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Danse Macabre: A dark fantasy short story collection
From the author of the award winning series The Aspect
Danse Macabre
A dark fantasy short story collection.
On a battlefield choked by ash and scarred by sorcery, Mal lies dying. And smiling.
Marked by forbidden magic, he waits for rebirth. Somewhere, hidden mages have bound their life to his.
But immortality is not mercy.
North, a soldier marches home to his eagerly awaiting wife and child. Something follows him frm the battlefield.
Something burning. Something wrong.
In the wilds, a creature stalks the wilderness, driven by a hunger older than ancient stars. For him, death is opportunity, and hunger will not wait.
Families sit at cold hearth, waiting for news of the war dead, while kings feast and count their victories. Magic lingers latent in the soil. The dead do not rest, for they know death is not the end.
Danse Macabre is a dark fantasty of curse survivors, forbidden sorcery and the thin line that holds humanity from monstrosity. For readers of Between Two Fires, The First Law and The Witcher, this is a tale where death is not the end, just the start of something far worse.
Danse Macabre
A dark fantasy short story collection.
On a battlefield choked by ash and scarred by sorcery, Mal lies dying. And smiling.
Marked by forbidden magic, he waits for rebirth. Somewhere, hidden mages have bound their life to his.
But immortality is not mercy.
North, a soldier marches home to his eagerly awaiting wife and child. Something follows him frm the battlefield.
Something burning. Something wrong.
In the wilds, a creature stalks the wilderness, driven by a hunger older than ancient stars. For him, death is opportunity, and hunger will not wait.
Families sit at cold hearth, waiting for news of the war dead, while kings feast and count their victories. Magic lingers latent in the soil. The dead do not rest, for they know death is not the end.
Danse Macabre is a dark fantasty of curse survivors, forbidden sorcery and the thin line that holds humanity from monstrosity. For readers of Between Two Fires, The First Law and The Witcher, this is a tale where death is not the end, just the start of something far worse.
79 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 23, 2026
I'll be honest, even as a devoted fan of The Aspect series, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this one. Could a standalone novella of just 79 pages carry the same weight as a fully fleshed out series? It felt like a lot to ask.
Mark Holloway answered that question swiftly and without mercy.
Danse Macabre follows a handful of characters in the aftermath of a particularly brutal battle, exploring what survival ,and its consequences, actually looks like when the fighting stops. The opening chapters keep you guessing as to whether these are connected stories or isolated snapshots, but they weave together beautifully into something cohesive and deeply satisfying. This is absolutely a single-sitting read, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment.
What Holloway does better than almost anyone writing in this space is restraint. The horror here isn't loud or theatrical, it's quiet, grounded, and uncomfortably real. The gore is never gratuitous for its own sake; it's precise and detailed in a way that somehow makes it far more disturbing than anything overwrought could ever be. In 79 pages he still manages to make you genuinely care about each character, so when the punches land, they land.
If you're looking for a short, sharp slice of dark fantasy that will get under your skin and stay there, look no further. And as an added bonus, all proceeds go to charity, so your discomfort is for a good cause.
I cannot wait to see what new and creative ways Mark Holloway finds to make me deeply uncomfortable next.
Mark Holloway answered that question swiftly and without mercy.
Danse Macabre follows a handful of characters in the aftermath of a particularly brutal battle, exploring what survival ,and its consequences, actually looks like when the fighting stops. The opening chapters keep you guessing as to whether these are connected stories or isolated snapshots, but they weave together beautifully into something cohesive and deeply satisfying. This is absolutely a single-sitting read, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment.
What Holloway does better than almost anyone writing in this space is restraint. The horror here isn't loud or theatrical, it's quiet, grounded, and uncomfortably real. The gore is never gratuitous for its own sake; it's precise and detailed in a way that somehow makes it far more disturbing than anything overwrought could ever be. In 79 pages he still manages to make you genuinely care about each character, so when the punches land, they land.
If you're looking for a short, sharp slice of dark fantasy that will get under your skin and stay there, look no further. And as an added bonus, all proceeds go to charity, so your discomfort is for a good cause.
I cannot wait to see what new and creative ways Mark Holloway finds to make me deeply uncomfortable next.
September 9, 2026
Did I enjoy this book?
It is disturbing but there is no denying it’s excellence.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, if you like grim dark fantasy and horror.
This is an excellent novella. Holloway’s ability to pack so much into just 80 pages is admirable. The plot was excellent and the way everything tied together was very clever and very satisfying ending. As usual the writing was excellent and I loved the way we were drip fed information. The characters were varied and interesting and even in such a short story I was able to connect with them.
Any criticisms?
No I just can’t give 5 stars to a book that made me feel physically sick at one point.
Will I read it again?
Probable not.
Will I read the sequel?
This is a standalone but I will be reading Holloway’s other books.
For fans of:
The Soul’s Aspect
Gideon the Ninth
The Blade Itself
Red Rising
It is disturbing but there is no denying it’s excellence.
Do I recommend it?
Yes, if you like grim dark fantasy and horror.
This is an excellent novella. Holloway’s ability to pack so much into just 80 pages is admirable. The plot was excellent and the way everything tied together was very clever and very satisfying ending. As usual the writing was excellent and I loved the way we were drip fed information. The characters were varied and interesting and even in such a short story I was able to connect with them.
Any criticisms?
No I just can’t give 5 stars to a book that made me feel physically sick at one point.
Will I read it again?
Probable not.
Will I read the sequel?
This is a standalone but I will be reading Holloway’s other books.
For fans of:
The Soul’s Aspect
Gideon the Ninth
The Blade Itself
Red Rising
March 24, 2026
Bloody interwoven stories of characters struggling through the aftermath of a deadly battle, Holloway shines a light on strange, broken people in a way that punctures the heart and keeps digging. A great read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews