Fantasy Adventure Short Stories

The iconic duo find themselves swiftly drawn into a series of puzzling and sinister events: an otherworldly stone whose touch inflicts fatal bleeding; a hellish potion to unlock a person’s devilish psyche; a fiendishly clever, almost undetectable method of revenge and many more—including a brand-new Cthulhu Casebooks story.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST A bewitching story collection from the author of White Cat, Black Dog and The Book of Love, hailed as “the most darkly playful voice in American fiction” (Michael Chabon) and “our greatest living fabulist” (Carmen Maria Machado)...

Keeping up-to-date with the most buzzworthy and cutting-edge science fiction requires sifting through countless magazines, e-zines, websites, blogs, original anthologies, single-author collections, and more - a task accomplishable by only the most determined and voracious readers. For everyone else, Night Shade Books is proud to introduce the latest volume of The Best Science Fiction of the Year, collecting the finest that the genre has to offer, from the biggest names in the field to the most exciting new writers.

Venir didn't choose to be the defender of this unforgiving world full of bloodthirsty, magic-wielding underlings set on world domination. The helm of power and his waraxe called Brool chose him. And there's no turning back. With enemies closing in from all directions, Venir, his thief friend, Melegal, and their companions must battle through an endless cycle of backstabbing royals, bloody skirmishes, and waves of lies and deceit. Or see their home descend into total chaos and devastation.

Poor Jacob Two-Two. Not only must he say everything twice just to be heard over his four brothers and sisters, but he finds himself the prisoner of the dreaded Hooded Fang. What had he done to deserve such a punishment? The worst crime of all - insulting a grown-up! Although he's small, Jacob is not helpless, especially when The Infamous Two come to his aid.

The beachside town of Oyster Cove had everything a man could want—endless white sand beaches, plentiful summer activities, and of course, more beautiful women than you could shake a tail at. I came to Oyster Cove to enjoy a leisurely summer of surf and sun, but I find out pretty quickly that there’s more to this town than meets the eye. My next door neighbor has eyes that are very similar to a cat’s, and I could have sworn the gorgeous waitress at my favorite food spot has scales on her legs.

Daniel Chai has fallen into a routine of adventuring and dungeon delving with his friends. When his secret gift as a healer is exposed, Daniel's greatest fears come to play as adventuring guilds and the royal family attempt to recruit him. To survive, Daniel and his team won’t only have to face dangerous monsters and Master Class dungeons—they’ll have to escape a web of guild politics and conniving nobility. This box set collects the final arc of the Adventures of Brad series, following Daniel and friends in a LitRPG-inspired fantasy world.

I guess you could call my latest job interview a success. I got hired, and it's way beyond my wildest dreams. The pay isn't great. And the hours are pretty much 24/7. But there's magic. And a portal to a fantasy world. Those kind of outweigh the negatives. At first, I thought I was just testing the latest VR survival RPG, but I'm starting to think this might not be a game after all. The monsters are definitely life-like and capable of carving me apart on their worst days. But on their best days, I make them mine.

Join James, our intrepid adventurer, streamer, and bug hunter, as he jumps headfirst into the first true immersion VRMMORPG game and explores the digital reality that the dev's have kept under lock and key. No previews? No class or race info before launch? What could possibly go wrong? Especially starting in the empire inspired by ancient Egypt. Rolling a character reminiscent of an old-school D&D cleric, James takes on the world of Sosaku Online with spear, shield, and holy fire.

The best of the year's science fiction and fantasy stories as selected by the multiple award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan. Distant worlds, time travel, epic adventure, unseen wonders, and much more! The best, most original and brightest science fiction and fantasy stories from around the globe from the past 12 months are brought together in one collection by multiple award winning editor Jonathan Strahan.

Adventure calls! Reality and fantasy finally collide when a new member joins Azure's party. A dangerous encounter with a mimic makes him think twice about touching large chests. And learning magic proves to be a bigger pain than he could have ever imagined. The adventure continues in books 4-6 of the popular LitRPG series The Realm Between!

A nearby lightning strike triggers an ancient stone portal, whisking Alex away to a mysterious alien world teeming with magic and danger. Elves, Orcs, monsters, and fantastic beasts abound in this realm of endless adventure and limitless potential. And as Alex discovers, he possesses a powerful gift that sets him apart from the rest. With his newfound strength coursing through his body, Alex embarks on a perilous journey to carve out his place in this strange new world.

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

Waking up with no memory of his past, a man finds purpose within a resistance, drawn to their fight against Drekar, the Lich Lord threatening to consume the continent, turning anyone who opposed him undead. But when fragments of his past resurface, he uncovers a chilling possibility. This revelation shakes his identity and compromises the very cause he’s sworn to fight for. As he grapples with betrayal, destiny, and the battle for his own soul, his journey forces him to confront the question—can he defy the role he was born into, or is he bound to the will of another after all?

Jack Pritcher has hit rock bottom, losing his home and job. Just when he believes his sanity might be next, he's presented with an opportunity that sounds utterly unbelievable. The offer on the table is to become a guardian of a Portal, a doorway to another world. But there's a twist–he must keep it a secret. Portals, it turns out, are alive in some way. They possess sentience and dictate their own set of rules that guardians must follow, under the penalty of death.

Kuno, a former soldier, is searching for fortune. But not just as any ordinary adventurer. True power comes from making alliances with the alluring dungeon goddesses. Armed with a mysterious journal, his trusty axes, and no small amount of courage, he must navigate treacherous dungeons and prove his worth. The prize? Exclusive access to the goddesses' domains.

Kelvin comes from an isolated community of fierce warriors known as the Xaros. They train rigorously to battle across the portal realms. Through their conquests and tribulation, they allow their society to operate in safety. For Kelvin, he hopes to prove to live up to the legends when he ventures away from home with his twin battle axes infused with magic. He's eager to slay foes and repay the investment sunk into his fancy gear–paid for through the blood and lives of those before him.

In the Legends of Progression: Tales from the Arcana anthology, 11 top LitRPG and Progression Fantasy authors will entertain you with their unique, never-before-published stories. An ancient artifact, an untouchable assassin, and scheming empress–each author was tasked with imagining their own legend. Then they wrote the origin story behind it. Every tale is its own self-contained adventure, and an excellent opportunity to sample the work of many bestselling authors in one book. Grab your copy today!