Fantasy From the Rock

February 26th, 2017

To read Engen Books’ release, click here

The Final author for Fantasy From The Rock has been revealed and joining an All-Star cast of authors that includes Heather Reilly, Amanda Labonte, Paul Carberry, Nick Morine, Erin Vance, Ellen Curtis and Sam Bauer is none other than Christopher Walsh! Once again, the From the Rock series will play host to the short stories that expand the history and geography of Gold & Steel’s Known World with not one, but two tales.

Last year, in Sci-Fi From The Rock, readers got a chance to look into the Known World as it was immediately prior to As Fierce as Steel, with a story that focused on a particular event revolving around Lady Orangecloak and the Thieves titled Stealing Back Freedom. This was a first chance for fans of Gold & Steel to see just what made Orangecloak the revered leader that she was and how cohesive a unit her Thieves were under her captaincy. In Fantasy From The Rock, Christopher Walsh takes readers even further back, to a time before the characters of As Fierce as Steel were even born.

The first story that will be found within is called In Defence Of Our Home, which will take readers back over eight hundred years from As Fierce as Steel to a time known as the Hero’s Era. In this period, the continent of Illiastra was ruled in an almost harmonious nature between humans, dwarves, elves and their half-blood brethren. On the site of what would become Atrebell was a growing group of religious fanatics, their strength marshalled around a single man named Valdarrow. Left unchecked, the fanatics erected a city-state and Valdarrow aspired to expanding his empire through enslavement and genocidal annihilation of the non-humans. The readers will meet Ser Axel of Clan Goldenhair, one of the Four Chieftains of the dwarves, as he, his closest allies and the other dwarves of Dhalla prepare for the arrival of Valdarrow’s forces at the gates of their city. In this riveting tale of perseverance, readers get their first glimpse into an era that still defines much of Illiastra at the time of As Fierce as Steel.

Speaking of defining Illiastra, have you ever wondered how the Known World came to be? Do the descriptions of the impassable northern and southern poles and the gargantuan mountain chains to the east and west intrigue you? Then you will want to join up with Arvelle and Brayda in: The City That Hid From Time Itself. Taking place three hundred years before the events of As Fierce as Steel, readers will set out with the third Master of Blades, a woman named Arvelle, who has dedicated her life to exploration and adventure. Where she goes, so does her best friend Brayda, a dwarven woman of Gondarrius. In this particular leg of their journey, the readers will get their first glimpse at the continent of Gildriad, where our explorers presently reside. While there, they meet with a strange elf named Zahnthiel Blackspar, himself an explorer who has ventured from the Elven Forest for the assistance he knows the two women can provide. With a small fortune in elven currency as payment, he asks that Arvelle and Brayda guide him to the site of ancient ruins that the woman had recently discovered. What mysteries do these ruins hold and what is the elf in search of? That will be for you to discover in: The City That Hid From Time Itself.

When and where can you get Fantasy From The Rock? We are glad you asked! Your chance to get your hands on a copy of the collection will be from April 28th to the 30th at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John’s, Newfoundland at Sci-Fi On the Rock 11!

Engen Books will be all set up at the convention with copies to sell and plenty of featured authors on hand throughout the weekend to sign for you. But they’re not alone! Also appearing at Sci-Fi On the Rock 11 will be Christopher Walsh! That’s right, Walsh is coming back to the convention with copies of As Fierce as Steel in paperback for you to pick up! Along with convention guests such as Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth), Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager) and Jewel Staite (Firefly), host Fat Apollo and all the wonderful convention goers who make the annual pilgrimage from across the island and beyond, it promises to be an eventful and exciting weekend! We hope to see you all in attendance!