"A wonderful epic fantasy adventure"

Long ago a young king, desperate to win a harsh battle against the forces of evil poised to conquer the world he had adopted as his own, made a fateful choice. Having called upon his loyal sorcerer to change his shape to that of a dragon, Garrick le Fey followed his enemy, Narokah, into the Book of the Stars. The book was put into a monastery for safe keeping, though prophecy told that one day the battling foes would be released from their prison to finish their fight.

Now, eight hundred years later, the black dragon Garrick and his red- dragon enemy have been released into Tarlis once more, but Tarlis has changed. The young king's followers had grown greedy long before. His benevolent rule had turned into a dictatorship overseen by a cruel and bloodthirsty baron. His beloved people - those who hadn't fled to a hidden mountain sanctuary - had forgotten their first king and believed the stories and the prophecy no more than myth and children's tales.

Into this mix comes Meggahn du Val, who is betrothed to the evil baron who holds so much power. Her attempts to escape her upcoming marriage take her right to Garrick and throw her squarely into the middle of the age-old conflict. As history is re-told and comrades are re- discovered, new friends are found to join the band of those who must go and fight. Fighting them every step of the way is the ruthless Narokah, servant of a dark god who is impatient for his release. With Garrick still cursed by the remnants of the dragon- spell and the land torn apart by time and evil intent, the future of Tarlis is looking ever grimmer.

This epic fantasy is the first of D'Arcy's Tarlisian Saga novels, some of which have been previously printed by ImaJinn books and are being reprinted by Mundania Press in the near future. LEGACY OF THE BLACK DRAGON stands entirely on its own in terms of plot and character and can be read independently from the rest of the series. The setting is a fascinating medieval-era world filled with elves and barons, yet below the fantasy D'Arcy injects a light-handed but very believable trace of science fiction into the story. The characters are human and dynamic, the societies that they live in and the quests they undertake are thrilling and, sometimes, dangerous. A large cast gives the reader the 'epic' sense, the story taking time to explore the lives of all the characters involved.

Paranormal romance readers looking for a romantic fix have two relationships to choose from, though D'Arcy leans in the fantasy direction and a happily ever after is not a guarantee in her world, but all romantic relationships are engaging and emotionally fulfilling. The limited romantic content (the story really does focus on Garrick's confrontation with Narokah) might leave some more romance- minded readers cold, but LEGACY OF THE BLACK DRAGON is a wonderful adventure that any reader who enjoys fantasy fiction should take a look at.

Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted August 26, 2004