In 1348, England is stricken by the Black Death. The worst pandemic in human history has reached the kingdom of the warlike Edward III, a monarch who in battle against human adversaries cannot imagine defeat. Two thirds of his subjects now perish. Woods become wild again, farmland goes to rack and ruin, villages, towns and castles are left empty, inhabited only by ghosts. Little wonder that fear of the supernatural reaches an all-time high. Little wonder stories ignite about witches and demons spreading the plague, about ‘King Death’, an awesome harbinger of doom from whom there is no protection. Cynical opportunist Rodric doesn’t believe any of these. With reckless indifference, he sets out to enrich himself… The latest release from Spectral Press is a bit different from all the others that have preceded it. King Death by Paul Finch is the first chapbook to venture into the realms of historical fiction. The story opens with a knight watching impassively, as a caravan full of disease ridden corpses trundles by on a lonely road. This vivid yet bleak image sets a perfect tone to the remainder of the tale. Rodric, the knight, isn’t the nicest man you are ever likely to meet. He is only interested in saving his own skin and, if at...