Wonders and Dragons: A Midwest Fantasy Sampler

by Justin Rose, Douglas Van Dyke Jr., Brendan Noble

“I want to hear the ring of steel. I want the call of a trumpet to fill my chest with pride. My strength was meant for more than sustenance.” – Fairy Harvest

Ready to explore a new world—or ten? Wonders and A Midwest Fantasy Sampler will whisk you away to distant shores and far-off peaks, introducing ten stories drawn from ten fantasy series, each by a different Midwestern author. Read them all and then discover the full series related to your favorites.

Will you choose The Frostmarked Chronicles, where the intricacies of Slavic myth come to life? The Scion of Nerikan, where a lonely monster looking for a way to die meets a little girl who gives him a reason to live? First Immortals, where generations of a single family wrestle with the gift and curse of eternal life? The choice is yours.

This year’s theme is high fantasy. Worlds of myth and magic separate from our own. And every story will come from an author in our beautiful Midwest.



Anthony Wedgeworth - from the series "Santorray's Privations"
Brendan Noble - from the Series "The Frostmarked Chronicles"
Douglas Van Dyke Jr. - from the series "Earthrin Stones"
Justin Rose - from the series "First Immortals"
Kimberly Grymes - from the series "Three Shades Trilogy"
Kirsten Solberg - from the series "The Palimar Saga"
M. R. Moraine + C. E. Linares - from the series "Nevertold"
R. M. Krogman - From the series "The Keepers of Midgate"
Richard Sweitzer - from the novel " The Scion of Nerikan
T R Nickel - from the series "Legends of Limoria"

Curated by Justin Rose

315 pages, Hardcover

Published May 10, 2025

About the author

Justin Rose is a fantasy author from Superior, Wisconsin. He is primarily known for his multiple fantasy series "First Immortals," "Nations End," and "Myths of Rehavan."

He is also the curator of the annual fantasy anthology "The Midwest Fantasy Sampler" where authors share stories tied to their own series.

Reviews

[Starfallow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this anthology. I started this book having only read books by one of the featured authors, and finished it with a much longer TBR list. Each story gave me a tantilizing glimpse into the author's world and left me wanting to read more.
I reviewed for R. M. Krogman, and absolutely adored Whisperer. Lyra has been my favorite character since I first met her in Liberation and that love has only grown. Seeing her come into her magic in this short story has only made my love for her grow. The end of this story came far too quickly. I could read a whole book on Lyra's travels with her family. Per usual, R. M. Krogman's prose was amazing. I felt I was there with Lyra, staring at the gorgeous air dragons and I could have stared forever.
I also had the pleasure to read the rest of the short stories in this anthology and not a single one let me down. The prose was fantastic throughout and the world building was wonderfully intricate in each individual story.
Anyone who loves epic fantasy should read this collection.

[Jessica Pietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I didn't actually finish this book. However, it had NOTHING to do with the book itself. The stories were awesome and well written.

I have learned that I don't care for short stories, which makes sense, since I generally won't even pick up a book that's less than 300 pages! The stories I did read made me want to buy the books that go with them, which I believe is the true purpose of the collection. Success!!

I may go back and read more when I am looking for my next read, but I put it down for now.

If you like shorts, or if you're looking for your next fantasy read, I highly recommend this collection from so many amazing authors!!

[Liz Fully Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonders and Dragons is a great anthology, giving you glimpses into worlds written by some very talented writers. I was pleased to read side stories of some familiar characters of some great series that I’m reading such as Whisperer by RM Krogman, The Apothecary’s Assistant by KR Solberg and Before Adele’s Escape by Kimberly Grymes. And being introduced to new authors whose work I am most definitely going to look into, was great. Every story in this anthology was well written and gave just enough of a taste to leave you wanting more.

Fully recommend this book to any fantasy lovers out there who want to dip their toes into new worlds to see if they want to r ead more about them!

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short fantasy stories are diverse and interesting. The stories by different fantasy stories are nicely written and held my attention.

[R.M. Krogman, Dark and Epic Fantasy Author]

"Wonder and Dragons" is a diverse mix of high fantasy from ten magical Midwesterners! I was blessed to be part of this anthology with my short story "Whisperer," which has been called my "lightest" and most joyful work although it's still set in the fairly grim world of Midgate. But there are NINE MORE authors for you to meet in here!

I think my favorites were "Fairy Harvest" by Justin Rose and "Santorray's Reckoning" by A. G. Wedgeworth. Stories range from third to first person, from human protagonists to dwarves to dragon-like beasts, and from those who adventure, swing swords, or fling magic. All stories relate to a larger world by the same author, so if you find something you like, you can definitely get more of it.

I love the fantasy map of the Midwest inside too. It adds a special personal touch. All authors are real indie authors in the central part of the US, and I'm lucky to be a part of that network.