Unavowed

by Shawn Speakman, J. A. Andrews, Ryan Cahill

Unavowed is the exciting new anthology from the award-winning publisher of Unfettered, featuring short stories and novellas by many of today's best indie authors.

Twenty-two SF&F writers who have written independent work outside New York City publishing have answered the call from editor Shawn Speakman and joined forces to contribute original tales for Unavowed, the new anthology from Grim Oak Press. These writers have grown their readerships organically with wondrous and magical tales, many of which are in long-running series. It is with great admiration readers have watched them.

Unavowed is over 200,000 words, making it a large anthology nearly on par with Unfettered III. It contains many short stories and even two novellas. We are ready to begin bringing this to readers who want it in 2025.

Here is the amazing table of contents for Unavowed:

The Touch of the Eternal by J. A. Andrews
The Last Ride of Kanashimi by Zack Argyle
Rival of Ghosts by Dyrk Ashton
The Old Lie by Ryan Cahill
My Soul Has Teeth by Sarah Chorn
The Wanderer by A. C. Cobble
Lord of Vengeance by Michael R. Fletcher
The Last Sentinel by Rob J. Hayes
Sinner's Grave by Kevin Hearne
Curse These Metal Hands by Ben Galley
Hild the Humble by Michael R. Miller
A Mother's Love by Andy Peloquin
The Power of Perception by J. Zachary Pike
Fragile Gods by J. D. L. Rosell
The Unavowed Light-Weaver by Shawn Speakman
A Darker Talent by M. L. Spencer
Sails at Dusk by Patrick Swenson
The Storm by Michael J. Sullivan
The Darkdancer by Ramon Terrell
The Parable of the Silk Weaver by R. R. Virdi
How the Dragons Became Extinct by M. L. Wang
The Brotherhood of Shadows by Jeff Wheeler

These amazing writers have joined together to create Unavowed, a testament of how the SF&F industry has evolved over the last twenty years.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies

712 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2026

About the author

Shawn Speakman grew up in the beautiful wilds of Washington State near a volcano and surrounded by old-growth forests filled with magic. After moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, he befriended New York Times best-selling fantasy author Terry Brooks and became his webmaster, leading to an enchanted life surrounded by words.

He was a manager at one of the largest Barnes & Noble Booksellers in the country for many years and now owns the online bookstore The Signed Page, manages the websites for several authors, and is a freelance writer for Random House.

He also contributed the annotations for The Annotated Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks, published in 2012.

Shawn is a cancer survivor, knows angel fire east, and lives in Seattle, Washington.

Reviews

[Jeremy Schwab]

“Unavowed: New Tales by Masters of Fantasy” is exactly what the title boasts, a delicious list of short stories written by some of the best the game has to offer! A buffet of journeys that give the reader a taste of everything one looks for when bellying up to the fantasy table. From quests, atonements, penance and sacrifice…to redemption, resilience, love and fascinating magic! A multitude of beasts, races, terrors and lands that leave the reader in awe…and sometimes…questions?! 🤔

Having read every story on the list, I can confirm that you will indeed get a bit of everything…even experiences that might not seem to fit the menu. I had not a DNF in the mix, but there were more than I expected that seemed to either not have the Anthologies feel…or just wasn't to my taste. But the beauty of these entries is that we get a chance to nibble at some new creative offerings and possibly devour some exciting new morsels that haven't made our dinner reservations until now! 🤌

I have no doubt that each reader will walk away with their own list of favs, a handful of new authors to follow, and perhaps some that just fall flat of your expectations…but bottom line, this was a creative collaboration that is not to be passed up! Create your own menu of tasty dishes my fellow fantasy fanatics, and get your fill of wrath, rage, loyalty and vengeance! The magical pages await us all, dive into the action and lose yourself to its variety. 😎

4⭐ overall for the collection…some questionable entries I thought didn't fit the tone of the Anthology, but some tastes find different palettes. I leave you with my list of standouts 4.5 -5⭐ entries (in no order):


The Old Lie - Ryan Cahill
A Mothers Love - Andy Peloquin
The Last Ride of Kanashimi - Zack Argyle
A Darker Talent - ML Spencer
Curse These Metal Hands - Ben Galley
The Darkdancer - Ramon Terrell
The Wanderer - A.C. Cobble
Fragile Gods - J.D.L. Rosell
Hild the Humble - Michael R. Miller
The Storm - Michael J. Sullivan 
The Touch of the Eternal - J.A. Andrews

What a ride! Well done to all involved, and thank you for continuing to give us readers places to get lost in! 📚

[The Reading Ruru (Kerry)]

9.25/10

It is rare to read an Anthology where I actually enjoyed every single story and I think Unavowed might be the first. This surprised me as there were authors here who have written series where I never got past book 1, but they blew me away with their short stories here. Some stories I of course loved more than others but there was not one that after reading left me cold, nor were there any that I skim read.
Of all Anthologies I've read that Shawn Speakman has edited, I enjoyed this one the most. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[silver_w]

"The Old Lie" by Ryan Cahill - 5/5
"My Soul Has Teeth" by Sarah Cohen - 2/5
"A Mother's Love" by Andy Peloquin - 3/5
"The Last Ride of Kanashimi" by Zack Argyle - 4.5/5
"Rival of Ghosts" by Dyrk Ashton - 4/5
"The Parable of the Silk Weaver" by R.R. Virdie - 2/5
"A Darker Talent" by ML Spencer - 5/5
"Curse These Metal Hands" by Ben Galley - 5/5
"The Darkdancer" by Ramón Terrell - 1/5
"Sails at Dusk" by Patrick Swenson - 1/5
"The Wanderer" by A.C. Cobble - 4/5
"Lord of Vengeance" by Michael R. Fletcher - 4/5
"The Last Sentinel" by Rob J. Hayes - 4.5/5
"The Power of Perception" by J. Zachary Pike - 3/5
"Fragile Gods" by J.D.L. Rosell - 3/5
"Hild the Humble" by Michael R. Miller - 4/5
"How the Dragons Became Extinct" by M.L. Wang - 3/5
"Sinner's Grave" by Kevin Hearne - 1/5
"The Brotherhood of Shadows" by Jeff Wheeler - 4.5/5
"The Storm" by Michael J. Sullivan - 3/5
"The Touch of the Eternal" by J.A. Andrews - 2/5
"The Unavowed Light-Weaver" by Shawn Speakman - 4/5

[Phi]

I have only read one story from this so far:

The Touch of the Eternal by JA Andrews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was an absolutely fantastic short story! Somehow, even being so short, it kept me on the edge of my seat. The character interactions were wonderful, and the ending was perfect!

[Michael Smith]

Just to clarify, this is not 5-stars for the entire book, but for the short story by Ryan Cahill, which isn't available to score separately on Goodreads.

[Jaime K]

The Old Lie by Ryan Cahill: 4/5
A young man named Vander is in his first battle, with humans, elves, mages, and dragons on both sides. His village is all but wiped out, and the horrors follow him for years. It’s chaotic and sad.

My Soul Has Teeth by Sarah Chorn1/5
Moths, butterflies, and snakes with hands. Something is trying to destroy the butterflies. There are at least two survivors. I’m very confused by all of it.

A Mother's Love by Andy Peloquin 4.5/5
This one is LONG, the longest in the book. But also not bad and kept me interested from the start. I’ve never read anything in the ‘Queen of Theives’ series (nor any novel by Peloquin), but I never felt confused.
Ilanna is a thief in the Night Guild with a 3-year-old secret son. She witnesses the pain a noblewoman, Lady Dartos, experiences with her sickly son. Ilanna is at the palace to steal something beneath it, but she comes across a mystery shrouded in disturbing and macabre secrets, secrets that show just how dangerous a mother’s love can be.

The Last Ride of Kanashimi by Zack Argyle 3/5
Kanashimi is a widow with a son named Kishu. Her husband was killed in a war. But she still taught her son to ride horses better than anyone else. After killing his first man at 8, Kishu becomes independent, and is recruited for a new war at the age of 12. The story is predictable until the very end and a sad almost nothingburger.

Rival of Ghosts by Dyrk Ashton 4.5/5
Two siblings are feeding a beastie disguised as an old man, and his three Shadow Blue jinn companions after the preternatural creature ate the face of a loan shark. The person they tag as the next meal though has a secret weapon himself, and decides to face the other being head-on.

The Parable of the Silk Weaver by R. R. Virdi: 3.5/5
There is a story in every weaving, as Hrikita knows And she will soon test for weaveress training. She comes across a rug with a story within a story, buried in lies. It’s a predictable end but also a very vague story.

A Darker Talent by M. L. Spencer: 3.25/5
I want to give this more because I felt like there was so much more here than in the previous story. I also really enjoyed the world, with dragons and non-human riders (brown blood), and shorter-lived humans. But it’s dark, with the message that the end justifies the means and the cost, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. Calise ahs a Talent to heal in two different ways, and one is more macabre than the other.

Curse These Metal Hands by Ben Galley: 4.8/5
This was kind of lengthy, but good. My biggest issue was how repetitive some words/phrases were. For example, I think some form of the word “lie” was used about 10 times in 6 paragraphs.
Berilo is a cutpurse who turns to a more dangerous thieving job to save his younger sister. Things go very wrong though, and the title comes into play–Berilo is forced to wear metal gauntlets possessed by the spirit of a witch hellbent on revenge. The story is very good with an end that wraps everything up well.

The Darkdancer by Ramon Terrell: 3.5/5
Zaiyera is not a Hunter, but seeks to help streamdancers who lash out in their addiction, but are likely not so far gone that they enjoy the killing (kind of like needing a therapist vs. a cop for some 911 calls). I wish we got more about the magic, but it’s explained pretty well. The end though is abrupt and confusing for me, so it could have been a longer story.

Sails at Dusk by Patrick Swenson: 3/5
Angelina loves looking at 2 very old ships that appear at dusk and disappear shortly after. She and her husband recently moved into a new house because he killed someone. Voices from the ship call to her. It gets dark and is another one that could have been fleshed out more.

The Wanderer by A. C. Cobble: 3.75/5
The main can see the future, but only as it pertains to nature (for example, he’ll know what someone will look like if they jump out a window, or what cards will come up even after 500 shuffles, or the weather in 100 years), but not the free will choices that lead to a multitude of potential futures. There are times the prose is repetitive. Anyway, the guy is cursed by the gods, including knowing what some of his choices will bring to others, and he wants to try to hurt or control the gods. Got a little confusing at the end, but I sunk into the story fast.

Lord of Vengeance by Michael R. Fletcher: 5/5
Naiver and his buddies want to die blooded so they are welcomed into Rache’s Hall, the afterlife hall of the Lord of Vengeance, and sit at the table with their fathers and other friends & family who died blooded before them. One kill gets them in the main hall; five gets them in the High Hall with Rache. But Rache’s Hall is a literal hell, where the lesser bloodied are required to answer prayers for vengeance. The story is super creative and lovely.

The Last Sentinel by Rob J. Hayes: 4.5/5
Since the day before the MC’s sixth birthday, the mists have come to her village on the same day each year to steal an exponentially growing number of people. She warns people the mist holds monsters but no one believes her…until they do and blame her. What follows is a series of tragic events with a satisfying end, especially for a Christian like me. My first issue was with how people were talking in the story because it took me a bit to get over that. The second was part of the end, as satisfying as it was, because it was also really sad.

The Power of Perception by J. Zachary Pike 3.5/5
Clate is a Gnome who represents maybe villains who are declared Forces of Evil (FOEs, hahaha). One day a man comes in to tell her a story of a villain who wasn’t really a villain, but how he was coerced to shift from helping people with a legit potion to nefarious plots he wasn’t fully aware of. It’s a sad end, but I’d really like to see a novel evolve from this, that took the sad end and gave it a more complete ending (even if not fully satisfying). I definitely caught the “unavowed” comment though!

Fragile Gods by J. D. L. Rosell: 1.5/5
The Heralds work and live in a cycle of sin and atonement. Some like Senescence follow the Ideals. I could tell it was written well, but I was also terribly confused and don’t usually like stories about gods or heralds or whatever like this.

Hild the Humble by Michael R. Miller: 4/5
Hild is a lowborn woman married to a now-deceased dragonrider whose dragon wants to now bond her. I love the dragon. They fight an abomination but then it ends and is way too short.

How the Dragons Became Extinct by M. L. Wang: 4.5/5
This was great until the end when it became horrifying. Aeden is interviewing a Dr. Farris about why dragons became extinct for a journal article. He gets the true history, and insight on the cutthroat nature of academia.

Sinner's Grave by Kevin Hearne: 3/5
I struggle with Hearne’s writing, though I always want to like it. I began reading this as 1 star, but the story is pretty good. It’s just the presentation…and the lead character named Sinner (seriously, what the what at her parents) being just so goth she can’t tell her other goth friends she has monthly rituals with the moon unrelated to menstruation. Why? Anyway, she wears a necklace she found at a thrift store that allows her to see ghosts and she’s thrust into a murder case.

The Brotherhood of Shadows by Jeff Wheeler: 5/5
Joseph thinks he’s going to be court marshalled, but is instead informed of world events that only people in the highest ranks know. A place he is secretly invited to. What follows is great worldbuilding, and a somewhat solid understanding of the magic in the world. I felt for Joseph every moment of the way, and found myself more interested in the story once the perspective changed.

The Storm by Michael J. Sullivan: 5/5
Even though Sullivan gives some back story and context here, I can see this being confusing to new readers.
Three years after “Death of Dulgath”, another storm comes to Dulgath. Scarlett Doge is no fool…only the death that she expected doesn’t come to fruition. On the other hand, the Church is back and there is a shipwreck, so neither Scarlett nor Fawkes trust anything that is going on. We get some really great lore to add to the existing knowledge!

The Touch of the Eternal by J. A. Andrews: 4.5/5
Ranault is a Second Mage, though he and his wife feel he has the power to be First Mage. The First Mage is quite devious. After Renault’s daughter touches a topaz that allows one to see the past and future, the First Mage puts the family–and kingdom–in danger. It becomes intense.

The Unavowed Light-Weaver by Shawn Speakman: 4.75/5
I was surprised this wasn’t the longest, but not surprised at how good it is. Sylvie, at the age of 10, is the apprentice to a Master Historian. She doesn’t read as 10, it’s my only issue with the story. She knows many secrets of the High King and his people. They travel to another part of France where a regular King reigns, and the High King’s shield goes missing. What follows is mystery, deception, and magic. I feel like the last third could have been fleshed out so much more.

[ChristianK]

Good collection! I liked all stories, to varying degrees.
Some authors I didn't know before and some of them made it on my TBR now. Shawn Speakman, who put this together, is one of them. I really enjoyed his story.
Some authors already were on my (rather large) TBR and a few were moved up the line significantly. Like Andy Peloquin or M.L. Spencer. I immediately bought Dragon Mage after finishing her story.

The authors I already knew didn't disappoint, but the clear winner - and that is not really a big surprise to me - was M.L. Wang. Her story was just phenomenal to me. So clever and interesting.

I do wish there were a few introductive words for each story about the author and in some cases the larger world these stories take place in. I doubt it but maybe the hardcover version will have something like this? Still waiting for that one. I read the digital version that was sent out long before the physical edition.

[Karen Wrobel]

3.5 stars. A definite mixed bag. Some very good, others not bad, a couple that were flat out weird, a couple that did not hit with me at all, and two in particular that just didn’t fit with the overall feel of the book. It was interesting to discover some new authors, and this certainly gave me some insight as to those I’m likely to enjoy, and those I’m not.

[Wolfmantula]

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MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: Kindle Whispersync

This review is specifically for The Old Lie by Ryan Cahill

If you thought The Fall was intense, brace yourself, because The Old Lie is The Fall on steroids and in a shorter form. The way Cahill was able to deliver a story like this within a short amount of time is nearly as impressive as the story itself.

Before you dive in to this story, do yourself a favor and read Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et decorum est.” It’s one of Cahill’s favorite poems, it’s in English aside from the title and the final stanza, it’s also the inspiration for The Old Lie. I decided to read it prior and it’s beautiful, it also lets you understand that Cahill’s story is going to be brutal. Owen’s WWI masterpiece rips apart the romantic myth of war, Cahill takes that same fury and transplants it into the Bound and the Broken world, and the result is easily the darkest, most brutal thing he’s ever written.

The Old Lie is told through a single pov of Vander Horst, son of a baker from Maristop and is set 2 years after The Fall, on the plains north of Torebon in a world already on fire. When a massive Lorian army advances, Vander is forced to pick up a spear and march into a battle he never asked for, a battle that history will remember.

”I know you're scared, son. I am too.
We all are. Fear is the thing that stands between us and everything we want in life. It exists for the sole purpose of being overcome. Don't let it take you."

The marching scenes, the buildup, the battle itself, everything feels terrifyingly real. You feel Vander’s pounding heartbeat, the mix of fear and fragile pride, the chaos when it all erupts. The combat is visceral in a way that reminded me strongly of the Battle at Rook’s Rest in House of the Dragon Season 2, it’s raw, messy, and absolutely unrelenting.

Cahill has said this is probably the darkest story he’s written so far, and he’s not exaggerating. Like Owen, he refuses to glorify sacrifice. There are no pretty heroics here, just the grueling, senseless cost of war and the way nations sell young people the lie that dying for country is beautiful.

What I love about Cahill’s writing is how it keeps getting better with every story he releases, whether it’s a novel, novella or short story. He’s always trying new things, pushing into darker, more experimental territory, yet the prose remains effortlessly readable and elegant, full of lines you want to highlight and save forever.

And then the way he finishes the story off is even more heartbreaking and honestly a bit fist-pumpingly exciting for what is to come in the future.

[Roondawg Valhalla]

Edit 1: Michael Fletcher is one of my favorite authors to read. I’ve read his Manifest Delusions trilogy, Ghosts of Tomorrow, Millennial Manifesto, and the novella him and Anna Smith Spark wrote. I’ve enjoyed them all. Being a fan of Grim Oak and the Fletchman himself, I knew this anthology was a must need. Lo and behold, the man can write short fiction very well. MF writes characters who are witty and hilarious. The ideas he comes up with are brilliant and mad. It’s always a pleasure to read his works. This was a great take on a Valhalla like afterlife. Start to finish flowed great, no boring slogs or info dumps. Quick and to the point. The ending made me chuckle. 10 out of 10.

I’m a big fan of the short story craft, and when an author pulls it off, I admire the skill.
I’ve read my first from this anthology and unfortunately it was a horrible start. Mr Swenson’s story is both pointless and filled with terrible writing. I was under the impression this was a fantasy and sci fi collection but this story had nothing fantastical or interesting about it. At only 9 pages it was a literal pain to get thru. I will venture forth and update as I read. Fortunately there’s a few authors I’ve read who I know have actual writing skill. Here’s to hoping the next entry holds at least a thread of merit.

[Danielle]

Introduction: The Way of New Words by Shawn Speakman

1-36
The Old Lie by Ryan Cahill

37-64
My Soul Has Teeth by Sarah Cohen

65-162
A Mother's Love by Andy Peloquin

163-176
The Last Ride of Kanashimi by Zack Argyle

177-200
Rival of Ghosts by Dyrk Ashton

201-246
The Parable of the Silk Weaver by R.R. Virdie

247-266
A Darker Talent by ML Spencer

267-332
Curse These Metal Hands by Ben Galley

333-362
The Darkdancer by Ramón Terrell

363-374
Sails at Dusk by Patrick Swenson

375-398
The Wanderer by A.C. Cobble

399-424
Lord of Vengeance by Michael R. Fletcher

425-440
The Last Sentinel by Rob J. Hayes

441-472
The Power of Perception by J. Zachary Pike

473-494
Fragile Gods by J.D.L. Rosell

495-506
Hild the Humble by Michael R. Miller

507-542
How the Dragons Became Extinct by M.L. Wang

543-562
Sinner's Grave by Kevin Hearne

563-598
The Brotherhood of Shadows by Jeff Wheeler

599-638
The Storm by Michael J. Sullivan

639-682
The Touch of the Eternal by J.A. Andrews

683-733
The Unavowed Light-Weaver by Shawn Speakman

[Hannah Lang]

Overall I think this was a very solid collection of stories. Mostly they were absolute wins and made me excited to read books by these authors. There were a few meh stories that just weren't my thing but they didn't detract enough from the absolute bangers contained in this book to lower my rating!