Showing results for "Daniel Cooper" in Fantasy

Whether they are undeniably heroes and heroines or bloodthirsty monsters (or something in between), the undead are a lively lot. This anthology offers some of the best short fiction ever written by the "blood sisters" who know them best: stories you can really sink your teeth into.

Randy Lionheart used to be your typical down-on-his-luck fantasy writer--sure of himself but secretly insecure, penniless, prone to rants, and with more ideas than he has good sense. All of this changes once he is mysteriously portaled to the fantasy world of Genera, where he accidently becomes a barbarian. Yes, accidently. It's complicated. After joining forces with a magical yet neurodivergent spellbook named Clovis, Randy finds his stride battling monsters, facing insane challenges, and solving tricky puzzles in an effort to reach the top of a tower.

An untested group of Shield-Brethren initiates stand before the sprawling Mongol army in a bloody circus of sadistic violence, while a hardened company of their finest roam the desolate wasteland of the Mongol empire, wrapping their dead in blood-soaked soil and struggling to find the strength to fight even as they mourn. The warrior-monks, both in the East and the West, sharpen their swords for a final battle. The Khan of Khans must be slain if Christendom is to survive.

Randy and Clovis press onward, leveling up, forging rivalries, deciphering the tower's secrets, and plunging headfirst into exhilarating escapades at every turn. The third realm, however, poses an unprecedented challenge—a fantastical reimagining of Paris, teeming with formidable bears.

Thirteenth-century Europe has been saved from annihilation at the hands of the Mongols, to be sure, but new and terrible threats are at hand: political and religious turmoil threaten to turn the warriors' world upside down once more. Painted against a rich backdrop of medieval mysticism and Russian folklore, Katabasis weaves together the tales of victor and victim alike in a fearless exploration of what it means not just to survive, but to truly live again.

My name is Randy—the noun, not the adjective. As a professional writer and accidental barbarian, I should be a prime candidate to be portaled to a LitRPG fantasy world known as Genera. It should be a no-brainer for me to grab the nearest weapon and start slaying bloodthirsty goblins, gaining levels, solving puzzles, and fighting my way to the top of a mysterious tower with seven distinct floors. Technically, I was born for this. Or so I thought. Unlike actual video games, if someone dies here in Genera, they die here for good. And I don't want to die.