Carol Award Finalists – Speculative + Giveaway

First off — what exactly are the Carol Awards?

They are awards given out by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in recognition of outstanding Christian fiction in the previous calendar year. So these 2025 finalists are books published in 2024. You might have read them already, you might not. I’ll include links to books I’ve read and reviewed.

Carol Award Winners will be announced on September 6 2025 at the ACFW Gala in Springfield, Missouri (wouldn’t you love to be there?!)

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the Carol Award finalists 2025—Speculative Category you would like to receive. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you’re entering that way) and if you win, that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. 

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Giveaway details may vary with each book (print, ebook only or winner’s choice of either, plus audible options for Canadians.) Edition availability will be noted in bold after the title/author/publisher of each entry. ALSO NOTE: Giveaway is for US and Canada OR ebook international if you have US Kindle account.

Speculative Finalists

The Castle Rose by Tabitha Caplinger – Blue Ink Press – Editors: Christa Leonheart and Liz Sheth – Giveaway options: US: paperback or ebook, Canada: paperback or ebook, International: ebook with US Kindle account.

Bastian Roux lived and died a hundred years ago. Kind of. He certainly feels like nothing more than a ghost as he haunts the abandoned Castle Rose Theatre, his only solace found in the notes of his piano. That is until Odette arrives.

Odette Durand moved to New Orleans for a fresh start. The coffee-addicted local bookshop manager never expected to be pulled into something supernatural and she certainly doesn’t believe in ghosts. But seeing a man no one else can see and hearing music that shouldn’t exist makes a girl question her beliefs–and her sanity.

With a mysterious and somewhat charming Southern gentleman thrown in the mix, Odette finds herself entangled in a century-old rivalry bound by a curse. If she’s the only one who can see Bastian, is she also the only one who can break whatever is keeping him stuck in the realm between the living and the dead? As Odette and Bastian navigate the shadows of Bastian’s past, they must grapple with the ultimate question: Will breaking the curse give Bastian his life back or take it away forever?

Lightshed by Crystal D. Grant – Quill & Flame Publishing House – Editor: Meghan Kleinschmidt – Giveaway Options: US and Canada: ebook, International: ebook with US Kindle account.

The coveted Shadowstone is finally his. But what will it cost him?

Empowered by his new role as Shadowman, Mason Grey has strengthened his resolve against the Steward Army and the prince he has sworn to kill. But his heart is torn between justice for his brother and desire for the girl who stands with his enemy. Determined to bridge the gap, he risks everything he’s worked for to try to win her over to his side.

Convinced there is still good in him, Seria Gayle makes up her mind to point Mason to the truth, even if it means betraying the Stewards she has befriended. When the dark Emperor Jader turns his sights on the Gateway between his realm and theirs, Seria makes a bold decision that takes her far from home and into enemy territory. But standing between light and darkness comes with a price, and she fears the cost for Mason’s salvation may be too high to pay. 

As tensions heat up on both sides of the Gateway, Mason is given a challenging assignment that will strengthen his master’s army for years to come-but it could mean losing Seria forever. To make matters worse, his abilities as a Reader begin spiraling out of control. Will this mission of vengeance bring him the closure he needs…or destroy him from the inside out?

Drawn by Light by John W. Otte – Indie – Editor: Megan Gerig – Giveaway Options: US and Canada: ebook, International: ebook with US Kindle account.

Can they reunite to save everything they know?

After a staggering betrayal that felled her husband and captured his throne, Queen Everys retreated to the Cold Light Forest. She thought she’d be able to regroup and face her enemies–the invading Dalark Imperium and now King Brencis, who stole her husband’s crown. But the return of an ancient evil reveals what’s truly at stake. Everys is determined to overcome these challenges for both her kingdom and her Siporan people. But alongside these threats, the temptations of her power have never been so strong, and her grief and fear are suffocating after the loss of her husband.

Except Narius is still alive, hidden within the Dalark Imperium. His rescuers want his help with an audacious plan, one that could bring about peace between the Imperium and Narius’s Dynasty. But doing so would mean he can’t have the one thing he wants: Everys, safe in his arms.

Long-held secrets, old animosities, and difficult realizations threaten to reshape everything they know. If they want to stop their enemies, they’ll have to risk everything. To whatever end, between the power of Everys’s magic and Narius’s faithful determination, the Dynasty will never be the same.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 2 2025. REMEMBER TO CHECK EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH BOOK.