The British Fantasy Awards - Best Fantasy Nominees

The last category I looked at for the British Fantasy Awards is the nominees for the Best Fantasy novel. When I do these round-ups I tend to review around a list and then come to conclusions and this year that is going to be a bit different.

In any short list my preferences come out and I try to work with those biases in mind but I’m going to say I struggled this year to do that and I’m going to admit defeat because some of the choices didn’t really grab me and this time, I think the problem may be more me than them

This year we have unusually two books by the same author Beyond Sundered Sea and the sequel At Eternity’s Gates in David Green’s Empires of Ruin series. Here I think I hit s bit of a logistical challenge the start of Beyond is very solid with a diverse cast in a very traditional fantasy world and its nice to see queer and autistic characters in the spotlight but it’s the third book after 800 pages prior and I really struggled to connect even though I can see a fairly familiar plot device for epic fantasy at work. To review this properly I’d have to read the previous two and then straight on and that’s another 1500 pages. I just do not have the time to read something I’m not really getting and enjoying and my tastes for traditional fantasy are pretty slight anyway these days so it’s not jumping out for me as a definition of fantasy at its best. I admit defeat, that this is on me and let someone else give their considered opinion I can clearly see the membership think it is doing a good job.

I am going to note it is slightly strange that the awards allow two books from the same author and series in one category. Rule changes are planned at the AGM to address this which is welcome, but this does mean a slot for another author has been taken up. I appreciate this is the membership’s decision, but I do like more variety on a shortlist.

I was looking forward to finally getting to read Samantha Shannon and A Day of Fallen Night I have heard many good things about it. Technically a prequel but as I’ve not read the first book then I thought that may not hurt. The issue here is that the style is very ornate, slow and very much aiming for a classic feel. For me this results in that I felt very little connection to the story and as the book is nearly 900 pages long, I think I have to admit defeat if I’m not captured by the first 80 pages. I think I can safely say that this is not for me and again I’m sure it is clearly popular with other members.

So this leaves two books I did read and actually enjoyed

Talonsister by Jen Williams – this is an enormously inventive sideways look at British history and British fantasy myths with alternate roman empires and ancient britons mixed in with griffins, magical and wonderfully weird books and filled with William’s trademark humour, plotting and character work. Really enjoyed this but I do note it feels very much half the story (which I cannot wait to get my hands on next month).

Shigidi and The Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi – a heist on the British Museum with an African Nightmare God and Succubus planning it. That alone made me interested but Talabi sows in lots of interesting perspectives on capitalism, work and how worlds and beliefs are shaped by that and colonisation. It is also quite very inventive.

Threaten then to take my book collection away from me then I’m happy with either Talonsister or Shigidi winning and would say Shigidi has the edge for me.

Can we gleam anything from the shortlist? It has a diverse group of authors. Also a very small press on the books. Always encouraging No real sign of the recent trends in romantasy, cosy or dark academia yet but that may be more for next year’s awards. Unusually a focus on epic tales could be said to be a slight trend. Just possibly we are in one of those periods where fantasy is looking for a new direction. One perhaps we cannot quite see yet.

We’ll know who wins on Saturday!