Author: David C. Smith

Waters of Darkness

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Waters of Darkness
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Sailing Against the Tides of Hell!

The time is 1640 AD. The Age of Pirates.

Angus “Bloody Red” Buchanan, infamous in the West Indies, sets sail across the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and the island of Madagascar in search of new plunder and loot. With him on his Spanish galleon, the Raven, is his first mate and closest friend, Mose Cooper, an educated runaway slave from the American colony of Louisiana. Sailing alongside them aboard her own ship, the Witch of the Indies, is Buchanan’s partner and the love of his life, fiery Katherine O’Toole—Crimson Kate.

During their voyage they will encounter the spawn of the Deep Ones on the Isle of Shadow, confront an ancient ship of zombie sailors, do battle with French, Dutch, and Arab corsairs, and tangle with a 1000-year-old Persian sorcerer who serves Dagon, the Philistine god of the sea. Man-eating phantoms, a beautiful demoness, assorted devils, dinosaurs, and creatures from the bowels of Hell will all threaten these crews before their tale is done and told.

There’s plenty of action, romance, betrayal, humor, drama, and tragedy to be had on this venture—as well sword-play, dark sorcery, and violent battles at sea. Wade hip-deep in the blood and brine with Buchanan and his mates toward the final confrontation with the Undying Wizard.

Here’s a rousing, high-seas adventure of pirates, swords, sorcery, and the supernatural in the tradition of Robert E. Howard, with a touch of H.P. Lovecraft to spice up the rum. So climb aboard as “Bloody Red” Buchanan, Big Mose Cooper, and Crimson Kate set sail upon the Waters of Darkness.

“The characterization of the protagonists and antagonists are what sets Waters of Darkness apart. A startling story development three-quarters of the way through the book left me certain a supernatural cheat was headed by the end of the story, but the authors chose to avoid a clichéd ending and instead play fair with readers. . . Any book this good that doesn’t follow the formula note for note is really exceptional and worthy of closer scrutiny.” — William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate Online Magazine.

“Smith and Bonadonna have truly captured the feel of the pirate life in terms of their skill at using language and jargon of pirates and their knowledge of the time period in which this tale takes place. What they have brought to the page is truly impressive. The adventure combines pirate lore, with high fantasy, vengeance, horror, demonic adversaries and imaginative beasts, to give you a hell of a ride. The vision created in the readers mind will stay well after this story has ended.” — Jeanne E. Rogers, author of the award-winning, The Sword of Demelza.

Sometime Lofty Towers

Sometime Lofty Towers
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“This Will Be a Quick War”

Twenty years ago, Hanlin and Thorem fought side by side as mercenaries in the Border Wars, hired by rich landowners and the settled business interests to push the western frontier farther into lands held by the westlings—the kirangee, the People, who have lived there for untold generations.

Now the business interests intend to encroach still farther on the territory held by the People. Hired by the wealthy Lady Sil of Tidon to assist in this enterprise, Thorem cannot convince Hanlin to join him on another campaign. Following the earlier battles, Hanlin had gone to live with the kirangee, learned some of their ways, married a kirangia woman—and has no interest in making war against them again.

But Hanlin’s and Thorem’s destinies will nevertheless become entangled once more as both are drawn back to the frontier that saw their earlier glories—and failures.

David C. Smith, recognized for a career spent writing sword-and-sorcery and weird fiction, here offers an insightful, often brutal modern novel that vividly brings to life the ferocious wills and dark hearts of the skilled mercenaries and the redoubtable kirangee. The People will raise the sorcery of their ancestors to defend their land at all costs, but Lady Sil will not be deterred, for as Thorem tells his old friend, “As mothers breed sons, the sons breed war.”

The Legend of Paks: Earth and Shadow

The Legend of Paks: Earth and Shadow
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For the past five hundred years, the human Kingdom of Paks has been forged upon the ruins of a magical age of Magi. Bishop Kaiser is thrust onto the throne following the horrific murder of his parents. After years of its own wars, the Kingdom returns to peace, until a near fatal attack changes Bishop in a way that nobody can understand or explain.

Bishops new and aggressive persona sends the kingdom into turmoil and reignites war between the sects.
The young Prince Farren finds himself caught between the love for his brother, and war. Farren is quickly forced out of his rambunctious, adolescent ways and struggles to gain strength to save his friends.

The danger is far greater than everyone realizes, and it will take help from some very unexpected sources for Farren and Commander Coal Lucer to avert war, and worse; the coming of a new and dark age.

Just as it was beginning to be thought of as legend, magic starts to flow once again in the land of Paks.

Tales of Attluma

Tales of Attluma
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Fascinating Tales from a Forgotten Era of Fantasy Fiction

A resurrected sorcerer grants the wishes of the desperate men who have returned him to life—but in ways none of them anticipates.

A prince makes a bargain with a barbarian criminal to travel into a lost world of violence and sorcery to save the life of a woman who may already be dead.

Marauders who attack a city devoted to a great goddess suffer her strange curse when she answers the pleas of her dying priestess.

The last survivors of an ancient continent confront evil at every step as they march beneath skies of endless darkness to reach the haven they hope will lead them to safety.

These tales and a dozen more by fantasy and adventure author David C. Smith appear in this unique collection. Out of print for more than 40 years, these stories were first published in the days of limited-circulation fanzines—the only avenue for new work created by the generation of writers who grew up in the shadow of the pulp magazines. The paperback reprints of those pulp stories in the late 1960s and early 1970s encouraged an entire generation of young writers to enlarge on that tradition of popular American storytelling. Now they are in print once more for a new generation of fantasy fiction enthusiasts.

Oron

Oron
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The Original Sword-and-Sorcery Epic in a New, Author-Approved Edition!

Oron the Wolf, a barbarian outlander, rises to become a commander in the army of General Amrik of Salasal. But the young fighter is meant for greatness far above military service. He is the Na-Kha, the legendary figure fated to confront an evil from the dawn of Time—the demon Kossuth.

The Wolf gains a throne when he rescues Princess Desdira, the rightful ruler of Neria, from armed nobles who have turned against her. But becoming a king means that Oron must confront the brutal Amrik. The general has earned a kingdom of his own and now wishes to conquer Neria with the aid of Kossuth, who is poisoning the land with plague and darkness. To face these enemies, Oron will accept his destiny and prepare for a confrontation with elemental evil that could throw the world into anarchy.

Available again for the first time since its original appearance nearly 50 years ago, this classic of the sword-and-sorcery genre comes to you in a text completely refreshed by the author.