Showing results by author "Ross Hughes" in All Categories

The Peaks…Home of the Peakers. Five mountaintops where the last scraps of humanity eke out a living like cavemen among the dinosaurs. Unable to conceive children of their own, they rely on the Cradle of Life, a mysterious structure from a long-lost time before the Cataclysm that destroyed the planet…

22 writers talk about their memorable excursions and the act of walking, and share their creative observations. In these six series, taken from BBC Radio 3's The Essay, an array of novelists, poets, journalists and biographers chart the varied and inspiring walks they have taken around Britain and elsewhere. Here are treks taken at daybreak and after dark; in winter and in spring; in the footsteps of the past; and - in the case of Robert Macfarlane - along the ridges of the South Downs.

There is something quite special about this fine collection of tales of terror from the Sceptered Isle, each and every one crafted in the dead of the night by twisted, fevered minds, who have brought the darkest denizens of the blackest shadows crawling and slithering to life to terrify those brave souls amongst you who dare to listen.

An afterlife under threat. A reborn Prophet in peril. A ragtag band of faithful Knights, grumpy Nomads, mad Wizards, and corrupt Corsairs on a death-defying quest to rescue him. Will swords and sorcery prove enough? A Dwarvic city buried in the desert, the site of an ancient tyranny. Mutants and Demons abound. The dead walk again. And the God of the Nether waits patiently for all the souls to be his. The year is 311 AC. Welcome to Maradoum.

As the sun rose, it alighted on more hoof marks heading east. Barnimeon could tell by now as well as any veteran that the hooves were iron shod. Centaur hooves, he thought, grinding his teeth. Thousands of them. “They’re ahead of us,” Aetos murmured that morning as he dropped back to walk by the strategos awhile, nodding to the churned earth. Barnimeon nodded grimly. “Yes. And if they make it through the hinterlands, we won’t only have the skern eggs to worry about. Our people will be defenceless against the centaur invasion. They’ll be slaughtered like sheep.”

The Lullabyer is dead, slain by invading crusaders, his soul stored in a magical crystal. And there is no one left to sing the Lullaby.… No one except a young monk named Pahu Opherio, son of the Lullabyer.

Journey from the fabled city of fabric in Paeu to the demon-infested landscape of Ishambria, from the Machiavellian scheming in Quing Tzu to the cat-littered crags of Al Kutz as you embark on a vivid voyage through this immersive high fantasy anthology, encountering along the way legendary Guardians, magic scarves, barbaric priests, duplicitous gods, cackling Witches, and wind-riders.

An underwater city on the back of a giant manta ray. A city protected from the weight of the ocean by an occult dome. A city of secrets, of clandestine coups and civil unrest. A city plagued by riots, famine, guillotining and ghosts.

On the cusp of maturity at the age of 12, Spot de León has the innocence to see what others cannot. Piercing the veils of illusion woven all around him, he soon realises the world is not at all as he had thought. A secret centuries-old war is being waged in the streets.

Dip your toes into the exotic waters of Maradoum, exploring the realm through 11 stand-alone short stories set in the same world as the Convent Series. From the brutality of dust-blown Ogbun Nagali and the barbarism of high society in Zamphia to the rotten heart of civilized Justiqua and the treacheries secreted beneath the soothing tropics of Ishambria, this high fantasy anthology is stuffed to the gills with witches and wizards, gods and monsters, tales of love beyond death and familial vengeance, coming of age and reunification, and questing warriors and even noble foes.

The alien but oddly familiar realm of Maradoum welcomes you home with a magical medley of stand-alone short stories. From the ancient mysteries of Gorodzmeya - the lizard city in the desert - to the deities who protect the people of Quing Tzu, from the hidden treasures of Shimyahein to the sacking of the Spardican coast, this sword and sorcery anthology will keep you at the edge of your seat with stories of comeuppance and revenge, of mighty warriors and creatures of evil, of the lost finding family, of omens and urchins, and of portals to realms beyond what is known.

Travel back to the enigmatic realm of Maradoum with the fourth Chronicles, set in the same world as the Convent series, beginning with A Dead Wizard’s Dream. From the forbidden forests in the downtrodden land of Paeu to the strange and secretive folk high in the Kutzian mountains, from the cracked black wastes of Zamphia to the lush jungle of Shala’Hyddin, please enjoy this collection of zestful and zany sword and sorcery short stories.

Might and magic. Legendary beasts and lost civilizations. Epic journeys and bloody brawls. Necromancers and dragon riders. Ancient evils and new saviors. Chronicles of Maradoum: Volume 2 is set in the same world as the epic fantasy Convent Series, beginning with A Dead Wizard’s Dream.

Set in the same world as the epic fantasy Convent series, beginning with "A Dead Wizard’s Dream", this collection of 11 fantasy short stories takes a closer look at lands and peoples less explored in the Chronicles series so far. From the barbaric and barren Lama Kulul Desert where dwell sinister lizard-men to the lush and lawless Archipelago where barbaric Goblins roam, this adventure-filled anthology is brimming with action, magic and old lore.

From the savage steppes of Nagali to the heart of intrigue in Quing Tzu, this anthology is packed with tales of the supernatural, of action and adventure. Set in the same world as the epic fantasy Convent series, beginning with A Dead Wizard’s Dream, this collection of 11 original fantastical short stories explores lands heretofore unseen in the series.