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Samhain Sorceries
In these haunting tales of swords and sorcery, the dead will rise, dark rituals will be performed, and gateways to the afterworld will open. One of the more notable tales in this anthology is “Night of the Burning Ghost” by Keith Taylor, which features Felimid mac Fal, hero of the classic Bard series. Samhain Sorceries also includes stories by Adrian Cole, Matthew Pungitore, Harry Piper, and more.
Stories included:
“Night of the Burning Ghost” by Keith Taylor
“The Black Cat of Barrowburn” by Rev. Joe Kelly
“The House of the Dark One” by Tim Hanlon
“The Hill of Breaking Bones” by Adrian Cole
“The Tale of Marius the Avenging Imp” by Matthew Pungitore
“The Eye of Balor” by Owen G. Tabard
“The Tomb of Tigernmas” by Ethan Sabatella
“The Hole in the Tree” by John Lawrence Rak, Jr.
“The Raid into Annwyn” by Harry Piper
“The Barrow-King’s Bride” by H.R. Laurence
Stories included:
“Night of the Burning Ghost” by Keith Taylor
“The Black Cat of Barrowburn” by Rev. Joe Kelly
“The House of the Dark One” by Tim Hanlon
“The Hill of Breaking Bones” by Adrian Cole
“The Tale of Marius the Avenging Imp” by Matthew Pungitore
“The Eye of Balor” by Owen G. Tabard
“The Tomb of Tigernmas” by Ethan Sabatella
“The Hole in the Tree” by John Lawrence Rak, Jr.
“The Raid into Annwyn” by Harry Piper
“The Barrow-King’s Bride” by H.R. Laurence
Paperback
First published September 1, 2022
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About the author
D.M. Ritzlin
36 books54 followersD.M. Ritzlin founded DMR Books in 2015 with the aim of revitalizing sword-and-sorcery literature. DMR’s publications include reprints of classic material by authors such as Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith, as well as brand-new collections and anthologies by some of the finest fantasy writers active today.
A collection of his own stories, Necromancy in Nilztiria, was released in October 2020.
Nilztiria is a world of adventure and strangeness, peopled by lusty heroes and callous villains. The thirteen sword-and-sorcery stories presented in Necromancy in Nilztiria place the emphasis on sorcery and mix in a touch of gallows humor.
For more information on all of his projects, visit dmrbooks.com.
A collection of his own stories, Necromancy in Nilztiria, was released in October 2020.
Nilztiria is a world of adventure and strangeness, peopled by lusty heroes and callous villains. The thirteen sword-and-sorcery stories presented in Necromancy in Nilztiria place the emphasis on sorcery and mix in a touch of gallows humor.
For more information on all of his projects, visit dmrbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 13, 2025
This fall DMR Books has collected an anthology unlike any other. Ten astonishing tales of magic, adventure, and otherworldliness all set during Samhain.
Partake of the table of contents:
Night of the Burning Ghost by Keith Taylor
Past and present collide as a meddlesome priest opens the way for a malevolent shade.
The Black Cat of Barrowburn by Rev. Joe Kelly
A curse upon a noble family leaves one male relative dead every Samhain. Richard Ewer is the last of his line.
The House of the Dark One by Tim Hanlon
A brother will journey into another world for his abducted sister.
The Hill of Breaking Bones by Adrian Cole
Hunted, a man stumbles across a hilltop temple and a proposal he will not refuse.
The Tale of Marius the Avenging Imp by Matthew Pungitore
This one was much too florid for me. DNF
The Eye of Balor by Owen G. Tabard
A blood-thirsty sword and a witch calling to otherworldly powers. Unconventional point of view.
The Tomb of Tigernmas by Ethan Sabatella
Sacrifice and revenge between clans.
The Hole in the Tree by John Lawrence Rak, Jr.
A simple job goes off the rails and yields unexpected rewards.
The Raid into Annwyn by Harry Piper
An army storms the Gates of Annwyn to free their liege lord from death's grasp.
The Barrow-King's Bride by H.R. Laurence
A pair of highwaymen become entangled in sorcery and a thousand-year-old betrothal.
Such a wonderful anthology. Of the ten stories I would be hard pressed to single out a favorite. Although, I am partial to The Eye of Balor with its unconventional POV. The Raid into Annwyn certainly brought the dark fantasy/horror that I find so compelling in the works of Darrell Schweitzer. The House of the Dark One and The Hill of Breaking Bones are both superb. House with its parable ending and Hill with its blood and thunder.
Partake of the table of contents:
Night of the Burning Ghost by Keith Taylor
Past and present collide as a meddlesome priest opens the way for a malevolent shade.
The Black Cat of Barrowburn by Rev. Joe Kelly
A curse upon a noble family leaves one male relative dead every Samhain. Richard Ewer is the last of his line.
The House of the Dark One by Tim Hanlon
A brother will journey into another world for his abducted sister.
The Hill of Breaking Bones by Adrian Cole
Hunted, a man stumbles across a hilltop temple and a proposal he will not refuse.
The Tale of Marius the Avenging Imp by Matthew Pungitore
This one was much too florid for me. DNF
The Eye of Balor by Owen G. Tabard
A blood-thirsty sword and a witch calling to otherworldly powers. Unconventional point of view.
The Tomb of Tigernmas by Ethan Sabatella
Sacrifice and revenge between clans.
The Hole in the Tree by John Lawrence Rak, Jr.
A simple job goes off the rails and yields unexpected rewards.
The Raid into Annwyn by Harry Piper
An army storms the Gates of Annwyn to free their liege lord from death's grasp.
The Barrow-King's Bride by H.R. Laurence
A pair of highwaymen become entangled in sorcery and a thousand-year-old betrothal.
Such a wonderful anthology. Of the ten stories I would be hard pressed to single out a favorite. Although, I am partial to The Eye of Balor with its unconventional POV. The Raid into Annwyn certainly brought the dark fantasy/horror that I find so compelling in the works of Darrell Schweitzer. The House of the Dark One and The Hill of Breaking Bones are both superb. House with its parable ending and Hill with its blood and thunder.
September 26, 2022
Another great collection of stories by DMR. I’m a fan of themed collections and this one does not disappoint. I encountered writers I know: Keith Taylor, Adrian Cole and Harry Piper. There were also several new to me authors.
Expect lots of bogs and moors, and enjoy the flavor of this anthology. I have enjoyed many fine S&S anthologies by DMR this year, but this is one of my favorites.
If you are interested is sword & sorcery by new and current authors, then buy, read and enjoy this book. New sword & sorcery, no reprints here, with a Samhain bent; and just in time for Halloween.
I give my guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
Expect lots of bogs and moors, and enjoy the flavor of this anthology. I have enjoyed many fine S&S anthologies by DMR this year, but this is one of my favorites.
If you are interested is sword & sorcery by new and current authors, then buy, read and enjoy this book. New sword & sorcery, no reprints here, with a Samhain bent; and just in time for Halloween.
I give my guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
September 26, 2022
Matthew Pungitore delivers another hauntingly spellbinding work of literary beauty with his “The Tale of Marius the Avenging Imp”! So good, you will want more! “The Tale of Marius the Avenging Imp” by Matthew Pungitore is exactly what we need for Halloween.
The other stories in the anthology also capture the spirit of Samhain. Each story takes you into far away history and makes you feel like you are in another time.
Samhain Sorceries has something for everyone. Tricks and treats that everyone will enjoy!
This anthology proves that DMR Books is still giving us the best!
The other stories in the anthology also capture the spirit of Samhain. Each story takes you into far away history and makes you feel like you are in another time.
Samhain Sorceries has something for everyone. Tricks and treats that everyone will enjoy!
This anthology proves that DMR Books is still giving us the best!
September 26, 2022
First, I would just like to say that the cover art is really good. It definitely pulled me in and got me in that right spooky feeling. And this book does offer the right kind of stories for the autumn season. There are many good qualities to enjoy about the stories in this book, especially if you like eerie stories and sword-and-sorcery. Well, Samhain Sorceries has ten Halloween stories, but many of them seemed to feel a little too similar to each other. “The Tale of Marius the Avenging Imp” by Matthew Pungitore was the only one that really felt unique and different from the others, its action is bold, it has vivid dialogue, and its imagery comes alive in a very distinctive, challenging way. I suggest that everyone read this, judge the stories for yourselves, and finish every story before you judge it. Even though many of the stories seemed similar to me, I believe that they would satisfy anyone who really wants some traditional-seeming dark fantasy, and each story is worth a full and complete read. You will not want to skip any of these stories.
October 13, 2025
There are a few tales here that remind me heavily of B. V. Larson's Haven series but that is because of the environment mostly, dealing with the fae and sorcery. But also because of Larson's mythology and characterizations. It makes me want to revisit that world but more to the stories at hand, each tale did a good job of giving an atmosphere of ghostly mists, corpse-riddled bogs, and impending doom. Some were better at the macabre and morbid situations, a few giving morality an upper hand, a few giving us characters that I would like to see more adevntures on, and at least one seemingly poking at the legacy of uncivilized barbarians and allowing the infernal domain to reign supreme with their own paradise on earth. A collection worth reading and owning, I say.
Night of the Burning Ghost by Keith Taylor 3.5/5
This is my first Felimid story so I felt a little lost halfway through. It is my third Keith Taylor tale so I expected a higher degree of info for setting the mythology and characterizations and some smaller degree of action playing out. I appreciate the timeless feel of forever love between Fal and Caithlenn, and was enthralled with his warrior nature, savagery, and desire for his love.
The Black Cat of Barrowburn by Rev. Joe Kelly 3.5/5
Kelly's Black O'Brien would be a good character to follow for more adventure.
The House of the Dark One by Tim Hanlon 3.5/5
From heroic to dreadful, Hanlon wrote an apt warrior in a dire environment.
The Hill of Breaking Bones by Adrian Cole 4/5
Cole laid out a dark night of grisly and brutal savagery, echoing with damned souls yearning for release.
The Tale of Marius the Imp by Matthew Pungitore 3.75/5
There is a lot going on here within the macabre and morbid atmosphere, but in a good sword-and-sorcery way, not in a "Hey, let's make a series about Jeffrey Dahmer" kinda way. With what one reviewer calls flowery language, I find it more easy to read than the Count of Monte Cristo and I enjoyed that long tale. Pungitore knows a lot of words but it's those references, like to Odysseus' Odyssey, for example, that show a well-read author. I would say that I didn't find myself cheering for any of these dark beings.
The Tomb of Tigernmas by Ethan Sabatella 5/5
A ghostly Samhain night of tragedy and horror, Sabatella told a good tale with characters you wanted more of ... though some won't be back.
The Hole in the Tree by John Lawrence Rak, Jr. 3.5/5
A lifetime of thievery, a disregard for religious fealty, a willingness to die by his own terms, and a mysterious environment of man-wolves and disfigured gods made this a quick read but left a lot in the air.
The Raid Into Annwyn by Harry Piper 5/5
Piper has a degree of poetic timelessness that lingers among a story of either cosmic horror, or hellish intensity. Love, agape love, extinguishes the warring heart's desires but self-love inherits the kingdom of doom and gloom.
The Barrow-King's Bride by H. R. Laurence 4/5
Laurence's quick tale gives a smidgen of love and a lot of heroic anti-hero fighting against the self-pious perverts of standing. Aidee and Cornfeld would make for a good revisited buddy adventure series. I expected a headless horseman to appear at some point.
Night of the Burning Ghost by Keith Taylor 3.5/5
This is my first Felimid story so I felt a little lost halfway through. It is my third Keith Taylor tale so I expected a higher degree of info for setting the mythology and characterizations and some smaller degree of action playing out. I appreciate the timeless feel of forever love between Fal and Caithlenn, and was enthralled with his warrior nature, savagery, and desire for his love.
The Black Cat of Barrowburn by Rev. Joe Kelly 3.5/5
Kelly's Black O'Brien would be a good character to follow for more adventure.
The House of the Dark One by Tim Hanlon 3.5/5
From heroic to dreadful, Hanlon wrote an apt warrior in a dire environment.
The Hill of Breaking Bones by Adrian Cole 4/5
Cole laid out a dark night of grisly and brutal savagery, echoing with damned souls yearning for release.
The Tale of Marius the Imp by Matthew Pungitore 3.75/5
There is a lot going on here within the macabre and morbid atmosphere, but in a good sword-and-sorcery way, not in a "Hey, let's make a series about Jeffrey Dahmer" kinda way. With what one reviewer calls flowery language, I find it more easy to read than the Count of Monte Cristo and I enjoyed that long tale. Pungitore knows a lot of words but it's those references, like to Odysseus' Odyssey, for example, that show a well-read author. I would say that I didn't find myself cheering for any of these dark beings.
The Tomb of Tigernmas by Ethan Sabatella 5/5
A ghostly Samhain night of tragedy and horror, Sabatella told a good tale with characters you wanted more of ... though some won't be back.
The Hole in the Tree by John Lawrence Rak, Jr. 3.5/5
A lifetime of thievery, a disregard for religious fealty, a willingness to die by his own terms, and a mysterious environment of man-wolves and disfigured gods made this a quick read but left a lot in the air.
The Raid Into Annwyn by Harry Piper 5/5
Piper has a degree of poetic timelessness that lingers among a story of either cosmic horror, or hellish intensity. Love, agape love, extinguishes the warring heart's desires but self-love inherits the kingdom of doom and gloom.
The Barrow-King's Bride by H. R. Laurence 4/5
Laurence's quick tale gives a smidgen of love and a lot of heroic anti-hero fighting against the self-pious perverts of standing. Aidee and Cornfeld would make for a good revisited buddy adventure series. I expected a headless horseman to appear at some point.
October 14, 2022
A really good collection of short stories featuring Samhain eve and sword and sorcery. 10 authors with 10 great stories in this compilation. Excellent reading for October!
October 11, 2022
It’s always tough to rate anthologies. All the stories are decent and most are very good but there are a handful that just have that extra oomph to get a 5 from me. I’ll highlight them below.
The Hill of Breaking Bones by Adrian Cole just had tremendous mood and atmosphere. It’s just captured the feeling you’d want for a Halloween S&S tale perfectly.
The Eye of Balor by Owen G Tabard really was phenomenal. The story being from the pov of the cursed sword, the twists and turns and emotions it evoked. Just loved it. I’ll have to check out more of his stories. I believe he’s a regular in Cirsova.
The Raid into Annwyn by Harry Piper is really what did it for me in this collection. I enjoyed his previous collection DMR published but this is just on another level. It’s mythopoetic and deeply spiritual and just phenomenally well told. One of the best short stories I’ve read in this genre by a living author and makes this collection a must read.
Finally, The Barrow Kings’s Bride by HR Laurie is great as well. It’s got this Eroll Flynn meets Vincent Price vibe to it. It’s a swashbuckling but macabre time. I’d love to see a full anthology of James Aidee stories. Between this and it’s companion piece in Rakehell I think Laurie is really onto something.
DMR is really knocking it out of the park this year with its themed anthologies. Looking forward to what themes they try next.
The Hill of Breaking Bones by Adrian Cole just had tremendous mood and atmosphere. It’s just captured the feeling you’d want for a Halloween S&S tale perfectly.
The Eye of Balor by Owen G Tabard really was phenomenal. The story being from the pov of the cursed sword, the twists and turns and emotions it evoked. Just loved it. I’ll have to check out more of his stories. I believe he’s a regular in Cirsova.
The Raid into Annwyn by Harry Piper is really what did it for me in this collection. I enjoyed his previous collection DMR published but this is just on another level. It’s mythopoetic and deeply spiritual and just phenomenally well told. One of the best short stories I’ve read in this genre by a living author and makes this collection a must read.
Finally, The Barrow Kings’s Bride by HR Laurie is great as well. It’s got this Eroll Flynn meets Vincent Price vibe to it. It’s a swashbuckling but macabre time. I’d love to see a full anthology of James Aidee stories. Between this and it’s companion piece in Rakehell I think Laurie is really onto something.
DMR is really knocking it out of the park this year with its themed anthologies. Looking forward to what themes they try next.
June 29, 2023
A collection of largely exceptional short stories with some Sword & Sorcery flavor. I'm sad to say there's a few sti kers in there, which demerits the book from a tive-star rating.
Keith Taylor's contribution, 'Night of The Burning Ghost', not only felt out of place and was a tad difficult to follow even as I turned back the pages to have a second look, but also seems to presume a familiarity with the 'Bard' tales —which I do not. 'The Hill of Breaking Bones' by Adrian cold was wonderfully told, however, it's main character scarcely spoke and there was little to read between the lines, leaving us with a very dry character to carry the tale, and that he does not. M. Pungitore's 'The Tale of Marius The Avenging Imp' is befuddling, whimful, and told at a breakneck pace; and so I didn't care for it.
The other tales, however, are excellent. Harry Piper, Owen G. Tabard, and Rev. Joe Kelly's contributions are great. Where it not for the aforementioned tales, this Anthology would have been of the highest calibre.
Keith Taylor's contribution, 'Night of The Burning Ghost', not only felt out of place and was a tad difficult to follow even as I turned back the pages to have a second look, but also seems to presume a familiarity with the 'Bard' tales —which I do not. 'The Hill of Breaking Bones' by Adrian cold was wonderfully told, however, it's main character scarcely spoke and there was little to read between the lines, leaving us with a very dry character to carry the tale, and that he does not. M. Pungitore's 'The Tale of Marius The Avenging Imp' is befuddling, whimful, and told at a breakneck pace; and so I didn't care for it.
The other tales, however, are excellent. Harry Piper, Owen G. Tabard, and Rev. Joe Kelly's contributions are great. Where it not for the aforementioned tales, this Anthology would have been of the highest calibre.
December 21, 2022
A really solid collection - impressively varied despite the common setting! It's particularly interesting with anthologies like this to see how different writers tackle a shared theme, and I wasn't disappointed in that respect. I wouldn't have minded a touch more slow-burn horror amongst the action oriented material, but there's an enjoyable macabre streak throughout. All of the tales are strong, and a real standout for me was Harry Piper's 'The Raid on Annwyn', which managed to pack a genuine emotional punch along with its titular adventure.
November 6, 2022
A very enjoyable collection of Samhain-themed short stories of heroic and dark fantasy and pulpy adventure. Everything is tinged with sinister weirdness, which made it a perfect light read for the Halloween season. Arcane cultists bringing forth unspeakable horrors, cunning men of action wielding steel and iron, and more than one storming of the gates to Hell await the reader! I personally liked every story in the collection, none of them fell flat to me.
November 6, 2023
Overall good collection of spooky sword and sorcery stories perfect for the fall season.
My favorite story was probably the Barrow King's Bride by HR Laurence.
Weakest for me was the first one, which is probably mostly because it's part of a series and I'm unfamiliar with the characters and setting.
A few alright stories, but mostly awesome stories.
My favorite story was probably the Barrow King's Bride by HR Laurence.
Weakest for me was the first one, which is probably mostly because it's part of a series and I'm unfamiliar with the characters and setting.
A few alright stories, but mostly awesome stories.
July 22, 2023
My favorites from this anthology were House of the Dark One, Eye of Balor, Hole in the Tree, Barrow King's bride, and The Raid into Annwyn. I thought this was a solid collection of darker themed fantasy stories.
October 23, 2025
Night of the Burning Ghost
The Black Cat of Barrowburn
The Hill of Breaking Bones
The Eye of Balor
The Raid into Annwyn
The Barrow-King's Bride
those are the stories I found great. the rest are good and fun but standard fair. overall, a good story collection.
The Black Cat of Barrowburn
The Hill of Breaking Bones
The Eye of Balor
The Raid into Annwyn
The Barrow-King's Bride
those are the stories I found great. the rest are good and fun but standard fair. overall, a good story collection.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews