Unsheathed: An Epic Fantasy Collection. 2018: Hydra
Publications. ISBN = 9781940466682
Edited by Stuart Thaman.
Contains: 9 fantasy stories, all of which would be
classified as either sword and sorcery or high fantasy. Full disclosure: one of
the stories is mine.
Hanging at Crosbothar, by Austin Worley: A great opening
line here, “Corpses hung from the ancient maple like leaves.” Has an historical
feel—brought to mind the Templars—but brings in magic as a significant player
in the story. The primary hero is female and is well drawn. Writing is good;
lots of sensory details. Enjoyable.
Retribution by Night, by Chad Vincent: No real hero in this
story, but plenty of villains. The one known as Armstrong is most memorable. I’d
generally consider it sword and sorcery but the naming convention in the story
sounds more historical. The writing style is very unusual, perhaps rather
experimental on the part of the author. Interesting read.
Where All the Souls are Hollow, by Charles Gramlich: My
story. Features the character, Krieg, a series character I’ve been working
with. This was intended to be sword and sorcery with a twist. I won’t give that
away. For those of you familiar with fantasy, the charter of Krieg probably
most resembles Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane.
Switch Blade, by Dr. Scott Simerlein: More high fantasy than
sword and sorcery, and a tale with humor. A magical blade that can switch bodies
and souls. The tale hinges on the difficulty of getting the right soul back
into the right body after an accident. Ingenious plot. A very satisfying ending
that brought a smile and a “well-done.”
King’s Road, by G. Dean Manuel: This one has another magical
blade and my favorite character in the collection, Prince William. William’s
father, the king, is not serving his land well in the face of a sorcerous
invasion. William has to act but he does so with honor by giving his father a
chance for redemption. A good read with another strong ending. Has a kind of
historical feel.
The Artefact, by Ross Baxter: Excellent start to this tale,
when three companions enter a ruined estate in search of secrets. There’s a
cool female warrior named Silja, and a tinkerer named Jud, who is the primary
character. I liked Jud a lot and liked how the tale ended. Sword and sorcery.
Under Locke and Key, by Jay Erickson: The only story to
feature a child as main character, although there are strong supporting
characters. Gwendolyn is a slave girl in a land where a plague called the “Red
Tears” is running rampant. The cure to the plague is hidden in plain sight but
the story is well constructed so you don’t solve the mystery until the final
reveal. I liked it quite a lot. Sword and sorcery with an historical feel.
Ransom for a Prince, by Liam Hogan: This one features a
realistically portrayed female warrior who must fight a desperate battle to
give her liege a chance to escape. No magic in this one. Lots of good fighting
choreography. And a strong ending. Well done.
Only an Elf, By Stuart Thaman: This one features elves and dwarves
and leans more toward high fantasy. The main character is an elven slave of the
dwarves who discovers a way to strike back at her captors. Well told tale with
interesting and complex characters.
