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Battleborn Mage
Monster Within: A Dark Epic Fantasy Battleborn Mage Short Story
How many times can a man cheat death before he loses himself to the monster within? In the gladiatorial arena, Killien is the undefeated champion--a savage and bloodthirsty role he must play to keep his family alive. But in the underground fighting pits, he is no one. Each fight earns the prince more coin. Each fight is slowly bleeding the life from him. Each fight he loses more of himself to the monster within. Killien is beaten, bloodied, and on the brink of insanity, but the greedy prince refuses to pull him out. His life, and the lives of those he loves, depend on him continuing to fight, to cheat death, and to win. His only hope of survival may mean giving into the voice in his head – the vengeful monster within that desperately seeks to be unleashed upon the world. Featured in Grimdark Magazine. Monster Within is a short story based in the Battleborn Mage series--a dark epic fantasy saga of magic, battles, betrayal, revenge, and warriors, monsters, and assassins pitted against each other in a deadly struggle to survive. If you are looking for an action-packed fantasy adventure, escape into the world of Arcanthia where nothing is as it seems. Download now and start this dark adventure with Killien in the underground fighting pit.
- GenresFantasy
46 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2023
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Angel Haze
12 books164 followersAngel lives with her two amazing, half-gremlin children in a small Canadian town far from the borders of Middle Earth. She is deadly with a throwing ax, has an arsenal of dwarven jokes, and a legion of signed books she obsessively hoards with Gollum-like tenacity. She loves escaping to different fantasy worlds and finding new fantasy gems from the wonderfully amazing readers of the Indie Fantasy Addicts Facebook group. There she drinks with assassins, mages, and dwarves in shady taverns and revels in their crazy, amazing journeys to far off lands. She lives for adventure, whether it’s losing herself to phenomenal fantasy books, zip lining across jungles, snorkeling in underwater caverns, pole dancing, or traveling the world. She believes that life should be lived to the fullest and encourages others to follow their dreams and passions so they can see just what they are capable of.
Unleash the Adventure at http://www.angelhaze.com
Unleash the Adventure at http://www.angelhaze.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 26, 2023
Shoo was this dark! I knew it would be, I have read a few books featuring Killien but this novella surpassed them all! Not only in gore, and believe me there's plenty, but in the depth of understanding one gets for Killien, the sympathy one cannot help but feel for him. Killien's internal battles are wrought with a darkness he tries to keep leashed but is there really a darkness or has he lost his mind to all the tortuous deeds he's forced to be a part of. With every pounding Killien receives, every blow he lands, had me pulling faces in pain, moving around in discomfort, until I felt that I was bleeding from as many cuts as he was. An incredible character, full bodied and meaty as are each of the characters. One gets a complete sense of what they are, who they are.
It is an incredibly difficult task to achieve what the author has achieved with this novella, it read like a complete book, no gaps, no feelings of missing relevant information, perfectly concise, perfectly written, perfect villains, perfect pace in a horrific world. Survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning!
April 25, 2023
Shoo was this dark! I knew it would be, I have read a few books featuring Killien but this novella surpassed them all! Not only in gore, and believe me there's plenty, but in the depth of understanding one gets for Killien, the sympathy one cannot help but feel for him. Killien's internal battles are wrought with a darkness he tries to keep leashed but is there really a darkness or has he lost his mind to all the tortuous deeds he's forced to be a part of. With every pounding Killien receives, every blow he lands, had me pulling faces in pain, moving around in discomfort, until I felt that I was bleeding from as many cuts as he was. An incredible character, full bodied and meaty as are each of the characters. One gets a complete sense of what they are, who they are.
It is an incredibly difficult task to achieve what the author has achieved with this novella, it read like a complete book, no gaps, no feelings of missing relevant information, perfectly concise, perfectly written, perfect villains, perfect pace in a horrific world. Survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning.
It is an incredibly difficult task to achieve what the author has achieved with this novella, it read like a complete book, no gaps, no feelings of missing relevant information, perfectly concise, perfectly written, perfect villains, perfect pace in a horrific world. Survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning.
July 13, 2024
Brutal! I love it!
A short story of Killian's time in the fighting pits as he fights both the other prisoners and the monster inside him.
A short story of Killian's time in the fighting pits as he fights both the other prisoners and the monster inside him.
August 7, 2024
This here is a brilliant short story, simply due to the sheer quality of the tale itself.
As a gladiator and slave of Prince Burne, Killien is forced to endure not only fights in the colosseum, but also in the pits, the much more sinister and dangerous version of the deadly games.
But Killien's fights come at a price - his very own sanity.
Killien's spiral into a crazed, blood-fuelled rage is gruesome and raw, and despite the darkness behind his actions, you really do feel for him, even root for him, even with the short page count of this story.
Monster Within is brilliantly written, with a spectacular take on the life of a pit fighter, with excellent fight scenes and a nail-biting plot. It's a great little companion story to Angel Haze's Battleborn Mage series.
I absolutely loved it!
As a gladiator and slave of Prince Burne, Killien is forced to endure not only fights in the colosseum, but also in the pits, the much more sinister and dangerous version of the deadly games.
But Killien's fights come at a price - his very own sanity.
Killien's spiral into a crazed, blood-fuelled rage is gruesome and raw, and despite the darkness behind his actions, you really do feel for him, even root for him, even with the short page count of this story.
Monster Within is brilliantly written, with a spectacular take on the life of a pit fighter, with excellent fight scenes and a nail-biting plot. It's a great little companion story to Angel Haze's Battleborn Mage series.
I absolutely loved it!
April 13, 2023
This was my first venture into the Battleborn Mage universe and what a violent and visceral tale it is!
Monster Within is an absolute raging romp that introduces Killien, an undefeated champion of the coliseum, as he is being torn apart - inside and out - in a constant battle for survival.
The high-speed action draws you in and I myself certainly can't wait to learn how much of a beating one man can take - and more importantly, what he did that saw him banished to such a life in the first place.
Not for the faint of heart, this story is bloody and brutal and a whirlwind of a read! I'm keen to check out what else Haze has on offer!
**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review**
Monster Within is an absolute raging romp that introduces Killien, an undefeated champion of the coliseum, as he is being torn apart - inside and out - in a constant battle for survival.
The high-speed action draws you in and I myself certainly can't wait to learn how much of a beating one man can take - and more importantly, what he did that saw him banished to such a life in the first place.
Not for the faint of heart, this story is bloody and brutal and a whirlwind of a read! I'm keen to check out what else Haze has on offer!
**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review**
March 3, 2023
Killien feels like he is dying yet Prince Burne insists that he goes on fighting in the pits when he can barely stand. He is given something by the guard which makes him hallucinate so he needs to call the monster within him to fight in the pits where it is kill or be killed. He is still n debt with Burne and the prince holds his family as ransom so Killien fights on. This is a very short story but it is brutal and very dark and written in the usual Ms Haze style of dark epic fantasy at its best and which I really love!
April 25, 2023
Bloody, gritty and dark, this is a no-holds-barred look at what pit fighting does to a man. Or a monster...
Written with excellent flair, I lived every second of Killien's bouts in the pits. Forced to fight to win his master some coin, Killien is allowed no rest and is given a different persona every night. This exploration of what happens when a man loses who he is, and that when reaching down deep for some extra reserves, you might not like what you find beneath...
Written with excellent flair, I lived every second of Killien's bouts in the pits. Forced to fight to win his master some coin, Killien is allowed no rest and is given a different persona every night. This exploration of what happens when a man loses who he is, and that when reaching down deep for some extra reserves, you might not like what you find beneath...
September 19, 2023
This a short story in the Battleborn mage series. I haven’t read that series yet, but it’s now on my TBR. This l is about Killien, a man who has been forced into a fighting pit to pay a debt and make sure his family stays safe. He never loses and has a voice in his head. There is plenty of violence and gore, so if you’re not a fan of that, keep that in mind. I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the future.
April 25, 2023
"Heart pounding"!
Killien is a champion gladiator and pit fighter. A killer who always wins, he has to. Survival is all that counts.k This is an amazing and powerful short story about Killien. It is brutal and gripping. The author does a great job of putting you in the fighting pit with Killien. This story is spellbinding, heart pounding and intense. I wanted more....
Killien is a champion gladiator and pit fighter. A killer who always wins, he has to. Survival is all that counts.k This is an amazing and powerful short story about Killien. It is brutal and gripping. The author does a great job of putting you in the fighting pit with Killien. This story is spellbinding, heart pounding and intense. I wanted more....
April 25, 2023
This was an epic tale!! Killien is in the pits fighting and the crowd goes wild.
I liked the setting of the story and the fight scenes.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book and I would like to say thank you to Angel Haze for a ARC copy of this story.
I liked the setting of the story and the fight scenes.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book and I would like to say thank you to Angel Haze for a ARC copy of this story.
April 27, 2023
What a fantastic story! Gladiators fighting to the death in a sandy pit of blood. Well written and definitely kept my interest right from the beginning. Based on this I will definitely continue the series.
October 12, 2023
Teaser Short
This a night taken from Killians fights, and although short, it does give a good idea of the brutal pit fights. It also ties into a scene mentioned in the novel, but a lot of the book is a repeat of the short, so only a quick read, even for a short story.
This a night taken from Killians fights, and although short, it does give a good idea of the brutal pit fights. It also ties into a scene mentioned in the novel, but a lot of the book is a repeat of the short, so only a quick read, even for a short story.
April 13, 2023
Well written
If you like blood and gore this story is for you.
I reviewed this as an ARC
If you like blood and gore this story is for you.
I reviewed this as an ARC
June 11, 2023
Killian has enough of the fighting, he doesn’t want to become a monster. How will he escape this life. Intriguing to the end. Plenty of action.
December 23, 2023
Gore beyond measure describes this book. Evil is the driving force and survival is the best possible outcome.
September 15, 2023
Well written
If you like blood and gore this story is for you.
I reviewed this as an ARC
Wow!
This is a horrendously awesome short story.
If you like blood and gore this story is for you.
I reviewed this as an ARC
Wow!
This is a horrendously awesome short story.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews