When a smuggler meets a ringmaster, anything can happen. Then again, magic and mayhem have always gone hand in hand.
Copper James left the smuggling world when a job gone wrong resulted in the death of someone she loved. To keep herself from standing trial for a crime she didn’t commit, Copper is forced back into the chaos of her old life to find and return a missing item in exchange for her freedom. But when the Grand Ringmaster of The Red Rebel Extravaganza makes her a similar offer, the young smuggler must decide which deal to betray.
Raleigh Danger is a reformed smuggler turned supernatural detective, but when Copper James comes back into his life desperate for help, he rescues her, only for Copper to embroil them into an infamous game of enchantment and mystery.
On the other side of the empire, The Red Game commences on the shores of Cape Solaera, and a dark presence looms over each event as, one by one, participants start to disappear. Entertainment quickly shifts into life-threatening chaos, and one thing becomes frighteningly clear. A curse has settled over the game, and only one of the seven players will survive long enough to win.
Semi Finalist
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The story has an aura of unseen danger, and the plot keeps readers on their toes with constant twists and an elaborate magical world that’s alive and breathing at every moment. Readers will soak up the ending, full of promise for more in the future.
Prose: Kay’s style sparkles with magic, embodying the novel’s temperament in the silky prose that glides across the pages. The handwritten letters included in the text are challenging to read, but even that can’t distract from the supple beauty of Kay’s writing.
Originality: The worldbuilding is stunning, with dramatic imagery that transports readers into a complex system of magic and treachery, where the next step is always unknown and there’s no guarantee of an easy ending.
Character/Execution: Both Copper and Raleigh are richly developed characters with an intense connection to each other. Copper’s self-doubt and painful regret haunt nearly every move she makes, and Raleigh’s determination to protect her from herself is equally powerful in the storyline. Kay’s cast is immense, but the forcible writing ensures every character plays a central role to the story’s enchantment.
Date Submitted: April 26, 2023
