Showing results by author "Nicholas Woode-Smith" in All Categories

Sheriff Jones Fontana loves his city more than anything… But with a looming empire on the border, promising complete subjugation, Estegrad’s freedom may not last long. Jones faces an impossible choice. Risk the survival of his city. Or its freedom. Will Estegrad survive? And will it ever be the same? The City at the Edge of Progress is a dystopian short story where freedom must be fought for, where underdogs rise against their oppressors, and honour and loyalty work hand in hand with a desire for liberty. A must-read for fans of dystopian speculative fiction and stories of resistance.

I'm Kat—I've got a ghost inside my head, and he helps me fight monsters. Together, we hunt the dark creatures of Hope City to pay the bills. But picking up pint-sized beasts on the MonsterSlayer App isn’t cutting it anymore. I need to enter the big leagues. Hunt bigger monsters, get bigger rewards. It's not all about the money, fame, or glory. Hunting down the big bads might just give me a lead on the damned necromancer who killed my parents. But will I be able to look into the dark maw of my city and survive?

Take down one baddie, and another dozen rear their ugly heads… It’s bad enough that I’m now a vampire. But why did I have to be one of the worst? My night now consists of finding blood, appeasing my talking cat’s musical obsessions, and hunting down the rest of the monsters smuggling children. They’re still out there. Hiding in plain sight. But now, I can do something about it. I’ve got allies. I’ve got powers. And even if my powers make me a monster among monsters, I’ll do what it takes to take them all down. Or die trying… Again. Beyond the Shallow Grave is book 2 in the...

I thought moving into a new apartment would be easy. Even in this world of magic and monsters, moving out shouldn’t be too hard, right? With help from the ghost in my head, I hunt monsters to pay the bills and pay my way through university. Now it’s time I finally get my own place. Through lopping off zombie and giant rat heads, I should have enough money, right? But if there’s anything consistent about living in Hope City, things are seldom easy.

I can heal anyone… But not if they’re already dead. I’ve been a magical healer of Heiligslicht, the top healing guild in Hope City, ever since they saved me from the streets of this darkness infested hellscape. That was eleven years ago. In all that time, you’d think I would have gotten used to losing a few patients. But I never did. Now, after losing the most important man in the world to me, I’ve had enough. It’s time to take the fight to the demon who took him from me. But demon hunting isn’t easy. I’m going to need a mentor. And a team. And who better than a hotter than ...

There’s a voice inside my head… And it’s demanding I become a monster… You’d think I’d already hit rock bottom becoming a vampire without a sire, with a talking cat roommate who can’t stop making musical references. You’d be wrong. My home has been taken from me. Along with all my stuff. That’s left me living underground with the help of a man I’m still not sure I can completely trust. The enigmatic detective Theo Goldhaus. But I won’t give up. My enemies are still out there. And they’ve been joined by a mysterious and brutal serial killer who is now prowling the ...

What’s worse than dying? Hiding that fact from my nosy parents… My parents are in town, asking too many questions and expecting sunny brunches. Minor problem: I’m allergic to sunlight. And blood is my new breakfast. And if my parents find out I’m a vampire, it’ll be all our heads on the Enforcer’s chopping block. Meanwhile, there’s a war brewing between the werewolves and vampires of my city, and my new boss wants me on the case. Oh, and my talking cat? He won’t shut up about Dolly Parton. Well, no one said that being a vampire would be easy. But this war could finally kill ...

A purifier is dead… And my best friend is the prime suspect. It’s been a year since I hung up my healing robes and became one of Hope City’s badass monster hunters. But even now, I can’t seem to escape my past. A purifier has died of an exploded heart, and they think my best friend cast the spell that did it. But I know my friend. She didn’t do it. And it’s up to me to prove her innocence. Even if my investigation embroils me in a plot that may determine the fate of my entire city, I won’t give up. Not when I’m this close to uncovering the truth. My name is Cindy Giles. ...

They told me journalism was dangerous. But no one ever told me it could make me undead… Now I’m thrust into a supernatural world, complete with my talking, shapeshifting, Taylor Swift-obsessed cat. My name is Kali Black, and for the last decade, I’ve been chasing a child trafficking ring no one else believes exists. Becoming a creature of the night won’t stop me cracking the case. If anything, it’s given me an edge. But power comes with a price. The Enforcers are watching, and stepping out of line could get me staked. My sire is still out there, and I need answers. Time is running...

Perebius Peddler is an inventor in a land dead-set on never changing. But that won’t stop him… Perebius has heard of the mythical city of Paragon across the mountains. And he wants in. Unfortunately, the Duke of this dreadful realm doesn’t want his subjects leaving. To win his freedom, Perebius must conquer three trials. And even then, hope may just be beyond his grasp… But freedom is worth fighting for. And Perebius is ready for the trials. The Trials of Perebius Peddler is a satirical short story written like a fable, drawing on inspirations like Monty Python and the absurdity of ...

Red Dead Redemption meets The Witcher Always. Shoot. First. That’s what my dad always taught me. Always deliver. Trust no one. And put a bullet in them before they put one in you. You don’t survive as a courier in the magic-blasted Badlands by being soft. Everyone wants your cargo. Everyone wants you dead. And even so I’ve got some peculiar immunity to magic, that doesn’t mean I can stop watching my back for even a second. I’ve got some dangerous cargo to deliver. And Cataclysm damn me if I don’t get the job done. Even if the package could potentially tear the Badlands apart… ...

You can slay a hundred monsters and some people will still look down on you. And for every person that calls you a hero, there’s another that calls you a murderer. I’ve been punished for doing my job and tossed to the side to solve a sham of a case, when I’d rather be busting the heads of undead and necromancers.

So what? It’s Hope City! People get killed all the time in this monster-infested dump I call my home. Problem is: these aren’t any old mages. They’re the mages that keep the Titan Under the Mountain asleep. And if more go missing, then what will happen to my city? To the world?

Seven years have passed. And my powers still haven’t forgiven me for taking a life… You’d think that my cosmic purification powers would know the difference between a human life and that of a cold-hearted serial killer, but apparently not. And ever since I pulled that trigger, my spark has been just a shadow of its former self. But demons and the insane cults that bring them into the world don’t care if I’m not in form. Or if I’ve been in early retirement for the better part of a decade. Evildoers will do evil. But this time, it’s different. The demon they’re wanting to ...

Peron is a freak among his people… Peron is a gleran. A sentient, insect creature part of a hive of countless fellows. But he isn’t meant to be sentient. Something has gone wrong, and has left Peron as the only gleran in his hive, maybe even the world, with free will. As Peron realises how different he is, he starts to realise his loneliness. But why should he be alone among millions? He shouldn’t, and he won’t let himself be the only sentient gleran. But the hive mind is strong. Perhaps too strong even for him. Find out how one of the Warpmancer Universe’s most interesting ...