Showing results for "The Call" in Dark Fantasy

At the heart of these stories, as with all the best of Lovecraft’s work, is the belief that the Earth was once inhabited by powerful and evil gods, just waiting for the chance to recolonise their planet. Cthulhu is one such god, lurking deep beneath the sea until called into being by cult followers who – like all humans – know not what they do.

The Call of Cthulhu is one of the most influential horror stories ever written, laying the foundation for what is now known as cosmic horror. First published in 1928, this short story by H. P. Lovecraft follows a fragmented investigation into a strange cult, a mysterious bas-relief, and disturbing accounts that point toward the existence of an ancient and incomprehensible entity. As the narrator assembles documents, testimonies, and reports, a terrifying realization begins to emerge: humanity is neither central nor safe in the universe it inhabits.

Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.

Safe Haven has abandoned their cursed mountain in search of a boat to take them to Pitcairn Island. Population cut in half, they have a long month of travel ahead and not enough fuel, water, food, or manpower to make the journey. Forced to resume scavenging for their needs as they roll, the refugee camp is a target for other survivors who are still determined to be a part of that light. Angela needs to get her people south without being discovered. It is an impossible goal in a harsh, unforgiving environment where the only truth is survival. Who will go and who will stay?

When a freak accident ruins his body and his memory, Wes Malcolm loses his scholarship and his place in the world. Every treatment has failed, save one: a fully immersive VR game, designed by his late, disgraced father, that mimics the condition his body used to possess. To everyone's disbelief, his body and mind slowly improve, bit by bit, but it's still not enough.

Dragons have returned to the Hundred Isles. But their return heralds only war and destruction. When a horde of dying slaves are discovered in the bowels of a ship, Shipwife Meas and the crew of the Tide Child find themselves drawn into a vicious plot that will leave them questioning their loyalties and fighting for their lives.

The classic horror story from H.P. Lovecraft that started it all and introduced to the world to Cthulhu. Originally published in 1928, this edition includes an introduction by Jen Aldrich, narrator of the audiobook.

LONDON, 1891. Elizabeth Whittle and William Grant enjoy scalping London’s bourgeoisie, taking on the personas of grand spiritist Cerulia Trent and her agent to connect the living and the dead. When a detective arrives, sniffing out fraud with a scientifically minded spiritualist society, the duo decides to take one last job before escaping to the continent. However, their final séance ends horrifically … and soon Lizzie isn’t Lizzie anymore.

Luella Eritrais is the gentle fae princess of the Kingdom of Sunlight, Solis. In a world that values power above all else, Luella was born bereft of magic, locked away and forced into a sheltered life. Amidst a backdrop of warring kingdoms, Luella wants nothing more than safety and peace—to find her place in the world—even when everyone seems to scream that she is nothing.

Rue Umberwick is a curious woman with a seemingly insatiable thirst for knowledge. When she lands her dream job as a personal librarian for the handsome yet aloof Duke of Penrith, she doesn’t think her life can get much better. But the Duke's private library and gallery are more than she expected. A collector of mostly ill gotten and supposedly cursed objects, the Duke has entrusted Rue to keep his secrets.

When Cassandra Wright’s father was accused of murder her whole life fell apart, leaving her with no prospects, no money, and a broken engagement. But Cassandra always suspected foul play. Five years later, she’s determined to discover the truth. With her childhood friend Thomas reluctantly acting as her new husband-to-be, Cassie must talk her way into the home of her former fiancé, who she’s convinced knows more than he ever let on.

Casia has survived her brother's attempts to crush her and her growing army, but the battle for their empire is just beginning. Bitter and wounded, carrying the curse of a dark and dangerous upper-god, and desperate for more allies, she charges northward to seek the elves who once walked alongside the divine beings. The elven Court of Moreth holds knowledge. Secrets. And power. The kind of power that could shift all of Casia's wars in her favor. If she can survive the dangerous politics and treacherous magic of the elf-kind.

Ifferon is one of the last in the bloodline of the dead god, Telm, who imprisoned the Beast, Agon, in the Underworld. Armed with a connection to the estranged gods in the Overworld, and a scroll bearing Telm's powerful dying words, he is tasked with ensuring the god's vital legacy: that Agon remain vanquished.

I know why no one said anything when Zeus came to the underworld. I know there’s a plan to get Hephaestus back. There’s also a lot I don’t know that I need to learn fast. I have this mysterious demonic form from my father that I need to learn to access. Hephaestus made all these weapons capable of taking down Olympians if they came, but I don’t know how to use them. I’m not going to get lucky again like I did with Demeter. I have to learn all this, and if I don't, I’ll be grounded in my room when everyone tries to rescue my God.

Mariah Thorn wasn’t strong enough to save her parents. With her heart broken and her confidence shattered, she’s sent to live with a werewolf clan where she can be protected. Her plan to remain lost in the shadows takes a wrong turn when she’s alone with Joe Clinton under a full moon. Something about her draws him in, and that’s terrifying to Mariah, when all she wants to do is remain unnoticed. Joe Clinton loves the real Mariah Thorn, not the quiet girl who fades into the background of his clan. When assassins attack Clinton Hall, Mariah realizes she can’t hide forever.

My name is Barry, although it might as well be Loser. Satan owns my soul, and my demon boss, Margery, tortures me with her magical cigarettes every chance she gets. While I’m desperate for freedom, I’ll do anything to stop her from opening the Gates of Hell…or any other crazy thing she has planned. My odds of saving mankind are uncertain, but I have to try.

After her mother's funeral, Betha has several weeks of normal, and life is looking hopeful. An invitation to a war council meeting changes everything. Life as she knows it can’t ever go back as a gargoyle begs for help with the demons. The angels are already on the scene, but they can’t close portals—only she can.

The story is a nonfiction telling of the Ottoman Empire, until the tail-end of Lawmaker Sultan Suleiman’s time; in other words, chapters one to five (and chapter seven) are a true and well researched telling of the empire. Therefore, everything written up until chapter five is accurate and a fact. I will explain the life of Prince Mustafa and the betrayal charges made against him by his sultan father. What I will do is take you back to October 6, 1553, and bring forward previously unknown and intriguing events from that day, told in a fictional telling.

Faced with increasing pressure from rebels, the tyrant king of Dargenn must force a war with the rival nation of Relan to unite the country behind him. To help create chaos, he turns to the most feared assassin in the world, the Raven, a man cursed by ancient demons and forced to kill at their whim; if he fails, he dies. Using his knowledge of the Raven's masters, the king forces the assassin into a contract to kill the only individual who might threaten his plans, a powerful sorcerer and scholar named Enias.

One secret. One cult. One cosmic being. When his uncle dies, it’s up to Francis Wayland Thurston to finally uncover the family secret. For too long, recounts of dreams becoming reality had cast a sombre shadow over the family. And it seems these dreams didn’t die with the uncle. But when Francis discovers hidden notes of a mysterious cult, the truth turns darker than anyone could have ever imagined. A monster is on the rise. But one that is worshipped by those touched by evil, rather than feared.