As many of you know Charles R. Saunders passed away earlier this year. His passing went unnoticed by the world until recently. When it became public knowledge social media lit up with an outpouring of sentiment for the loss of such a well liked and underrated author. In fact, with no known next of kin, he was buried without a headstone. A GoFundMe was started to provide him with one. It exceeded its goal within days. That says quite a lot about how his fans felt about him and his body of work. If you have never read his Imaro series, you are in for a treat.

He is known as the father of the genre that became known as Sword and Soul.

The desire to talk about Imaro: The Naama War by Charles R. Saunders came about because, sure, most everyone knows about the trilogy of Imaro books published by DAW, but how many folks knew he finished the Imaro epic? He did, but it probably didn't turn up in your local bookstore.

This book is only available through Lulu.com. I had my reservations, and they were proven unfounded. Lulu makes a nice paperback. A thick glossy cover and good thick quality paper within. I am very satisfied with this paperback. As aesthetically pleasing as the book is, it stands out next to my standard size paperbacks. Although the reprints are all of a size.

Last year I finally got around to reading the first three Imaro books. At the time I thought there were only three. As I read I gained momentum, all but racing to what I thought was the final conclusion. As the page count dwindled I realized in horror that the story did not conclude with The Trail of Bohu. How many other fans did this happen to? After DAW books cancelled the series it took another 30+ years before Saunders published the conclusion to the Imaro series.

The events in The Naama War come hard on the heels of The Trail of Bohu. Discovering his true heritage, Imaro must now be a leader of men to save the people from an ancient malevolent evil. As the continent marches to war, Imaro and his allies must converge in Naama to vanquish the evil that has long festered there. The Naama War concludes Imaro's epic story.

The story is fast paced, but well written. The chapters break often enough that you never become fatigued with any one specific character. Extremely engrossing. Charles R. Saunders has created a world rich in lore, with vast untapped potential. Once you read Saunders you'll be hooked.

If you are a fan and looking for more stories set in the same world I wholeheartedly recommend Saunders’ Nyumbani Tales, which is still available on Amazon.