Showing results for "Kings" in Anthologies & Short Stories

There is a book that is shrouded in mystery. Some even say it's a myth. Within its pages is a play - one that brings madness and despair to all who read it. It is the play of the King in Yellow, and it will haunt you for the rest of your days. The King in Yellow is a collection of stories interwoven loosely by the elements of the play, including the central figure himself.

Morgan's life is not easy. Growing up on the streets of City Four, he is constantly shunned by the other citizens. Morgan doesn't mind being ignored. What he does mind, though, are the constant beatings from the city guards due to his friendship with Sarah, the city lord's only daughter. Lord Simon wants him dead, but the laws of the kingdom are on Morgan’s side, and even the guards won't kill him just for being seen near his manor. Morgan’s time is running out, though. Lord Simon has deep pockets, and his last visit to the manor may just have put him over the edge.

I thought I'd left my old life behind me. But then I found myself with a job I couldn't refuse—a counselor at Beldame, a mysterious manor with even more mysterious guests. These guests have problems, which they want me to solve. Professionally, I could deal with humans and their issues—my massive student debt was evidence of that. But these guests aren't human. At least not entirely. One thing's for certain—the boundaries are about to blur at Beldame. And I'll be plucking more than a few forbidden fruits from its garden.

Daxas has established his dungeon in the Proving Grounds and incorporated two more into his sphere of influence. But his expansion and rule-breaking doesn't end there. His successes have been impressive, but thus far, he has been competing against the other minnows in the Proving Grounds. Other, grander forces, have taken notice and the interfering Divine Lords continue in their campaign to see Daxas destroyed. Daxas will have to think bigger, fighter harder, and cheat in ever more inventive ways if he and his growing pool of desirable disciples are to emerge victorious.

After years of service in the Imperial Expeditionary Force, Jol Rivers has found a tentative home in Littlereach, where he makes a living as a blacksmith. One day, however, a beautiful mage arrives and tells him that he has a mysterious magical power hidden within the items he forges, one that could defeat the malignant forces threatening the Second Empire. She invites him to the Lyceum, an institute for mages where he can develop this power. Little does Jol know that he has his own knowledge to impart to the other students, the kind of forbidden talents that binds them to him…

Baron Dent grew up thinking his father was crazy, a mad scientist who believed in worlds beyond Earth. Turns out his father was not only sane, but a genius. When Baron went riding on a US military helicopter in the Indian Ocean, the last thing he expected to find was a waygate to another realm. Soon after, he discovers he’s not originally from Earth but from Agartha. What follows is a whirlwind of beautiful goddesses, past lives, and elemental magic.

Dead or Alive? Not a hard question, and pretty easy to figure out either way. Usually. Except I've somehow woken up in a place called Hell, and I'm not entirely sure I died first. I thought it was a practical joke. Until a warrior woman tried to kill me, and I rescued an elf and a succubus from slavers. Turns out, this Hell is being terrorized by an evil king, and he’s hell-bent on bringing all of Hell under his dominion. He also happens to control the portal back to our world, which I very much want to use.

Warren is just a guardsman with a haunted past eager for a new castle to defend. All that changes when he's summoned to the edges of the kingdom, where walls protect cities against the diabolical foes of the wildlands. His mission is simple: save the Dragon Farm he just inherited, settle down as a lord, and help his new city thrive. As a soldier who normally lives by the blade, he's out of his element but up to the task... especially since tame dragons seem to like him.

Rew, the King’s Ranger, accepted a role on the far edge of the realm to avoid the morass of intrigue and betrayal that bleeds from the heart of the kingdom. His only desire is to shoulder the burden he’s taken, to protect the village of Eastwatch, and to monitor the wilderness beyond. When three youths are arrested for petty theft in the village and beg for help, Rew’s friend insists he take responsibility for them. By ties stronger than steel, Rew is forced onto a path he knows leads to chaos. The King’s Ranger will battle to grant the youths a life he never had a chance of.

In the heart of Jacksen County, Jason has begun to carve out his new destiny. With his magic system now reset, he’s focused on doing something new with his life—ranching. After taking a job at Eldritch Ranch, Jason embraces his role as a rancher under the employ of Sera—a fierce beauty who currently owns the ranch. With a reset Tracker to guide him, he’s establishing his skills with unique rancher spells and learning more about magical beasts.

Toby Adams saved the world once before. Now he must do it again. The catch? This world isn’t Earth. It’s Eclipsia, a fantasy realm Toby visited as a kid. And he’s having a bit of trouble remembering how he accomplished his world-saving mission the first time. Magic was involved, he’s sure of that. Powerful companions, too. Possibly even a magical weapon of some kind.

Mysterious alien entities have emerged to enslave humanity. They draw their identities and their immense powers from the gods of ancient myth and legend. Only David Montague, billionaire inventor, stands in their way. With the ability to read auras, he’s amassed for himself wealth and power, but now his ability will be turned toward more noble ends: defending humanity.

Can a legendary warrior become a mage? Can a master of the sword take up the staff? With a little help, one swordsman intends to do just that. Master swordsman Leo Faulkner travels to Crestmarch, a frontier town, where he hopes to learn wild magic. Fortunately for him, the beautiful Mage Seer Elizabeth Kincaid agrees to be his tutor. Leo soon discovers that the edge of the world is more dangerous than it first appeared. As his studies begin, monsters emerge and encroach upon Crestmarch, forcing Leo to defend his new home.

Ethan's got a cushy job and an empty apartment to prove he's mastered monotony. But a mysterious talisman sends him tumbling into a whole new world—quite literally. He says goodbye to spreadsheets and hello to becoming the first-ever human Goblin King. Rivals? The ex-King’s ticked-off offspring are itching to overthrow him. Duels? They’re on his calendar next to ‘avoid rebellion.’ Wives? He’s required to have at least two.

Skillfully narrated by voice actor Mark Turetsky, The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers is a classic in the field of the supernatural. The series of 10 short stories is named after a fictional play of the same name which induces madness in the minds of those that read it. The Yellow King and Carcosa were often alluded to in a popular TV series True Detective, where evil and madness are often a theme.

I have been separated by my companions, left far to the north of civilization. My quest is a simple one: Find a dragon and bond with it. However simple this quest may seem, it is exceedingly difficult. Not only that, but my companions have been called to the goblin city of Geriarc to do battle with the undead, led by shadowlords. All the while, evil festers in the Jade Bastion. First things first; I must tame a dragon, then I will deal with the undead scourge and the evil that has taken root in my new home.

Wes is working the hotel lobby the night his life changes forever. Called to the top floor to deal with rowdy patrons, he finds himself in a high stakes poker game alongside a beautiful woman who is, apparently, a demoness. To make the night crazier, the game ends with a startling revelation: Wes is a Warlock. Wes can bind demons to his will and command the infernal elements.

After the death of a grandfather he never knew, Caleb Holdstock inherits a mysterious mansion. The place needs a lot of work if its to be liveable, but the truly strange thing about it is what's in the basement. A doorway drawn in chalk. It seems harmless at first, until a midnight encounter with a silver-haired elf proves that this doorway is, in fact, the entrance to another world. With knowledge of a magical world beyond Earth, Caleb's life will never be the same again. And the best thing about it? He can travel back and forth freely.

I thought the last thing I would have expected while working at the mall during the holiday season was to meet a real elf woman. Then the blue-skinned ogre tore through the mall. The elf and I made a quick escape and ended up in a strange fantasy world. Now, I’m finding out that the elves have been in decline for centuries and are being hunted to extinction for their magical abilities. They need someone to help them. Someone to protect them. Someone with magical powers that could make elves strong like they used to be.

As an intern at the Crest City Museum, I was studying an ancient artifact from a lost civilization. Little did I know this artifact would thrust me into a world of shifters, secret histories, and beautiful women. Now, with the power of the Primal Talisman, I can transform into beasts. I'm not the only one who wants the Talisman. And some people are willing to tear up the city to get it.