By Sword, Stave or Stylus

A gladiator painting with manticore blood.

A demon detective policing Hell.

A ninja who can turn into shadow.

Prepare to be swept away to worlds beyond our own in these thirteen short fantasy stories. This collection includes:

Live By the Sword – art and magic combine in a fantasy version of the Roman arena.
Leprosaria – a knight and his chronicler uncover strange goings on in a leper hospital.
Long Nights in Languedoc – something monstrous pursues an English army through medieval France.
The Essence of a Man – the magical power of art is tested under siege.
Shadows, Stones and Hungry Ghosts – a prisoner faces a haunting interrogation.
The Wizard’s Stairs – a young man, an angry wizard and a test of love.
Striking Black Silence – a ninja becomes the shadows on a deadly mission.
The Edge of the World – a lowly gutter dweller carries a vital message across a strange rooftop world.
The Hunter in the Stacks – a scholar takes up his spear and goes hunting knowledge.
The Suspicions of Shadowvalt – a demonic whodunnit.
The Faces of the Fallen – Detective Shadowvalt returns to investigate a murder in Hell.
The Magpie Dance – a group of morris dancers are more than they seem.
One Minute of Beauty – art, revolution, absinthe and a visionary moment.