Review by George Sotirhos for Universe Pathways Magazine
http://www.innerzed.com/sites/kosmic/

“…’Aren’t you afraid of dying?’
Dimitri strode over to look out of the tent, held back the flap and stood there a moment. With his fair skin bathed in sunlight he glowed like a God.
“It’s a good day to die,” he said. “The birds are singing, the sun is shining..”
He turned and looked at Tark, blue eyes a flame with pride. “Of course I’m frightened.. but warriors are born to fight…it’s in my blood.”
During the old years, under the wise and prudent governing of the legendary emperor Duath, Alsheba was a unified empire that thrived. And Duath had a champion, Trorian, who was his support and the living terror for the enemies of the empire.
Hower, after Duath’s death the empire was divided and split in two parts: Alsheba and Pandropolis. But the people kept in their hearts the legend of Trorian. His name came to symbolize the longing and the hope for the end of the wars and for the peace and prosperity that would return to a unified empire, reborn from its ashes.
The myth was that Trorian drew his strength from his magic weapons, his belt being the most powerful of all. During the centuries countless brave warriors lost their lives in their search for the magic arms that would give them the power of a god.
After many centuries it was the turn of Tarkandus – the 16 year old son of the emperor of Alsheba – to seek the lost arms of the hero, with the hope of stopping the war and uniting the torn empire. After the betrayal of the archpriest Stavion, Tarkandus falls in the hands of the hateful Malachon, king of Pandropolis, and despite the humiliation, the pain and the agony he suffers there, with the support and guidance of Mitra, one of his father’s faithful warriors, he begins his own desperate search, a search that seems to be the last chance for the two empires to avoid the impeding darkness that threatens to surround them for ever.
“The Trorian's Belt” by Toni Allen is the first book in the series , “The Epic Tales of Alsheba”. Toni Allen can definitely hold a well earned place beside the great masters of heroic fantasy. Strong plot, intrigues, breathtaking scenes of battles, witchcraft, ancient myths, evil Gods, eerie landscapes. Descriptions that can throw you in the middle of wild battles, exotic landscapes, dances….A strong speech that fascinates the reader.
It is a marvellous story of heroic fantasy and the only thing we can say is that we are impatiently awaiting for the next part of the series, by the pen of a really great writer.