For a few years now, a fantasy novel competition has been run under the sponsorship of well-known novelist Mark Lawrence, known as the SPFBO (or “Spiffbo”). SPFBO4 started on 1 August; go here for the official page on Mark’s site. It is a winner-takes-all contest adjudicated by 10 blogs, and is therefore a great way to discover good new fantasy novels.
This year for the first time, there is a great discount sale to celebrate the start of SPFBO4. More than a hundred and twenty books from the contest are available today for just £0.99/$0.99. Go here to see all their covers; hover over a cover to see a very brief synopsis, click to go to Amazon and other stores.
This year for the first time, I have a novel eligible for the contest, THE HIDDEN FACE. You can find it under the “epic” section on the sale page, or directly on Amazon.
Here is a brief synopsis:
A face without a face – an unmasking that leaves the mask.
Once every few hundred years, the sun god, the Akhen takes on human form and descends to earth. Each Unmasking of the Face of the Akhen ends one era and begins another; the last one created the Faustian Empire. Where and when will the Face next appear, and who will he – or she – be?
And here are some things that reviewers have said about THE HIDDEN FACE:
“A fun and fast-paced fantasy adventure” – Dyrk Ashton, author of Paternus
“Tugs at emotional strings really quickly, in an incredibly effective way” – Revolution SF
“A thrilling little fantasy novel” – Superstardrifter.com
“The Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones in a fantasy setting” – Tome and Tankard
“I really had fun reading this book” – Purple Owl Reviews
“A great fantasy romp” – Youtube reviewer James Chatham
“I don’t think I’ve ever read a fantasy quite like The Hidden Face” – Cover to Cover
“A strong, fast and gripping fantasy novel” – The Irresponsible Reader
“Strong and entertaining” – Dave-Brendon de Burgh, author of the Mahaelian Chronicle
“A climactic denouement with plenty of action and drama” – Brainfluff
“Has something new and unique around every corner” – Beauty in Ruins
“A fun book with intrigue, betrayal, and lies spread throughout” – C. T. Phipps, author of Cthulhu Armageddon
I hope you will check out some of the novels available in the great sale – it’s a real bargain – as well as following SPFBO4 as it unfolds.
S.C. Flynn 