Imaro
A Heroic Fantasy series by Charles Saunders, currently consisting of four books.
Saunders grew up reading the adventures of Conan the Barbarian and Tarzan, but was troubled how such stories never had black heroes, even when Africa was involved. So he decided to write his own stories, and created Imaro and Nyumbani, his new hero and setting respectively. Nyumbani is a Fantasy Counterpart Culture of Ancient Africa with people and places corresponding to real ones throughout Africa's history. Imaro, an outsider from the moment of his birth, overcomes endless challenges to his existence ranging from petty Jerkasses who don't like him for not having a father to an Ancient Conspiracy by Eldritch Abominations. Imaro, aside from simply desiring survival, seeks to find the answers about his father and why he encounters so much misfortune. He makes good friends and hated enemies along his trek across Nyumbani.
In order, the series is as follows:
- Imaro
- The Quest for Cush
- The Trail of Bohu
- The Naama War
These books provide examples of:
- Bilingual Bonus: Knowledge of Swahili will reveal many meaningful names.
- Nyumbani is Swahili for "home".
- The Dark Side: Mchawi, powerful magic that causes some serious Body Horror to the user.
- Disappeared Dad: Imaro's father.
- Eldritch Abomination: The Mashataan is a race of these.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Nyumbani is full of counterparts to tribes, kingdoms, and empires of Ancient Africa.
- Heroic Bastard: Imaro.
- Lovecraftian Superpower: Users of mchawi tend to develop abilities like Combat Tentacles that fire death rays.
- Meaningful Name: "Imaro" is derived from imara, Swahili for "power".