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Anthologies
Magic in the Melanin
In this anthology, everybody is Black.
Filled with epic battles, complicated families, soft kisses, and sharpened blades, Magic in the Melanin is an Adult fantasy anthology that showcases Black authors who write magical stories of all kinds. Featuring full-page artwork to accompany your adventure through the pages, this anthology is what fantasy looks like when Blackness is centered and the imaginations of Black creators are unhindered. Dive into these stories and discover countless worlds where magic is truly in the melanin.
The Promised Road: A Tale of Nahwalla
Synopsis: Royal guard Arazaki and his wife, Noluthando are given a simple task, escort Queen Sizakele Morowa to the sacred birthing chambers to give birth to the heir of fledgling Morowan kingdom. But danger lies behind every tree and shadow in the dreaded Sangeya Forest. To survive and ensure the future of their land, Arazki must face foes empowered by dangerous magic while Noluthando's declared loyalties to her queen, her father, her husband, and her land collide.
When the sun rises the next day, which promise will endure?
Excerpt:
Twenty men were not enough to protect the caravan. There
would be too many gaps in their formation that any group of
mounted attackers could exploit. Twenty was too precarious
a number, it meant every man mattered. Should one or even
two lose heart and flee, their strength would easily diminish.
Arazaki could only sigh and adjust his greaves. He had
brought these concerns to Queen Sizakele Morowa three
moons ago when she ordered this procession. He had used
every rhetorical technique he had learned in his fifteen years
of serving and protecting the high caste to change her mind
and avoid possible disaster.
He had used flattery, charm,
fearmongering, speculation, conjecture, comparison, and
religious tenets, none of it worked. If anything, the selfdeclared
Queen of the Cwatha Peninsula only seemed to dig
her heels further into the idea. Not even the thought of losing
their precious cargo seemed to sway her.
“Our cause is true and just,” Queen Sizakele had insisted.
“The goddess Omutonzi would not turn Her back on us. She
will guide us down this road and to Her temple. Our faith will
shield us and the precious cargo.”
“If faith was all that was required, then why do I wear armor
into battle?”
Arazaki scoffed under his breath. He scowled at
himself. He knew better than to voice such thoughts aloud.
With the high caste and their games at court, even when you
thought you were alone, you never were.
Reviews:
"'Magic in the Melanin' is a breathtaking testament to the boundless imagination of Black creators in fantasy literature. This anthology doesn't just promise to center Blackness—it delivers with stunning artistry and uncompromising vision. Omari Richards' "The Promised Road" deserves special recognition for its exceptional character development and intricate world-building—this story reads like a tantalizing glimpse into a larger universe that begs to be explored further. Richards demonstrates remarkable skill in creating a narrative that feels both complete and expansive, leaving readers hungry for more adventures in this beautifully crafted world."- Book Island
"This book promised to be the Blackest book I've ever read and it did not disappoint!" -CallMe.Tippy
" A book filled with fantasy stories that are Blackity Black Black with no trauma and this DELIVERED! And the artwork is gorgeous! I really enjoyed taking my time through the book and reading each story."- Bianca Newby
Purchase Magic in the Melanin
Shapers of Worlds Vol. 5
The fifth and final installment in a series of powerhouse anthologies featuring some of today’s top authors of science fiction and fantasy
From outer space to inner space, from realms of the never-were to those of the here-and-now and the soon-to-be, the twenty-four authors in this fifth and final collection of science fiction and fantasy by writers featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers plunge readers into fantastic worlds filled with unforgettable characters.
Travel into the past, the present, and the future in stories set in our world, in deep space, in the land of dreams, and in worlds of pure imagination, shaped by an outstanding roster of authors featuring many bestsellers and award-winners. All you have to do is turn the page . . .
The Crumbling Walls: A Tale of Nahwalla
When Princess Abbeba Kisaye's four year love affair with Prince Muwali Uhitaji, is exposed, everything around her crumbles. The rival Uhitaji clan raises its armies prepared to crush the smaller Kisaye clan. Abbeba's mother, Queen Nitsuwa Kisaye threatens to disown her, and Abbeba's four year old daughter is caught in the middle. Abbeba's only hope for her daughter and her land lies within the pages of a mysterious magical book that offers her three possibilities, each with price higher than the last. With the walls falling around her, will Abbeba's path lead her to wisdom or destruction?
Excerpt:
She knew kissing him was wrong. Every stolen moment chipped against the wall of alliances that Mother created to protect their land. The parentage of their daughter was more than enough to destroy the wall completely and unleash the full might of the Uhitaji clan. But as he pressed her against a small corner wall on the battlements, none of that mattered. His hand slid down her wide hip as their lips danced in unity. She wrapped her leg around his waist pulling him even closer. Their shared heat burned the world around them to nothing. There was nothing else, nothing left but them.
Reviews:
"This fifth installment of the SHAPERS OF WORLDS anthology brings us another delectable batch of science fiction and fantasy short stories for readers of every sensibility. The breadth of the genre offerings (from real world-based among human characters to otherworldly adventures with fantastical beings) and the international line-up of authors makes this a true benchmark of how short fiction in the genre market is shaping up." - Amy
"Looking for an anthology with a dynamic cast of stories? Then look no further than Shapers of Worlds Volume V. There is a story for everyone in this anthology."- Scribble's Worth Book Reviews
" Creative, thoughtfully crafted, and entertaining, “Shapers of the World Volume V” is a must-read anthology collection of sci-fi, fantasy, and even elements of horror. The twists and turns in each story and the inventive twist on genre fusion propel each story forward, and these elements will stay with readers long after the last story ends."- Anthony
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Short Stories
The Burning Valley
Synopsis:
"Their beauty is a lure to misfortune."
These words ring in the ears of Kefiwe, a mercenary hired to extract a strange book from the invader, Shafiq Al-Qadir and his so-called, Dragon Horde. For the sake of a camp of refugees and her stomach, they are words that must be ignored.
However, an exposed position, a reckless plan, and bad luck brings Kefiwe face-to-face with a creature no amount of wisdom or training could ever prepare her for.
Hers is only the first of many, Tales of Nahwalla.
Excerpt
There weren’t always dragons in the valley. The Red River Valley was once saturated with music, dances, and dueling griots who recited tale after tale seeking the loudest applause and praise from the gathered tribes. Applause that echoed down the valley’s copper cliffs and faded into the rocks, adding to the stones’ vast memory of all those who had dwelled within its might for thousands of years.
Kefiwe could still remember the stories her mother told her as they sat at the loom, stories about finding lost voices of their ancestors that dwelled deep in the cliffs’ fissures. Tales of hearing entire sagas recited by griots long past if she remained still in the night and listened to the stones singing to the wind.
There was no singing in the valley now. No music. No chorus of memory.
There was only fire, metal, and screams.
The Jengu's Fortune
Synopsis
Shipwrecked, marooned, and alone, the smuggler Lubwa is prepared for despair when he stumbles upon a jengu, a messenger of the seas. Desperate for escape, Lubwa begs the jengu for her fabled aid. With her help, Lubwa is swept by good fortunte, however, he soon learns that all good things come with a price.....
Excerpt
The waves held no mercy. They tore through the wood of the raft, ripped off the mast, and devoured the last of the rope. The sail, or what was left of it, twisted above the roaring sea free and ignorant of the turmoil.
Lubwa kicked against the wicked current that constricted him. The shore was a faint speck of shadow and silhouette against the roaring torrent. The raindrops hammered against his skin. Each impact like falling metal. The depths of the sea opened its mouth wide, prepared to claim yet another unfortunate sailor as its next meal. It was a fate that Lubwa knew would be his one day. Every time the sail was hoisted, every time the hull cut through the waves, every time men dared to encroach on the domain of the sea goddess, Mukwano, they risked her fury. No mercy would be given. So Lubwa wouldn’t ask for it.
He took a breath and kicked. His muscles ached. Salt consumed every surface of his mouth. He could no longer feel his legs. The cold was doing its work. Lightning cracked across the sky; the island became a speck of green before vanishing in the dark. But it was all Lubwa needed.
If you can swim, you can live, his father whispered.
“Swim and live….” Lubwa muttered, his arms and numb legs moving at pace. “Swim and live. Swim and live.”
A log burst from the depths. It drifted without direction before nudging against his side. Lubwa saw himself throw his arm around the object. Good fortune at last. A round of coughs sent waves of pain up his ribs. The pain told Lubwa the log wasn’t a dream. He sighed, but rest and relief were things Mukwano preyed upon. He kicked his aching legs towards the shore.
“Swim and live. Swim and live.”
The sand was a bed of stones. Lubwa rolled on his side and spent the remainder of the night coughing out the entirety of the Kurembera Sea from his lungs. By the time darkness cleared from his vision, the sun blazed on his shivering body. The remnants of the raft brushed against the shore. Lubwa dragged himself up the slight hill that separated the shore from the rest of the island. The camp, a mat beneath a stretched-out tunic with additional leaves, welcomed Lubwa.
He found the small black tome he had buried beforehand along with the cut reed coated with clay at its tip. He managed to sit up and his tired hands moved across the page.
“Day forty-two,” he wrote. “Escape attempt eleven has failed.”