A Very Good fantasy short story.
350416
Ms. Rowan certainly packed her short story, "Swords and Scimitars" with more insight than I could have imagined. The Arabesque theme was enchanting and as fulfilling as 35 or so pages can possibly be.
I highly recommend this story from the "Alaia Chronicles".
3019520
This story is one to get caught up in. The characters are well-developed, allowing the reader to relate to each one. The story is unique enough that it stands alone amongst fantasy novels. Also, the grammar and spelling is top-notch (if you happen to be a reader with a poor editing pet peeve).
29948
The Rise of the Wyrm Lord is a very good story with enjoyable new characters and delightful new settings in addition to several that were already introduced in the first book of this trilogy. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the addition of more fantastical creatures, and not all of them are quite as friendly as those in The Door Within.

The characters in this book face challenges that make you think about things in you encounter your own life. Because of this I think that anyone can take something away from reading this book.

I have no doubt that anyone who enjoyed The Door Within will also enjoy The Rise of the Wyrm Lord and recommend it to any fantasy-lover.
4467859
I really enjoyed this short story. I read book one a couple years ago and this reminds me why I enjoyed it and why I want to read more in the series.
2714633
Except for "Adept's Gambit," a very early story by Leiber, all of the tales here are among the best short stories I have read in fantasy  fiction.  While Leiber's style of writing at time leans towards being a  trifle florid, he nonetheless offers some of the most richly phrased  descriptive narrative and inventive characters and settings one could find,  and I think one would be hard-pressed to call any of his work tiring or  lacking imaginative interest.  These stories belong on the shelf of any  serious fantasy reader, so I am sad to see they've gone out of print.
2674312
"Sorcerer's Code (Tales of Eisengoth)" is a short fantasy adventure by author Christopher Kellen. This Kindle e-book was a 141 kb download and was priced at $0.99 at the time of writing this review.

<spoilers>

Murder most foul has occurred in the ancient city of Elinia... not just any murder, but one of the elite and reportedly near invincible Arbiters. And it's significant to note that the body was discovered by sorcerer and scholar, Edar Moncrief. When another Arbiter, D'Arden Tal, comes to check on his missing companion, Moncrief finds that more than this grisly murder is being investigated.

Some thoughts on "Sorcerer's Code"...

1.) a well written and easy read.

2.) an intriguing plot that holds the readers interest to the end.

3.) an eerie, unsettling atmosphere is developed as our adventurers traverse the city's somewhat more seedy sections after nightfall.

4.) <spoiler> an unexpected twist at the end that completely shifts the focus of the tale.

5.) cover art... very appealing and drawn by the author himself.

Conclusion:
A short fantasy tale that could be interpreted as a side-adventure to the author's new "The Abiter Codex" series.
An entertaining, concise and enjoyable read.

As it is... 5 Stars.

Ray Nicholson
raynicholsonsreviews@hotmail.com
2101840
Very  good  short story  but there could be a longer version  if a good writer  had a great  imagination.  Thank you for this  story.
3889890
Gormek of the Thousand Tongues is a beautifully written and hilarious piece of fantasy. That it's a quick read is less a statement of its length (being a short story) and far more accurately a testament of the brilliant writing. I laughed a lot reading this.
761826
Since this story is very short, it's hard to say much without giving away the plot. It's the story of war, of a battle that starts out in reality and slips seamlessly into fantasy. The writing style is  effective. It was interesting and although short, I thought it was well worth reading.
2351627
I enjoyed reading about characters in a fantasy novel who worried about how to pay the rent. It was short and sweet.
1099004
I put a three and a half on this one. Remember I hardly ever give a five.

This one is a good read. The plot is followed well even though there was one thing that I wasn't quite sure about. How did the traitor get his people onto the isle? I don't want to say more and turn this into a spoiler. When you get that far you will understand my question.

The rest of it is very good The descriptions are among the good points as are the action scenes. There are twists to the plot which makes it more entertaining. The characters stay in character. The hero does freeze up a time or two which is one thing I don't like a lot of. But that is a personal preference and not about the quality of the writing.

It is good fantasy with some neat twists to fantasy.

I recommend it fully for any and all readers-especially those that like fantasy.
1316526
I loved it. This was a very short short story that was both enjoyable and entertaining.
4128306
My husband and I both enjoyed this story.  Sterling's main character lives out a fantasy common to many men and women, receiving the opportunity to find out what might have happened at several points of his life if he had known then what he knows now.  The explicit sex scenes are great, the characterization pretty good for a short book where most characters get only one major scene, and besides all that there are elements of mystery to the story that contribute a lot of enjoyment for me.  It could have been a "Wizard of Oz" story, where it's not clear if his experiences are real or not, but Sterling subverts that expectation even as he shows the reader that his protagonist is more than just self-interested.  Won't say more, don't want to spoil it.  Well worth reading.
80218
I loved this short story. I loved the humor of the story and how it was with odds at the plot of the story but it still worked. I also loved the dialogue between characters and how you could really hear each character's individual voice. I would recommend this to anyone who loves to laugh and loves fantasy.
2292271
While on the short side, and with a bit much over the top fantasy ( saying a lot given we are talking heroes here!), a well spun story that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
2418299
This is a good little fantasy romp that reminded me of Raymond E. Feist's "Riftwar Saga" with a dash of Jon Sprunk's "Shadow's Lure." I liked the early scenes involving a young magician named Luxon with powers beyond his control. This character might be called something of a bumbler, but there is a nobility and sincerity to him that makes him instantly appealing (he reminded me of Pug from "Riftwar").

In addition to magicians there are also knights in this fantasy world. We first meet Kaiden when he is chained to a wall in a dungeon, but soon enough he's out and about brandishing his sword and pursuing his "knightly duties."  It's rare to have a fantasy novel feature a kind of Arthurian knight these days, so Kaiden was a refreshing character.

Overall the writing is very solid in this book. I got a strong sense of the joy of creation from the author, which sometimes leads to problems being solved on the fly. For example when Kaiden is released from prison, he reveals that he had stashed his weapons and gold in anticipation of capture. This is plausible enough, although it did kind of stand out to me as maybe a little too easy. Then again, that moment didn't disrupt the flow of the novel for me, so I don't consider it an issue. The point is that Matthew Olney has his eye on a story he wants to tell, and he attacks it without deviation.

This book is a rich texture of old school fantasy storytelling with some modern mythos. A good find!
2365358
Good 5 star short story, good characters, read it in about 30 - 40 minutes, thoroughly enjoyed it