Gondar is a pleasant suprise that I found while roaming my father's bookshelves. You won't be let down. A great storyteller, Luard glues your eyes to the pages, using words as his only adhesive. A must read.

From the very first page Luard captivates the reader with his vivid and passionate portrayal of royal intrigue and sheer adventure. The tale begins in ancient Abyssinia where the queen of the nile is impregnated via sinister and mysterious means. She lives in affluent splendour among lust and savagery. In a neighbouring kingdom, the author invites us to witness the kidnapping of the royal twins Toomi and Mamkinga. As Luard's intricate tapestry unfolds, we follow the twins' separation and painfully unjust descent into slavery. Their journeys are wrought with countless horrific events embedded in the constant longing each twin feels for being reunited with the other half of their being. Powerful and viscious figures forever loom in the shadows of this richly depicited tale, including the brutal arab Acab Saat, who is to be the dagger that attempts to shred the very fabric of Africa's kingdoms. Throughout Luard's epic we also delve into the faraway shores of Ireland, where Jamie Oran surpasses his devastating past to venture into Africa, and finds his destiny at the source of the nile.

Luard has a talent for relentlessly drawing the reader into the story until they gasp for breath, eyes bulging in wonderment at the brutality humankind is capable of in the context of this historical and cultural landscape. At times i was convinced that Luard must have lived in Africa to write with such vision and complexity about this exotic realm. Although the journey extends from Africa to the United Kingdom, Luard is consistent in the integrity and resilience that is found in our heroes, and the same demonic cruelty in our villains. His statements about human nature are constant: insecurity and lust make for a dangerous combination. The characters' heartwrenching struggles are upsetting in their realism, yet are essential components of Luard's image of an epic battle for freedom and love.

the ingredients of this epic adventure novel: two royal african twins sold into slavery,a beautiful princess fleeing from a evil priest who takes over her land and daring young scottish adventurer who aids her.This novel has all the ingredients of classic epic adventure story with raiders of the lost ark style action,old-fashioned heroes and ravishing romance!I hope the author writes again because he has alot of talent!