Welcome to the first ever Silmarillion Awards!
The Silmarillion Awards have been created by DJ Edwardson and Jenelle Schmidt as a way to honor J.R.R. Tolkien as the Father of Modern Fantasy, open up a discussion about some of our other favorite fantasy works, and to have a ton of fun this summer.
This team is made up of bloggers and authors who will each be hosting one of these awards, called “Silmarils,” on their blogs towards the end of July.
But before we get there, we need YOUR help! Starting today, June 20th and proceeding through July 1st, the nomination period for each award will be open. Please visit the participating bloggers (found in the list below), read the descriptions of the awards and make your nominations!
The Silmarillion Awards highlight all of the wonderful elements from the best in fantasy fiction. These awards are not for authors or books, but for the characters, monsters, poetry, and weapons within them.
In honor of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, this online awards event will recognize elements from ten categories (see below). These awards are both by fans of fantasy and for fans of fantasy.
Nomination Rules
Nominations are made by entering a comment on the post for a particular award. The top five nominees for each award will move on to final voting. Nominations must be from a work of fantasy fiction. Other than that, here are the rules for making and endorsing nominations:
Nominate characters in the comments of each blog post. If someone has already nominated the character you would have nominated, you may either second that nomination, open a new nomination, or do both. We will be picking the 5 characters with the most “seconds” for the final voting period that will take place between July 4th – 13th, so you may also “third,” “fourth,” “fifth,” etc any nominations you particularly like.
Fine print:
- Please do not nominate anything from one of your OWN books!
- You may nominate a character AND second, third, fourth a character… but please only vote once. (i.e. You cannot nominate a character and then also second that same character)
- Please share about the Silmarillion Awards on social media to spread the excitement far and wide across Middle Earth. Use the hashtag: #silmawards2016 wherever possible!
- Don’t nominate a Tolkien character for the awards, as the characters presenting the awards are already the standard for each award
- Don’t stress if a character you nominate doesn’t win this year. We are hoping to make this an annual tradition, and these awards are LIFETIME AWARDS, meaning that they cannot be won by the same character more than once!
Official Schedule:
Phase 1 – June 20-July 1: Award nominations open
Phase 2 – July 4: the final nominees will be announced and voting will open and last through July 14th
Phase 3 – July 16-28: Presentation of the awards, 1 per day, each award will be hosted on a different blog each day
Phase 4 – Celebration! July 29th was the official publication date of the Lord of the Rings back in 1954. We invite you all to celebrate with us the 62nd birthday of this masterpiece of Fantasy Fiction. Congratulate the winners, take and post a photo of yourselves with LOTR paraphernalia, write a blog post about your favorite LOTR moment, scene, character, quote, or memory… get creative and have fun!
List of each Silmaril Award category and their host:
(visit each one and vote!)
- DJ Edwardson Hosting the Best Friend Silmaril
- Jenelle Schmidt Hosting the Most Heart Wrenching Death Scene Silmaril
- Deborah O’Carroll Hosting the Strangest Character Silmaril
- Abbey Hosting the Most Nefarious Villain Silmaril
- JL Mbewe Hosting the Best Redemption Story Silmaril
- Tracey Hosting the Riddling and Poetry Silmaril
- Jack Lewis Baillot Hosting the Best Fantasy Mount Silmaril
- Madeline J. Rose Hosting the Most Epic Hero Silmaril
- Zachary Totah Hosting the Wisest Counsellor Silmaril
- Rawls E. Fantasy Hosting the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril
I will be hosting the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril here on my blog!
Below are the criteria for what sort of weapon ought to be nominated for this award. Keeping in mind that LOTR characters will be presenting these awards as the ultimate standard of Fantasy Fiction!
The winner of the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril award should go to the most memorable weapon whose power or beauty has left us awestruck and craving more. A weapon you greatly desire and would feel honored to wield. A weapon that has burned itself into your memory with its grace and sheer awesomeness.
This award will be presented to the weapon YOU vote for on June 16 by a very special presenter: the graceful, pointy-eared lady whom we’ve all come to know and love…
😉
Now is the time for YOU to vote for the Weapon you deem worthy of the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril award!
Place your vote in the comments section below!
Please share this post and help spread the word! 🙂
Don’t forget to click the “Follow” button to be notified of future blog posts from me.
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© copyright 2015-2016 E. E. Rawls and Rawls E. Fantasy
[…] Rawls E. Fantasy Hosting the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril […]
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I was going to nominate a weapon from The Lord of the Rings, but then noticed the rule about no nominations for Tolkien characters. Does that go for weapons, too?
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Excellent question! Yes, Lord of the Rings is off-limits – as they are considered the Ultimate Standard for each of these awards. (otherwise, every award would be won by LOTR… so that’s why characters from that epic and best of all fantasy series will be Presenting the awards in July)
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OK! Thanks for clarifying, Jenelle. 🙂
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Sorry I didn’t get back to you right away, but Jenelle answered it perfectly. 🙂
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No problem! 😉
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OK, now that Jenelle answered my question… I nominate Alanna of Trebond’s sword Lightning from Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness Quartet.
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Thanks for voting, Sara! Lightning is a cool name for a sword.
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I nominate the sword of King Mendanbar of the Enchanted Forest (from Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede).
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This one is actually really hard… so I’m going to second your nomination!
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Third!
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I fourth the Enchanted Forest sword!
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I need to read that book! Does the sword have a special name?
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I don’t think it does… it might just be “The Sword of the Enchanted Forest”… I haven’t read the book in a long time but I don’t think it had a name. The book’s really good! 🙂
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Nomination:
Halisa (Fireword), Tales of Goldstone Wood, by Anne Elizabeth Stengl
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Awesome. 🙂
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I second Halisa!
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Hmm, which pointy-eared lady, I wonder… 😉 We’ll see, I guess!
I nominate the rings of Clara and Andrew in Water Princess, Fire Prince by Kendra Ardnek.
I also nominate the staff Jace made for Kyrin in Samara’s Peril by Jaye L. Knight. ❤
I don't know if powers count as weapons, but if they do, I nominate the Mistborn power from Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. 😀
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I SECOND Kyrin’s staff! That’s an awesome nomination!
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I second Kyrin’s staff.
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Heehee, I can’t imagine who it might be. 😉
Great weapon choices! I don’t think powers count as weapons, so I don’t think Mistborn would work–though it was cool, I agree! ❤
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😀 Just thought I’d do that anyway. If movies were allowed, I’d totally nominate Cap’s shield, but it’s just fantasy. 😉
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Cap’s shield! Yes, I’d vote that too!!
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I second Clara and Andrew’s rings!
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[…] Rawls E. Fantasy Hosting the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril […]
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[…] Rawls E. Fantasy Hosting the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril […]
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OY… this is harder than I thought… I was going to nominate Owr from the Blood of Kings Trilogy, but after a moment of sudden epiphany I am going to nominate Gonturan from Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword (I mean, she had an entire book named after herself!)
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The Vorpal Sword from the poem in Alice and Wonderland! 😀
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That’s such a cool name for a sword! Nice choice, Madeline. 🙂
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Ooh, yes! I second that!
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Now that I know the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer counts, I’m nominating two things from that: first, Cinder’s cyborg hand, and second, glamour.
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Cinder’s cyborg hand was pretty awesome!
I’m not sure if glamour counts as a weapon? I’ll have to ask Jenelle.
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It was! One of my favorites, too. 😉
Yup, I wasn’t sure, but it’s definitely dangerous.
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Cinder used her cyborg hand in such awesome ways. I’ll second that!
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Seconded! Her hand is so cool.
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I was going to nominate Owr from The Blood of Kings Trilogy, but then I had a sudden epiphany and I am instead nominating Gonturan from The Blue Sword (I mean, she has an entire book named after her. What is more epic than that?)
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I nominate Brisingr and Zar’roc from The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon). 🙂
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I second those two. Brisingr and Zar’roc are awesome!
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And the sword of Martin the Warrior from the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. 😀
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I second.
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Seconded!
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I loved Martin the Warrior! ❤
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Martin’s sword is awesome! I third!
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I second as well!
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[…] E. Rawls Hosting the Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril […]
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I nominate the sword Halisa from the Tales of Goldstone Wood.
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Awesome. 🙂
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YES!!! Fireword! I second.
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I nominate Blood Biter’s Wrath, AKA the Beanpole from Goldstone Wood.
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I need to read Goldstone Wood now, I keep hearing great nominations coming from this series. 🙂
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I SECOND IT BECAUSE BEANPOLE! ❤
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Ha ha yes! Seconded!
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BEANPOLE. Too perfect. I second!
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What is this beanpole? An actual beanpole weapon?
(I must read this book now!)
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Well, yes, it IS an actual beanpole. . . but. . . I’ll just say there’s a plot twist. 😀 The Goldstone Wood books are really good! 😀 And if you’re interested in the Beanpole it’s in Veiled Rose and Moonblood. 🙂
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Haha, I definitely second the beanpole. XD
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Veiled Rose and Moonblood, sweet, thank you for letting me know! I’m so curious about this beanpole! It’s been getting a lot of votes. 🙂
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I’d like to nominate Excalibur from Le Morte D’Arthur. Maybe the most famous sword ever.
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Excalibur, now that’s high competition!
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I second Excalibur!
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I’ll second Excalibur.
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The ultimate sword. Definitely seconding Excalibur!
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Excalibur seconded. How can I not?
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It is among the most famous of all swords, isn’t it? Maybe I should third.
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I second Excalibur!!
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[…] Fantasy Mount Best Riddling and Poetry Best Redemption Story Strangest Character Best Fantasy Weapon Most Epic Hero Most Heartwrenching Death Wisest Counseler Most Nefarious […]
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Ooh, I nominate Excalibur from Bryan Davis’s Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire/Children of the Bard. 😀
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Cool!
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Ha! I guess I’ll vote for two Excaliburs. Because I got to second this one as well!
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Haha, I didn’t consider that there could be two swords with the same name in this nomination! 😀
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I second Excalibur from Dragons in Our Midst as well!
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I second that! Too many Excaliburs. XD
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Hatter Madigan’s hat from the Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. 🙂
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Ohmygoodness that hat! I had forgotten all about it! I second!
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What all does the hat do?
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It’s kind of like a top hat with blades that come out of the rim when he throws it. Like a ninja throwing star. It’s really cool. 🙂
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Exactly! What on earth could possibly be more awesome than a ninja throwing star-hat that you can wear on your head???? IT. IS. SO. COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I so wanted one of those when i first read that book… still do, actually…
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I know I sure want one now!
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Awesome! Wish I had the skills to make my own! Um, not that I’d have any place to actually wear it…but still! 🙂
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I nominate Susan’s bow from Narnia (I want that bow so bad!).
And I also nominate Peter’s sword. 🙂
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Susan bow would be cool to have! I’ll second that too!
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I second both Susan’s bow and Peter’s sword!
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I second Susan’s bow.
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YES, I SECOND BOTH OF THOSE! Love Susan’s bow especially. 😀
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I second the bow and the sword. (I need that particular Father Christmas to give ME a cool present like that. XD)
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That would be the coolest present ever!
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I second both!
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I nominate Gonturan (Harry’s sword) from The Blue Sword by Robin Mckinley.
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That sounds cool, I haven’t read that one yet.
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That book is AMAZING. It is the pinnacle of amazing.
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I’m off to find it on Goodreads now!
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Butler’s Sig Sauere from Artemis Fowl
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Ooh I second the sword of Martin the warrior and the sword of the Enchanted Forest
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Martin’s sword is awesome!
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Yes, i second that sword! it is amazing!
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Rhindon, King Peter’s sword from the Narnia Chronicles, given to him by Father Christmas.
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Ooh, great choice! I second!
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I second as well.
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I had no idea it had a name, but I agree it is among the awesomest of swords (because awesomest is a word). I second!
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Yes! I second Peter’s sword as well.
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Awesomest deserves a spot in the dictionary! 🙂
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Best fantasy weapon has to be the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda. ^ ^ It’s just so epic!
storitorigrace.blogspot.com
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Agreed that is among the best swords! I’m not sure if video games count for this though, I think it’s fantasy books.
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I nominate Kring the Sword from The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (what’s better than a talking sword?).
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Love Terry Pratchett’s books!
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I also nominate the Sword of Gryffindor from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.
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I nominate Riptide from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I mean, it’s a pen AND a sword. So convenient.
(And I seemed to have nominated something from Percy Jackson for almost every single category. o.o)
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A pen and a sword in one?! I second that!
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I… haven’t even READ that but I totally have to second it. O_O Pen/sword sounds SO COOL.
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Totally going to second Riptide!! 😀
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Yes! Riptide is awesome!!! I fifth it. ;D
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The Diskos from William Hope Hodgson’s “The Night Land.” Powered by the mysterious “Earth Current,” it acts like a cross between a chainsaw and a lightsaber, It lights the way for whoever is holding it, it’s shown to make for an effective javelin and, to top it all off, it may or may not actually be alive.
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That sounds awesome!
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It is. If someone ever manufactures those things in real life, you’ll have to wait a bit to get your hands on one because I’ll be first in line 🙂
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I’ll be second then! 😀
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My nomination: Leeli’s whistleharp in the Wingfeather Saga. 😀
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Oh my goodness, YES! Leeli’s whistleharp was an amazing weapon. 😀
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I nominate Eugeneide’s hook from the Attolia series. That thing is just sweet. And super deadly.
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Seconding Eugenides’ hook!
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The Queen’s Thief? Yet another series on my tbr list. So many books, so little time! *dramatic sigh* 🙂
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Nominating Oathbringer, Dalinar’s shardblade from The Way of Kings. It’s beyond epic.
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I also nominate the sword Callandor from The Wheel of Time.
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Oh! Callandor! Seconded!
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Finally, another Wheel of Time reference! I third Callandor.
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Another one for Callandor! I’d also like to give a general vote to the ter’angreal of that series. There are some awesome powers in that collection.
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Oh yes! I second!
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[…] DJ Edwardson: Best Friend Silmaril Jenelle Schmidt: Most Heart Wrenching Death Scene Silmaril Deborah O’Carroll: Strangest Character Silmaril Abbey: Most Nefarious Villain Silmaril JL Mbewe: Best Redemption Story Silmaril Tracey Dyck: Riddling and Poetry Silmaril Jack Lewis Baillot: Best Fantasy Mount Silmaril Madeline J. Rose: Most Epic Hero Silmaril Zachary Totah: Wisest Counsellor Silmaril Rawls E. Fantasy: Best Fantasy Weapon Silmaril […]
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I can’t believe nobody’s picked this one yet–the sword of Godric Griffindor from Harry Potter. 🙂
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Nice choice! I second.
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(I nominated it under the “Sword of Griffindor,” but I spelled it wrong, lol… That’s the hardest part with The Silmarillion Awards. I can’t remember how to spell anything!)
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I’m nominating Calibrun. It’s the original sword in the stone and it’s pretty epic, but everyone seems to forget about it.
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*Caliburn, not Calibrun. 😛
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I didn’t know there was an original. That’s cool!
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I nominate Taulmaril the Heartseeker, a magical bow wielded both by Drizzt Do’Urden and Cattibrie in R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt series.
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[…] Don’t forget to cast YOUR VOTE for this year’s Silmarillion Awards! […]
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I nominate Ela Roeh’s branch from the Books of the Infinite by R.J. Larson. Just to clarify, the branch is a staff — Ela is the Infinite’s prophet, so it’s kind of like Moses’s staff from the Bible. The entire Books of the Infinite has a very Biblical feel, even though it’s fantasy. 🙂
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I nominate Britomart’s magic lance from THE FAERIE QUEENE. It has the magical power of allowing her to be an awesome action heroine without violating the factual plausibility of a woman having the same upper-body strength as a world of awesome warriors!
I also nominate the razors from the RED RISING trilogy, which I can’t seem to stop raving about (and sure hope it’s eligible for these awards). Prehensile duelling weapons. Awesome.
I will also second the Excalibur vote. No way you can overlook Excalibur!
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I’m looking forward to getting to Red Rising! I’ve heard so many good reviews of that book.
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I nominate Jennifer Strange’s sword from The Last Dragonslayer. It’s got a name, but I can’t remember that now for the life of me… 😛
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Oh! I just got that book out of the library to read! 🙂
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I nominate Fred, the talking sword from The Dark Sea Annals by Wayne Thomas Batson. (Hehe, I feel like I keep nominating everything from that series. WHICH MEANS IT’S AMAZING, GUYS.)
I also nominate Aidan’s sword Fury from The Door Within (by Wayne Thomas Batson)!
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RIGHT, the sword’s name is Fred! I was literally just going to pull my copy of The Errant King down to search for it, but once again you’ve beat me to it. 😀 I second Fred and Fury as well.
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Okay, so I’m only on book two, so not sure how significant it is in the long run, but I want to mention Needle, Arya’s sword in Game of Thrones. I think it’s symbolic.
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Thanks for voting! Needle sounds cool. 🙂
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Have you read Game of Thrones?
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No, I haven’t.
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I second Excalibur from Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire/Children of the Bard series; I second Bloodbiter’s Wrath (AKA the beanpole) from Tales of Goldstone Wood; I second Fred from The Dark Sea Annals; I second Fury from The Door Within.
I shall nominate the Mariner’s (AKA Captain Tom Shelvocke’s) harpoon from the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. I don’t remember everything about it, but it makes a high-pitched screaming sound when used, which is painful to some users, and it goes back into your hand if it thinks it needs to be utilized soon.
I nominate the Word from A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull, but I can’t exactly say why. Divulging details would spoil the book.
Lastly, I nominate the candlestone from the Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire/Children of the Bard series by Bryan Davis. I don’t recall if it’s ever used for good, but it’s pretty cool; it’s kinda like a fantasy version of kryptonite, except not. 😛
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I second the candlestone!
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I third that!
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(Also, get me off the internet because I SHOULD be writing! :P)
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Lol! The internet is a distraction wherever one goes, unless you are in a cabin in the woods somewhere without it. 😛
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[…] Fantasy Mount Best Riddling and Poetry Best Redemption Story Strangest Character Best Fantasy Weapon Most Epic Hero Most Heartwrenching Death Wisest Counseler Most Nefarious […]
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Anybody remember Elric of Melnibone’s Stormbringer?
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[…] Post Statistically: The Silmarillion Awards Begins! I’m not too surprised that this was the most popular, as it was part of a group event last […]
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