Showing results by author "Keith C. Blackmore" in All Categories

Crazy. Brutal. Unpredictable. And those are their good qualities. A pair of foul-mouthed mercenaries go on a suicide mission in this otherworldly fantasy. After accepting a mission that no one wanted, He-Dog and Ballless travel the treacherous Lands of the South to the glittering city of Foust. There, they find the fabled walls under siege. A vicious, seething army of Beastmen surround the city, intent on sacking it and feasting upon every last citizen within.

Once every year, in the city of Sunja, gladiators meet in the arena known as Sunja’s Pit. Some are lured there by the prospect of fortune or fame; others come simply for the thrill of the fight. The games continue for days, until a champion is crowned—or all involved perish. When it becomes clear that to be a Free Trained pit fighter is to live with a mark on one’s head, four warriors struggle to change their lot, both in and out of the arena. But that’s easier said than done, and not everyone is pleased to learn of their plans.

In the dead of winter, on a highway in Quebec, a man crashes his car and survives. In New York, a homeless person is run over by a bus and lives. A teenager jumps off a high-rise building in Tokyo and fails in her attempt to take her own life. All around the world, miracles like these are taking place. Death seems to have taken a holiday, and humanity breathes a sigh of relief. But over the course of the next week, some people will begin to suspect the terrible truth behind these marvels. A handful will even search it out. One man will find it.

A warrior with a secret, a ruthless band of cutthroats, and a monster of ancient legend converge in this fantasy from the author of the Mountain Man series. It’s a time of war. After years of relentless battle, the tired nation of Sunja realizes its spine is close to breaking. Desperate for aid, the country’s king dispatches a company of soldiers to the north in a desperate plea for help from its neighbors.

Feeling the weight of sustained injuries, Halm decides upon his future with the Ten, prompting a crippled Pig Knot to contemplate his own remaining days. And an act of vengeance drives Borchus into hiding. Within the underbelly of the Pit, arrangements are made to introduce Sunja’s most despised and dangerous criminals into the games, including a captured group of Nordish Jackals. Meanwhile, the House of Ten prepares for a day of blood matches—when the gladiator known as Junger is sure to become a legend.

Simmering with the pain of loss, the warrior known as He-Dog and his silent, disfigured companion Chop are the last two survivors of the fallen city of Foust. Pursued by ruthless beastmen, former slaves of the Zuthenian Empire, they fight to stay alive in the unforgiving land of Big Rock. Their only hope: travel across the ocean to the mysterious jungle island of the Sanjou—a place untouched by time—following whispers of an unfathomable treasure. But they are not alone.