Jeff Salyards

Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself. Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe . . . and Arki might be next. Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience! A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.

Bloodsounder's Arc Book One

Scourge of the Betrayer

Marie Brennan

Mark Lawrence

Brian Staveley

Don Webb

Miles Cameron

R. S. Belcher

Joseph R. Lallo

Betsy Dornbusch

Mercedes M. Yardley

William Meikle

Keith Gouveia

Kenny Soward

Tim Marquitz

J. M. Martin

Jeffrey J. Mariotte

Marsheila Rockwell

Stephen McQuiggan

Ian Creasey

Peter Rawlik

Teresa Frohock

Dragons, magic, princesses of mighty kingdoms: elements of fantasy that have carried on throughout the many ages, and yet, may one day be forgotten. Enter and delve into the roots of fantasy, rediscovering the fantastic and exploring lost worlds. This is storytelling at its best. Neverland's Library is a collection of original works that will take you back to that moment when you first fell in love with the genre; featuring stories from writers across the spectrum, such as Marie Brennan, R.S. Belcher, Mercedes M. Yardley, Jeff Salyards, Marsheila Rockwell and Jeffrey Mariotte, and more.

Neverland's Library

Braylar is still poisoned by the memories of those slain by his unholy flail Bloodsounder, and attempts to counter this sickness have proven ineffectual. The Syldoonian Emperor, Cynead, has solidified his power in unprecedented ways, and Braylar and company are recalled to the capital to swear fealty. Braylar must decide if he can trust his sister, Soffjian, with the secret that is killing him. She has powerful memory magics that might be able to save him from Bloodsounder’s effects, but she has political allegiances that are not his own. Arki and others in the company try to get Soffjian and Braylar to trust one another, but politics in the capital prove to be complicated and dangerous. Deposed emperor Thumarr plots to remove the repressive Cynead, and Braylar and Soffjian are at the heart of his plans. The distance between “favored shadow agent of the emperor” and “exiled traitor” is unsurprisingly small. But it is filled with blind twists and unexpected turns. Before the journey is over, Arki will chronicle the true intentions of Emperor Cynead and Soffjian. Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Bloodsounder?s Arc Book Two

Veil of the Deserters

Bloodsounder's Arc Book Three

Chains of the Heretic

Men are more easily broken than myths. Emperor Cynead has usurped command of the Memoridons—Tower-controlled memory witches—and consolidated his reign over the Syldoonian Empire. After escaping the capital city of Sunwrack, Captain Braylar Killcoin and his Jackal company evade pursuit across Urglovia, tasked with reaching deposed emperor Thumarr and helping him recapture the throne. Braylar’s sister, Soffjian, rejoins the Jackals and reveals that Commander Darzaak promised her freedom if she agreed to aid them in breaking Cynead’s grip on the other Memoridons and ousting him. Imperial forces attempt to intercept Braylar’s company before they can reach Thumarr. The Jackals fight through Cynead’s battalions but find themselves trapped along the Godveil. Outmaneuvered and outnumbered, Braylar gambles on some obscure passages that Arki has translated and uses his cursed flail, Bloodsounder, to part the Godveil, leading the Jackals to the other side. There, they encounter the ruins of human civilization, but they also learn that the Deserters who abandoned humanity a millennium ago and created the Veil in their wake are still very much alive. But are they gods? Demons? Monsters? What Braylar, Soffjian, Arki, and the Jackals discover beyond the Godveil will shake an empire, reshape a map, and irrevocably alter the course of history.

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Shawn Speakman

Matthew Ward

Mark Alder

R. Scott Bakker

Bradley P. Beaulieu

Janny Wurts

Michael R. Fletcher

Kaaron Warren

Mazarkis Williams

Deborah A. Wolf

Peter Orullian

Marc Turner

Alex Marshall

Courtney Schafer

E. V. Morrigan

Step into the shoes of your favourite fantasy antagonists.Featuring stories by:R. Scott BakkerAdrian TchaikovskyMichael R. FletcherShawn SpeakmanTeresa FrohockKaaron WarrenCourtney SchaferMarc TurnerJeff SalyardsMazarkis WilliamsDeborah A. WolfBrian StaveleyAlex MarshallBradley P. BeaulieuMatthew WardMark AlderJanny Wurts

An Anthology of Antagonists

Evil is a Matter of Perspective

Captain Braylar Killcoin, der Anführer der berühmt-berüchtigten syldoonischen Söldnertruppe, ist ein Getriebener: Die Seelen der von ihm getöteten Männer verfolgen ihn ebenso wie die dunkle Magie, die ihm innewohnt. Doch es kommt für ihn noch schlimmer, als er mit seinen Männern an den Kaiserhof gerufen wird, um dem neuen Imperator Cynead die Treue zu schwören. Denn Cynead schmiedet seine ganz eigenen dunklen Pläne, und schon bald wird Braylar klar, dass das politische Parkett der Hauptstadt tödlicher ist als jedes Schlachtfeld ...

Roman

Die Klinge des Königs

Jeff Salyards

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