Mali Empire, 1312 A.D.A disgraced soldier and a dangerous child witch are assigned the perilous task of saving the empire from dark forces invading from another realm. As the two battle assassins and beasts dispatched to stop them, they must also find a way to set aside their own animosity towards each other. While the soldier questions why he, among all others was chosen for this task, the empire hides a chilling secret from him, which if revealed, could spell the doom of man for all eternity. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the witch also hides a secret, which if exposed, could destroy the empire's faith in her and dash the hopes of man forever.REVIEW BY MILTON DAVIS (Author of CHANGA'S SAFARI, FROM HERE TO TIMBUKTU, and THE GUNMAN'S PEACE):I don't believe in fate, but sometimes things seem fated to occur, like how I came across Anthony Kwamu's Sword and Soul adventure. My wife and I were enjoying a day of hanging out in the city. We began our day with a trip to our favorite cupcake place then stopped by a taqueria in Vinings to visit with old friends. After a quick lunch my sweetie wanted to stop by the Barnes and Noble across the street to look for a book she couldn't find in our local store. As she searched for her book I browsed through the science fiction/fantasy section and came across the Chronicles. It's not often (actually never) that you come across a book with a cover displaying black people in such a way. I immediately grabbed it and ran to the register. I'm glad I did.Timbuktu Chronicles take place in 14th century Mali. The ruler of Mali is Abubakari II, places these events during the Songhai empire. Gyvan Drabo, a former teacher at Sankore Univeristy, has joined the army to seek fame and fortune. An unfortunate event gets him discharged but then just as suddenly he finds himself reinstated to go on a quest of enormous magnitude. Gyvan gains a reluctant companion, a young witch, or eeid, named Aida. Together they go on a series of adventures in order to save their kingdom and their world from a threat beyond the realm of man.The Chronicles are mainly told from Gyvan's and Aida's point of view. There are chapters dedicated to other voices but this does not confuse the narrative. It took me a while to get used to Anthony's writing style but once I did I found myself immersed in the story. Like most sword and soul stories the fresh foundation makes it challenging to figure out what will happen next. I love how Anthony places the story firmly in history, using cities like Timbuktu, Djenne and Sekou to full use. Anyone well versed in West African history will smile as they follow Gyvan and Aida on their quest.Though fantasy books today are becoming more inclusive when it comes to people, cultures and settings, there as still very few of them that immerse themselves in the rich history and culture of the African continent. Timbuktu Chronicles is the latest addition to the small but growing list and it's a must have for fans of this emerging genre. I enjoyed Timbuktu Chronicles. I hope you do, too.