Hurled Headlong Flaming

Hurled Headlong Flaming: The Bishop's Tale is a dark fantasy novella by Matt Holder that follows a priest on a perilous quest to a hellish underworld to retrieve an ancient manuscript he believes can help prevent the apocalypse. Drawing from influences like Dante, Milton, and Robert E. Howard, and Lovecraftian dream-quest literature, this bizarre tale sees the Bishop descend through a hidden city, forced to engage in infernal dialogues and navigate labyrinthine streets while pursued by demonic creatures. Grappling with questions of faith, truth, and the brutality of the Crusades, the Bishop's harrowing journey examines the violence that often accompanies meaning-making in a world that resists interpretation. This first entry in the Keen Blades series from Spiral Tower Press aims to expand the boundaries of what sword and sorcery can be.