Richard Monaco- "Broken Stone"

This is Richard Monaco's follow up to Runes (which I covered in April). [Ace Fantasy, 1985, 230 pages] This novel went by quick, very brief chapters. 

It picks up fifteen years after the events of Runes; Leitus and Bita's son Arturus (also called Isaac) is a young, eager teenager. The family has settled in Britain since the events of the first book.

Most of the characters from Runes are still here, though they have all gone their separate ways. Subius, the ex-gladiator oath bound to protect Leitus, has been free from this bond for years. He learns that by his wife he has a thirteen year old daughter he never knew about. As soon as he is reunited with them, and has the chance to escape with them, he crosses paths with Leitus again, and the oath he made to Spartacus (Leitus' father) is called upon again. 

A few new characters are introduced as well. One of the dreamstones is held by the young sorceress Morga, another daughter of Leitus', a seed that was planted in Runes. A Jewish priest, Ben Ymir, endures struggle after struggle, yet keeps his faith in God, unfearingly even in the face of the Lord of Darkness. Ymir leads Leitus through the desert; they get caught in a storm, within which Leitus loses his eyesight due to the harsh sand winds. In fact there are several brutal, destructive, unnatural storms that take place in this novel.

The Roman official Flacchus, who kept Bita as a slave in Runes, has been corrupted into a perverse, sub-human, hive minded monster, making contact with the dark lord Aataatana through two of what they call the dreamstones. Aataatana is a recurring villain from Runes, the incarnation of evil. The dreamstones serve as gateways between three realms of existence, and when united will merge the earthly realm with the demonic one, where Flacchus and Aataatana each have intentions to rule. What personality Flacchus once had is completely devoured. This leads to some perverse and gruesome moments I won't go into.

Most of the action of this novel takes place in Egypt, through deserts, cities, oases, and even inside one of the great Pyramids. Similar in structure to Runes, many separate plot threads are going on throughout, and they all converge into an exciting climax. This involves an army of Picts battling an army of mind-controlled (by Flacchus) Roman soldiers, while Flacchus, Morga, and Arturus are all fighting over the three dreamstones. In the end, the dreamstone containing Aataatana is struck with an Avalonian blade (not yet named Excalibur) by Arturus' hand. The stone dissipates into mist, neutralizing the dark lord.

Leitus is blind for most of these events, but has bouts where he can see. After the struggle with Aataatana, also involving a lovecraftian creature from another dimension called the Zug, and a heroic sacrifice by Ben Ymir, the world goes black in the eyes of the survivors. Leitus guides them home, seeing through blind eyes with divine sight. He and Bita come to accept the loss of their son, and plan to make a life in Judea.

Now, Richard Monaco's more famous work is Parsival: Or a Knight's Tale. Arturus and Morga are predecessor to Arthur and Morgana from Arthurian legend- which happens much later- seeming to imply reincarnation. In all honesty, a bit of a stretch to my ears. Still, it makes sense that Arturus would call Britain home, and the climax of the series actually takes place in Britain. At the end, Arturus and Morga are preserved, suspended in some sort of in-between dimension. Perhaps a dreamstone might be able to bring them forth again? Richard Monaco knows well how to bring a story to a satisfying crescendo, I like reading him. Journey to the Flame is another of his novels on my list.

There's not much accurate mythology or history to this series, except as a mere backdrop or point of reference. Still, gets a thumbs up from me, overall entertaining. Time to open a new one.