Magic and Majesty: A Midwest Fantasy Sampler 2026 (Part 1)
Hello, all. Welcome to our first review series dedicated to an anthology.
On May 18th, I saw a post on threads by Justin Rose, the “curator” of this anthology (and also the author of the first of the ten stories contained within it), requesting ARC reviewers who could read the book and post a review the week of June 10th. I thought it seemed like good fun, so I submitted an application. Per the request of Rose, I have already posted my Goodreads review for the sampler as a whole. Here, we are going to go a bit deeper.
Here’s the schedule.
Today, June 14th
Anthology Premise & Rating
“The Godblade” (Nation’s End series), by Justin Rose
“A Ballad of Books & Bandits” (Legend of Tal series), by J. D. L. Rosell
Sunday, June 21st
“Gatekeeper” (Keepers of Midgate series), by R. M. Krogman
“Bee’s Tail” (Empire of Ash and Song series), by D. E. Carlson
“Son of the Martyr” (The Palimar Saga series), by K R. Solberg
Sunday, June 28th
“The Butcher of Hudêd” (Sundering the Gods series), by L. James Rice
“Fate of the Nightbloom” (Stormborn Chronicles series), by Starr Z. Davies
“The Salted Crown” (Curse of the Fey Duelist series), by Christopher D. Schmitz
Saturday, July 4th
“The Gryphon Key” (Enchantress Rising series), by E. A. Burnett
“The Harrowing of Nerikan” (ODE: The Scion of Nerikan novel), by Richard Sweitzer
Retrospective
Let’s get right into it.
ANTHOLOGY STATS
Title: Magic and Majesty: A Midwest Fantasy Sampler 2026
Series: Midwest Fantasy Sampler, Book 2
Author(s): Various, curated by Justin Rose
Genre: Fantasy (various)
First Printing: June 10th, 2026
Publisher: Self-published to Amazon
SPOILER WARNING
Mild, unmarked spoilers for all stories in the anthology will be provided throughout this review. Additionally, the Story section of each review will feature heavy spoilers. I will keep the first paragraph of any given section, including the Story sections, spoiler-free.
ANTHOLOGY PREMISE & RATING
Premise
Per Amazon’s Kindle e-book page for this book:
Looking for a new fantasy series, but can't quite decide where to start?
We've got you covered!
“10 short stories. 10 authors. Every short story ties into a different series.”
That is the idea behind “The Midwest Fantasy Sampler.”
The 2026 edition pulls together 9 fantastic authors from across the Midwest and one special guest from beyond our region to offer you a sampling platter of stories certain to appeal to every taste, whether you prefer grimdark or noblebright, classic high fantasy or romantasy.
This year’s edition also features beautiful, decorative page designs, borders, chapter headers, and numerous full-page illustrations, as well as a map of the Midwest with our author locations.
* * *
Like classic epic fantasy with immersive worlds and varied races? Try JDL Rosell or Justin Rose.
Like romantasy with heart-stirring rapture as well as heart-pounding adventure? Try D. E. Carlson or Starr Z. Davies.
Like your fantasy with a darker edge? Try R. M. Krogman.
Like your fantasy with emotion and pathos that will make you cry? Try Richard Sweitzer.
Like some gunpowder and tech along with your magic and dragons? Try K. R. Solberg or Christopher D. Schmitz.
Like your fantasy with magic front and center? Try L. James Rice or E. A. Burnett.
So, whatever direction your taste runs in fantasy, read these ten stories and follow up on the series you love.
Rating: 8 / 10
This rating may seem a bit odd once you start to read the ratings of the individual stories. It’s nowhere close to the average of the individual story ratings. That being said, this sampler delivers on its very simple promise.
Each of the ten stories feels like a glimpse into a deeper, more vibrant mythos. They each paint of picture of the vibes, writing style, and interesting bits of worldbuilding that we can expect within their respective stories. Even for the stories that I don’t feel are good as samples or even as stories on their own, I can absolutely see their appeal as bonus content for their author’s established audience.
Will I personally be checking out any of the series sampled here? Hard to say. I have quite the backlog in my TBR and reviews list. But do I think that other Fantasy fans will be able to find a new series to love here? Almost certainly. It will vary on your personal tastes, but if one of these series aligns with those tastes, I am confident that you’d be able to identify and engage with it based upon the samples given here.
“THE GODBLADE”
Stats
Series: Nation’s End
Author(s): Justin Rose
Story
Lord Modwin Godblade commits himself to die in a duel of honor against the champions of the minotaur army that invaded the lands of the elves. As he awaits the arrival of the army, he digs graves and reflects upon the loved ones lost in the war.
The graves Modwin is digging are for his father, mother, wife, and children, all killed in a minotaur raid days earlier. We experience flashbacks about these family members, as well as one of his friend Jire, as he waits for the minotaurs and then begins dispatching their champions one by one. The story ends when an elvish collaborator in league with the minotaurs grants him an honorable death in a final duel.
Rating: 6.5/10
"The Godblade" is a good sampler for not only Rose's work but for the best that this anthology offers.
Rather than overwhelm the reader with lore dumps or trying to sell us on the premise and plot of Nation's End, Rose focuses this story on character. We learn about the geopolitical turmoil through the lens of Modwin's personal tragedy. We are Shown glimpses of what life was like for the elves before the minotaur invasion, with these happier moments in Modwin's past being contrasted against his present, suicidal despair. We build emotional investment in this broader narrative by building investment in just one character.
There is, however, a flaw in the execution: most of these flashbacks were not the best choices. They are not bad choices. They just don't enhance the present narrative the way I think Rose intended.
See, each of the five flashbacks is presented as a precious memory that Modwin has of a lost loved one. That's a great idea. The problem is that only one of these scenes actually works as a memory to establish said loved one, that being the one for his two children. Even that one only works because the live of a father for his children does not require much elaboration. The flashbacks for his father, his mother, and his wife feel like scenes chosen entirely at random, with no clear indication as to why these would be the moments Modwin reflects upon after the fact. The final flashback, for his friend Jire, does have obvious relevance, but given how Jire is repeatedly referenced throughout the story but never shown prior to this flashback, a scene that takes place long after their friendship began really doesn't have the punch needed for a satisfying payoff.
I do want to emphasize that none of these flashbacks are bad. If they were scenes in a full novel dedicated to exploring Modwin's life and relationships with these people, I would say they are quite functional. They just feel underwhelming for what Rose was going for here.
Turning back to the present-day plotline, Modwin's brooding on the fall of his civilization works even without the flashbacks. You can feel how bitter and weary he is of it all. Even without the flashbacks, this story of his suicidal last stand works on its own.
"The Godblade" is a fine example of an author putting his best foot forward for a series. It sets a standard that will play out across this anthology. Emphasizing character over plot or lore delivers a strong return on a limited word count.
“A BALLAD OF BOOKS & BANDITS”
Stats
Series: Legend of Tal
Author(s): J. D. L. Rosell
Story
Rylan, a halfing thief of the Dreg Pints gang, swipes an expensive-looking book that he spies in a shop. However, when he goes to fence this tome, he realizes that taking it has placed a mark on him. Shunned by criminal society and desperate to protect the Pints, Rylan must hatch a plan to offload the book while preserving the lives of his crew.
This does not go well. His attempt to ransom the book back to the sorcerer it belongs to via a dead drop only results in an assassin leading the sorcerer to the Pints’ hideout. With the lives of the Pints on the line, Rylan surrenders himself into the sorcerer’s custody so that they will be spared.
Rating: 8/10
Unlike "The Godblade", "A Ballad of Books and Bandits" dumps a lot of worldbuilding lore. Readers are inundated in a world with a huge number of sapient fantasy races and a theocratic political system, all of which are important to understanding the plot and characters. That being said, character is still the core.
Fylan is explored throughout the events of this story. Initially, the focus is on his skills and worldview as a thief, and it seems like he is only interested in profit. The introduction of the Chosen as a factor in the story and if the danger posed by the book leads to the introduction of Fylan's crew and the reveal that looming out for them is his core motivation. We see how he tries to protect them, both by offloading the book as quickly as possible and by concealing the truth about it from them. All this makes his sacrifice at the end feel like a natural payoff.
I don't have a lot more to say here. This story works very well. The only significant complaint I have is that the lore is a little too dense. The introduction of the Chosen triggers a tonal shift that clearly establishes them as important, but prior to that point, it's not clear which aspects of this setting actually matter to the narrative.
A FINE START
The first two stories in this anthology set a high bar. The stories we’ll review next week - “Gatekeeper”, “Bee’s Tail”, and “Son of the Martyr” - do their best to hold it up. While these next three stories do have their problems, the potential of the series they represent is also strongly evidence. We’ll get into more detail about it next Sunday, June 21st.
Thank you all for stopping by. Please remember to subscribe and share if you enjoyed what you read here. Take care, everyone, and have a good week.
