CANADA (November 20, 2025) — The Canadian Book Club Awards (CBCA), the country’s largest readers’ choice award, is pleased to announce the finalists for its 2025 awards.
Eighteen books competed in the fantasy category this year. Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle, by E. M. Williams, is among the three fantasy finalists advancing to the final voting round.
“Chaos Calling is the book I wanted to read,” says Williams, who self-published the kickoff to her fantasy action series in 2022. “I’m grateful to the Canadian Book Club Awards for this recognition. I’m so excited that the story resonated with their audience. With Book II of the series now in production, it’s the perfect time for new readers to catch up on The Xenthian Cycle.”
An exciting year for Canadian books
This announcement arrives amid a lively and celebrated awards season across the literary world,
reflecting the diversity present in Canadian publishing.
Monday’s Giller prize announcement highlighted Canada’s best fiction as chosen by a jury. In contrast, the Canadian Book Club Awards highlights the best titles in 13 genres, as chosen by Canadian readers.
“Each year we watch the awards evolve, not only in quantity, but in depth,” says Kristain Camps,
Program Director for the CBCA. “The range of stories submitted this year speaks to Canada’s
literary scene as one that is thriving in every corner.”
What should readers know about this year’s Canadian Book Club Awards?
Some facts:
- Independently published books make up 50% of the finalist titles
- Canadians comprise 82% of the finalists. Authors worldwide are welcome to participate. Canadian readers exclusively judge the winner.
- Registered Avid Readers evaluate all submissions and select the finalists in each of the 13 genre categories.
- Registered, verified Canadian readers select the winners, provided they vote by January 2026
Fantasy finalists for 2025
The fantasy finalists for the 2025 Canadian Book Club Awards are:
- The Lightning Child: The Wolves of Orkerion — Quinn Lamothe (FriesenPress)
- Shadow of the Yew Tree — Kate Gateley (Fogberry Press)
- Chaos Calling — E.M. Williams (Circle Star Publishing)
Winners will be announced in February 2026. For the full list across categories, see the Canadian Book Club Awards website or Instagram account.
~
About E. M. Williams
E. M. Williams is a Canadian fantasy author whose stories are informed by parenthood, her marketing career in tech, and the perils of being a super-heroic woman trying to ‘have it all’. Chaos Calling, which received a strong review from Kirkus, is her first published novel in The Xenthian Cycle. Elizabeth lives and works in Toronto.
Media Inquiries
E. M. Williams, Independent Author and Publisher, Circle Star Publishing
inquiries at emwilliams dot ca | emwilliams.ca
The Canadian Book Club Awards Kristain Camps, Program Director
marketing at thecanadianbookclubawards dot ca | thecanadianbookclubawards.ca