Sunny's Starlight Mini-Awards | JUDGING

BEST FIRST CHAPTER RESULTS 💫

Congratulations to all the winners of the best first chapter category! If you didn't win, please don't be disheartened! Keep up all of your amazing work! 

Please be aware that I WILL NOT be chasing you for your prizes. If you would like your prizes, you must DM me. The only prize I will be doing on my own is the shout-out, but the rest are all things you must DM me about!

⭕STICKERS ARE PASTED BELOW! PLEASE DO NOT TAKE A STICKER THAT DOESN'T BELONG TO YOU!!!

and now, to the scores...

----

Ancilla: SeraDrake

Score: 8.5/10

Notes: When I began reading this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, I knew a little of what I was expecting from the blurb, but still, there was only a vague cloud in my head as to what I'd be reading. Shamefully so, my knowledge of erotica and BDSM comes heavily from the unreliable works of 365 Days and 50 Shades of Grey, so I was intrigued to see how it would be portrayed in the novel, and let me just say, I was amazed! Granted, anything is better than the two aforementioned books, but "Ancilla" blew my mind away in more ways than one! The prose was elegant but also simple and refined - anyone could understand what the author was trying to say and their descriptions were immaculate! The consent was also extremely gratifying to see. 

While the chapter was a tad bit long, I can't say that I didn't enjoy the content, because the syntax, diction, and graphics all had me mesmerized from the very beginning! Seeing the two protagonists bond and eventually explore each other physically seemed to be like an otherworldly experience, and at times I felt like I was intruding on a private, sensual moment. 

Speaking of the protagonists, they were both incredible characters! I immediately grew attached to the humbleness of the male lead. His shy exterior, bookish behavior, and flustered cheeks perfectly hide what is a man with strong leadership and power. However, he's not demanding with our protagonist and carefully walks through everything that he's going to be doing to her, explaining his efforts in detail that makes her comfortable. I do wish, though, that I had more of an understanding of the protagonist herself. I know her background and she's portrayed as a very intelligent character who's eager for knowledge, but I wish I got to know more of her behaviors, though I'm assuming this will be expanded on later in the chapter. I also wish we were able to see more of the couple interact before jumping to the birthday scene (which was something I very much enjoyed reading! The author has a knack for words!). 

Overall, keep up the awesome work! Ancilla is an incredible story with careful narration, scenes that make you feel like you're in the room with the characters, and toe-curling imagery that puts movies to shame. 

Cults of Obsession: CircusSimp

Score: 5/10

Notes: I have to say, what a great start! The first chapter hooked me in with the introduction to obsession, and from then on, the story unraveled into something so tense it had me on the edge of my seat. The author did an excellent job of building tension. 

I will admit, that I was getting confused between Elara and Vesper, and it wasn't until the end of the chapter that I was able to comprehend who was who. I like Vesper's character, though I mistook him for a girl at first because of the confusion between the two characters. I think, though, that Elara is a little cookie-cutter in the sense that she fits the mold of many pre-written characters. Despite that, I like her fun, easy relationship with Vesper.