Swords Sorcery

An anthology of seventeen original tales of sword and sorcery penned by masters old and new. Elric . . . the Black Company . . . Majipoor. For years, these have been some of the names that have captured the hearts of generations of readers and embodied the sword and sorcery genre. And now some of the most beloved and bestselling fantasy writers working today deliver stunning all-new sword and sorcery stories in an anthology of small stakes but high action, grim humor mixed with gritty violence, fierce monsters and fabulous treasures, and, of course, swordplay. Don’t miss the adventure of the decade! Featuring: Goats of Glory by Steven Erikson Tides Elba: A Tale of the Black Company by Glen Cook Bloodsport by Gene Wolfe The Singing Spear by James Enge A Wizard in Wiscezan by C.J. Cherryh A Rich Full Week by K.J. Parker A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet by Garth Nix Red Pearls: An Elric Story by Michael Moorcock The Deification of Dal Bamore: A Tale from Echo City by Tim Lebbon Dark Times at the Midnight Market by Robert Silverberg The Undefiled by Greg Keyes Hew the Tintmaster by Michael Shea In the Stacks by Scott Lynch Two Lions, a Witch, and the War-Robe by Tanith Lee The Sea Troll’s Daughter by Caitlín R. Kiernan Thieves of Daring by Bill Willingham The Fool Jobs by Joe Abercrombie “[Strahan and Anders] present seventeen original stories that recall the classic works of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber. . . . Fans of the classics will appreciate the tie-ins to familiar series by Michael Moorcock, Glen Cook, and Robert Silverberg, plus a fully authorized Cugel the Clever cameo by Michael Shea.” —Publishers Weekly

The intense psychological portrait of a hitman—the anti-Jason Bourne—as he stalks his prey from Boston to LA. He wants you to know him, maybe even admire him, but only for his excellence in his craft. Perhaps he was even born for it. "A natural killer," his mentor—a middleman named Vespucci—said he was. He proved it with his first professional hit: a Fifth Circuit Court judge in Boston, executed with a sheet of Saran Wrap in the stairwell of her own courthouse. He's proved his merit often, usually with a Glock semiautomatic, but he's improvised too, with his bare hands, the heel of a shoe, knives, even a sewing machine. He is the consummate assassin, at the top of his form, immune to the psychological strains of his chosen profession. He is what the Russians call a Silver Bear. He calls himself Columbus. It's the name Vespucci gave him, ten years ago, when he discovered a dark, new world of fences, clients, marks, jobs, jack. Not that his real name meant much to him anyway. He never knew his father or his mother, a prostitute who became dangerously involved back in the seventies with an earnest young congressman named Abe Mann, then a rising star in the Democratic Party. The magnetic Abe Mann has since become the Speaker of the House. He is currently running for the Democratic nomination in an exhausting presidential campaign, weaving his way across the country. Columbus is not far behind. But as he pieces together his past and prepares the seamless assassination of his mark, the criminal underworld he has always ruled begins unraveling violently around him.

Picture violent, amoral swordsmen and their bloody confrontations with agents of evil in imaginary lands. Think of role-playing games, fantasy, and some of the most popular movies and novels ever created. Think ofThe Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian, Dragonslayer, Dungeons and Dragons. InSwords & Sorcery, authorBryan Baughshows artists exactly how to create bold fantasy realms populated with fantasy characters both heroic (knights in armor, barbarians, wizards, warrior maidens, kings, princesses) and evil (sorcerers, orcs, trolls, black knights). And of course there are fantasy creatures like unicorns, war-dogs, dragons, giants, goblins, ogres, and demons, plus creatures from mythology such as Medusa, Minotaurs, Cyclops, and Pegasus. A good battle needs good weaponry, and here are catapults, battering rams, and castles bursting with battlements and other defenses. From the underlying anatomy of a warrior to the underlying mythology of today's stories,Swords & Sorceryhas everything the artist needs to create a rich fantasy world.

Michael, a college student receives a jewel encrusted magic sword as a birthday gift. In reading the inscription on the blade, he is transported to a land of magic in another dimension, where people and demons ride dragons, gargoyles come to life, and people can be turned to stone. Princess Amara is escaping on her blue dragon; she is being pursued by Lizardmen called Tetrons. She calls to the Gods to send her a warrior to save her kingdom. Michael appears, but he isn’t a warrior. Amara looks to the sky and asks, “In my hour of need you send me a cowardly peasant.” Michael is not suited for this world; he just wants to go home. But, they both are forced to fight the evil sorcerer Nekros and Diva his cohort, who has the ability to change into demons. This tests Michael and Amara’s skills in magic. Through many trials they encounter giant spiders, bats, scorpions, and Tetrons. They meet a woodsman and his daughter who help them along their way. The daughter is taken under Nekros’ spell, and this is more incentive for them to overthrow him and get her kingdom back. When Amara is captured by demons sent by Nekros, Michael must overcome his fears, master swordplay and find his innate ability to use magic. With the help of Amara’s uncle who is a Wizard, Michael scales the heights of Nekros’ castle. He and the woodsman slays a giant Tetron, outwits a huge scorpion, and defeats a fire monster, which frees Amara. Then accidently Amara’s Wizard Uncle transports Michael and Nekros back to Earth and they end up in Los Angeles. Nekros is defeated and Michael is arrested as a maniac for telling his wild tale. Amara appears in the jail and tells Michael that he must use his magic by saying the right words to take them back to Telamarna. When he does, they live happily ever after, or do they?

"Closer, mortal. You are here, finally, to feed the Aching God..." The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside and isolated with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. But just as old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, he receives an urgent summons back to that old life. To save his only daughter, he must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. Along with a group of inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. He has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But how can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god? First volume in the planned epic fantasy trilogy Iconoclasts, Aching God is the debut novel by RPG adventure designer Mike Shel. This volume also includes an advanced preview of Iconoclasts - Book II: Sin Eater.

"Over 200 new monsters for 3rd edition rules from the horrible Wrack Dragons to the intoxicating Brewer Gnomes, from the colossal Mithril Golem to the tiny Bottle Imp, here is a host of new creatures for use in your 3rd edition campaign"--Cover. P. [4]

Michael, a college student receives a jewel encrusted magic sword as a birthday gift. In reading the inscription on the blade, he is transported to a land of magic in another dimension, where people and demons ride dragons, gargoyles come to life, and people can be turned to stone. Princess Amara is escaping on her blue dragon; she is being pursued by Lizardmen called Tetrons. She calls to the Gods to send her a warrior to save her kingdom. Michael appears, but he isn’t a warrior. Amara looks to the sky and asks, “In my hour of need you send me a cowardly peasant.” Michael is not suited for this world; he just wants to go home. But, they both are forced to fight the evil sorcerer Nekros and Diva his cohort, who has the ability to change into demons. This tests Michael and Amara’s skills in magic. Through many trials they encounter giant spiders, bats, scorpions, and Tetrons. They meet a woodsman and his daughter who help them along their way. The daughter is taken under Nekros’ spell, and this is more incentive for them to overthrow him and get her kingdom back. When Amara is captured by demons sent by Nekros, Michael must overcome his fears, master swordplay and find his innate ability to use magic. With the help of Amara’s uncle who is a Wizard, Michael scales the heights of Nekros’ castle. He and the woodsman slays a giant Tetron, outwits a huge scorpion, and defeats a fire monster, which frees Amara. Then accidently Amara’s Wizard Uncle transports Michael and Nekros back to Earth and they end up in Los Angeles. Nekros is defeated and Michael is arrested as a maniac for telling his wild tale. Amara appears in the jail and tells Michael that he must use his magic by saying the right words to take them back to Telamarna. When he does, they live happily ever after, or do they?