The first round of the Book Championship Tournament has concluded. Not any surprises to speak of, nor upstarts who seized the moment in the limelight to perform with excellence and shock the world with an unforeseen upset.

Fantasy

In the fantasy half of the bracket, the most noteworthy result was the annihilation of Sword of Shannara at the hands of Narnia.

Here are highlights from the matchups.

Harry Potter vs. Discworld

No surprise here, as the favorite HP handily defeated Discworld. The boy wizard and his friends had no trouble dealing with the unconventional, humorous approach taken by Discworld. Really, it was a formality, and proved that HP sports skills extend beyond Quidditch.

Score: 21-3

Sword of Shannara vs. Narnia

A lopsided victory for Narnia, as it won without breaking a sweat. Nostalgia and popularity played a major factor in this game, and led Narnia to a shutout and the most votes in the first round. Narnia has come ready to play and win, and is feeling good as it rides a tidal wave of momentum into the next round.

Score: 30-0

Mistborn vs. Wheel of Time

A pairing featuring two of the lesser-known contestants, this game resulted in a Mistborn win. Wheel of Time made a valiant effort, but the characters and mind-numbing length likely spelled its doom from the get-go. Mistborn made a good showing, proving its strength as a compelling fantasy series.

Score: 9-4

Eragon vs. Lord of the Rings

Little doubt here who would win. When set against one of the most loved, enduring epics of literature, the three votes Eragon earned were somewhat surprising. Lord of the Rings breezed through the first round, looking strong as it gained the second-most votes.

This led to a celebration afterward on the part of several characters that included smoking pipes and downing alarming amounts of ale. 😮

Score: 27-3

Science Fiction

In the sci-fi part of the tournament, one trend became abundantly clear over the course of the week. YA books were the stronger contenders, despite being pitted against classic giants.

Some highlights.

Hunger Games vs. Wrinkle in Time

A Hunger Games loss in the first round would have brought the world to a standstill. That didn’t happen, but Wrinkle of Time was anything but a pushover, forcing Katniss and company to step up their game in order to move on. Unpredictably, one of the closer games in Round 1.

Score: 16-10

Fahrenheit 451 vs. Ender’s Game

A matchup that could have gone either way. Both contestants boasted strengths and were evenly matched. Squaring off against each other, they battled hard, but in the end, Ender’s Game pulled away for the victory.

Score: 16-7

Divergent vs. Foundation

One of the more intriguing matchups, which continued the trend of YA dominance as Divergent got out to a quick lead and never looked back. Unlike many others in the tournament, Foundation seemed unprepared for the quick onslaught, and its performance left much to be desired.

Score: 16-2

Reckoners vs. Dune

The one exception to the YA dominance in Round 1. Dune proved that age and experience still count for something in a landscape controlled by younger competitors. The game was close throughout, but Reckoners wasn’t able to pull out the victory and Dune pressed onward.

Score: 10-5

Round Two

Today, the second round begins with some truly fascinating pairings.

Fantasy

Harry Potter vs. Narnia

Mistborn vs. Lord of the Rings

Science Fiction

Hunger Games vs. Ender’s Game

Divergent vs. Dune

Once again, head over to the Facebook group to cast your vote, and spread the word on social media.