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The Darkslayer Chronicles: Valley of the Skulls (Book 1): An Epic Sword & Sorcery Adventure Saga
🔴 New Death in the Hills, Book 2, now available! Feel Free to double up! Book 3, Echoes of the Slain, releases in December 2025!
🔥 In a land ruled by tyrants, only the savage survive. 🔥
Venir the Darkslayer once lived for battle. Forged in blood, fueled by rage, and cursed to slaughter the Underling menace, he was a weapon of vengeance that kept Bish from collapse. But the world has changed. The Underlings are gone… and with them, Venir’s purpose.
Now, betrayed by the cowardly Royals and stripped of his victories, his name has been twisted into lies. Exiled into obscurity and drowning himself in grog, Venir is shoved into the Tournament of Death—a savage pit where killers fight not for gold, but for survival.
But fate isn’t finished with him. When Royal Kira Amberstone is murdered, Venir and his closest ally, Melegal the Rogue, are framed for the crime. What began as Melegal’s investigation into whispers of treachery erupts into a conspiracy dripping with steel, sorcery, and blood. Assassins stalk their every move, and the Royals sharpen their knives.
Yet Venir sees what no one else dares face—enemies from another world have invaded. A forgotten demon army stirs in the dark, eager to consume Bish. Deep within the mountain, the goddess Trinos is bound in chains of sorcery, her power suppressed by the invaders. To free her, Venir must reunite with his war axe Brool, carve through liars and betrayers, and unleash the fury only the Darkslayer can wield.
💀 In this brutal opening to The Darkslayer Chronicles,
🩸 Savage battles and ruthless betrayals
🪄 Dark magic and an ancient goddess in chains
🗡 A rogue’s cunning and a warrior’s wrath
🏆 Savage trials in the Tournament of Death
🌋 Invaders from another realm—and a reckoning forged in blood
⚡ A savage new era of sword & sorcery begins. Read free on Kindle Unlimited.
🔥 In a land ruled by tyrants, only the savage survive. 🔥
Venir the Darkslayer once lived for battle. Forged in blood, fueled by rage, and cursed to slaughter the Underling menace, he was a weapon of vengeance that kept Bish from collapse. But the world has changed. The Underlings are gone… and with them, Venir’s purpose.
Now, betrayed by the cowardly Royals and stripped of his victories, his name has been twisted into lies. Exiled into obscurity and drowning himself in grog, Venir is shoved into the Tournament of Death—a savage pit where killers fight not for gold, but for survival.
But fate isn’t finished with him. When Royal Kira Amberstone is murdered, Venir and his closest ally, Melegal the Rogue, are framed for the crime. What began as Melegal’s investigation into whispers of treachery erupts into a conspiracy dripping with steel, sorcery, and blood. Assassins stalk their every move, and the Royals sharpen their knives.
Yet Venir sees what no one else dares face—enemies from another world have invaded. A forgotten demon army stirs in the dark, eager to consume Bish. Deep within the mountain, the goddess Trinos is bound in chains of sorcery, her power suppressed by the invaders. To free her, Venir must reunite with his war axe Brool, carve through liars and betrayers, and unleash the fury only the Darkslayer can wield.
💀 In this brutal opening to The Darkslayer Chronicles,
🩸 Savage battles and ruthless betrayals
🪄 Dark magic and an ancient goddess in chains
🗡 A rogue’s cunning and a warrior’s wrath
🏆 Savage trials in the Tournament of Death
🌋 Invaders from another realm—and a reckoning forged in blood
⚡ A savage new era of sword & sorcery begins. Read free on Kindle Unlimited.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2025
10 people want to read
About the author
Craig Halloran
177 books265 followersCraig Halloran grew up a role playing fiend and dungeon master's nightmare. Since, he's turned his boundless creativity into more than 80 acclaimed novels that span a wide variety of fantasy fiction sub-genres, from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery to future world apocalypse. Creator of the bestselling Darkslayer and the Chronicles of the Dragon series, he imagines unique worlds and wonders that are breathtaking in concept, and then brings them to life in stories brimming with excitement, suspense, and surprise. A former military policeman who now labors in the realm of the remarkable, Halloran has a large and loyal following of devoted fans who eagerly devour his page-turning, action-packed tales of fantastic adventure.
For more news and anecdotes you can follow him at:
Facebook: The Darkslayer Report by Craig
Twitter: Craig Halloran
www.craighalloran.com (Website and Blog)
www.thedarkslayer.com
www.dragonwarsbooks.com
Or drop him a line anytime as he loves to hear from readers: craig@thedarkslayer.com
***
#1 Bestseller of Epic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery & KDP All-Star!
Dragon Wars (20 Books) releasing 2020-21
The Darkslayer Series #1 (6 Books)
The Darkslayer Series #2 (10 books)
The Chronicles of Dragon, Series #1 (10 Books)
The Chronicles of Dragon, Series #2 (10 Books)
The Odyssey of Nath Dragon, Prequel series, (5 Books)
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files (10 books)
The Henchmen Chronicles (5 Books)
The Red Citadel and the Sorcerer's Power (1 Stand Alone Book)
The Gamma Earth Cycle (2 Books, Work in Progress)
Zombie Impact (3 Books)
Top Spot: Epic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Coming of Age Anthologies, Werewolves & Shifters
Top 5: Thrillers & Suspense/Supernatural/Werewolves & Shifters/Vampires
Top 10: Dark Fantasy
Top 10: Coming of Age
Top 100: Genre Fiction
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: (Free in Kindle Store)
#1 Epic Fantasy
#1 Sword & Sorcery
#1 Coming of Age
#1 Urban
#1 Horror
#1 Dark Fantasy
#1 Genetic Engineering
#1 Thrillers/Supernatural/Werewolves & Shifters and Vampires
Over 4000 reviews
4-Star+ Average Rating
For more news and anecdotes you can follow him at:
Facebook: The Darkslayer Report by Craig
Twitter: Craig Halloran
www.craighalloran.com (Website and Blog)
www.thedarkslayer.com
www.dragonwarsbooks.com
Or drop him a line anytime as he loves to hear from readers: craig@thedarkslayer.com
***
#1 Bestseller of Epic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery & KDP All-Star!
Dragon Wars (20 Books) releasing 2020-21
The Darkslayer Series #1 (6 Books)
The Darkslayer Series #2 (10 books)
The Chronicles of Dragon, Series #1 (10 Books)
The Chronicles of Dragon, Series #2 (10 Books)
The Odyssey of Nath Dragon, Prequel series, (5 Books)
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files (10 books)
The Henchmen Chronicles (5 Books)
The Red Citadel and the Sorcerer's Power (1 Stand Alone Book)
The Gamma Earth Cycle (2 Books, Work in Progress)
Zombie Impact (3 Books)
Top Spot: Epic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Coming of Age Anthologies, Werewolves & Shifters
Top 5: Thrillers & Suspense/Supernatural/Werewolves & Shifters/Vampires
Top 10: Dark Fantasy
Top 10: Coming of Age
Top 100: Genre Fiction
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: (Free in Kindle Store)
#1 Epic Fantasy
#1 Sword & Sorcery
#1 Coming of Age
#1 Urban
#1 Horror
#1 Dark Fantasy
#1 Genetic Engineering
#1 Thrillers/Supernatural/Werewolves & Shifters and Vampires
Over 4000 reviews
4-Star+ Average Rating
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