The Root of all Things

Sword and Sorcery, big beasties and more... a baker's dozen of historical fantasy stories

I've tried my hand at several works of fantasy over the years, and they almost always come out the same way -- pulpy, with swords, sorcery, monsters and bloody battles to the fore. It's the way I roll. I may start with good intentions, of writing high fantasy with political intrigue and courtly goings on but, as in the Watchers series, my inner barbarian muscles to the fore, says Blow this for a lark, and starts hacking. 

The blame for my enthusiasm can be laid squarely at several doors.

There's Conan, of course, and Elric, Corum, Hawkmoon and the whole pantheon of Eternal Champions; there's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Solomon Kane, Jon Shannow, the princes of Amber and the shades of a thousand more by the likes of Poul Anderson, A E Merritt, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H Rider Haggard and many others.

All of them can be found in echoes in these stories.

• THE CAULDRON OF CAMULOS
• THE LAST MAGICIAN
• A KNIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER
• SAMURAI
• THE LONGEST MILE
• BROTHERHOOD OF THE THORNS
• HOUNDS OF THE DAWN
• THE MILL DANCE
• VULCAN'S FORGE
• THE MOUTH OF THE NESS
• OUTPOSTS
• THE CAPTAIN'S FEVER
• THE ROOT OF ALL THINGS