Gemmell Awards Nominees 2011

[Werthead]

I voted for Corvus by Paul Kearney as the Best Novel, Farlander by Col Buchanan as Best Newcomer and The Black Lung Captain for the Best Cover Art.

Hoping for a better turn-out last year. Last year it fell on an England World Cup match and quite a few people didn't come as a result (the first year was pretty packed), though it was still a fun event.

 

[suciul]

I voted for City of Ruin, The Last Page (debut) and the cover art of The Black Lung Captain

 

[Loerwyn]

Farlander by Col Buchanan as Best Newcomer

Me too!

I think I voted Farlander for both best and best newcomer (I honestly can't remember), and I voted The Questing Road for the best cover.

 

[ChrisW]

Corvus for the Legend and the Jon Sullivan Cover for Shadow King.

Haven't read any of the debut novels and unlikely to.

 

[spaziocain]

I voted for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin for both the Legend and Morningstar awards. None of the nominees for the Ravenheart compelled me to vote. (How did Michael Whelan's artwork for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson miss out on a nomination?)

 

[algernoninc]

Corvus for the Legend : there are books I liked in this years list, but this one I felt came closest to the heroic style of Gemmell.

 

[Werthead]

I voted for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin for both the Legend and Morningstar awards. None of the nominees for the Ravenheart compelled me to vote. (How did Michael Whelan's artwork for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson miss out on a nomination?)

AFAIK, Tor didn't put it forwards for consideration. The Gemmell Award is international but it's hosted and run in the UK, so UK publishers seem more on the ball with nominting books for it.

 

[Hobbit]

Shortlist appearing via Twitter from EasterCon: I'm hearing Sanderson (Way of Kings), Sanderson and Jordan (Towers of Midnight), Weeks (Black Prism), Brett (Desert Spear), Pevel (The Alchemist in the Shadows), and Heitz (War of the Dwarves) in the Best Novel category.

First thoughts: nice range, nicely international. Some surprises too!

Mark

 

[Hobbit]

Here's the official shortlist:

Ravenheart Award
For best fantasy book cover

Olof Erla Einarsdottir for Power & Majesty (HarperCollins Australia)
Victoria Frank for Tymon’s Flight (HarperCollins Australia)
Todd Lockwood for The Ragged Man (Pyr)
Cliff Nielson for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Orbit)
Jon Sullivan for Shadow King (The Black Library)


Morningstar Award
For best debut novel

Blake Charlton: Spellwright (Tor US)
Darius Hinks: Warrior Priest (The Black Library)
N.K. Jemisin: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Orbit UK/US)
Alexey Pehov: Shadow Prowler (Tor US)
Mary Victoria: Tymon’s Flight (HarperCollins Australia)


Legend Award
For best fantasy novel

There are six short-listed titles this year as two were tied.

Peter V. Brett: The Desert Spear (Voyager)
Markus Heitz: War of the Dwarves (Orbit UK/US)
Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson: Towers of Midnight (Orbit UK/Tor US)
Pierre Pevel: The Alchemist in the Shadows (Gollancz)
Brandon Sanderson: The Way of Kings (Gollancz/Tor US)
Brent Weeks: The Black Prism (Orbit UK/US)


Mark

 

[NickeeCoco]

Yeah, haven't read a single one of those. And I'll be honest, I've read some books by some of those authors in the past and I did not enjoy them at all. This is not the sort of award that's geared toward my type of reading.

 

[Hobbit]

Cover art:
Olof Erla Einarsdottir for Power & Majesty

Victoria Frank for Tymon’s Flight

Todd Lockwood for The Ragged Man

Cliff Nielson for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Jon Sullivan for Shadow King

Mark

 

[NickeeCoco]

You mean to tell me that Power and Magesty's cover is considered one of the best? That floors me in all the wrong ways. I would honestly not even consider picking it up based on the cover (Yeah, yeah, I'm one of those people). Unless someone whose taste I trust suggested I read it. Then I would, as an eBook, so no one would see me reading it.

The cover, to me, doesn't look natural, and that girl/fairy looks like she was cheaply photo shopped in there. It looks like someone started out with a bigger budget (the background) but then they ran out of money so just slapped some colourful girl in there.

 

[Loerwyn]

If I'm honest, Tymon's Flight is the only one I truly like based on cover.

 

[Jon Sprunk]

Alas, my book didn't make the short list. But thank you to everyone who voted for me. I appreciate the love.

 

[suciul]

I think the lists are appropriate reflecting the strong international flavor of the award - however appallingly derivative Shadow Prowler is for anyone who read some modern English language fantasy, it may be an eye opening novel for those who did not have that chance as i can attest from my experience of many years ago with Romanian and Soviet sf.

As for covers they are good genre covers and I have fun seeing them though Tymon's Flight is a YA cover to me - tried the sample from that one and was not impressed to do more

When the voting will open, I will vote:

The Black Prism - that was almost my original vote from the long list since it was my highest rated traditional fantasy of 2010 (#3 in fantasy and #6 overall though), though I voted City of Ruin as more "heroic"

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin (here I voted for The Last Page, but I considered this too)

Cliff Nielson for the cover of the above, though I have soft spot for the Todd Lockwood cover too

 

[Ratatoskr]

Markus Heitz: War of the Dwarves (Orbit UK/US)

Really? I mean, really? Has there been some serious blockvoting by a horde of german fanbois, or is this stuff actually better than I thought?

 

[Winter]

Get rid of the girl and highlighted stairs and Power and Majesty has a pretty decent cover. Otherwise, it is horrible and I would avoid the book like a plague. I really liked the cover for Tymon's Flight, but prefer the cover to The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

I can't stand Lockwood's art anymore. He is like a restaurant that serves a variety of dishes, but all of them are similar and equally bland. I mean, seriously... Drizzt, Gruntle, and this guy on the cover must all get their swords from the same guy.

 

[Eddy Gemmell]

I went in year one but missed year two.

Is anyone going from this forum? - before I get the funny replies ...I know many of us are not in the UK ...!

Senior Barclay will be there naturally.

 

[Hobbit]

I'll be there, Eddy.

Mark

 

[Eddy Gemmell]

Great. I'll have a word with my missus and see where the land lies ...