Congratulations to WrennaStone for being the very first Kirukkan Awards Finalist with her book "Death Ascending"!

Evanescence Hale has a world inside her head - the alternate reality of Astraela, where Darkness and Corrupted beasts threaten the land. The product of her imagination has given her four books as an up-and-coming fantasy author, but when the same undead fiends appear on Earth for a rampant killing spree, Eva is caught in the crossfire between dreams and reality.

These monsters shouldn't exist outside the pages of her books... and neither should the hero of her story, who slips in from the shadows to tell her that Astraela is facing its ultimate destruction. With the fate of her own world at risk, Eva must choose between stepping up to the plate or watching every reality she's ever known crumble before her eyes.

PRAISE FOR DEATH ASCENDING

"This is easily in my all-time top three books I've read on Wattpad, I absolutely loved this novel. Yay for DnD references! Eva and Jenson were a joy to read about, and the story itself was written with such beautifully crafted, light-hearted prose. The sweet parts had me smiling, the more disturbing sections made my nose crinkling up, and every chapter made me want to read on. Fantastic writing! Death Ascending is a story I'll wholeheartedly recommend and gush over to anyone who'll listen."  ~ ArkAngel5933

"Death Ascending is an original masterpiece that will have you rooting for every character. The author's descriptions and metaphors left me in awe and their creativity and talent shine throughout every scene. As a self-proclaimed pyro, I'm completely in love with Emrys and his snark, though equally invested in Eva and her relatable journey as a writer struggling for inspiration. This story is going on the bookshelf of favorites! Both the writing and characters will totally steal your heart." ~ MiyaHikari

"Death Ascending is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books I've read so far. The way the author creatively changed a cliche plot and made it interesting, unique, and original was incredibly done. Amazing descriptions brought the characters to life and made me able to imagine them so clearly that I felt like I was watching a movie and looking at actors playing a part. Eva is extremely realistic and relatable, while Emrys is fantastical and extraordinary, which makes for an extremely nice contrast and a more enjoyable story. This book is an incredibly fun journey that I recommend for everyone to undertake." ~ VelarisIsTheDream

"Excellent work! I was hooked from the very start--from the blurb, honestly, which is impressive in and of itself if you ask me. The writing is gorgeous, the story is original and interesting, and the characters are both relatable and real. I especially relate to the idea of Eva as a struggling writer, but don't we all?" ~ TheConfusedTurtle

"Death Ascending takes the dream of seeing your story come to life and twists it into a nightmare of amazing amazingness. The detail and intricacy of the writing made me fully believe I'd be seeing the book's creations parading down my street. This is definitely a book I'd read again and again, letting myself be swept away by the narrative every time like it was the first time. Between the fleshed out characters and the beautifully crafted plot, everything feels so lifelike.
... just not too lifelike, okay WrennaStone? I don't think I could handle things the way Eva does!" ~ skyebme

"Death Ascending is a combination of multiple parts which worked together to drag me into the story and compelled me to want to read more.
The setting at the beginning feels quite ordinary, but my reader's awareness granted a sense of foreboding which hung over the initial normalcy of the story. The main character, Eva seems realistic (after all, who is going to go all the way to the back to get a stepladder when there is something one could precariously balance on is right there?) with relatable flaws and virtues. She's creative, but has a sense of self-doubt that most people could relate with. Her relationship with Jensen is absorbing straight from the beginning since the two get along so well, but there is a distinct undercurrent that just maybe it could be more. I am also terribly intrigued about Emrys, who I just met in the early chapters, and am interested in getting to know him further as the story progresses.
There is little that I could criticize about the writing. There were no jarring spots where the spelling/grammar/descriptions/flow pulled me out of the narrative. The underlying story information was delivered in such a way that it built gradually as Eva moved about her life, with dashes of wry humour sprinkled throughout. In the part that I read, I experienced a general sense that many moving parts were about to come into play and drag Eva straight into the middle of all the trouble and I am excited to see Eva's reaction to those situations. I am most especially looking forward to the moment when Emrys is revealed to Eva.
Overall, Death Ascending beautifully sets up the story and hints at future events in a way that drew me in as a reader and, perhaps most importantly, convinced me that I should absolutely read more." ~ NelleIvy

Winner's Avg. Score: 93.50
Round Two Avg. Score: 90.25
Round One Avg. Score: 74.03

The recipient of our favorite judge award for this cycle is ArkAngel5933! Congrats, Ark and thank you for your fantastic work as a judge <3