Lord Fish

Chronicles of Xax #3

by Ted Cross

Includes three short stories and a novelette!

'Dragon Play': All their lives the group of young Vikings had heard of their clan's past glories, but all they have known is the terror of being relegated to living within the shadow of a dragon's mountain. When the chieftain's daughter finds an ancient scroll showing a hidden back entrance to the dragon's lair, she and her three friends decide to sneak in and retrieve the lost talisman that holds the luck of their clan.

'Lord Fish' tells the tale of a newly-minted noble who meets his nemesis in Sir Brindor, the realm's most famous knight. Can the lowborn Lord Midas survive single combat against the deadliest warrior in history?

In 'The Stolen Castle', Lord Midas pays a visit to the long-deserted keep granted him by his new liege lord. When his entrance is refused, Midas learns that a hedge knight has taken up residence. With only his squire to aid him, Midas must find a way to take back his rightful home.

'Arrival' tells the tale of how a group of scientists from Earth first came to colonize the planet of New Eden...along with one unexpected guest.

Audiobook

First published August 15, 2015

About the author

Ted Cross is from Arizona and has spent the past three decades traveling the world as a diplomat, all the time dreaming about writing fantasy and science fiction. He has visited nearly forty countries and lived in ten, including the U.S., Russia, China, Croatia, Iceland, Hungary, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Italy, and Luxembourg. He has witnessed coup attempts, mafia and terrorist attacks, played chess with several world champions, and had bit parts in a couple of movies. He is married with two sons and currently lives in Janesville, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Scott Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Lord Fish: Chronicles of Xax' serves both as an excellent introduction to Ted Cross and his works and also a fantastic add to your Cross collection if you're already a fan. Both of Cross' previous releases are amongst my list of favorite all-time reads and this series of shorts lives up to their caliber. There are many reasons I loved these shorts, but I have 2 major reasons.

1. I loved both Lord Fish and The Stolen Castle because of the added window they provide into who Midas is. I love this character, and the personality of Midas here just solidifies that even more for me. The Stolen Castle is my favorite out of this collection.

2. Via the short work 'Arrival' we learn a connection between The Immortality Game and The Shard that I am thoroughly thrilled by. If you love either book, then you need to read this.

This is one of the best Anthologies I've read and I can't wait for more by Cross!

[Ivan Amberlake · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great collection of stories. I read them quickly, and they were really enjoyable. Those who read and enjoyed The Shard will love Lord Fish. Totally recommended to all.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains a trilogy of stories set on the world of The Shard. (The author's previous book). These are set prior to events in The Shard and helps clarify events alluded to in that book. They each are very well written and enjoyable to read. If you have read The Shard you will be able to relate to the characters and events more.
The last story is Science fiction and shows the author's range of skills and again presents well developed characters each with their own personality and strengths.
I would highly recommend this book and the author's other works, he creates great characters and well constructed stories. I look forward to reading his future works.

[Rob Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the Immortality Game and the Shard previously, I enjoyed the short stories and novelette that comprise this collection. Here I watched the worlds of these two earlier works meld into one another while allowing me to revisit some familiar characters. Ted has a gift for character creation and it was fascinating to see some of his characters in an earlier life and also connect the dots between elements of his earlier works. I will be interested to read more of Ted's excellent writing!

[Angelika Rust · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading The Shard and instantly delved into Lord Fish, a collection of short stories set in the same world. Lord Fish is no one else but our Lord of Welby, my favorite character from the Shard, and I was very happy to learn a bit about his past and how he came to be the man he is. Funny and entertaining, the stories hint at just how complex the author's world is. There was only one story I didn't care too much about, as it was simply an alternative version of one of the storylines from The Shard. Anyway, this world as Ted Cross created it has an almost unlimited potential. I can easily imagine him telling us the tales of his world for the rest of his life, and I'll gladly listen.

[Ted Cross]

A collection of four short stories (well, technically Dragon Play is a novelette). Two are based on the Known Lands of The Shard epic fantasy novel, while one is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy since it depicts the arrival of colonists from Earth to the world of The Shard. The fourth is an alternate Earth tale of Viking youths sneaking into a dragon's lair, a story which was evolved from some of my favorite scenes in The Shard. This story originally appeared in the compilation The Dragon Chronicles.

[M.J. Fifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming soon!