Fitzmarbury Witches and Dark Tales by D. J. Swales

BLOOD ON CEDARS AND WARNINGS OF A NECROMANCER. Bloody sacrifices and pious self-mutilations are recalled from the times Baal's faithful priests gathered around the roots of the greatest holy cedars.

★★★★★

"What a debut novel! Hollywood this is your new dark historical fantasy and horror franchise!" -- Jedi Joeda

It is no mere coincidence that D. J. Swales shares the same last name as Count Dracula's first Whitby victim. His debut novel BARATANAC (Parts I, II, and III) will chill your blood. Discover the audio drama of this genre-busting dark fantasy, horror, and historical thriller.

A ruthless priestess of Baal sails from the imperial city of Carthage, sixty years after the fall of King Leonidas and the Spartan 300. She is a hardened warrior, wrenched from the only love she ever knew and raised in merciless service to Baal. Her iron heart holds the secrets of a young girl trafficked across the Sahara from the decaying Egyptian city of Sekht-Am (Siwa). Ever threatened by the scandal of her origins, she proves herself by embarking on a series of violent missions. Once again, she is sent from Africa – this time to penetrate new frontiers at the edge of the world, in ancient Britain.

The Fitzmarbury Witches series unveils a web of predatory evil that spans eras and continents. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and matured readers of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials will love BARATANAC. Read BARATANAC for FREE on Kindle Unlimited, or BUY ON AMAZON and read on Kindle or the FREE Kindle APP.

For adult fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Alix E. Harrow, Diane Setterfield, Kate Mosse, Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Amy Harmon, Raymond E. Feist, Joe Abercrombie, Sabaa Tahir, Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, Neil Gaimon, Koji Suzuki, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Ken Follett, Susanna Clark, Bridget Collins, V. E. Schwab, Charlie N. Holmberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Cassandra Clare, and Madeline Miller.

Books by D. J. Swales include:

BARATANAC (Part I)

BARATANAC (Part II)

BARATANAC (Combined Parts I, II, & III)

PARIS: A CURSE COMES TO THE CITY OF THE CATACOMBS

LOVE IN AN ISIS TOWN: COLLECTED POEMS OF EXILE AND RESURFACING (Volume I)

★★★★★

"OK I’m shook, I think I just graduated from Harry Potter . . . Game of Thrones meets The Witcher . . . Totally amazing writing." --BookBabe760

★★★★★

"I'm eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series!" -- Chris Hudec

★★★★

"Loved it! An impressively written and captivating first installment of supernatural historical fiction. . .the intricacy of the plot and detailed descriptions are truly praiseworthy." -- Mariah Pappas (Reedsy Literary Critic)

★★★★★

"An epic, epic book. So rich, so textured, so colourful." -- Charlie Green

Support INDEPENDENT Creatives. If you enjoy this work please back D. J. SWALES on PATREON and PAYPAL.

THE CHAINED AND THE WRETCHED. The Libyan sailor pauses over the grate of the slave galley. Misery whispers from the lips of the chained men below, all trapped in a dreadful fate. 

★★★★★

"What a debut novel! Hollywood this is your new dark historical fantasy and horror franchise!" -- Jedi Joeda

It is no mere coincidence that D. J. Swales shares the same last name as Count Dracula's first Whitby victim. His debut novel BARATANAC (Parts I, II, and III) will chill your blood. Discover the audio drama of this genre-busting dark fantasy, horror, and historical thriller.

A ruthless priestess of Baal sails from the imperial city of Carthage, sixty years after the fall of King Leonidas and the Spartan 300. She is a hardened warrior, wrenched from the only love she ever knew and raised in merciless service to Baal. Her iron heart holds the secrets of a young girl trafficked across the Sahara from the decaying Egyptian city of Sekht-Am (Siwa). Ever threatened by the scandal of her origins, she proves herself by embarking on a series of violent missions. Once again, she is sent from Africa – this time to penetrate new frontiers at the edge of the world, in ancient Britain.

The Fitzmarbury Witches series unveils a web of predatory evil that spans eras and continents. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and matured readers of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials will love BARATANAC. Read BARATANAC for FREE on Kindle Unlimited, or BUY ON AMAZON and read on Kindle or the FREE Kindle APP.

For adult fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Alix E. Harrow, Diane Setterfield, Kate Mosse, Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Amy Harmon, Raymond E. Feist, Joe Abercrombie, Sabaa Tahir, Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, Neil Gaimon, Koji Suzuki, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Ken Follett, Susanna Clark, Bridget Collins, V. E. Schwab, Charlie N. Holmberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Cassandra Clare, and Madeline Miller.

Books by D. J. Swales include:

BARATANAC (Part I)

BARATANAC (Part II)

BARATANAC (Combined Parts I, II, & III)

PARIS: A CURSE COMES TO THE CITY OF THE CATACOMBS

LOVE IN AN ISIS TOWN: COLLECTED POEMS OF EXILE AND RESURFACING (Volume I)

★★★★★

"OK I’m shook, I think I just graduated from Harry Potter . . . Game of Thrones meets The Witcher . . . Totally amazing writing." --BookBabe760

★★★★★

"I'm eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series!" -- Chris Hudec

★★★★

"Loved it! An impressively written and captivating first installment of supernatural historical fiction. . .the intricacy of the plot and detailed descriptions are truly praiseworthy." -- Mariah Pappas (Reedsy Literary Critic)

★★★★★

"An epic, epic book. So rich, so textured, so colourful." -- Charlie Green

Support INDEPENDENT Creatives. If you enjoy this work please back D. J. SWALES on PATREON and PAYPAL.

Admiral Himilco sends a Libyan sailor below deck with a message for the secretive priestess.  

★★★★★

"What a debut novel! Hollywood this is your new dark historical fantasy and horror franchise!" -- Jedi Joeda

It is no mere coincidence that D. J. Swales shares the same last name as Count Dracula's first Whitby victim. His debut novel BARATANAC (Parts I, II, and III) will chill your blood. Discover the audio drama of this genre-busting dark fantasy, horror, and historical thriller.

A ruthless priestess of Baal sails from the imperial city of Carthage, sixty years after the fall of King Leonidas and the Spartan 300. She is a hardened warrior, wrenched from the only love she ever knew and raised in merciless service to Baal. Her iron heart holds the secrets of a young girl trafficked across the Sahara from the decaying Egyptian city of Sekht-Am (Siwa). Ever threatened by the scandal of her origins, she proves herself by embarking on a series of violent missions. Once again, she is sent from Africa – this time to penetrate new frontiers at the edge of the world, in ancient Britain.

The Fitzmarbury Witches series unveils a web of predatory evil that spans eras and continents. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and matured readers of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials will love BARATANAC. Read BARATANAC for FREE on Kindle Unlimited, or BUY ON AMAZON and read on Kindle or the FREE Kindle APP.

For adult fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Alix E. Harrow, Diane Setterfield, Kate Mosse, Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Amy Harmon, Raymond E. Feist, Joe Abercrombie, Sabaa Tahir, Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, Neil Gaimon, Koji Suzuki, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Ken Follett, Susanna Clark, Bridget Collins, V. E. Schwab, Charlie N. Holmberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Cassandra Clare, and Madeline Miller.

Books by D. J. Swales include:

BARATANAC (Part I)

BARATANAC (Part II)

BARATANAC (Combined Parts I, II, & III)

PARIS: A CURSE COMES TO THE CITY OF THE CATACOMBS

LOVE IN AN ISIS TOWN: COLLECTED POEMS OF EXILE AND RESURFACING (Volume I)

★★★★★

"OK I’m shook, I think I just graduated from Harry Potter . . . Game of Thrones meets The Witcher . . . Totally amazing writing." --BookBabe760

★★★★★

"I'm eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series!" -- Chris Hudec

★★★★

"Loved it! An impressively written and captivating first installment of supernatural historical fiction. . .the intricacy of the plot and detailed descriptions are truly praiseworthy." -- Mariah Pappas (Reedsy Literary Critic)

★★★★★

"An epic, epic book. So rich, so textured, so colourful." -- Charlie Green

Support INDEPENDENT Creatives. If you enjoy this work please back D. J. SWALES on PATREON and PAYPAL.

The Silver Fleet approaches the distant savage shores of Baratanac (ancient Britain). In its belly paces a fierce warrior priestess who intends to cast Baal's shadow at the edge of the world. 

★★★★★

"What a debut novel! Hollywood this is your new dark historical fantasy and horror franchise!" -- Jedi Joeda

It is no mere coincidence that D. J. Swales shares the same last name as Count Dracula's first Whitby victim. His debut novel BARATANAC (Parts I, II, and III) will chill your blood. Discover the audio drama of this genre-busting dark fantasy, horror, and historical thriller.

A ruthless priestess of Baal sails from the imperial city of Carthage, sixty years after the fall of King Leonidas and the Spartan 300. She is a hardened warrior, wrenched from the only love she ever knew and raised in merciless service to Baal. Her iron heart holds the secrets of a young girl trafficked across the Sahara from the decaying Egyptian city of Sekht-Am (Siwa). Ever threatened by the scandal of her origins, she proves herself by embarking on a series of violent missions. Once again, she is sent from Africa – this time to penetrate new frontiers at the edge of the world, in ancient Britain.

The Fitzmarbury Witches series unveils a web of predatory evil that spans eras and continents. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and matured readers of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials will love BARATANAC. Read BARATANAC for FREE on Kindle Unlimited, or BUY ON AMAZON and read on Kindle or the FREE Kindle APP.

For adult fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Alix E. Harrow, Diane Setterfield, Kate Mosse, Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Amy Harmon, Raymond E. Feist, Joe Abercrombie, Sabaa Tahir, Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, Neil Gaimon, Koji Suzuki, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Ken Follett, Susanna Clark, Bridget Collins, V. E. Schwab, Charlie N. Holmberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Cassandra Clare, and Madeline Miller.

Books by D. J. Swales include:

BARATANAC (Part I)

BARATANAC (Part II)

BARATANAC (Combined Parts I, II, & III)

PARIS: A CURSE COMES TO THE CITY OF THE CATACOMBS

LOVE IN AN ISIS TOWN: COLLECTED POEMS OF EXILE AND RESURFACING (Volume I)

★★★★★

"OK I’m shook, I think I just graduated from Harry Potter . . . Game of Thrones meets The Witcher . . . Totally amazing writing." --BookBabe760

★★★★★

"I'm eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series!" -- Chris Hudec

★★★★

"Loved it! An impressively written and captivating first installment of supernatural historical fiction. . .the intricacy of the plot and detailed descriptions are truly praiseworthy." -- Mariah Pappas (Reedsy Literary Critic)

★★★★★

"An epic, epic book. So rich, so textured, so colourful." -- Charlie Green

Support INDEPENDENT Creatives. If you enjoy this work please back D. J. SWALES on PATREON and PAYPAL.

Listen in dread to this dark poem that recalls the tragic aftermath of the brutal Battle of Worcester in 1651, when the blood of thousands of dead Scottish Highlanders and Lowlanders drenched the soil of the city and turned its rivers red. Thousands more - injured and traumatised - were cruelly shackled and imprisoned within the thick stone walls of the city’s cathedral and its ancient crypt, before Cromwell shipped the hapless survivors to forced labour in Barbados. None expected to see their homeland again. The glens of Scotland mourned for their lost youth as Hugh Peters (Cromwell's ruthless chief preacher - from Salem, Massachusetts) stalked among the prisoners. He was a man infamous for his cruelty.   

This poem was composed in the thousand-year-old crypt of Worcester cathedral.

PATRONS HAVE BEEN ESSENTIAL TO THE ARTS FOR CENTURIES. YOUR VITAL SUPPORT MEANS I CAN CONTINUE TO RECORD QUALITY PODCASTS AND WRITE BOOKS. Thank you, DJ.

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Declan is missing. Le Papillon shows signs of violent struggle and inexplicable destruction. Declan's laptop is discovered among his belongings.  The hard drive reveals a slew of mysterious draft documents, including Fitzmarbury Witches. 

BUY BARATANAC TRILOGY NOW! AMAZON paperback or ebook (for Kindle and the FREE Kindle App).

FREE on KINDLE UNLIMITED.

★★★★★

"What a debut novel! Hollywood this is your new dark historical fantasy and horror franchise!" -- Jedi Joeda

The Fitzmarbury Witches series unveils a web of predatory evil that spans eras and continents. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Pillars of the Earth, The Last Kingdom, The Witcher, and matured readers of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials will love BARATANAC.

For adult fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Neil Gaimon, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Ken Follett, Alix E. Harrow, Diane Setterfield, Kate Mosse, Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Amy Harmon, Raymond E. Feist, Joe Abercrombie, Sabaa Tahir, Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, Koji Suzuki, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Susanna Clark, Bridget Collins, V. E. Schwab, Charlie N. Holmberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Cassandra Clare, and Madeline Miller.

DISCOVER THE ENTHRALLING BOOKS OF AUTHOR D. J. SWALES:

Don't miss the thrilling history and occult horror of the FITZMARBURY WITCHES SERIES

Be terrified by the short story, PARIS: A CURSE COMES TO THE CITY OF THE CATACOMBS

Immerse yourself in the bestselling darkness of MIDNIGHT'S TWIN: DARK POEMS PENNED IN MIDNIGHT HOURS

Be charmed by the feel-good magical realism of PEOPLE OF BLOOMSBURY

★★★★★

"OK I’m shook, I think I just graduated from Harry Potter . . . Game of Thrones meets The Witcher . . . Totally amazing writing." --BookBabe760

★★★★

"Loved it! An impressively written and captivating first installment of supernatural historical fiction. . .the intricacy of the plot and detailed descriptions are truly praiseworthy." -- Mariah Pappas (Reedsy Literary Critic)

★★★★★

"An epic, epic book. So rich, so textured, so colourful." -- Charlie Green

Support INDEPENDENT Creatives. If you enjoy this work please back D. J. SWALES on PATREON and PAYPAL.

FOLLOW D. J. SWALES : Instagram, Tik Tok, Newsletter.

This poem relates to an incident in my early childhood, when my grandmother raced to the burning wreckage of a car bomb in Belfast. She believed my mother and I had been caught in the explosion as we walked home from the city centre. By a twist of fate we passed by two minutes before the detonation. THIS IS A SAMPLE FROM AN UPCOMING COMPILATION OF POETRY, AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL VIGNETTES AND TRAVEL MEMOIR.

The intricate world of Declan's past and present closes in around him. A sentient smear – an ancient abomination – waits for its moment to strike, sensing it to be close. Terror builds . . . 

BUY BARATANAC TRILOGY NOW! AMAZON paperback or ebook (for Kindle and the FREE Kindle App).

FREE on KINDLE UNLIMITED.

★★★★★

"What a debut novel! Hollywood this is your new dark historical fantasy and horror franchise!" -- Jedi Joeda

The Fitzmarbury Witches series unveils a web of predatory evil that spans eras and continents. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Pillars of the Earth, The Last Kingdom, The Witcher, and matured readers of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials will love BARATANAC.

For adult fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Neil Gaimon, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Ken Follett, Alix E. Harrow, Diane Setterfield, Kate Mosse, Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Amy Harmon, Raymond E. Feist, Joe Abercrombie, Sabaa Tahir, Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, Koji Suzuki, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Susanna Clark, Bridget Collins, V. E. Schwab, Charlie N. Holmberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Cassandra Clare, and Madeline Miller.

DISCOVER THE ENTHRALLING BOOKS OF AUTHOR D. J. SWALES:

Don't miss the thrilling history and occult horror of the FITZMARBURY WITCHES SERIES

Be terrified by the short story, PARIS: A CURSE COMES TO THE CITY OF THE CATACOMBS

Immerse yourself in the bestselling darkness of MIDNIGHT'S TWIN: DARK POEMS PENNED IN MIDNIGHT HOURS

Be charmed by the feel-good magical realism of PEOPLE OF BLOOMSBURY

★★★★★

"OK I’m shook, I think I just graduated from Harry Potter . . . Game of Thrones meets The Witcher . . . Totally amazing writing." --BookBabe760

★★★★

"Loved it! An impressively written and captivating first installment of supernatural historical fiction. . .the intricacy of the plot and detailed descriptions are truly praiseworthy." -- Mariah Pappas (Reedsy Literary Critic)

★★★★★

"An epic, epic book. So rich, so textured, so colourful." -- Charlie Green

Support INDEPENDENT Creatives. If you enjoy this work please back D. J. SWALES on PATREON and PAYPAL.

FOLLOW D. J. SWALES : Instagram, Tik Tok, Newsletter.

FLEETING MOMENTS ON A DECAYING DENVER STREET. LIGHTS PUNCTUATE THE HEM OF A ROCKY MOUNTAIN CLOAK - THERE LIES DENVER! BELOVED CROSSROADS-CITY TO SO MANY LIVES, PROVING THAT CROSSROADS REALLY ARE MAGICAL PLACES, LIKE THE ANCIENT ONES SAID.  One of Denver's more soulful frayed locales is West Colfax Avenue, a place of dive bars, diners and urban angels. A place where the spirits of the Beatnik writers of the open road still dwell in lonely windswept corners not yet scrubbed by gentrification. A place traversed by misplaced souls, wayward wanderers, minimum wage migrants, misanthropes and doe-eyed adventurers. West Colfax is where people like me  — LOST ROMANTICS - who have wistfully meandered several times across America's belly can taste the tang of nostalgia and rust of forlorn timelessness that clings to the pavements and sparkles as glass shards in gutters. It stares from sad eyes that hover over empty whisky glasses in red-lit rooms. 

I composed this poem while revisiting West Colfax  at the start of the long journey of survival, in the toxic aftermath of text-book narcissistic relationship. While fighting to excavate myself from those suffocating clutches (that had held me back from my own dreams for so long) Denver was one of number of cities I needed to reclaim from memories of blind faith, wasted love and lost time. At times I thought I would be swallowed whole, but the practice of writing poetry kept me  alive. THIS IS A SAMPLE FROM AN UPCOMING COMPILATION OF POETRY AND TRAVEL VIGNETTES.

Declan’s panic is blunted by a strange hypnotic state. He recalls events and legends in Ireland and England. Declan is confronted by a hideous apparition as threads of lightning slice through the Atlantic storm. 

BUY BARATANAC TRILOGY NOW! AMAZON paperback or ebook (for Kindle and the FREE Kindle App).

FREE on KINDLE UNLIMITED.

★★★★★

"What a debut novel! Hollywood this is your new dark historical fantasy and horror franchise!" -- Jedi Joeda

The Fitzmarbury Witches series unveils a web of predatory evil that spans eras and continents. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Pillars of the Earth, The Last Kingdom, The Witcher, and matured readers of Harry Potter and His Dark Materials will love BARATANAC.

For adult fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Neil Gaimon, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Ken Follett, Alix E. Harrow, Diane Setterfield, Kate Mosse, Hillary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Amy Harmon, Raymond E. Feist, Joe Abercrombie, Sabaa Tahir, Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, Koji Suzuki, Bernard Cornwell, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Susanna Clark, Bridget Collins, V. E. Schwab, Charlie N. Holmberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Cassandra Clare, and Madeline Miller.

DISCOVER THE ENTHRALLING BOOKS OF AUTHOR D. J. SWALES:

Don't miss the thrilling history and occult horror of the FITZMARBURY WITCHES SERIES

Be terrified by the short story, PARIS: A CURSE COMES TO THE CITY OF THE CATACOMBS

Immerse yourself in the bestselling darkness of MIDNIGHT'S TWIN: DARK POEMS PENNED IN MIDNIGHT HOURS

Be charmed by the feel-good magical realism of PEOPLE OF BLOOMSBURY

★★★★★

"OK I’m shook, I think I just graduated from Harry Potter . . . Game of Thrones meets The Witcher . . . Totally amazing writing." --BookBabe760

★★★★

"Loved it! An impressively written and captivating first installment of supernatural historical fiction. . .the intricacy of the plot and detailed descriptions are truly praiseworthy." -- Mariah Pappas (Reedsy Literary Critic)

★★★★★

"An epic, epic book. So rich, so textured, so colourful." -- Charlie Green

Support INDEPENDENT Creatives. If you enjoy this work please back D. J. SWALES on PATREON and PAYPAL.

FOLLOW D. J. SWALES : Instagram, Tik Tok, Newsletter.