“Australia has been invaded by legendary monstrosities! With the Kraken's rise off the shores of Western Australia, an age of monsters is ushered in. When wits and heroics fail, a secret cabal of guardians will take drastic, devastating measures to protect everything they know and love. In the aftermath, when everything has turned to ash, hope will find a way.”

The Apocrypha Sequence is a series of dark fantasy collections with interwoven themes and interconnected stories from Shane Jiraiya Cummings.  I saw this on smashwords and thought I’d give it a go due to the Australian theme even though it’s not my usual type of read.

Jiraiya (which means Young Thunder according to his authors bio), writes some interesting and unique stories here.  So if you’re looking for something short, interesting and different with a post-apocalyptic theme; this is recommended for you.

Of the short stories that were part of this amalgamation, I liked those relating to the phoenix the most.  With this part of the compellation, you are initially confronted with a determined character chasing the phoenix across the charred ruins of Western Australia and from there, Jiraiya cleverly concocts an intriguing story that returns to the past to slowly enlighten the reader about the murder and magic filled passed before concluding the story in an unexpected way.

Dark fantasy specialist.  Recommended Australian short story read available on Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/38797  along with other dark fantasy stories.