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Beyond The Shadows: Volume One
Greed. Vengeance. Betrayal.
The glint of an assassin’s blade. The growing stain of blood. The exchange of dark deeds and the consummation of plans laced with greed.
For eons, the shadows have concealed humanity’s dark heart, now see it laid bare.
Dark and gritty worlds come to life in this thrilling anthology, brought to you by sixteen new and best-selling authors. Dive into the pages of this collection and prepare yourself for an onslaught of grim and dark tales.
Grab your copy of Beyond the Shadows today and prepare yourself to keep turning the pages long into the darkness of night.
The glint of an assassin’s blade. The growing stain of blood. The exchange of dark deeds and the consummation of plans laced with greed.
For eons, the shadows have concealed humanity’s dark heart, now see it laid bare.
Dark and gritty worlds come to life in this thrilling anthology, brought to you by sixteen new and best-selling authors. Dive into the pages of this collection and prepare yourself for an onslaught of grim and dark tales.
Grab your copy of Beyond the Shadows today and prepare yourself to keep turning the pages long into the darkness of night.
- GenresFantasy
658 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2019
19 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Stefan M. Nardi
11 books73 followersStefan M. Nardi grew up on a healthy diet of books, books and more books (pretty sure there was some lollies and other junk in there too). He read his first fantasy novel, Deltora Quest when he was 6 years old. Coincidently it was about the same time that his dad sat him in front of the TV and put Star Wars in the VCR. From then on he was hooked, he consumed every fantasy and science fiction novel, television show and movie he could get his hands on. He is now a self-confessed nerd and can be found most days with his eyes glued to a television or wedged firmly in the pages of a book.
After writing many horrible first chapters of various stories which usually ended up in the bin, in 2015, at the ripe old age of 21, he managed to get to the second chapter of (and eventually complete) a story and released his first fantasy serial 'Crossbones'.
He currently lives in Brisbane, Australia with his loving girlfriend (Hi sweetie!) and his wonderful parents and brother. He also now feels like one of those annoying people who talk about themselves in the third person all the time and is going to stop now. He promises.
After writing many horrible first chapters of various stories which usually ended up in the bin, in 2015, at the ripe old age of 21, he managed to get to the second chapter of (and eventually complete) a story and released his first fantasy serial 'Crossbones'.
He currently lives in Brisbane, Australia with his loving girlfriend (Hi sweetie!) and his wonderful parents and brother. He also now feels like one of those annoying people who talk about themselves in the third person all the time and is going to stop now. He promises.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 19, 2019
Review now posted at Grimdark Magazine
It’s always an exciting thing to see a new anthology of grimdark stories when it’s released. Great artwork typically pulls me in along with a list of stories promising lots of grit, swords, and dismemberment.
This was no exception, even though it was a compilation of indie authors. No problem, as anthologies are a great way to discover new voices in fantasy.
Beyond the Shadows was a fun collection, though I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag, as many are. There was the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly. In this book, we are introduced to such things as immortal beings trying to blend into society, traders in an untamed wilderness hunting river monsters, an interrogation of a gnoll war leader, some power sucking urchin eaters, the solving of domestic abuse issues with dark witchcraft, pirates turned military in an Asian setting with Haitian magic, queens giving birth to twins while holding court over accused traitors, warrior women with male “peons” serving them on a suicide mission, a spoiled brat of an inheriting teen coming to terms with his own vileness, soldiers in mech suits baiting dragons, gunslinger sorceries in a Western landscape, a mercenary band trying to survive on a weird island, and the last soldier standing against a horde of undead led by a super necromancer.
But beyond all of this were two stories that stood out above the rest. These are two tales that will have me looking up their authors and adding titles to my To Be Read list.
First of these was I, Legion by T.O. Munro. This was an excellent story, with a main character burdened with a creepy power of absorbing the souls of those she has killed. She inherits their abilities and knowledge, but has to live with their crazy personalities in her head.
The second was Stiff’s Standoff by Jamie Edmundson. This was a great take on the mercenary band theme facing impossible odds but finding unexpected solutions, with a great combination of grit and humor that is the trademark of good grimdark. Like the story mentioned before, there were a lot of twists and unexpected surprises, especially for a story this short.
The rest of the pack was interesting, if not as wonderful as these two 5-star tales. Honestly, there is a lot to like and something for everybody, but a good number of these fall short due to the editing. There were some great ideas that could have been a lot better with some solid polishing.
All in all, this was a pleasing experience, and I’m happy to say that there are several authors worth further exploration. There are several promising careers in fantasy writing showcased here.
It’s always an exciting thing to see a new anthology of grimdark stories when it’s released. Great artwork typically pulls me in along with a list of stories promising lots of grit, swords, and dismemberment.
This was no exception, even though it was a compilation of indie authors. No problem, as anthologies are a great way to discover new voices in fantasy.
Beyond the Shadows was a fun collection, though I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag, as many are. There was the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly. In this book, we are introduced to such things as immortal beings trying to blend into society, traders in an untamed wilderness hunting river monsters, an interrogation of a gnoll war leader, some power sucking urchin eaters, the solving of domestic abuse issues with dark witchcraft, pirates turned military in an Asian setting with Haitian magic, queens giving birth to twins while holding court over accused traitors, warrior women with male “peons” serving them on a suicide mission, a spoiled brat of an inheriting teen coming to terms with his own vileness, soldiers in mech suits baiting dragons, gunslinger sorceries in a Western landscape, a mercenary band trying to survive on a weird island, and the last soldier standing against a horde of undead led by a super necromancer.
But beyond all of this were two stories that stood out above the rest. These are two tales that will have me looking up their authors and adding titles to my To Be Read list.
First of these was I, Legion by T.O. Munro. This was an excellent story, with a main character burdened with a creepy power of absorbing the souls of those she has killed. She inherits their abilities and knowledge, but has to live with their crazy personalities in her head.
The second was Stiff’s Standoff by Jamie Edmundson. This was a great take on the mercenary band theme facing impossible odds but finding unexpected solutions, with a great combination of grit and humor that is the trademark of good grimdark. Like the story mentioned before, there were a lot of twists and unexpected surprises, especially for a story this short.
The rest of the pack was interesting, if not as wonderful as these two 5-star tales. Honestly, there is a lot to like and something for everybody, but a good number of these fall short due to the editing. There were some great ideas that could have been a lot better with some solid polishing.
All in all, this was a pleasing experience, and I’m happy to say that there are several authors worth further exploration. There are several promising careers in fantasy writing showcased here.
January 11, 2019
Maurkim's War: five stars well done.
Mad Bastards on the Nostos River: whirlwind ride to five stars.
I, Legion: five stars if not millions
Blood and Reason: five swashbuckled stars
Stiff's Standoff: five stars for irony
The Clash at Jagged Canyon: five future stars
Those Who Hunt Dragons: five stars of gritty life and death all by itself.
Beholden: five stars corrupted by absolute power
The rest of these tales were promising but poorly edited.
Mad Bastards on the Nostos River: whirlwind ride to five stars.
I, Legion: five stars if not millions
Blood and Reason: five swashbuckled stars
Stiff's Standoff: five stars for irony
The Clash at Jagged Canyon: five future stars
Those Who Hunt Dragons: five stars of gritty life and death all by itself.
Beholden: five stars corrupted by absolute power
The rest of these tales were promising but poorly edited.
February 10, 2019
My favourite story from the book has to be I, Legion by T. O. Munro. The premise is fresh and peculiar, but it feels natural and consistent: the idea of a multitude of individuals co-inhabiting a single body is one I have not come across before, and it offers many fascinating possibilities to the writer. The story is masterfully directed and offers many moments of great action, with good horror and obviously love thrown in.
The first part is a great example of world building, which sets up the story nicely. The main character is a strong female role with a rich and intriguing personality, and the plot is simple but leaves you wanting more. Soon, the duality of the character is presented: is she really as selfish as she believes or is there hope for her? Despite being an extraordinary being, there is something very human about Lady Legion. Suddenly, the story becomes an amazing monster battle worthy of any 1950s monster movie! More and more twists and turns happen, while remaining consistent and well structured.
The ending (which I can't possibly reveal) is perfect. The character's inner conflict is resolved in a surprising but satisfying way. It's bittersweet, but it has to be this way.
Overall, I loved it. Despite being a short story it had enough depth to make me attached to the main character and intrigued by the mysterious plot (plus, monsters). And again, the ending was the highlight, both unexpected and the best possible solution. It is a great story to read all at once and think about for the next week or so.
The first part is a great example of world building, which sets up the story nicely. The main character is a strong female role with a rich and intriguing personality, and the plot is simple but leaves you wanting more. Soon, the duality of the character is presented: is she really as selfish as she believes or is there hope for her? Despite being an extraordinary being, there is something very human about Lady Legion. Suddenly, the story becomes an amazing monster battle worthy of any 1950s monster movie! More and more twists and turns happen, while remaining consistent and well structured.
The ending (which I can't possibly reveal) is perfect. The character's inner conflict is resolved in a surprising but satisfying way. It's bittersweet, but it has to be this way.
Overall, I loved it. Despite being a short story it had enough depth to make me attached to the main character and intrigued by the mysterious plot (plus, monsters). And again, the ending was the highlight, both unexpected and the best possible solution. It is a great story to read all at once and think about for the next week or so.
February 7, 2019
Ranges of GD
Grimdark is I think an elusive quality to pin down so an anthology of stories seemed a great idea to get more of a feel for the genre. Completing this collection, I'm probably no closer to being able to point to a virtue and say "that's grimdark" but I definitely enjoyed most of the stories herein, particularly Thunderstruck – about a couple of wanderers with a non-interference policy versus storm giants; Maurkim’s War – about revenge, playing the long game, and a man’s morals versus his duty; Mad Bastards in the Nostros River which was in every way an excellent mid-90s monster flick crossed with a fantasy frontier world and a murder mystery; and I Legion, which was good until that amazing ending just rose up and elevated it to great.
There were a few stories where their greater strength was in the world building and a few which perhaps didn't have the strongest characters or the cleanest endings, but in all, a great collection I'd not hesitate to recommend to anyone interested in the grittier side of sword and sorcery fantasy. There will definitely be enough here for everyone.
Grimdark is I think an elusive quality to pin down so an anthology of stories seemed a great idea to get more of a feel for the genre. Completing this collection, I'm probably no closer to being able to point to a virtue and say "that's grimdark" but I definitely enjoyed most of the stories herein, particularly Thunderstruck – about a couple of wanderers with a non-interference policy versus storm giants; Maurkim’s War – about revenge, playing the long game, and a man’s morals versus his duty; Mad Bastards in the Nostros River which was in every way an excellent mid-90s monster flick crossed with a fantasy frontier world and a murder mystery; and I Legion, which was good until that amazing ending just rose up and elevated it to great.
There were a few stories where their greater strength was in the world building and a few which perhaps didn't have the strongest characters or the cleanest endings, but in all, a great collection I'd not hesitate to recommend to anyone interested in the grittier side of sword and sorcery fantasy. There will definitely be enough here for everyone.
February 10, 2019
Fantastic
This is collection of some of the best short stories by, in my humble opinion, some of the best Indy authors out there. Tore through them in less than a day.
This is collection of some of the best short stories by, in my humble opinion, some of the best Indy authors out there. Tore through them in less than a day.
January 8, 2019
Those Who Hunt Dragons was a real page turner. It was an incredible story about the dragon hunters, as seen through the eyes of a newly conscripted private who comes from a fishing village. He begins the journey almost sanctimonious, set on slaying the dragon for glory and saving lives. He quickly learns that not all hunters think this way, and he discovers plenty about life in the empire along the way.
January 23, 2019
A gritty tale of dragon hunters. One of the books in the anthology, a well written short story. Received this book as an arc, liked it so much bought the anthology.
February 10, 2019
I read Stolen Luck. Interesting back story on Hak’kar. We see where his interest began in the gods and in serving them, and begin to see his determination. At the beginning, he seems like a sweet young boy, trying to understand his place in the world, and how to best serve the gods. As the story continues, he realizes that the brother he idolizes isn’t perfect, and in fact that he himself has a better memory and more devotion for the gods. At the end of the story Hak’kar’s cunning is revealed, and his willingness to use those around him – his family – to achieve his ends – which he’s convinced himself is really his divine destiny, ordained by the gods. Read to see how it plays out! I received a free copy of the book.
January 16, 2019
Those Who Hunt Dragons by Jeffrey Bardwell was is a very short story about a crew hunting and dragon and selling the parts for money. Jeffrey got straight to the point and did not waste time with over explain anything. You must read the story to find out if they succeeded in killing the dragon and made it home safely.
I received an ARC to read from Jeffrey Bardwell and decided to leave my honest opinion about Those Who Hunt Dtagons.
I received an ARC to read from Jeffrey Bardwell and decided to leave my honest opinion about Those Who Hunt Dtagons.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews