Ghost Talkersby Mary Robinette Kowal-Ghost Talkers hits all my hot buttons for a novel.

I am quite impressed by its ability to entertain and make you think at the same time. This year, Hunter published Mudman, which, while also being rocking and hilarious urban fantasy adventure, is a pretty amazing study of metaphor and theme. Hunter-Hunter’s Yancy Lazarus series is one of my favorites and took the Standout Award last year. Her British accent lends itself perfectly to this twisted tale. The narrator for this audiobook, Jenny Sterlin, is fantastic. I am impressed with the way the author worked in traditional parts of the story in very untraditional ways. In a world where gargoyles are so prominent, and where they are often seen as tools instead of living creatures, I love the idea of someone whose magic is special enough to make her their guardian.Īlice by Christina Henry-This retelling of Alice in Wonderland, with a horror-fantasy twist, really captured my imagination. Since much of the magic system is based on minerals and crystals that have some sort of sentience, the author even attempts to convey how alien the perspective of such a creature might be. I like the magic system and the world Chastain has created. Gargoyle Guardian series by Rebecca Chastain-Maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for magical creatures, but I really enjoyed the Gargoyle Guardian series. And that ending! I’m not kidding when I say I can hardly wait for the next book. It is exactly what urban fantasy should be. Voodoo Killings was easily one of the most exciting reads of the year. Voodoo Killings by Kristi Charish-Charish won a Standout Award last year for her Adventures of Owl series, but I think she’s outdone herself. It’s very different than a lot of other cover art that catches my eye, particularly his illustrated covers with the vintage, pulp-fiction feel. Caleb Design, stands out as unique and fun. Caleb Design-I’ve loved all the art and artists we interviewed in 2016. So, without further ado, we’re delighted to present our 2016 Standout Awards!

This is a way to highlight those books that really amazed us during the year. Authors can also display the award badge on their websites should they so choose. We’ll add the Standout Award badge to those reviews and list all the winners on a page on our website.

At the end of the year, reviewers select-from among the reviews they’ve published during the year-the books, series, authors, audiobooks, narrators, cover artists, etc. One Book Two Standout Awards are given out by One Book Two reviewers to honor titles and artists that created a stand-out experience for us as readers. Hello and welcome to the Second Annual Standout Awards by One Book Two! What are these awards, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

Halfway Dead by Terry Maggert