Though our Dutch is a little rusty, the Black Gate staff wants to give a well-deserved tip of the hat to Pure Fantasy magazine, and particularly co-founder Cornelis Alderlieste, who mailed us a copy of issue 7.

A blend of fiction, reviews, and news (we think), Pure Fantasy is one of the most visually impressive magazines we’ve seen in a long time. At 162 pages, perfect bound on high-quality paper, it’s equal in heft to Black Gate — and in terms of design and layout, it’s a notch or two better. Pure Fantasy is a work of art, with stunning production values and professional art throughout. Issue 7 (pictured at left) has cover art by Camille Kuo.

“Pure Fantasy [is] an idea and initiative that was developed with Black Gate in the back of our minds,” writes Cornelis. “Well, at least in my mind… I think you will find that both PF and BG have a lot in common, and I hope you don’t mind we snatched some of BG‘s basics. Keep up the good work, and most importantly keep inspiring people all over the world to create good fiction.”

If you’re looking for something new in European fantasy — or simply want to see just how professional the small press can be in the hands of a small group of talented and dedicated writers and editors — we urge you to support a fine new magazine and try Pure Fantasy. We guarantee you’ll be impressed.