Dark Fantasy Short Stories

She's stuck in a dark, underground dangerous medical experiment. He's on the hunt to find and rescue her... After being kidnapped and drugged, Renee keeps her wits about her while in captivity. With her fate tied to her ability to survive the medical testing, she focuses on staying alive and escaping. Sent to find her, super-soldier Dr. Bastian Fox will do anything and everything to rescue her from the atrocities of breeding experimentation. But from the information he's gathered, rescuing her might not be enough to save her life. He might need to make a permanent commitment and be willing ...

Dreamy fantasy stories have actually been a trend. They’ve inspired millions. As opposed to the lengthy novels, these stories are short but cut to the chase in an instant. They light up the weird and the uncanny, the marvelous as well as the fantastic: All the things we know are going beyond the reasonable and instantly realistic - into looking-glass, beyond the songs of the impossibly haunting violin, with the twisted trees of the ancient timbers.

A wide-ranging collection, these stories take readers on a journey through the wondrous and the worldly, the familiar and the fantastical. From vampires, fallen angels, and knights of lore, to lawyers, detectives, and school teachers, the characters walk with you, traversing the many and varied paths of the human psyche. Turn the pages, step forward onto the journey, leave behind your… Masks

A carnival of horrors, outer space, heaven: these are just a few of the locations visited in this collection of short stories. Though I’ve always found long form fiction to be easier to write, like many other authors, I started by writing short fiction, where words are precious and each pithy sentence must do the work of an entire chapter. Please join me in my early journey through the abbreviated worlds of the short story.

Dame Armaelle Níallach, a battle-worn knight sworn to protect her sovereign, races through the moonlit forests, cradling an infant princess in her arms. Pursued by ruthless assassins, she seeks refuge in the ancient cemetery of Caer Mawnog, where stone statues of grieving widows and faceless wraiths stand as silent sentinels of forgotten tragedies. Wounded and desperate, Armaelle pleads with the old gods for help—only to find her prayers answered by something far older and more dangerous than she ever imagined. With its vivid world-building, rich in ancient lore and primal forces, the ...

Fugitive Brides: A Steamy Monster Romance Series Run from the law. Fall into the arms of a monster. Four daring women are on the run—escaping kingdoms, curses, and corrupt justice. But freedom has a price… and love comes in the form of ruthless beasts, possessive kings, and otherworldly predators who would claim them as their own. ✨ Perfect for fans of monster romance, fated mates, and spicy short reads with fast-burn passion and fantasy stakes. ✨ Each standalone story blends romantic tension, wild chemistry, and brave heroines who meet their match in monstrous men. Included in this...

* Originally Shortlisted in a 2023 Writing Competition * From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a fantasy story about loneliness and connection. Delve into a world where sunflowers bloom, plums ripen, and love is forged by two unlikely strangers. Far away, in the Hamlet of Hollowgarde, Harlan Springbrook is a peculiar, curmudgeonly halfling who prefers his own company. Eldewine Kettlebloom, a nurturing gardener, tries to draw him out by building a bridge of neighborly communication. Unfortunately, things go amiss, and she nearly kills him. Will Harlan—if not their relationship—survive?...

Welcome to another kind of terror as Peter Straub leads us into the outer reaches of the psyche. Here the master of the macabre is at his absolute best in seven exquisite tales of living, dying, and the terror that lies in between.

A prophecy has told Lord Kevar a boy with a magic sword and the aid of a wizard will bring about Kevar’s doom, but Kevar is not waiting. He sets out with his servant mage Ghee to thwart all parts of the prophecy, even seeking to end the source of all prophecies within his world. “The Prison of His Tyranny” is a fantasy tale of one dark lord’s mission to ultimately destroy the world of men, but can he succeed where so many others have failed? From the author of The Kobalos Trilogy and The Unwilling God Trilogy

In their third critically acclaimed collection of original fairy tales for adults, World Fantasy Award-winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling present 21 new stories by some of the top names in literature today. Dark, disturbing and delightful, each story was written expressly for this superb collection of distinctly grown-up fantasy - a brilliant companion volume to Datlow and Windling's acclaimed anthologies, Snow White, Blood Red, and Black Thorn, White Rose.

Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson, and Larry Niven have seen the future. Now you can, too. A constellation of the brightest lights in the science fiction and fantasy firmament have judged these authors to be the best, the brightest, the truest emerging stars in the field.

Everything Aria tried to do in order to save her brother and help those closest to her has made everything worse. She's now alone with Beru, trying to figure out a way to fix what they've done, to undo what they've started. But Aria still can't get over the fact that Beru is a traitor to Onen Suun, the only man who dared to defy Dag'draath. Beru was the reason Onen Suun was forced to sacrifice his life to save the world.

A Doomed Mission. A Sister’s Despair. A Warrior with Nothing Left to Fight For. Nightbreeze has spent centuries in battle, but war no longer holds meaning. Ready to take the great sleep, he returns home for one final farewell—only to find his sister, Starlily, preparing for her own end. A powerful mage, Starlily has given up hope of ever finding her soul mate. Seeking an escape, she joins an elite expedition to recover a lost sword—one hidden deep in the under realms, guarded by an ancient demon. The mission is suicidal, but she doesn’t care. But their powerful parents forbid her ...

Deep in the quiet town of Garibaldi, Oregon, lies a dark and mysterious secret. Zoey follows her heart from Idaho to the Oregon coast where she is drawn into a world filled with romance, mystery, and danger as she navigates the small coastal village plagued with ghosts, dark magic, murder, and even a dragon. Will Zoey find what she's been searching for, or will the evil lurking in the mists of Garibaldi consume her completely? Join Zoey and the other inhabitants of this tiny fishing village as they move through perilous challenges and uncover hidden truths. If you enjoy thrilling tales of ...

Write Like Hell is the first horror and dark fantasy anthology released by Sentinel Creatives. Adapted from the zine released under the same name, Write Like Hell features stories from Scott Miller, Justin Probyn, and Mitchell Luthi. In this audiobook, you'll find a feast of fiction for you to sink your teeth into. This release see the debuts of not one but two authors.

A volume of short stories by the best-selling author of The Broken Empire series, Mark Lawrence This is a collection of 14 stories of murder, mayhem, pathos, and philosophy, all set in the world of the Broken Empire. Within this audiobook, you will find tales of men such as Red Kent, Sir Makin, Rike, Burlow and the Nuban, telling of their origins and the events that forged them.

In Caitlín R. Kiernan’s The Ammonite Violin & Others, one of contemporary dark fantasy’s most bewitching and distinctive voices is back with another banquet of the weird and unexpected. Within this book, you’ll discover a dazzling suite of stories situated on the borderlands between the unspeakable and the erotic, the grotesque and the sublime.

From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a story about the woe of omniscience. Dundermutton is a magical ram who can perceive everything in the universe. Tired of his otherworldly obligations, he sleeps in to enjoy a holiday. Still, the universe isn’t having it—fate screams for his attention. Terror approaches! Opening his mind’s eye, Dundermutton witnesses an unfolding tragedy. Far away, Gammond Brandyford, a troublesome halfling of the Aevalorn Parishes, has stumbled upon a magical chalice capable of transforming water into wine. What could possibly go wrong? Ignoring the universe's ...

From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a dark fantasy story about self-discovery. Lured by the promise of treasure, Gammond Brandyford, a halfling with a knack for trouble, takes Vongur, a dwarven companion whose soul is trapped within an amulet, to a sacred sanctuary hidden in the mountains. In all truthfulness, Vongur might be looking for a connection to his past, but Gammond only wants a quick buck. Still, at the sanctuary, Gammond must defeat its steadfast guardian to acquire the memories Vongur’s been searching for. Together, they confront a challenge that tests their courage and ...

From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a story about the power of words, deception and subterfuge, and helping out an old friend. When esteemed emissary Ser Roham Baz falls victim to a mysterious curse that twists his words, it's up to his loyal friend, Joliver Barleywood, the clever Halfling Bard of the Aevalorn Parishes, to unravel the mystery. Joliver must use his cunning tongue to root out those who cursed Ser Roham, undo Roham’s affliction, and save the kingdom from falling into war. Set amid diplomatic negotiations fraught with tension and deceit, The Taunting Tongue weaves ...