I’m happy to note that Five Magics, my collection of five short stories is now officially available as a nice little paperback.
This is a project I’ve had on the back-burner for far too long, but makes me happy because, while I haven’t been writing a lot of sword and sorcery short stories in a while, I do so love the genre and these continue to be some of my favorite works. You might even notice that I’m celebrating the event by adding a spiffy new cover, too!
The table of contents is:
A Gathering of Bones
Ties That Bind
The Family Tree
True Power
The Time of Leaving
Now available in print and electronic formats!
Here’s the fun back cover blurbs and a few nice things folks have said about the stories:
A young sorcerer takes his father’s place on a quest to help his king. What secrets will he find? Is blood thicker than water? Find out in “A Gathering of Bones,” which earned a mention in Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling’s Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror.
Chains or not, a gladiator can live a fine enough life until it’s no longer fashionable that he win. “Ties That Bind” pits today’s champion against the next of the chosen.
A centuries-old curse threatens a family, and the entire race of dryads, in “The Family Tree,” recognized with a Cauldron award by readers of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s FANTASY Magazine.
“True Power” is attainable for one willing to risk everything. But is it worth the price?
“The Time of Leaving” finds an apprentice given an unexpected test. Will he pass? And, perhaps more important, what’s the question?
– Steven Sawicki, Absolute Magnitude
“Ties that Bind” is nicely written and worth reading.
– Crystal Forkan, Tangent Online
The “Family Tree’s” resolution is a pleasant surprise.
– John Everson, Tangent
“A Gathering of Bones” had a nice, lightly Gormenghastish streak of nastiness throughout.
– George T. Dodds, SF Site