Review of Welgar the Cursed in Crimson Quill Quarterly #6

I have been given permission by Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 to quote the full review published in this issue of my swords and sorcery collection from Tule Fog Press, Welgar the Cursed:

David A. Riley’s chronological collection of his Welgar the Northerner’s/Cursed adventures compose a gripping collection of new-age sword and sorcery with enough of the golden age flavor to bring readers new and old to the revived S&S genre. Each tale within stands as their own separate pieces, but when told one after the other, as Riley has finally been able to do here, they build upon each other, with the next tale being that much more enjoyable by having just finished reading the one before. Brutality and action are balanced with poignant periods of introspection that is equally haunted and lethal.

What impressed me most as a reader, however, was Riley’s ability to blend real world tyranny into tales of fantasy in a way that was not preachy or allegorical, but rather by revealing hints of what may have inspired him to write these incredible pieces of S&S in the first place. Furthermore, the depths of Riley’s story-telling prowess is on full display when viewing the collection as a whole, as it shows that this was no random string of wandering escapades. There is a slow and compelling evolution that allows readers to experience the world, as well as rummage through Welgar’s own thoughts, alongside him.

Welgar the Cursed is an extravagant tapestry of the struggle to survive and overcome, led by one of Riley’s most compelling characters that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. One can only hope there is more planned for him in the future.

 

Parallel Universe Publications Newsletter for May 2025

 

The latest PUP Newsletter was emailed yesterday. If you would like to read the pdf of it now please click on the following link: Parallel Universe Publications Newsletter May 2025

Phantasmagoria Magazine and Crimson Quill Quarterly #6

Two great deliveries today, the latest issues of Phantasmagoria Magazine and Crimson Quill Quarterly. I only have a short piece in what is possibly the most impressive-looking issue of Phantasmagoria so far, but Crimson Quill Quarterly not only contains the first of my two-part story Lies and Treachery, but a truly splendid review of my collection Welgar the Cursed, which ends: "Welgar the Cursed is an extravagant tapestry of the struggle to survive and overcome, led by one of Riley's most compelling characters that I've had the pleasure of reading. One can only hope there is more planned for him in the future."

 

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com 

My final Lovecratian tale The Psychic Investigator reprinted in Lovecraftiana Omnibus #7

My final Lovecraftian tale The Psychic Investigator is being reprinted in Lovecraftiana Omnibus Book #7. Not only is this my final Lovecraftian tale, it is also my final Grudge End tale as well.

Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 now available as a paperback and eBook

I am pleased to announce that Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 is now available as a paperback and eBook.

The latest issue contains the first of a two part story by me called Lies and Treachery, which details a further adventure of my on the run mercenaries led by Horbeck, who first appeared in The Demon from Another World last year in Anthology of the Damned: Necromoirrium. 

From this issue's description on amazon:

"Heart of the Depths by Ethan Sabatella: In this Stone Age Slasher, five youths break the rules of their tribe and stay out in the wilderness after nightfall. The superstitions of their people prove all too real as a terrible darkness creeps out from the Earth and stalks them one-by-one.

The Saga of the Stew by Randall Madden: Trolls have ravaged the mountainside around Ravian, and all but the hardiest have fled. Yet two brave souls travel toward the danger, in search of an ancient book near the mountaintop. Damica, the aging singer, finds an unlikely ally in Morgho the swordsman. Together they move for Ravian itself—the very source of the troll attacks—so that Damica might complete the most important ritual of his long life.

The Forbidden Land by Mike Adamson: In an ancient land, legend warns of the dire fruits of trespass. Not for nothing does taboo keep the tribes away from the northern woods, as Jareth the Hunter and Sho’nee the Beautiful discover when the girl flees the warrior to whom she is promised...into the embodiment of all mortal terror.

Lies and Treachery (Part 1 of 2) by David A. Riley: After having escaped death in the Great Desert as they fled from their pursuers, Horbeck and his fellow mercenaries are hoping for some time to recover in the small, stockaded town they reach beyond the desert’s edge, little realizing they will be betrayed and forced to grapple with creatures of appalling evil, some demonic and some human.

Dark Secrets Entombed by J. VanZile: Balthen Verdugo wants to hunt monsters and make money. If he can gain a bit of notoriety and fame along the way then all the better. A rich purse leads Balthen to a town with a beast who has been killing by night and hiding in a graveyard by day. When Balthen learns the beast may be linked to the town and its people in ways he wouldn’t have expected, he must decide what he values more; truth and justice or his business.

Choir of the Mad Anatomist by Logan D. Whitney: Wayward rogues Indryk and Cor find themselves embroiled in the aftermath of one man’s musical obsession…and another’s greed.

Snowblind by Shephard W. McIlveen: Onyx the Tigerheart stumbles upon a bizarre murder scene when he finds four men half-buried in the snow, each with their eyes burned out through the backs of their skulls. As he examines the bodies, he is set upon by a small order of armored men each dressed in a uniform matching the corpses at his feet. To clear his name and show good faith, Onyx agrees to aid the men on the search for the real killer, but how long will it take for the hunters to become the hunted?"

Crimson Quill Quarterly No 6 and my story Lies and Treachery

Crimson Quill Quarterly have just revealed their cover for issue No 6, which includes Part 1 of my two-part story Lies and Treachery. 

This story is a sequel to The Demon from Another World which appeared in Anthology of the Damned: Necromoirrium last year.

New 5-star review from Canada for Welgar the Cursed.

 

 Nice to see a new 5-star review on amazon for Welgar the Cursed, this time from Canada.

 

My sword and sorcery story Lies and Treachery will appear in Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 in April

I am really pleased to announce that my sword and sorcery tale Lies and Treachery will appear in the April issue of Crimson Quill Quarterly. This is the second story about my disreputable mercenary heroes Horbeck, Brud and Asner, who first appeared in The Demon from Another World (Anthology of the Damned - Necromoirrium).

 

First amazon review for Welgar the Cursed - and it's 5 Stars

The first amazon review has now been posted for my collection Welgar the Cursed and, thankfully, it's for 5 Stars. It ends with: "I really hope Riley continues this character, because so much more can be told of his saga."

As soon as I finish writing my chronicles of the mercenary Horbeck (6 stories written and one still to be completed) that's a distinct possibility, especially if his stories continues to receive a favourable response.

To read the full review click on either of the links below:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DVZ3643N

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVZ3643N

Introduction to Welgar the Cursed

To give an indication of what to expect in my collection Welgar the Cursed from Tule Fog Press, here is my Introduction:

 

“Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus” was the first story I wrote involving Welgar, a young mercenary, short of funds, who enlists in the city watch in Assabarr, which just happens to be undergoing a puritanical revolution at the time.

 

The main character in this story, though, is Ossani the Healer, who previously made a brief appearance at the end of “The Storyteller of Koss” (Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy, 2022). Ossani has been hired by the city’s merchants and the prevailing priesthood to help bring an end to these puritanical disrupters.

The inspiration for these was based on the Florentine monk Savonarola who, along with his fanatical supporters, plunged Florence in 1497 into a similar plight, culminating in the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities, an event mirrored in this tale.

 

Unlike any of the other Welgar stories, “The Dark Priestdom” is narrated by Nadrain the Storyteller, who previously appeared in the above mentioned “The Storyteller of Koss.” In this tale I wanted to give Welgar a bigger role, showcasing his heroic capabilities, and also to explore the dark, demon-haunted city of Agrypt, which I had previously alluded to in other tales without any of them visiting it.

 

I realised after “The Dark Priestdom” I could not leave Welgar like he was and had to continue his blighted saga. In “Welgar the Cursed” (published in Swords & Heroes, 2023) Welgar realises how cursed he is, not only in becoming the image of an unwrapped mummy, but in the extreme bouts of insane violence the demon god that has possessed him makes him carry out.

 

Again, Welgar was left at the end of “Welgar the Cursed” in a predicament that needed further exploration, and thus came “Mask of a Mad God” which serves to reveal even more vividly how unmitigatedly evil the demon god that has possessed him is.

 

At the end of “Mask of a Mad God” Welgar is determined to end his life or destroy the Agryptian demon god that has possessed him. Afraid to be anywhere near people because of the mad god’s murderous tendencies, he can see only one course of action: to trek to the arctic north and find the demon-haunted city of Cyramon. For me, the story related in “The Forbidden City of Cyramon” represented the logical outcome to what poor Welgar had undergone.

 

The final story in this collection, “Emerging from Their Twilit Realms,” was a difficult one to write and I have to admit I made several false starts. In the end, I decided to come full circle with Welgar meeting Ossani again. The old sorcerer-cum-healer has moved to Oriaska, where he awaits the mercenary’s return, having divined what happened to him in Cyramon. Along with Ossani, though, another character from Welgar’s past is awaiting him, one the mercenary is far less pleased to meet.

 

 

Welgar the Cursed is now available as a paperback

I am pleased to announce that my first sword and sorcery collection, Welgar the Cursed, published by Lyndon Perry's Tule Fog Press, is now available to order as a 188-page paperback on amazon.

 

"From his raw beginnings as a carefree mercenary, Welgar had no idea that his future would lead him into a dark, demonic nightmare. Although he had always instinctively hated sorcery, it was into the depths of what magic could create that he found himself entangled when he unwisely crossed swords with some of its most malign practitioners.

Follow Welgar’s quest as he struggles to rid himself of his horrific curse, which brings death and terror to anyone close to him, friend or foe. Travelling from the hot jungles and grim temples of feared Agrypt in the far south to the forbidden, demon-haunted city of Cyramon in the arctic north, Welgar is willing to sacrifice it all to become again the man he once was."

 

“For those enjoying the current surge of interest in Sword & Sorcery, David Riley’s Welgar is definitely one to follow. Skillfully crafted, spiced with lively action and a healthy dash of humor, these yarns are a delight, and stand out on a crowded battlefield.” – Adrian Cole, author of The Voidal Trilogy, Dream Lords Series, and Elak, King of Atlantis.

 

The collection includes the following tales:

 

Ossani the Healer and The Beautiful Homunculus

The Dark Priestdom (first published in Savage Realms Monthly #19, 2023)

Welgar the Cursed (first pubished in Swords & Heroes, 2023)

Mask of a Mad God

The Forbidden City of Cyramon (first published in Swords & Heroes One Story at a Time, 2024)

Emerging from Their Twilit Realms 

Now that the paperback of my collection of Welgar's tales is available I must express thanks for the artwork of Rizky Nugraha for the cover and an interior illustration, plus to Aaron Rakuu for his map of Welgar's world.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DVZ3643N

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVZ3643N

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welgar the Cursed

I've been informed by my publisher Lyndon Perry of Tule Fog Press that my collection Welgar the Cursed should be available to order as a paperback soon. More details as and when they're available.

My sword and sorcery tale The God in the Keep reprinted in February issue of Schlock! Webzine

My sword and sorcery tale The God in the Keep was reprinted in this month's issue of Schlock! Webzine. This was first published in Sword and Sorcery Magazine in 2021. But although it's a reprint this is actually the first time this tale has appeared in print as Sword and Sorcery Magazine is only an online publication.

Nadrain the Storyteller

One of my recurring sword and sorcery characters is Nadrain the Storyteller, who sometimes narrates his own adventures (which he hates having) and of people he meets, which enable me to write in the first person for a change.

Nadrain's own adventures feature in The Storyteller of Koss (Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1, 2022 and Schlock! Webzine, October, 2024) and in The Dark Priestdom (Savage Realms Monthly #19, 2023 and in the next few weeks in the collection Welgar the Cursed, Tule Fog Press).

Additionally, he has retold the tales of the unfortunate snake charmer from In the Temple of the Snake (Crimson Quill Quarterly #3, 2024) and of the artist Essayan in Essayan's Terrible Machineries of War (Crimson Quill Quarterly #5, 2025).

I have also used quotes from him at the start of several stories involving Welgar so as to set the scene and provide a few background details.