SOLOMON KANE: THE LION ERRANT part 3: Beauty and the Beast
The reanimated Lopesh (now a vetala, an ancient spirit borrowing Lopesh's corpse) hears his murderer (Ramih Khan) tossing and turning in his sleep. Ramih dreams of a giant buffalo (the asura Mahishasura?), the buffalo demon questions Ramih's beliefs, Ramih realizes that he is turning into a large bovine.
The Satpura Range. Baghela (Master of the mahouts) will escort Kalyan Shah (Master of the musketmen) and his musketeers to Rani Durgavati and Kamla Devi (daughter of Kalyan Shah).
The palace of Jahaz Mahal in Mandu. Diamanta Bensaid gives Solomon a Palmyra fruit to eat. Kane explains that he thinks that he is a Knight Errant, Diamanta thinks that Solomon is infatuated with the idea of being a Knight. The mysterious black-maned Asiatic lion returns, it is time for Kane to follow it once again.
The Chauragarh Fort in the Satpura Range. Rani Durgavati's plan is to go to the Narrai valley and drive the army of the two Khans (Asaf & Ramih) into the river Gaur (Narmada River). Rani Durgavati wants her son (Prince Vir) to survive the military encounter, so he is ordered to stay with his uncle (Chandra Shah, Dalpat Shah's younger brother and the master of the horse archers).
Prince Vir Narayan (son of Durgavati) shares another tender moment with his betrothed (Kamla Devi, daughter of Kalyan Shah).
Mandu Jahaz Mahal. Qara Bahadur Khan dines with Abramo Bensaid, Diamanta and Kane one last time. Will Kane and co. fight for or against the Rani?
Asaf Khan I ((1549-1612), Mughal general, regent of Kara) addresses his two armies, they will attack the Gondwana Kingdom on the morrow.
The Chauragarh Fort. Anxious about the upcoming conflict, Arjun Das ((????-1564), man-at-arms and chief of Queen Durgavati's foot soldiers)... sleeps once more with Rani Durgavati.
Gondwana border. Malwi guardsmen try to prevent Abramo Bensaid, Diamanta and Kane from entering the kingdom. They fail.
The Chauragarh Fort in the Satpura Range. The Tilwara Ghat bridge (on the banks of the Narmada River) has been destroyed, the army of the two Khans will be forced to enter the Narrai valley. Abramo Bensaid, Diamanta, Kane AND the black-maned Asiatic lion arrive on the scene.
Beohar Kayastha (Rani Durgavati's advisor) reminds Durgavati that she is named after the Hindu goddess Durga... whose mount is a lion named Somnandi/Dawon.
À suivre.
What I did like:
The Vedas (ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism), The Quran (the central religious text of Islam) and The sutras of Hinduism mentioned.
Jai Seva means Hello.
Baghela (Master of the mahouts, the most interesting man in the mini-series) speaks!
Genesis 3:3 "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." quoted.
Knights of the Round Table: Gawain, Lancelot du Lac and Galahad mentioned.
The sun rises in the east, Kane must go east.
Rogan Josh (Indian red meat curry) mentioned.
100 farsakhs is about 500 to 550 kilometres,
Le'aletz means to force, Yir'ah means fear.
Daniel 6:16 "Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee." quoted.
Daniel 6:22 "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." quoted.
Oliver Reed was never afraid of shedding his clothes, Ramih appears naked in his dream.
Remarkable covers by Patch Zircher, Nick Marinkovich and Paolo Parente!
What I did not like:
No letters page!
The fear monster needed more zeal.
Lopesh does nothing.
N'Longa, the beloved ju-ju man, only appears briefly in a flashback!
The same 9-year-old Durgavati flashback from The Lion Errant #1. No new info. Extremely disappointing.
Rani Durgavati does not appear on any of the covers! Embarrassing!
Where is Sarman (Durgavati's elephant)?!
I give it an 8/10. Professor Z's mini-series is the cat's meow and that's no bull!
