Tag Archives: Tales From the Crucible

EDITOR INTERVIEW: Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells Talks Tales From The Crucible

Welcome to this Track of Words Editor Interview, my ongoing series of quick interviews with authors (and editors) talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to Aconyte Books’ editor Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells about the new KeyForge short story anthology Tales from the Crucible, which is due to be released as an ebook on the 1st September, with a US paperback edition released the same day and the UK paperback edition due on the 1st October. Whether you’re already familiar with KeyForge or you’re just looking for some cool new sci-fi short stories, there should be plenty for you to enjoy in this excellent anthology, so without further ado let’s get straight to it…

Keep reading…

Tales From the Crucible – edited by Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells

Across nine stories from eight different authors, Aconyte Books’ short story anthology Tales From the Crucible explores the vibrant KeyForge setting and the characters who populate the immense world of the Crucible. A wild melting pot of races and archetypes – from elves, goblins and giants to demons, robots, martians and more – battling it out for the valuable resource known as Aember, as a setting it’s equal parts fantasy and science fiction, where anything is possible and nothing seems out of place. Heists, dirty dealings, historical reenactment, field trips, dangerous experiments, family struggles – everything is fair game, and despite the variety of styles, characters and approaches these stories are all united by an overarching sense of bold, colourful, fun storytelling.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: The Perfect Organism – CL Werner

CL Werner’s contribution to Aconyte Books’ Tales From the Crucible anthology is The Perfect Organism, which explores the warlike and scientific mindset of KeyForge’s martians. Convinced that they have created the ideal war machine, Elder Briilip unleashes the huge, artificially-engineered creature Number 647 into the desert of Nova Hellas, and pits it against the monster known as Tyrant. Briilip has a lot riding on Number 647’s success, especially with Elder Ghireen accompanying them as an official observer on behalf of the Prime Director, but watching the titanic clash from a safe distance, the martian scientist is utterly confident in their creation’s prowess.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Useful Parasites – MK Hutchins

MK Hutchins’ second short story (after The Librarian’s Duel) in Aconyte Books’ KeyForge anthology Tales From the Crucible, Useful Parasites is a tale of loneliness, gentle kindness and the importance of grieving. Juniper-kin treewalker Taryx lives a quiet life tending his garden and ministering to the wounded creatures of the forest, mourning the absence of an important friend and waiting for his grief to fade. When his latest patient turns out to be a strange part-cybernetic creature the likes of which he’s never encountered before, he sees an opportunity to put his loneliness aside, but worries things aren’t all they seem with his patient.

Continue reading →

QUICK REVIEW: Contract – Tristan Palmgren

Tristan Palmgren’s KeyForge short story Contract, the opening tale in Aconyte Books’ Tales From the Crucible anthology, explores the baffling logic of the Crucible through the eyes of an elven assassin aiming to pull off an audacious hit. Having gradually lost her sense of identity ever since her city was ripped from its world to join the Crucible, Vira lives for moments of exhilaration and the faint hope of some kind of vengeance. When she takes on a commission to kill a supposedly unkillable Archon, she knows how dangerous the consequences will be but determinedly accepts the contract anyway.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Vaultheads – David Guymer

David Guymer’s short story Vaultheads – his contribution to Aconyte Books’ Tales From the Crucible anthology – shows what happens when you cross the crazy world of KeyForge with the dedicated world of historical re-enactment…with entertaining results. In Hub City, battles between Archons for access to the Vaults have become legendary, over the years gathering serious historical aficionados keen to recreate the glory days with painstaking accuracy. After the successful completion of his latest re-enactment, one such enthusiast – having played the role of dashing skirate Raymon D’arco to perfection – finds his dreams of derring-do one step closer to reality.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: The Librarian’s Duel – MK Hutchins

One of two M.K. Hutchins short stories in Aconyte Books’ Tales From the Crucible anthology, The Librarian’s Duel explores the KeyForge setting through a story of a mother’s fear and a librarian’s duty. After the accident which left her husband dead and her daughter Marya somewhat out of phase with the rest of the world, Arash’s responsibility has been to keep her little library as well stocked as possible, because books are the only thing keeping Marya present. When she accidentally gets into a seemingly unwinnable fight with a giant Brobnar, Arash finds her world turned upside down again.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Extermination Examination – Robbie MacNiven

Robbie MacNiven’s first KeyForge short story, featured in the anthology Tales From the Crucible from Aconyte Books, Extermination Examination sees a pair of students embark on a research trip to the dangerous martian territory of the Borreal enclave. Earnest, enthusiastic krxix Nal’ai is desperate to impress her Martian Studies tutor – the 96.7% inorganic professor Longaard – while her roommate, the party-elf Kolli, just wants to get through her second year. Theirs is a simple task – just spend a few days interviewing the enclave’s members – but neither is really prepared for the paranoia and xenophobia of the notoriously insular martians.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: The Apprentice – Cath Lauria

One of nine KeyForge short stories featured in Aconyte Books’ anthology Tales From the Crucible, Cath Lauria’s The Apprentice is a story of gambling goblins, risky bets and family ties. Despite technically being Grizl Crustic’s apprentice, young human Roz is in fact the main mechanic in the lazy goblin’s workshop. When her boss guiltily explains that he may have lost her robot – TRIS, the last remaining link to Roz’s family – in a sure-fire bet gone wrong, she negotiates a dangerous new deal which sends her hunting within towering scrap piles in search of valuable technology to exchange for TRIS.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: To Catch A Thief – Thomas Parrott

Featured in Aconyte Books’ first short story anthology, Tales From the Crucible, Thomas Parrot’s KeyForge story To Catch A Thief follows the daring, dangerous exploits of light-fingered elf Nalea Wysasandoral. After a particularly lucrative score from burgling the home of the Crucible’s High Councilor himself, Nalea is on the lookout for her next job, unaware that the investigation into her ongoing crimes has been supplemented by an outside investigator – the renowned sylicate detective Talus the Thief-Taker. As she prepares for a risky new endeavour, the jaws of a trap begin to close around her.

Keep reading…