A Space Between (Tales of the Endlands)
HistoricalAdded on January 14, 2026
Description
A TALE OF THE ENDLANDS -- A KINDLE-SINGLE PREVIEW SHORT STORY FROM THE ANTHOLOGY A PRAYER FOR DEAD KINGS AND OTHER TALESCharan moved past her to drop to his knees. He gripped the stinking grate, ignored the heady slime of blood and offal that clung to its corroded bars as he shifted it from practiced memory. A particular twist, a specific positioning that would disengage it from the stones that surrounded them. He felt it come loose, lifted it carefully. Below, the mouth of a narrow well opened up to darkness."The sewers?" Jalina said from behind. "They'll search every sewer and tunnel within a league of the castle to find him."If you insist on telling me things I already know, put them to a tune, at least." With a flourish, Charan stood back, beckoning her toward the open sluice drain. The day's wash water was still slick on the stones, dripping at the edges like a rank rain."You're mad," she said."And a fool, apparently, and proud of both. Get in.""I will not...""You will," Charan said, "whether you climb or whether I drop you." Smiling, he advanced on his sister as one moved on a disobedient dog, saw her flinch despite her own best effort. "This isn't done yet, but when it is, you'll have an empire to rule. The scent of blood is the first thing you need to get used to."In a dark short story of passion and murder (unintended and otherwise), Charan and Jalina are sibling heirs to the throne of empire who share a bond of blood and a grave secret -- both of which threaten to destroy them when their father is killed...A Prayer for Dead Kings and Other Tales -- Available now at Amazon.com
Reader Reviews
You know when someone says "indie grimdark fantasy" and sigh because you're sure it'll end up being yet another badly written sex and violence marathon set in a ill-described fantasy land with pretensions of being George R.R. Martin? Well, you better raise your expectations for this one because it actually delivers.Charan and Jalina are left with a dilemma after the accidental(ish) murder of their father the khanan, ruler of a great Empire. Jalina stands to inherit power, but Charan fears they w
First off, I’d like to say I enjoyed this story. It’s gritty and dark, full of strong emotion and a great amount of turmoil. Where it fell short for me was in cramming too much world building in for a story of this length. There’s history and magic systems, religion and all manner of intrigue and mystery brought up in this that doesn’t fully have time to be developed.It is clear to me that the author is drawing from a world in which they have put in a lot of time, effort and resources into. A wo
The writing in this story is magnificent. The author has an amazing command of the language, and I only noticed a single typo in the whole work (which is really saying something in this age of e-books). The subject matter is dark and full of symbolism, and the descriptions are clear yet overflowing with imagery. It is the kind of story that will haunt a reader's thoughts, and maybe even dreams, for weeks.The only reason I hesitate to give it 5 stars is that it's a little too dark for my taste, b
