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The Drake
In a world where monsters outnumber humans, crews of bounty hunters take on contracts to keep the beasts at bay.
Benzan has been a member of the most famous crew of all for a long time and is fed up of being underappreciated and mocked by his crewmates and their sadistic leader, Marteus.
He decides to break away and forms his own crew, only there's a reason why the heroes are the heroes and people like Benzan are not.
Gritty, character-driven, and laced with gallows humour, The Breakaways is a fantasy tale for anyone who’s ever rooted for the underdog… or been one.
Perfect for fans of Kings of the Wyld, The Witcher, Joe Abercrombie and Michael R Fletcher.
Benzan has been a member of the most famous crew of all for a long time and is fed up of being underappreciated and mocked by his crewmates and their sadistic leader, Marteus.
He decides to break away and forms his own crew, only there's a reason why the heroes are the heroes and people like Benzan are not.
Gritty, character-driven, and laced with gallows humour, The Breakaways is a fantasy tale for anyone who’s ever rooted for the underdog… or been one.
Perfect for fans of Kings of the Wyld, The Witcher, Joe Abercrombie and Michael R Fletcher.
50 pages, ebook
Published June 1, 2025
About the author
Richie Billing
17 books62 followersRichie Billing is a writer of dark fantasy and literary fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on the characters and their troubles.
His short fiction has been widely published, with stories adapted for BBC radio, translated, and taught in Swedish secondary schools.
His debut novel, Pariah's Lament, was published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing in March 2021. His first novella, a political fantasy called Together We Rise, came out in March 2025.
Richie also hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by readers of his acclaimed craft book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook.
When not writing, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool.
To learn more, head to richiebilling.com, or to get new and sometimes free stories, head to Patreon
His short fiction has been widely published, with stories adapted for BBC radio, translated, and taught in Swedish secondary schools.
His debut novel, Pariah's Lament, was published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing in March 2021. His first novella, a political fantasy called Together We Rise, came out in March 2025.
Richie also hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by readers of his acclaimed craft book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook.
When not writing, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool.
To learn more, head to richiebilling.com, or to get new and sometimes free stories, head to Patreon
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 27, 2026
This was interesting. I enjoyed the interaction of the crew and am curious how the story continues. I will say having to find and download different parts and chapters is a bit of a b * tch. I have part one and apparently part 3 chapter 1. I did join the patreon for this story and the download link only gives you part 1 each time.
July 28, 2025
This book was a masterpeice, never an ages had I read a book as exciting as this, the world building was phenomenal!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews