The winners of our Fantasy Writing Competition carried us to mystical places, from a group of harried seamstresses in a castle turret to a tragic love story played out under the watchful eye of time. Guest Judge Marie Lu was very impressed with the standard of the entries:
“What a group of talented young writers (and editors)! I feel so inspired knowing that this next generation is bursting with such creativity. All my love and encouragement to them as they continue their writing journeys!”
Check out the winners and finalists below, along with her commentary! Thank you to everyone who entered.
WINNERS
Winner: Beneath Woven Wings by Isabelle_ (Hong Kong)
My immediate impression of this story was not only the lushness of the language—incredibly visual and evocative, capturing the magic of a faery tale—but the inherent tension. Behind the tapestry of beauty and richness, there is something sinister that captures the reader’s attention, the image of these seamstresses working away on the wings, the urgency of time flitting away, the intrigue of whom they were making the wings for. I found myself captivated by this story in all ways, and so impressed with how much story arc was covered in such a short time. The ending surprised me, and the skill with which this plot was concluded convinced me to choose Beneath Woven Wings as the winner.
Runner up: Time Knows No Master by Twelve Bells (US)
This is a love story that hurts me in the best way. I enjoyed the metaphor of time and the clock tower, the urgency that this lent to the protagonist, and the desperate love between him and Anette that drives him to commit his fatal mistake. There is a hint of Icarus’s fate here, the consequences of flying too close to the sun, of wanting something so badly that one is willing to risk everything for it. I found his journey deeply sympathetic, because we can all relate to that feeling of love and want, and to the pain that comes from destroying what we have in pursuit of that want. A tragic story, beautifully told.
Best Peer Review: I Painted a World, reviewed by Erin Coull (Australia)
In many ways, a writer is only as good as their editor. I found myself thinking about the editorial letters I receive and how the deft guidance of my own editor helps me strengthen my story. It’s a difficult job–and one that Erin Coull does with great skill and care. Coull manages not only to communicate what they loved about the story, but words their critiques in a way that is constructive to the writer. Most of all, I felt like their critiques were not meant to twist the story in a way only satisfying to the reviewer, but meant to help the writer flesh out the story that the writer is trying to tell. This is a challenging task for the best of editors. Coull does this very well, and I appreciated the way they offered helpful questions at the end that could strengthen the story. This read very much like the kind of editorial letters I receive and find helpful.
FINALISTS
1. The Song of Silence by YeniFeather (Libya)
2. Demons of the Past by Tiektyne Alma (US)
3. The Mage Seeker by Andie_Greenwood (US)
Peer Review Finalists:
- Mind Games, reviewed by Sophie Lamb (Canada)
- Collectors, reviewed by Nausicaa Chu (US)
- The Starset Wall, reviewed by Coolgirl (US)
Editor’s Note: Thank you to everyone who wrote a peer review this month. There were so many thoughtful peer reviews published, we are sharing a few honorable mentions as well!
Honorable Mentions:
- The garden, reviewed by Eblinn (Belgium)
- Taken, reviewed by typos, many of them (US)
- The Flask, reviewed by Lara J. (New Zealand)
- your amethysts are my battle-scars, reviewed by darling_bean (US)
- the yellow room, reviewed by crystalline•galaxies (US)
Thank you again to everyone who entered, and congratulations to all our winners!
