire straits. Her marriage to Reid has been annulled, her magic is no longer hers to use, and a hostage keeps her acting like a demure heiress, nothing more than a figurehead. But Vaasa is done being used. She may act like a damsel in public, but she will do whatever it takes to reclaim her power and return to the man she loves - even if that means manipulating an old flame.
The Wicked and the Damned is a stellar sequel that brings a more focused plot, a calculating heroine, and tense stakes. While I enjoyed the first book, The Serpent and the Wolf, there were times where I felt like the plot was a bit all over the place, and the political maneuvering lacking. I’m happy to report that the sequel has a much more streamlined, cohesive storyline that isn’t trying to do too much in one go. I was far more engaged overall and loved watching Vaasa work.
The author does a great job of balancing two sides to Vaasa. On the one hand, she is conniving and proactive, determined to rescue herself and to use any tool at her disposal to do so. If that means emotionally manipulating the men around her, so be it. After all, they only see her as a stepping stone to the ultimate prize: the throne. Vaasa is on the knife’s edge of trying to convince multiple men that she only has eyes for them, well aware that if they suspect she’s betraying them, they’ll turn on her in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, Vaasa is also forced to encounter reminders of her traumatic past, which sometimes absolutely cripples her. While these scenes make her vulnerable, they never make her fully passive. She understands that she has to take her fate in her hands if she is to survive, and that means that eventually, she'll have to find a way to cope with her trauma.
While I did love the tense stakes and the manipulative use of courtship politics, I do admit this comes a bit at the expense of the romance. Reid, by necessity, doesn’t have as much to do in this book, though he is most definitely a man on a mission to get back to the side of his woman. And when the two ARE reunited, it is every bit as sweet as you would hope.
The Wicked and the Damned succeeds at bringing a tense and engaging story, with magical secrets, intrigue, and a tense negotiation of allies. I was thoroughly hooked from start to finish and absolutely cannot wait for the trilogy finale.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Forced to return home to spare the ones she loves, Vaasa finds herself in dire straits. Her marriage to Reid has been annulled, her magic is no longer hers to use, and a hostage keeps her acting like a demure heiress, nothing more than a figurehead. But Vaasa is done being used. She may act like a damsel in public, but she will do whatever it takes to reclaim her power and return to the man she loves - even if that means manipulating an old flame.
The Wicked and the Damned is a stellar sequel that brings a more focused plot, a calculating heroine, and tense stakes. While I enjoyed the first book, The Serpent and the Wolf, there were times where I felt like the plot was a bit all over the place, and the political maneuvering lacking. I’m happy to report that the sequel has a much more streamlined, cohesive storyline that isn’t trying to do too much in one go. I was far more engaged overall and loved watching Vaasa work.
The author does a great job of balancing two sides to Vaasa. On the one hand, she is conniving and proactive, determined to rescue herself and to use any tool at her disposal to do so. If that means emotionally manipulating the men around her, so be it. After all, they only see her as a stepping stone to the ultimate prize: the throne. Vaasa is on the knife’s edge of trying to convince multiple men that she only has eyes for them, well aware that if they suspect she’s betraying them, they’ll turn on her in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, Vaasa is also forced to encounter reminders of her traumatic past, which sometimes absolutely cripples her. While these scenes make her vulnerable, they never make her fully passive. She understands that she has to take her fate in her hands if she is to survive, and that means that eventually, she'll have to find a way to cope with her trauma.
While I did love the tense stakes and the manipulative use of courtship politics, I do admit this comes a bit at the expense of the romance. Reid, by necessity, doesn’t have as much to do in this book, though he is most definitely a man on a mission to get back to the side of his woman. And when the two ARE reunited, it is every bit as sweet as you would hope.
The Wicked and the Damned succeeds at bringing a tense and engaging story, with magical secrets, intrigue, and a tense negotiation of allies. I was thoroughly hooked from start to finish and absolutely cannot wait for the trilogy finale.
I picked up The Women of Wild Hill on audio, and that turned out to be the right call. The narration smooths over some structural bumps and makes things more entertaining. We get multiple timelines, a long family history, and a present-day plot built more on mood and reckoning than on action.
Wild Hill is a place where power pools, and the Duncan women have been shaped by it for generations. When Brigid, Phoebe, and Sybil are called back, it isn’t a cozy homecoming. They're not exactly a poster family. Heck, they're barely on speaking terms.
The characters are the novel’s greatest strength. Brigid, Phoebe, and Sybil are three-dimensional and emotionally distinct. In contrast, many of the men are villains, exploiters, or smug enablers. That feels intentional, by the way. This is an angry book about the damage men in power have done to women, to the planet, to history itself. Subtlety is not the goal, and fairness isn’t either.
Structurally, the novel jumps often into the past, telling the stories of earlier Duncan witches. These sections are interesting but they come at a cost. The constant time-hopping kills momentum in the present-day plot. Just when things start to move, the narrative detours again. Still, those historical chapters stand well on their own. They’re grim, clever, and often more focused than the main storyline.
The present-day arc builds slowly and resolves quickly. The ending feels compressed after such a long setup, which is frustrating, but not fatal. Anyway, the present-day plot revolves around reunion of the witches and its purpose. Brigid and Phoebe return after decades of estrangement, and Sybil (Phoebe's daughter) arrives without the full truth of who she is or what she might become. Then there is the Old One, a furious, ancient force that has decided powerful men has pushed the world too far. Climate collapse and systemic abuse are the reason things get into motion.
This isn’t a perfect book. It’s uneven, occasionally indulgent, and very pointed in its politics. But it’s also confident, character-driven, and unapologetic about its anger. And thanks to the audiobook format, it’s easy to stay engaged even when the pacing wobbles.
In short it's a good character-driven story.
Friday, December 12, 2025
Book review: Goddess from the Machine: A Prequel to the Ark Saga Daniel Rodrigues-Martin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Daniel Rodrigues-Martin began writing in 2004. Since then, he's become the author of books, articles, essays, shorts, scripts, poems, a master’s thesis, and countless rants. His debut novel, GODDESS FROM THE MACHINE earned a Kirkus Star, and is available from most major sellers.
Publisher: Daniel Rodrigues-Martin (March 26, 2025) Length: 528 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook
Buy The Poet Empress
FORMAT/INFO: The Poet Empress will be published by Bramble on January 20th, 2026. It is 400 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: To save her family and her village from starvation, Wei will do anything - including offering herself as a consort to the cruel Prince Terran. But upon arriving at the palace, it becomes clear that the fate of more than just her village is at stake. A succession crisis threatens to tear the country apart, and if Prince Terran is victorious, he will bring only more war and suffering to the land. Determined to protect her people, Wei begins to learn to read and write - skills forbidden to women - so that she can craft a spell to kill the prince, despite his magical protections. But for such a spell to work, Wei must find the words to capture the truth of the prince and how he was shaped into the monster he is today.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: To save her family and her village from starvation, Wei will do anything - including offering herself as a consort to the cruel Prince Terran. But upon arriving at the palace, it becomes clear that the fate of more than just her village is at stake. A succession crisis threatens to tear the country apart, and if Prince Terran is victorious, he will bring only more war and suffering to the land. Determined to protect her people, Wei begins to learn to read and write - skills forbidden to women - so that she can craft a spell to kill the prince, despite his magical protections. But for such a spell to work, Wei must find the words to capture the truth of the prince and how he was shaped into the monster he is today.
The Poet Empress is a dark tale of quests for power that walks the line of finding empathy for damaged people without absolving them of their own actions. I want to say off the top that I find it odd that this is being published by a romance imprint, as it doesn't fit any of the usual hallmarks of a romance story. This is a fantasy tale that examines the relationships that drive our lives, including the love between brothers. But this is not a tale with a happily ever after, nor a sweeping love story.
I also want to note that this book does deal with dark themes and actions, but it is not an explicit book. Any sex scenes happen off-page or are described vaguely in terms like "the childmaking act." There are still elements in the plot that are dark and disturbing (check the content warnings at the front of the book), but you will not be subjected to overly detailed descriptions of violent assaults or encounter any broader explicit sex scenes.
So if The Poet Empress isn't a romance, what is it? It is a court drama mixed with a dash of mystery. In order to do anything in her new home, Wei has to survive, and to do that, she needs power. But in her quest for power, will she lose her own moral compass? It's the dilemma Wei has to reckon with as she shapes what kind of consort she will be. Is violence the only way to earn respect or is there another way? Wei is offered no easy solutions, and is often forced into split-second decisions to survive yet another plot to kill or discredit her. I love games of social chess, where people are trying to trap each other through societal rules and clever words, and The Poet Empress delivered.
At the same time Wei is grappling with court politics, she is also trying to craft a poetry spell to kill Prince Terren, and for the spell to work, she has to be able to capture the truth of him in verse. This is where the mystery element comes in: how did Terren go from a timid but friendly child to the cruel despot he is today? Wei has to get the story of Terren's life from multiple people, as each one only has one part of the story. While one person can report on an incident in Terren's life, it's only by speaking to someone else that Wei can get the context and motivations for Terren's actions. I enjoyed the slow unraveling of the prince's life, to have the pieces click into place as we begin to understand what drives not only him, but the other people in Terren's life.
Even while enjoying this exploration of Terren, I was worried that this story would end up hand-waving away the prince's horrific acts because of the trauma in his life. Thankfully, while this tale gives us empathy for the struggles a person can secretly be going through, it still holds them accountable for their actions. As Wei points out, people endure great suffering all the time without becoming monsters themselves.
As for Wei herself, she is great to watch and a complicated character. While she comes to the palace as part of a selfless act, she isn't above being petty and vindictive. As she grows from naive farm girl to calculating consort, she relishes the fear she can instill in others. She goes on her own journey of how far she will go to amass power and what she will use that power for.
The Poet Empress is an intriguing tale of power, the fate of nations, and the secret pains we keep from the world. It's a tale of haves and have nots, about how common folk are left to suffer because those in power are too busy trying to protect their own legacy. And while it's not a romance, it's certainly about how the relationships in your life can define you for both good and for ill.
I also want to note that this book does deal with dark themes and actions, but it is not an explicit book. Any sex scenes happen off-page or are described vaguely in terms like "the childmaking act." There are still elements in the plot that are dark and disturbing (check the content warnings at the front of the book), but you will not be subjected to overly detailed descriptions of violent assaults or encounter any broader explicit sex scenes.
So if The Poet Empress isn't a romance, what is it? It is a court drama mixed with a dash of mystery. In order to do anything in her new home, Wei has to survive, and to do that, she needs power. But in her quest for power, will she lose her own moral compass? It's the dilemma Wei has to reckon with as she shapes what kind of consort she will be. Is violence the only way to earn respect or is there another way? Wei is offered no easy solutions, and is often forced into split-second decisions to survive yet another plot to kill or discredit her. I love games of social chess, where people are trying to trap each other through societal rules and clever words, and The Poet Empress delivered.
At the same time Wei is grappling with court politics, she is also trying to craft a poetry spell to kill Prince Terren, and for the spell to work, she has to be able to capture the truth of him in verse. This is where the mystery element comes in: how did Terren go from a timid but friendly child to the cruel despot he is today? Wei has to get the story of Terren's life from multiple people, as each one only has one part of the story. While one person can report on an incident in Terren's life, it's only by speaking to someone else that Wei can get the context and motivations for Terren's actions. I enjoyed the slow unraveling of the prince's life, to have the pieces click into place as we begin to understand what drives not only him, but the other people in Terren's life.
Even while enjoying this exploration of Terren, I was worried that this story would end up hand-waving away the prince's horrific acts because of the trauma in his life. Thankfully, while this tale gives us empathy for the struggles a person can secretly be going through, it still holds them accountable for their actions. As Wei points out, people endure great suffering all the time without becoming monsters themselves.
As for Wei herself, she is great to watch and a complicated character. While she comes to the palace as part of a selfless act, she isn't above being petty and vindictive. As she grows from naive farm girl to calculating consort, she relishes the fear she can instill in others. She goes on her own journey of how far she will go to amass power and what she will use that power for.
The Poet Empress is an intriguing tale of power, the fate of nations, and the secret pains we keep from the world. It's a tale of haves and have nots, about how common folk are left to suffer because those in power are too busy trying to protect their own legacy. And while it's not a romance, it's certainly about how the relationships in your life can define you for both good and for ill.
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