Swords & Heroes: A Sword and Sorcery Anthology
Edited by Lyndon Perry
Tule Fog Press

Swords & Heroes is hands down the best anthology I have read thus far this year! The table of contents boasts a who's who of authors writing S&S today. Many of the stories contained within feature series characters. Each story is also adorned with its own piece of art.

The foreword is written by Jason M. Waltz, editor of Rogue Blades Entertainment and Rogue Blades Foundation. His forward touches on S&S attitude and is the genesis of his newest and final anthology, Neither Beg nor Yield. The Kickstarter has been a success.

Swords & Heroes comprises twelve stories. Twelve protagonists who, in their own way, find themselves in the role of the hero.

Keeper of Souls by Charles Gramlich
A kingdom at war. Undead soldiers hunting the scattered defenders. A desecrated shrine will play a pivotal role.

The Path One Doesn't Choose by Gustavo Bondoni
If you have read “The Song of Sangr” then you are familiar with Yella, the protagonist here. If not, no worries. Yella finds herself blasted into...somewhere else. She is not alone. The mystery of where she is drives her into the arms of a hungry host.

Lord of Blood by Michael T. Burke
Ahanu Foxcloud falls in with a caravan. When tragedy strikes, Ahanu is prepared to make a devil's bargain to save the life of an innocent. Be sure to pick up Burke's Fragments of a Greater Darkness for more Ahanu Foxcloud.

Price of Rescue by Teel James Glenn
Two companions stop an ambush and save a child. The child doesn't seem to speak any language familiar to the duo. The child exhibits fantastic talents. Getting the child to the nearest outpost, the duo learns the truth about everything. Good intentions do not always reap good outcomes.

The Vault of Bezalel by Tom Doolan
A dispossessed prince, low on funds, answers the call of a mysterious message. Robbing a tomb for rich spoils. The dead cannot harm you, right?

On Neutral Ground by Nancy Hansen
Invaders. A last stand. The leader of the humans seeks to bargain with the invaders. A one-on-one battle–winner takes all.

The Swordsman and the Sea Witch by Tim Hanlon
Booking passage as a guard, Hanlon soon discovers that the captain has his own secrets. Pirates attack. The survivors of the melee soon find themselves hunted one by one by something unseen. Fears grow, tempers flare.

The Necromancer and the Long-Dead King by Frank Sawielijew
Perhaps my favorite because of its uniqueness. Hopefully the beginning of something new.

A young woman braves the barrow of a long-dead malevolent king. Instead of treasure or trinkets she seeks aid. A necromancer has defiled the king's land. Together they set out to confront the necromancer in his lair.

Lady in Stone by Cliff Hamrick
Jarek the scholar is awakened by cries for help. A young woman's companion has turned to stone! Jarek retraces the woman's steps unraveling this mystery. Be sure to check out the collection, Jarek the Scholar: Adventures in Ebesu for more Jarek.

O Sapphire, O Kambria by J. Thomas Howard
A strange post-cataclysmic world. Raul the ptero-rider finds himself in a strange land separated from his mount. He joins with an exiled tribeswoman to help recover her sister from the fearsome subhuman monsters who want to sacrifice her.

Welgar the Cursed by David A. Riley
Welgar is cursed with the countenance of a dead man. An invading nomadic army. Welgar is given the choice to join or die. The denouement leaves Welgar with more questions than ever before. Riley has at least one other story published about Welgar, “The Dark Priestdom.” It can be found in Savage Realms Monthly's March 2023 issue.

Ride the Fire Steed by Adrian Cole
Post-cataclysmic setting. Humans are hunted. The return of the crimson warrior. Seeking a mountain valley. Traversing a black tunnel, encountering monsters and ancient technology. The goddess bestows the crimson warrior with tremendous power. Another crimson warrior story, “The Burning Blade,” can be found in ResAliens #6.

The collection closes with a section about the authors and artists. There are also numerous full-page ads for additional books of interest. The final part of interest is a round-table discussion about the current state of S&S featuring the author Adrian Cole, editors D.M. Ritzlin, Curtis Ellett, P. Alexander, and William Miller.