Showing results for "Kiss" in Anthologies & Short Stories

"The Long Kiss" is fundamentally a story about choices and consequences. Scoundrels by nature are well versed in that equation. Staying ahead in that calculation is how they pay the bills, after all. But sometimes ambition and deceit muddies the waters. Desire and desperation become perfect poisons. Duty and honor turn to guilt and wrath.

First published in the pages of Weird Tales in 1934, C. L. Moore's Jirel of Joiry is the first significant female sword-and-sorcery protagonist and one of the most exciting and evocative characters the genre has ever known. Published alongside seminal works by H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, the five classic fantasy tales included in this volume easily stand the test of time and often overshadow the storytelling power and emotional impact of stories by Moore's more famous contemporaries.

Castle Joiry had been taken. The heavy boots of invaders rang in the hallways, and the arching ceiling echoed back the clash of falling swords. Still struggling violently, Joiry's commander was brought before the conqueror. Standing tall, armor running red with blood, Jirel of Joiry refused to surrender her home and vowed to her enemy that his victory would cost him his life, and more. That very night, Joiry's lady crept by secret ways to the castle's deepest dungeon.

Like most Winter fairies, Finnegan is one of few words, but he fulfills his princely duties without too much protest. That is, until he meets Sidelle; a Summer fairy princess. For the unlikely pair, it seemed their meeting was destiny. But their forbidden bond is discovered and torn apart. Now, Finnegan must escape his mother's clutches to find his love and apologize, beg forgiveness, and show her the depth of his feelings. But instead of finding Sidelle, Finnegan befriends a dark stranger.