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Comment on Edits At Last by Benedict
In reply to Edmund Wong.
The edits I make are going to be limited by what I’ve already written in book 5 – which sometimes means I won’t make changes which I might have done had I had the suggestions earlier. That’s just how it goes; time’s a limited resource, and I have to pick and choose how I spend it.
Categories: Authors
Comment on Edits At Last by Edmund Wong
In reply to Celia.
It better not otherwise his forced to write a second draft
Categories: Authors
Comment on Edits At Last by Kevin
Great news! It’s great when you are on schedule with the tasks you need to do!
Out of curiosity what do you intend for the next topic in the Beginners Guide to Drucraft? I myself am interested in Primal and Dimension since we haven’t seen them a lot and I love the associations, and planets they are associated with it’s been a real treat!
But regardless any worldbuilding article is very informative, hopefully one day you can do one on the Cults major and minor, it would be interesting to see what eras where the Order of the Dragon and Warband were on top.
Categories: Authors
Comment on Edits At Last by William
Will Stephen use a bicycle in this book? I thought it would be a cool combination of his Lightfoot and strength sigl.
Categories: Authors
MARS ONE by Charlotte Robinson
One of the recent discussions about Science Fiction I’ve had with non-genre readers has been about what readers want from Science Fiction. “Why do sci-fi writers explain things SO much?” was the question. This made me think. Personally, I think that it is part of the SF heritage. Modern SF came from a group of…
Categories: Fantasy Books
Women in SF&F Month: Sonia Tagliareni
Today’s Women in SF&F Month guest is Sonia Tagliareni! Her novel Deathbringer, which is described as “a dark academia romantasy steeped in necromancy, forbidden love and a twisty murder mystery set within the perilous halls of a magical institute,” will be published on April 28 in the UK and May 19 in the US. I’m delighted she’s here today to discuss her main character—a death mage who despises her ability—in “Does a Soft Female Lead Belong in SFF?” About Deathbringer: […]
The post Women in SF&F Month: Sonia Tagliareni first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Audio news: Consorts and Primes
Great audio news to usher us into the weekend:
Graphic Audio’s dramatized full-cast adaptation of Sapphire Flames is now available for preorder, with release scheduled for August 12. Arabella’s POV short story A Misunderstanding will also be included.
This is the first novel in Catalina’s Hidden Legacy trilogy, picking up three years after Diamond Fire. Catalina has been very busy learning what it means to be a Prime, Alessandro is about to do a great deal of Italian exclaiming, and fan-favourite Runa returns in the middle of family tragedy.
Speaking of Diamond Fire, reminder that the dramatized adaptation came out on April 6, so if you are following the Hidden Legacy audio releases in order, you have time to enjoy Nevada’s wedding novella before Catalina fully takes the wheel in August.
And that’s not all that GA has in store for us!
Nora Achrati is back in the Kate Daniels world, and has started directing and recording for the Wilmington Years series – with Magic Tides to be expected in late July.
The script is wonderful, the covers are being designed as we speak, and Nora, of course, brings all of her experience from the main series with her. I’ve also told her everything about the Horde’s reactions to Wilmington, so she knows about the Consort (ever merciful), the magic clams, the Keelan love and just how much we were missing Kate and didn’t want to give her peace in her HEA hehe.
After the Wilmington Years, Nora will move on to Blood Heir. That one is further down the line, and I do not have an official date for you yet.
A lot of you have also asked about a dramatized adaptation of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. Thank you for all the casting and directorial suggestions, soundtrack concepts, and the enthusiasm, but a gentle reminder: House Andrews is not hiring or commissioning Graphic Audio to produce these adaptations, nor controlling their business and creative decisions.
GA are an entirely independent business, who approaches authors for adaptation rights of the works they are interested in, and entirely designs and produces the full-cast “movies in your mind”. As soon as we have official news on the Maggie the Undying dramatized front, we will announce it.
Until then: preorders are open, recordings have started, and our summer is looking very good indeed.
The post Audio news: Consorts and Primes first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.
Categories: Authors
Comment on Edits At Last by Celia
I’m glad you finally got the edits back! Hopefully none of the proposed changes affect things you’ve already written for book 5?
Categories: Authors
Forgotten Authors: G. Peyton Wertenbaker
G. Peyton Wertenbaker
Green Peyton Wertenbaker was born on December 23, 1907 in New Castle, Delaware. He attended the University of Virginia. After graduation, he worked as a technical writer and eventually a journalist in addition to writing fiction. During World War II, Wertenbaker services in the U.S. Navy and was later associated with the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine.
Wertenbaker married Barkley Barbee and they had one son, George.
His first story, published in Science and Invention when he was 16 in 1923, was “The Man from the Atom.” Gernsback reprinted the story three years later in the first issue of Amazing Stories. The next month, he would become the first person to publish an original story in Amazing (as well as the first repeat author), when Gernsback published his obviously titled sequel “The Man from the Atom (sequel).” Wertenbaker would go three issues for three the next month with the appearance of “The Coming of the Ice.”
Science and Invention, 8/1923, Cover by Howard V. Brown
Along with Wertenbaker’s “The Man from the Atom,” the first issue of Amazing included a reprint story by Austin Hall. In January 1924, Weird Tales ran a letter from Wertenbaker which stated “In the September issue of Weird Tales, begins a romance by Austin Hall, entitled ‘The People of the Comet.’…You may imagine my surprise when I discovered that the idea that plays the most important part in it is one which I myself developed somewhat differently in a story about a month earlier. If you will consult Science and Invention…you will see my own tale ‘The Man from the Atom.’ Mr. Hall may possibly be interested in comparing it with his romance.” Wertenbaker’s letter indicates that he saw himself a fan of horror fiction, even if most of his own fiction was more science fiction.
Although Wertenbaker had a long and successful career as a writer, his science fiction formed only a small part of his work over a short period of time, with a mere eight years passing between the original publication of “The Man from the Atom” when he was 16 until “Elaine’s Tomb” when he was 24.
Wertenbaker also published under his first two names. His first novel, Black Cabin, was published in 1933 as by Green Peyton. Under that name he also wrote 5,000 Miles Toward Tokyo, San Antonio: City in the Sun, For God and Texas, and American’s Heartland: The Southwest and was considered an authority of the American Southwest.
Eventually, Wertenbaker moved to London, where he served as the UK correspondent for Fortune Magazine and also wrote for Time. In 1958, he wrote the scripts for the series Doctors in Space and joined NASA as a speechwriter, eventually taking on the role of NASA Chief Historian of the Aerospace Medical Division. In final book was the non-fiction Fifty Years of Aerospace Medicine.
Wertenbaker died on July 26, 1968 in San Antonio, Texas and was cremated.
Steven H Silver is a twenty-one-time Hugo Award nominee and was the publisher of the Hugo-nominated fanzine Argentus as well as the editor and publisher of ISFiC Press for eight years. He has also edited books for DAW, NESFA Press, and ZNB. His most recent anthology is Alternate Peace and his novel After Hastings was published in 2020. Steven has chaired the first Midwest Construction, Windycon three times, and the SFWA Nebula Conference numerous times. He was programming chair for Chicon 2000 and Vice Chair of Chicon 7.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Audiobook Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (April 21, 2026)
Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
Author Information: Website
This was my first Marcus Kliewer book, and I was quite excited to tackle it since I’ve heard such great things about his debut We Used to Live Here. And now I can see why his style of horror has garnered him so many fans. The Caretaker leans hard into that brand of eerie, slow-burn horror where you’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s simply the protagonist’s sanity unraveling inside her own mind. But at the same time, the writing doesn’t always complement the story’s goals, often running long and being repetitive in ways that took away from the tension. That said, I also listened to this in audio, so it’s possible that the format might have made these issues stand out more.
The story follows Macy Mullins, a young woman barely keeping her head above water. After her father’s death, she’s left as the sole guardian of her teenage sister, and between the grief and a growing pile of bills, survival has become a daily struggle. Desperate to keep the rent paid and the lights on in their tiny apartment, Macy can’t afford to be picky about work. So when she stumbles across a vague Craigslist ad offering a short-term caretaking job at an isolated coastal property, with suspiciously generous pay, she decides to take the chance. Even if the woman hiring her is evasive about the details, and the job itself comes with a list of strange, unsettling requirements, it’s hard to say no to that kind of money for just a few days’ work.
At first, the rules seem odd but manageable. The homeowner explains they were put in place by her late husband, who insisted they be followed to the letter even after his death, with all instructions recorded on a VHS tape for Macy to watch. Some involve checking lights at specific times in the middle of the night, answering mysterious phone calls, and keeping a close eye on the rabbits that roam the property. Strange, sure, but straightforward. However, it doesn’t take long for things to spiral. Small mistakes lead to escalating consequences, and the written instructions in the event of failure quickly become more extreme, more unsettling, and at times outright unhinged. As Macy struggles to keep up with these “rites” that grow increasingly complex and difficult to follow, she finds her grip on reality slipping, blurred by exhaustion, fear, and the surreal nature of what’s happening around her. What started as a simple job soon reveals itself to be something far bigger, more dangerous, and impossible to escape.
First, the positives. The Caretaker really shines when it comes to concept and atmosphere. After looking into the author, I also discovered that Marcus Kliewer likes to weave mental health themes into his work. For example, OCD features heavily in this story, and the allusions aren’t exactly subtle. You can see it in the way the rites are structured, or the constant dread tied to getting them wrong. As someone with OCD though, I was surprised how strongly these connections resonated, like the constant checking, the double-checking, the second-guessing, and the intrusive thoughts that something terrible will happen if you don’t get it just right. Overall, it’s a clever use of horror that adds an extra layer of meaning beneath the strangeness, and I thought it worked really well.
But now, the elements that didn’t work so well. For me, the biggest weakness was the novel’s longwindedness with certain ideas, such as whole paragraphs devoted to expounding on topics related to Macy’s financial struggles, her cigarette cravings, how crappy her apartment is, etc. The writing had this tendency to keep pressing on things you’ve long already absorbed, and it’s like, “Okay, I get it!” It’s very conspicuous in audio and very distracting, making it easy to lose focus and drift off once the rambling starts.
In the end, The Caretaker is a solid if imperfect novel of psychological horror. It has a unique hook, interesting themes, and some genuinely unsettling moments. However, it’s also weighed down by repetition and an overextended runtime, making the final sections drag on and on. Still, pacing issues aside, this is one to check out if you’re drawn to horror that excels at building a strong sense of dread, and the audiobook is worth a listen as well.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Dark Muse News: There’s something about Return to Silent Hill – It’s Mary!
The movie Return to Silent Hill (2026) is an adaptation of the psychological horror Silent Hill 2 (SH2) video game that was rebooted by Konami under Bloober Team in 2024. This ‘return’ film is directed by Christophe Gans, who championed the original 2006 film (which loosely adapted the first video game released in 1999). With the resounding success of the Bloober SH2 video game reboot, fans of the horror series had hope that the movie would pack a 1-2 punch, but it has been received poorly. Why?
Not helping the United States release was an ill-timed blizzard that stretched across the country (Wikipedia even has an entry about the storm). I suspect if that were a fog-storm (do those exist?), then ticket sales would have skyrocketed. At this point, almost every blogger and reviewer who has seen the movie has been pissed since it did not seem to represent the core elements of the game; I was in a similar camp until I dissected the film for this article. Here’s the Deal.
All warnings and advisories issued in the US due to the January 23–27 winter storm (Source: Wikipedia)
James Sunderland appears to be the focus since the movie opens with him driving a car to a lookout featuring Silent Hill, as would be expected from the video games (both original and release) and the Trailer. The truth is, the movie is really not about him. Also, you’ll meet a ton of characters, and they will mirror characters in the game… except in the movie, they aren’t really different people.
So:
- If you do not know the lore, you’ll take the characters at face value when introduced (different names imply different people), and you’ll get confused later
- Fans knowing the lore will watch assuming the same… and get confused… and pissed
To deliver this sucker punch approach, Gans’ production delivery had to be perfect. And it was off. I had to meticulously screen capture, crop, and dissect the movie to change my mind about the work. Why reveal spoilers here? Most of the internet already has, including Gans in his interview (links below), and, for me, the movie would have been more enjoyable knowing what I know now. What at first appears to be a big mess is actually a coherent offering.
Anyway, in short, as teased by the header image, there is something about Mary.
Read on! Maybe you will enjoy the film more!
Being Dark Muse News, we are focused on beautiful, horrific art. With the resurgence of Silent Hill games, Silent Hill f released late 2025, just months before the Return to Silent Hill movie. This game is set in 1960s Japan, focusing on a teenage girl named Hinako Shimizu, and it doesn’t share creators with the film.
Anyway, it’s a great game that I hope to cover soon; we mention it here because its tagline is “Find the Beauty in Terror” which can be found on the buses in Japan and on the home screen of the PS5 console. Its use of red spider lilies (higanbana) instead of creepy, red paint used in prior SH offerings brought with it the beautiful horror it promised. Could the movie, released months after “f” have the same artistic, beautiful take on terror?
TOP: James Sunderland opens a letter from Mary in his art studio (Return to Silent Hill Movie) BOTTOM: Thurber, and artist in Pickman’s Model – Netflix adaptation (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Season 1, Ep 5)
James is a Painter! But he isn’t Lovecraft’s Pickman / Thurber
Ok, so we are revved up, expecting blends of art and horror from the SH franchise. In the game, the protagonist is James Sunderland, who was an “average Joe” everyman. In the movie, he is portrayed as a painter! As soon as I learned this from the trail and internet hype, I was excited, since I had hopes of the character being more deep, something like the artist(s) in H. P. Lovecraft’s 1927 “Pickman’s Model” (wherein Richard Upton Pickman painted monstrosities that were more real than his audience knew; the story is fantastic and occasionally adapted to film, such as Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Season 1, Ep 5, 2022).
In Return to Silent Hill, James is only shown painting in one instance. As far as screen time goes, the painter aspect is not fleshed out much (this post highlights the most relevant, painting snapshots).
It’s a lost opportunity. Artsy elements were set up, but they are swamped out by CGI antics, with more time dedicated to atmospheric ambiance (which was overdone). James’ ability to paint feels thrown in as a bonus, rather than a critical design element. Why did we not see him portray Mary in action, watch him capture her emotions? Watch him make the gallery shown later in the movie (for about a minute when he races through it with Maria).
He could have stopped to analyze those paintings, inquire about his muse, and what was in them. Instead, he just races by them. I purchased and skimmed the Novelization by John Passarella, hoping to unearth some arcana, but it provides even less depth on the paintings than the movie.
.
So why would James’ character not be fleshed out more? Well, he was not the main draw, apparently. In a sense, Return to Silent Hill (2026) has more in common with There’s Something About Mary (1998), a romantic comedy in which Ben Stiller plays a man who pines for his old crush Mary Jensen (played by Cameron Diaz). Both movies are romances where a blond woman named Mary is sought out. RtSH was really more about Mary than James. Note that, according to Reddit and fan lore, a SH2 documentary had the character designers identifying Cameron Diaz as an inspiration for Maria’s character.
LEFT: Cameron Diaz; RIGHT Maria from Silent Hill 2 (original game)
The evidence that movie is not really about James, but is about Mary? Well, Christopher Gans told the public via interviews with Fandomwire (link) and Temple of Geek (link to where Gans explains that Angela is Mary too). This explains why actress Hannah Emily Anderson plays four ‘distinct’ roles in the 2026 film Return to Silent Hill: Mary Crane, Maria, Angela, and monstrous/moth Mary.
Evie Templeton played the character Laura, who, by chance, apparently also did the voice and motion capture for the same character in Bloober’s SH2. The explicit evidence of a universal Mary existing is Laura’s reveal at the Lakeview Hotel, when she reminded James that the tombstone for Mary has this inscription: “Mary Angela Laura Crane.” In the video game, Laura is a girl whom Mary met in the hospital, and Angela is a depressed survivor of sexual abuse. The film conversely posits that Angela, Mary, and Laura are all the same! For me, I would have enjoyed the movie more if I had known this ‘sucker punch’ spoiler.
For first-time watchers, the film appears to be a mess until the grand reveal of the tombstone naming. There are tons of characters that seem to require more screen time and stories fleshed out. They all play roles similar to what they had in the games, but are left fragmented. Once we know that many of the characters in the movie are literally Mary in different forms, then we can enjoy it a lot more.
Return to Silent Hill is really about her. Let go of a few red herrings and cameos (i.e., Eddie) and focus on the implications.
Embracing There’s something about MaryThe consequence of having Laura, Angela, Mary, and Mary’s monstrous version of herself all being the same entity is profound. It implies that the Abstract Daddy is Mary’s father, who abused her sexually (more so than the cultish poisoning). It implies her connection to the town is so powerful that her soul/identity manifests throughout everything. It means she was trying to communicate with James through several versions of herself.
In the film, Abstract Daddy was Mary’s father. Mary’s father and his cult (The Order) abused her, drugged and manipulated her. James catches Mary when she wants to leave the cult at the overlook at the beginning, and he brings her back. He is responsible for her not leaving the cult!
Character Differences: Game vs Movie Character SH2 Video Game(s) Return to Silent Hill movie James Sunderland Focal Character of Story, knew his wife was terminally ill A foil character for Mary …. it’s all about Mary. James did not know Mary was sick Silent Hill A resort/retreat town that James and Mary Mary’s birthplace, a trap she is trying to escape Mary _____ Mary Shepherd-Sunderland, WIFE of James, victim of terminal disease, and later to James Mary Crane, a GIRLFRIEND of James, a victim to her father’s abuse and the cult of Silent Hill Laura A girl whom Mary befriended in Brookhaven Hospital A younger Mary Angela A woman abused by her father Another version of Mary Maria An alternative version of Mary, a sluttier version of his wife A doppelganger Mary, a sluttier version of his girlfriend, is not real Pyramid Head A monstrous manifestation of James ’ sexual frustrations An angry/champion version of James, fighting on his behalf against the monstrous version of Mary (the version of her that the cult encouraged her to becomeIncarnations of Mary
The movie introduces Pyramid Head as an entity chasing him/Laura, but then it becomes clear that it is not after James. It is after the monsters and unreal things haunting James. Pyramid Head doesn’t rape maniquins as he does in the video games; here he struggles with the monster version of Mary. James’s only painting (done when he had a beard, so before the timeline of the film) is a self-portrait that assumes the Pyramid Head mask. Many times in the film, both James and Pyramid Head mirror each other’s gestures.
For my first viewing, the movie was too different than the game and too confusing for me to catch the artistic nuances. Analyzing it for this post made me more sympathetic to Mary (and happier to rewatch the film). Below are a few additions I would have enjoyed, and if there is a god in Silent Hill, perhaps some of them exist in a Director’s Cut.
- Have Mary be focused in the beginning scene (not James in the car); have her climb out of the valley to the overlook, maybe even dropping a sacred doll or relic of the cult to demonstrate her escape
- Have James place a rose on a tombstone when he meets Angela (instead of carrying sandbags with her)
- Have James actively paint Mary, show them interacting, and him exercising his craft. Show him learning about her as he paints. Show her hiding her odd past with the cult, turning into a monster. Maybe he sees the emerging monster in her, and paints it.
S.E. Lindberg is a Managing Editor at Black Gate, regularly reviewing books and interviewing authors on the topic of “Beauty & Art in Weird-Fantasy Fiction.” He has taken lead roles organizing the Gen Con Writers’ Symposium (chairing it in 2023), is the lead moderator of the Goodreads Sword & Sorcery Group, and was an intern for Tales from the Magician’s Skull magazine. As for crafting stories, he has contributed eight entries across Perseid Press’s Heroes in Hell and Heroika series, and has an entry in Weirdbook Annual #3: Zombies. He independently publishes novels under the banner Dyscrasia Fiction; short stories of Dyscrasia Fiction have appeared in Whetstone Amateur S&S Magazine, Swords & Sorcery online magazine, Rogues In the House Podcast’s A Book of Blades Vol I & II, DMR’s Terra Incognita, the 9th issue of Tales From the Magician’s Skull, Savage Realms Magazine, and Michael Stackpole’s S&S Chain Story 2 Project.
Categories: Fantasy Books
House Andrews at the 2026 Columbus Book Festival
Another occasion to see House Andrews live!
Ilona and Gordon will appear as Featured Authors at the 2026 Columbus Book Festival on July 11 and 12, 2026.
Hosted by the Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation, the festival events will be held at Main Library, 96 S. Grant Ave, and in the adjacent Topiary Park at the corner of Town and Washington Streets.
If you would like to see House Andrews in person, here is where to find them:
- Saturday, July 11 at 1:00 PM Spirits, Spells & Swoons: Romantasy | Stage 2
House Andrews will be talking romantasy, magic, danger, and all the delicious complications that come with throwing feelings into a fantasy kingdom that’s trying to kill you. Joining them on the panel are BFF Jeaniene Frost (A Curse of Beasts and Magic) and Shalini Abeysekara (This Blade of Ours).
- Sunday, July 12 at 10:30 AM Speed Matching | Room 2A
In Speed Matching, readers meet authors in small groups for quick five-minute rounds, getting a personal introduction to each book before the authors rotate to the next table.
- Sunday, July 12 at 3:00 PM God Complex: World-Building | Stage 2
Later that afternoon, Ilona Andrews will return to Stage 2 for a conversation about world-building alongside John Chu (The Subtle Art of Folding Space) and K.X. Song (The Dragon Wakes with Thunder). If your favorite part of fantasy is seeing how an author builds a world that feels layered, lived-in, and slightly alarming to inhabit, this is likely your panel.
Tickets?
All of these sessions are free and open to the public, with no tickets required. Seating for panel discussions is first come, first served however, so if there is a session you particularly want to attend, arriving early is your friend.
Signed books?
Yes! After each scheduled appearance (so both panels as well as the Speed Matching), Ilona and Gordon will head to their assigned table in the 2nd Floor Reading Room for a one-hour signing session, where readers will be able to meet them and have books signed.
The festival bookstore will also be set up there, with new releases as well as back-titles from all the featured festival authors available for purchase. By buying books at the Official Festival Bookstore you are supporting your local independent book stores! It is a partnership between Cover to Cover, The Book Loft, Gramercy Books, and Prologue Bookshop.
The festival organizers will also be announcing the full author lineup, exhibitors, and updated festival information through the official festival website which is here.
One more quick note while I have your attention.
If you previously sent a request for a personalised book club letter from House Andrews and did not receive a response, please resend it with the subject line: Book Club Letter Request.
Both Ilona and myself have been truly buried under a truly ridiculous amount of fake “book club” spam lately, the ChatGPT-written kind that promises followers, Hollywood connections, immortal Texan ferrets in space, the works.
Some of the legitimate requests may have been accidentally sacrificed during the cleanup. Using that exact subject line will help real requests stand out from the nonsense.
Happy BDHing!
The post House Andrews at the 2026 Columbus Book Festival first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.
Categories: Authors
Spotlight on “The Midnight Train” by Matt Haig
LitStack Spots Matt Haig LitStack has spotted a few other titles we want on our…
The post Spotlight on “The Midnight Train” by Matt Haig appeared first on LitStack.
Categories: Fantasy Books
S. E. Lindberg is One of the most unique voices in Modern Sword & Sorcery
Lords of Dyscrasia by S. E. Lindberg (IGNIS Publishing, July 7, 2011). Cover by S. E. Lindberg
One of the most unique voices working in Sword & Sorcery today is S. E. Lindberg. I met Seth a few years back and we’ve corresponded frequently as well as running into each other here at Black Gate, where he is the Managing Editor, and at Goodreads. Lindberg has put together a unique setting for what he calls Dyscrasia Fiction.
Dyscrasia means “a bad mixture of liquids,” which is related to the Greek concept of the four “humors” of Blood, Phlegm, Black Bile, and Yellow Bile. In Dyscrasia fiction, these humors are sources of magical power and often soul and body corrupting influences.
Helen’s Daimones by S. E. Lindberg (IGNIS Publishing, September 22, 2017). Cover by Daniel Landerman
The three novels available now are
Lords of Dyscrasia (2011)
Spawn of Dyscrasia (2014)
Helen’s Daimones (2017)
Although Helen’s Daimones was the most recently published, Lindberg suggests new readers start with it since it sets the tone for the other books.
Wherever you start, though, you’ll find a combination of beautiful language and powerful imagination. These works are hallucinogenic, dream-like, full of wraiths and apparitions — and sometimes horrors. Ideas and images pile one on top of another with an intensity that is far from common in fantasy literature.
Spawn of Dyscrasia (IGNIS Publishing, July 17, 2015). Cover by Ken Kelly
I admire the author’s ability to maintain that intensity throughout his works; his world-building never stumbles, and the result is a unique fantasy vision that rises to the level of art.
A word about the covers for these books. The first was created by Lindberg himself, who also has other artistic skills in addition to writing. Spawn of Dyscrasia has an amazing cover by Ken Kelly, and Helen’s Daimones has a great cover by Daniel Landerman.
There are also a number of short stories tied to the Dyscrasia setting. For more information, check out Seth’s webpage or his Facebook page, or have a look at Joe Bonadonna’s 2015 review of Lords of Dyscrasia, here at Black Gate.
Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. His last article for us was a review of The Barbarian Swordsmen, edited by Peter Haining. See all of his recent posts for Black Gate here.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Women in SF&F Month: Nghi Vo
Today’s Women in SF&F Month guest is Nghi Vo! Her short stories and novelettes include the Hugo Award winner “Stitched to Skin like Family Is” and the Shirley Jackson Award winner “What the Dead Know.” She is also the author of the fantasy novels Siren Queen, which was a World Fantasy, Locus, and Ignyte Award finalist, and The City in Glass, which was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy and Locus Awards plus the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. Her next […]
The post Women in SF&F Month: Nghi Vo first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Snippet Wednesday: the Glamor
Pressida grimaced and unhooked a small barrel secured to her saddle. Her Andican mare gave the barrel a derisive snort. Pressida had tied her on the other side of the log, well out of Keraengle’s kicking range.
“That is what I love about knighthood.” Pressida pulled a knife out, pried the lid off the barrel, and dumped two gallons of ripe fish entrails onto the beach. “The sheer glamor of the job.”
The post Snippet Wednesday: the Glamor first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.
Categories: Authors
7 Author Shoutouts | Authors We Love To Recommend
Here are 7 Author Shoutouts for this week. Find your favorite author or discover an…
The post 7 Author Shoutouts | Authors We Love To Recommend appeared first on LitStack.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Unbroken Anthology – Now Live on Kickstarter
The Unbroken anthology – featuring an all new fantasy novella from me – is now live on Kickstarter.
Unbroken features original, never before published stories from 36 of the most prominent SFF authors working today (and me). Here’s the full line-up:
My novella is entitled The Black Reivers and will appeal to those who like their military fantasy with a whiff of gunpowder.
To support this project head on over to the Kickstarter page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unbroken/unbroken-new-tales-by-masters-of-fantasy
In other news, updated where-to-buy links for Upon the Forge of Battle, the third and final book in the Age of Wrath trilogy, are here covering all formats. The book will be released on August 25th. Buy here:
UK Hardcover: Amazon.co.uk – Waterstones – Blackwells
US Paperback: Amazon.com – Barnes & Noble – Bookshop.org
Ebook: Amazon.com – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Bookshop.org – Google Play
Audiobook: Audible.com – Audible.co.uk – Barnes & Noble – Google Play – Kobo
Book description:
As the Age of Wrath reaches its bloody conclusion, the world will be reforged in steel and fire . . .
Thera Blackspear was once champion to the Sister Queens. Now she’s a queen herself, with Elvine as her spear maiden, wielding a weapon forged by the gods. But while the traitorous Sister Lore plots in the shadows, Ascarlia will never be safe.
Felnir has won a crown of his own and forged a kingdom at the tip of his divine blade. Yet his dreams are troubled by visions of the brother he thought long dead. A brother who needs his help, and whom Felnir would give anything to save – even his hard-won kingship.
Ruhlin’s many victories have made him a hero to the Morvek, who believe he is the prophesied saviour who will overthrow their Nihlvarian enemies. But now he finds himself a prisoner of the Vortigurn, the King of Nihlvar, who has secrets and schemes of his own.
Secrets that could unmake the world.
Upon the Forge of Battle is the epic conclusion to Anthony Ryan’s Age of Wrath trilogy, a gripping fantasy saga of bloody retribution, deadly intrigue, and soaring heroism.
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Books I Was Once Too Cool to Read
Lewis Buzbee calls us out with Books I Was Once To Cool To Read. Maybe…
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Categories: Fantasy Books
Excalibur: The Holy Grail of King Arthur Movies
Excalibur (Warner Bros, April 10, 1981)
Excalibur (141 minutes; 1981)
Written by Rospo Pallenberg and John Boorman. Directed by John Boorman.
Loosely based on Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory.
What is it?A classic telling of the story of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the magical sword Excalibur.
Many filmed adaptations of that story have followed. This one, however, with its heightened sense of wonder and layers of magic woven throughout, probably remains the best-loved, most visually stunning, and most talked-about of them all.
Arthur and Guenevere in Excalibur
Noteworthy
The story goes that Boorman, legendary director of films as lofty as Hope and Glory (1987) and as derided as Zardoz (1974), brought the idea of a film about King Arthur to United Artists in 1969. The studio rejected his original script, which ran three hours, on the grounds of its enormous expected cost to produce. They suggested he make an adaptation of The Lord of the Rings instead. Because that would’ve been shorter and cost less money–?!
Boorman briefly went along with the Rings idea, at least long enough that costume and set designs for Middle-Earth were drafted. Some of these would later be recycled for use on Excalibur.
It took him the entire decade of the Seventies to do it, but eventually he raised enough funds and support to begin work on the movie he’d wanted to make all along.
Liam Neeson and Helen Mirren in Excalibur
Boorman couldn’t afford the top actors of the day, so instead he did a remarkable job of finding the top actors of tomorrow, and fitting them into his budget. We therefore get the likes of Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Ciaran Hinds and Patrick Stewart, all in minor supporting roles. The film’s actual leads include Nigel Terry as Arthur (from teen to aged), Helen Mirren as Morgana, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Paul Geoffrey as Perceval and Nicol Williamson as Merlin.
On a budget of $11 million ($41 million in 2026), Excalibur brought in $35 million ($131 million today) at the North American box office. And of course it went on to become a staple on cable TV.
Morgana and Mordred
At Cannes in 1981, it won for “Best Artistic Contribution.” It received an Oscar nomination for “Best Cinematography” and a BAFTA nomination for “Best Costume Design.”
Appropriately enough, Boorman was himself knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2022.
Uthur receives the sword
Quick and Dirty Summary
The wizard Merlin receives the magical sword Excalibur from the mystical force known as the Lady of the Lake and gives it to Arthur’s future father, Uther Pendragon. Uther uses it to conquer and unify the kingdom. Through Merlin’s magic, Uther seduces a rival’s queen and she gives birth to Arthur. Merlin takes young Arthur away to be raised by another nobleman. Uther implants Excalibur into a stone, and only the future king can draw it out. (Though, like folks lining up to try to lift Thor’s hammer, everyone takes a shot at it.)
A young Arthur draws the sword from the stone, becomes king, unifies the kingdom and creates the Round Table for his knights.
Arthur draws the sword
Conflict arises from various quarters. There’s a quest for the Holy Grail, more great battles and more sorcery.
Eventually most of the main characters square off against one another, in clashes of swords and magic. Merlin overcomes the sorceress Morgana’s spells, Arthur’s son Mordred kills his mother (it’s complicated), and then he and his father slay one another in battle. Before he dies, Arthur orders the sword Excalibur returned to the Lady of the Lake, where it will await the next time England finds itself in need of its power.
Mordred dons the armor
In addition to being an awesome saga of knights and wizards and battles, the story reflects a deeper idea about the relationship between the people, the land and the king. Here, King Arthur, the sword Excalibur, and the land of England are all tied together in mystical fashion, such that harm to one harms the others, and jealousy and bad actions by the king result in misery and unhappiness for the people and the land. Only by redeeming himself can Arthur restore the land and people to health and prosperity.
Guenevere comes to Lancelot
Fantasy/SF/Sword & Sorcery Elements
The most obvious examples are Merlin and Morgana and their use of magical powers. The fact that everyone else takes completely for granted the fact that magic is real and is being used around them constantly, including on the battlefield, only reinforces the sense that this is a different England from the one we know. Sorcery is rather commonplace and expected in and around Camelot.
Excalibur itself is a magical weapon. Other supernatural elements include Mordred’s golden armor that cannot be harmed by any weapon forged by Man; the Lady of the Lake distributing magical swords from her watery confines; and the fact that the land suffers when Arthur is low and prospers when he is redeemed.
Patrick Stewart and Cherie Lunghi in Excalibur
High Point
There are many to choose from, but my favorite has always been the moment when a young Arthur is part of an army besieging a castle commanded by a rival nobleman. Arthur, at this point still in the simple garb of a squire, confronts one of the enemy’s vassal knights. Arthur demands the knight swear fealty to him, but the knight scoffs that he couldn’t even if he desired to, because Arthur is but a squire.
This represents no real hurdle for Arthur. He simply hands Excalibur to the knight and commands his enemy to knight him, there on the battlefield. Arthur has thus rendered himself unarmed and defenseless, and has given over the great sword of kings to his enemy.
Arthur asks to be knighted
The battle comes to a very abrupt halt as knights and soldiers all around look on in astonishment. Everyone clearly expects the knight to strike foolish Arthur down with Excalibur and claim the sword as his own. The knight even appears resolved to follow that course of action.
He raises Excalibur to deliver the killing stroke. But then, whether from the compulsion of some magical force or out of simple respect for Arthur’s bravery, he finds he cannot do so. Instead he brings the sword down on Arthur’s shoulders and speaks the words, knighting him. Arthur, for his part, takes this all in stride, reclaims Excalibur from the bewildered knight, and declares victory.
Helen Mirren as Morgana
Low Point
If there is a low point, perhaps it is in how Gabriel Byrne’s Uther reacts upon first laying eyes upon Igrayne, the queen whom he will later trick into sleeping with him. Uther loses his fool mind, declares that he will move heaven and earth to have one night with the lass, and demands that Merlin use his spells to make it happen.
This question arises: Why does Merlin not only go along with this foul act but actually enable what is without question rape? If Merlin knew that Igrayne bearing Uther’s child was vital to the future of the realm, it seems there are many other ways that such a thing could’ve been arranged, none of which need include outright deception and violation in this manner. Indeed, Merlin behaves as if it is all quite unexpected and he wants nothing to do with it, yet he actually facilitates it.
Nicol Williamson as Merlin in Excalibur
Standout Performance
In a movie that includes the likes of Neeson, Stewart and Mirren, can there be any question that Nicol Williamson absolutely dominates the screen any time he appears? What he achieves here places Merlin on par with such legendary and movie-stealing supporting performances as Val Kilmer’s “Doc Holliday” in Tombstone and Alan Rickman’s “Hans Gruber” in Die Hard.
Williamson is by turns menacing, silly, vulnerable, outraged, commanding, and hilarious. He spends most of the movie warning Arthur about the dangers of various women, then falls into the trap of one himself.
That relationship – Merlin and Morgana, played by Helen Mirren – was fiery off-screen as well as on. Boorman intentionally cast Mirren in the role because he knew she and Williamson couldn’t stand one another. He anticipated fireworks as a result, and he got them.
Arthur and Guenevere
Overall Evaluation as a Movie and as Fantasy/SF/Sword & Sorcery
Excalibur exists in a strange in-between realm. On the one hand, it very much looks like a product of the early Eighties; in places, almost like a glorified stage play. On the other, the performances by a cadre of legendary actors still jump off the screen, and the cinematography and visuals (with no CGI!) remain radiant and lush to this day.
It’s a timeless tale, well-told by Boorman and company. Watching it again in 2026, the armor still gleams, Excalibur’s magic yet flashes, and the Williamson-Mirren sparks continue to fly.
All told, it’s for the best Boorman chose the sword over the ring.
Van Allen Plexico is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a Grand Master of Pulp Literature (2025 class) and a multiple-award-winning author of more than two dozen novels and anthologies, ranging from space opera to Kaiju to crime fiction to superheroes to military SF. He notably edited, co-created and co-wrote the Sword and Sorcery anthology GIDEON CAIN: DEMON HUNTER. Find all of his works on Amazon and at Plexico.net.
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