Stories

by Scott Fitzgerald Gray

A TALE OF THE ENDLANDS -- A KINDLE-SINGLE PREVIEW SHORT STORY FROM THE ANTHOLOGY A PRAYER FOR DEAD KINGS AND OTHER TALESIt was the blade of Ngrehim, forged by Dugaam in the name of Janasaath, Bladelord of the Carbáin, slayer of Moiriar, destroyer of Sollyra, destined ruler of all the world. Or at least that's what it said to Hjorn when he brushed up against it in the back of Garna's wagon.I can grant thee the power thou seekest... the axe whispered.Hjorn blinked.Garna was the best wagon trader between Jandich and Cunoch on the great river, and no matter how often you looked through his overflowing wares, you were bound to find something you'd never seen before. But even within the carefully racked stacks of Gorbeyna pottery, cast-off Ilvani leather, oil-polished armor shards, and bones of questionable vintage, a talking axe that promised you the power you seek was unusual."Stories" tells the tale of a reclusive storyteller who yearns to be a hero -- and who is forced to rise to the occasion when the story of his own life becomes more heroic than he ever thought possible...A Prayer for Dead Kings and Other Tales -- Available now at Amazon.com

Genres: Fantasy

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2011

About the author

Scott Fitzgerald Gray is a specially constructed biogenetic simulacrum built around an array of experimental consciousness-sharing techniques — a product of the finest minds of Canadian science until the grant money ran out. Accidentally set loose during an unauthorized midnight rave at the lab, the S.F. Gray entity is currently at large amongst an unsuspecting populace, where his work as an author, screenwriter, editor, RPG designer, and story editor for feature film keeps him off the streets.

More info on Scott and his work (some of it even occasionally truthful) can be found by reading between the lines at insaneangel.com.

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little story. There might be a better way to describe it than that... For being fantasy, there wasn't much worldbuilding, which is usually one of my favorite parts of fantasy, but there wasn't much necessary for this story. There was just enough introduced as for what was needed without extraneous detail, and it worked really well. There were times that something new was mentioned and only vaguely described, but for the purposes of this story, that was all that was needed.

The story revolved around two very different personalities coming in contact and interacting, with just enough magic thrown in to make things interesting. It progressed in a very natural way and had a very satisfying ending. Ultimately, it was a well-crafted short story that really worked for me.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Fitzgerald Gray's writing style harks back to the first Golden Age of epic fantasy, as do many of his themes. I could easily see Conan or Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser hacking their way through the same types of plots in the somewhat dreamy landscapes. The stories in this collection all feature a legendary weapon and the effect it has on the wielder. All are worth the time to read. My favorite "Stories" also featured humor, and a hero who was content with his life as it was--not the normal protagonist. And the story "Prayer for Dead Kings" was an interesting spin on King Arthur. All in all, a very well done collection.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.

[Shawn Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well paced, unexpected, and tongue in cheek short with a subtle message. I enjoyed it.