Salterin is a town full of fear. Fear and sheep. But mostly fear. It lies in the north of a principality recently shattered by the Hanese war, cut off from its neighbours and warily watching the advance of winter. Bandits and wolves haunt the woods, but something worse lies within. A monster named Therian has installed himself as lord of the manor and no one is foolish enough to oppose him. In their hour of need comes a man with one name. A man who will not suffer monsters. Or mutton. But mostly monsters.

Lynx is a mercenary with a sense of honour; a dying breed in the Shattered Kingdom. Failed by the nation he served and weary of the skirmishes that plague the continent's principalities, he walks the land in search of purpose. He wants for little so bodyguard work keeps his belly full and his mage-gun loaded. It might never bring a man fame or wealth, but he's not forced to rely on others or kill without cause. Little could compel Lynx to join a mercenary company, but he won't turn his back on a kidnapped girl. At least the job seems simple enough; the mercenaries less stupid and vicious than most he's met over the years. So long as there are no surprises or hidden agendas along the way, it should work out fine.

A new standalone novella set after the traumatic events of STRANGER OF TEMPEST. Lynx and the rest of the mercenary group he has reluctantly tied himself to find themselves with a little time to kill. Luckily, the city they've ended up in is holding a festival. And nothing spells fun more than a group of bored mercs and a lot of booze. But Lynx has his own plans. A quiet evening with Toil, a woman he hasn't quite worked out yet. Nothing difficult or serious. No fights. No trouble. So it's a shame there's a dead body on her floor. And Toil is missing. And the police are on the way up the stairs... Bridging the gap between novels, but entirely stand-alone, this novella throws Lynx and his companions into a plot which threatens them all.

There's a new Card in the Mercenary Deck - one Lynx isn't sure if he's happy to see or not. The assassin Toil now wears the Princess of Blood on her jacket and even Lynx would admit she's a woman cloaked in chaos and bloodshed.Their new mission is to escort a dignitary to the pious and ancient city of Jarrazir - beneath which lies a fabled labyrinth. Having barely survived their last underground adventure the mercenaries aren't keen for another, but Toil has other plans. Under threat of siege and horrors rising from the labyrinth, even the Mercenary Deck may have to accept that Jarrazir's prohibition laws aren't their biggest problem.

Lynx and the rest of the Cards are heading south. There's money in their pockets, beer in their hands and a simple job ahead - sun, sea and not getting shot at much. Throw in the prospect of a bar fight and it's almost a holiday. But the volatile Mage Islands are a powder-keg, one just waiting for a spark. A bloody-handed exile perhaps, or the agent of a foreign power preparing for war. Maybe even a bunch of trigger-happy drunks who've upset the balance of magic across the Riven Kingdom. Or all three together, that'd definitely work...

The time for heroes has come, but all the Riven Kingdom has is bastards. With war between the Militant Orders looming, the entire continent may soon be on fire. The very nature of magic has changed and the horrors of the deepest black are rising, but an even greater danger threatens to eclipse it all. Turning the tide of history may require a gamble only a bunch of drunken lunatics are willing to take. The old ways need breaking and that's one thing the Cards are good at. Just be careful what you wish for.