Ford Barlow is banished from his home and the clansmen he loves after a tragic accident forces him into joining a band of thieving boys. Adventure and fun abound and it seems Ford has found a perfectly fine new home until a mysterious massacre chases the boys away from their beloved woodland hideaway, through a magical and dangerous forest, and into the arms of conniving bandits. These vicious men push Ford to the brink of his moral limits in Beyond Barlow.

Murder in the streets. Murder in the houses of the holy. The violent deaths of prominent figures have the populous on edge. Now, amid fire and flood, the revolt is on. The castle is taken, the lord is on the run, and the city is crumbling. With society on the verge of collapse, impulsive street-fighter Ford Barlow finds himself in just as much turmoil. Not only is he juggling his own problems, but his slippery rogue friend is embroiled in a string of high-profile assassinations. Mercenary work for a mage meant to distance him from his troubles only highlights his selfish ways and drives him back into a crumbling world of scandal and betrayal. Magic, adventure and murder combine in this fantasy-mystery! The Rue of Hope is the second book in the Beyond Barlow series.

What could make a newly freed man risk recapture? Unjustly imprisoned upon a desolate island, Ford Barlow desires freedom more than anything. His second wish would be to enact vengeance upon a certain pesky priest. After finally getting off the island, he and his friends soon find themselves wallowing deep in the heart of Dargkivi, a remote underground slave city where a dwarfish race of greedy sadists toy with the lives of their captives. Escape is elusive. Attempt after attempt leads Ford deeper into danger. He struggles through caves, mines, sea and arena battles, and the ruins of a lost city where blood-thirsty creatures lurk in the hidden crevasses of the icy wilds. When a golden opportunity to escape does come along, a revealed truth and a purpose greater than himself changes everything. "A winner!" -Forrest Aguirre, author and World Fantasy Award recipient "Intellectual Grimdark" -S.E. Lindberg, Black Gate Magazine