A DARK FANTASY ADVENTURE Shield Scyldmund captured his prize: the bloody head of a desert chieftain. But despite the promise of desperately needed coins, the aging swordsman is disturbed. After two decades of hunting down deadly witches and warlocks for the Dhurman Empire, Shield and his ruthless band of mercenary Northmen have been reduced to common bounty hunters in the burning sands of Hopht. Their coin is running out. His men are talking of deserting and returning North. Even worse, Shield can no longer pursue his consuming vengeance against the magic wielders who murdered his father. On top of that, Shield is haunted by a vision of Birgid Wordswallow, the witch he once loved. So when Shield and his sword brothers are called away from the chaotic pillaging of the last walled city to hunt down a witch, Shield thinks things might take a turn for the better. But hunting a witch is never as simple as it seems…

A gritty fantasy novel... Shield Scyldmund has lost his purpose. For the past twenty years, Shield and his mercenary brothers the Hounds of the North have been purging the Dhurman Empire of warlocks and witches. But now the Dhurmans no longer want or trust the aging clansmen. So when an opportunity arises to return North to help an Apprentice Chronicler hunt down magic wielders, Shield sharpens his sword. But everything changes when Shield learns that the witch he is hunting is Birgid Wordswallow, the lover he abandoned two decades ago.

A simple job. Hunt down five killers to secure a bounty of five gems. But how much blood will be spilled? A gritty fantasy adventure of clashing swords, dark magic and death. Spear Spyrchylde is failing miserably as an outlaw in the borderlands of the North. Robbing pilgrims has resulted in only a few measly coins. Upstart warlords are encroaching on his territory. And his own impoverished crew is talking mutiny. So when a blood-covered girl offers Spear Spyrchylde a bounty of five gems for the heads of the five men who killed her family, he jumps at the chance to change his fortune. He’s got what it takes to hunt down these men: a hardened crew of bandits, a mysterious companion in a dark magic cloak, and his own blood-soaked sword. But tracking down the five seasoned killers in the wilderness of the borderlands won’t be easy. Especially when one of them is Spear’s former henchman Cruhund, now an insane warlord garrisoned behind the walls of a mountain fortress. So when everything starts to go wrong, Spear will need to decide how much blood he is willing to spill to fulfill his promise to deliver the five bloody heads.

What price would you pay for freedom? A gritty fantasy short story set in the Viking-inspired world of the Hounds of the North series. In a world of clan warfare, life for the young slave Werting is rife with misfortune. So when his longboat shipwrecks and he discovers a magical treasure, Werting sees a chance for freedom. But only if he willing to pay a price in blood. Originally published in Grim Dark Magazine. Includes a special bonus story. Buy The King Beneath the Waves to start this enthralling adventure today.