Judging for this genre is performed in two rounds. At the end of round one, one book is eliminated per round. During round two, all judges will read the books and one will be eliminated. The remaining three books will be our winners for the genre!
The Knight and the Peasant by SirTurtletheIII
Plot 8/10
There is a lot of world building in the opening chapters that slowed down the story but then once a pivotal thing happens it takes off.
Conventions 8/10
Grammar and punctuation are good. Dialogue feels natural but might be a little bit overused.
Character Development 7/10
In the opening chapters we get a lot of background on the character from a technical perspective but less about how he feels about wanting to be a knight which is central to the plot. I want to know what it is about being a knight that appeals.
Cover Design and synopsis 9/10
The cover is clean and clear in spot on. The synopsis is enticing and makes me want to open the story. One small point to improve the synopsis - The word thrust is used twice in conjoining sentences.
Originality 7/10
The story feels a bit like Star Wars Middle Ages edition at first but quickly turns into its own unique story.
Feedback 7/10
Nice description of the sword being forged it really came to life on the page. An opportunity to improve the storytelling would be to help us understand what the main character likes so much about being a knight. This could be achieved by having the knight tell one of his stories while staying in the town which are often referenced but I found myself wanting to hear one of them.
Total: 46
The Champion by Archdav
Plot: 8/10
Author does a great job of world building and crafting the parameters of the story. We are aware of the conflict within the champion himself but not yet of the conflict of the story
Conventions 9/10
Good punctuation and sentence structure. Although there is a little dialogue it feels appropriate
Character Development 7/10
The character starts off very strong and crystal clear in his intention. Well we get a lot of background I don't really see a lot of character grows up to this point.
Cover Design and synopsis 9/10
The cover is unique and fits the genre. The synopsis is a good combination of short and sweet but teasing.
Originality 8/10
While the concept of a hero with a hidden past is not new the author treats this as a central identifier of the character. The secret is well hidden and seems unique.
Feedback 9/10
The opening chapter does a great job of not only setting the stage for the story but teasing us with the champions secrets right off the bat. The combination of action and emotion worked really well.
Total: 50
Date of Dawn by JoshuaVolkers
Plot: 10/10
Honestly, this story is a perfect example of a fun fantasy adventure.
Conventions: 10/10
I didn't notice any grammatical or spelling errors. Word choice and vocabulary were spot on for the genre and story.
Character development: 9/10
I didn't give this a perfect score only because there's a few characters who I had trouble picturing within the scenes.
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Ruby Novel Awards Winners
RandomHere is where we'll announce winner of each round per genre!
