Cold Steel Meets Dark Magic\nThey are mercenaries, wanderers, soldiers, and oftentimes barbarians. They are usually for hire, though some simply seek justice for its own sake. They wield swords, axes and other weapons forged from cold steel and honed to a deadly edge that will inevitably bear the stain of their enemies, some earthly and others beyond mortal ken.\nAnd above all, they loathe sorcery.\nBLOOD ON THE BLADE chronicles the adventures of these savage yet noble warriors as they stand against conjurers and spellcasters who practice dark magic in their pursuit of power, their lust for fortune, and their demonic desire to watch the world burn. And when it all unfolds, you have a front-row seat for the mayhem and carnage.\nHerein you will find stories by ten luminaries of fantasy fiction: Cliff Biggers, Adrian Cole, Anne Marie Lutz, Paul R. McNamee, James A. Moore, D.M. Ritzlin, Charles R. Rutledge, Frank Schildiner, Steven L. Shrewsbury, and James R. Tuck. Each of these scribes reaches back to long-ago times and distant lands to weave visceral tales of epic adventure.\nJoin them on their quest to bring you the very best in sword and sorcery.\nEdited by Jim Beard and John C. Bruening 
Cover illustration and design by Mark Wheatley 
Interior design and formatting by Maggie Ryel

Blood on the Blade

Literature & Fiction

Biggers, Cliff

Schildiner, Frank

Moore, James A.

Shrewsbury, Steven L.

Cole, Adrian

Tuck, James R.

McNamee, Paul R.

Rutledge, Charles R.

Ritzlin, D.M.

Lutz, Anne Marie

Genre Fiction

Flinch Books

Mighty-thewed barbarians… vengeful lords of chaos… desolate devil-haunted ruins… carnage-soaked battlefields… forbidden spells of great power…All these you will find in the works of authors of heroic fantasy as well as heavy metal musicians. But modern fantasy has been plagued with convoluted plots and series without end. Who better to return traditional fantasy to its former glory than the heavy metal bards?Swords of Steel Omnibus Edition is an anthology of fantastic and horrific adventure stories, each penned by a heavy metal musician. Members of bands such as Bal-Sagoth, Manilla Road, Cauldron Born, Slough Feg, Nocturnus, Eternal Champion and more prove their talent for the written word as well as song by invoking a fresh wave of dark and twisted dreams from worlds beyond our own.Stories included:“All Will Be Righted on Samhain” by Howie K. Bentley (CAULDRON BORN) and David C. Smith“Vengeance of the Insane God” by Jason Tarpey (ETERNAL CHAMPION)“The Mirror Beguiling” by James Ashbey (SOLSTICE, LETHEAN)“The Heart of the Betrayer” by Howie K. Bentley“Return to Stynar Vort” by Joe Minichino (DOOMSWORD)“Journey in Somnamblia” by Jean-Pierre Abboud (GATEKEEPER, TRAVELER)“Eldon” by Chris Shoriak (ICE SWORD)“Beyond the Mirrors of Faellnoch” by D.L. Lackner (LEGENDRY)“The Darkness Among the Trees” by Max Birbaum (LUNAR SHADOW)“The Forgotten City of Tehm” by E.C. Hellwell (MANILLA ROAD)“Beneath Dead Lake” by Geoff Blackwell (GATEKEEPER)“Thannhausefeer’s Guest” by Howie K. Bentley“The Chamber of Juleptsu” by Jaron Evil (ALMURIC, ARCHSPIRE)“The Riddle Master” by E.C. Hellwell“Eve’s Grave” by Scott Waldrop (TWISTED TOWER DIRE, WALPYRGUS)“That Than Which There Can Be No More Terrible” by Michael Scalzi (SLOUGH FEG)“Mystery Believer” by Scott Waldrop“Red Ochre” by James Ashbey“Darke Manor” by Jaron Evil“The Key” by Mike Browning (NOCTURNUS A.D.) and D.M. Ritzlin“Blue Mistress” by Geoff Blackwell“The Pirate Prince of Tarran” by E.C. Hellwell“Stormchaser” by Geoff Blackwell“The Voyages of Captain Caleb Blackthorne” by Byron A. Roberts (BAL-SAGOTH)

Swords of Steel Omnibus

Blackwell, Geoff

Bentley, Howie K.

Roberts, Byron A.

Birbaum, Max

Hellwell, E.C.

Lackner, D.L.

Scalzi, Michael

Tarpey, Jason

Waldrop, Scott

DMR Books

The world of Nilztiria is an ancient one. Beneath its brilliant crimson sun and demon-haunted moons wondrous treasures lay buried, waiting to be uncovered by intrepid adventurers. Yet peril abounds as well, in the form of nefarious sorcerers, grotesque beasts, and inexplicable phenomena. Among the bold heroes and callous villains of Nilztiria are: 
XEDROCH LOOR—A lusty rapscallion, his striving for glittering treasures and the embraces of lovely ladies invariably leads him into danger. 
AVOK KUR STORN—A strong-willed, quick-witted barbarian who fears neither man nor demon. He laughs in the face of death! 
KRYNMORA—This cruel yet beautiful sorceress thinks nothing of sacrificing human life to appease her demonic patron. She has an affinity for unnatural beasts, including her lover who was once a man! 
VRAN THE CHAOS-WARPED—By his sickly green eyes he bears the mark of a sorcerous experiment gone awry, but he was also altered in more dreadful ways… 
XAARXOOL THE NECROMANCER—Possessor of powerful artefacts and reams of forgotten lore, his expertise in wizardry is unmatched. 
If you crave stories of adventure and wonder with a touch of gallows humor, look no further than these thirteen tales of Nilztiria! 
Stories included: 
“A Twisted Branch of Yggdrasil” 
“The Lair of the Brain Eaters” 
“Born to Storm the Citadel of Mettathok” 
“Hunting the Lirpkinn” 
“The Infernal Bargain” 
“Spider-Magic in the Jungles of Jamboota” 
“Undying Thirst for Vengeance” 
“Slave Girls for Sacrifice” 
“Consequences of Lust” 
“The Valley of Eternal Midnight” 
“Black Castle of Torture” 
“Under the Horns of Iljer” 
“The Isle of the Pleasure Slaves”

Necromancy in Nilztiria (Tales of Nilztiria)

Novelette
<ul><li>The Elephant Idol, by Xavier Lastra</li></ul>Short Stories<ul>
<li>Young Tarzan and the Mysterious She, by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Michael Tierney </li>
<li>Atop the Cliff of Ral-Gri, by Jeff Stoner</li>
<li>The Idol in the Sewers, by Kenneth R. Gower</li>
<li>Born to Storm the Citadel of Mettathock, by D.M. Ritzlin</li>
<li>The Book Hunter’s Apprentice, by Barbara Doran</li>
<li>How Thaddeus Quimby the Third and I Almost Took Over the World, by Gary K. Shepherd</li>
<li>Deemed Unsuitable, by WL Emery</li>
<li>Warrior Soul, by J. Manfred Weichsel</li>
<li>Seeds of the Dreaming Tree, by Harold R. Thompson</li>
<li>The Valley of Terzol, by Jim Breyfogle</li>
<li>Moonshot, by Michael Wiesenberg</li>
</ul>

Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense: Issue #1 / Spring 2019

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Tierney, Michael

Thompson, Harold R.

Emery, WL

Weichsel, J. Manfred

Wiesenberg, Michael

Stoner, Jeff

Lastra, Xavier

Doran, Barbara

Burroughs,Edgar Rice

Fantasy

CIrsova-Publishing

Alpdruck by Michael ReyesClock has been dispatched to the private hell of a powerful demon--and only a being of true evil on its own path towards redemption can aid him in this deadly fight Pour Down Like Silver, by Cynthia WardBanished for refusing to follow her order-pair into death, Rhesanna seeks the Tower of Ancient Time to free her comrade's soul from the demon they failed to slay Lest Darkness Wreck the Stars, by Robert ZoltanWhen Dareon and Blue uncover a mysterious gemstone in the wastes, a strange violet star appears in the sky and visions of a lovely woman invade Dareon's dreams The Golden Pearl, by Jim BreyfogleAfter a harrowing experience in their search for Burning Fish, Kat and Mangos are determined to never be poisoned again--could a Golden Pearl be the answer? Slave Girls for Sacrifice, by D.M. RitzlinA powerful sorceress with a bestial lover requires a blood sacrifice to complete her vile rites... Will Avok's brawn and bag of tricks be enough to stop the witch? Praying to Thasaidon, by Tais TengNo one prays to the Charnel God--but when a necromancer comes to collect on a family's debts, there may be nowhere and no one to turn to but a god of death Adeste, Fideles, by G. Scott HugginsLong ago, the "Last Fleet" was sent to find a new world for Earth's orphaned children That expedition to the fringes of space had been thought lost... Until now Return of the Dark Brotherhood, by Adrian ColeAruul Voruum nears completion of his witchfinder training... but the remnants of Daras Vorta's cult have worked their tendrils into the heart of Mars's government Outside the Outside?, by J. ComerA review of The Tingleverse and Feast of LegendsMy Name is John Carter (Part 8), by James HutchingsJames Hutchings continues his longform poem...

Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense: Issue #3 / Spring 2020

Hutchings, James

Ward, Cynthia

Breyfogle, Jim

Reyes, Michael

Zoltan, Robert

Teng, Tais

Huggins, G. Scott

Short Stories & Anthologies

Vran, the Chaos-Warped (Book 1)By D.M. RITZLINVran the Chaos-Warped has sworn that the wizard Foad Misjak must die for his debaucheries! Vran's strange nature due to a sorcerous accident, however, twists with unpredictable results all magic around him... and strands both on another world!Orphan of the Shadowy Moons (Part 2)By MICHAEL TIERNEYThe Black Assassins have slaughtered all the children of the Worldlord except Strazis, the strange golden child he adopted as his heir! Strazis's escape strands him on a mysterious isle as the Worldlord goes to war to secure the fragile empire!Death and RenewalBy JIM BREYFOGLEThe Prince of Alomar has won a slave from the Bursa... Kat and Mangos must ensure the slave's silence at all cost, but on one condition: they cannot kill him!What Price the StarsBy JEFF STONERJ rgen Pangloss offers the promise of the unthinkable: faster-than-light travel! To what lengths will potential investors go to win J rgen monopoly... and its fetters!?Dead Planet DrifterBy J.D. COWANGalactic Enforcer Ronan Renfield finds himself prisoner of a death-worshiping cult! Can the whispers from his past aid him in his battle against the cannibals?!The Last KhazarBy REV. JOE KELLYTwo men, one a Polish Jew, the other a Prussian Nazi, are bound by dreams and bound by destiny to confront one another, both in the present and in the past!Melkart and the Crocodile GodBy MARK MELLONAn evil and sorcerous monster plagues the land of Kush! Can Melkart stop the crocodile-headed man-beast Sosostris from enslaving the people of Meroë!?My Name is John Carter (Part 12)By JAMES HUTCHINGSReviewsBy J. COMER

Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense Issue #11 / Summer 2022

Mellon, Mark

Cowan, J.D.

Comer, J.

Kelly, Rev. Joe

The Impossible Footprint By DAVID SKINNER Daredevil Dylal O'Lal desires the impossible: to put his footprint on the surface of the sun! Though most insist it cannot be done, the existence of a young woman who proves to be wholly impervious to flames suggests his ultimate feat is achievable! Orphan of the Shadowy Moons (Part 3) By MICHAEL TIERNEY Having escaped enslavement at Arendahj and returned to the Teluchi Islands, Strazis has before him the momentous task of leading a war of liberation! Many rally to Strazis' cause but his old foe Eirlik has other plans-as does Eirlik's father! Vran, the Chaos-Warped (Book 2) By DAVE RITZLIN Ripped by magic from the frozen world of the primitive cavemen, Vran finds himself in even stranger environs! Can he track down the foul wizard Foad Misjak within the halls of a giant castle that is teeming with cannibals and magically animated statues!? Fight of the Sandfishers By JIM BREYFOGLE Celzez plans to denounce Teriz, a royal guard of Alness, as a traitor who shirked his duty as the city fell! Jalani hopes Mangos can stop him before it gets him killed! The Wisdom of Man By ADAM S. FURMAN John Knox finds a victim of the experiments of a billionaire working to distill tachyons that can freeze time itself! Can he stop the mad project before it's too late!? A Long Way to Fall By DAVID EYK A murder has occurred on a colony cylinder under hostile occupation: a young officer has been found mangled, every bone broken-how did he fall from the axis?! Fall of a Storm King By MISHA BURNETT The dangerous job of piloting in Saturn's rings requires altering one's perception of time! Luther is one of the best until a minor injury costs him his certification! Tripping to Aldous By J. MANFRED WEICHSEL An interstellar police investigator is in pursuit of murderer Richard Morales! But the trail leads to Aldous, an illicit party planet with a hallucinogenic atmosphere! Cerulean By J. THOMAS HOWARD On the run and dying of thirst on a desert world, Roger Campbell-Thorn finds salvation in a flask of nourishing intoxicant that sends him to the world's distant past! The Strickland Line By ALEC CIZAK The Strickland Line has a bug problem! Journalist Harv Wallender is accosted by a nasty critter... Quite the inconvenience! But then the critter starts to grow...! New Troops for Old: Jerry Pournelle's Janissaries By J. COMER My Name is John Carter (Part 13) By JAMES HUTCHINGS

Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense Issue #12 / Fall 2022

Burnett, Misha

Skinner, David

Cizak, Alec

Eyk, David

Furman, Adam S.

Howard, J. Thomas

Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense Issue #13 / Winter 2022

Riser, Troy

Ray, Michael

Gallagher,Michael

Lizzi, Ken

Daker, John

Gradoville, John

Nilztiria! An ancient land where daring swordsmen and unscrupulous sorcerers alike strive against unfathomable monstrosities in their personal quests for glory. Its eon-spanning history is not even fully known to the most studious scholars.\nIn Necromancy in Nilztiria, thirteen legends of this fabled land were revealed. In this new collection, nine more tales can be found, detailing the exploits of infamous heroes such as the cursed warrior Vran the Chaos-Warped, the freewheeling barbarian Avok Kur Storn, and the enigmatic wizard Xaarxool the Necromancer.\nPraise for Necromancy in Nilztiria:\n“With a diverse assortment of tales spanning the length of traditional sword-and-sorcery both light-hearted and solemn, to the tales of horror and wonder more akin to the old weird tales or the Dying Earth series, Necromancy in Nilztiria is a great collection of new S&S that will delight any fans of the genre. It manages to stay true to the genre’s roots while doing some innovation of its own, avoiding slavish imitation. For 2020 this is nothing short of miraculous.” (Age of Dusk)\n“This is a rich, fun, sometimes challenging, ambitious, memorable read, rich with unresolved tension: artful and puerile, serious and playful, conventional and transgressive.” (Spiral Tower)\nStories included: 
“More Blood” 
“The Necromancer and the Forgotten Hero” 
“The Head in the Globe” 
“Crowned in Madness” 
“Diabolical Symphonies” 
“The City the Gods Abandoned” 
“Inside a Dead God’s Skull” 
“The Curse of Ambition” 
“The Demon’s Oak”

Dark Dreams of Nilztiria (Tales of Nilztiria)

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