Swords of Fire 2
Edited by G.W. Thomas
Cover by M.D. Jackson
Rage Machine Books

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but sometimes as with Swords of Fire 2 the damn cover is so striking that I feel like I'm drawn to it. The reds and oranges of the background hint at some unseen conflagration and the faint skull above the woman lends an air of sinister supernatural menace. Both characters look determined to sell their lives dearly against something we cannot see. In short the cover itself sold the book to me. I couldn't wait to read it.

It has been eleven years since the first Swords of Fire anthology was published. In book two David A. Hardy, Jack Mackenzie, and G.W. Thomas all return with new stories; with Michael Ehart new to the series. So we get four novellas each featuring their own piece of art by M.D. Jackson. The contents include:

Gladiator King by David A. Hardy

Cingetorix is an undefeated gladiator born of a unique heritage. A mysterious woman not only knows about his heritage, but wants to help him make use of it. Fleeing bondage, he couldn’t care less about her machinations, but his destiny will not be denied or ignored.

Bloody action from beginning to end.

Through Dungeons Deep by Jack Mackenzie

Champions are drawn to a remote village to slay a malevolent wizard and take his treasure as reward. From the onset something isn't quite right. Venturing into the dark vastness of the mountain interior, these champions discover some dark truths about the village, the wizard, and each other.

I liked this one from the very beginning. The story is narrated from a first person perspective and our narrator has his reservations about what he sees and what he is told by the villagers. There is a mystery here and it only deepens when the champions enter the wizard's labyrinth.

Daughter of Lilith by Michael Ehart

This was a harder one to get into. This story falls within Ehart's Ninshi series. These books are out of print and I have never read them, so it seems like there is quite a bit of back story that I am missing.

Ninshi spends most of the story running from one faction or another. Caught between a sand demon and a goddess, Ninshi will receive help from an unexpected source.

The Work We Have In Hand by G.W. Thomas

Aberdin Vol is a thief and a master of disguise. Emmerant is a corpulent wizard who collects viewing crystals. Neither know each other or have anything in common until the other wizards suddenly disappear from the streets of Stormcock.

Another enjoyable story that left me wanting more adventures from this duo. The enemy was superbly creepy. Who do you trust? Who has been compromised? And I've got to know, is Stormcock a homage to Michael Moorcock? (Stormbringer + Moorcock = Stormcock)

The publisher, Rage Machine Books, is new to me. Primarily publishing works by G.W. Thomas and Jack Mackenzie, covering many genres including science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Rage Machine's agenda is straightforward storytelling for people who love stories.  Pulp fiction that entertains without becoming pastiche or a faded copy of days gone by. Be sure to check out their catalog and blog at darkworldsquarterly.gwthomas.org.