In this tale from Locke’s teenage years, our nervous, hormonal, romantically-confused hero spends a few months working as a bar-back in one of Camorr’s most brutal Right People taverns. This is one of Father Chains’ endless series of training and personal enrichment schemes; as per usual, it’s full of fuckery, and as per usual, Locke is expected to work it all out himself. His only real ally of the moment is the aging mercenary Mazoc Szaba, a man addicted to risking his own life in a gambling spectacle involving poisoned wine.As Locke’s troubles boil over, so do Mazoc Szaba’s debts, and when you publicly flaunt your obligations to the one and only Capa Barsavi, Barsavi reaches out to publicly remind you of them…“Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent” will be a two-part extravaganza bridging the October 2024 and January 2025 issues of Grimdark Magazine.
Scott Lynch
A truly breathtaking new anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan and Lou Anders, Swords & Dark Magic offers stunning new tales of sword and sorcery action, romance, and dark adventure written by some of the most respected, bestselling fantasy writers working today—from Joe Abercrombie to Gene Wolfe. An all-new Elric novella from the legendary Michael Moorcock and a new visit to Majipoor courtesy of the inimitable Robert Silverberg are just two of the treasures offered in Swords & Dark Magic—a fantasy lover’s dream.Seventeen original tales of sword and sorcery penned by masters old and newElric…the Black Company…Majipoor. For years, these have been some of the names that have captured the hearts of generations of readers and embodied the sword and sorcery genre. And now some of the most beloved and bestselling fantasy writers working today deliver stunning all-new sword and sorcery stories in an anthology of small stakes but high action, grim humor mixed with gritty violence, fierce monsters and fabulous treasures, and, of course, swordplay. Don’t miss the adventure of the decade!Swords & Dark Magic is the most important new fantasy anthology to be published this decade. Featuring new stories from the bestselling and brightest writers working in the genre, including: New York Times bestselling authors Scott Lynch and Garth Nix; genre greats Michael Moorcock (with an all-new Elric novella), Michael Shea (with a fully authorized new Cugel the Clever adventure), Robert Silverberg (with an all-new Majipoor tale), Glen Cook (with an all-new Black Company story), Gene Wolfe, and C. J. Cherryh; and hot new writers who’ve been re-inventing swords and sorcery like Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Tim Lebbon, and many more.Cover illustration © by Benjamin Carré
Bill Willingham , James Enge , Michael Moorcock , Scott Lynch , Tim Lebbon