At the Gates and Other Stories

Sixteen Tales of Magic and Wonder

A ghost searches for revenge in ancient Egypt. A boy unearths the bones of a dragon. A girl risks awakening a dark god to save her dog…

He reached out a hand and touched Grace’s cheek. The touch made her shiver. “You can’t save everyone, Grace.”

“I don’t want to,” Grace whispered. “Just her.”

At the Gates and Other Stories is a collection of sixteen fantasy short stories.

Reviews of stories in this collection

"This is the first story I’ve heard this year that I’d consider a masterpiece. It’s rare for a story to move me to tears, but this one did. The writing is perfect, capturing the period and expressing the torments of war brilliantly." – John Dodds, The Fix on The Western Front

"Marvelous." – Colin Harvey, Suite101, on At the Gates

"This one kept me turning the page without pause, with its natural pace and flow of words, good characterization, and skillful plot build-up. Samphire’s writing skill is matched only by his knowledge of Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology." – Scott M. Sandridge, Tangent Online, on The Land of Reeds.

"A great coming-of-age story."  – David Roy, epinions, on When the Dragon Falls

"Patrick Samphire offers an updated Arthurian fantasy, an elegantly crafted modern-day take on the Matter of Britain." – Gardner Dozois, Locus, Issue 598 on Camelot

The Stories

- At the Gates
- Five Things of Beauty
- Uncle Vernon’s Lie
- Finisterre
- A Veil, a Meal, and Dust
- A Field Guide to Ugly Places
- Slipper of Glass -
The Equation
- When the Dragon Falls
- Dawn, by the Light of a Barrow Fire
- Camelot
- Crab Apple
- The Sea Beyond Thule
- The Land of Reeds
- The Western Front
- Dragonfly Summer