"Beyond Good & Evil: The Galanor Saga - Volume I" is a novel written in three parts or "books" consisting of five chapters each. Book One: Galanor, a young nobleman of Atlantis, is standing at the funeral pyre of his lifelong friend and mentor He was slain by acolytes of the demon god, Azool, a fearsome entity determined to hold sway over all existence. Galanor, a might and god-like character in his own right, swears to exact revenge. Thus, begins a series of events, adventures, and challenges that take the eponymous hero across not only this but another world as well. Atlantis is in the grip of powerful and relentless storms that threaten its very existence. Galanor, despite his loss, is summoned to meet with Atlantis' High Lord. During that meeting, he discovers more than he expects and is charged with overseeing one of the twelve flotillas that will carry the doomed Atlantians to freedom in the barbaric world beyond their shores. He agrees and is given the gift of a sword with vampiric properties. Finally, as his homeland succumbs to the forces of nature and the will of the gods, he sails away. Book Two: Galanor and the crew of his ship, the Salafar, find themselves in the seaport capital of a kingdom overrun by cruel and sadistic soldiers of a cruel and vindictive king. After a tragic event, with deadly consequences, he and his crew are forced to battle the naval forces of the king. During the battle, Galanor is confronted by a servant of Azool. He slips into a coma. While incapacitated his crew must fight for their lives against a wizard who wants nothing less than to drain the life force from each and every one of them. Events transpire that find them all, including Galanor, headed to the far reaches of the northern wastes in search of a bejeweled city of ancient heritage. When they arrive, after Galanor is forced to do something that threatens to devour his life and soul, they discover not only the city but an object that beckons Galanor. to give up one reality for another. Book Three: Galanor, having crossed the barrier between realities, encounters creatures who explain things about his past and his future. They offer him an opportunity to help save them from the fate that has been foisted upon them by a god of their own making. He agrees and passes through their domain into the realm of a mad and cruel god. There he encounters a woman who changes his life and heart forever. He finally finds the mad god and another as well. when he returns to the world he knew, he is not the man he was. His life, his heart, his mind, and his soul have been changed forever.
“Beyond Hope and Despair” is the second in the Galanor Saga Series. It picks up exactly where Volume I (“Beyond Good and Evil”) leaves off. It is a novel written in three parts (Books One. Two and Three). Each can be read as a separate work or, as designed, as part of the complete novel. Book One finds Galanor (who is now the commander of an elite mercenary corps known as the Panther Legion) on the field of a recently fought battle. He has lost his will to live and, since the death of beloved Kara, and her entire universe, by his actions, insane with guilt and despair. Azool visits Galanor while he wanders among the dead, and renews his demand (only now with more vigor) for Galanor to join him in his struggle to “free” reality from “order.” Following Galano’s rebuke Azool visits the Legionnaires with sudden madness. This causes them to turn on one another. The most affected by this is Pharon, who, under Azool’s influence (which continues throughout the novel) turns on his lifelong friend. Galanor finds himself swept up in court intrigue and falling in love with the empress, whose husband had commissioned Galanor’s Legion to defend his borders. This put Galanor at direct odds with the empire’s High Lord General, Sargon. Sargon aligns himself with a wizard, who has a personal grudge with Galanor dating back to Atlantis. Together they plot to kidnap the empress and destroy Galanor in the process. After a long series of devastating encounters Galanor, on the verge of death, is sent into the desert to die. He is rescued by a shadowy, mythical figure who begins his road to mental and spiritual recovery, outside the bounds of reality. Book Two finds Pharon and the entire remaining members of the Panther Legion, in prison awaiting death at the hands of Sargon (who has taken control of the empire from the feckless emperor, who grieves over his wife’s absence). Azool has been visiting Pharon, who has now become his agent. Galanor, having left the care of his benefactor, has taken on a new companion (who had been given to him while he was being healed). He is a powerful, sleek dog named Anubis, whose spiritual and physical presence helps Galanor cement some of the soul saving lessons he had learned (though he cannot recall how). Together, they meet a young warrior and priestess who are on a desperate mission to save their city from sure and certain destruction at the hands of a vast, marauding army. Galanor must choose between returning back for his comrades or going forward, in search of the kidnapped empress and helping the young couple and their city. He chooses the latter while conceiving a plan to do the former. After a devastating battle to free the now enslaved city, Galanor is swept into the arms of a goddess who wants him for her own. He also discovers an old and trusted friend along the way. His friend, Enkidu, tells him of a “world beneath the world” that might help his kidnapped love. It is a place where only the dead may enter. He and Anubis do so. Book Three finds the young warrior in search of an old friend and warrior chief whom Galanor and Pharon had rescued during a sea battle. This man and his band of elite stealth warriors, agree to help the young warrior free the Legionnaires before their execution. Galanor and Anubis cross into the land of shadows and emerge in a land not far from where the empress has been imprisoned by the insane wizard. Pharon and the Legionaries are freed and with the aid of the stealth warriors, become the agents of fate. Galanor encounters Azool one last time in a battle of wills. He defeats an old enemy and does battle with the wizard to rescue the woman he loves. As “Beyond Good and Evil” was a novel about the power of love and commitment, “Beyond Hope and Despair,” is a novel about the power of redemption.
Like Volumes One and Two, Volume Three of the Galanor Saga has been written in three parts, or “Books”, of five chapters each. But, unlike its predecessors this novel treats each of the three Books, as a distinct, five chapter novella, with its own cast of characters, plotline and story arc. Of course, each Book helps to develop the storyline of the novel as a whole. I hope you enjoy it... F. M. Viollis BOOK ONE: ALONG THE JOURNEY HOME We begin where Beyond Hope & Despair left off. Galanor and Nitiri have returned to Shuruppak, where they have been crowned monarchs. One morning, while Nitiri is asleep, Galanor rises and, while staring at the sunrise, reflects upon the events that transpired in the dungeons of Alenz Allure and afterwards. As his mind wanders back to that day, the story arc begins. He recalls their first moments together after having been torn apart by the crazed wizard, Malferion. He recalls how Nitiri found herself with an uncomfortable decision to make, and he, with concocting a plan to escape the tower. After discovering the route the wizard used, they make their way, with great trepidation, out of the dungeon, through the heart of the ancient mountain and out into the light of a new dawn. They make their way back to the farmhouse of Huai-Ti, Feng-Chi and Wan-Ye where Galanor and Anubis are reunited, only to discover that while Galanor was away, Lao–Fi’s forces have kidnapped Wan-Ye and Huai-Ti, in a fit of rage, goes after to confront the warlord in his fortress. Galanor vows to rescue them both. Along the way, he joins forces with a garrison of exiled soldiers, who, after much debate, agree to join forces with him, his queen and Anubis in the rescue attempt. At the same time Wan-Ye has become the concubine to the sadistic warlord. In time a rescue plan is conceived and executed, with results that are both joyful and tearful. When all is done, the three wanderers set out on a two year journey by land and sea, which bring them to Shuruppak and their ascension to the throne. The Book ends with Galanor receiving some startling news. BOOK TWO: WHAT THE GOD’S BRING FORTH Book two moves the storyline forward eighteen years. There are now three heirs to the throne: Tyr, Amara and Rama. Galanor and Nitiri, to no one's surprise, are wise and just rulers, but their reign is not without objection from some of the nobility. One morning, a rider is seen approaching from the west. He is intercepted and escorted into Shuruppak by a young, novice warrior. It is Mustir. He arrives with news of the most dire and consequential nature: Pharon has been struck down by mystical forces wielded by four, powerful and deadly riders, each determined to wreak havoc upon the world, in his own unique way. Mushtir presents his Captain with a token, handed to him by Pharon. Galanor recognizes the token, and the message behind it. He, Nitiri and Anubis prepare to journey to Pharon’s kingdom of Zeptepi, to help. As they prepare to leave, they are confronted by a conundrum for which they were not prepared and about which, they find themselves ill prepared to act. In time, as is the way with such things, matters resolve themselves, but not to everyone’s liking. Tearful moments transpire as their three children ride off in three different directions to battle one rider each, while Galanor, Nitiri and Anubis ride off to battle the fourth, and arguably the most powerful. While they are doing this, Pharon’s vampiric physician, a man driven by a powerful obsession to acquire knowledge at all costs, struggles to help his king. Meanwhile, while the monarchs of both kingdoms are busy, sinister forces, driven by greed and an ideology not their own, seek to rest control for themselves. With the aid of a potent talisman Galanor and Anubis confront the architect of the riders’ assault, beyond the edge of the universe and Nitiri battles the forces of death. BOOK THREE: BEYOND FLESH AND SPIRIT Book Three begins a few weeks after their return from Zeptepi. Nitiri has succumbed to wounds inflicted by the rider of death. Galanor abandons the throne and with Anubis by his side walks away from everything. Now, for the first time in decades, he is free of all obligations and ties. He and Anubis find themselves on a dusty road that rapidly becomes a hellscape. They are drawn to rift in time and space, where an entity of such power that it is impossible to measure, reaches out to consume them and through them, gain access to this universe. They are rescued by an entity that exists beyond imagination. Once free, they drift on until they find, and gain employment in a caravan journeying to a busy port city. Along the way, they are attacked by a massive army of bandit cutthroats. Finally, they make it to their destination where Galanor makes the acquaintance of an old flame. Their affair is reignited and he agrees to journey with her on her pirate vessel, one of the twelve original Atlantean Capital Ship used in the rescue of their people and the demise of their homeland. But, as fate would have it, they are attacked by mercenaries’ intent on slaughtering her crew and absconding with her. After yet another bloody battle, Galanor, weary beyond belief considers leaving his new found love and returning to the road. Events intercede and he agrees to stay and help her find the man responsible for the attack. In time, they do. With great cunning and much hard work, they discover his hiding place. It is an ancient island kingdom in an uncharted eastern sea. They journey there and find not only him, but a determined enemy from days long past.
"Beyond Good & Evil: The Galanor Saga - Volume I" is a novel written in three parts or "books" consisting of five chapters each. Book One: Galanor, a young nobleman of Atlantis, is standing at the funeral pyre of his lifelong friend and mentor He was slain by acolytes of the demon god, Azool, a fearsome entity determined to hold sway over all existence. Galanor, a might and god-like character in his own right, swears to exact revenge. Thus, begins a series of events, adventures, and challenges that take the eponymous hero across not only this but another world as well. Atlantis is in the grip of powerful and relentless storms that threaten its very existence. Galanor, despite his loss, is summoned to meet with Atlantis' High Lord. During that meeting, he discovers more than he expects and is charged with overseeing one of the twelve flotillas that will carry the doomed Atlantians to freedom in the barbaric world beyond their shores. He agrees and is given the gift of a sword with vampiric properties. Finally, as his homeland succumbs to the forces of nature and the will of the gods, he sails away. Book Two: Galanor and the crew of his ship, the Salafar, find themselves in the seaport capital of a kingdom overrun by cruel and sadistic soldiers of a cruel and vindictive king. After a tragic event, with deadly consequences, he and his crew are forced to battle the naval forces of the king. During the battle, Galanor is confronted by a servant of Azool. He slips into a coma. While incapacitated his crew must fight for their lives against a wizard who wants nothing less than to drain the life force from each and every one of them. Events transpire that find them all, including Galanor, headed to the far reaches of the northern wastes in search of a bejeweled city of ancient heritage. When they arrive, after Galanor is forced to do something that threatens to devour his life and soul, they discover not only the city but an object that beckons Galanor. to give up one reality for another. Book Three: Galanor, having crossed the barrier between realities, encounters creatures who explain things about his past and his future. They offer him an opportunity to help save them from the fate that has been foisted upon them by a god of their own making. He agrees and passes through their domain into the realm of a mad and cruel god. There he encounters a woman who changes his life and heart forever. He finally finds the mad god and another as well. when he returns to the world he knew, he is not the man he was. His life, his heart, his mind, and his soul have been changed forever.
The Echoes Saga continues!"Here is today's lesson; heroes die..."It's fifteen years since the Orcs were defeated. Fifteen years since a new king rose from the battlefield. Fifteen years since Illian knew the horror of war.Fifteen years of peace are about to end.Something is coming. Shadows gather. Whispers of rebellion have reached the king. Darkness stirs beyond Illian's borders.Beyond the mountains, Dhenaheim has lost a quiet war. Refugees pour into Illian, bringing suspicion and unrest. For Doran Heavybelly, Dhenaheim's war means facing a personal tragedy that demands his attention... and his axe.A simple job for too much coin should have been warning enough for Asher but, like Fate, trouble always has a way of finding him. Conspiracy. Rebellion. Betrayal. Time to find out who the real heroes are.
Praise for Philip C. Quaintrell's 'The Echoes Saga': 'For lovers of your classic Tolkien, this series has it all' - Alan Coleman - Amazon customer 'Best newcomer to the genre. Philip is up there with Feist and Sanderson' - Philip Spick - Amazon customer 300,000 COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE -- THE ECHOES OF FATE, A PROPHECY UTTERED UNTO THE WORLD A THOUSAND YEARS AGO, CANNOT BE DENIED... Mankind has lorded over the land of Illian for a thousand years, building on the ruins left by the elves, as if it were their birthright. A thousand years is a long time for an immortal race to see the truth of things, a truth that has remained unsaid for a millennium - elves are superior. They are faster, stronger and connected to the magical realm in a way that man could never grasp. Illian should belong to them. Unaware of the shadow that looms in the east, the six kingdoms of man are fractured, unallied, and clawing at each other's gates for more power. This isn't just war set to ravage the land, but a slaughter - the world of man cannot hope to survive. Thrown into the heart of this war is a man known by many names; an Outlander of the wilds, an assassin, a ranger. Asher was born a thousand years ago, to a life he doesn't remember. Forty years of brutal training and killing for money has beaten the earliest years of his life away, leaving his ties to the oldest of evils a mystery to all... RISE OF THE RANGER LAUNCHES AN UNMISSABLE EPIC FANTASY SERIES. -- 'I read a lot of fantasy books and I can say that this is one of the best I have read' - B. Stewart - Amazon customer ''The Echoes Saga' demonstrates a simple commitment to the power of story' - Stephen Dudley - Amazon customer
Praise for Philip C. Quaintrell's 'The Echoes Saga': 'For lovers of your classic Tolkien, this series has it all' - Alan Coleman - Amazon customer 'Best newcomer to the genre. Philip is up there with Feist and Sanderson'- Philip Spick - Amazon customer 300,000 COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE -- THERE IS NO WAR. THERE IS ONLY REBELLION. Alijah's reign sweeps from Erador to Ayda. Those who would stand against the king are few, their numbers cast across too many battlefields. Does hope lie in the east? Can the elves turn the tide and keep The Rebellion alive? The weight of Dhenaheim now rests on Doran's shoulders. Chained and imprisoned, the clans are shattered and spread across the realm. On the island of Qamnaran, they build to the heavens. In The Moonlit Plains, they dig down into the dark. Only the Heavybellys have the mettle to do what must be done. Astride the mighty Athis, Inara Galfrey fights for The Rebellion as both sword and shield. With blood and sweat she has kept Alijah's forces at bay, but Inara knows there is only one way to defeat her brother. Following this path, however, will take her far from the front lines and into lands long forgotten. After ten thousand years, the future that was foretold looms near. But Fate has one last hand to deal... LAST OF THE DRAGORN IS THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER IN THIS UNMISSABLE EPIC FANTASY SERIES. -- 'I read a lot of fantasy books and I can say that this is one of the best I have read'- B. Stewart - Amazon customer ''The Echoes Saga' demonstrates a simple commitment to the power of story'- Stephen Dudley - Amazon customer
Praise for Philip C. Quaintrell's 'The Echoes Saga': 'For lovers of your classic Tolkien, this series has it all' - Alan Coleman - Amazon customer 'Best newcomer to the genre. Philip is up there with Feist and Sanderson'- Philip Spick - Amazon customer 300,000 COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE -- THE ECHOES SAGA CONTINUES. The scales have tipped. The battle for Namdhor, the north, and the entire realm of man was a sure victory for the orcs. But they lost. Now, under the rule of a would-be-king, the armies of man fuel the war when they should be bolstering their defences. Only a few understand that time is against them, yet these few must fight alone if the dawn is to rise over Illian once more. The heroes of the realm have banded together, but they cannot fight side by side. There is only one way they can win, seen by the oldest dragon and preserved inside the broken mind of a ranger. From the shadows, The Crow muddies the waters, making it all the harder to see the path to victory. In the depths of The Bastion, where even time is his slave, the ancient necromancer has finished his work. The king is almost ready... AGE OF THE KING CONTINUES THIS UNMISSABLE EPIC FANTASY SERIES. -- 'I read a lot of fantasy books and I can say that this is one of the best I have read'- B. Stewart - Amazon customer ''The Echoes Saga' demonstrates a simple commitment to the power of story'- Stephen Dudley - Amazon customer
While much was written in the wake of Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassination of President John F. Kennedy, few journalists stopped to ask who Oswald really was, and what was driving him. In Oswald’s Game, Davison slices to the core of the man, revealing Oswald’s most formative moments, beginning with his days as a difficult but intelligent child. She traces his erratic service in the Marine Corps, his youthful marriage, and the radical interests that prompted him to defect to the Soviet Union. A rounded and enthralling portrait emerges, illuminating Oswald’s intense conflicts and contradictions. Writing against the grain of earlier accounts, Davison sifts through the evidence to compose an utterly persuasive narrative of Oswald’s personal and political motivations, based not on conspiracy but on the life of a profoundly troubled man.
