From fantasy author Anthony Ryan come four stories of dark magic and adventure set in the same world as his epic saga of the Seven Swords.

The Tomb of the Corpse King Famed thief Luthar Fairdrake is saved from execution by the powerful merchant queen Orsena Carvaro. In return for his life, he must guide her and her mercenary army across the Elgev Desert to the dreaded Tomb of the Corpse King. But why is she so intent on risking her life on this mission? And, more importantly, can he find a way to survive it and enrich himself in the process?

The Scarlet Ziggurat For centuries, the Scarlet Ziggurat, once the palace of a fabled Sorcerer Queen, has lain undisturbed beneath the dunes of the southern desert. Now Guyime, dispossessed king and wielder of the demon cursed Nameless Blade, has come to claim the ziggurat’s secrets. Guided by a mighty sorcerer, Guyime must defeat ancient and malign forces to claim his promised reward: release from the cursed sword on his back and the endless taunts of its demon inhabitant. But, in a world where magic equates to power, can any bargain be trusted?

The Ballad of Lorent and Illene In the war-torn Northern Kingdom, Sir Lorent Athil, the deadliest blade in service to the Ravager King, must bear a vital message to his liege or die in the attempt. Joining forces with the lethal assassin Lady Illene Norvelle, they fight to survive the pursuing Inquisitors of the Risen Church who will stop at nothing to hunt them down. Brave and noble to a fault, Lorent will face a stark choice: complete his mission for the king or lose the woman he loves.

The Beast of the Sundered Forest The Beast Charmer known only as Seeker scours the desert slaughtering bands of slavers but never finding her stolen daughter. Guided by an ancient prophecy to the lands across the northern sea, she is offered a bargain by a wealthy lord: kill the beast haunting his forest in return for knowledge of her daughter’s whereabouts. With no choice, Seeker ventures into the treacherous gloom of the Sundered Forest, but can even her skills prevail against a creature of mythic power?