Kolibrie by Exequinne
This genre category was almost impossible to narrow down to one winner. Genuinely, so many stories brought their absolute A game: Black Avatare, Slate Gray, A Dance at Midnight, etc.
But massive and very well-deserved congrats to Exequinne for Kolibrie. What a force to be reckoned with!
From story structure and plot, to writing and pacing, to character and stakes, every aspect is robust, clear, engaging. And oh, the lore! I'm absolutely in love. Not only did you flesh out the lore from language to customs, but you've also woven it into the characters themselves. With this, both the characters and the world feel alive, lived-in, informed and full of history. When both these things feel real, so too does the danger.
Huge congrats again. It was so much fun reading your work!