Tag: Free Fantasy

Absurdist Fantasy Short Fiction

Seed

The introduction to Old Sorcery, an absurdist epic fantasy novel, available now from The Arcanist. In the days of yore, when the old, strong sorcery was more than myth, spells required blood, their potency strengthened by the lives put into them, their power amplified by the offering of souls. Magic made heroes of men, and many men, heroic or otherwise, met their deaths at the wrong end of magic. There were those born with the gift of wizardry, natural enchanters blessed with inherent talents. There were those, too, who passively benefited from trinkets imbued by the sorcery of others. It…

Serial Fiction Sword and Sorcery

A Valley of Shadow — Part One

Prologue No one expects a dead man to walk through the front door. This time was no different. The dozen patrons of the Soul’s Lament went silent as the cobbled door whined on its hinges, and Izrak Laav crossed over the threshold, ducking his head as he passed inside. A trio of men, grim faces flushed, eyes glazed in a half-drunken stupor, sat at a table near the door. Shifting in their chairs as the dead man approached, they whispered as quivering hands hovered over unseen knives. Izrak glanced at the vagrants, the iron studs of his jerkin and mail…

Dark Fantasy Serial Fiction

The Weight of a Torch — Part One

The sun had already set as Kaia approached a squat wooden inn, nestled right off the side of the Celias Way. It was the only structure for miles around, its battered, iron door opening directly to the road. When she approached the threshold, the door swung open, carving a path for the scents of spiced meat and hearty stew to meander into the night air. She lingered at the threshold, staring into an empty dining room, dimly lit with tallow candles. She took a deep breath. “I am but a traveler, seeking rest, that we might hold together the fraying…

Serial Fiction Sword and Sorcery

Even the Dead Suffer

A Prelude to A Valley of Shadow. Skip to Part One. Lord Yemor slumped onto a log the villains had conceived to use as a bench. Peasants. How is it that these sorts never consider stealing decent furniture? The lord wondered what price he would now pay for anything bearing a cushion. A grimace parted Yemor’s lips as he looked at the dead man sitting across from him. He had not even considered what price the corpse would demand. This undead churl will undoubtedly try to ransom me himself. “They were waiting for us.” Yemor drank from a half-empty wineskin,…

Cozy Fantasy Short Fiction

The Wizard’s Wife

It was the best smell in the world: fresh coffee perched on a tray hovering towards her from the open bedroom door, an earthy aroma drifting in its wake. Sitting up in her bed with a stretch, the tray sat itself down on her side-table. Silvana Shadewillow graciously accepted the cup, delighted by her husband’s thoughtfulness. Drawing in a tentative sip, her eyes fluttered shut when she tasted it — extra cream, a dash of sugar — it was her perfect cup of coffee. When she opened her eyes again, she finally noticed the accompanying little breakfast her sweet Markous…

Free Fantasy Poetry

Parnassus Pub

Almost last call and the place is packed. Conversations blur to barbar. A string of satyrs makes eyes at the mirror. Some Artemis staggers her way to the loo. Apollo of the hour sips wine with the nymphs. Tender’s the nightcap: a chaser of Ouzo— I’m primed to ride Pegasus all the way home. More of Frank William Finney’s poetry is available in The Literary Fantasy Magazine: Winter 2025 Frank William Finney is a poet from Massachusetts who taught literature in Thailand for 25 years. A Joint winner of The Letter Review Prize for Poetry, his poems have appeared in…

Free Fantasy Poetry

For Immediate Release, Delphi

More of William R. Ramsey’s poetry can be found in The Literary Fantasy Magazine: Winter 2025 Stiffened by the sumptuary blending of hereditary sorrow and the sum perfection of tomorrow’s unforeseen frustration, a perturbation of the field persuades us that tonight will be unlike today. Apologies to perturbations past, whose bloody entrails yesterday forebode the bulk of this: the small red berries grown recalcitrant and sullen, exogamous legumes withdrawing from our touch in such a way as to suggest a recurring trauma. All oracles agree, there will be more trauma. Current trends toward increasing workplace automation will continue. What we…

Flash Fiction Free Fantasy

Shepherd

Art by Kim Holm. More of Lee Patton’s work can be found in The Literary Fantasy Magazine: Winter 2025. Do you understand what I am asking of you, Mical?” Azra said, his amber eyes glowing in the pale moonlight spilling through the window of an otherwise dark room. The fire had long since succumbed to the ravages of time, ousted by the passage of long hours. Mical sat in silence, pondering the question. His gray eyes fixed on the smoldering ashes in the fireplace. The dull red light of the embers brightened, dimmed, then faded away. Mical could not help…