Fantasy Adventure Short Stories

When the vampire Lord Constantine returns to oversee his favorite haunt, Castle Belan, he’s shocked to discover a quirky, curvy woman has claimed sanctuary in his home while he was away. Despite her anxieties over his blood-drinking dependency, Daria Stoica seeks sanctuary with Constantine after a trusted witch delivers a dark portent that scares her even more than the vampire’s blood lust does. To keep busy, Daria has taken on maid duties, exploring Castle Belan, and also exploring her newfound guardian. Daria’s not the only one curious about the new living situation, but ...

Oram's journey from average Joe to hero begins when he's transported into his favorite game. Lucky for him, he still has access to his early backer class, the Phylomancer, a mage class that learns spells and abilities by binding others to him.

Gotrek Gurnisson was the greatest monster slayer of the age, who met his doom at the End Times. The heroic duardin stepped forth into the Realm of Chaos to fight the daemons gnawing at the world's ending and satisfy his death oath, leaving behind his companion Felix Jaeger. Now Gotrek has returned, having outlived the old gods and the Old World. Spat from the ruinous depths with his redemption unfulfilled, he emerges into the Mortal Realms, a strange new world where gods walk the earth and dark forces are ascendant. Nothing is as he remembers.

Heaven and hell are at war, with Earth as their battleground. For time immemorial, humans have been their playthings. But not anymore. I was just a regular guy until I tapped into the primordial power of humanity known as the Archon System. Now, I have powers humans were always meant to have.

The When Swords Fall Silent anthology showcases the imaginations and talents of more than a dozen of the best modern science-fiction and fantasy authors, with each tale centered around one or more characters burdened with a bloody task they will see to completion no matter the cost. Every story takes you for a vicious ride through a world of shadow and death, each as unique in perspective and execution as the contracts carried out within.

Alaria Hartwood vanquishes a legendary kraken, becoming a Tentacle Mage. Her newfound talents and wealth bring hope of a quiet retirement but fate has far different plans. While Alaria wants to turn her retirement dream location into a place where she can focus on enchanting, potion making, and spell crafting it won't be easy. She quickly finds herself having to vanquish orcs and demons with a vibrant assistant. Mia is a great student, and a gifted soul, but even with her help, it seems like Alaria's shop on Brighthill will have to wait for the brewing storm to calm.

The Sabbat War is a savage Imperial crusade, cutting a bloody, burning path across a vast swathe of the Imperium's lost territory. On the front line, the stalwart regiments of the Astra Militarum, including the valiant Tanith First-and-Only—better known as Gaunt’s Ghosts—confront the relentless menace of Chaos, the Archenemy of Mankind. There is, and ever will be, only war.

These are tales of Towers and Stones, of thieves and monsters, of both the living and the dead. The continent of Seg is old and bloated with such tales and many are the tales told of Akna, thief of dreams, and gold when he can get it. Akna, slayer, Niskar’s prodigal son, master and servant of the demon stone, welcomes you to these fleeting visions of his life and his world.

Jed, our time-traveling agent of the Light, and Deborah, an astute upper-class young woman, miraculously meet at some of the most important periods in history! Their different strengths form a cohesive bond that enables extraordinary feats. To support the people on Earth in raising their consciousness to the Light, Jed protects the World Fairs (expos), which are catalysts for change, while Deborah coordinates the expos. She is unaware of a dangerous foe bent on stopping them at all costs.

Run. Hide. Live the good life online. Early retirement looked so easy on paper. Steal eight million euros from a gangster. Hide inside an online game and enjoy the finer things in life as a bard until the danger had passed. Except Daniel messed up. Now, the gangsters are in the game looking for him and he's stuck with an imbalanced character build in a dead-end starter village. Can Daniel find his own place and a life worth living inside the World of Chains?

For more than 30 years, Pern has conjured visions of brave men and women mounted upon the backs of dragons. As anyone knows who has been touched by the storytelling magic of Anne McCaffrey, to hear of the exotic world of Pern is to inhabit it - and to experience its extraordinary dragons is to soar aloft with them and share their dazzling adventures. A Gift of Dragons brings together three beloved stories and a thrilling new tale of Pern, published here for the first time, in a single volume.

The weird, wild west - an American frontier populated by gunslingers, rattlesnakes, outlaws, zombies, aliens, time travelers, and steampunk! Twenty-three of science fiction and fantasy's hottest and most popular authors create all-new tales, written exclusively for this anthology. Aliens and monsters, magic and science are introduced to the old west, with explosive results.

Let the secret history of the world be told - of the alien virus that struck Earth after World War II and of the handful of the survivors who found they now possessed superhuman powers. Some were called Aces, endowed with powerful mental and physical prowess. The others were Jokers, tormented by bizarre mind or body disfigurements. Some served humanity. Others caused terror. And now, 40 years later, as a gang war between the Shadow Fists and the Mafia rages out of control in the streets of Jokertown.

As the world gathers for the Brussels International Exhibition, the city pulses with energy, ambition, and the excitement of innovation. Amid its grand boulevards and magnificent pavilions, Eva Moretti finds herself at a crossroads—leading efforts to unite global women’s movements and orchestrate an Art Exhibition, while quietly holding onto a vision she cannot forget: the return of Jed. Jed, a Mediator from the Inter–Galactic Alliance, has spent the past four years tracing a growing darkness across Europe—an invisible threat that could fracture the planet’s future. Now recalled ...

The storm unearthed the dragons—Anna vowed to set them free. But with her ex leading the war against them, she must choose: the man she loves… or the creatures she was born to protect. In the aftermath of the Great Typhoon of 2030, the United States is unrecognizable—ravaged by chaos and fire-breathing fury. When ancient dragon eggs from the Pacific Ocean wash ashore with the storm, no one could have predicted what came next: the dragons awaken and unleash destruction on a scale the world has never known. The only protection? Salt and subzero temperatures. As dragon meat becomes a ...

The undersea city of Etrusia has been deliberately infected with the plague. With no one to man the controls, the air supply is severely compromised. Implosion is imminent. Draggar took over when the provisional government failed, and is trying to save the lives of as many people as he can, but without help, he knows his task is futile. Rumor has it that Quildor commissioned the refitting of a Great Ship that can leave the planet. If it exists, can Draggar find it in time? And if so, can it get to the surface before the aftershocks of implosion destroy it? In this essential companion to The...

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

Hot on the heels of Gardner Dozois's acclaimed anthology The Book of Swords comes this companion volume devoted to magic. How could it be otherwise? For every Frodo, there is a Gandalf... and a Saruman. For every Dorothy, a Glinda... and a Wicked Witch of the West. What would Harry Potter be without Albus Dumbledore... and Severus Snape? Figures of wisdom and power, possessing arcane, often forbidden knowledge, wizards and sorcerers are shaped - or misshaped - by the potent magic they seek to wield.

The very first Spellmonger anthology! Includes two audio exclusive stories, Stonesinger and The Ugliest Maid in Castal.

On September 15, 1946, the Wild Card virus was released, spreading a wave of mutations around the globe. "Aces" were endowed with extraordinary powers while "Jokers" were cursed with bizarre mental or physical disabilities. September 15th is now Wild Card Day. With each passing year, the festivities become larger and more fevered. And 1986 - the 40th anniversary - promises to be the biggest Wild Card Day ever.