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Shards: A Shot in the Dark Anthology
A midwinter anthology of 14 stories featuring fairy romance, sinister creatures of the paranormal, and the bonds of found family.
Fairies and monster hunters aren’t supposed to be friends, but Sylvia has never been one to follow the rules. After yearning for a life of excitement, she finally has it with Jon and Cliff. Armed with her ice magic and an unwavering sense of adventure, she navigates unexpected paths that lead her to a bloodthirsty siren, a prank war gone terribly awry, a bitter betrayal, and a man-eating giant dwelling in the mountains.
Featuring 14 short stories from the Shot in the Dark universe, Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley flesh out new adventures with an emphasis on unique urban fantasy lore, found family, and wintery themes.
******
Synopsis for Shot in the Dark (Book 1 in the Shot in the Dark series):
Curiosity comes at a price.
It isn't that fairies don't exist. They just don't want to be found.
And it isn't that Sylvia wants to be found. She just doesn't want to be cooped up. She lives from risk to risk, slipping regularly out of her village to satisfy her need to explore. Her harmless adventuring comes to a devastating halt when she is slammed with way more than she bargained for— a bullet through her wing that renders her flightless and leaves her at the mercy of two towering humans, Jon and Cliff.
Sylvia is certain there is zero chance of survival, but despite the warnings that have been drilled to her since childhood, the humans aren't quite as murderous as she expected. Under the assumption that it's only temporary, she creates friendships where she shouldn't. However, her intention to get home as soon as possible doesn't pan out so smoothly. One complication after another sets her back, and all the while, she finds herself entranced by the fascinating and terrifying outside world that she once could only dream of.
Now that she has gotten a taste of freedom, she's not sure if she's ready to give it up— no matter the cost.
Fairies and monster hunters aren’t supposed to be friends, but Sylvia has never been one to follow the rules. After yearning for a life of excitement, she finally has it with Jon and Cliff. Armed with her ice magic and an unwavering sense of adventure, she navigates unexpected paths that lead her to a bloodthirsty siren, a prank war gone terribly awry, a bitter betrayal, and a man-eating giant dwelling in the mountains.
Featuring 14 short stories from the Shot in the Dark universe, Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley flesh out new adventures with an emphasis on unique urban fantasy lore, found family, and wintery themes.
******
Synopsis for Shot in the Dark (Book 1 in the Shot in the Dark series):
Curiosity comes at a price.
It isn't that fairies don't exist. They just don't want to be found.
And it isn't that Sylvia wants to be found. She just doesn't want to be cooped up. She lives from risk to risk, slipping regularly out of her village to satisfy her need to explore. Her harmless adventuring comes to a devastating halt when she is slammed with way more than she bargained for— a bullet through her wing that renders her flightless and leaves her at the mercy of two towering humans, Jon and Cliff.
Sylvia is certain there is zero chance of survival, but despite the warnings that have been drilled to her since childhood, the humans aren't quite as murderous as she expected. Under the assumption that it's only temporary, she creates friendships where she shouldn't. However, her intention to get home as soon as possible doesn't pan out so smoothly. One complication after another sets her back, and all the while, she finds herself entranced by the fascinating and terrifying outside world that she once could only dream of.
Now that she has gotten a taste of freedom, she's not sure if she's ready to give it up— no matter the cost.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2023
37 people want to read
About the author
Anne Kendsley
9 books73 followersAnne Kendsley is a writer from South Texas with a passion for weaving stories that explore the fantastical and surreal.
Growing up, she developed a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling and started writing her own tales at a young age. Her love for fantasy and sci-fi has carried into her writing today, blending with darker, grittier themes.
Ultimately, she loves to explore complex characters who stand resilient against societal breakdown while finding beauty in a harsh and unforgiving world. When she’s not devouring one book after another or daydreaming about her next story, she’s taking a walk in the woods or cozying up with a video game.
Growing up, she developed a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling and started writing her own tales at a young age. Her love for fantasy and sci-fi has carried into her writing today, blending with darker, grittier themes.
Ultimately, she loves to explore complex characters who stand resilient against societal breakdown while finding beauty in a harsh and unforgiving world. When she’s not devouring one book after another or daydreaming about her next story, she’s taking a walk in the woods or cozying up with a video game.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 16, 2023
Wonderful Anthology
I have been a huge fan of these two authors for a long time now and love the Shot in the Dark story. This is a perfect companion to the other books with these characters. Keep them coming!
I have been a huge fan of these two authors for a long time now and love the Shot in the Dark story. This is a perfect companion to the other books with these characters. Keep them coming!
February 4, 2023
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. Jon and Sylvia and Cliff....my BELOVEDS. What a perfect anthology.
July 17, 2024
A fun short story collection
Shards by Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley is a collection of short stories set in the universe of Shot in the Dark. The catch is, that there was a different version of Shot in the Dark, so it's set after that version which renders this short story collection as not canon to the latest and finished version of Shot in the Dark that I read. With all that info mentioned and out of the way, Shards consists of 14 different short stories. Two of my favorite "Twisted Things" and "Eyes Made of Coal". I feel like they were perfect stories that showed how they would hunt monsters. While "Night Drive", "Sylvia's Diary", and "Starlit Stroll" shows how they're day by day life is in-between hunting. It's a really great mix of both types of stories. I just hate these are not canon to the current version of Shot in the Dark cause it showed sides of these characters that we didn't see in Shot in the Dark. Oh and if you're wondering there is no dinosaurs in this short story collection even if they would had fit perfectly in the story about fears. Hint hint Mary and Anne! Anyways, I'm giving this short story collection a 4 out of 5 monsters. The point was lost cause of it being not canon, so I took the stories at face value and not try to connect them to what I read. But the stories were still really fun so I'd still highly recommend them.
Shards by Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley is a collection of short stories set in the universe of Shot in the Dark. The catch is, that there was a different version of Shot in the Dark, so it's set after that version which renders this short story collection as not canon to the latest and finished version of Shot in the Dark that I read. With all that info mentioned and out of the way, Shards consists of 14 different short stories. Two of my favorite "Twisted Things" and "Eyes Made of Coal". I feel like they were perfect stories that showed how they would hunt monsters. While "Night Drive", "Sylvia's Diary", and "Starlit Stroll" shows how they're day by day life is in-between hunting. It's a really great mix of both types of stories. I just hate these are not canon to the current version of Shot in the Dark cause it showed sides of these characters that we didn't see in Shot in the Dark. Oh and if you're wondering there is no dinosaurs in this short story collection even if they would had fit perfectly in the story about fears. Hint hint Mary and Anne! Anyways, I'm giving this short story collection a 4 out of 5 monsters. The point was lost cause of it being not canon, so I took the stories at face value and not try to connect them to what I read. But the stories were still really fun so I'd still highly recommend them.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews