The City of the Drowned: Chapter 9

Chapter 9Ex-LibrisMist rolled about the domed edifice, caressing the corroded stone, entwining the Mare Nostrum as though something living, coiling about the tall pillars and the oars. The fluted columns reflected in the ebbing water like the tendrils of some monstrous cephalopod waiting to greet the wary sailors. Cambses donned his helmet, its horsehair crest... Continue Reading →

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The Princess Bride Review

I know, I know; it's a movie. One of my all time favorites, actually, and in one poll I saw, no. 9 of all time. I would never have bought the book, however, if the movie had come first. It was published in 1973, two years before I was born, which doesn't seem right because... Continue Reading →

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The City of the Drowned: Chapter 8

Pentaconter leaving the port of Hedonia courtesy of Evan KyrouChapter 8 Mare NostrumThey sailed two days from the port of Thetis, along the Hedonian coast, toward what had been the most trafficked harbor in the world. None of the fifty oarsmen or their captain, Cambses, believed they would find any ships moored at its docks,... Continue Reading →

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The City of the Drowned: Chapter 7

Chapter 7Sex and PoliticsThelana walked like a caged battle cat about the beautiful surroundings of their bedchambers, with its twin-pillared arcades, chandelier oil lamps, and seashell shaped fountains. “Of all the spoiled brats!” she muttered. “If I ever step foot onto paved earth again, it will be too soon!”“Hush!” It was Emma. “You’re going to... Continue Reading →

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The Great Book of Amber Review

I first heard of Roger Zelazny in the September 2004 edition of H&E Naturist magazine, in a review of my book. In it, Tim Forcer writes,Sword and sorcery is a very old tradition of story-telling - possibly the oldest. Alimonos is not afraid to acknowledge one of the earliest in this tradition, that ancient Greek, Homer. He also quotes from... Continue Reading →

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The City of the Drowned: Chapter 6

Image courtesy of my favorite artist, Frank FrazettaChapter 6Queen FrazettaBeams of sunlight angled through openings in unseen walls forming an illuminated square about a raised platform. At the periphery of this square were four arcades, each to a domed ceiling, flanked by pairs of narrow pillars. Impressions marked every wall, arch, and dome, a matrix... Continue Reading →

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Xanth: The Prequel to Harry Potter?

I just finished Piers Anthony's A Spell for Chameleon, the first novel in the Xanth series, which was published in 1977. The similarities between his world and that of Harry Potter are difficult to ignore. People born with magic powers? Check. A magical world set on Earth during modern day? Check. Centaurs, dragons, mermaids, and... Continue Reading →

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The City of the Drowned: Chapter 5

Chapter 5Riot for a SaviorShe and Xandr did not hesitate for a breath. When they entered through the door, he seized her, his arms about the pits of her knees, her ankles at the back of his neck. Warriors of lust, they collapsed to the floor, disregarding the soft bed, consuming one another like cannibals,... Continue Reading →

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The City of the Drowned: Chapter 4

Chapter 4A Witch in LoveEmma figure courtesy of David PascoA crowd was gathering at the center square with the snake handlers and baboon profiteers, where the baby ibs ran aimlessly. Thelana stepped out of her tunic like a bathrobe, placing her sandals beside it. Onlookers stared aghast, with laughter, in mocking whispers; a few shouted,... Continue Reading →

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