| Title | : | The Quest for Cush (Imaro #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 159780066X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781597800662 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 240 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1984 |
The Quest for Cush (Imaro #2) Reviews
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This was just pure epic. I'm impressed with the way Imaro develops and enjoyed seeing him interact with his comrades. Action is top notch too.
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I listened to the first of this classic fantasy series a few weeks ago, and thought there would good aspects, but I did not intend to carry on. But, my brother, Ed, said that The Quest for Cush is a big step up, and that I should at least give it a go. So, here I am. It is a more streamlined story, rather than the broken up loosely linked short stories of the first instalment. Ed was right. This was a step up. I enjoyed it more, and it explored the impact of this constant tension and the trail of death that Imaro leaves behind him. It shows that the warrior wishes it was not the case, and I think The Quest for Cush is a good example of that traditional classic fantasy, with some really interesting characters and an awesome atmosphere.
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“Who am I? Who is my father? Where is my mother? Why do death and demons follow me wherever I go?” – Imaro in The Quest for Cush
Charles R. Saunders, the originator of Sword & Soul, passed away May this year (2020). He is most known for his Imaro tales chronicling an African-inspired “Conan the Barbarian” on the fictional continent of Nyumbani. Saunders also wrote of a heroine named Dossouye (separate series).
The Goodreads Sword and Sorcery group honored his memory with a groupread, catalyzing this review and tour guide into the series:
1)
Imaro DAW 1981 (Nightshade reprinted 2006 )
2)
Imaro 2 : The Quest for Cush DAW 1984 (Nightshade reprinted 2006).
reviewed previously)
3)
The Trail of Bohu DAW 1985 & 2009
4)
Imaro: The Naama War 2010
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Nyumbani Tales 2018, a collection of tales of characters in Imaro’s world
- The Warrior’s Way (mentioned in the 2017 intro. to Nyumbani Tales by Saunders; the current 2020 status is “complicated” according to the esteemed
Milton J. Davis, Sword & Soul author & owner of MVmedia, LLC. So, stay tuned.
So where were we?: In the first volume, Imaro evolved from being a fatherless, abandoned child from the Ilyassai tribe… into a vengeful, tribeless Hercules-like figure set on destroying evil sorcery. We learned that his mother, Katisa had been force-married to a shaman named Chitendu. Chitendu was a servant to the Mashataan Demon Gods and was removed from power thanks to Katisa; Chitendu is confronted by Imaro in Book#1 “The Place of Stones”. Katisa was also exiled for her being tainted. Imaro’s biological father is a mystery, who may have been someone other than Chitendu. Katisa is a fascinating figure who deserves more attention (in fact, she is featured in the first story in the Nyumbani Tales collection). What is clear, is that Imaro is very special, akin to the child of a god. His destiny is to confront the Mashataan gods/sorcery run through the Namaa.
#2 The Quest for Cush, i.e., the Fellowship of the Sacred Warrior: Imaro may be the primary hero, but Saunders gifted him a fellowship with two others. First in the party was his love-interest, Tanisha, who grants companionship (she was rescued in Book#1, Chapter 3: Slaves Of The Giant Kings, a story reimagined & replaced with “The Afua” in Nightshade’s edition). Secondly, is the pygmy sage called Pomphis, who is introduced either in DAW’s Imaro Book #1, chapter 5: The City of Madness, or in the introduction of the Nightshade 2006 edition (the same story of “City of Madness” renamed “Mji Ya Wzimu”). Depending on which edition of Imaro #1 and #2 you read, you may miss a key transition. Why move of the “City of Madness”?
Arc & Conflict: Well… the second edition of Imaro#2 captures the full story arc of Pomphis (1) finding Imaro and (2) delivering him to Cush.
Imaro 2 : The Quest for Cush retraces Pomphis’s journey backwards toward Cush with the object of his quest found: a sacred outcast warrior. Underscoring every conflict is an epic battle of forces between evil, Mashataan forces (streaming through the land and people of Naama) and their mchawi magic (cast in green auras, which involves tentacles, serpentine mutations reminiscent of Lovecraftian mythos) versus the “good” sorcery (cast in red auras, fueled by the power of tawa from the Cloud Striders, streaming though the people of Cush).
Imaro 2 : The Quest for Cush Contents:
0) “Mji Ya Wzimu” is the first chapter in Nightshade’s 2006 reprint, which is merely a renamed version of ”The City of Madness”, the final chapter from DAW’s Imaro #1. This has Imaro, with Tanisha, meeting Pomphis.
1) “In Mwenni” 100pages: The first seventy pages has the group searching for a ship and a secret artifact containing tawathat Pomphis knows about. Cultural conflict. Frankly, I expected more ties to the death of Pomphis’s mentor (Khabatekh) who was murdered as Pomphis traveled with him through this seaport Kundwa (located in Mwenni). Instead we get introduced to the Heart of Shihazz, but slowly. Firstly, we have battles in an arena and the coming of an Asian-inspired martial artist named Chang Li. Li’s presence interrupted the “Sword & Soul” vibe but his role reinforced the concept of chi/balance in the universe (ie the struggle between Mashataan and Cloud striders). The last thirty pages kick into high gear, with weird sorcery, a focus on Imaro’s past, and strange creatures:“The left side was human, although the sin was the marbled gray hue of a corpse left to rot in the sun…The right side was horror. Pale, pitted stone tinged green…Only mchawai, the unimaginable evil power of the Mashataan could have created such a composite monstrosity… Their arms were spread to forestall Imaro from fleeing…Hatred burned hot within him…Shortening the slack of his chain, Imaro swung the weapon overhand, catching the half-man full in the face. The flesh of the human side was torn by the blow, but no blood leaked from the wound…”
2) “In Bana-Gui” 60pages: The trio pass through the remote village of Rendille, stumbling through horrific echoes of the past wars against Mashataan sorcery. Mutated, cursed folk remain, and the chapter reveals their history:“Against her will, Tanisha’s gaze left that single, sadly beautiful face and slid downward once again. And the gorge rose hot and sick from her stomach, blocking the cry of revulsion that leaped into her throat as she stared at the woman’s body. // Her long neck flowed smoothly into slender shoulders. Her bare breasts were small, cone-shaped, perfect. Beneath those breasts—horror! // A bulbous mass of tissue clothed in dark skin protruded from the woman’s abdomen. Its shape seemed a distorted replica of the buttocks of young child. Jutting from the asymmetrical mass were a pair of legs and a single arm ending in clenched, clawlike fingers…”
3) “On the Bahari Mashiriki” 20pages. Finally, the trio finds a ship for hire. But the storm season approaches and evil forces hunt them. Captain Rabir takes them through storms while the piscine hibi attack:“Yet for all their sea-spawned strength, ferocity, and swiftness, the hibi could not reach Imaro. Like a leopard ravening among dogs, the warrior carried the battle to the hibi. His arm rose and fell in a dark blur, raining steel on the horde of sea-dwellers. Showers of blood spurted to mingle with the rain of the dhoruba … Shark teeth snapping madly at air, the sea-dwellers leaped and fell, their bodies piling in a grim harvest at Imaro’s feet.”
4) “In Cush” , 23pages: The end answers some questions while preparing us for books #3 and #4 that escalate the conflict. Imaro will go to war with the Mashataan-loving Naamans!
Availability: Click here to go to Saunders’ website to locate books:
Where to purchase new Saunders books. Although the first two Imaro books from DAW were reprinted in ~2006 by Nightshade, they are sometimes difficult to track down. Used bookstores are your best bet. Lulu.com still distributes his books, but note: books appear under two different versions of his name:
A) With the "R" ... at
Charles R Saunders Lulu
B) Without the "R" ... at
Charles Saunders Lulu
Saunder’s Passion: An excerpt from Saunders’s Into to Milton Davis’s
Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology best reveals the author’s motivation:“Robert E. Howard and his contemporaries were products of their time. Racism, in the form of white supremacy, was an integral part of the popular culture of the early decades of the twentieth century, and as such it pervaded pulp fiction. As a product of a later time during which the tenets of racism came under vigorous challenge, my enjoyment of fiction from past decades was often compromised by the racial attitudes I encountered in my reading. On some occasions, I simply let it slide. On others, I wrestled with resentment. Then I discovered a way to resolve my dilemma.
Interest in African history and culture surged during the 1960s, and at the same time I was reading sword-and-sorcery and fantasy fiction, I was also absorbing heretofore-unknown information about a continent that was not “dark” as its detractors made it out to be. I realized that this non-stereotypical Africa of history and legend was just as valid a setting for fantasy stories as was the ancient and medieval Europe that served as the common default setting for everything from Conan to Lord of the Rings. A character came into my head then: Imaro, a black man who could stand alongside mythical warrior-heroes like Beowulf and Hercules, as well as fictional creations such as Conan and Kull.” – Charles Saunders -
The initial appeal of Imaro was its framing in a fantasy Africa that did not define itself in relation to any fantasy Europe or real-world intrusions. While the stories and characters drew from or were contrasted to Burroughs or Howard, they were completely apart from the familiar. So it's a little unsettling to start off with "Mji Ya Wzimu", which posits white raiders from a continent over the sea who come here for conquest, and who believe that the native Nyumbani are fit only for slavery or sacrifice. And who have a racial slur which spoken quickly--please don't--sounds very familiar. Fantasy as real-world parallel is a valid course, and Saunders does use the background for an interesting reversal (Conan or Tarzan as invading white men would have encountered a lost city of evil-worshipping natives) but I'm not convinced that this particular parallel enriches the setting or any of the explored themes. The racial slur probably put it over the top for me.
The second section, "Mwenni", changes things up by bringing Imaro into civilization and then entangling him in civilization's mechanisms. A culture clash results in legal actions which in turn entangle him in "military" service that is not easily extricated from. This was a moment for Pomphis and Tanisha to shine: financial problems, legal problems, political problems, and a start of a murder mystery.
But Saunders abandons this angle in order to continue with more typical Sword and Sorcery hijinks and to drop Imaro back into the center of the story arc. He is personally significant in the greater metaphysical conflict of the world, rather than being one actor that occasionally brushes up against it.
The story arc is more ambitious than either Burroughs or Howard attempted, and despite the metaphysical battles is more about Imaro coming to terms with who he is and what he wants and how he deals with the unanswered questions of his own existence. In Cush, by the conclusion, he may not have dealt with all the violence inside himself, but he at least has figured out how it should be focused and how he should start to let it go. -
This second book built on the Nyumbani world really well. I was so impressed by the world building,the different peoples,the language of the book that fit world so well.
Imaro is himself is a fresh breath. He might be the martial S&S fantasy hero alà Conan but his personal history,his outlook on life is very different.
A Must read this series if you call yourself a fan Sword and Sorcery/Heroic fantasy. -
I enjoyed this volume more than volume 1. Like book 1, it is a series of adventures stitched together to make a novel. Book 1 takes up half the book, the other three books are much shorter. Things I liked:
- Saunders sets up what I assumed to be a battle between Bulgula and Imaro, then pulls the rug out from under the reader.
- Imaro struggles with switching from being the protector to being the protected. Later, he fears being tamed, only to subject to being so.
- I really dug Imaro being inflicted with sea sickness, it made him less of a Superman.
The only thing I did not like was Tanisha. She seemed very much that “bad for you” girlfriend that you see your buddy falling for. I did like the growing and subsiding tension between her and Pompie.
Another quibble: I don’t like “destiny” as part of my sword and sorcery, but overall this is good S&S and it saddens me that CRS has passed. Hopefully his passing will encourage more to seek him out and grant the immortality he deserves. -
the second book in the Imaro series. Saunders does the heroic fantasy riff very well.
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A short take:
Great adventure, awesome monsters, wicked magic, and healthy servings of combat--both armed and otherwise. Saunders builds on his earlier Imaro stories and sends his hero to other portions of the land. The setting is rich, the villains are delicious, and Imaro is magnetic. Saunders even finds room for introspective moments that give each character real weight. These stories represent excellent sword-and-sorcery fiction.
More thoughts:
I am upset that the first two Imaro books, published by Night Shade, are out of print, likely due to the fact that NS went bankrupt. Far more readers of sword-and-sorcery fiction should pick up these books--not just because they offer an alternative take on the genre that steers well clear of the usual euro-stew, because Saunders's stories are so damn good! Hardly a false not exists within the entire collection, whose stories range from longer, novella-length to short-story-sized entries. Altogether, they tell the tale of how Imaro journeys to Cush in search of answers, and while they do connect, each story is satisfying and complete in its own right.
Thankfully, the first volume of stories, Imaro, is available on Kindle as of September 3rd, 2014. Hopefully, the second volume will follow soon after so that other readers can enjoy Saunders's work. After this installment, the final two (and, from what I've read, Saunders does wrap everything up by the close of book 4) are available from an independent publisher. Thank goodness Saunders went that route with the remainder of this series. -
Excellent Sword & Sorcery/ Sword & Soul fiction. Imaro is a hero in the same mold of both Conan and Herakles, but placed in a unique setting, rich in African culture and mythology. The Nightshade books' remastered version of the second book in the saga, puts into perspective the epic conflict in which Imaro's actions will determine the fate of his world.
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Astonishingly good, every bit the equal of Robert E. Howard or any of the other sword & sorcery giants. It is an appaling tragedy that Charles Saunders isn't more well known, and that so few of his books are in print.
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To find answers about his past, Imaro, his lover, and newfound friend must endure many trials to reach the land of Cush.
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This is probably the best sword and sorcery novel I have read in the last decade. Granted I haven't been reading in that genre for awhile, as I did not think there were still works for me to discover that would invoke that same sense of wonder I was given when I first started reading books in this genre. Well, now I stand corrected. Charles Saunders' writing is poetic, but not overly flowery, his plotting and pacing are masterful, and his characters are interesting, varied and believable in their roles. He utilizes the conventions of the genre and turns some of them on their heads. I loved this book, and will be reading more from this author.
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Imaro’s lover, Tanisha has been kidnapped. On top of this, he knows the diabolical demon gods known as the Mashataan and their dread servants, the High Sorcerers of Naama, desire to snuff out his life, and plan total domination of the lands of Nyumbani. Storming into the nearby jungle wilderness to search for Tanisha, he happens upon a strange pygmy named Pomphis who is being tortured by sinister, barbaric warriors. Cutting down the villains, Imaro rescues Pomphis and learns of a lost city in the depths of the jungle, pregnant with evil, that Tanisha has been taken to. So begins a new path of destiny for the warrior of the Ilyassai……
Imaro II: The Quest for Cush is a fix-up novel by Charles R. Saunders composed of five short stories further following the adventures of Imaro. Picking up where the first book left off, in the story Mji Ya Wzimu, Imaro is in hot pursuit of a kidnapped Tanisha, when he rescues a pygmy of the Bambuti tribe named Pomphis from the evil, sadistic clutches of mysterious dark warriors known as the Mizingus. Imaro befriends Pomphis and the little man reveals he is from Cush, a legendary kingdom of great wealth and advanced civilization. He tells Imaro he was a scholar that learned deep secrets of the history of the world, and also tells him that Tanisha has been taken into a lost city in the depths of the jungle that happens to be the lair of the Mizingus. The Mizingus come from a wicked, now-sunken empire known as Atlan, who allied themselves with the demonic Mashaatan and waged war upon Nyumbani ages ago. Imaro and Pomphis set out to infiltrate the lost city to rescue Tanisha. Mji Ya Wzimu has to be the best short story in this collection, in my personal opinion. It’s everything that an Imaro tale should be.
Mwenni is the second story in the collection, where, after rescuing Tanisha and defeating the Mizingus, Imaro finds out from Pomphis that the pygmy scholar was sent on a mission to find him exclusively, to bring him back to Cush, and to the Kandisa, their matriarchal ruler. The next stop of the three adventurers on the way to Cush is the huge metropolis of Mwenni, situated by the Eastern Ocean, where Imaro, Pomphis, and Tanisha hope to get passage to Cush from one of the sea-going vessels. Things don’t go quite as planned and Imaro ends up fighting in the local gladiatorial tournament, as well as uncovering foul sorcery in the city by the hand of another one of the wicked High Sorcerers of Naama,who are also known as the Erriten. This story is enjoyable as there is much action in the gladiatorial fights and in the final confrontation, but the whole ordeal with the ox-cart and the alcohol merchant at the beginning is ridiculously drawn out and more than a little irritating.
The third story is entitled Bana-Gui where Imaro, Tanisha and Pomphis are crossing the grasslands on the way to the port city of Moshambi, in hopes of once again gaining passage to Cush when they come upon an isolated and rather primitive tribe called the Rindille, who seem friendly, but Imaro soon uncovers their dark secret and an underground world of horror. This tale is engaging, interesting, action-packed, as well as touching.
In the fourth tale, The Bahari Mashiriki, the three adventurers reach the port city of Moshambi and hire the tough sea captain Rabir to take them to Cush on his ship, the Epesi Nyuni. But all is not smooth sailing as the vessels crew is attacked on the high seas by demonic minions of the shadowy Naamans. This makes for a satisfying high-seas adventure yarn.
Cush, the closing story is more of an epilogue that, while interesting in revealing the splendorous sights of Cush when the adventurers finally arrive there, as well as the intriguing character of the Kandisa, is not full of action like the stories preceding it.
Imaro II: The Quest for Cush might not be as high-quality as the first volume preceding it, but it is nevertheless a good and essential entry in Charles R. Saunders Imaro Saga. I give it a 4 out of 5. -
I really liked the first Imaro book but I didn’t quite love it. I absolutely loved this one. Despite some minor issues I found it to be one of the best Sword and Sorcery books I’ve read.
So what was so good about it? The world created by Saunders is incredible. It’s a very rich setting, and it takes all the familiar aspects of S&S as a genre and puts just enough of a unique spin on it to be both new but also comfortingly familiar. The magic is horrific and evocative in all the right ways.
Pomphis is just a great sidekick, and every S&S protagonist needs a great sidekick. He’s so charming, witty, and just a lovable scamp.
Each of the stories is good as both a stand alone but also as part of the greater whole. The one that particularly struck me was Bana-Gui. It’s very darkly poetic, incredibly imaginative, and viscerally emotional. I think it belongs in a an all time greats anthology of the genre.
I also think the writing is a step up from the first. The first could be really sublime with its economic or dry style. However, at times it felt lacking. This can be sublime to and still dry at times, but I never found it wanting.
I’ve heard recently this series started its own micro-genre “sword and soul.” The story straddles the line between Sword and Sorcery and Epic Fantasy much the way the Elric saga did. These are short stories but they’re building to something grander.
I have some minor complaints. Because of that epic bent Imaro has a bit of “savior” mythos around him, which I’m not huge on. Also S&S protagonists tend to be dour, and brooding, but Imaro’s self-loathing borders on the “emo” to me. However, his barbaric takes on civilization are sheer gold.
Overall, I really loved this one and am looking forward to finishing the series. -
This volume caps off the tale of Imaro, stitching together a number of episodes into a single, contiguous tale of the warrior. The attention to world building in this volume was a step in the right direction compared to the first, but the lack of an actual map for visualization is still bewildering. The writing, unfortunately, remains simplistic…worse, the author doesn’t seem to trust that his readers will be able to connect the similarly simplistic themes throughout the stories, and so lays them out starkly in various places. No subtlety, and a total loss of meaningful depth that might have come with those themes. The only real intriguing elements left are the questions that remain unanswered regarding Imaro, which like Imaro, we’re denied at the end of the rather flat and deflating conclusion of the series.
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Man, this is just a fun read. Somethings let me down, like the constant need to remind the reader about everything that already happened, or just general sloppy dialogue but apart from that there's nothing but fun to be had here. One thing I'm appreciative of over the first entry is how Imaro finds exciting new ways to beat his enemies that dont just come from his super strength. don't be me wrong, his strength is the answer to all of his problems, but how he uses it this time around is much more interesting than "digging deep and being stronger". left me excited to read the third book, great job
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The second installment of the stories of Imaro, the Sword-and-Soul hero from an alternate Africa created by the legendary Charles R. Saunders. This continues the story as Imaro falls in with a pygmy named Pomphis who is trying to get Imaro to the kingdom of Cush, where it seems plans are being made to oppose the evil sorcerers of the south who have plagued Imaro's life and the lives of many peoples across the continent. There is some great sword-and-sorcery action in this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves sword-and-sorcery fantasy, but especially if you want more than just re-hashed pseudo-Europe fantasy, and want to try some African-inspired settings!
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This book introduces Imaro's companions as more defined characters. They provide some constant for imaro to interact with on his journeys, but tend to do the thinking and interacting with society for him. This results in Imaro turning from the competent military leader of the previous book to something more like a violent grunting child, unable to understand basic social interactions or navigate society on his own. The setting is further developed, so that is fun.
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3.5 stars
The 2nd volume of outstanding adventure tales starring the, seemingly invincible, warrior, Imaro.
Author Charles Saunders who, I regret to say, has recently passed, was a pioneer of diversity, and representation, in genre fiction, but, most importantly, also an excellent storyteller in the pulp fantasy tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard.
If you enjoy that sort of thing, do yourself a favour, and seek these stories out. -
A great follow-up that adds sharp twists on genre tropes. The saga of Imaro takes further shape as he tries to make his way in this rich and lush setting. This is where the story starts to shift from sword and sorcery into epic fantasy as secrets are revealed, the settings' social dynamics come into play and Imaro's youthful inexperience with that world come together.
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Saunders does it again! Each book continues to get better. I don't know how, but I'm not complaining. Imaro's enemies continue to get worst, while the impending war with demons continues to grow. Great world building, awesome villains and fantastic storytelling. Imaro is truly an epic series that you don't want to miss.
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A great book, and even better than the first one. My review remains the same as the first, in regards to this being a great book , with a positive pro-African background. If you loved Black Panther, do yourself a favor and read these books.
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The adventure Saunders takes you on with Imaro and others is just splendid. I was on edge throughout the book. This is simply a great story and represents diversity that is needed in this genre. Saunders deserve much more recognition for his work.
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Saunders delivers more fantastic Sword & Sorcery in the 2nd Imaro collection, The Quest for Cush! As war brews on the continent of Nyumbani, driven by the Demon-God worshipping sorcerers of the south, Imaro and his companions fight their way from the City of Madness, last holdout of the Atlanteans in Nyumbani, to the northern kingdom of Cush, who are allied with the extra-dimensional Cloud Striders, where Imaro’s destiny is revealed.
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Imaro sucht seine Vergangenheit
Hier schreibt einer der Besten der "New Wave" der Fantasy, der zweiten, innovativen Welle der Fantasy der 70er Jahre. Und man merkt es: Vom ersten Absatz an reißt die Geschichte mit, man versinkt in der sehr glaubwürdigen und trotzdem fantastischen Welt Nyumbanis. Der Held des Romans entwickelt sich weiter im Vergleich zum ersten Roman, und trifft auf alte wie neue Freunde und Feinde. Der Pygmäe Pomphis ist eine interessante neue Bekanntschaft und gleicht mit seinem losen Mundwerk die etwas schweigsame Art Imaros gut aus.
Die Aufmachung der Nightshade-Ausgabe ist identisch zu Band 1: Etwas grobes Papier, ein etwas zu sehr zum Eindrehen neigender Paperback-Einband. Das Cover ist toll gelungen und trifft die Atmosphäre genau.
Leider haben sich die Bücher schlechter verkauft als erhofft (woran das liegt kann ich mir einfach nicht erklären), so dass die Neuerscheinungen, die Saunders in den letzten Jahren herausbrachte, nur als Book-on-Demand im Selbstverlag erschienen sind. Wer mehr von Nyumbani lesen will, kann sich aber auch mal
Dossouye und
Imaro: The Naama War anschauen.
Wie schon Band 1 bietet auch "The Quest for Cush" Fantasy der Spitzenklasse und sollte dringend einem größeren Publikum bekannt gemacht werden. Wer Sword-and-Sorcery mag, muss Imaro lesen. -
The second volume of Imaro’s adventures picks up where the first left off. If you aren’t familiar with Imaro, here’s his story thus far. It takes place in Nyumbani, a fantasy version of Africa. Imaro is from the Ilyassi, a fierce warrior tribe of the plains. But he is an outcast because his father was an unknown man from another tribe. Hounded by evil sorcerers who serve demonic entities, Imaro becomes an exile and a leader of bandits. The Quest for Cush begins in medias res, with Imaro in hot pursuit of the outlaw who has stolen his beloved Tanisha.
http://fireandsword.blogspot.com/2007... -
Imaro ll picks up where book one leaves off, and it only adds to this stellar Sword and Soul adventure. A must read!
