Dark Fantasy Short Stories

Beast Hunt invites you to step into the claws, wings, and scales of the creatures humanity has feared for centuries. From mighty dragons to forgotten forest spirits, from mechanical monstrosities to cursed beings of the deep—these are the stories of the unseen, the unheard, and the misunderstood.

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.

From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a dark fantasy story about doing the wrong thing to do right. Maeree Emberbloom lives in a comfortable home on a quiet hill overlooking her hamlet of Pondaroak. But she has a problem: her magical shop is overrun with piskies. With her business suffering, Maeree is at a loss for what to do. Gammond Brandyford, a young halfling widely regarded as a town menace, offers to "help" Maeree and sets out to capture one. Gammond, though, knows nothing about fae or the danger they represent. Armed with only magicked trinkets and ancient lore, he heads into the ...

From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a short story about love and letting go. Join Joliver Barleywood, a halfling bard of the Aevalorn Parishes, on a heartfelt journey through the enigmatic Athenaeum, a secret library only found when needed. Just before midnight, Jak Lot frantically busts into the library, seeking words to convince their love to stay and not sail away for a distant suiter, engaging in a marriage of convenience and status. Through the magical power of words, Jak seeks to pen the plea that will anchor her heart to his. Joliver offers to help Jak, but in the process, he ...

* Originally Shortlisted in a 2023 Writing Competition * From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a dark fantasy story about hubris and the abuse of knowledge. Set against the backdrop of the fantasy world of Aevalorn Tales, we follow the ambitious Mulzunite academic Vabriel Shuno on his quest to possess luck itself. After spending two years collecting purportedly lucky creatures, Vabriel seeks one last creature believed to be the pinnacle of good luck. And armed with the luck of his collection, he believes he’s too lucky to fail! On a gloomy night near the Free City of Enceröss, Vabriel ...

Get ready to be spellbound by "Curse of the Hallow Moon," a spine-chilling Halloween horror anthology that will haunt your dreams long after the last page is turned. Delve into the darkness with thirteen tales of terror, where ancient curses, sinister creatures, and malevolent spirits lurk in the shadows, waiting to ensnare unsuspecting souls. From the eerie depths of the forest to the desolate corners of forgotten towns, each story in this collection is crafted to send shivers down your spine and quicken your pulse with every twist and turn. Whether you're drawn to the macabre or the ...

When God descends to earth as a Dinka woman from Sudan and subsequently dies in the Darfur desert, the result is a world bizarrely new yet eerily familiar. In Ron Currie's provocative, wise, and emotionally resonant novel we meet God himself; the Dinka woman whose mortality He must suffer when He inhabits her body; people all over the world coping with the devastating news of God's demise.

Two exciting short stories set in the engrossing world of The Demon Cycle from bestselling fantasy author Peter V. Brett.Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction. Each night, the world is overrun by demons - bloodthirsty creatures of nightmare that have been hunting and killing humanity for over 300 years. A scant few hamlets and half-starved city-states are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive.

They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark collects 13 chilling tales that weave through the shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness, and control.

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...

An incurable sickness has infected a fishing village along the coast of Ishalar. The sick do not die - they vanish, leaving behind footprints and ashen shadows. Delanis, the fourth throne of Ishalar, has already lost his wife to The Vanishing, and now his daughter is deep in the throes of the illness. More in his village are succumbing almost every day.

In the province of Santé, an old woman with connections to the gods runs afoul of the connection and plans to assassinate her grand daughter to appease them. The plan itself goes awry when another announces that he too has connections to the gods, and his are the true connections. Will the grand daughter survive? Will the old witch survive? And who is this newcomer?

Introducing The Stubborn Suitor, the hot and sexy new series by Alexa Wilder! Cami Hendricks has a lot on her plate. She's a single mom, works full-time, and her ex is a nightmare. Plus, every time she sees her mother, Cami has to tolerate her jabs about her weight. As if all that wasn't enough, the first guy Cami thinks she might really like seems to be playing games with her. His hot and cold attitude is not what she needs, especially with her ex playing hardball for full custody of her daughter. Drew Sloane is torn - he can't get Cami out of his mind. Ever since he met her at a party, ...

Once upon a time, the stories that came to be known as "fairy tales" were cultivated to entertain adults more than children; it was only later that they were tamed and pruned into less thorny versions intended for youngsters. But in truth, they have continued to prick the imaginations of audiences at all ages.

An incubus disguised as a high school girl puts a disturbing spin on the teacher/student fantasy. An engineer creates a robot with unexpected consequences during the end of the world. A man becomes the pet of alien invaders. From stories of aliens in other worlds to those living among us, these tales will move you out of your comfort zone and open you up to experiencing something - or someone - completely different.

This bundle includes The Dark Corner, Pan's Realm, and The Wishing Stone.

Getrude Bennet has been called the "most important woman writer of fantasy between Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1759-1797) and C.L. Moore (1911-1987)". This is a complete collection of short stories by the woman who first explored the dark fantasy worlds of the modern era. This book contains tales that were originally published in Weird Tales, Argosy, and All-Story Weekly between 1918-1923.

A fourth anthology from the editors of Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears presents contemporary retellings of traditional fairy tales in Gregory Frost's "Sparks", "The Dog Rose" by Sten Westgard, and other works by Jane Yolen, Joyce Carol Oates, Nancy Kress, and John Crowley.

Spooky Stories to Tell in the Dark is the latest installment of tantalizing tales from S. Cary and Story Ninjas Publishing. In this book, you'll find 22 of the scariest stories to tell your friends. From Area 51 to fishing trips, this anthology has all kinds of spooky stories to make your spine tingle. What happens when a bunch of teenagers have a New Year's Eve bash on a private island? Or what about a paranormal party at Christmas?