With voting for the second round opening we wanted to give our finalists a chance to say what they thought about making it this far.  Whilst some have yet to respond here’s what they had to say to date:

LEGEND AWARD NOMINEES

AUTHOR: BRETT, PETER V.

NOMINATED:  The Desert Spear

"When The Painted Man was first published in the UK, my writing was compared by a few reviewers to David Gemmell's. Having never read Gemmell, I shrugged at the comparison and filed it away as a curiosity to research when I had a chance. Some time later, a friend told me the story of how Legend was written, and I picked up a copy. It was only then I realized retroactively what an incredible compliment those reviewers were paying me. Now, to have The Desert Spear make the shortlist for the Gemmell award in such esteemed company is a huge honor. I hope people continue to support it in the final round, but voters can't really go wrong with any of the books on the shortlist."

AUTHOR: HEITZ, Markus.

NOMINATED:  War of the Dwarves

"I was very pleasantly surprised to hear that the DWARVES have been nominated. Since they’ve only been available in England for a short while, I’m very glad to see the Dwarves have made so many friends so quickly! I’m delighted to have been nominated and to have entered the last round."

AUTHOR:  JORDAN, Robert and SANDERSON, Brandon

NOMINATED:  Wheel of Time 13: Towers of Midnight

"Once again I'm honored to have two books nominated for the David Gemmell Legend Award, as David Gemmell was such a fantastic author. (My favorite of Mr. Gemmell's titles is Knights of Dark Renown.) Because this is a reader-voted award, that means you all took the time to stop by and give my books a nominating vote. That means a lot to me. Thank you so much! I do find it amusing that I've now managed to lose the award more times than it's been offered. But the winner gets a freaking battleaxe! I definitely want to hang that battleaxe on my wall one of these days, but as always there's stiff competition from a set of very worthy nominees. All of these books deserve a read."

AUTHOR:  PEVEL, Pierre

NOMINATED:  The Alchemist in the Shadows

"I am both delighted and proud to find myself once again in the running for the David Gemmell Legend Award with The Alchemist in the Shadows. This award is very important in my view. Firstly, because it is an award given by the readers. And secondly, because I have a profound admiration for David Gemmell and his work. The competition is very, very fierce this year and I only hope that I don’t make too bad an impression alongside the other novels selected as finalists. A big thanks to everyone who voted for The Alchemist."

AUTHOR:  SANDERSON, Brandon

NOMINATED:  The Way of Kings

"Once again I'm honored to have two books nominated for the David Gemmell Legend Award, as David Gemmell was such a fantastic author. (My favorite of Mr. Gemmell's titles is Knights of Dark Renown.) Because this is a reader-voted award, that means you all took the time to stop by and give my books a nominating vote. That means a lot to me. Thank you so much! I do find it amusing that I've now managed to lose the award more times than it's been offered. But the winner gets a freaking battleaxe! I definitely want to hang that battleaxe on my wall one of these days, but as always there's stiff competition from a set of very worthy nominees. All of these books deserve a read."

AUTHOR:  WEEKS, Brent

NOMINATED:  The Black Prism

"A nomination for the David Gemmell Legend Award is both humbling and invigorating. I love that this is an award decided by fans--even if that means I’m going to get stomped by the giants that are my fellow finalists! Getting into the finalists’ circle tells me that my books are connecting with readers, and that’s one of the best feelings in the world. Though I wouldn’t hold a vote for any of my competitors against anyone, I think The Black Prism is a good exemplum of the award’s guidelines. My books are Gemmell-esque:  fast-paced and addictive, full of intriguing characters with secrets and scars in a world that is intricately imagined. I’m honored to be in the company of such great writers, and deeply grateful to the committee for their hard work in putting this event together. The kind of fantasy that we love is often over-looked, and I appreciate your efforts to redress that. (I’m also totally geeked to be getting a baby Snaga!)"

MORNINGSTAR AWARD NOMINEES

AUTHOR:  CHARLTON, Blake

NOMINATED:  Spellwright

"Comments/reaction to follow"*

AUTHOR:  HINKS, Darius

NOMINATED: The Warrior Priest

"It was an honour to even be nominated for the Morningstar award, so being shortlisted is really exciting. It’s great to know that there are people out there who enjoyed reading about Ratboy, Anna and Wolff and, if there are any Warrior Priest fans who’ve yet to vote, I’d just like to mention that there’s a very ugly, bare space on my lounge wall that’s crying out for a large piece of spiky medieval weaponry. It would really tie the room together and my wife would be thrilled."

AUTHOR:  JEMISIN, N. K.

NOMINATED:  The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

"Comments/reaction to follow"*

AUTHOR:  PEHOV, Alexey

NOMINATED:  Shadow Prowler

"Comments/reaction to follow"*

AUTHOR:  VICTORIA, Mary

NOMINATED:  Tymon's Flight

"Wow. I'm surprised, thrilled, and touched to be here, in such amazing company. I've read fantasy since I could first pick up a book and spell 'hobbit', so it's a joy beyond words to be shortlisted for a Gemmell award. Fantasy is in the air I breathe: I live in Middle Earth, aka New Zealand, where people regularly break out elven cloaks when it rains. (Well, not really. But we do indulge in second breakfasts.)

The genre has had a shot in the arm with several excellent debuts in 2010, and I'm excited to be here alongside such fine new voices. I'm proud to be listed with authors who push the envelope and who make fantasy storytelling what it should be - a vigorous, evolving branch of literature. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who voted for me in the first round; congratulations, you've made a grown curmudgeon cry! Wherever I go from here, I'm simply grateful to be a part of it all."

RAVENHEART AWARD NOMINEES

ARTIST:  EINARSDOTTIR, Olof Erla

NOMINATED:  Cover of Power and Majesty

"Thank you so much, I am honoured and ecstatic to have made the final round. I am thrilled to be among the top in this incredible pool of talent. :)"

ARTIST:  LOCKWOOD, Todd

NOMINATED:  Cover of The Ragged Man

"The cover for Ragged Man, which I have titled Passage Denied, was a great deal of fun. I imagined this Hell as made entirely out of damned souls; everything you see or touch is aware, even that which seems to be no more than bone. Every step must elicit a moan or curse. I burrowed into the uncomfortable parts of my imagination, which you have to do to depict Hell: crack the stony veneer of your calm and expose the pale, squirming discomfort beneath. Best to you, and many thanks to everyone who voted for this image!"

ARTIST:  NIELSEN, Cliff

NOMINATED:  The Cover of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

"Comments/reaction to follow"*

ARTIST:  SULLIVAN, Jon

NOMINATED:  The Cover of Shadow King

"Thanks to all those that voted for me online for the award..but most of all thank you all for ignoring the extraordinary length of the bowstring and if you vote again just squint one eye closed and think it shorter...its ok ill get it right next time.And as a good will gesture if I win I will give a piece of the award to all those that vote for me. Much appreciated."

ARTIST:  VICTORIA, Frank

NOMINATED:  The Cover of Tymon's Flight

"The field of Fantasy illustration has always been very dear to me, since the day I discovered the art of Frank Frazetta. That was the start of a life long interest in the genre. The cover artist is the first, and sometimes only person who is given the chance to interpret a fantasy world in visual terms. So for what it's worth, I hope that people always judge a book by its cover! I am truly honoured to be a nominee in the final round of the David Gemmell legend award."

*Comments/reaction will be updated as sent by the relevant parties.