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🧵1/3

Thank you to all the entrants, and most especially to our 30 authors, for your patience while we reviewed all the books!

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-fina...

#SPFBO #SPFBOXI #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
SPFBOXI FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT
beforewegoblog.com
June 21, 2026 at 1:39 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
I'm excited to announce Ben Moxon's The Redstone Rescue as BWGB's next #SPFBOXI semi-finalist!

You can learn more about his secondary world fantasy mystery here: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

Congrats, Ben!

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social

#booksky
#SPFBOXI Review: The Redstone Rescue – Ben Moxon
beforewegoblog.com
May 15, 2026 at 9:57 AM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Unfortunately, it's that time again. ✂️

Today, Noel reviews N. E. White's dragon fantasy, The Legend of Damndrake for #SPFBOXI!: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social

#booksky #indiebooks #indiefantasy
#SPFBOXI Review: The Legend of Damndrake – N. E. White
beforewegoblog.com
May 25, 2026 at 12:14 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Here's the first of TWO planned semi-finalist announcements for today! #SPFBO

Despite being announced now, Ashley's Capes's Knee-Deep in Cinders was my first #SPFBOXI read (my review's from that time)

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

Congrats!

#SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: Knee-Deep in Cinders – Ashley Capes
beforewegoblog.com
May 22, 2026 at 10:30 AM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Before We Go Blog reviews David T. List's ambitious epic fantasy, Violence and Vigilance for #SPFBOXI! If a mashup between a JRPG & a grimdark aesthetic sounds like it's for you, definitely check it out!: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
SPFBOXI Review: Violence and Vigilance
beforewegoblog.com
September 15, 2026 at 8:49 PM
tbcart.bsky.social
Look what just arrived! Thanks @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social This made my day! #spfbo #spfboxi
August 10, 2026 at 8:51 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Our fourth cut of the day is Emily Renk Hawthorne's Of Mountains and Seas.

Noel had a lot of great things to say about this one!

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBOXI #SPFBO #SPFBOReview @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
SPFBOXI Review: Of Mountains and Seas – Emily Renk Hawthorne
beforewegoblog.com
May 25, 2026 at 8:15 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
SPFBOOOOO here I come

#SPFBO #SPFBOXI
Screenshot of Steve Hugh Westenra's Pagebound account, with SPFBOXI finalist, Rel Carroll's Of Mages and Makers listed as "reading"
July 2, 2026 at 8:01 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
It's unfortunately time to say goodbye to another #SPFBOXI book!

This morning, we're highlighting V. Ananya's The Young Foreigner, beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

I'll spread out our posts throughout the day, so this is the first of 5!

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: The Young Foreigner – V. Ananya
beforewegoblog.com
May 11, 2026 at 10:33 AM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Before We Go Blog's first #SPFBOXI finalist review is up! Today we review Rel Carroll's lighthearted romantic fantasy, Of Mages and Makers: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

@marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social #SPFBO #SPFBOReviews #indiefantasy #indiebooks #indiereviews #indieauthor #SPAAW #romancesky
SPFBOXI Review: Of Mages and Makers by Rel Carroll
beforewegoblog.com
July 23, 2026 at 2:46 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Our third #SPFBOXI cut of the day!

Catherine and I review L. Lyons's The Black Bane, which I read in basically one sitting: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: The Black Bane – L. Lyons
beforewegoblog.com
May 18, 2026 at 4:48 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Sorry to say, the #SPFBOXI cuts resume this morning!

Today we say goodbye to Simon Steele's Wolfblight: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: Wolfblight – Simon Steele
beforewegoblog.com
May 18, 2026 at 10:14 AM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Here's BWGB's latest #SPFBOXI cut for the week, reviewed by Noel Cober!

This one's a bit like a gender-flipped Henry the VIII & reimagines a Tudoresque setting in which women hold the reins of power

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOREVIEWS @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
SPFBOXI Review: The Throne of Ash – Lissy Porter
beforewegoblog.com
May 5, 2026 at 11:49 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Angela Boord reviews Darby Vernon's Madness of the Elder Vampire for #SPFBOXI!: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

This one's giving me slight Underworld vibes!

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: Madness of the Elder Vampire – Darby Vernon
beforewegoblog.com
May 25, 2026 at 2:34 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Today's #SPFBOXI semi-finalist announcement is here! This time it's for W. E. Singh's A Djinnfernal Conspiracy--a fabulous comedy that grabbed my attention from its first page:

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social

#booksky #indiefantasy
#SPFBOXI Review: A Djinnfernal Conspiracy – W. E. Singh
beforewegoblog.com
May 29, 2026 at 4:47 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Our second #SPFBOXI cut of the day is live! This time it's one from my own pile, Justin Greer's The Servant: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

If you love Good vs. Evil type fantasy and The Wheel of Time, this one may be worth a look!

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: The Servant – Justin Greer
beforewegoblog.com
May 18, 2026 at 1:23 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Our last #SPFBOXI cut of the week is Joel Flanagan-Grannemann's fairy fantasy, Talia, reviewed here by Angela Boord:

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

Joel is a friend, so I abstained from reviewing this one, but I do plan to read outside #SPFBO! (:

#SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm – Joel Flanagan-Grannemann
beforewegoblog.com
May 18, 2026 at 9:53 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
And without further ado, a much happier #SPFBOXI post--Team Before We Go Blog's first semi-finalist!

Congratulations to Y. R. Liu! Go read her wonderful book.

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
SPFBOXI Review: The Whisperer in White – Y. R. Liu
beforewegoblog.com
May 8, 2026 at 12:46 PM
yrliu.bsky.social
A few days late, but thank you to @beforewegoblog.bsky.social and @stevewestenra.bsky.social for naming me a #SPFBOXI semi-finalist and for the wonderful review! beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...
SPFBOXI Review: The Whisperer in White – Y. R. Liu
beforewegoblog.com
May 10, 2026 at 10:32 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
More blood for the blood god! Here's Before We Go Blog's spotlight on Sydney Faith's Revenge of the Druid Queen: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBOXI #SPFBO #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: Revenge of the Druid Queen – Sydney Faith
beforewegoblog.com
May 11, 2026 at 4:53 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Our fourth #SPFBOXI semi-finalist is Tim Carter's Jester!

Congrats, Tim! I was hoping to be done reading in time to add a review, but that'll have to wait till our semi-finalist round-up at the end of #SPFBO Phase 1!

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

@marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social #SPFBOReviews
#SPFBOXI Review: Jester – Tim Carter
beforewegoblog.com
May 22, 2026 at 7:13 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Unfortunately, our first cut today is Angelika Rust's Downtown Selkie, reviewed here by Angela Boord: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

Urban fantasy fans, and especially fans of contemporary takes on mythology should take a look!

#SPFBOXI #SPFBO @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social #SPFBOReviews
#SPFBOXI Review: Downtown Selkie – Angelika Rust
beforewegoblog.com
June 2, 2026 at 10:31 AM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Last #SPFBOXI review of the night!

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

We should have two more reviews tomorrow. (:

#SPFBO

@marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: The Old Crones Club – Jennifer Taylor-Gray
beforewegoblog.com
May 4, 2026 at 11:57 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
Last but not least, our final cut today is L. N. Holmes's twisty political fantasy, The Floating Castle.

Political epic fantasy is a personal favourite of mine, so I was excited to dive into this one: beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

#SPFBO #SPFBOXI #SPFBOReviews @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
#SPFBOXI Review: The Floating Castle – L. N. Holmes
beforewegoblog.com
May 25, 2026 at 11:09 PM
stevewestenra.bsky.social
The first of Before We Go Blog's SPFBOXI reviews!

This one has a lot going for it, including some gorgeous prose here and there, so I hope you'll check it out if it sounds like your cup of tea!

#SPFBOXI #SPFBO

beforewegoblog.com/spfboxi-revi...

@marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social
SPFBOXI Review: The Seven Rangers – Jacob Penrod
beforewegoblog.com
May 4, 2026 at 10:18 PM