A Bard Day's Knight — Michael A. Ventrella

Welcome to Fortannis-a place where adventure waits to waylay you around every corner.
It's a land where humans mingle with stubborn dwarves, mysterious elves, and feathered biata against shape-shifting gryphons, necromantic zombies, and silly goblins. It's a land where things are never as they seem; where good and evil are not always clear-cut, and where the strong do not always prevail.
In Fortannis, one can learn magic by summoning the power of the flow of order in the world, to tie yourself to the living cycle of all around you. Or, if your inclinations are darker, you can be tempted by the flow of chaos and entropy, which allows you to create undead abominations and cast substantially more powerful spells (in exchange for the corruption of your soul). Hey, the choice is yours.
This is the third collection of stories which take place in the world of Fortannis (which also happens to be the world in which my two novels take place-what a coincidence ). Some of these stories feature characters introduced in the first two collections, but you do not have to read the earlier ones to enjoy these stories. There are grand adventures, humorous contrivances, and strong morality tales. You'll meet clever con artists, suspicious spies, and pompous nobles. There are unexpected twists and turns and danger lurking on every page.
Happy reading
"From the ridiculous to the sublime to the downright heartfelt and - at some instances - mildly terrifying, Ventrella's collection promises you that in Fortannis, anything and everything is up for grabs." - Tee Morris, author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series
"A very readable collection of classic fantasy adventure." - Lawrence Watt-Evans, author of The Misenchanted Sword and the Annals of the Chosen series
"What is really fascinating about an anthology like this is seeing what the world of Fortannis looks like through eyes with so many different perspectives. Old familiar friends are here - Ventrella's own squires Terin and Darlissa, Curso Brambletoes the clever, subtle hobling, exiled sellsword Sarlon and his companions Minnow and Mumblepeg - and new ones, including a unique view of the life of a rather unusual Goblin in "Shiny Savior," the eponymous and clever hero of "The Life and Death and Life of Beryl Truesword," Brenlund in "Blinded" who has to overcome his preconceptions to save both himself and others from a terrible fate.
Though the title is humorous, readers shouldn't be fooled into thinking that this is parody or comedy; while many stories have a lighthearted touch to them, others do not, and almost all of them have strongly serious elements. Most of the stories have strong voices - the characters that must drive the story quickly define themselves, telling us who they are and why they matter, whether they are noble, poor, human, goblin, warrior or sorceror - and the challenges they overcome loom large within the stories, whether they are threats to many or merely the problem of day-to-day survival. I had a lot of fun reading A Bard Day's Knight, and anyone who enjoys fantasy adventure should too " - Ryk Spoor, author of Grand Central Arena and Phoenix Rising