No Game for Knights

“Knights had no meaning in this game. It wasn't a game for knights.” – Raymond Chandler In a world of criminals, thugs, con artists, cheats, and swindlers, there must be a man to stand against the powers of darkness and corruption. A man not afraid to walk the mean streets―whether they be those of 1930s Los Angeles, an ancient fantasy realm, or some far-flung planet of a future star empire. He is a man who knows that a “good man” is not always a “nice guy.” But when the chips are down, he understands that a hero does the right thing, even if it means losing everything. He’s a hard man, sure. But an honorable one. He’s a truth-seeker, a score-evener. He is Sam Spade. He is Philip Marlowe. He is Rick Deckard. He is Harry Dresden. He is all these men and more. Now, join Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell as they present all-new stories of fantasy and science fiction with a hardboiled detective bent by today's top authors. Grab the bottle of Scotch from your bottom desk drawer. Light a cigarette. Tilt your fedora back on your head. But don’t forget to watch your back. This is No Game for Knights. Stories by: Laurell K. Hamilton, Larry Correia, Christopher Ruocchio, Michael Haspil, D.J.  Butler, Kacey Ezell, Griffin Barber, Robert Buettner, Sharon Shinn, Craig Martelle, Chris Kennedy, S.A. Bailey, G. Scott Huggins, Nicole Givens Kurtz, and Rob Howell.   About Noir Fatale, edited by Correia and Ezell: “Marvelous is a good word to describe all of the stories in the book. . . . Noir Fatale is a book that will charm both noir fans, and general science fiction and fantasy readers. Correia and Ezell have created a captivating mix of stories.”―The Galveston County Daily News “[A] wonderfully diverse collection of stories from a broad range of authors and it delivers in spades . . . It is a diverse and exciting slice of Noir and Fatale and a great read.”―SFRevu About Larry Correia and the Monster Hunter International series: “[E]verything I like in fantasy: intense action scenes, evil in horrifying array, good struggling against the darkness, and most of all people―gorgeously flawed human beings faced with horrible moral choices that force them to question and change and grow.”―Jim Butcher “[A] no-holds-barred all-out page turner that is part science fiction, part horror, and an absolute blast to read.”―Bookreporter.com “If you love monsters and action, you’ll love this book. If you love guns, you’ll love this book. If you love fantasy, and especially horror fantasy, you’ll love this book.”―Knotclan.com “A gun person who likes science fiction―or, heck, anyone who likes science fiction―will enjoy [these books] . . . The plotting is excellent, and Correia makes you care about the characters . . . I read both books without putting them down except for work . . . so whaddaya waitin’ for? Go and buy some . . . for yourself and for stocking stuffers.”―Massad Ayoob “This lighthearted, testosterone-soaked sequel to 2009's Monster Hunter International will delight fans of action horror with elaborate weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, disgusting monsters, and an endless stream of blood and body parts.”―Publishers Weekly on Monster Hunter Vendetta About the work of Kacey Ezell: “Gritty, dark and damp. Much like the war itself.” ―Michael Z. Williamson, best-selling author of A Long Time Until Now “I loved Minds of Men.” ―D.J. Butler, best-selling author of Witchy Eye “A lot of good scifi writers write war, but sometimes forget that it is fought by actual people, and even in the midst of war, you don't stop being people while you fight. If you want a good read that dares you to think about what it is like to go to war when you can't hide behind the masks you learn to wear, check it out.” ―John T. Mainer

Larry Correia is the creator of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times best-selling Monster Hunter International series, with first entry Monster Hunter International, as well as urban fantasy hard-boiled adventure saga The Grimnoir Chronicles, with first entry Hard Magic, and epic fantasy series The Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, with first entry Son of the Black Sword. He is an avid gun user and advocate who shot on a competitive level for many years. Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a military contract accountant, and a small business accountant and manager. Correia lives in Utah with his wife and family.

Kacey Ezell writes emotionally charged adventure fantasy and science fiction. She is a three-time Dragon Award Finalist for Best Alternate History and won the 2018 Year’s Best Military and Adventure Science Fiction Readers’ Choice Award. She has written multiple best-selling novels published with Chris Kennedy Publishing, Baen Books, and Blackstone Publishing. Additionally, she is a retired helicopter pilot with 3000+ hours in the UH-1N Huey, Mi-171, and EC130 helicopters. She is married with two daughters. You can join her fan community and get free stories at kaceyezell.net/the-dragons-horde/.

Griffin Barber spent his youth in four different countries, learning three languages, and burning all his bridges. A retired San Francisco police officer, Griffin lives the good life in East Tennessee with his wife and indifferent cats, his daughter having moved on to life in the big city.  He is the author, with Eric Flint, of 1636: Mission to the Mughals and1637: The Peacock Throne.

A Webster Award winner and three-time Dragon Award finalist, Chris Kennedy is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author, speaker, military veteran, and small-press publisher who has written over 30 books and published more than 200 others. He lives in Coinjock, North Carolina, with his wife, and is the holder of a doctorate in educational leadership and master’s degrees in both business and public administration.

Christopher Ruocchio is the author of The Sun Eater, a space opera fantasy series, as well as a former assistant editor at Baen Books, where he has edited several anthologies. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he studied English Rhetoric and the Classics. Christopher has been writing since he was eight and sold his first novel, Empire of Silence, at twenty-two. To date, his books have been published in five languages.

Christopher lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, Jenna.