Greedy as a Ghoul: The Damned and the Dead, #0.5

By Casey Sutton

Winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Awards in both the Dark Fantasy and Paranormal categories.

"Fantasy lovers who enjoy short stories will find this one to be an absolute treat. Greedy As A Ghoul is a prequel short story to Casey Sutton's upcoming full-length fantasy novel, Malfus: Necromancer Unchained. Sutton creates an intense and terrifying atmosphere within a short amount of pages." - Pikasho Deka, for Reader's Favorite

Malfus is a rogue necromancer with nothing to his name except his spellbook.

Forced to leave his old life behind, he finds himself starving and alone in a strange land.

His luck turns a corner when he stumbles across a body-strewn battlefield—but buzzards and crows aren't the only creatures interested in his find.

As night falls and the mists grow, will his necromancy be enough to face what waits for him in the dark?

This is a prequel short story, introducing the grimdark fantasy novel Malfus: Necromancer Unchained. You can enjoy this story by itself; it is not necessary reading for the novel. The book also includes a world-map as well as two full-color illustrations of scenes from the upcoming novel, drawn by artist Dejan Delic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Casey Sutton Writes
• Release date: Apr 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987927328

Casey Sutton

My name is Casey Sutton. I am a huge nerd and have been carrying books around with me since I was old enough to walk and carry things. I grew up immersed in fantasy worlds in books, video games, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. I was usually stuck being the Dungeon Master and creating imaginary worlds and characters for my friends. I am an Army veteran, and have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan. I spent my time overseas reading fantasy books and dreaming about being a writer one day, but didn't get the push to follow my dreams until a near-death experience in South Africa in 2018. I quit waiting around to write and started my book that night—in the hospital bed. A bit more about me, I love cats and have four. I am also a self-taught mycologist and forage for wild mushrooms, and have grown my own! I still love video games and Dungeons and Dragons too! I am the author of Malfus: Necromancer Unchained. It has been edited by an editor who has worked with Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson, and Dan Abnett!

Book preview

Greedy as a Ghoul

Prequel to Malfus: Necromancer Unchained

Casey Sutton

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Casey Sutton Writes

This is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations, and events portrayed herein are either products of the author’s imaginations, delusions, or hallucinations and are used fictitiously.

Copyright © 2023 by Casey Sutton

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

Preface

Map of Ossoria, left

Map of Ossoria, right

1.A Grave Discovery

2.Making Friends

A Ghoulish Surprise

3.Greedy as a Ghoul

To Be Continued...

Malfus: Necromancer Unchained

Malfus - In Chains

Malfus - Giant Attack

Malfus - Arise!

Thanks for reading!

About Author

Acknowledgments

Social Links

Preface

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Greedy as a Ghoul is a prequel short story to the full-length novel Malfus: Necromancer Unchained, coming June 2023.

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Chapter 1

A Grave Discovery

Those who practice dark and twisted things are doomed to walk dark and twisted paths. – Vesenian Proverb

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The gray clouds on the horizon gave a deep, low rumble—not unlike Malfus’s stomach. He ignored them both as he walked down the narrow road that wound through the marshy countryside like a snake.

The ugly skies of Monrovia constantly threatened rain, and often delivered on their promise. It was raining in the distance; it would only be a matter of time before the storms caught up with him. He knew he could only outrun them for so long.

His stomach grumbled again, and he sighed. Knowing he couldn’t ignore his hunger any longer, Malfus reached into his belt pouch, bracing for disappointment. His fingers fished around until they found his last piece of dried meat. He pulled out a strip the size of his little finger, and brushed dust and hair off before popping it into his mouth.

He chewed slowly, savoring it, even though the scrap had more gristle and fat than any cow he’d ever seen. As he swirled it around his mouth, he imagined the hot food from the academy, its warm baths… its relatively bug-free environment. It hadn’t been a perfect life—the food had been uninspired at the best of times—but at least it had been steady.

It wasn’t a terribly long time ago that he still had a future ahead of him—to become one of the few licensed mages of the Ossory Empire.

Now I’m an outlaw, a common criminal, an exile… A pariah. All because of what I know, what I’m capable of…

He was a gaunt scarecrow of a man and in desperate need of a bath. Malfus ran his

Reviews for Greedy as a Ghoul

[Jessica Wesseling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I didn't know what to expect from this, but I loved it. It's a very nice character introduction with dark vibes and action to start off with. I will for sure be reading the novel when it is released.