Every war has a purpose. Some actors of war pursue greatness and glory through means of senseless violence, while some only want to achieve a prosperous nation. One that is devoid of evil and is full of hope for tomorrow. This is what they call freedom and peace, but in the likelihood that history has chosen to repeat itself, will a new hero rise out of the depths, or will the dark era begin? This is the premise of Dean Matthews’ thrilling fantasy book The Dark Taal.
Released in 2021, The Dark Taal by Dean Matthews is part 1 of The Foundation Stone Series. The story is set thousands of years ago. In order to bring balance and harmony, the Gods created two stones: the Firebrand stone and the Chimera stone. The Firebrand stone was made out of darkness to achieve a perfect balance, and the Chimera stone was forged out of light. Together, both stones bring equality to the many races of Aymara, and for many years they have flourished. However, as years had passed, races also advanced and reason prevailed. The Chimera stone was forgotten, and the Firebrand stone left unchecked, has wreaked havoc, leaving the world ravaged by destruction and war. As war threatens the peaceful land, the gods decide to act and bring forth to the world a hero named Aridain, who is championed by the goddess Seline. Will he be able to control his magic and be successful in his quest to defeat the Dark Taal as well as find and destroy the stones?
Author Dean GE Matthews was born on a farm just outside of Oxford, England, in 1961. His love of fantasy and adventure blossomed as a young lad when his English teacher introduced them to literature by reading The Hobbit to their class. This inspired him to become more interested in literature, especially fantasy and science fiction adventures. Traveling to different countries has also helped him gain perspective about the world and character building. The Dark Taal contains a rich and engaging narrative and graphic imagery; Matthews opens up a new fantasy world in which readers could dwell.
The 258-page book shows how courage can disarm evilness in the spirit of an innocent boy. How a hero can arise from within the rubbles of ruins brought about by the evils of the world. Apart from that, the book’s concept also tackles familial relationships and friendships made along the way and paints the struggle of a lone hero with a heavy burden on his back. Furthermore, as much as the conflict is between good and bad, Matthew’s dialogue and scene-setting take the readers into a world of fantasy where they could dwell as each turn of the page offers thrilling cliff-hangers that the readers will surely enjoy.
Discover a new world, a hero’s rise to power, and the fulfillment of the most important mission of saving the world in Dean GE Matthew’s The Dark Taal.