Showing results by narrator "Adriel Brandt" in All Categories

Revenge, death, and destruction abound in this early short story by H.P. Lovecraft. The story follows Antoine, a count who is last in line to die at the age of 32 due to a curse put on his family hundreds of years prior. His ancestor, being responsible for the death, brought about the curse, and Antoine was left to watch all his family, including his manservant, die an early death. But when his time comes and he is exploring the castle in wait, he manages to successfully end the curse by deflecting the fatal blow of Charles - the son of the man who was killed so many years ago.

Basil Elton is a lighthouse keeper prone to fantasies - especially one recurring fantasy of a man in white robes on a white ship that only appears on a full moon. During this fantasy, Elton goes with the man on his ship, following an azure bird. Despite the man’s warnings that no man has ever returned from one of these realms, Elton asks that he take him to legendary land of hope. Their journey takes them to the end of the world, and instead of toppling over the side and dying, Elton wakes up on the rocks of his lighthouse next to the first shipwreck in his time as lightkeeper.

Cat haters beware. This piece by H.P. Lovecraft is largely memoirish, whereby the narrator is compelled to tell the listener about Ulthar after petting his own cat. When a travelling caravan passes through, a young orphan named Menes finds his beloved black kitten has gone missing and fears the worst - that his kitten had suffered a torturous end at the hands of the town cat killers. Annoyed by the lack of action on the part of the townspeople, Menes invokes a prayer that results in the cats of the town rising and slaying the cat-killing couple.

Lovecraftian themes abound in the tales of an intern at a madhouse and an illiterate madman. Slater, the madman whose unspeakable crimes led him to the madhouse, is continuously awakened in this story by surprisingly literate hallucinations of a glowing entity seeking revenge. Inspired by Slater’s uneducated background and the telepathic machine that he had made in his yesteryear, the intern delves deep into Joe Slater - who is receiving telepathic messages from a being of light.

Darith Forhild was born to lead the most prodigious military power in the realms, but when a swarm of savage monsters rises from obscurity to lay siege to his homeland, he is left with a difficult choice. Can he outwit the dark phantoms that haunt his nation’s past, or will he too fall to the vicious creatures whose purpose is to drive humanity to extinction? Join Darith on his desperate quest in this dark, face-paced, high fantasy adventure.

Marcus used to ignore the things that went bump in the night. It cost him dearly. Now, he helps Autumn track down these dark creatures, letting her do all the destroying...until the high-riser elves threaten his son. Autumn is a warrior living in a time when warriors aren't needed, except to dispatch the occasional strig - a deadly creature that feeds off the living. Part elf and part human, she's been seemingly content for hundreds of years. Things change when she discovers she has deep affection for Marcus...a human.

Imagine for a moment that there is one other person in the entire world, regardless of distance, with whom you can communicate telepathically at will. In the world of Irilitia, a land plagued with warring states and political strife, and blessed with magical power, this is a reality reserved for a few choice individuals with destinies greater than that of the common man. Men with this gift become Spellswords, skillful wielders of both blade and Phyrim, while women become Magicians, powerful wielders of the elements of magic itself. Together they stand as protectors of the realm.

Daniel’s meteoric rise in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court is a two-edged sword. Yahweh has greatly blessed Daniel and his friends, and they have found much favor in the eyes of the Babylonian king, but it has come at a cost. Daniel has made powerful enemies who seek to destroy him and any influence he has over the king of Babylon. Dark forces are moving into position around Daniel. Envious men want nothing more than to see him and his friends dead.

Book three of the Rise of Daniel follows Daniel, Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzar through the dark period of the Babylonian Captivity. Daniel has gained favor within Nebuchadnezzar’s court, but this creates envy in those who resent his rise to power. An array of evil spirits arises against him, threatening to destroy him, his friends, and his people. Daniel walks a thin line of survival where a single misstep could see him consumed by the evil spirits seeking his life. Such is the danger that even his friendship with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah is in jeopardy.

Life in California Gulch, deep in the Colorado Rockies, pre-dates the Leadville silver boom (1875-1895). However, it was gold, not silver, which laid the foundation for future generations of citizens at 10,200 feet elevation. Oro City is the spectacular, albeit inhospitable, site of placer gold mining during the 1860’s. Meet fortune seeking immigrants—a blacksmith, store keeper, singer, school teacher, and sporting women, as well as a rascally burro—whose lives are filled with anxiety, fear, joy, and humor.

Book two of the Rise of Daniel continues to follow Daniel, Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzar at the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity. Daniel and his three friends find themselves immersed in a growing spiritual battle between the gods of Babylon and the God of Israel. The captives are expected to conform to a new way of life, learn a new language, and bow to false gods. If they are found unworthy to stand before King Nebuchadnezzar, they will perish. It is a simple choice: conform or die. In the midst of this, Daniel dreams.

The sun is rising… And it shall raze the world to ash. Astea’s Link is broken. Plague ravages the kingdom. Blood is made stone, and the fate of all life is sealed. Kaido has finally donned the crown. In search of a cure, his army marches into Hecata’s Desert. Will they find his people’s salvation or their destruction? Revolt brews in the west. Maisades and Izelle have rallied the followers, and their eyes are set on the throne. Otto has delivered them Mithras’ Link. Through her power, will they prevail?

Both shocking and spellbinding, The Victim Donor tells the suspenseful story of a family man who struggles to discover why he has become the focus of a gruesome kidnapping plot. Stockbroker John Harris III is living the American dream with Cheryl, his physician wife and college sweetheart. They have four young children, a house in the mountains of Utah, health, love, and money. But their lives are suddenly turned upside-down when Harris is mysteriously kidnapped one morning on his way to work.

A dystopian fantasy world where magic, and technology co-mingle and otherworldly species are known of by a small few. Those with magic try to keep a low profile at threat of losing opportunities, relationships, or disappearing entirely. Nathan Clouse is a resilient young man with unique magic and a troubled past. After escaping an abusive home he has been living amongst a group of outcasts and working odd jobs to support himself. He hopes that one day his skills as an inventor will pave the way to a better life.

Book one of the Rise of Daniel follows Daniel, Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzar at the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity. Daniel, merely a boy of fourteen, is thrust into a world of conspiracy and evil when Jeremiah the prophet predicts the coming of the powerful Babylonian prince, Nebuchadnezzar, to conquer Jerusalem. The kingdom of Judah has turned her back on the God of Israel, trusting in the Egyptians and the gods of the heathen nations around them.

For Shindo Dacan, helplessness isn't a feeling, it's a way of life. Living in a post-apocalyptic hell, day after day he witnesses the plight of people suffering under the oppression of a barbaric warlord. When his friend is killed by the brutal tyrant he's sworn to serve, Shindo is suddenly fueled by a vengeful desire for something more. He decides people need something better.

A selection of Robert Browning's dramatic monologues.

In the wake of Governor Derek Fisher's bold proposal to secede from the Union, Texas finds itself in the throes of a political maelstrom. As Fisher strives to carve an independent future, Senators Dodson and Newell pursue their own agendas. Amidst the intensifying power struggles and covert dealings, five ordinary citizens - Burl the farmer, Ava the schoolteacher, Alex the businessman, Gavin the lineman, and Lisa the single mom - are unexpectedly thrust into a vortex of life-altering challenges. They must navigate the ever-changing political landscape that threatens to upend their lives.

In the foggy highlands of a primeval land, ten children are captured and brought together for a mysterious purpose. Accomplishing their captors' goal will write them into legend, but they'll risk everything to achieve something even more important: escape.

Eliot has always been the king's man—loyal, dependable, and ready to fulfill any order. He’s accustomed to tackling what most would deem too difficult or impossible. Tasked with retrieving Princess Regina from Raven Castle to secure an alliance between Falway and Chambria, Eliot expects a simple mission.