MONSTROUS BARGAINS AND BALLADS
Drawing heavily on Lovecraftiana and myth, these are tales of devil’s bargains, love songs to monsters, and the people?human and otherwise?who inhabit liminal spaces. Ghosts, gods, and ghouls make their way as best they can, one step
sideways from the mortals around them. Many are connected; some are puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit. Spanning a decade of writing, Still So Strange is Amanda Downum's first collection of short fiction, and includes stories originally released
in Strange Horizons, Realms of Fantasy, and Weird Tales, as well as original, unpublished work.
The bold investigators of Arkham Horror are humanity's best hope against monstrous terrors from beyond the void in this second collection of extraordinary eldritch novellas
To Fight the Black Wind by Jennifer Brozek-psychologist Carolyn Fern's treatment of a patient's terrifying nightmares tears open a doorway into the Dreamlands and the Elder Gods.
The Blood of Baalshandor by Richard Lee Byers-the arcane tomes of Miskatonic University are an irresistible lure for stage magician Dexter Drake and his assistant Molly Maxwell, where they soon fall prey to dark forces.
Dark Revelations by Amanda Downum-when author Gloria Goldberg visits Arkham to complete the unfinished novel of her fellow author, its words escape the page and transform Arkham.
Savedra Severos is no stranger to intrigue. Mistress to the King of Selafai and daughter of a rival noble house, she navigates the treacheries of court with every breath. On the eve of delicate peace talks, the court mage is found murdered. As Savedra investigates, she stumbles further into a web of secrets that enmeshes three kingdoms--entangling spies and sorcerers, lovers and enemies, strangers and kin. Among those secrets are Savedra's own, dangerous enough to destroy her king and her family if they come to light. Traitors walk the palace halls, but the danger is more than political. Spirits prowl the city. Once a force of justice, now they seek only retribution--and they prey on those with blood on their hands. In a court fueled by schemes and secrets, not even Savedra is safe from their venomous touch.
When Liz Drake's best friend vanishes, nothing can stop her nightmares. Driven by the certainty he needs her help, she crosses a continent to search for him. She finds Blake comatose in a Vancouver hospital, victim of a mysterious accident that claimed his lover's life - in her dreams he drowns.
Blake's new circle of artists and mystics draws her in, but all of them are lying or keeping dangerous secrets. Soon nightmare creatures stalk the waking city, and Liz can't fight a dream from the daylight world: to rescue Blake she must brave the darkest depths of the Dreamlands. Even the attempt could kill her, or leave her mind trapped or broken. And if she succeeds, she must face the monstrous Yellow King, whose slave Blake is on the verge of becoming forever.
