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Whispers of the Dead Saint
When Dödz Bringare, a professional killer of the undead, is arrested for public disorder, he finds himself press-ganged into searching for a nobleman’s dead wife.
Beset by venomous cultists, blood-drenched zombies, and the forces of the Blood Countess herself, Dödz must muster all of his strength and willpower just to survive.
All the while, the whispers of the dead saint swirl around him, threatening to bring all to MISERY.
The first novella set in the DYING LANDS of Mörk Borg. Includes a Mini-Dungeon, Monsters, Items, & a Class for Mörk Borg.
cited from Madness Heart Press
Beset by venomous cultists, blood-drenched zombies, and the forces of the Blood Countess herself, Dödz must muster all of his strength and willpower just to survive.
All the while, the whispers of the dead saint swirl around him, threatening to bring all to MISERY.
The first novella set in the DYING LANDS of Mörk Borg. Includes a Mini-Dungeon, Monsters, Items, & a Class for Mörk Borg.
cited from Madness Heart Press
ebook
Published March 9, 2023
8 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
John Baltisberger
56 books135 followersJohn Baltisberger is an author of speculative and genre fiction that often focuses on Jewish Elements. Through his writing, he has explored themes of mysticism, faith, sin, and personal responsibility. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and his daughter.
Though mostly known for his bizarre blend of Jewish mysticism and splatter, John defies being labeled under any one genre. His work has spanned extreme horror, urban fantasy, science fiction, cosmic horror, epic verse, and he has even written a guide for mindful meditation.
While relatively new to the writing community, (his first book was published in 2018) John has become known for his work in verse, having worked in both extremely short works and massive novella-length poetic epics. He continues to work to push himself to explore new avenues of expression and horror literature.
Though mostly known for his bizarre blend of Jewish mysticism and splatter, John defies being labeled under any one genre. His work has spanned extreme horror, urban fantasy, science fiction, cosmic horror, epic verse, and he has even written a guide for mindful meditation.
While relatively new to the writing community, (his first book was published in 2018) John has become known for his work in verse, having worked in both extremely short works and massive novella-length poetic epics. He continues to work to push himself to explore new avenues of expression and horror literature.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 13, 2024
Il mondo è arrivato alla sua fine. Non sta andando verso, è proprio giunto al termine.
Questa è la semplice premessa di Mörk Börg, uno dei giochi di ruolo più Metal e Grimdark degli ultimi anni*.
Ed è anche la promessa sullo fondo che aleggia lungo la lettura di questa novella. Il mondo sta finendo e i suoi abitanti dimostrano ciò che valgono realmente, ed è terribile scoprire che qui solo i folli nutrono la speranza.
Come in ogni sessione di gioco di ruolo che si rispetti i nostri eroi hanno un ingaggio e quindi una missione da compiere. E noi conosciamo così i nostri protagonisti, tra tutti spicca Dodz lo Sterminatore di Ghoul, un "eroe" ormai abbandonato a sé stesso. Ed è uno dei folli che vaga per questo mondo tenendo dentro di sé un lumicino di speranza (a me ha dato molto sentore di quegli eroi gemmelliani che francamente adoro), insieme a una squadra di duri figli di puttana dalle spalle e palle larghe tra cui spicca un tizio di due metri e passa vestito da clown che mena duro e non fa ridere per niente.
John descrive un mondo cinico, insozzato dall'orrore e spietato con chiunque, attraversato da protagonisti nichilisti che riconoscono solo nella violenza un giusto linguaggio per confrontarsi col mondo.
La storia, come si è visto, è semplice ma di per sé è solo un aggancio per raccontarci questo mondo e i suoi protagonisti, che sono la parte che più rispecchia l'essenza di Mörk Borg. E John ci riesce, cattura questa essenza e la trascrive in quell'ottantina di pagine piene di orrore, violenza e crudeltà. Tutte ottime qualità.
Il volume è splendido, riccamente illustrato (a colori!) da Simone Tammetta ed è impreziosito da un extra molto succulento: l'avventura della storia da poter giocare coi propri amici (e magari farli ammazzare come nel libro).
*MÖRK BORG è uno dei pochi giochi di ruolo che, quasi uscito dal nulla, ha completamente ribaltato la scena mondiale con uno stile e identità unici e la voglia di espandersi in ogni contesto e genere.
Questa è la semplice premessa di Mörk Börg, uno dei giochi di ruolo più Metal e Grimdark degli ultimi anni*.
Ed è anche la promessa sullo fondo che aleggia lungo la lettura di questa novella. Il mondo sta finendo e i suoi abitanti dimostrano ciò che valgono realmente, ed è terribile scoprire che qui solo i folli nutrono la speranza.
Come in ogni sessione di gioco di ruolo che si rispetti i nostri eroi hanno un ingaggio e quindi una missione da compiere. E noi conosciamo così i nostri protagonisti, tra tutti spicca Dodz lo Sterminatore di Ghoul, un "eroe" ormai abbandonato a sé stesso. Ed è uno dei folli che vaga per questo mondo tenendo dentro di sé un lumicino di speranza (a me ha dato molto sentore di quegli eroi gemmelliani che francamente adoro), insieme a una squadra di duri figli di puttana dalle spalle e palle larghe tra cui spicca un tizio di due metri e passa vestito da clown che mena duro e non fa ridere per niente.
John descrive un mondo cinico, insozzato dall'orrore e spietato con chiunque, attraversato da protagonisti nichilisti che riconoscono solo nella violenza un giusto linguaggio per confrontarsi col mondo.
La storia, come si è visto, è semplice ma di per sé è solo un aggancio per raccontarci questo mondo e i suoi protagonisti, che sono la parte che più rispecchia l'essenza di Mörk Borg. E John ci riesce, cattura questa essenza e la trascrive in quell'ottantina di pagine piene di orrore, violenza e crudeltà. Tutte ottime qualità.
Il volume è splendido, riccamente illustrato (a colori!) da Simone Tammetta ed è impreziosito da un extra molto succulento: l'avventura della storia da poter giocare coi propri amici (e magari farli ammazzare come nel libro).
*MÖRK BORG è uno dei pochi giochi di ruolo che, quasi uscito dal nulla, ha completamente ribaltato la scena mondiale con uno stile e identità unici e la voglia di espandersi in ogni contesto e genere.
March 24, 2023
If this book gets an official upload, I'll move this review there as well.
I'm new to Mork Borg, having perused the system and only briefly dipping my toe into the lore. This novelette does a good job of helping me get a feel for the game as I try to convince my players to play the system with me.
The book itself is very good. It's dripping with grime and undeath. It's tense and, at times, intense. The characters all have their own personalities and feel separate from each other. How they interact and clash brings a bit of levity to the grimdark setting.
The story is fast-paced. The only complaint I have is that it's too fast-paced. I would have preferred the story to not be a novelette, but a fully realized novel. I would have liked to have spent more time with Dodz and his traveling party as they faced an onslaught of creatures they have no business tussling with. The extra word count would have also made for a better climax, as well, in my opinion. It was good, but it was too quick and didn't have the gravitas it could have.
I'm still giving the book five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I hope that John revisits the escapades of Dodz. It's obvious there is a lot of thought put into the character and I want to know what lead him to be a slayer of the undead despite losing his faith. I want to know what comes next for him after the end of this novelette.
I'm new to Mork Borg, having perused the system and only briefly dipping my toe into the lore. This novelette does a good job of helping me get a feel for the game as I try to convince my players to play the system with me.
The book itself is very good. It's dripping with grime and undeath. It's tense and, at times, intense. The characters all have their own personalities and feel separate from each other. How they interact and clash brings a bit of levity to the grimdark setting.
The story is fast-paced. The only complaint I have is that it's too fast-paced. I would have preferred the story to not be a novelette, but a fully realized novel. I would have liked to have spent more time with Dodz and his traveling party as they faced an onslaught of creatures they have no business tussling with. The extra word count would have also made for a better climax, as well, in my opinion. It was good, but it was too quick and didn't have the gravitas it could have.
I'm still giving the book five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I hope that John revisits the escapades of Dodz. It's obvious there is a lot of thought put into the character and I want to know what lead him to be a slayer of the undead despite losing his faith. I want to know what comes next for him after the end of this novelette.
July 4, 2023
Full reviews at https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/god...
WHISPERS OF THE DEAD SAINT by John Baltisberger
What do you get when you have a prisoner with a reprieve who is also a soul/ghost/zombie killer that has to find out if a Lord’s wife is really dead? You get a road trip with four mercenaries, a bunch of death and blood, as well as servants with chains in the genitals, (I promise that will make sense.) I couldn’t read/listen to this one fast enough. Superb from beginning to end. A HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND 10/5.
WHISPERS OF THE DEAD SAINT by John Baltisberger
What do you get when you have a prisoner with a reprieve who is also a soul/ghost/zombie killer that has to find out if a Lord’s wife is really dead? You get a road trip with four mercenaries, a bunch of death and blood, as well as servants with chains in the genitals, (I promise that will make sense.) I couldn’t read/listen to this one fast enough. Superb from beginning to end. A HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND 10/5.
December 24, 2024
Premetto che non conosco Mork Borg se non per sentito dire e non ci ho mai giocato.
Novella davvero grimdark, cupa, piena di mostri, sangue, torture, disperazione e cose orribili.
Come atmosfere mi ha ricordato davvero tanto il bellissimo videogame "Darkest Dungeon".
Un peccato per il finale raffazzonato e poco comprensibile,scritto troppo in fretta e furia per chiudere la novella. Avrei apprezzato una ventina di pagine in più che avrebbero permesso all'autore di espandere meglio gli ultimi fatti.
L'edizione Zeppelin books è arricchita da numerose tavole a colori che impreziosiscono l'opera.
Novella davvero grimdark, cupa, piena di mostri, sangue, torture, disperazione e cose orribili.
Come atmosfere mi ha ricordato davvero tanto il bellissimo videogame "Darkest Dungeon".
Un peccato per il finale raffazzonato e poco comprensibile,scritto troppo in fretta e furia per chiudere la novella. Avrei apprezzato una ventina di pagine in più che avrebbero permesso all'autore di espandere meglio gli ultimi fatti.
L'edizione Zeppelin books è arricchita da numerose tavole a colori che impreziosiscono l'opera.
June 28, 2023
Fantastic grimdark pulp fantasy story. I really enjoyed it!
April 22, 2023
Whispers of the Dead Saint is a dark fantasy tale that takes place in a medieval setting. This is a time when superstition and fear run rampant and every new face that arrives is automatically held in suspicion.
A hunter finds himself in a precarious situation where he has to make a choice to complete a mission or choose to be taken out of this world. He’s assigned a group of mercenaries to accompany him if he decides to take on the mission.
Rumors, ghosts, people disappearing, paranoia, and undead wastelands are all parts of this mission should they choose to accept it. What whispers will they hear that go bump in the night?
Baltisberger draws us in, gets us invested and then draws us in again by allowing other characters to share about their past experiences. This is a really well done dark fantasy and I enjoyed the graphic drawings of the setting and characters at the end of each chapter.
Go get this quick read coming soon from Madness Heart Press! I think I enjoyed it so much because it’s different than what I usually read.
A hunter finds himself in a precarious situation where he has to make a choice to complete a mission or choose to be taken out of this world. He’s assigned a group of mercenaries to accompany him if he decides to take on the mission.
Rumors, ghosts, people disappearing, paranoia, and undead wastelands are all parts of this mission should they choose to accept it. What whispers will they hear that go bump in the night?
Baltisberger draws us in, gets us invested and then draws us in again by allowing other characters to share about their past experiences. This is a really well done dark fantasy and I enjoyed the graphic drawings of the setting and characters at the end of each chapter.
Go get this quick read coming soon from Madness Heart Press! I think I enjoyed it so much because it’s different than what I usually read.
May 28, 2023
A very enjoyable horror fantasy novella written in the Mork Borg RPG setting. It’s properly grim, gory and dark.
I backed a Kickstarter for this book and I’m glad I did. I haven’t read anything by the author before but he conveyed both action and horror very well.
I’d recommend this to those who enjoy dark fantasy and hope Mr. Baltisberger writes more of our anti-hero Dodz. I've seen him comment that he is indeed working on more which is good to hear.
I backed a Kickstarter for this book and I’m glad I did. I haven’t read anything by the author before but he conveyed both action and horror very well.
I’d recommend this to those who enjoy dark fantasy and hope Mr. Baltisberger writes more of our anti-hero Dodz. I've seen him comment that he is indeed working on more which is good to hear.
April 28, 2024
Dodz languishes in a cell awaiting his execution. His crime was public drunkenness. The guards decide to start betting on how long a head will blink after decapitation. One of the heads spawns spider legs and creeps away. The world is ending, things are gonna get weird.
Dodz lives in the world of Mork Borg, the doom metal tabletop roleplaying game. It's dark fantasy of the darkest kind. Dodz gets sprung from prison as his former occupation, undead hunter, may be of use. You see, the local Baron has gotten a request from his wife for a ton of money and treasure. This wouldn't be abnormal except she's been dead for months. Dodz is given four mercenary minders who are to assist him and ensure he does his job. They are Io, Sori, Sohl, and Prongo. Sohl uses a two handed sword and Io uses a crossbow. Prongo is a massive, silent man with a two-handed maul dressed in a jester's motley.
So.. it's not great. The prose reminds me of how I wrote fiction when I was a teenager. Show, don't tell, was for other people. The plot twists seem utterly random (particularly the final twist that borders on the non-sensical) and the one almost-effective plot twist is so telegraphed you can see it coming a mile away. Within moments of Prongo's backstory being told, he's dead. I knew it was going to happen the second the narrative stopped to explain it.
I appreciate that Mork Borg is big enough to get official fiction but I do hope other fiction it gets is better.
Each chapter has an attached art piece and they are fantastic, well evoking the feel of Mork Borg's art with Mork Borg's artist even providing the cover piece!
Dodz lives in the world of Mork Borg, the doom metal tabletop roleplaying game. It's dark fantasy of the darkest kind. Dodz gets sprung from prison as his former occupation, undead hunter, may be of use. You see, the local Baron has gotten a request from his wife for a ton of money and treasure. This wouldn't be abnormal except she's been dead for months. Dodz is given four mercenary minders who are to assist him and ensure he does his job. They are Io, Sori, Sohl, and Prongo. Sohl uses a two handed sword and Io uses a crossbow. Prongo is a massive, silent man with a two-handed maul dressed in a jester's motley.
So.. it's not great. The prose reminds me of how I wrote fiction when I was a teenager. Show, don't tell, was for other people. The plot twists seem utterly random (particularly the final twist that borders on the non-sensical) and the one almost-effective plot twist is so telegraphed you can see it coming a mile away. Within moments of Prongo's backstory being told, he's dead. I knew it was going to happen the second the narrative stopped to explain it.
I appreciate that Mork Borg is big enough to get official fiction but I do hope other fiction it gets is better.
Each chapter has an attached art piece and they are fantastic, well evoking the feel of Mork Borg's art with Mork Borg's artist even providing the cover piece!
December 28, 2024
Novella ambientata nel mondo di Mork Borg... Cioè serve altro?
Il mondo ormai p senza futuro
La violenza è in ogni centimetro di questo modo decaduto, senza speranza, dove si sopravvive un giorno alla volta
Dodz è un cacciatore di ghoul, che viene ingaggiato, assieme a un gruppo eterogeneo di figli di pu****a da un signorotto locale..
Come sempre la bravura di autori si vede quando in poche pagine riesce a cmq dare profondità ai personaggi, alle loro motivazioni, ai loro traumi... Xchè in morg Borg tutti sono spezzati... Ma chi non lo sarebbe sapendo che non c' è un domani in cui sperare
Edizione stupenda piena di illustrazioni a colori...
Da prendere rigorosamente in cartaceo
Plus , x i veri fan del GDR anche una piccola avventura
Il mondo ormai p senza futuro
La violenza è in ogni centimetro di questo modo decaduto, senza speranza, dove si sopravvive un giorno alla volta
Dodz è un cacciatore di ghoul, che viene ingaggiato, assieme a un gruppo eterogeneo di figli di pu****a da un signorotto locale..
Come sempre la bravura di autori si vede quando in poche pagine riesce a cmq dare profondità ai personaggi, alle loro motivazioni, ai loro traumi... Xchè in morg Borg tutti sono spezzati... Ma chi non lo sarebbe sapendo che non c' è un domani in cui sperare
Edizione stupenda piena di illustrazioni a colori...
Da prendere rigorosamente in cartaceo
Plus , x i veri fan del GDR anche una piccola avventura
December 31, 2025
It conveyed the vibe of Mörk Borg well; while I had a lot of things I didn't care for about the prose, the inconsistent characterization, and the wasted potential of basically every secondary character, I actually thought the twist was fun. I believe firmly that the book would be much improved if it were a standalone and the epilogue didn't exist.
November 27, 2024
Gore and spells and the undead -- what's not to love! Even tho I've never heard of Mörk Borg, I was immediately drawn into this world in the first scene. I loved each of the characters. I was especially pleased that there were badass female characters!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
December 1, 2024
Ho letto l'edizione italiana della novella edita da Zeppelin Books.
Il volume è molto ben fatto, pieno di immagini a colori ben realizzate. La breve storia evoca perfettamente le atmosfere grimdark di Mörk Borg e pur non essendo niente di innovativo si lascia leggere con piacere.
Il volume è molto ben fatto, pieno di immagini a colori ben realizzate. La breve storia evoca perfettamente le atmosfere grimdark di Mörk Borg e pur non essendo niente di innovativo si lascia leggere con piacere.
September 20, 2024
I picked this up to get a feel of the mork Borg universe and I felt like it really delivered. It did feel oddly paced at times, but for the length, it makes sense.
September 26, 2024
Fun little book. A quick, down and dirty, violent, horrific novella.
Plenty of fun.
Plenty of fun.
December 18, 2024
needed a better editor; definitely felt like a transcription of this guy's MB campaign at times
February 7, 2025
Enjoyed this trip into the darkness. Hope there will be more tales of Dödz. Well written and the art added greatly to the mood of the book
November 29, 2025
Raw and Brilliant
Picked this up because I have become a recent fan of the game. It does not disappoint. Raw and brutal, this novella is based on the Mork Borg IP, bringing all the grimdark reality of the game into focus with nasty enemies and nastier endings for the characters. Set in a world that is coming apart at the seams, everything is twisted and too dark to contemplate. But the protagonist moved forward, and therein moves the story forward. What little "hope" there is, is fleeting. Perhaps this is what the protagonist chases... that one pinprick of light far in the distance. Great characterization, great worldbuilding, excellent editing. There's nothing to hate about this book, except maybe that it was too "short." Enjoy. Can be enjoyed as a standalone work, OR, do yourself the favor of picking up the second "installment" which continues the protagonist's journey in a world on the edge of death. (Also a 5-star banger.)
Picked this up because I have become a recent fan of the game. It does not disappoint. Raw and brutal, this novella is based on the Mork Borg IP, bringing all the grimdark reality of the game into focus with nasty enemies and nastier endings for the characters. Set in a world that is coming apart at the seams, everything is twisted and too dark to contemplate. But the protagonist moved forward, and therein moves the story forward. What little "hope" there is, is fleeting. Perhaps this is what the protagonist chases... that one pinprick of light far in the distance. Great characterization, great worldbuilding, excellent editing. There's nothing to hate about this book, except maybe that it was too "short." Enjoy. Can be enjoyed as a standalone work, OR, do yourself the favor of picking up the second "installment" which continues the protagonist's journey in a world on the edge of death. (Also a 5-star banger.)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews