I’ve been selected by Philip Chase (aka YouTube’s Dr. Fantasy) to be a member of his judging team for the 10^th annual edition of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, a contest created by author Mark Lawrence. I have been assigned six titles and will be publishing my reviews for the books here, a process that will culminate in the selection of the title I will advance in the competition. Each of the other members of Philip’s team will also be making a selection, and from those Philip will select our team’s finalist later this fall.

To make my selection I will be using a ten point system similar to the one Philp has been using for the contest. The scale looks like this:

1-2 points—A flawed book

3-4 points—A underdeveloped book with promise

5-6 points—A promising book, likely worthy of recommendation

7-8 points—A solid, admirable book that I will definitely recommend

9-10 points—A new favorite, likely worthy of rereading

I will be breaking my thoughts down via the following six categories:

*World-building

*Opening/Engagement

*Characters

*Plot/Theme

*Prose

*Satisfaction of Resolution/Story arc

I will strive to keep all of my SPFBO reviews non-spoiler.

THE VERMILION RIBBON is a thriller, a romance, and an alt-world historical fantasy all in one. The primary genre-defining element is an assassin story, but it is also a spicy sapphic romance. Both aspects of the story sparkle with vibrancy. The story’s world-building revolves around life in the vast realm of Dur, within which the characters travel to several locales, by boat, on foot and horseback. There are several bustling city settings as well as rural, pastoral settings. This is a low-magic fantasy, focused on character development. The most prominent cultural factor explored is the Guild—an elite and secretive society of deadly assassins.

The story opens from the perspective of Corelle, a young but gifted fashion designer, who falls for the beautiful Arelle, and the two embark upon a passionate but forbidden affair. The pace is brisk from the onset, never getting too bogged down with issues beyond that which propels the plotline. In the name of love, Corelle swiftly becomes embroiled in a seamy and dangerous world that propels her into a tangled web.

Besides Corelle and Arelle, we are introduced to several other characters, including Deineike, who also becomes central to the plot, and Styrrach, the villainous leader of the Guild. All of the characters are well-developed, their outer motives clear, and their interior goals and desires on full display. Corelle in particular is complex and multi-faceted; her descent from innocence to ruthlessness is understandable. We feel for her throughout her very dramatic and very complete arc.

The plot is meaty and too complex to easily summarize, but the overarching action revolves around Corelle’s descent into the world of the Guild. The multitiered love stories greatly enhance what I would ultimately describe as a “life-on-the-run” thriller. The themes also enhanced my enjoyment, and include love and betrayal, the weight of guilt, the cost of secrecy and lies, losing and regaining trust, forgiveness, and the power of love to reunite and heal.

The prose is competent and accessible. Price utilizes archaicism sparingly and consistently, aiding in the transportive feel of the storytelling. The narrative perspective has a bit of distance that served the pacing well. A few segments of the tale felt unhurried, but not in a way that detracted from the momentum.

In contrast, the pacing of the climax is fast and furious—very exciting to read. I did, however, feel a bit tricked by an instance of sleight-of-hand in the resolution. Having said that, I was indeed surprised. In regard to satisfaction, I found the character arcs of our primary protagonists to be powerful and heartwarming.

My score: 7—A solid book that I would definitely recommend to fans of sapphic romance and/or thriller elements in their historical fantasy.