Caught between two warring nations, the village of Rackan has teetered on the brink for generations, its folk eking out a living on the edge of the Contested Lands. Now, a third power has turned its eye upon the helpless villagers. When the moon rises, the demonic whispering ones stalk the streets, spiriting folk away to the court of twisted Jack, lord of cursed Fellhallow.

When her father's pleas to the Tressian council fall upon deaf ears, Mira Torinsal agrees to bring tribute to Lord Jack, and plead with him to spare Rackan and its people. But no one goes to Fellhallow.

At least, no one goes there and returns...

A gathering of ne'er do wells. A concord waiting to be struck. In the city of Tressia, the leaders of the criminal underworld stand on the verge of an unprecedented alliance - one mortared in the blood of their greatest enemies. An age-old game of ambition and misdirection beckons... But who are the players, and who are the pawns? And what's really at stake?

Lord Solomon knows. Or at least he thinks he does. But the same holds true of each of his rivals. As the pieces begin their slow, intricate dance, Solomon has to face the possibility that, just for once, he might have been outplayed...

(Previously appeared in the Evil is a Matter of Perspective anthology.)

When the mists rise, distant realms brush against the boundaries of our world. Creatures from whispered folk-tales stalk the forests. Nightmarish shapes scurry into the shadows, waiting for the sun to set and darkness to reign once more.

Some seek those secrets out. Others are sought themselves...

In five tales of mystery and horror, take a glimpse beyond the world you know, and journey into a hidden landscape of ghosts, damned souls and immortal malice.

Maddie Lincoln returns home to Nottingham. However, her workaday problems fade when she's caught up in a war with the Dark Lady of Eventide.

Aided by her friend Inga, eccentric fortune teller Charles King, and the enigmatic William, she manages to stay one step ahead of her pursuers. Even with their help, neither world is safe for her. Worse, none of Maddie's companions are exactly as they appear, and nor, Maddie learns, is she.

Can Maddie discover the truth about the Queen of Eventide before it's too late...?

(Short Story 'HOLY ORDERS'.)

A chance encounter in the city streets. A peculiar pub, and an even more more peculiar landlord. Something isn't right here, but what?

Best not to fret about it...

Why not have a drink?

A rainswept afternoon. A stranger with a mysterious request. The call of long-lost treasure. Just another day in the life of Templeton & Kessler – London’s foremost private investigators. Or is it?

Isra Samara’s already struggling to keep a grip on her life aboveground, and an expedition into London’s hidden depths is sure to stir up old memories. The smart thing to do would be to walk away and not cross the secretive Coldharbour Agency.

But Isra has bills to pay, and ‘smart’ doesn’t come into it…

There is always further to fall.

An assault. A mystery. Facts that refuse to align. Signs pointing to the involvement of an otherworldly outsider. The Coldharbour agency’s bread-and-butter, aboveground or below.

For Carlotta Bosco, it’s an opportunity to prove herself to the irascible Professor Blackwood. But as the investigation proceeds, the stakes shift. Everything has its price… innocence, most of all.

Time is running out for Yelen and Mirika Semova.

Though the sisters have earned an enviable reputation amongst their fellow explorers of the Frozen City, their lives are haunted by a curse - the more Yelen uses her magic, the closer the demon Azzanar comes to claiming her, body and soul. But Azzanar is not the only one manipulating Yelen and Mirika...

When catastrophe separates the Semova sisters, it falls to Yelen to save them both. But in a city shrouded in deceit, who can she turn to for help... and what price will she pay to get it?

Kazran is a pursuer, a member of an ancient bounty-hunting order. Wielding the magics of the mythical Court of Crows, he has lived a life dedicated to bringing justice to the wronged, without fear or favour.

But when circumstance forces him to accept commission from a notorious crime lord, Kazran becomes entangled in a web of deception and betrayal. As he scours Frostgrave's ruins in search of a young woman and her stolen magical treasure, he finds more questions than answers. Who is she? What exactly did she steal? Why did she run? And just where does Kazran's mysterious benefactor stand on the matter?

In the end, the greatest question remains - does justice have any place in the Frozen City?

(Short Story, 'INHERITANCE'.)

Take to the high seas and the sweltering jungles of the Ghost Archipelago with a tale of treasure and revenge.

After years of searching, Bonnie Cochran's goal is finally in sight. But exactly what was the treasure her da' searched for? And how can she possibly survive the vengeance of the ruthless Captain Valdim?