Book Review: Grimdark Magazine Issue #26

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I needed to grab this bad boy here as soon as it was released because it has one of my all-time favourite gladiators on the cover - Killien from Blood of Vengeance by Angel Haze
And that cover art is awesome showing Killien just as I imagined him to be.



Alongside two cool interviews with Peter McLean and Zachary Atlas and a great article by Aaron S. Jones: The Future is Grimdark, this issue entails 3 short stories, each and everyone of them deliciously grim and dark.
Wretched by Deborah A. Wolf
Morality Aside by Zachary Atlas

and my personal favourite, Monster Within by Angel Haze.
One damn fine piece of grimdark that I loved! And I'll tell you why over here. :D

Bloody, with one eye swollen shut, and on the brink of insanity Killien is forced to fight in the underground pit. The dark voice in his head, the beast within, ravages his thoughts begging to be unleashed.
Thrown into fight after fight, one more ruthless than the other, Killien is slowly losing his grip on his sanity while the voice in his head gets louder and louder. Collared and unable to use his magic, bleeding and beaten to the point of not even being able to stand, Killien has no choice.
To survive, 'he has to become what he hates most. He has to crawl down that dark hole and set the monster free … whatever the price.' In one last fight that would take everything he had.

Kickass fight scenes, beautifully choreographed and with a strong cinematic feel will get you hooked from the get go. Add to that a vivid description of the setting and a gripping insight into a desperate fighter's mind and there you go! A damn fine read!

With lots of blood, death and steel, and badass MC to absolutely root for.

Angel Haze is one of those authors who will practically make you see the skulls getting crushed, hear the crowd roaring and screaming for blood and smell the stench of rotten flesh, open sores, vomit and sweat hanging in the air like the ghost of death.

And if you like this short story here, you should definitely give a try to Killian's tale in Blood of Vengeance.

I'll be looking forward to more of Angel's writing and the next issue of this magazine and wrap it up now with Adrian Collins' note from this issue of GdM - because it's too badass awesome to not share.

"With so much happening in the world, I once again invite you to grab your favourite beverage, kick your feet up on the corpse of your vanquished enemy (or friend that got in the way), tell your bannerman he has your colours at the wrong angle, and take a couple hours out of your day to enjoy some damned fine fiction.
Happy reading champions.
Stay safe.
- Adrian Collins Founder"

Check out this issue and others of Grimdark Magazine over at http://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/