Semi Finalist
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: In Vale’s exquisitely wrought story, Death has a serious job to take care of—and this time, he’s chasing down a woman, Molly Molloy, on a decidedly haphazard, outside-the-box assignment. She’s harder to conquer than he expects, and their repartee during his laughable attempts to tame her inner spirit are blissfully entertaining. The plot is catchy, the pace perfection, and the ending sweet to behold.
Prose: Vale’s witty, snapping prose refreshes and stuns in equal turns throughout this surprisingly upbeat tale.
Originality: Vale’s afterworld is wondrously unique, brimming with odd characters and an intriguing set of rules that Death must adhere to in order to get the job done. When he’s willing to defy those rules in the name of love, the story takes flight, evolving into a sweet, profound study on self-sacrifice and belonging.
Character/Execution: From his Vans to his astonishing empathy, Death is a delightful, likable character, who Vale manages to make relatable on a very human level, despite his otherworldly presence and soul-picking career. Molly plays the perfect counterpart, dynamic to a fault and hell bent on staying out of Death’s clutches, but as their relationship grows and transforms, readers will be swept into this vulnerable ride, one that opens up both characters to the inner reaches of their very souls—and changes the afterlife forever.
Date Submitted: April 01, 2024
Vale (Season of the Wolf) steps away from the world of shifters to deliver a moving, multilayered love story between Death incarnate and his favorite mistake. Stubborn New Yorker Molly Molloy, who lives surrounded by the ashes of all her loved ones who have ever died, unable to move on, works a demeaning job she hates while studying to be an EMT. Meanwhile immortal Azrael, aka Death, spends his time circumnavigating the world reaping people’s souls, but he’s grown tired of the grind and of trying to fit in with the supernatural community. Then he meets Molly. Though he’s sent to collect her soul, he accidentally saves her life instead, leaving her able to see and interact with him, unprecedented for a human. The pair form an unlikely bond, with Molly teaching Death how to be human, and Death showing Molly what it is to be loved. Together they learn to navigate and accept the immutable passage of time. Tongue-in-cheek humor and raw characterization enhance this thought-provoking, wonder-filled celebration of the circle of life. Readers will feel the triumphs and tragedies as if in real time as they’re drawn along on this richly imagined tale of love from its beginning to the bitter end. Agent: Heather Jackson, Heather Jackson Literary. (Self-published)
