CANADA (February 11, 2026) — The Canadian Book Club Awards (CBCA), the country’s largest readers’ choice award, today announced that Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle by E. M. Williams has won the award in the SCI-FI/Fantasy category for 2025.
“This afternoon, I found out how it would feel to win gold for Canada at the Olympics,” laughs Williams. “I shrieked and cried victory tears, and my hands shook so hard that it took me a couple of minutes to text my family the wonderful news. As an independent author writing a multi-book fantasy series set in Canada, this recognition means more to me than I can say.”
Williams self-published the first volume in her fantasy action series in 2022. “I’m grateful to the Canadian Book Club Awards for this recognition,” she says. “I started The Xenthian Cycle twelve years ago on a hope and a dream. I wrote standing up on the subway using my phone, I carved precious minutes out of my day job and duties as a parent, and I found supportive champions in my readers.”
What are the Canadian Book Club Awards?
The Canadian Book Club Awards highlights the best titles in 13 genres, as chosen by Canadian readers. Now in its eighth year of operation the awards have seen eye-opening growth in both the number of submitted books for consideration and readers participating in the awards.
“As Mark Carney recently highlighted in his address in Davos, Canada has THE most educated population in the world,” reflects Megan Williams, CBCA’s Board Chair. “Education begins and continues with literacy. The year-over-year growth of a reader’s choice award series indicates just how willing and open Canadians are to expand their literacy and support of the literary arts.”
Key facts:
- Finalists and winners are voted on by readers; not a literary panel or committee.
- The awards are publishing agnostic, which means books can be submitted by authors, publishers or independent presses, including self-published authors.
- Eighteen books were long-listed in the SCI-FI/Fantasy category, from which three finalists were selected.
“I’m so excited that my story resonated with their audience,” says Williams. “With Book II of the series in production, it’s the perfect time for new readers to catch up on The Xenthian Cycle.“
Fantasy finalists for 2025
The SCI-FI/Fantasy category was highly competitive. The finalists included:
- Chaos Calling — E.M. Williams (Circle Star Publishing)
- The Lightning Child: The Wolves of Orkerion — Quinn Lamothe (FriesenPress)
- Shadow of the Yew Tree — Kate Gateley (Fogberry Press)
For the full list of winners across categories, see the Canadian Book Club Awards website or Instagram account.
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About E. M. Williams
E. M. Williams is a Canadian fantasy author whose stories are informed by sibling bonds, 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