This is the Tiger Awards.
We are currently judging. No more contestants can join.
It's a shame I couldn't have more. Maybe next year I'll do something better.
First off, the cover art is beautiful. It instantly conveys a sense of what the story is and the colors used are vibrant and enticing. The font blends very well and the title itself is intriguing and makes the reader want to know more about this Rhodoreef.
The plot and characters are also incredibly well written. Ill start off with the plot. It's clear that you've written a very compact and well thought out plot that has a clear beginning and ending and the way the story subverts expectation by making us think that Dilip would be the human in this retelling of the mermaid tale is well done. The reveals for both that and Dea's past and family was also done very well. The build up was slow paced and the twists were satisfactory while the ending was sweet and brought things full circle. I didn't notice any plot holes and it's perfect for the intended demographic. The story is also incredibly realistic with all the underwater politics and the technology was also really good.
The characters are fleshed out and incredibly fun, especially at the beginning. Dea as a main character is full of personality, a lot of little quirks and mannerisms really helped visualize Dea. Her interactions with the other characters are realistic, especially some of the side characters and supporting characters.
I also enjoyed the incorporation of Sri Lankan culture and was pleasantly surprised to see Sinhalese being used predominantly.
And while there were quite a few captivating quotes and such, that final scene where Dea proclaims herself as Queen of Calliathron:
"Let me start from the beginning, I am Dea Rhodoreef, queen of Calliathron."
Gave me goosebumps. I totally imagined it with blaring music and the culmination and payoff was well worth it.
