SPFBO 9, Phase 1

This page charted progress in Phase 1 of the 9th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, which ran from June 1st to October 30th 2023. To read more about the SPFBO contest please visit the homepage.

You can also check out the finalists' scoreboard and follow phase 2.

Here are some factoids about this year's entries:

(taken from this list very helpfully compiled by C. Borden)

2 have 1,000+ ratings on Goodreads

30 have 100+ ratings on Goodreads

56 have 50+ ratings on Goodreads

Wild Knight has 6,080 ratings on Goodreads.

Here are the 6 oldest entries - A Donkey, A Stablehand And An Empire was published 15 years ago.

Here are the 6 longest entries - Through Dreams So Dark has 892 pages.

Updates!

Lynn's Books and The Critiquing Chemist reveal our final finalist!

A Rival Most Vial is reviewed on Lynn's Books.

Fantasy-Faction choose our ninth finalist!

Before We Go Blog choose our eighth finalist!

Hills of Heather and Bone is reviewed on Fantasy-Faction.

Fantasy-Faction find another semi-finalist.

The Many Shades of Midnight is reviewed on Lynn's Books.

Lynn's Books reviews Under The Lesser Moon.

Credible Threats is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Before We Go Blog reviews The Briar Crown.

Four cuts and a semi-finalist from Fantasy-Faction.

Before We Go Blog reviews Trial of the Alchemist.

Jagged Emerald City is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

A Tree's Heart is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Philip Chase chooses our 7th finalist!

Twilight Kingdom is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Before We Go Blog reviews The Bachelor's Valet.

Of Deeds Most Valiant is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Before We Go Blog reviews The Undead Sorceress.

The Way Of Renegades is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Before We Go Blog reviews Written In Water.

Infernal Shadows is review on Before We Go Blog.

Queen's Book Asylum choose our 6th finalist!

The Betrayer is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Queen's Book Asylum reviews The Last Fang Of God.

Four more fall on Fantasy-Faction, plus another semi-finalist.

Philip Chase brings us his 4th semi-finalist.

Eleventh Cycle is reviewed on Queen's Book Asylum.

Before We Go Blog reviews The Third Crossing.

A Dagger In The Winds is reviewed on Queen's Book Asylum.

Philip Chase cuts five books and pick a semi-finalist.

Five cuts & a semi-finalist is named on Fantasy-Faction.

Before We Go Blog reviews The First Rule.

Under the Lesser Moon is reviewed on The Critiquing Chemist.

Before We Go Blog reviews Sisters of Jade.

Cuts and semi-finalists from the Critiquing Chemist.

Before We Go Blog reviews Truth of Crowns.

Our 5th finalist is declared on Fantasy Book Critic!

Queen's Book Asylum reviews Scarlet and Sunder.

Our 4th finalist is declared by Bookborn!

Fae Gods: Maze is reviewed on Queen's Book Asylum.

Team Bookborn's last semi-finalist announced.

Semi-finalists announced on Lynn's Books.

Lynn's Books reviews Dream of Death City.

Our 3rd finalist is declared by Becky M!

Vanishing Ink is reviewed bt the Critiquing Chemist (Lynn's Books)

Lynn's Books reviews Twicetime.

The Heron Kings Rampant is reviewed by Lynn's Books.

Lynn's Books reviews The First And Last Demon.

Five eliminations from the Critiquing Chemist (Lynn's Books).

Becky M makes her final cuts.

Lynn's Books reviews The Bone Spear.

Our 2nd finalist is declared on The Weatherwax Report!

Before We Go Blog reviews Cold West.

Semi-finalist, Deceit, is reviewed on Queen's Book Asylum.

The Weatherwax Report announces their final semi-finalist.

4 more cuts from Becky M.

The Weatherwax Reports on her last book - The Ghosts in the Flames.

Dark Innocence is reviewed by Lynn's Books.

The Weatherwax Report reviews Atenia.

Candle Children is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Lynn's Books reviews Of Thieves And Shadows.

Through Dreams So Dark is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

The Weatherwax Report reports on Night Demon.

A Wreck of Witches is reviewed on team Bookborn.

Necrotown is review by team Bookborn,

Philip Chase choses his 2nd semi-finalist.

The Weatherwax Report reviews The Dark Heart of Redemption.

The Unchosen is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

Becky M cuts three more titles.

The Dark Heart of Redemption is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

The Weatherwax Report has a review for Darkwind.

For Evergreens and Aspen Trees is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

Queen's Book Asylum chose their last semi-finalist.

Many Savage Moons is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

Becky M reviews Sul.

The Esmachine reviews Daughters of Tith on The Weatherwax Report.

Four cuts from Lynn's Books.

The Weatherwax Report rolls on with another semi-finalist.

Wild Knight is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

Before We Go Blog reviews Trial of the Alchemist.

A new semi-finalist from The Weatherwax Report.

The Weatherwax Report reports on Seeds of War.

Mrs Covington's is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

The Weatherwax Report reviews Watchers of the Evenfall.

Another semi-finalist from the Weatherwax Report team.

Before We Go Blog reviews The Liar Charms.

A semi-finalist is announced on Before We Go Blog.

Covers With Cassidy picks the first finalist!

A semi-finalist is chosen on The Weatherwax Report.

The Weatherwax Report reviews The Certainty of Blood.

 A semi-finalist is chosen on Queen's Book Asylum.

The Weatherwax Report reviews The Beauty of Dawn.

The Wickwire Watch is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

Lynn's Books cuts another 4 titles.

Another semi-finalist is picked on Team Bookborn.

Team Covers With Cassidy chooses another semi-finalist.

Echoes of Dragons is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

Becky M cuts three more titles.

A new semi-finalist is chosen on Queen's Book Asylum.

Becky M reviews The Dragon's Hide.

A 4th semi-finalist is chosen by Fantasy Book Critic.

The Werewold of Whitechapel is reviewed by Team Weatherwax.

Team Bookborn reviews To Steal The Sun.

Three cuts from Becky M.

First cuts from  Lynn's Books and The Critiquing Chemist.

Queen's Book Asylum make a semi-finalist announcement.

Another semi-finalist from team Covers With Cassidy.

Fantasy-Faction make five cuts.

The Fall Is All There Is is revewed by Becky M.

Before We Go Blog reviews Heliotrope. 

Light Above is reviewed by Team Bookborn.

Team Fantasy Book Critic another semi-finalist is chosen.

Kill Your Darlings is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

Queen's Book Asylum reveal a semi-finalist.

A Quiet Vengeance is reviewed by the Weatherwax Report team.

The Weatherwax Report reviews A Magical Imperative.

Another semi-finalist is chosen by the Covers With Cassidy team.

Team Bookborn review Nascent Witch.

A semi-finalist is chosen by the Covers With Cassidy team.

Becky M swings her axe - three cuts.

Three cuts from the Weatherwax Team.

Team Bookborn review Strangers in the High City,

Two more cuts on Queen's Book Asylum.

Philip Chase chooses his first semi-finalist.

The Covers With Cassidy team review Spell Fade.

Vevin Song is reviewed on The Weatherwax Report.

The Weatherwax Report reviews Chimera.

Queen's Book Asylum cuts three more titles.

Three cuts on Queen's Book Asylum.

Unfamiliar Territory is reviewed by Team Bookborn.

Becky M reviews Mordicax.

Danu's Curse is revewed on Before We Go Blog.

Before We Go Blog reviews Humanborn.

Three cuts from Becky M.

Team Bookborn review The Fey of Castle Garden.

Two more cuts from Queen's Book Asylum.

Becky M reviews Angel From The Rust.

Blood Will Out is reviewed on Covers With Cassidy.

Before We Go Blog reviews Shadow of a Winter Moon.

Cuts and more from Fantasy Book Critic.

Two cuts on Queen's Book Asylum.

Team Bookborn review Askefise.

 A semi-finalist is chosen by The Covers With Cassidy team.

The Covers With Cassidy team have a review for The Awakening Fire.

Three cuts on Becky M.

Fantasy Book Critic cut five titles and find a semi-finalist.

The Book of Zog is reviewed by Becky M.

Queen's Book Asylum announce cuts and a semi-finalist.

The Covers With Cassidy team review Mambo Wizard: Breakfast Is Served.

Team Bookborn review The Winds of Change.

Dream of the Sphere is reviewed by Becky M.

Deathbringer is reviewed by Team Bookborn.

The Weatherwax Report reviews The Lady Jewel Diviner.

Wild Eyed Southern Boys is reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

Becky M reviews Doll Girl Meets Dead Guy.

Five books reviewed by the Covers With Cassidy team.

The Covers With Cassidy team have a review for Bioshifter.

The Last of Dai'akan is reviewed by The Weatherwax Report.

Team Bookborn review Daughter of the Beast.

Edgar and the Flyboys is reviewed on Team Bookborn.

On Team Bookborn A Thing Immortal is reviewed.

The Way of Unity is this year's first semi-finalist - reviewed on Before We Go Blog.

The Weatherwax Report reviews The Bleeding Stone.

The Weatherwax Report kicks things off with a review of Feast!

10 books are still in the running!

We have 56 semi-finalists.

We have 10 finalists.

Red is cut

+ (& bolding) indicates semi-finalist

Green for the finalists.

Fantasy-Faction Kenny Gould	The Castle of 1,000 Doors
Michael Webb	Fortress of the Lost Amulet
Sadir S. Samir	The Crew +
Casey White	Roots and Steel
Mike Mollman	Becoming A Druid
E.M. McConnell	The Sunset Sovereign
Ashley Capes	The Moss Dragon of Brittlekeep
Michael R. Schultheiss	The Altar of My Fate
Chris Mayne	Heretic
Paul Mouchet	Between Land and Sea: A Little Mermaid Retelling
William Ray	Shadow Debt
Aldrea Alien	Tracking Trouble
C.N. Rowan	imPerfect Magic +
K.E.Andrews	Hills of Heather and Bone +
Yuval Kordov	The Hand of God
Joshua Scott Edwards	An Ocean of Others +
CL Jarvis	The Doctrines of Fire
J.L.Mullins	Mageling
R.S Ford	Herald of the Storm
Michael Roberti	The Traitors We Are
C M Kerley	The Hummingbird's Tear
Victoria Tecken	Phased
Raina Nightingale	Heart of Fire
Becky James	The Tenets in the Tattoos
Sean Gibson	The Camelot Shadow
Laurie Janey	The Crossing
Samuel Hinton	Soul Relic
J. E. Purrazzi	The Legend of Tawhiri
Benjamin Aeveryn	Salt in the Wound +
Phil Williams	Dyer Street Punk Witches +
Fantasy Book Critic Jessica A. McMinn	The Ruptured Sky +
A. R. Witham	The Legend of Black Jack
Alex Hanson	The Heart of Jesparia
Oliver Carman	Out of Shadows
H.D. Woolf	Red Mage
Lyra Wolf	That Good Mischief
Grace Bridges	Volcano City
Luis Falcao de Magalhaes	The Daughter of the Ice
Aaron Jackson	The Cataclysm
James Mordechai	A Crack in the World
Daan Katz	Night's Reign
Ben Green	Forged in the Fallout
Heidi K. Allen	Where Madness Lies
Tracy M Joyce	Rada
Jamie Jackson	The Sparrow and the Oak Tree +
Melissa Polk	Beautiful Undone
David Heyman	A Donkey, A Stablehand & An Empire
Mitchell Hogan	Crucible of Lies +
Jack Batchen	The Outside
RJ Wheldrake	That Which The Deep Heart Knows
J.C. Snow	The Phoenix and the Sword
H.C. Newell	Curse of the Fallen
Taylor Hartley	A Gallery for the Barbarian +
Todd Herzman	Hack, Slash & Burn
Sam Pigg	Revolution
J.D.L. Rosell	The Last Ranger +
Katherine D. Graham	The Vow That Twisted Fate
M. X. Walker	The Girl And Her Demon
Chad Retterath	Notes on Monster Hunting
Emma L. Adams	Death's Disciple +
Lynn's Books + The Critiquing Chemist Alexander Layne	The Bone Spear
Cassandra Stirling	The Deep Space Between
Felix Taylor	Crown of Rebellion
Steve Hugh Westenra	The Wings of Ashtaroth
Lincoln Law	A Crown of Blood
Eric Lewis	The Heron Kings Rampant
PJ Nwosu	Dream of Death City +
W.R. Gingell	A Whisker Behind
Andrew D Meredith	Deathless Beast
Hiyodori	The First and Last Demon +
Jay Tallsquall	Legacy of the Vermillion Blade
Brien Feathers	Warlock of Muscovy
Maxime Jaz	Khirion
R.K. Ashwick	A Rival Most Vial: Potioneering for Love and Profit +
PJ Alexander	Dark Innocence
James Lloyd Dulin	No Heart for a Thief
B. S. H. Garcia	Of Thieves and Shadows
C M Debell	The Many Shades of Midnight +
K.B. Sprague	Out of the Grey
Joe Coates	The Darkness Calling
Michelle Piper	Price of Innocence
Alex Robins	Panacea
Carol Carman	Twicetime +
Shelly Campbell	Under The Lesser Moon +
Zachary M. Kekac	The Wayfarer
JC Rycroft	The Blood-Born Dragon
Reed Logan Westgate	Soulstealer Origins
B. N. Reele	Vanishing Ink
C. E. Page	A Song of Sorrow
Simone Snaith	The Quavering Air
The Weatherwax Report Sienna Frost	Awakening
A. L. Lorensen	For Evergreens and Aspen Trees
j.e. pittman	Felix Chance
Tim Hardie	A Quiet Vengeance
Stuart Simms	Feast +
Jay Requard	Atenia
R. Dugan	Darkwind
W.D Seitz	The Beauty of Dawn
João F. Silva	Seeds of War
Joseph John Lee	The Bleeding Stone +
Ben Spencer	Many Savage Moons
Suzannah Rowntree	The Werewolf of Whitechapel +
Annabel Chase	Wild Knight
Rosalie Oaks	The Lady Jewel Diviner
J. Patricia Anderson	Daughters of Tith
Jeremy Miller	The Last Dai'akan +
L.E. Harper	Kill Your Darlings
Tim Frankovich	The Certainty of Blood
Thomas Allen	Chimera
Jonathan Neves Mayers	Vevin Song
C. Borden	Echoes of Dragons
Laura Huie	The Unchosen
Seann Barbour	The Ghosts in the Flames
Joe Field	Watchers of the Evenfall
Stephen Wolberius	Night Demon
Gerard Howard	The Fractured God
Jacquelyn Hagen	The Wickwire Watch +
Edith Pawlicki	A Magical Imperative
Darran M Handshaw	The Dark Heart of Redemption
Em McDermott	The Woods
Becky M Shan Syed	Western Invasion
Lidiya Foxglove	Doll Girl Meets Dead Guy
Jay S. Willis	Dream of the Sphere
Alec Hutson	The Book of Zog +
Jeff McIntyre	The Garden Gnome
R.L. Parker	Siscci
Peter Benton	Eve's Apple
Jason Link	Angel from the Rust
A.R. Rathmann	Gates to Illvelion
Mark McKerracher	Mordicax
Niranjana Siva and Archana Sujai	The Missing Piece of History
C.M. Caplan	The Fall Is All There Is +
Richard Fierce	Throne of Deceit
Chaz Lebel	Litany of the Destroyer
Dustin Porta and D.K. Holmberg	The Dragon's Hide +
Charlotte E. English	Gloaming
Jill Chard	The Relic Thief
T. R. Peers	The Zero of Destiny
Jacqui Davis, Katy Grierson	Sul +
Simon Graeme	Dark Lament
Francis Deer and Mika Hunter	Stars and Ravens
Samuel Gately	The Rise of the Falsemarked
E.L. Lyons	Starlight Jewel
Colm Quinn	Bluebell
Joan Marie Verba	Twelve
Wilbur Seymore	Young Wytch
Anne Mattias	Kingsrise
J. W. Judge	Casual Business with Fairies
J.D. Mitchell	Springtide Harvest
Gregory Kontaxis	The Return of the Knights
Before We Go Blog Elizabeth Schechter	Written in Water
Steven William Hannah	The First Rule
Tayor Crook	Infernal Shadow
Delilah Waan	Petition +
Sarah K. Balstrup	The Way of Unity +
Sarah K. L. Wilson	Of Deeds Most Valiant
Lorain O'Neil	The Liar Charms
Angelika Rust	A Tree's Heart
Carl D. Albert	Truth of Crowns
JF Garrard	The Undead Sorceress
Hannah E. Carey	The Betrayer
Joanna Maciejewska	Humanborn
Clayton Snyder	Cold West +
Angela Boord	Through Dreams So Dark
HJ Tolson	Twilight Kingdom
Michael Gisman	Defenders of Myth: Beginnings
Shawn McGee	Wild Eyed Southern Boys
Daniel Meyer	Credible Threats +
James Downe	Sisters of Jade
Cam Sinclair	Shadow of the Winter Moon
Nicole Pierman	Danu's Curse
Karim Soliman	The Third Crossing
Steve D. Wall	The Way of Renegades
Helen Rygh-Pedersen	The Briar Crown +
Michael Baker	Candle Children
K.R.R. Lockhaven	Mrs. Covington's
Arden Powell	The Bachelor's Valet +
Palmer Pickering	Heliotrope +
Trevor Melanson	Trial of the Alchemist +
R. K. Brainerd	Jagged Emerald City
Queen's Book Asylum Kian N. Ardalan	Eleventh Cycle +
Ted Cross	The Shattered Spire
Kate Schumacher	Shadow of Fire
Timothy Wolff	Platinum Tinted Darkness
Mike Rousseau	Scarlet and Sunder +
Philinna Wood	Fae Gods: Maze +
R. R. Hunter	The Untold Prophecy
Jean Gill	The Ring Breaker
M.T. Fontaine	Carved Amidst the Shadows
C. Litka	Beneath the Lanterns
Aaron Bunce and Christopher Guhl	Wings of the Storm
Melissa Wright	Beyond the Filigree Wall
L. James Rice	The Contessa of Mostul Ûbar
Melissa Stone	Path of the Warrior
Brendan Noble	A Dagger in the Winds +
Christiane Knight	In Sleep You Know
Sharon Rivest	Deceit +
Aisha Urooj	The Stone Mermaid
Susan Maxwell	And the Wildness
Peter Mooren	The Return of Abaddon
Frank Borrelli	Reign of Extinction
Drew Montgomery	Gods of the Deep
Ryan Kirk	The Last Fang of God +
Sarah Cline	The Gardens of Ash
John Champaign	Endless Seas
Catherine M Walker	Unwanted
M.C. Burnell	The Spider's Friend
Brogan Thomas	Rebel Unicorn
Bogdan Tăbușcă	Rise of the Empress
Jayme Hunt	Marked by Fate
Bookborn Derek Alan Siddoway & Katie Cross	A Spring for Spears
Matthew Zorich	Bastards of Liberty
A.E. Dinsmoor	Battle for Neverland: Countdown
Daniel Maidman	The Exile of Zanzibar +
V. A. Boston	Fairy Door
E C Greaves	Daughter of the Beast +
Kevin Wright	Terminus Rex
J.E. Cabrera	Strangers in the High City
Melissa Bobe	Nascent Witch
Barry K Gregory	A Thing Immortal
Michael Michel	The Price of Power +
SC Gowland	Delusions & Dragons
Brian O'Sullivan	Liath Luachra: The Raiders
Lily Anne Crow	If Light Above +
Belinda Crawford	Demons & Battleskirts Volume 1
Abigail Morrison	The Yochni's Eye
Troy Knowlton	The Winds of Change
Louise Gorday	Edgar and the Flyboys
Kristin L Hamblin	Fated Born
Nia Quinn	A Wreck of Witches
Freya Faust	Stray Dogs
Alexander Nader	Necrotown +
Eileen Mueller	Anakisha's Dragon
Blake Carpenter	Deathbringer
Mathilda Zeller	The Revenge of Bridget Cleary
Dan Fitzgerald	The Living Waters
Naomi P. Cohen	The Fey of Castle Garden
R. Lindsay Carter	Unfamiliar Territory
S. M. Carter	To Steal the Sun
Rebecca Schmid	Askefise
Philip Chase Austin Windsor	A Twist of Fate
Alice Johnson	Little Secrets
Norbert Zsivicz	Sealed Empire
Mandy Burkhead	A Single Spark
Audrey Martin	A Searing Faith
M. V. Prindle	Bob the Wizard +
Lisa Vandiver	Mystic Mist
Alex Raizman	The Dungeon that Walks Like a Man
Angel Haze	Blood of Vengeance
Thomas Howard Riley	The Monsters We Feed
Natalie Kelda	River in the Galaxy
Mitriel Faywood	A Gamble of Gods +
M. H. Thaung	The Diamond Device
Amanda Muratoff & Kayla Hansen	Embrace of the Shade
IQ Malcolm	Church of Thieves +
Steven Paul Watson	Fairywood Falls
Daniel J. Lyons	The Path to Vihaan
Toby Bennett	A Lady in Crystal
Thomas J. Prestopnik	Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web
Rose Catherine Khan	Return to the Castle
Mandy O'Dell	Witch Stone
Melinda Kucsera	Curse Breaker Enchanted
Marcus Lee	The Mountain of Souls
Morgan Shank	A Low Country
Juliet Vane	Tales of Sand and Stars
Amber L. Werner	Shadows That Bind Us +
Brock Mays	Embers
Morgan Stang	Murder at Spindle Manor +
W.D. Kilpack III	Crown Prince
Bryan Asher	The Fear of Moncroix
CoversWithCassidy J. Daniel Layfield	Spell Fade
Adam Copeland	Echoes of Avalon
Rob J. Hayes	Pawn's Gambit +
Lara Lynwood	Blood Will Out
Wend Raven	Master of the Void +
Seth Hobbs	A Sword of the Three Rivers
Mary McKenna	Lady of Ravensmere
Jamie Edmundson	An Inheritance of Ash and Blood
NC Koussis	The Sword of Mercy and Wrath +
Michael J. Hedayat	Grace Defend Us
D. N. Bryn	Odder Still
Giordano J. Lahaderne	The Mambo Wizard: Breakfast is Served!
N.R. Gravel	Opanumbra
Natalie Maher	Bioshifter
Alexander Wyatt	The Fires of Time +
Debbie Iancu-Haddad	Speechless in Achten Tan
Cassie Greutman	Regeneration
Oliver Laws	Crystal Gunslinger - The Obsidian Outlaws
RavensDagger	Love Crafted
Zack Bel	The Nightingale Prince
Olena Nikitin	Autumn Chaos
Meredith Hart	Hearts Lost
Cassidy Faline	The Awakening Fire
C. D. McKenna	The Blood of the Lion +
MT Zimny	Beta
Nathan Hartle	Summoning and Sacrifice
A.J. Cerna	City of Mages
M. H. Woodscourt	Prince of the Fallen
Aaron Hodges	Darkstrider
Nancy Foster	Fragmented Fates

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