Glenn Parris

It was an age of adventure. An age of sorcery. An age of unrelenting horror. Sword and sorcery and pulp horror go hand-in-hand. Sinister enchanters working foul magic. Hideous beasts lurking in shadowy dungeons. Blasphemous elder gods uncoiling from forgotten and forbidden temples. Swords in the Shadows features twenty-one stories with a bloody stake driven into the heart of both the horror and fantasy camps. Herein, you will find fantasy worlds, brave warriors, fabulous creatures, wondrous magic. But you will also uncover bloodcurdling chills, spine-tingling horror, and an examination of those things that truly terrify.

Earth. 1996. It's not an alien invasion—it's a homecoming. Sixty-five million years ago, while titanic dinosaurs roamed the earth, the Efilu created an advanced civilization full of technological marvels. In the face of worldwide catastrophe, the Efilu fled to the stars, leaving a devastated planet behind them. As they migrated across the galaxy, Efilu civilization flourished. When disaster strikes again as a mysterious plague, the interstellar ship ReQam is sent back to their planet of origin, in search of untainted materials to create a cure. The ReQam's archaeologist, Vit Na, feels unsure of her role in the expedition. Then the Efilu discover their homeworld now thrives, dominated by mammals. Strangely, these animals have evolved to resemble the Efilu in shape and culture. As human civilization mirrors their own in odd and disturbing ways, Vit Na's archaeology training becomes vital to the mission. If this cosmic pandemic—or humanity—have been engineered, there may be dire consequences for Earth. Worse, there may be enemies among the crew. Deciding who to trust may be Vit Na's biggest challenge of all.

Amanda Hunt is a virgin vampire with a genetic blood disorder bitten 200 years ago and almost made Undead. But she finds a loop hole revealed by decades of research with the help of her descendants. This secret may allow her to defeat the vampire prince who made her what she is today. Lord Anton Kuryk couldn't finish the job on Amanda two centuries ago or on her 5th great grand-niece, Wynter, in the present. Read how these cousins up-end the Familia Vampyre in this twisted yarn of Bioscience and folklore for a modern gothic Halloween treat.