Beyond Hope and Despair: The Galanor Saga - Volume II

"Beyond Hope and Despair" is the second in the Galanor Saga Series. It picks up exactly whereVolume 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 completenovel.Book One finds Galanor (who is now the commander of an elite mercenary corps known as thePanther Legion) on the field of a recently fought battle. He has lost his will to live and, since thedeath 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 withmore vigor) for Galanor to join him in his struggle to "free" reality from "order." FollowingGalano's rebuke Azool visits the Legionnaires with sudden madness. This causes them to turnon one another. The most affected by this is Pharon, who, under Azool's influence (whichcontinues throughout the novel) turns on his lifelong friend. Galanor finds himself swept up incourt intrigue and falling in love with the empress, whose husband had commissionedGalanor's Legion to defend his borders. This put Galanor at direct odds with the empire's HighLord General, Sargon. Sargon aligns himself with a wizard, who has a personal grudge withGalanor dating back to Atlantis. Together they plot to kidnap the empress and destroy Galanorin the process. After a long series of devastating encounters Galanor, on the verge of death, issent into the desert to die. He is rescued by a shadowy, mythical figure who begins his road tomental and spiritual recovery, outside the bounds of reality.Book Two finds Pharon and the entire remaining members of the Panther Legion, in prisonawaiting death at the hands of Sargon (who has taken control of the empire from the fecklessemperor, who grieves over his wife's absence). Azool has been visiting Pharon, who has nowbecome his agent. Galanor, having left the care of his benefactor, has taken on a newcompanion (who had been given to him while he was being healed). He is a powerful, sleek dognamed Anubis, whose spiritual and physical presence helps Galanor cement some of the soulsaving lessons he had learned (though he cannot recall how). Together, they meet a youngwarrior and priestess who are on a desperate mission to save their city from sure and certaindestruction at the hands of a vast, marauding army. Galanor must choose between returningback for his comrades or going forward, in search of the kidnapped empress and helping theyoung 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 agoddess 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 kidnappedlove. 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 whomGalanor and Pharon had rescued during a sea battle. This man and his band of elite stealthwarriors, agree to help the young warrior free the Legionnaires before their execution. Galanorand Anubis cross into the land of shadows and emerge in a land not far from where theempress has been imprisoned by the insane wizard. Pharon and the Legionaries are freed andwith the aid of the stealth warriors, become the agents of fate. Galanor encounters Azool onelast time in a battle of wills. He defeats an old enemy and does battle with the wizard to rescuethe woman he loves.As "Beyond Good and Evil" was a novel about the power of love and commitment, "BeyondHope and Despair," is a novel about the power of redemption.