The Tale Trove

The Tale Trove

East Herts Fantasy Writers Group Anthology

Cover by URCO Sara Moro

Available in paperback or on Kindle from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com (also on other versions of Amazon)

The Tale Trove is the first anthology of the East Herts Fantasy Writers Group. Enter a world of magic and wonder, as you explore the Trove’s stories. There, the elusive Treasure Goblin has hoarded the best tales to keep him amused.

Featuring twenty three stories and poems, all themed around fantasy, sci-fi, horror and general fiction.

It includes three of my stories, as well as three poems:

• Return Switch — a magicpunk story
• Hanuut’s Stand — a warrior’s last stand to defend his city
• I See a Voice — an all-dialogue story about the dead gossiping
• On a Nameless Shore, The Heat-Death of the Ocean, Willows on a Dark Mere — three poems

Excerpt from Return Switch:

He flicked the switch on the small box strapped to his arm and set the activating spell in motion. Magical energy crackled around his hands, but he hung onto the box, praying enough of the squad would be transferred to be of use.

Davilon heard Kuruk, next to him, swallow hard as the tingle of the wave-front spread outwards, growing in intensity until it reached a spot just to his left. Like water finding a plug-hole, the magic poured into the place, tugging everything in its wake. Davilon’s body was pulled and twisted, as if he’d been hit by a disruptor, and he felt his etiolated form diving into the hole.

Then all was back to normal, except for a wave of heat on his skin and a sense of horror assailing him from all around. Everything he could see glowed a dark red, and something howled behind him.

He was alone.

He’d deal with that later. Whirling, Davilon found a demon rushing at him, jaws wide to reveal teeth as long as his hand. Too close to use his thrower. Yanking out his side-arm with his left hand, he sent a beam of searing magic into the thing’s chest, and it collapsed.

He glanced around, taking stock of his surroundings. This was a land of barren rock and ash, stretching away in an uneven plain, but the air’s intense, deep-red glow coloured everything to make the landscape seem to be burning. Beyond the red, darkness loomed, as if the whole place were enclosed in a cave.