Imago Chronicles Book Two: Tales from the West
By L. T. Suzuki
Copyright 2002, L. T. Suzuki, ISBN 978-1553696568
Imago Chronicles Book Two: Tales from the West by L. T. Suzuki continues the story of Nayla Treeborn begun in the first volume, A Warrior’s Tale, which incidentally is optioned for a major motion picture. Tales from the West introduces a palate full of new characters and a new adventure and a new love for Nayla. Will this love be more faithful to her than her first love was? You’ll have to read to see.
Tales from the West is artfully crafted with a scintillating storyline and a constant escalation of tension that will keep you turning the pages. I read this 413 page book in three days. I think I only stopped to grab coffee so I would have the energy to keep reading because I had to know what was going to happen next. Nayla Treeborn is a character near and dear to my heart and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
In Tales from the West a great quest is undertaken by seven men, six humans and one elf. Of the males all are warriors save one, an innocent, a boy, the young squire of one of the princes in the party. Together the party is destined to try to protect humans and elves from the coming of a get evil, the dark lord Beyilzon and his mighty army. If they fail, the worlds of elf-kind and humankind will be lost. It is an all or nothing situation.
The young squire is stolen from the party by emissaries of the dark lord and this is where Nayla enters the picture, battling the emissary who has the boy and freeing him. Nayla flees after the battle to pursue her own quest. Due to her stature and her battle skills all are left wondering who the boy or young man who came to their rescue was. Then Nayla comes to their rescue a second time, leading the group to safety after a hazardous turn of events. It is at this junction that the party learns their rescuer is actually a woman, who can not only carry her own weight, but best any man among them. After some consideration part of the party asks Nayla to join them on their expedition. Not everyone likes this idea but after giving it due consideration Nayla, and because of one member of the party in particular and his role in relation to her own people, Nayla decides to join forces with the expedition.
As usual Suzuki, a master at martial arts herself, brings all her knowledge of this art to bear in the fight scenes making them realistic. Her writing skill makes the scenes steal your breath away. At every turn she is the consummate professional drawing into the world of her creation with artful imagery and storytelling.
What follows is a passage from Imago Chronicles Book Two: Tales of the West:
“At the mouth of the Gap where the pass opened up into Darross, Markus and Arerys caught up to Faria. An Expression of utter shock was etched across this knight’s face as he took in the carnage. His mind was reeling, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the devastation that lay before him.
Nicobar, his childhood home, was now but a memory. And against the night sky, King Sebastian’s castle was a stark silhouette, dark and abandoned. The banners bearing the golden dragon, the heraldic symbol of Darross that once flew high and proud over the castle walls were now conspicuously absent.
Faria’s eyes scanned the darkened landscape littered with the dead. Everywhere, there lay body after body. He dismounted from his steed as he gazed at the fallen knights and soldiers before him.
“How can this be?” gasped Faria, shaking his head in disbelief as he swallowed back his mounting rage.
“This would only have happened if the captain was killed at the onset of the battle,” determined Markus. “The ranks collapsed and mayhem ensued.”
“Do not say that!” growled Faria. “The captain is not dead! He cannot be dead!”
Ignoring Markus’ words, Faria frantically raced from corpse to corpse, searching the faces of the knights once in King Sebastian’s service.
“Faria, we must move on,” ordered Arerys. “There is nothing we can do for these men.”
The Elf’s words went unheeded as Faria scrambled from one knight to the next. As he came to a body that lay near the banner bearing the emblem of the golden dragon, Faria fell upon his knees. Many arrows had pierced the knight’s body that lay before him. Arerys and Markus came to Faria’s side.
Carefully, he removed the helmet, gently cradling the dead man’s head in his arms as he trembled, overwrought with sorrow. Faria began to weep for this lost life.
“Who is this fallen knight you grieve for?”questioned Arerys, as he knelt by Faria’s side.
Gazing up at Markus and the Elf, through his tears Faria spoke: “Here, in eternal sleep, lies the protector of the House of Northcutt; trusted servant and loyal knight to King Sebastian.”
“He was the captain?” determined Markus.
“He was my brother, Davenrow Targott,” responded Faria, a sad sigh escaped him as he lay the younger sibling down. “The one I had appointed to captain the army in my absence.”
Tales from the West is full of examples of the personal tragedies and triumphs of a people who have literally set out to save the world. Its tension is finely tuned, its characters skillfully drawn and it storytelling exquisitely set forth. Tales from the West is a prime example of why fantasy and adventure is such a wonderful release for those who, like me, love it.
Please note that with some booksellers this book is listed as the first in the series. To avoid confusion look for the words Tales from the West in the title or search for it by the ISBN number. Currently the book is available only in electronic format for popular reader applications and in a pdf version although a print version will be available in the near future. If you purchase the book in deluxe PDF version through the author’s official website at http://web.me.com/imagobooks it is numbered correctly as the second book in the series.
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