Savant Awards 2022

Mystery Winners

Thank you to both judges lolaawrites and Laura from Cabalmen! Participants of this category are really lucky because their comments are really in-depth.

First Place —
The Witch's Bottle by Echo4Echo

TOTAL: 96/100
Cover: 8/10
Title and Blurb - 10/10
Plot - 30/30
Flow – 9/10
Character Development - 14/15
Anticipation - 10/10
Enjoyment -  10/10
Language - 5/5

Comments by lolaawrites:
Cover – Your cover is pretty spot-on and the font is easily readable. It does match the theme, but my only criticism would be whether it would be eye-catching amongst other covers. Does it stand out?

Title and blurb – The title is probably one of my favourites while judging. I know what to expect from it. The blurb mentions the witch's bottle and so that makes the title very relevant. The blurb itself is beautifully done. You didn't give away too much information, but gave enough to draw people in. I would say it's perfect so 10/10.

Plot and flow – The plot so far is very original. Its unlike anything I've read on Wattpad. The prologue alone sets it apart and without even knowing what Gabriel saw, I can feel the apprehension and terror. This creature is to be feared. The first few chapters are all well-paced and structured, and you don't shy away from shortening the chapters so that the information isn't overwhelming.

Character development – I love how you introduced William and Max and their dynamic lightened the mood a bit after William's panic attack. Their humour makes them very likeable as characters. For development, I'd say it would be nice to see more explanation about William's PTSD. Other than the main characters, your introduction and description of the side characters makes this story feel a lot fuller. We learn who the characters are through their actions and experiences. We see Max's fear and tendency to lash out when she is scared, and William's patience and resilience by how he responds to her. Their differences make the conflict in the story possible.

Anticipation and enjoyment – You ended a lot of cliff-hangers which made me look forward to each chapter. I found myself looking forward to reading on. I definitely enjoyed checking it out as it's something I've not come across before.
Language – it's well—written. I appreciate how simple your descriptions are. It allows me to envisage the scene, but doesn't overwhelm the senses.

🍬☁️

Second Place —
Fragmented Lies by MiniMoxx

Total: 92/100
Cover: 7/10
Title and Blurb - 10/10
Plot - 28/30
Flow – 10/10
Character Development - 12/15
Anticipation – 10/10
Enjoyment - 10/10
Language - 5/5

Comments by lolaawrites:
Cover – The cover is great to look at visually, but the font is hard to read. It fits the mood of the story, however, which is why I marked it a 7.

Title and blurb – I like the title – Fragmented Lies. I can already tell that some existing narratives are going to be shattered just from the title. The blurb is descriptive without giving away the plot twist, which I'm very impressed with. I wouldn't change a thing about that.

Plot and flow – I loved that first paragraph in the first chapter, it flowed nicely. I like that you introduced the strange messages so early on in the story. That scene (with the graveyard being eerie enough on its own) the text messages coming through sent a chill down my spine. However, some plot holes I identified is Caleb's appearance. I think he should change have a little makeover if he plans to live in the same town. I wanted Winter to ignore Caleb after that first meeting. Having a conversation with him that soon seemed a little improbable. He deserved to be iced out after she had her freak out, she shouldn't have even allowed him to speak. But I'm still very impressed that she left after he explained the situation to her. She didn't just hug him and accept him back into her life straight away.