2018 David Gemmell Awards Longlists

Longlists for The David Gemmell Awards For Fantasy — the Legend, Morningstar, and Ravenheart Awards — have been posted. The awards recognize the best in fantasy fiction and artwork. Open voting to determine the finalists has begun and will continue until midnight on March 30.

Next, voting on the shortlist will open midday on April 20 and close at midnight on June 1. The awards will be presented July 14 at Edge-Lit 7 in Derby, UK.

LEGEND AWARD (Longlist)

The Legend Award is presented to the fantasy title judged the year’s best by open vote.

  • Mageborn, Book One of The Age of Dread by Stephen Aryan
  • The Unholy Consult, The Aspect Emperor Book Four by R. Scott Bakker
  • The Stone in the Skull, Book 1 of the Lotus Kingsoms by Elizabeth Bear
  • With Blood Upon the Sand, Book Two of The Song of the Shattered Sands by Bradley Beaulieu
  • City of Miracles, Book 3 of the Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett
  • The Core, Book 5 of The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett
  • Firebrand, Green Rider Book 6 by Kristen Britain
  • The Black Elfstone, Book 1 of the Fall of Shannara by Terry Brooks
  • The Fall of Dragons, Traitor Son Cycle Book Five by Miles Cameron
  • Successor’s Promise, Millennium’s Rule Book Three by Trudi Canavan
  • Coldmaker by Daniel A. Cohen
  • 1Shadowborn, Seraphim Book Three by David Dalglish
  • The Amber Arrow, Book 2 of Wulf’s Saga by Tony Daniel
  • The House of Binding Thorns, Dominion of The Fallen Book 2 by Aliette de Bodard
  • Tyrant’s Throne, Book 4 of The Greatcoats by Sebastien de Castell
  • Among the Fallen, Book 2 of the Godserfs Series by NS Dolkart
  • Seventh Decimate, The Great God’s War Book 1 by Stephen Donaldson
  • Death’s Mistress, Book 1 of The Nicci Chronicles by Terry Goodkind
  • Empress of the Fall, Book 1 of The Sunsurge Quintet by David Hair
  • A Plague of Giants, Book 1 of The Seven Kennings by Kevin Hearne
  • Assassin’s Fate, Book 3 of Fitz and The Fool by Robin Hobb
  • The Gates of Tagmeth, Book 5 of the Kencyrath Series by P.C. Hodgell
  • The Dragon Lords: False Idols, Book 2 of The Dragon Lords by Jon Hollins
  • Heartland, Book 2 of the Worldmaker Trilogy by Lucy Hounsom
  • Firestorm, Book 3 of the Worldmaker Trilogy by Lucy Hounsom
  • Dark Immolation, Book Two of the Chaos Queen Quintet by Christopher Husberg
  • The Fatal Gate, Book Two of The Gates of Good and Evil by Ian Irvine
  • An Echo of Things to Come, Book Two of the Licanius Trilogy by James Islington
  • Infernal Machines, The Incorruptibles Book 3 by John Hornor Jacobs
  • The Stone Sky, Book 3 of The Broken Earth by NK Jemisin
  • Throne of the Bastards, The sequel to King of the Bastards by Brian Keene and Steven L. Shrewsbury
  • Godsgrave, The Nevernight Chronicle Book 2 by Jay Kristoff
  • Red Sister, Book 1 of The Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence
  • Princess of Blood, Book Two of The God Fragments by Tom Lloyd
  • A War in Crimson Embers, Book Three of the Crimson Empire by Alex Marshall
  • Scourge, A Darkhurst Novel by Gail Z. Martin
  • The Fallen Kingdom, Book Three of The Falconer by Elizabeth May
  • Sins of Empire, Book 1 of Gods of Blood and Powder by Brian McClellan
  • Scorched Shadows, The Hellequin Chronicles Book 7 by Steve McHugh
  • The Last Sacrifice, Book 1 of The Tides of War by James A. Moore
  • The Seven, Book 3 of The Vagrant Trilogy by Peter Newman
  • A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden
  • The Two of Swords, Volume One of The Two of Swords by K.J. Parker
  • Lightbringers, The Age of Myth and Legends by David Price
  • Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar by Josh Reynolds
  • Legion of Flame, The Draconis Memoria Book Two by Anthony Ryan
  • Oathbringer, The Stormlight Archive Book 3 by Brandon Sanderson
  • The Lady of the Lake, The Witcher Saga Book 5 by Andrzej Sapkowski
  • Bane of Shadow, The Empire of Storms Book Two by Jon Skovron
  • Skullsworn by Brian Staveley
  • God’s Last Breath, Bring Down Heaven Book 3 by Sam Sykes
  • Strange the Dreamer, Strange the Dreamer Book 1 by Laini Taylor
  • The Bear and The Serpent, Book 2 of Echoes of the Fall by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  • You Die When You Die by Angus Watson
  • Overlords of the Iron Dragon, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar by CL Werner
  • The Ninth Rain, Book One of The Winnowing Flame Trilogy by Jen Williams
  • The Witchwood Crown, Book One of The Last King of Osten Ard by Tad Williams
  • Destiny’s Conflict, Book Ten of the Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts

MORNINGSTAR AWARD (Longlist)

The Morningstar Award honors the author judged to have made the year’s best debut in fantasy fiction.

  • Age of Assassins, Book 1 of The Wounded Kingdom by RJ Barker
  • The Waking Land by Callie Bates
  • Witchy Eye by D.J. Butler
  • Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott
  • The Tethered Mage, Book 1 of The Swords and Fire Trilogy by Melissa Caruso
  • The Last Namsara, Iskari Book One by Kristen Ciccarelli
  • Kings of the Wyld, Book 1 of The Band by Nicholas Eames
  • Darien: Empire of Salt by C.F. Iggulden
  • The Last Myon by Rudi Jennings
  • The Bloodprint, Book 1 of The Khorasan Archives by Ausma Zehanat Khan
  • One Cog Turning by Anthony Laken
  • Jade City, Book 1 of The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
  • The Fifth Ward: First Watch, Book 1 of The Fifth Ward by Dale Lucas
  • Soul of the World, Book 1 of The Ascension Cycle by David Mealing
  • Blackwing, Book 1 of The Raven’s Mark by Ed McDonald
  • Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
  • Cold Counsel by Chris Sharp
  • The Court of Broken Knives, Book 1 of The Empires of Dust by Anna Smith-Spark
  • Godblind, Book 1 of The Godblind Trilogy by Anna Stephens
  • The Dragon’s Legacy, Book 1 of The Dragon’s Legacy Saga by Deborah A. Wolf

RAVENHEART AWARD (Longlist)

The Ravenheart Award is given to the creator of the year’s best fantasy book cover art.

  • Richard Anderson for The Stone in The Skull by Elizabeth Bear
  • Richard Anderson for Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
  • Arcangel Images (Crystal Ben) for The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso
  • Arcangel Images for The Stone Sky by NK Jemisin
  • Arcangel Images for The Soul of the World by David Mealing
  • Arcangel Images for God’s Last Breath by Sam Sykes
  • Arcangel and Shutterstock for Mageborn by Stephen Aryan
  • Tommy Arnold for Shadowborn by David Dalglish
  • Kerem Beyit for The Fall of Dragons by Miles Cameron
  • Christian Bravery for The Legion of Flame by Anthony Ryan
  • Laura Brett for Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley Beaulieu
  • Mike Bryan for The Black Elfstone by Terry Brooks
  • www.buerosued.de for Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastien De Castell
  • Alejandro Colucci for The Last Sacrifice by James A Moore
  • Alejandro Colucci for The Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski
  • John Coulthart for Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
  • Das Illustrat, Ervin Usman and Dan Smith for The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
  • Bastien Lecouffe Deharme for Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron
  • Adam Doyle for The Witch of Torinia by Clifford Beal
  • Terrence Drysdale (Trevillion Images) and Joana Kruse for The Waking Land by Callie Bates
  • Getty Images and Shutterstock for Jade City by Fonda Lee
  • Sam Green for Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
  • Johan Grenier for Overlords of the Iron Dragon by C.L. Werner
  • Gill Heeley and Larry Rostant for Darien: Empire of Salt by C.F. Iggulden
  • Jaime Jones for The Seven by Peter Newman
  • Rory Kee for City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
  • Rory Kee for Empress of the Fall by David Hair
  • Patrick Knowles for Infernal Machines by John Hornor Jacobs
  • Jon McCoy for Princess of Blood by Tom Lloyd
  • Gene Mollica for A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne
  • Gene Mollica for The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May
  • Jackie Morris and Stephen Raw for Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb
  • Stephen Mulcahey for Coldmaker by Daniel A Cohen
  • Nekro for Seventh Decimate by Stephen Donaldson
  • Leo Nickols for Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott
  • Dave Palumbo for Cold Counsel by Chris Sharp
  • Lauren Panepinto for A War in Crimson Embers by Alex Marshall
  • the-parish.com (Tom Sanderson) for Age of Assassins by RJ Barker
  • plainpicture (Dieter Reichelt) for Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
  • Kerby Rosanes for Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
  • Larry Rostant for You Die When You Die by Angus Watson
  • Larry Rostant and Millennium FX Ltd for The Core by Peter V Brett
  • Daniel Dos Santos for Witchy Eye by DJ Butler
  • Daniel Dos Santos for The Amber Arrow by Tony Daniel
  • Dominick Saponaro for An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington
  • April Schumacher for Firebrand by Kristen Britain
  • Shutterstock (Kiselev Andrey Valerevich) for The Unholy Consult by R. Scott Bakker
  • Shutterstock for The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard
  • Shutterstock for Death’s Mistress by Terry Goodkind
  • Shutterstock for Firestorm by Lucy Hounsom
  • Shutterstock for Heartland by Lucy Hounsom
  • Shutterstock for The Fatal Gate by Ian Irvine
  • Shutterstock for The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan
  • Shutterstock for The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith-Spark
  • Shutterstock for Skullsworn by Brian Staveley
  • Shutterstock for Godblind by Anna Stephens
  • Shutterstock for The Bear and the Serpent by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  • Shutterstock and depositphotos for Blackwing by Ed McDonald
  • Duncan Spilling and Shutterstock for Successor’s Promise by Trudi Canavan
  • Crystal Sully for The Dragon Lords: False Idols by Jon Hollins
  • Thom Tenery for Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
  • Trevillion Images for The Two of Swords: Volume One by K.J. Parker
  • Michael Whelan for The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams
  • Eric Williams for The Gates of Tagmeth by P.C. Hodgell
  • Janny Wurts for Destiny’s Conflict by Janny Wurts
  • Sammy Yuen for The Fifth Ward: First Watch by Dale Lucas
  • Jantine Zandbergen for Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

[Thanks to Mark Hepworth for the story.]

7 thoughts on “2018 David Gemmell Awards Longlists

  1. Wow. I’m truly not deeply read enough in fantasy these days to vote intelligently on these. Back to my SF books. Now I can say that the latest Expanse novel is wonderful and advances the story along very well. And KB Wagers’Beyond The Empire brought that storyline to a nice conclusion even though the overall story goes on. But I’m very obviously not reading deep enough here. Oh well.

  2. “Longlist” – wow, it is that. City of Miracles and The Stone Sky, yay! I’m not sure they’re exactly Gemmell Award kinda books (from my vague impression about the award), but I’ll cross my fingers.

    Some very nice looking things on the Morningstar Award (much shorter!) longlist.

    I’m too tired (big dinner) to Google all the Ravenheart covers, but I’m sure they’re all spiffy. 🙂

  3. @JJ: Oh! Thanks, I should’ve thought to click through. (blush) As with any big list like this, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but over all plenty of beautiful covers there. Too many to comment on them all, so I’ll just leave it at that. 😉

  4. I usually find that some gems do end up on the Ravenheart longlist, but a lot of it looks totally pedestrian to me, and I get the impression that a lot of works get nominated because of the novel’s content or author, rather than because of the artistry of the cover.

  5. I find it interesting that, on the Legend longlist, there appear to be just 5 standalone novels.

  6. @JJ: I can definitely see that for certain covers. 😉

    @Stuart Gale: I count only 1 or 2 stand-alone novels. Some of the unmarked ones are actually book 1 in a series (e.g., You Die When You Die).

    I guess one could say Skullsworn – “a new novel in the world of XYZ” – is a stand-alone novel, but it’s also in a series. 😉

    So maybe 2 or 3 stand-alone novels. Nothing wrong with that, of course.

Comments are closed.