Brian Keene is the Bram Stoker and Grand Master award-winning bestselling author of over forty books, including Darkness on the Edge of Town, Dark Hollow, and The Rising trilogy. He's also written comic books such as The Last Zombie, Doom Patrol, and Dead of Night: Devil Slayer.

Steven L. Shrewsbury lives, works, and writes one day at a time. Over 365 of his short stories have been published in print or digital media since the late 80s along with over 100 of his poems. He writes in the realms of horror and sword & sorcery.

Brian Keene is the Bram Stoker and Grand Master award-winning bestselling author of over forty books, including Darkness on the Edge of Town, Dark Hollow, and The Rising trilogy. He's also written comic books such as The Last Zombie, Doom Patrol, and Dead of Night: Devil Slayer.

Steven L. Shrewsbury lives, works, and writes one day at a time. Over 365 of his short stories have been published in print or digital media since the late 80s along with over 100 of his poems. He writes in the realms of horror and sword & sorcery.

King of the Bastards by Brian Keene and Steven L. Shrewsbury

Part sword and sorcery, part extreme horror, King of the Bastards is a wild adventure across seas, beaches, and mountains full of horrifying monstrosities, dark magic, and demonic entities.

Rogan has been many things in his life as an adventurer — a barbarian, a thief, a buccaneer, a rogue, a lover, a reaver, and most recently, a king. Now, this prehistoric bane of wizards and tyrants finds himself without a kingdom, lost in a terrifying new world, and fighting for his life against pirates, zombies, and the demonic entity known as Meeble. And even if he defeats his foes, Rogan must still find a way to return home, regain his throne, save his loved ones, and remind everyone why he's the KING OF THE BASTARDS.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Horror grand master Keene joins forces with prolific author Shrewsbury to craft a wild sword and sorcery romp teeming with images of extreme horror, the winner of the 2016 Imadjinn Award for Best Fantasy Novel. – Mike Allen

 
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

"Come, young ones. You grow weary of our journey across this endless sea? Sit down and I will tell you a tale of your grandfather."

Sweeping back his long black hair, the tallest youth looked at his father and then at the waves beyond the edge of their craft. "You mean Grampa, who tends the animals down in the hold and cleans the shit from their stalls?"

"No, not him, Gomer! While a fine man, your grandfather down below was not an adventurer. I speak of your other grandfather, the man from whose seed your mother sprang."

A second boy settled in on the deck. Unlike Gomer, his hair was blonde. Despite the contrast, they were clearly brothers.

"Is it true he was a savage warrior?"

"Yes, Magog, that is so. Your grandfather was a man of great power. He made himself into one of the most feared men of the olden realm. He was a fighter and a king, a man who laughed at the birthplace of thunder and lightning."

Gomer did not look up from the rolling sea. "Was grandfather king of the entire old world?"

"No, he ruled but a small part of it. But he was known, feared, and lusted after throughout the entire old world. Kings, women, brigands, and bards—all knew his name. It is whispered that he was known even in the depths of Hell itself. Indeed, some say he was known throughout the Labyrinth."

Many of the children blinked at this assertion, but Gomer continued to watch the sea. Below their feet, deep within the bowels of the ship, a horse neighed. The sky seemed to grow darker.

"It is too bad he isn't here with us," Magog lamented. He followed his brother's gaze, eyeing the waters surrounding the boat, hoping that the others would not notice he was trembling. He feared the huge reptilian shapes that reared up, watching them from afar with cold, obsidian eyes, before vanishing into the depths again.

"It was not his destiny to live on this way," their father continued. "But listen now, and I will tell you of a tale late in his life, when he too was on a long journey over the sea. Perhaps his courage will take your mind from our plight. He too was nearing unexplored lands and mysterious places—far, far beyond the edges of the maps of that time. He faced an uncertain future, just as we do."

The boys' expressions grew troubled.

"Look out at those waves," their father said. "Your grandfather sailed and fought over this very same sea. Beneath us, the Earth twists on its foundation, re-shaping, changing its face. In your grandfather's day, it was not such a cataclysmic time. Yet even then, things were never simple.

"Come, my sons, and I will tell you the beginning of the tale of the bastards of King Rogan!"