Artifacts and Relics: Extreme Sorcery

 Artifacts and Relics: Extreme Sorcery


is now available here. This promises to be quite the sword and sorcery collection. I'm honored to be included in these ranks.

Inside the table of contents...
Fred C. Adams
Colleen Anderson
James Beaman
Joe Bonadonna
Steve Goble
Jonah Lissner
David C. Smith
Bill Ward
David J. West
John M. Whalen

as well as a tale by Clark Ashton Smith!

Solomon Kane

Solomon Kane, directed by Michael Basset and starring James Purefoy was released everywhere else back in 2009. I've wanted to see it for years and yet avoided watching it on youtube or other possible sites. I guess I just wanted to see it theatrically first - of course it never came to Montana, so I had to wait for DVD, and even that took me longer than it should have but...


I've been a fan of Robert E. Howard's grim puritan avenger for years, I'm sure I like him more than Kull, and I was not disappointed. Great action, atmosphere and all.

As much as I despise pointless origin stories, this one doesn't bug me. Its quick, its easy and its entertaining. There was no wasted effort and pointless pandering on how and why I should understand Kane's motivations. And I have to add that I'm pretty happy with the casting. Purefoy is magnificent in everything from Mark Anthony in ROME to Marshall in Ironclad, so his Kane is perfect. And most of the supporting cast are well played too.

While this movie is outside the REH cannon, I felt like it was reasonably true to the character - certainly more so than the recent Conan movies - and the S&S elements are well done. Listening to Bassett and Purefoy's commentary on the DVD I do hope that sequels happen, I'd love to see a merging of "The Moon of Skulls" and "Hills of the Dead".

Having a rather dim view of film for the last couple years, I enjoyed this one despite its non-cannon material. Here's hoping for more.

Book Review: Prince of Thorns

Prince of Thorns, by Mark Lawrence

I think I first read about this over at Keith West's Adventures Fantastic blog, and it sat in the back of my mind for awhile and I noticed several copies at my local used book store a month ago, but I decided to buy a brand new paperback copy a week ago rather than a trade paperback to get into in my Locke Lamora/Red Seas Under Red Skies withdrawals. Its just handier to read on the plane ride and I don't have to power down the kindle that I got from my girlfriend for my birthday - Thanks Babe.
SO  .  .  .
Prince Jorg, the Prince of Thorns is different, he is nastier and a definite anti-hero but we come to understand why he is the way he is and even side with him in his vengeful cause.
The book is gritty like Abercrombie and GRRM, but I never did feel like Lawrence was too gratuitous or took things too far - we get the idea and that's plenty.

The world building was enchanting and as we learn more we hunger to learn more about the history of the realm, you are in for some good surprises.

I really hate to give away too much, I suspect if you were already thinking maybe on this one, because of its similarities to those other fantasies, you will enjoy this very much. I'll be getting a copy of King of Thorns soon enough.

The Thunder Rolls...

I didn't have a table of contents until a day or so ago and now that the ebook for both volumes of  Thunder on the Battlefield are available here it is.

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword
Featuring

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW”

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS”

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY”

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE”

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”
 
Thunder on the Battlefield: Sorcery
Featuring

Jeffe Kennedy: “NEGOTIATION”

Alex Hughes: “THE FOURTH RULE”

Selah Janel: “THE RUINS OF ST. LOUIS”

Steve Grassie: “MARK OF THE WARRIOR”

James R. Tuck: “ANGELS OF SCRAWL”

M.B Weston: “THE CHERUBIAN, THE LINDWORM, AND THE PORTAL”

Brady Allen: “GRINDING THE GEARS”

S.H. Roddey “BLACK ICE”

Steven S. Long: “THE TWO FIRES”

D.A. Adams: “ACROSS THE WILDS”

Mark Taverna “DARK GENESIS”

Steven L. Shrewsbury “WHORE OF JERICHO”

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword

Featuring

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword

Featuring

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword

Featuring

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword

Featuring

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword

Featuring

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword

Featuring

G. Jerome Henson: “THE HORDE”

Jay Requard: “PAPER DEMONS”

D.T. Neal: “THE WOLF & THE CROW” 

John F. Allen: “FOREST OF SHADOWS” 

Marcella Burnard “EMISSARY” 

David J. West: “THE DOGS OF WAR”

Alexis A. Hunter: “THE RED HAND”

James R. Tuck “WHERE THE RED BLOSSOMS WEEP”

Loriane Parker: “THIEF OF SOULS”

W. E. Wertenberger: “THE GNAWED BONE” 

Stephen Zimmer “ALL THE LANDS, NOWHERE A HOME”

J.S. Veter “THE WITCH OF RYMAL PASS”

- See more at: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com/2013/08/full-list-of-authors-for-both-thunder.html#sthash.72Z2d87q.dpuf

Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword & Sorcery

“HARK! to the sounds of battle. Mighty men and women who take their destinies with the strength of their arm and the sharpness of their blades. These are tales of warriors, reavers, barbarians, and kings. Lands of wonder populated with monsters, black-hearted sorcerors of Stygian power, and heroes who have blood on their hands and on their steel.

This is SWORD AND SORCERY.”

Available this Thursday in eBook formats, and mid August in print, SSP is proud to offer a 2 volume anthology edited by James R. Tuck, author of the Deacon Chalk Novels. Introducing Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword, and Thunder on the Battlefield: Sorcery, featuring two dozen brand new, hard-hitting sword and sorcery tales!  My tale The Dogs of War features Tyr, a viking mercenary and the Templat poet - Wolfram Von Eschenbach - more of them will be available soon in a sequel of sorts Whispers of the Goddess.
Here are the two covers from artist Enggar Adirasa!  Stay tuned for more information on this exciting release week! I was hoping for a table of contents list but I don't have one just yet. I'm excited to see who else is in the books.

Book Review: Red Seas Under Red Skies

Red Seas Under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch

Any regular reader of mine knows I've been off my game this year and I decided I better throw something into the July spot before its gone and why not the best fiction I've read this year???

Indeed Lynch delivers an excellent sequel, I may have actually enjoyed Red Seas more than Lies of Locke Lamora, which was awesome. I read the book in about 5 sittings - almost all in the air jet setting to see my Lady in LA. A good book does make the flight go quick, so WIN, WIN, WIN.

We pick up right in the middle of tense action with Locke and his partner in crime Jean, in the coastal city of Tal Verrar and sevreal intrigues are in motion. They are planning a heist and as we meet interesting characters and witness some great world building, do our pair of heroes get the grief shoveled on them. Lynch is a master at keeping you turning pages and I think he outdoes himself with this sophomore effort.

I just don't have it in me to give more detail at the moment, other than to give this my heartiest recommendation for anyone who enjoys fascinating characters and gritty fantasy (not quite Abercrombie/GRRM gritty but still) all with great suspense and action and being a trilogy I don't think its too long for those who are reluctant to bite off on those massive fantasy series. I am gonna have to grab the third Republic of Thieves very soon.

Another 100 Horrors!!!

Another 100 Horrors is released today. This is a collection of flash fiction all weighing in at the staggering 100 word mark. My piece is "The Problem of Magick" a master and apprentice learning experience.

The TOC is as follows...

Black Talbot by Paul Chown
Abductia by Andrés Abel
In the End was the Word by Gary B. Phillips
Messages from Ourselves by James Bojaciuk
Old Friend by Niccolo Skill
Creative by Ryan Tandy
Night Terror by Teresa Hawk
Kill Your Gods by Allen Ashley
Together Forever by M. Thomas Smith
Sweet Dreams by Aaron Z. Hawkins
Curiosity Piqued by Allan Kalupar
All-Star by Dan Larnerd
National Rip-off by Alex Grover
Tap Door Run by Mark Smith
Seeker in the Dark by Brandon Barrows
Meat Race by Nicky Peacock
His Heart by Vivian Caethe
Th Hunt by Essel Pratt
The Backseat Check by Michael E. Grant
The Fort by C.J. Meirick
Walking to the Store by Keith Deininger
The Lost Limb by Jay Esou
Plumber by Chris Blinn
White Collar Necropolis by Christopher Cornell
No Light in the Attic by the Word Rummager
Drink by Dawn Nikithser
Riders on the Storm by Dorothy Davies
Dark Glass by Gary Budgen
Winter of Abomination by Mark Lewis
Black Mantle by Justin Powell
The Temple by McKynzie Bair
The Last Tattoo by Ross Baxter
Endlessly Falling by David Turnbull
Cuts by Irvine Harker
Intervention by Robert Laseur
Dear Devil by Teddy Vork
Hide-and-Seek by Erin Cole
The Asylum of the Dead by Jaimie M. Engle
The Boarder by Kathy Ferrell
Clockwork Offal by Stephen Kozeniewski
What Lies Beneath by Jerry Scarbrough
After The Slaughter by Julie R Kendrick
Water Is My Home by Tiffany A. Robbins
Man-na by Sharla Anderson
Night Walk by John Kujawski
Birth by L.R. Bonehill
Shackles by Dan Howarth
Kage by Chad Case
On Reflection by C. C. Adams
Endless Loop by Christopher Shultz
Sister Knows Best by Kevin G. Bufton
Tears of Blood by Val Gryphin
Habit by Dirky Henkel
A Change Too Far by Adam Millard
100 Worries by Shaun Avery
Mr Whippy by David Marr
Miss Ham and Eggar by Lance Manion
Dog Days by Rose Blackthorn
Mouse in the House - Cara S. Cobb
The Hunter by K. Trap Jones
FLURG by Ken Goldman
Dead Man's Chest by Scott L. Vannatter
Meeting the Family by Jennifer Mccullah
The Problem with Magick by David J. West
Tiny Gifts by Matt Kurtz
The Standing Appointment by R.Y. Brockway
Greed by Paul S. Huggins
Schrödinger's Mistress by Phil Ambler
While You Sleep by Bruce L. Priddy
Closer by Chris Yodice
Asylum by Oonah V Joslin
Dress Up by Aurelio Rico Lopez III
One Last Dance by Paco
Knock Out by Kristal Stittle
The Witch's Dilemma by David Edward Nell
The Bridge by Angela Pritchett
In Deep by Sheri White
Giggles by Gabino Iglesias
The Little Fat Man's Curiosity by Stuart Conover
Self by Jay Wilburn
Breaking Free by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
Arachne by Matt Moody
Rye by Joshua Rupp
Jerky by Allen Jacoby
Feast by Mark Slade
Shipwreck by Cameron Suey
Effort Number Eighty-Seven by Nathan Robinson
Howl by Angel Zapata
Sacred Vows by Jon McAchren
Corpse Mother by J. Rodimus Fowler
The Hose by Tim Tobin
Bruise by TJ Oneal Antley
Victim #93 by Rocky Alexander
Snap by Kerry G.S. Lipp
Strange Noises by Lisamarie Lamb
Severance Package by Cameron Johnston
Procession by A.R. Aston
Mummy by Jonathan Ward
Stuck by David Williamson
One Hundred Pairs of Eyes by Jillian Robinson

A few more links -  Amazon (US) - www.amazon.com/dp/1489514279

Amazon (UK) - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1489514279