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Die by the Sword #2
Die By the Sword Volume II
The clash of steel, the mysteries of magic, the adventures of a lifetime!
Die By the Sword Vol. II promises more daring fantasy and high-stakes adventure than ever before. From DMR Books and the finest fantasists of our time come TWELVE sensational tales, ready to swallow you whole into a world of sword-wielding heroes, exotic locales, strange creatures, and malefic magic spells!
Connwen flees into the Haunted Lands where he makes his stand against the Saxon invaders who killed his tribe and razed his village… Summoned by the Elders of Qwaarzm, Impyrryan Purple is sent to secure the necropolis at Xul-Kizaak. Little does he know that the threat is far more ominous than that of common grave robbers stealing mummies to sell to the circles of decadent nobility… A knight with no name and no memories of his distant past is sent on a mission to rescue a young woman accused of witchcraft from the Drudenhaus at Bamberg… Ulxedomus, Crown Prince of K’Zal, wanders a weird world with an alien entity trapped in his left eye socket, in search of the usurper to the throne of his kingdom—his own brother… A curse is placed upon the house of Conal MacCarthy in retribution for a terrible deed from the past. Will the MacCarthy family survive the onslaught of the supernatural swordsman set on them by sorcery?
Return to the ways of steel and sorcery once more, and DIE BY THE SWORD!
Stories
“The Druid’s Stone” by Adrian Cole
“Beyond the Necropolis is Another World of Night” by Wade German
“Reflections of a Haunted Mind” by Howie K. Bentley
“Her Scarlet Smoke of Sacrifice” by Sersa Victory
“The Barrow of Bel Kadaz” by Robert Mammone
“Balefire Beneath the Waves” by Ethan Sabatella
“The Eye Within the Eye” by M. Stern
“The Guard’s Tale” by Mark Coomer
“Journey to the North” by Ville Meriläinen
“Vothane the Mournful” by K.T. Elfering
“In the Wake of the Red Sun” by David Carter
“The Two Graves” by Rev. Joe Kelly
Die By the Sword Vol. II promises more daring fantasy and high-stakes adventure than ever before. From DMR Books and the finest fantasists of our time come TWELVE sensational tales, ready to swallow you whole into a world of sword-wielding heroes, exotic locales, strange creatures, and malefic magic spells!
Connwen flees into the Haunted Lands where he makes his stand against the Saxon invaders who killed his tribe and razed his village… Summoned by the Elders of Qwaarzm, Impyrryan Purple is sent to secure the necropolis at Xul-Kizaak. Little does he know that the threat is far more ominous than that of common grave robbers stealing mummies to sell to the circles of decadent nobility… A knight with no name and no memories of his distant past is sent on a mission to rescue a young woman accused of witchcraft from the Drudenhaus at Bamberg… Ulxedomus, Crown Prince of K’Zal, wanders a weird world with an alien entity trapped in his left eye socket, in search of the usurper to the throne of his kingdom—his own brother… A curse is placed upon the house of Conal MacCarthy in retribution for a terrible deed from the past. Will the MacCarthy family survive the onslaught of the supernatural swordsman set on them by sorcery?
Return to the ways of steel and sorcery once more, and DIE BY THE SWORD!
Stories
“The Druid’s Stone” by Adrian Cole
“Beyond the Necropolis is Another World of Night” by Wade German
“Reflections of a Haunted Mind” by Howie K. Bentley
“Her Scarlet Smoke of Sacrifice” by Sersa Victory
“The Barrow of Bel Kadaz” by Robert Mammone
“Balefire Beneath the Waves” by Ethan Sabatella
“The Eye Within the Eye” by M. Stern
“The Guard’s Tale” by Mark Coomer
“Journey to the North” by Ville Meriläinen
“Vothane the Mournful” by K.T. Elfering
“In the Wake of the Red Sun” by David Carter
“The Two Graves” by Rev. Joe Kelly
- GenresSword and SorceryFantasy
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2024
7 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Ritzlin
37 books54 followersD.M. Ritzlin founded DMR Books in 2015 with the aim of revitalizing sword-and-sorcery literature. DMR’s publications include reprints of classic material by authors such as Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith, as well as brand-new collections and anthologies by some of the finest fantasy writers active today.
A collection of his own stories, Necromancy in Nilztiria, was released in October 2020.
Nilztiria is a world of adventure and strangeness, peopled by lusty heroes and callous villains. The thirteen sword-and-sorcery stories presented in Necromancy in Nilztiria place the emphasis on sorcery and mix in a touch of gallows humor.
For more information on all of his projects, visit dmrbooks.com.
A collection of his own stories, Necromancy in Nilztiria, was released in October 2020.
Nilztiria is a world of adventure and strangeness, peopled by lusty heroes and callous villains. The thirteen sword-and-sorcery stories presented in Necromancy in Nilztiria place the emphasis on sorcery and mix in a touch of gallows humor.
For more information on all of his projects, visit dmrbooks.com.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 9, 2024
Adrian Cole, Howie Bentley, David Carter, and Rev. Joe Kelly all produced quality stories in this anthology. The other six stories didn’t do much for me. Disappointed overall.
March 8, 2024
Die by the Sword Volume II edited by D.M. Ritzlin
Cover art by Michael Skillern
2024
The newest installment of DMR's anthology series is filled with twelve new dark visions of sword & sorcery. There is no introduction to the anthology. Which was a little disappointing. However, each story finishes with a brief bio of the author.
This table of contents is a great mix of authors. Some I was wholly unfamiliar with. A majority are newer voices. Names that I have been seeing more and more often such as Sabatella and Stern. Adrian Cole and Howie K. Bentley were the two authors I knew best. Cole is a living legend of S&S and has become quite prolific lately, with new stories coming up all over the place. I know Bentley primarily for his collection Snake-Man's Bane--which you really should check out if you haven't.
The Druid's Stone by Adrian Cole opens the anthology. A great blood and thunder story. In the same vein as Arminius, Bane of Eagles.
The Barrow of Bel Kadaz by Robert Mammone was fantastic. An insult. A manhunt. A powerful sorcerous artifact. Sorcery often subsumes the individual. This was one of many stories in this collection that left me clambering for what happens next.
Ville Meriläinen's Journey to the North was probably the lightest in tone of this lot. That is not a critique. Certainly, a change of pace from the dark sorceries prevalent with the rest of the book.
Volthane the Mournful by K. T. Elfering is a classic dungeon crawl, but with a horrific twist. This was another story I really wanted to know what happens next.
A re-imagined biblical character is on a bloody quest to recover a priceless artifact in David Carter's In the Wake of the Red Sun.
The final story The Two Graves by Rev. Joe Kelly would have been quite at home in the collection Samhain Sorceries.
Off to a great start this year with two wonderful releases. I cannot wait to see what comes next from DMR.
Cover art by Michael Skillern
2024
The newest installment of DMR's anthology series is filled with twelve new dark visions of sword & sorcery. There is no introduction to the anthology. Which was a little disappointing. However, each story finishes with a brief bio of the author.
This table of contents is a great mix of authors. Some I was wholly unfamiliar with. A majority are newer voices. Names that I have been seeing more and more often such as Sabatella and Stern. Adrian Cole and Howie K. Bentley were the two authors I knew best. Cole is a living legend of S&S and has become quite prolific lately, with new stories coming up all over the place. I know Bentley primarily for his collection Snake-Man's Bane--which you really should check out if you haven't.
The Druid's Stone by Adrian Cole opens the anthology. A great blood and thunder story. In the same vein as Arminius, Bane of Eagles.
The Barrow of Bel Kadaz by Robert Mammone was fantastic. An insult. A manhunt. A powerful sorcerous artifact. Sorcery often subsumes the individual. This was one of many stories in this collection that left me clambering for what happens next.
Ville Meriläinen's Journey to the North was probably the lightest in tone of this lot. That is not a critique. Certainly, a change of pace from the dark sorceries prevalent with the rest of the book.
Volthane the Mournful by K. T. Elfering is a classic dungeon crawl, but with a horrific twist. This was another story I really wanted to know what happens next.
A re-imagined biblical character is on a bloody quest to recover a priceless artifact in David Carter's In the Wake of the Red Sun.
The final story The Two Graves by Rev. Joe Kelly would have been quite at home in the collection Samhain Sorceries.
Off to a great start this year with two wonderful releases. I cannot wait to see what comes next from DMR.
Read
April 15, 2024This collection was a nice change of pace coming off of a fairly long epic fantasy novel. Most of the stories are really good. A couple are a little esoteric for my tastes, including one that I simply couldn't follow even from a narrative perspective. But overall I'd recommend supporting this indie S&S label by picking up a copy.
November 13, 2024
A decent collection of Sword and Sorcery tales. Long time fans of DMR will enjoy the anthology but I don’t think it stood out as much as some of their other anthologies. The Two Graves by Rev Joe Kelly is definitely the stand out in this collection for me.
July 28, 2025
DBTS II Review:
After receiving my contributor's copy of the book, I took my time enjoying the stories one by one. Here's a quick summary of each one:
"The Druid's Stone" by Adrian Cole
A rousing tale of revenge carried out by a fearsome warrior backed by the supernatural assistance of a druid. At the very conclusion of the story, it's clear how this tale wonderfully ties into the legends of a champion and his sword.
"Beyond the Necropolis is Another World of Night" by Wade German
When a mission takes a small band of warriors to a haunted cemetery, they quickly encounter morbid, ghastly things. But what proceeds is definitely unexpected as you realize the import of the fitting title.
"Reflections of a Haunted Mind" by Howley K. Bentley
In what seems like a prelude to a series of stories yet untold, a knight travels into a world no sane mortal would venture into. There he rescues a woman whose eyes have been blinded by terrible forces, and he discovers something of his history.
"Her Scarlet Smoke of Sacrifice" by Sersa Victory
The language of this entry verges on poetic with an incredibly lurid description. So much is going on at a breakneck pace that you might crash as you read, even as the characters themselves suddenly face dead ends in the mazes they navigate.
"The Barrow of Bel Kadaz" by Robert Mammone
A delightful read about a bard being hunted as game by a sadistic dwarf.
"Balefire Beneath the Waves" by Ethan Sabatella
Two friends on a mission to earn fame and glory embark on an adventure that takes them to an underwater world, barely making it out alive.
"The Eye Within the Eye" by M Stern
An interesting yarn about a man with a special connection to an enigmatic being. His pursuit of his traitorous kin plunges him into a dark realm where he must fight a wicked monster.
"The Guard's Tale" by Mark Coomer
A witness to an uncanny plot shares his tale. I found this story to be a very fun and quick read.
"Journey to the North" by Ville Meriläinen
A lighthearted tale of friendship that came as a surprise from so bloody a book. Its strength might be a weakness for some.
"Vothane the Mournful" by K.T. Elfering
A quest to slay a monster takes a deadly turn, leaving a man bereft of his close kin and alone in a maze where the dead will rise.
"In the Wake of the Red Sun" by David Carter
Reading this, I cannot quite put into words what I think of it, and I'm also very critical of my work. It's different seeing it on paper as a realized story than in a doc file. It was a great honor to have had my tale chosen to become a part of DBTS II.
"The Two Graves" by Rev. Joe Kelly
A grave sin will not go unpunished in this enthralling story about revenge from beyond the grave.
The stories from Cole, Coomer, and Rev. Joe Kelly were my favorites. But, in all, I'd say the editor, D.M. Ritzlin, did a fantastic job of choosing an eclectic mix of stories for this anthology.
After receiving my contributor's copy of the book, I took my time enjoying the stories one by one. Here's a quick summary of each one:
"The Druid's Stone" by Adrian Cole
A rousing tale of revenge carried out by a fearsome warrior backed by the supernatural assistance of a druid. At the very conclusion of the story, it's clear how this tale wonderfully ties into the legends of a champion and his sword.
"Beyond the Necropolis is Another World of Night" by Wade German
When a mission takes a small band of warriors to a haunted cemetery, they quickly encounter morbid, ghastly things. But what proceeds is definitely unexpected as you realize the import of the fitting title.
"Reflections of a Haunted Mind" by Howley K. Bentley
In what seems like a prelude to a series of stories yet untold, a knight travels into a world no sane mortal would venture into. There he rescues a woman whose eyes have been blinded by terrible forces, and he discovers something of his history.
"Her Scarlet Smoke of Sacrifice" by Sersa Victory
The language of this entry verges on poetic with an incredibly lurid description. So much is going on at a breakneck pace that you might crash as you read, even as the characters themselves suddenly face dead ends in the mazes they navigate.
"The Barrow of Bel Kadaz" by Robert Mammone
A delightful read about a bard being hunted as game by a sadistic dwarf.
"Balefire Beneath the Waves" by Ethan Sabatella
Two friends on a mission to earn fame and glory embark on an adventure that takes them to an underwater world, barely making it out alive.
"The Eye Within the Eye" by M Stern
An interesting yarn about a man with a special connection to an enigmatic being. His pursuit of his traitorous kin plunges him into a dark realm where he must fight a wicked monster.
"The Guard's Tale" by Mark Coomer
A witness to an uncanny plot shares his tale. I found this story to be a very fun and quick read.
"Journey to the North" by Ville Meriläinen
A lighthearted tale of friendship that came as a surprise from so bloody a book. Its strength might be a weakness for some.
"Vothane the Mournful" by K.T. Elfering
A quest to slay a monster takes a deadly turn, leaving a man bereft of his close kin and alone in a maze where the dead will rise.
"In the Wake of the Red Sun" by David Carter
Reading this, I cannot quite put into words what I think of it, and I'm also very critical of my work. It's different seeing it on paper as a realized story than in a doc file. It was a great honor to have had my tale chosen to become a part of DBTS II.
"The Two Graves" by Rev. Joe Kelly
A grave sin will not go unpunished in this enthralling story about revenge from beyond the grave.
The stories from Cole, Coomer, and Rev. Joe Kelly were my favorites. But, in all, I'd say the editor, D.M. Ritzlin, did a fantastic job of choosing an eclectic mix of stories for this anthology.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews