Track of the Snow Leopard by Dariel R.A. Quiogue
253 Pages

We are the sum of our influences throughout life. Authors exhibit this most frequently with the stories they create. Pulling themes and elements from life experiences and other mediums. Dariel has a fantastically unique voice. His love of history coupled with lesser-known myths and legends is prevalent in his body of work. To this humble reader, Dariel's work seems most strongly influenced by Harold Lamb with a dash of David Gemmell.

Track of the Snow Leopard is comprised of six stories. Five feature his titular character Orhan Timur the Snow Leopard. The last story is the beginning of something new. A piece set during the African humid period when parts of the Sahara and Sahel were covered by an inland sea. Three stories are new and three are reprints from Swords of the Four Winds.

In the foreward Dariel explains to the reader the genesis of Orhan Timur. He also elaborates about fleshing out the character. A historical what if. What if Genghis Khan had a blood-brother who had betrayed him? Would this hunted man ever give up his lost khanate? What would he do to reclaim what is his?

“Palace of the Purple Lotus” finds Orhan pursued, out of options and arrows. Seeking sanctuary and water in some ruins he stumbles across a palace. Gaining entrance, he is greeted as a friend. Feasting, drinking, and merriment run long into the night, although something still troubles Orhan. Hopefully without giving too much away this particular tale reminded me of the song “Hotel California” by The Eagles.

“The Unholiness at Zogurthang” finds Orhan captured and tortured. Escaping and on the run, he falls in with some pilgrims. An unnatural fog enshrouds the land, and the pilgrims find themselves being hunted by wolves. To everyone's horror the only sanctuary to be found is the cursed city of Zogurthang. Within, a timeless horror seeks to be reborn.

Timur Orhan is no one's hero, but he doesn't shy from protecting others:

Orhan commanded the tumultuous retreat, driving the nearly paralytic Drokpas ahead of him by the sheer force of his will. He had joined them only as a means to ease his entry to Tsangpotien; but now that they had trusted him with their lives in a crisis, he was as bound to their fate as born one of their own. Alone, Orhan was convinced, he could still find his own way to escape the wolves; but leaving the pilgrims had become totally inconceivable, a violation of his self too vile to even consider.

In “Lord of the Brass Host” Orhan is contracted by an exiled prince to excavate a tomb. The tomb is filled with a mechanical army. Orhan sees the advantages of such an army, but a third player will show their hand forcing an unexpected partnership.

“In Valley of the Yellow-Eyed King” Orhan and a hand-picked crew seek to hunt and destroy a predatory cat. The sages and priests cry demon, but Orhan will not hear it. The hunt takes a heavy toll. When the matter is resolved no one wins.

The events of the previous story have left Orhan far from home. In “The Caves of Karo Shan” Orhan hires on as a caravan guard escorting a young woman and her dowry to be the bride for the God Beneath the Mountain. After the caravan is attacked Orhan and Altani are the only survivors. What follows can be best described as the fruit of a fertile imagination. The story features an underground world with Snow Apes and a priestly order at war. The perils in this underground world are legion. Plus, a god-like being with cosmic designs.

“The Lions of Malakkaria” is set in an ancient fictional Africa. The water is slowly drying up. The nomads are restless as year after year they have less and less to feed themselves. The nomads begin to raid the cities in earnest. A betrayal leads to an unexpected partnership with a noble goal. Salvation for the masses and tossing down the aristocracy. A lengthy war is fought with much attrition. The vilest evil can spring from noble deeds and plans. Congress with demons and outside powers certainly doesn't help.

Track of the Snow Leopard is a self-published indie collection. Fans of Swords of the Four Winds will find three new stories to sink their teeth into. New readers will find a smaller price point to sample this new collection. The trouble is... in this digital age it is difficult for indie authors to be heard and gain visibility in the cacophony of our daily lives. It has become very easy to put your work into consumers’ hands, but difficult to hold their attention long enough to gain their interest. As readers we can offset this by sharing the fiction we love and enjoy with others. Whether it is a review, sharing on social media, a blog post, or simply telling a friend.