This has been a long time coming.
Funny enough, I am largely writing this out on a laptop in a doctor’s parking lot while my wife is being scanned for … something. It’s really freaking cold out in Texas today. I was hoping to get this done early on Wednesday, and you see how well that’s turned out. As I write, there is no internet, and I’m doing most of this from memory. So if I miss some details, please pardon me. My mind is like a steel trap—it’s rusty and requires WD-40.
But, yeah, the Dragon awards. I really had to give it up the previous two years. Dad died. There was the move from New York to Texas. I was trying to finish off Honeymoon from Hell. And life wasn’t getting any easier, really.
So, that’s why there wasn’t a lot from me about the Dragons in 2023 and 2024.
But, like every Dragon Award post, this is going to be a long one. Brace for impact.
So, the Dragon Awards.
Votes FOR NOMINATIONS are due ON JULY 19TH
Please remember that eligible nominees came out AFTER JULY 1, 2024, and up to the end of June 2025.
The Dragon Awards
If you’ve been hanging around me a while, you know I often talk about the Dragon Awards from January to July. They’re the largest fan-voted awards out there. It’s free to vote in them. You don’t even have to register attending the convention.
It also gives me an excuse to talk about books at large. Not that I really need an excuse. But it helps me from looking like a monomaniac.
And if you want to vote, trust me, I’m going to be investing WAY more time than you are. It should take you a few minutes on your phone / computer to do.
Again, the nominations are already open! I'm not even joking.
Yes, I have a list of who I’m voting for. Here, for you folks, I’m also going to give you my reason for why I’m voting for each, and why I think it’s important.
But first…
My thought process
I'm not nominating anyone who already has an award. Most of those who have won already have the attitude of “Oh, I don’t need more dust collectors.”
I’m trying to leave out Big Name Authors. Frankly, if you're Jim Butcher or Timothy Zahn, you (a) probably don’t want another nomination and (b) you sure as Hell don’t need my help.
If I leave the categories blank, it means I STILL got nothing.
You may wonder why I’m not having a full, massive, months-long discussion, gathering up every eligible author and product.
Been there, done that. It turned into an unmanageable mess. Authors would come by, skip straight to the comments, leave their book, and disappear. It was especially funny when they were already on my list, but they never even looked to see.
Clearly, you can feel free to drop a suggestion in the comments. But please read the bloody post first, okay? THanks.
Again, please remember that eligible nominees came out AFTER 7/1/24, up 6/30/25. So double check before throwing something into the ring.
Let’s get into the nitty gritty of each category.
Best Science Fiction Novel
Tsunami of Turmoil (LAND&SEA Book 8), by Blaine L. Pardoe
How does one write military SF War and Peace and make it readable? Simple, you read Blaine Lee Pardoe’s Land & Sea series.
Book 8, Tsunami of Chaos, is intense, covering aspects of the war on multiple levels, from geopolitical, to local politics, to ground warfare, to chapters of just character-driven events that build up to a climax I didn’t see coming. It, of course, ends on a cliffhanger that drives me nuts. Aside from that…
Well, one does have to keep them coming back for more. (And book 9 is already at the editor, I hear.)
If you have not read the Land & Sea novels yet, humor me and just read the first three. If you’re not hooked by the end of book one … I don’t know why you wouldn’t be, but I don’t know you… you will be hooked by the end of book three.
As for Tsunami of Chaos, I’d definitely give it a shot.
If for some reason, you don’t trust me, or don’t want to give Blaine Pardoe a read, okay then. I can come up with two alternatives.
The first, of course, is Space Pirates of Andromeda. I have read it, but have not reviewed it. You can check out the Upstream Review over here, and I largely agree with it.
The second alternative is The Icarus Needle, by Timothy Zahn.
You can read my review over at Upstream.
If you look at all the adulation I heap upon Zahn, you may be wondering why I haven’t put Zahn in the top slot. That answer is simple: Zahn has a Dragon award.
I didn’t think he’d want another dust collector. Being Timothy Zahn is pretty damn awesome already, don’t you think?
Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)
Toil and Trouble, by Daniel Humphreys.
You want epic fantasy, I got your epic fantasy right here.
Yes, I’m a little behind in reviewing the Paxton Locke series. In part because I will probably want to start the series over from the beginning, and I don’t have to worry about anything like cliffhangers, now that the Paxton Locke series is finished.
But yeah, this one went all out. Deranged magic school, check. Society of wizards, check. Dimension hopping. All out warfare. Magic rules and regulations. Outsider monstrosities. This book has pretty much everything. It’s literally the best urban fantasy not written by Jim Butcher. I’m serious. Should anyone, God forbid, need to finish The Dresden Files for Butcher, Dan is my candidate to Brandon Sanderson that end. Toil and Trouble gives Battle Ground a run for its money.
If you don’t want to vote for Humphreys, fine. But I implore you to at least give the Paxton Locke series a chance. I’d bet money that you will be hooked.
You might notice a certain Bestselling author isn’t here. I will refer you back to my thought process on no previous winners if we can avoid it.
If you don’t want to vote for Dan (please, vote for Dan) I suppose you could always plug in a Honeymoon from Hell novel if you wanted. But at least give Humphreys a try first.
Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel
I have nothing.
Literally, nothing.
Any suggestions?
Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel
…. Never mind. Dragon Con killed this category.
Best Alternate History Novel
1919: The Romanov Rescue
I put out an entire review on this one.
You can even read the review of book one.
But only book two is eligible. I highly recommend it.
Best Media Tie-In Novel
Oops, never mind.
DragonCon killed this category too.
Best Horror Novel
The Neck Romancer, (Honeymoon from Hell #1), Declan Finn
You probably saw this coming. I do not read most of the horror genre, mainly because I don’t do slasher porn. The closest I have ever come to reading horror is Michael Gallagher’s Body and Blood, and that was a few years ago. I have little problem with “monster” books, and if you consider something like Monster Hunter International as horror … okay. Fine. We disagree on that.
However, I will write horror… only because The Dragons don’t have an urban fantasy category. Even though it should have been a genre category any time after Jim Butcher. (Yes, I could argue that it goes back to Fred Saberhagen, if not Bram Stoker, but we’re coming perilously close to being lost in the weeds.)
So, yes, I’m going to vote for The Neck Romancer in best horror … largely because the prequel series, Love at First Bite was nominated for best horror—twice. Once for Honor at Stake and once for Live and Let Bite. So, really, why not?
The Neck Romancer has … a lot, really. It has the fae at Area 51, a wendigo in a hospital, zombies at a wedding, a necromancer who is a Chicago alderman (write your own joke here), an IRA vampire from the 1920s, demons, a Tolkien elf on a rampage, and a final smackdown in the Chicago Museum of Natural history. And looking at the cover, you can tell something about what’s going to happen there. But don’t worry, it’s not exactly what you think it is.
Granted, if you want to be silly, you could probably plug in all five of the Honeymoon from Hell novels into a slot if you want. But I wouldn’t recommend that unless you had literally nothing else in the category (And, of course, if it fits. Wouldn’t want to plug Blood Country into best comic book, that sort of thing. And no one can plug anything other than Wyverns Never Die into science fiction, because that one has the most mad science)
Best Illustrative Book Cover
Wyverns Never Die, cover by Vanessa Landry
Look at this cover, isn’t it nice? The lighting is great. The lightning effects are nice. You have to love the little touches of the electrical Wyvern in the background. The model used to be blonde and is now a redhead. The male model used to be dark haired and is now blond.
The most important element: it’s a cover created by my wife. So do me a favor and vote for it, even if you vote for nothing else. Okay? Thanks.
Best Comic Book
Land & Sea Paradise, by Blaine Lee Pardoe
Land & Sea Paradise isn’t out yet. But it’s my contender based on the showing of the previously released novels. I’ll give this another look over once the comic comes out. It’s not like I’ve been reading a lot of other comic books.
I’ve heard good things about Kamen America and Frieren (am I spelling that right?). But I haven’t read them. Right now, this spot will need a placeholder.
For the record:
No. I’m not getting into whatever current ComicsGate nonsense is going on between Mister July and Mister Scrivener. I neither know what the fracas is about, nor do I care to know. Unlike certain online personalities, when I say I want no part of internet drama, I mean I want NO PART. I am actively avoiding internet drama like it’s one of the freaking Ten Plagues of Egypt.
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series, TV or Internet
I don’t know. I really mean it. I don’t know.
Nothing comes to mind outside of two shows. First of all, there’s One Piece. It’s been on forever, and will probably be eligible next year. It’s clearly beloved, or it would have run out of steam by now.
There is also Pokemon. Why do I suggest it? Because I hear that it’s finally come to a conclusion. There is no more. It is over. It is an ex-series. Which means it’s also the final year to vote for it. (Yes, I will have to double check to make certain that the last episode falls within the eligibility window.)
The Daily Wire is threatening to air an adaptation of the classic Stephen Lawhead Arthurian novels, but so far, they haven’t delivered. (Meanwhile, the books are being reissued by Baen with new covers.)
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie
I can’t remember the last film I saw in theaters. Hell, I can’t remember the most recent film I saw.
But I’ve heard good things about three films.
Transformers One
Sonic 3
Deadpool & Wolverine
So, maybe one of them?
Best Digital Game
Only two games really stand out from last year.
Warhammer: Space Marines 2
Stellar Blade
Suggestions welcome.
Best Tabletop Game
Suggestions anyone?
And that’s it. That’s all I got for right now. With luck, I’ll have some more next time.
Please remember to vote.
If you could, please share this as well.
The nominees need all the circulation they can get.
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For YA Jan Anjiewarden or however you spell it's Mech Bunny.
It's exciting, and funny, and poignant and has giant mecha battles and uplifted animals ala Cordwainer Smith.
I was planning to start a D.A. campaign just for this book.
Hm, need a nominee for young adult /middle rade novel?
How about Where the Red Sands Fly, the excellent conclusion to the Young Chesterton Chronicles? :D