What a great bunch of stories this round! I had a great time reading each and every one. I guess the fun of writing about betrayal brings out the inner Shakespeare?
Best Stab: Baron: I didn't see the stab coming at all! I was as blindsided as the stabee. Also loved the parody on modern pro-wrestling and the Princess-Bride-poisoned-wine-scene feel of second guessing the opponent. Such fun!
Best Stabber: Blondbraid: I was very invested in Ahmed's character and my mind was racing towards the end wondering where the final betrayal would come from: Ahmed himself, Kazimir, or perhaps even the king. Gripping!
Best Setting/World: Baron: Masterful world building. The reader can understand exactly the situation of Roman gladiator fights, and the wider slave-society the men live in, and yet none of this is ever described as direct exposition. The whole story takes place in a wooden box and yet we know so much about the entire world through subtle writing. My favorite examples are the purse of Roman coins, confirming we are in Rome and not a different culture or fantasy setting, and the torn board, which gives us a small window into the outside world and also, unexpectedly for me, the twist at the end of the story. Really wonderful yarn!
Best Writing/Style: Frodo: I really liked the play-script style of the piece. It stripped away the need for lengthy visual narrative and other cumbersome tropes that would have only slowed down the simple but effective story. It would work well as a short radio play, and I just LOVE radio plays!
