2023
1st Place: The Genesis Clock, by Rachel North
SYNOPSIS
October 21, 1805. The day that changed everything. In England, Georgiana Adams lost her reputation and the financial security of her upcoming marriage. Off the coast of Spain, French spy Joshua Durand’s father was murdered in the Battle of Trafalgar as punishment for Joshua’s espionage. Both of them will do anything to change the past.
In the winter of 1807, Joshua is a spy working for the British, in charge of stealing time travel-enabling chronoglass from the French. With time travel in his grasp, he could go back and save his father–until a chance meeting with Georgiana at a pub threatens his mission. Her connections to Britain’s spy ring have alerted her to the chronoglass’s existence. They strike a bargain: Georgiana keeps his ulterior motives a secret, and Joshua teaches her how to time travel.
But each piece of chronoglass can only travel back to a date once, and the supply is limited. Will Georgiana or Joshua get their wish? And is changing the past worth shattering the present?
Rachel North wastes no time in gripping readers with story questions and creating a narrative that is a page turner from page one. One of the strongest aspects of North’s work is her prose and the web of words on which the story rests. Each detail jumps out, and it’s easy to feel like you are there with Joshua Durand as he travels from place to place. This is a truly excellent story due to its tone, its three-dimensional characters, and its intrigue.
2nd Place: Crueller Courts Than This, by Felicity Edwards
SYNOPSIS
Kosta Octavian always thought his best friend would live forever, but when Isaac Sylva, ruler of the Ryn Empire, dies young of a rare blood cancer, Kosta is left to keep the Empire together until the six-year-old heir comes of age. Faced with political intrigue and assassination attempts, Kosta must battle through his grief if he hopes to survive, but how can he hope to save the Empire when he can’t even save himself?
This novel’s opening is deceptively quiet at first glance, and its inciting incident at the end of Chapter One blindsided me and made me incredibly intrigued for what was to come. Chapter Two builds upon the twist further, setting up incredible tension, heartbreaking character relationships, and great story questions. Edwards creates a poignant depiction of grief and makes it matter for the readers very early on, which is incredibly difficult to do. Each character is distinct and the emotion of their situation is handled with mastery.
3rd Place: Darius Winslow and the Best Quest Since Sliced Bread, by Shasta van Zandwijk
SYNOPSIS
Darius Winslow has always wanted to be a baker, but when he takes the mandatory Knight Test and accidentally passes, he and his horse, Mystery, embark on a quest. A quest to fulfill Darius’s Knightly duties. A quest to allow him his very own bakery. A quest full of friends, enemies, and yeast. THE quest.
The best quest, in fact, since sliced bread.
This novel sets a very different tone from most of the works that have been entered in the past, and that boldness to go off the beaten track paid off. One of its biggest strengths is its ability to impart nuggets of wisdom with wit and whimsy. With memorable characters and funny narration, this is a great read.
Finalist: The Cherished and the Corrupt, by Felicity Edwards
SYNOPSIS
After his sister runs away with half of his inheritance, failed lawyer Jonathan De Vries rents a cottage in Ellesbury with two goals in mind: relax for the summer and attend his cousin Alicia’s wedding.
A pleasure town for the rich and famous, Ellesbury is a volatile mix of privilege and poverty. Drawn into its golden world by a series of illustrious acquaintances, Jonathan is quickly swept away in a whirlwind of family secrets, summer romances and all-night parties.
But tensions are brewing beneath the town’s glittering surface, and Alicia’s tenuous relationship with her fiancé is about to snap. After tragedy strikes, the darker side of Ellesbury begins to unravel, and Jonathan must face the past he’s tried so hard to bury.
Prose is king in this novel. Edwards has an incredible knack for pulling you into the story’s world and making you feel like you’re there. This story houses a world full of great characters and fascinating story questions. It is truly excellent and captivating from page one.
Finalist: Between Comfort and Chaos, by Hope Strayer
SYNOPSIS
Malaiya is used to her life being an abundance of different, she was homeschooled up until high school plus she lives with her 36-year-old aunt on the weekends and her two teenage roommates during the week. It’s a bit strange sometimes, but she’s at most at home that way. And she’s happy.
Until she receives a letter, a letter that could catapult her life across the fine line she’s been walking. Will she find the balance between comfort and chaos as she battles grief for the first time? And just maybe could she learn the truth about the fragility of life?
The truth is, we’re only human, and we’re all trying our best.
One of the biggest strengths of this novel is Strayer’s narrative voice. Every word on the page is full of personality no matter what is happening, and she has a way of describing things that makes you look at mundane scenarios with new appreciation.
Finalist: Voice of a Lion, by Kylie Ancheta
SYNOPSIS
A Healer at her wit’s end.
A Rabbi who’s more than the heretic he seems to be.
A Prince who wants nothing more than to keep the Healer and the Rabbi from meeting.
Emrys heals people daily, but she’s plagued by the knowledge that she can’t heal herself. The High Priests are all too aware of how it affects her ability to heal others, and in consequence, their income. After she makes what could’ve been a fatal mistake, they revoke her status as a renowned healer and banish her from the temple.
Jireh, a rabbi whose heart of Emrys’ power, offers her a place in his group of disciples. Emrys is without a home and desperate for a fresh start. As she gets to know Jireh, she faces questions and doubts about her identity that the Prince is all too happy to influence. He infiltrates her thoughts and her nightmares, slowly convincing her that she doesn’t belong with Jireh or his group.
As Emrys’ illness progresses, so does her curiosity about Jireh and the Prince’s identities. The Prince is prepared to take drastic measures to ensure she never discovers the truth Jireh’s fighting to show her. If she isn’t careful, she’ll break under the weight of the battle in her heart – but breaking might be the only way to find the healing she craves.
Emrys is an incredibly intriguing and well-done main character, and her situation in the opening of the novel is an incredible way to draw readers in and make them care about her. The magic system is fascinating and the story world does an excellent job of framing Emrys’s plight and making her life harder and her bitterness understandable. My favorite part about this story is Ancheta’s masterful handling of how to create and execute an incredibly interesting novel concept, which she uses to her advantage to make readers invested in where things will go next.
2022
1st Place: The Under Sky – Rayna Magee – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: A Lawyer in Shining Armor – Rachel North – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Eulogy – Sophie Monastra – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Skyshadow – Jonathan Babcock – Read on the Student Forum »
Meet Me at the Edge of Time – Jordyn Hadden – Read on the Student Forum »
2021
1st Place: Adrift – Abby Snyder – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Hollow – Sophie Monastra – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: I Probably Won’t Live to See 1986 – Liberty Cousineau – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
The Witch of Endor – Alva Walsh – Read on the Student Forum »
Monsters Cold and Crooked – Felicity C. Edwards – Read on the Student Forum »
Blood Sins – Leyone Jones – Read on the Student Forum »
2020
1st Place: The Weeping Forest – Grace Willson – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Red Herring for Hire – Abigail Haagen – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: The King’s Brother – Sarabeth Schuck – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Not My Duty – Emily Martin – Read on the Student Forum »
Dragonmantles & Goldfish Crackers – Lauryn Trimmer – Read on the Student Forum »
Isbjørn – Rachel North – Read on the Student Forum »
2019
1st Place: I Am Nightrunner – Victoria Shanks – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Frostlighter – Seraphina West – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Message Carrier – Emily Schaeffer – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Outlaw – Miriam Crews – Read on the Student Forum »
The Traitor’s Sunstone – Felicity Edwards – Not available to read, by author’s request
2018
1st Place: Say Uncle – Rosey Mucklestone – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Hearthfoot – Victoria Shanks – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Forgotten Flame – Michal Garner – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Chasing Phantoms – Abby Anderson – Read on the Student Forum »
The Questers – Nicole DeBenon – Read on the Student Forum »
2017
1st Place: R.E.M. – Ashley Schaller – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: To Kidnap DNA – Lydia DeGisi – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: The Stonecrest Existential Crisis Club – Sam Cooper – Not available to read
Finalists (not ranked)
Agram Awakens – Aidan Bender – Read on the Student Forum »
Evik – Emily Schaeffer – Read on the Student Forum »
Starless Nights – M. R. Shupp – Not available to read
2016
1st Place: Chromeheads – Jake Buller – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Ten of Hearts – Joy Audens – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Hattie – Elisabeth Newton – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Show Me the Way – Meredith Lundell – Not available to read
Silhouettes: The Un-Telling of Peter Pan – Jamie Dougall – Read on the Student Forum »
Small Hands’ Flight – Charlotte Anderson – Read on the Student Forum »
2015
1st Place: Factory Rats – Catsi Eceer – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: The Monster Upstairs – Elisabeth Newton – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: The Reverse Road – Sam Cooper – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Of Lavron – Ellie Gardiner – Read on the Student Forum »
Somnia – Amy Nickelsen – Read on the Student Forum »
Wings of Dust – Charlotte Anderson – Read on the Student Forum »
2014
1st Place: The Witch’s Cat – Miguel Flores – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Under the Weather – Sam Cooper – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Children of Ashes – Justin Ferguson – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Pitch Black Stars – Catsi Eceer – Read on the Student Forum »
When the Stars Are Singing – Meredith West – Read on the Student Forum »
2013
1st Place: Blue Sky Burnt – Erynn Besse – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Redemption – Annika Lee – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Broken Glass King – Abby Walsh – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalist (not ranked)
Dangerous Games – Emily Haan – Read on the Student Forum »
Flightless – Bethany Ingham – Read on the Student Forum »
Indumentum Oris – Verity Rising – Read on the Student Forum »
2012
1st Place: Bitter Magic – Collin Anne Suttle – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Hosanna House – Hannah Mills – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Quintessence – Rachel Garner – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Heirborne – Braden Russell – Read on the Student Forum »
Survivor One – Richard LaRue – Read on the Student Forum »
Shining Stars – Wynter Croix – Read on the Student Forum »
Chatoyant – Sarah Seifert – Not available to read
2011
1st Place: Snapshots – Matthew Lauser – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Project Theta – Kyle de Waal – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Deep Six – Collin Anne Suttle – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Archipelago – Sophia Debusschere – Read on the Student Forum »
Forewarned – Rebekah Swank – Read on the Student Forum »
My Lady – Grace Debusschere – Read on the Student Forum »
Sightless – Miguel Flores – Read on the Student Forum »
Speak Aloud, Scream Alone – Read on the Student Forum »
2010
1st Place: Recollections – Janae Leeke – Read on Student Forum »
2nd Place: Becoming Human – Jared Schmitz – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: My Father’s Dream – Sarah Wacker – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Sacrifice – Collin Anne Suttle – Read on the Student Forum »
The Fly by Night – Kyle de Waal – Read on the Student Forum »
Out of Darkness – Sarah Noé – Read on the Student Forum »
Of Princesses and Dragons – Grace Garner – Read on the Student Forum »
Offset – Matthew Lauser – Read on the Student Forum »
2009
1st Place: Kytt’s Tale – Carlie Gernhart – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Of Self and Sacrifice – Elizabeth Lobach – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Allemande – Lydia DeWolf – Read on the Student Forum »
Finalists (not ranked)
Forest of Lies – Rachel Garner – Read on the Student Forum »
Knights in Red Coats – Jane Johnson – Read on the Student Forum »
Child of Darkness, Child of Light – Rachel Werner – Read on the Student Forum »
Prince of Thertine – Grace Garner – Read on the Student Forum »
2008
1st Place: Averill – Lydia DeWolf – Read on the Student Forum »
2nd Place: Fable Weaver – Carlie Gernhart – Read on the Student Forum »
3rd Place: Betsy Flowain – Rachel Garner – Read on the Student Forum »