The Katana Awards [Closed for Judging]

▬ιSCI-FI/DYSTOPIAN RESULTS═ﺤ

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The results for Sci-Fi/Dystopian are here! 

Incredibly quick, I know, and you only have your judge, Gauravaaditya to thank! Please do take the time to thank them for all the effort put into it!

And of course, to the participants, thank you for being a part of the awards!

A NOTE FROM THE JUDGE ⚔️

Sci-fi is one of the most imaginative and bold genres in literature and often something we consider fiction now could very well be a reality in the future. Each book that I had the distinct pleasure of judging was so unique and brilliant that it made my job an exciting challenge which I hope I've done justice to. Trust me, the entries were very close in the rankings. I wish all of you the best in your writing journeys and may the force be with you!

⚔️

The Resistance by aurorazelaire

Title (3/5): A bold title to be sure that evokes strong, revolutionary emotions in the reader. However, it is a little generic and doesn't really scream science fiction.

Cover (2/5): I love the color scheme and the font used for the title. Though I am not sure what the object depicted is supposed to be. My best guess: it's a broken pocket watch or some sort of bronze egg. The phrase used on top doesn't aid in my understanding but is chilling nevertheless. I would suggest the author reevaluate the cover design as it doesn't tie in the title or the genre into a coherent narrative.

Blurb (3/5): Perfect length to capture the conflict, introduce the main character, and explain the setting a bit. Upon reading the blurb, I'm a little bamboozled though. No apparent sci-fi element presents itself and it rather feels like a fantasy novel. Of course, reading the novel may reveal a potential scientific basis for the faes but the very first impression the book gives is not befitting the genre it has entered in the competition.

Writing style (9/10): Seldom do I come across a haunting writing style that carries the beats of a story so well that it feels like the marching of an all-powerful army. But when I do, it is exhilarating. A few things did stand out as structurally unsound in my first reading but I'm willing to chalk them up as poetic license because the emotions portrayed through the words weave a compelling narrative that is hard to put down. I would recommend stitching scenes a little better though. Many chapters are broken into Ryven's and Serephine's points of view which could be more lucid if all of Serephine's parts and all of Ryven's parts are put together in their own chapters. But this is not a hardcore recommendation and only something to ponder. Also, if Serephine's POV is first in a chapter it should still be marked as such to help the readers orient themselves in the story.

Grammar (9/10): There are hardly any grammatical errors in the story which makes it a smooth delight to binge. However, in a few places dialogue tags and action tags aren't punctuated correctly. This is a minor issue that can be resolved swiftly by a keen editor.

Plot (5/10): It pains me to do this but there is no "genre suitability" section in the judge's criteria for me to dock points from. While the plot of the story is excellent, character-driven, and fast-paced... it is not science fiction. I scoured the available chapters and only found a hint of sci-fi in the part where Serephine is captured by the agents of the Supreme and they want to use her to create superior humans. If the story was placed in the fantasy category, I'm sure it would perform exceptionally well.

Characters (8/10): While both Serephine and Ryven are excellent protagonists with their own motivations, emotions, and characteristics, it is a little difficult to distinguish them sometimes. Especially in the way their inner voice sounds. Either this is intentional or uncannily similar narrator's bias that has crept in. When the scene breaks happen and the POV shifts, the reader is left a little lost as a result. The supporting cast is diverse and distinct enough to hold strong on its own. The world they inhabit is cruel but vividly described and as a result, the characters come alive every time they interact with each other.

Overall Enjoyment (5/5): I loved the grit of the story to the bone.

Final notes: You are exceptionally talented, dear author, and possess a unique, strong, and unflinching voice. It is a gift. I don't have any particular recommendations for you apart from choosing your category a little more wisely and studying the technicalities of cover design. Pick your favorite books and try to establish a link between their genre, title, and cover. In any case, I wish you the very best and hope that you'll remember me when you excel in the field.

Total: 44/60