Swords of Steel II

The Swordsmen of Steel return! Attacking once more now with twice as much strength, the most epic practitioners of the heavy metal arts fill another volume with tales of terror and heroic adventure. Swords of Steel II features stories by such artists as E.C. Hellwell (MANILLA ROAD), Byron Roberts (BAL-SAGOTH), Mike Scalzi (SLOUGH FEG) and Howie Bentley (CAULDRON BORN). A total of eight stories (each accompanied by an illustration) are contained herein, as well as two poems and an essay by David C. Smith (author of the Red Sonja and Oron novels). Don't read this book unless you have nerves of STEEL! Contents: Introduction: Where the Lifestream Touches Eternity by David DeFeis (VIRGIN STEELE) "The Forgotten City of Tehm" by E.C. Hellwell (MANILLA ROAD, HELLWELL) "A Voyage on Benighted Seas" by Byron A. Roberts (BAL-SAGOTH) "That Than Which There Can Be No More Terrible" by Michael Scalzi (SLOUGH FEG) "The Sword of Shaitan", poetry by Howie K. Bentley (CAULDRON BORN, BRITON RITES) "Mystery Believer" by Scott Waldrop (WALPYRGUS, TWISTED TOWER DIRE) "At the Crossroads: Swords, Sorcery and Heavy Metal", an essay by David C. Smith "Beneath Dead Lake" by Jeffrey Black (GATEKEEPER) "Red Ochre" by James Ashbey (SOLSTICE) "Vitiated Life", poetry by Alex A. Avdeev (BLACKSWORD) "Darke Manor" by Jaron Evil (ALMURIC, ARCHSPIRE) "The Heart of the Betrayer" by Howie K. Bentley Download excerpts from the book and tracks from the participating bands for free here: https://dmrbooks.bandcamp.com/album/swords-of-steel-sampler-ii Reviews: ”Unlike most examples of this oeuvre, Mystery Believer [by Scott Waldrop] matches Lovecraft’s towering vocabulary and ability to string long and convoluted sentences together in a way that flows naturally… Mystery Believer might not be Lovecraft proper, but it’s one of the best examples of the next step in Lovecraftian fiction that you’re likely to find on the market today.” (Jon Mollison, Castalia House) “The reader is greeted to nearly two-hundred pages of varied and intricate material that won't only excite your fancy for fantasy (okay, perhaps I'm going a little too far on the salesman pitch here, but seriously, these are some fine works) but will also make you think. Final Observation: Definitely worth a read for fans of high fantasy, pulp fiction and heavy metal. Proficiently well-written by highly educated individuals in their craft.” (Eric May, The Grim Tower)