Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith. He has no family now save the Order. Vaelin's father was Battle Lord of the Empire of King Janus. Vaelin's rage at being deprived of his birthright and dropped at the doorstep of the Sixth Order like a foundling knows no bounds. He has little memory of his mother, and what he will come to learn of her at the Order will confound him. His father, too, has motives that Vaelin will come to understand. But one truth overpowers...

THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF ALCEDON, THE SUN-BLESSED REALM WHICH HAS KNOWN ONLY PEACE FOR GENERATIONS, NOW BESET BY BLOODY REBELLION SPARKED BY THE EMERGENCE OF AN ANCIENT EVIL… Into this troubled land comes Guyime, legendary ravager king of the north made immortal by the demonic sword he carries. Leading his band of sword bearers, Guyime must prevent the arch-demon Kalthraxis claiming the Warlord’s Tulwar, the last of the seven demon cursed blades. To do so he is forced to ally himself with the King of Alcedon and lead his army onto the dreaded Road of Storms, to fight a war that may cost all their lives and seal the fate of the world…

The land of Ascarlia, a fabled realm of bloodied steel and epic sagas, has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. No one has dared question their rule. Until now. Whispers speak of longships of mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under the banners of a murderous cult of oath-breakers long thought extinct. A tide of black steel that threatens to vanquish all in its path. Thera of the Blackspear, favored servant of the Sister Queens, is ordered to uncover the truth. As Thera sails north, her reviled brother, Felnir, sets out on his own adventure. He hopes to find the Vault of the Altvar – the treasure room of the gods – and win the Sister Queens’ favor at his sister’s...

Seven strangers - all bearing weapons but with no memory of who they are - must band together and undertake a terrifying journey into the heart of darkness A man awakes on a boat at sea with no memory of who or where he is. He's not alone - there are six others, each with a unique set of skills. None of them can remember their names. All of them possess a gun. When a message appears on the onboard computer - Proceeding to Point A - the group agrees to work together to survive whatever is coming. But as the boat moves through the mist-shrouded waters, divisions begin to form. Who is directing them and to what purpose? Why can't they remember anything? And what are the screams...

THE SORROW SEA--THE MOST FEARED REGION IN ALL THE FIVE SEAS--PLAGUED BY STORMS, PROWLED BY A MURDEROUS PIRATE KING, AND HOME TO INHUMAN TERRORS. Continuing their quest for the Seven Swords, legendary warrior Guyime and his companions must brave these perilous tides to find the mythic Spectral Isle, where once a demon named Lakorath was captured by a sorcerer of great power. Here ancient plans will be unveiled and the secret purpose of the seven demon cursed blades may finally be revealed... Continuing the saga of The Seven Swords, Across the Sorrow Sea is a fast-moving tale of seafaring adventure and dramatic revelations from the New York Times bestselling author of the Raven's Shadow and...

For centuries the Sentinel Eyrie has stood watch over the Maw, the foul lair of the Voice and its monstrous servants. Long have the dishonoured and the damned journeyed to the Eyrie in search of restored honour. Shamil, disgraced warrior from the southern desert, has journeyed to the Eyrie seeking redemption for a terrible crime. To earn it he must win the trust of a Great Wing, one of the mighty birds that carry the sentinels into battle. But such trust is not easily won, and the Voice is rising…

It's been a long journey for Alwyn Scribe. Born a bastard and raised an outlaw, he's now a knight and the most trusted advisor to Lady Evadine Courlain. Together they've won countless battles and helped to bring order to a fractured kingdom. Yet Evadine is not the woman Alwyn once knew. As puritanical fury increasingly replaces her benevolent faith, Alwyn begins to question what her true motives really are. As the kingdom braces itself for one final battle, Alwyn's conscience fights its own war with his heart. Now, more than ever, he must decide whose side he's really on.

GUYIME--DEMON CURSED WIELDER OF THE NAMELESS BLADE--FOLLOWS THE TRAIL OF THE FABLED SEVEN SWORDS INTO THE TROUBLED NORTHLANDS, A REALM WHERE HE WAS ONCE CALLED KING...AND RAVAGER. Magically guided to enlist in the retinue of a lovesick knight, Guyime and his companions journey to the haunted ruin of Blackfyre Keep, a castle legend tells cannot be held. But a far deadlier threat than mere ghosts awaits. An ancient evil has been conjured and to defeat it Guyime may be forced to become the monster he used to be--the Ravager reborn.

Times have changed for Alwyn Scribe. Once an outlaw, he's now a spymaster and sworn protector of Lady Evadine Courlain, whose visions of a demonic apocalypse have earned her the fanatical devotion of the faithful. Yet Evadine's growing fame has put her at odds with both Crown and Covenant. As trouble brews in the kingdom, both seek to exploit her position for their own ends. Sent to the Duchy of Alundia to put down a rebellion, Alwyn must rely on old instincts to fight for his new cause. Deadly feuds and ancient secrets are laid bare as war erupts, a war that will decide the fate of the Kingdom of Albermaine and, perhaps, prevent the coming of the prophesied Second Scourge.

Our Fourth Collection of Deep Magic fantasy and science fiction stories remains one of the most cost-effective ways to access larger collections of the short fiction we feature. As will previous collections, this one does not include the novel excerpts, but otherwise includes all of the short fiction from the four issues collected. Please enjoy your introduction to these worlds and characters, and if you are returning to these stories for another look, welcome back.