A God attends Tirak’s father’s funeral and places a sacred gift in his hands. But comfort cannot erase what Tirak witnessed or the questions now growing inside him.
Golden End is available now.

#fantasy #books #darkfantasy #readers #epicfantasy #fantasybooks #news

Beware the Ills: Part 51

They’re not far ahead of me. I will meet them soon. I have not thought about the outcome yet; specifically, how I will spare her, and how I will kill Haukter. I really don’t have any answers on how I will accomplish these things. I can only theorize and act on instinct. I’m in the forest now. I’ve just cleared the outskirts of the Shingles. Those walking machines the invaders used were maniacal and blind, they caused unmatched damage. I don’t know how future Guardians will be against these advancements. If I spare her, and she can return, maybe that will cease the invasions. It’ll make them realize there’s nothing on this island but monsters and shattered warriors.

She must return to them.

The evening’s going to be arriving soon. I hope they can still light the torches for me and my hunt. The battle in the city, which appeared to last only a few moments, took the entire afternoon. I will never understand how time passes in combat. Another blood riddle for my memory and life, which lives like a blur.

I’m tired on the inside. I will not show it, but I am.

The poison, Blue, the Diamond Town, it has all been exhausting. Blue was more deserving of a shallow grave though, I had to do it right, I had to dig it deep. He had value.

He had love.

I’m running between the trees; they’re quiet, solemn, and awaiting the night. They look so permanent, so sturdy, it’s hard to believe anything could topple them, but our axes do it all the time.

At least they grow back.

I must concentrate. I cannot be distracted. The chances of me making a mistake are growing exponentially. After the encroachers there is only Haukter. I have absolutely no idea how I will deal with him. Not having confidence hurts. I’m not comfortable, or familiar with this feeling.

I’m almost to the river. They’ll be crossing it. The same watery spine as before, with its frosty marks of blood. They’ll still be there. I don’t want to see them. Maybe some of the cold and snow will smear away the marks. All this combat and strife, and the snow still twinkles in uncensored petals.   

The natural world isn’t without a sense of humor.

The trees are thinning ahead, the river will be nearby. I can hear them panting and running on the plates of ice. They panicked; they know I’m on their trail, and not the Ills who are too decimated. The Ills don’t pose a threat to anything or anyone. They’ve outgrown their bloodlust, and their violence. That means something to me. I don’t really know what, but I can feel it behind my eyes. The pain in my body from the battle feels illuminating. It has been so long since I’ve felt it.

I appreciate its splendor, its reality.

I know they’re not far. I’m curious to see their state. I break through the forest’s edge and the open land splits between the river and westward woods. The ice plates are moving in the center of the dark river line.

It’s them. 

Fifty, just fifty of the invading force. They’re staggering and trembling as they run. Their brown armor has been shredded and covered with slight crystals of frost. They have glistening wounds as well, but they keep running for the shore. I must give them credit for running in that state. She’s running as well. Apparently, my wound was painful, but not debilitating. Something moves on the opposite side of the shore. A form lunges out from the trees and onto the plates.

It’s Haukter.

He’s moving fast, at a full, hide-covered sprint. I can’t even see his feet touch the ground beneath the animal layers. They see him immediately. He’s a bit noticeable. I would hope they’d see him. I stop and sink back into the thin trees. I’ll leap into the fray, but I’ll have to play it just right.

Haukter has a weapon on his left side. It’s the big cleaver from before, with the strange handle. They fire arrows at him from their crossbows. His right sleeve flails up and knocks them away leisurely, yet violently, a strange combination of skill and rage.

I won’t intervene yet.

I must surprise him. I must take out one of his eyes to handicap him. I need the advantage. I’m too exhausted.

He releases the chained clever at them in a metallic twirl. The cleaver makes a light humming sound as it spins towards them. They must be panicking. They’re running in a clump, and not spreading out. The blade hits them. A few avoid it, but the rest are cut in half at the waist.

Quite the weapon, I’ll have to hurry.

Haukter retracts the cleaver back to him with a pull of his left sleeve. The range of the attack gives the invaders a few moments to recover. She charges Haukter totally normal, and not controlled by rage. Her axe dangles out at him as she closes the distance. Haukter recoils the weapon in a quick snap and holds it in front of his body. The remaining men skillfully fire arrows at him around her charging form. He knocks them away again with his right sleeve, not that they could pierce his hides. His brown rod falls out of his fabric. He swings it, and a cloud of red darts with white feathers breaks the air. She ducks, but the men behind her fall to the ground, convulsing and thrashing.

Soon they’ll be dead.

I’ll be releasing my novel Beware the Ills in segments every Friday. You can find out more about the book right here, or check out Amazon’s info. I love this book. Happy to simply share it. 

It is Friday. That means a cursed island, cannibals, giant squids, airships, swordfights, and much more. Enjoy Beware the Ills. You're approaching the end.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

https://patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/10/beware-the-ills-part-51/

Village concept for Ashenmoor, my tiny open world.

I'm also using this personal project as a reason to keep drawing.

Even with all the digital tools I use, sketching still feels irreplaceable when I need to work out an image.

A few lines, a wide view, and I can start understanding the village quietly, away from screens.

#Sketchbook #GameArt #ConceptArt #IndieGame #DarkFantasy #Ashenmoor

2/3
The priesthood says Harmony protects the world.
The poor are beaten in its name.
The faithful are told to kneel.
The Gods descend among mortals.
But after the explosion, Tirak hears one sentence he cannot forget:
“They lie to you.”

#darkfantasy #fantasy #epicfantasy #books #fantasyworld

Beware the Ills – Free Kindle Book Giveaway

My first novel, and dark fantasy novel Beware the Ills is FREE today through Sunday.

This is my favorite book I’ve written, but far from my most popular. First person, weird prose, cursed island, steampunk universe, and unforgettable battle scenes.

I have been slowly releasing it in segments on here the last year, but this is your chance to permanently own an edition on the Kindle. Revised a billion times since its first release. Details below:

For the last 30 years he has been the sole protector of the legendary Diamond Town. Every hour it snows, howls, and storms. Every week, wave after wave of invaders crawl through the woods scouring for a bit of fame and glory on this lost island — and he cuts them all down with indiscriminate slashes of his sword. No one has survived being the Guardian as long as him, and the shadows are seething with vengeance in the forests and mountains. A vengeful cannibal from a lost invasion, ancient beasts stalking about the mountains waiting to attack, and a fresh new batch of invaders with a beautiful berserker and emotionless captain are just a few of the festering plagues on this cursed island. There will be no respite. There will be no end to the war and strife. The winters are growing longer, the cold harsher, and the enemies bolder. Take a walk in the footsteps of the Diamond Town’s Guardian and his world, through his own blood-weary eyes. Count your footsteps and mind the silence, it’s time to hunt, and to fill the graveyard again.

Hit it HERE to get Beware the Ills for FREE on Kindle

Today, through Sunday, my dark fantasy novel Beware the Ills is free on Kindle for your downloading enjoyment. You can learn more about the book in the link below. Such a fantastic POV in a truly unique setting. Happy reading!

#darkfantasy #books #free #reading #writing #kindle #steampunk #fantasy

https://patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/09/beware-the-ills-free-kindle-book-giveaway/

“The truth sleeps within them. Not the veil you were fed.”

Tirak was meant to inherit a bakery.

Instead, he found forbidden tablets and a truth the Gods had buried for millennia.

Golden End
#fantasy #darkfantasy #epicfantasy #books #news

My Appalachian weird horror novella Godfestation comes out August 11 and you can pre-order it now from your favorite bookseller! Publishing via Sley House.
#books #horror #folkhorror #darkfantasy

T-1 until the cover reveal of Untwined!

Imbued was all about Calla suppressed, crowded, forced down by her own magic, by secrets, by ancient greed, and by circumstances. Untwined is breaking and flowing free (eventually), ongoing transformation, breathing, taking space and form, and blooming anew.

#bookstodon #books #indiebooks #fantasy #fantasybooks #darkfantasy #indieauthors

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The cover of Imbued by Helyna L. Clove. The digital art is very painting-like and features lush, thorny vegetation in purple and green colours on all sides, surrounding a white calla lily. The stalk of the lily is clutched by golden, sparkly, magical threads as if they were pulling it towards the ground. The cover is framed by golden swirly framing art, and the title and author name are written on it also with gold.

Tirak finally found people
who knew the truth.

Then he learned
they had killed his father.

Would you stay?

#fantasy #darkfantasy #epicfantasy #books #news

Pathway of the Zoogs ~ Beyond the Steps of Deeper Slumber

Beyond The Steps of Deeper Slumber to The Dreamlands, the dreamer comes to the Pathway of the Zoogs, eaters of kittens and small cats.

#AlternativeReality #DigitalArt #DreamLands #Eldritch #EldritchFriday #Fantasy #Phantasmagoria #WeirdFiction #Weird #WeirdFantasy #HPLovecraft #Art #EOS #EOS90D #Photography #Cats #DarkFantasy #Dreamscape

https://impliedspaces.wordpress.com/2026/07/03/pathway-of-the-zoogs-beyond-the-steps-of-deeper-slumber/

The guards were already approaching the bakery.

Tirak had only seconds.

He filled a bag with forbidden tablets, took what food he could carry, and escaped through the side door before they reached him.

Behind him came boots, shouting, and the life he might never return to.

Golden End is now available.

#DarkFantasy #EpicFantasy #books #news #fantasy

“Harmony is peace. Harmony is the path of virtue. Disharmony is blasphemy. Disharmony is to become a deviant. Oblivion.”

-The Emperor

Read more with Golden End

#darkfantasy #news #fantasy #books #epicfantasy

What do you do when the dead obey you…

but the God they’re holding starts smiling?

#fantasy #darkfantasy #readers #books #news #epicfantasy #literature #fantasyworld

Tirak raised the red flag.
The city erupted.
By the time the priests understood, he was already at the lighthouse.
The Gods would come next.

The rest of the record still exists, somewhere...

#fantasy #darkfantasy #epicfantasy #books #news

Read Hache Pueyo's "Cabaret In Flames" tonight
https://amzn.to/3Rqhs4g
📖🔥🔥🔥
A rather gripping novella about some vampiric (but not vampire) people.
#books #reading #fantasy #DarkFantasy

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Read Hache Pueyo's "Cabaret In Flames" tonight A rather gripping novella about some vampiric (but not vampire) people.

Beware the Ills: Part 47

She cuts her way through in a wild swing, cutting down her own troops along with Ills. The machines are firing on the melee, creating clouds of dark blue energy and arrows. The Ills are slaughtering the ground troops rather easily, but the machines still fire into the swarms, leaving the figures pulverized and mutilated. I’ve never really seen anything quite like this before.

I’m watching her cut through the Ills towards the prince at the end of their formation. He has bodyguards with red paint on their armor. I’m holding out hope that one of the Ills will step into her, evade the simple attack, and then stab her through the chest with one of their short spears.

None do though, she’s living thunder.

Besides her reckless slashing, the invaders are on their heels. I don’t think they expected these types of monsters to be living in the mountains or have this inherent furiousness. The Ills were built to brawl in tunnels and caves; a melee like this is practically second nature to them.

They cannot stop her. A new Ill, even multiple, step-in front of her, and are cleaved into portions with her ridiculous blade. They fall to the ground in green and bloody stumps. Her scream follows them as they topple, aching above the souring cold. She’s out of control, completely wild, a human animal. I feel sorry for her in a way. I don’t want to kill her. It’s something in my stomach, not quite sure what, but it’s there. I can feel it. I can disable the thick tube of metal running along her spin, which delivers power to the rest of her body. If I disable it, I should cease these berserker tendencies. She might’ve been a decent human being before this hideous alteration occurred.

It seems distasteful to engineer someone biologically to be a killer.

More Ills fall. I run. She’s becoming more savage the closer she gets to the prince. Her white body glows with the blue fire, and the bandages around her have been ripped and shredded by the battle. I cannot allow her to kill him. If the prince falls under her axe, there will be no peace, no armistice, only endless killing.

I must save him. There can be no more killing. If I fall to Haukter, who will protect the Ills? Who will protect the Diamond Town?

I run.

The Ills are clashing savagely with the encroachers as I run through. The steel mixes with crunching bones into a sinewy red cauldron. Shields fall upon shields, tendon and vein mixing in each strike. I dart so fast they can barely sense me, let alone see me. I count the number of Ills between the berserker woman, and the prince. I count ten. No tattooed bodyguards from earlier. They would be able to hold her strikes, those were scarred fighters. They must be out commanding the wings, taking down the machines. Some men scream and aim their crossbows in the direction of my dash. I cut their faces off in one vertical swipe. I hear quick and throaty gurgles. I’m running even faster than before. I can see the prince’s face through the bloody, twisting masses.

He cannot die.

She’s in front of him. The axe looks wild and gleaming in the sunlight. She’s drenched in blood, making her blond hair black and tangled. The prince has fallen down on his back but holds his curved sword in front of him. He doesn’t look scared. I’m impressed. He won’t be able to stop the massive axe head.

I leap. I pray. She’s swinging her axe down at him.

She takes her time in the middle of her vertical stroke. She must be relishing the moment. Her animal mind can still be sadistic. I get in-between her axe blade, and the prince in a black-metal blur. I’ve got both hands on my sword. I kick him back away from me. Some of his grizzled troops run to circle him.

The axe comes down, and I swing my sword to collide.

The shock of steel knocks everyone away from us, like the white sand upon the black waves. The berserker must be at peak strength. My hands tremble under the pressure of the grinding axe, it’s impressive. Her face shines pale and fades blue. The energy must be bleeding out of her. Her face glows with blue tears. You cannot see a single drop of blood, only the fiery indigo.

What have they made her into? She’s inhuman.

Her bloody hair billows angrily in the wind. She’s bitten her lip, and a blue glow runs down her pale narrow chin. She’s bent over me, pouring all her strength and pressure into the obscene axe.

I imagine only Haukter will be stronger than her.

We cannot stay locked like this much longer. Neither soldier nor Ill interferes. She’s panting over the edge of the axe. More inhumanity. I can’t maintain this strength any longer, the pressure pushes beyond comprehension. I swing my left shoulder with its steel black point. The spike knocks the axe off balance, and I slide my sword out from underneath. The axe smashes a small crater into the ground in a rocky flourish. I break away from her running full speed. I need to get away from the crowds, so I can maneuver my long sword more when countering that axe.

Up close, the axe has complete dominion.

She follows me faster and more wildly than before. She swings the axe at my shadow, just barely missing my legs. The sun hits us with heavy rays, and the valley glints stars with all its fallen steel. This sprint moves us quickly past the battlefield, soon we’ll be at the foot of the mountains and hidden paths.

She’s beyond fast, I can’t outrun her anymore.

She leaps in the air in a blue bound and slams her axe into me. My sword swings up to counter. I grip it with both hands. Sparks shower and rocks split. Each strike echoes towards the Ills and encroachers. They have completely stopped fighting to watch us.

I would prefer for them to kill one another.

I’ll be releasing my novel Beware the Ills in segments every Friday. You can find out more about the book right here, or check out Amazon’s info. I love this book. Happy to simply share it. 

It is difficult to cut these sections into pieces when at such a pivotal moment. Hope you're enjoying your trip to the Cursed Island. Not a whole lot more left.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

https://patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com/2026/06/12/beware-the-ills-part-47-2/

Golden End is out now.

The Gods still walk among mortals.

At a sacred festival, Tirak survives what should have killed him.

His father does not.

Now ancient tablets have fallen into his hands, and the truth buried beneath worship, law, and fear begins to surface.

Dark fantasy. Active Gods. Mortal consequences.

Read Golden End:
https://www.oliviernorion.eu/books/golden-end/

#fantasy #release #news #books #Bookstodon #epicfantasy #darkfantasy #readers #update

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Cover of Golden End by Olivier Norion.

Two days remain.

The Golden End releases 12 June 2026.

Tirak thought the Gods protected Harmony.
Then a festival became smoke, thunder, and screams.

What survived that day should have stayed buried.

For those who walk towards Harmony

#fantasy #darkfantasy #fantasyworld #news #books #story

Tirak did not leave Lagash as a hero.

He left with stolen truth on his back, guards behind him, and his mother watching from temple steps.

Some beginnings look like disgrace.

#darkfantasy #fantasy #epicfantasy #books #story #readers

Sinakku smiled like a God.

Erekigal offered grief a stone.

The priests destroyed old words.

And Tirak began to understand:

divine kindness can still hide a knife.

#darkfantasy #fantasy #epicfantasy #literature

Tomorrow. It happens tomorrow. Disclosure Day. The Big Hunt. Case files loaded. Grab your ticket for Writing the Occult: Seekers. Join us online to talk all things weird and paranormal investigations. Tix/full details: writingtheoccult.carrd.co

#writers #writing #writingcommunity #horror #sciencefiction #scifi #fantasy #darkfantasy #occult #paranormal #supernatural #thexfiles #creativity #creativetoots #film #tv #books

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A graphic of a red flying saucer with a white beam of light at the bottom, next to the number 1 indicating one day to go until Writing the Occult: Seekers.

A God gave Tirak a gift.

A stranger stole it.

The chase led him beneath an unfinished temple, where old stone waited with words no priest wanted alive.

Some truths are buried for a reason.

#darkfantasy #epicfantasy #story #fantasy #books

RE: https://mastodon.social/@skipscherer/116642423031779484

Delve 135!

How do you deal with the unexpected? Does it scare you, make you bold, or stop you in your tracks?

In this world, what you think you know about yourself is always in question. The only way to truly know is not to escape—it’s to bind yourself more tightly.

Fantasy Serial New Tuesdays and Fridays

#books #reading #amreading #entertainment #writingcommunity #books #fantasy #darkfantasy

NEWS: my Appalachian weird horror novella, GODFESTATION, will have a book launch event in San Diego at Through the Fold Books on August 15 at 6 PM!
Learn more on their site:
https://throughthefold.com/event/2026-08-15/godfestation-book-launch-party

#horror #books #horrorbooks #darkfantasy #appalachia

I like Logen, Luther, West, Glotka certainly, and I love Frost, bro is just employed, does his job, lol. Dogman's my dude, all the characters rule.

Witty, funny, dramatic, tense, even, dare I say... hot?

I'm halfway through, started Act 2 but I digest media slowly. I might skip back to Foundation 3 before finishing TFL trilogy.

#books #literature #kindle #reading #reads #cozy

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Joe Abercrombie - "Before They Are Hanged"