In order to āwinā (no prize other than my great esteem and respect), books must have been reviewed by me on the blog, Goodreads or Bookbub during the long happening that was 2020.
Without further ado, the award goes to…
Best Female Lead
Lira, The Prince and the Poisoner (Carnival of Fae #1), by Helena Rookwood. I love this sassy, self-serving yet likeable character, who lies, cheats and steals her way into readers hearts in The Prince and the Poisoner and its sequel, The Thief and the Throne. [My Review.]
Best Male Lead
Numair, Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles #1), by Tamora Pierce. Like a sensible Harry Potter, the much loved character of Numair from Pierceās The Immortals trilogy grows up in a school surrounded by a river god, a leftover prince and no shortage of intrigue. Numair does all the normal adolescent boy things, even as he does the extraordinary. [Review available on Bookbub; coming soon to website.]
Best Storytelling
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1), by Tamora Pierce. Thereās nothing like the story of a young girl better at swordplay than sorcery, who trades places with her twin and seeks to become a knight. Not only does Alanna make room for a different kind of girl in YA fantasy, but itās absorbing from page one. Now and always, a classic. [My review.]
Best Plot Twist
Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora. āTwistā needs to be plural for this story, which probably fits best under the category of magical realism. Betrayals, terrible truths, and a vengeful lie sit at the heart of this book like jagged wire. The truth about Bean, a black-eyed child born with what might as well be a curse, is only one revelation in the story of a Black community during enslavement and after, and the midwife-plus-medicine-maker Rue who tries to keep itāand a few of the liesāfrom falling apart. [Review available on Bookbub; coming soon to website.]
Most Magical
The Prince and the Poisoner (Carnival of Fae #1), by Helena Rookwood. Itās hard to beat the fabulous magic carnival Lira runs away to (with a catch) in the first book in the series. (Sigh. Why doesnāt anything like it exist?) Add in magical objects left by the fae, and you can almost smell the burnt caramel. [My Review.]