Book picks similar to
Blackest Knights by C.T. PhippsA.M. Justice
fantasy
grimdark
type-anthology
anthology
Paladin of the Shield (Paladin of the Sigil Book 2)
Marvin Knight - 2022
An army from the depths of hell comes with her.In the heavens above, a seraph with more ambition than the heavens can contain is coming to confront her.The Sacred Seas have become a playground for forces beyond their power to contend with. In the war between the Heavens and the Hells, only one man can stand for humanity.But Darren is a keen sword forged in Hell. Growing up fighting demons for as long as he could remember, he is a naked blade that cuts down all in his path. This paladin of the sword must become a shield to guard what he holds dear.Now the King of Limedeep and with new friends to protect, Darren must learn to protect what he holds dear.And he'd best learn fast, for both the heavens and the hells are whispering his name.
A Missing Entanglement
Diana Knightley - 2019
It should be read between book 4, Begin Where We Are, and book 5, Entangled With You.If Magnus and Kaitlyn’s life together is a tapestry, then this, dear reader would be an unraveling thread.This happened. Except no one in the world knows or remembers.The fifth part of their story can be told without this thread. We could snip it off and drop it to the floor, except…We ought to know of it to carry on.
We can remember.
Because this strand, that once weaved their life is gone now — replaced by another, stronger, more exquisite weaving — but it existed. And it changed their whole story.
Book 1 — Kaitlyn and the HighlanderBook 2 — Time and Space Between UsBook 3 — A Warrior of My OwnBook 4 — Begin Where We AreShort story 4.5 — A Missing EntanglementBook 5 — Entangled With YouBook 6 — Magnus and a Love Beyond WordsBook 7 — to be determined…
Regina Puckett's Short Tales of Horror
Regina Puckett - 2012
Can anything save them when the spirit decides they belong to him? Crying through Plastic Eyes-A messy divorce, a room filled with creepy dolls, and a missing six-year-old all create the perfect storm for a young mother’s worse nightmare. Will Work for Food- You see them everywhere begging for money or food. When an older couple decides to lend a helping hand to a young man and his son, someone gets more than they bargain for. Pieces-A battered woman confesses to the mutilation and death of her husband, but did she really commit this heinous crime? Paying the Hitchhiker-You see a beautiful young woman on the side of the road with her thumb out, asking for a ride. Who should be the most afraid: the hitchhiker or the person picking her up? Inheritance-A confession from Accalia’s grandmother about a curse and an inheritance are just the prologue to seven days of suffering through a living hell.
Dark Screams: Volume One
Brian James Freeman - 2014
From Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar of the acclaimed Cemetery Dance Publications, Dark Screams: Volume One reaches across genres to take readers beyond the precipice of mortal toil and into the glimmering void of irreality and beyond. WEEDS by Stephen King When a meteorite lands on his property, Jordy Verrill envisions an easy payday. Unfortunately for Jordy, this is no ordinary rock—and the uncompromising force inside has found its first target. THE PRICE YOU PAY by Kelley ArmstrongNever pay more than you owe. Sounds like easy advice to follow. But for Kara and her childhood friend Ingrid, some debts can never be repaid . . . especially those tendered in blood. MAGIC EYES by Bill Pronzini Edward James Tolliver has found a weary sort of asylum among the insane. He knows he’s not one of them—but how can he tell anyone about the invaders without sounding that way? MURDER IN CHAINS by Simon Clark Imagine awaking to find yourself in an underground vault, chained by the neck to a murderous lunatic, a grunting goliath who seems more animal than man. What would you do to save yourself? THE WATCHED by Ramsey Campbell Little Jimmy gets a glimpse of the cold truth when he finds out that it’s not always what you see that can get you into trouble; it’s who knows what you see.
The O. Henry Prize Stories 2006
Laura Furman - 2006
The stories range in style from the gritty noir of David Means' "Sault Ste. Marie" to the mesmerizing mythmaking of Louise Erdrich's "The Plague of Doves," while the settings include a village perched on top of an enormous whale (David Lawrence Morse's "Conceived") as well as a swank suite at the Plaza Hotel (Xu Xi's "Famine"). The three most powerful stories seem to have in common the ability to immerse readers in a character's sudden, searing moment of self-knowledge and the way that insight impacts the course of a life. In Edward P. Jones' elegiac, masterful "Old Boys, Old Girls," a hard-bitten con comes to see that redemption is within his reach. Deborah Eisenberg delicately deconstructs a young girl's attraction to an abusive man in the haunting "Windows." And, finally, the storied Alice Munro, in "Passion," conveys the complex inner world of a teenager who discovers she values risk over security.
Welcome to the Funhouse
Kelly Brocklehurst - 2021
With twelve grisly stories of coming-of-age terror, carnival cruelty and fairground frights, this collection brings together the best and most exciting talents in the horror community. Roll up! with the following stories:"Mirrors" by Robin Grieve"Candy Apple Smiles" by Christopher Robertson"The Cyclone Sisters' Travelling Circus" by Angela Sylvaine"Anna and Abby" by L. Pine"The Prop" by Nikki R. Leigh"The Viperess of Las Cruces" by C.W. Blackwell"The Golden Tickets" by Roxie Voorhees"Dance With Us" by Kelly Brocklehurst"No Strings" by Jamie Stewart"Family Outing" by Briana Morgan"Mirrored" by Dave Musson"Smile at All the Good Times We Had" by Spencer HamiltonWith a foreword from the editors.
The System Apocalypse Short Story Anthology, Volume 1
Tao Wong - 2019
A Galactic dark elf. A woman who has given up her humanity to become something more. These stories and more are available in the first short story anthology for the System Apocalypse, covering year one on Earth. When the world ends, humanity steps up, finding new ways to survive in a world with Classes, magic and monsters. The anthology features exciting, new stories by five new writers and a new, never publicly released short story by Tao Wong. The System Apocalypse world was first introduced in 'Life in the North' and is a LitRPG science fiction and fantasy post-apocalyptic work that features monsters, science fiction technology, character sheets, supernatural races and ancient myths in one heady, LitRPG brew. Stories and writers featured in this anthology include: Craig Hamilton - "Hunting Monsters" has our protagonist doing what he does best. Finding those who would exploit the System and the people within. Except this time, there are even more complications than normal. Alexis Keane - "Tooth and Claw" is a heart-warming tale of friendship that knows no bounds of race or distance. Ix Phoen - "Rebel Within" tells a tale of hardship in South America, where the monsters are not always the ones outside the walls. Tao Wong – “Debts & Dances” covers the arrival of the System from the perspective of our favorite Truinnar Lord. R.K. Billiau – “Phoenix Rising” covers an unconventional hero, one whose mind is slipping from him before the apocalypse. Will the apocalypse be his salvation? Or doom? L.A. Batt - “Overture to Obliteration” brings us to far-off New Zealand to glimpse the wreckage the System has wrought.
Northbane Shifters
Isabella Hunt - 2019
Winfyre Ridge. Away from the horrors, wars, and darkness. A place to live free and prosper. To start over. If you can get there. WOLF's WAGER Reagan Grace fled from a city laid to waste. She’s trying to get what’s left of her family to that mountain haven by any means necessary. But after a thousand-mile trek, the last thing she expected was a chance encounter with a bored alpha shifter. One who claims her by a toss of the dice. Luke “Swift” Swiftlore could smell the secrets on Reagan a mile away. Hell only knows what risk he’s taking in letting this pretty refugee in. Now he has to keep her close and see if he can get her to cop to what she is. Good thing he’s a creative badboy. BLACK BEAR's DUE Laia Llary has been looking for her cousin Tristan for months. But when she gets to Winfyre, does she find him? No. She only finds trouble. A brawl, a black eye and a bear shifter. Exactly in that order. Garrett “Rett” Deacon knows he should throw Laia out on her ass, but he owes her cousin. With no alternative, he claims her as punishment. At least now he can both train and keep an eye on her. Although it’s hard to say who hates it more. TIGER's PREY Sierra the Sphinx is the best scout money can buy. She might even be a match for Tristan “Trickster” Llary of the Northbane. Except she didn’t stick around long enough after swindling him to find out. Too bad, the Tiger Alpha was a hell of a kisser. Only Sierra might have made a mistake. She didn’t bank on Tristan coming after her. The one and only night Tristan decides to kick back, he gets robbed. Now he’s hot on Sierra’s tail for three reasons. One, to get his possessions back. Two, because Sierra doesn’t realize what kind of danger she’s in – both from him and those that would kill for what she has. Three – he can’t get her out of his head. ICE BEAR's BID Kallen “Kal” Deacon is the second-in-command at Winfyre. The Northbane shifter would give his life to keep it safe. Or to protect its most important secret. So, he’s not happy when he’s sent to scout the southern border. He’s even less happy when he comes upon a black-market auction. Kal knows he should leave it alone but one demure and bumbling beauty changes his mind. Iris has no idea what to make of the surly Ice Bear shifter dragging her back to Winfyre. While he’s terrifying and powerful, she’s not afraid. She’s drawn to him. DRAGON's OATH Alexander "Xander" Bane understands he is now the reason Winfyre exists. His presence alone keeps most threats at bay. Something he takes no pride in – as its leader, he does what has to be done and that's the end of it. Even if it means he has to be alone for the rest of his life, his shifted form must remain a secret. A secret found out by accident by Tiani Elkhadi, who spies the dragon in the woods. After nearly years of precautions, Xander has no idea what he should do. As icy as his heart has become, he can’t bring himself to kill her in cold blood. With no other choice, he claims her. Only Xander has no idea he’s playing into enemy hands. That Tiani was sent there to destroy Winfyre from the inside. To make it an example. To start a new war. NOTE: This boxset contains ALL five books of the Northbane Shifters series.
The Occult Detective Megapack: 29 Classic Stories
J. Sheridan Le Fanu - 2013
This collection goes back to the roots of the occult detective story. The earliest story in this collection—Fitz-James O'Brien's "The Pot of Tulips"—originally appeared in 1855. Rare stories by Mary Fortune and Bayard Taylor, famous tales from the end of the 19th century by E. and H. Heron, plus 20th Century stories by Robert E. Howard, Edmond Hamilton, Manly Wade Wellman, Seabury Quinn, and many more round out the book...29 classic tales in all!Included are:THE POT OF TULIPS, by Fitz-James O'BrienWHAT WAS IT? by Fitz-James O'BrienTHE HAUNTED SHANTY, by Bayard TaylorDr. Martin Hesselius in "GREEN TEA," by Joseph Sheridan Le FanuMR JUSTICE HARBOTTLE, by J. Sheridan Le FanuTHE UNINHABITED HOUSE, by Mrs. J. H. RiddellTHE PHANTOM HEARSE, by Mary FortuneAYLMER VANCE AND THE VAMPIRE, by Alice and Claude AskewTHE DOOR INTO INFINITY, by Edmond HamiltonCarnacki in "THE GATEWAY OF THE MONSTER," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE HOUSE AMONG THE LAURELS," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE WHISTLING ROOM," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE HORSE OF THE INVISIBLE," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE SEARCHER OF THE END HOUSE," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE THING INVISIBLE," by William Hope HodgsonFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF SADDLER'S CROFT," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF BAELBROW," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF YAND MANOR HOUSE," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF KONNOR OLD HOUSE," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF THE SPANIARDS, HAMMERSMITH," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF SEVENS HALL," by E. and H. HeronSteve Harrison in "FANGS OF GOLD," by Robert E. HowardSteve Harrison in "THE TOMB'S SECRET," by Robert E. HowardSteve Harrison in "NAMES IN THE BLACK BOOK," by Robert E. HowardSteve Harrison in "GRAVEYARD RATS," by Robert E. HowardTHE HALF-HAUNTED, by Manly Wade WellmanJules de Grandin in "THE JEST OF WARBURG TANTAVUL," by Seabury QuinnJules de Grandin in "PLEDGED TO THE DEAD," by Seabury QuinnJules de Grandin in "INCENSE OF ABOMINATION," by Seabury QuinnAnd don't forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more great entries in this great series, covering mysteries, ghost stories, westerns, science fiction, historical, and much, much more!
Through the Dark
Alexandra Bracken - 2015
Featuring ebook original novellas In Time and Sparks Rise, and a gripping, brand-new novella, Through the Dark is a must-have for fans of the Darkest Minds. This collection contains three novellas: In Time, Sparks Rise, and Beyond the Night, as well as a sneak peek at the first novel in Alexandra Bracken's new series, Passenger. IN TIME Gabe's life has been devastated in the wake of the economic crash. The only option left for someone like him to escape his tragic past is to leave his small town behind and to attempt to become a skiptracer. This already almost-impossible task is made all the more difficult by his first "score,"a young girl who won't speak, but who changes his life in ways he could never imagine. SPARKS RISE Sam didn't think things could get worse at Thurmond rehabilitation camp. Then the Reds arrive. Everyone assumed the kids with firepower had been killed years ago. Instead they were taken away, brainwashed, and returned as terrifyingly effective guards. To her horror, Sam recognizes one of them: Lucas, the one spark of light in Sam's dark childhood. Lucas has a deadly secret--he beat the brutal training that turned his fellow Reds into mindless drones. When Sam defends herself against an attack by a vile PSF guard and faces a harrowing punishment, Lucas must risk everything to save her. BEYOND THE NIGHT The government-run "rehabilitation camps" have been shut down, but kids with Psi powers are anything but free. Sam would rather be on her own than put in the care of a foster family and given the "cure"--a dangerous procedure that unclaimed kids across the country are being forced to undergo. But there's more at stake than just her own safety. Sam once made someone a promise, and the time has come to fulfill it. Now that she's out of her camp, Mia only has one thought in her head: finding Lucas, her beloved older brother.
Tales of Ethshar
Lawrence Watt-Evans - 2012
“Ethshar” is the invented world that has been the setting for almost a dozen novels from the pen of Lawrence Watt-Evans. Its inhabitants don’t call it that; they call it “the World.” For readers, though, that’s not specific enough. The dominant nation on the World is the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars, while the largest, richest city, where most of the stories are set, is Ethshar of the Spices, so “Ethshar” is close enough. The name itself comes from words meaning “safe harbor.” You don’t need to have read any of the novels to enjoy the stories herein; each one should stand alone. And if you've read the novels, you will enjoy this return to the world of Ethshar with 11 stories... This is the first time they have all been collected in one book!
SNAFU: Hunters
Geoff BrownChristine Morgan - 2016
Be they straight-up monsters or nightmares behind a human mask, they track us and they kill us. Sometimes, they play with their food, where death would be a kindness. But there is hope. There are those who search out the monsters, those who hunt the hunters. These are their stories. ********* Featuring 13 stories of military horror by some of the best known and emerging writers in the genre. 1. Apex Predator -- N. X. Sharps & Tim Marquitz 2. Two Birds, One Stone -- Evan Dicken 3. Non Zero Sum -- R. P. L. Johnson 4. Only Stones -- Christine Morgan 5. That Old Black Magic -- James A. Moore 6. Ngu Tinh -- D. F. Shultz 7. Warm Bodies -- Kirsten Cross 8. The Bani Protocols -- Rose Blackthorn 9. Hungry Eyes -- Seth Skorkowsky 10. The Secret War -- David W. Amendola 11. Outbreak -- V. E. Battaglia 12. Droch Fhola -- Brad C. Hodson 13. Bonked -- Patrick Freivald
Hush Hush
Steven Barthelme - 2012
Co-author with his brother Frederick of the brilliant and devastating casino memoir, Double Down: Reflections on Gambling and Loss, Steven Barthelme seems to cast an eye at his own history and the characters he's known. These are men and women who are down --- but stirringly, not quite out. An unmissable, arresting book from one of the most seminal short story writers of the last twenty years.
The Great Bazaar and Other Stories
Peter V. Brett - 2010
A handful of Messengers brave the night between the increasingly isolated populace behind protective wards. Arlen Bales will search anywhere, dare anything, to save the world. Maybe Abban, a merchant in the Great Bazaar of Krasia who purports to sell anything, has the answer.
Happily Ever After
Kiera Cass - 2015
The contents of Happily Ever After are as follows:-The Prince (with the two bonus chapters), Maxon’s novella-The Guard, Aspen’s novella-The Queen, Amberly’s novella-The Favorite, Marlee’s novella-Three scenes from Celeste’s POV-Lucy’s scene (bonus scene from The One)-The bonus epilogue-Where are they now?-A map-Various illustrations