SEVENTEENTH LESSON, by Mary Soon Lee   Sunlight scattered like fire from the dragon’s wings as she landed beside Prince Keng in a rush of air and smoke, snow melting beneath her belly, beneath her clawed feet.   Keng bowed to her, willed his face calm. Two and a half weeks of lessons– he should be […]

Welcome to Heroic Fantasy Quarterly Issue 30! Again we have worked our strange magic and conjured the best in sword and sorcery fiction and poetry. We bring two stories, finish the epic poem of Lethe’s Cup begun in issue 29, two poems, an extra story, and additional artwork!   Fiction Contents Lethe’s Cup and the […]

LETHE’S CUP AND THE WHITE SWORD–Part 2, by Cullen Groves  (click here for Part 1) The Argument: Upon the Empire’s pale, a dreadful battle Had broken Christian knights, for all their mettle; Retreating thence to Gereburg’s high castle, Surrounded by the pagan spears a-bristle, They looked for Freydegar, who Scathnung wielded, The White Sword, Scathnung, […]

THE MAN IN CHAINS, by Harry Piper   This happened many, many years ago, when I was still young. When I still had fire in my blood and thunder in my soul. It was the spring after the death of High King Llewellyn. Bad times for our nation. Anglisc men were coming over the border […]

EYES OR NO EYES, by Martin Rose   There is no magic left in the world, nor much left of heroes to go with it. Lest you think the post of ‘wizard’ to be venerable and worthy, let me assure you otherwise, for I am the most miserable so-called wizard of the Thirteen Keeps. I […]