Songs of the Dark: Short Fiction from the World of Raven’s Shadow

Book excerpt: “Heard whispers of the Dark all my life. It’s a strange feeling when a whisper becomes a shout.” SONGS OF THE DARK collects all four novellas from the world of Anthony Ryan’s internationally best-selling Raven’s Shadow trilogy. Centuries before the rise of the Unified Realm, the final battle looms between the city state of Kethia and the Volarian Empire. As told by Imperial Chronicler Lord Verniers, this terrible event is shrouded in many secrets and, some say, wrought by servants of the Dark. When word reaches the north of a fresh outbreak of the dreaded Red Hand, Brother Sollis, the finest swordsman in the Sixth Order, leads a small band to a long-abandoned castle in search of a potential cure, but discovers a far greater threat lurking in the mountains. A quest for bloody vengeance forces Derla, a skilled and deadly veteran of the Varinshold underworld, into the service of the arch schemer King Janus. Veteran Realm Guard Jerhid, newly appointed Lord Collector of the King’s Excise, finds himself battling ruthless smuggler gangs and worse on the wild southern shore of the Unified Realm. Four compelling tales of mystery, magic, intrigue and battle presented in one volume for the first time, featuring all new introductions by the author.