Ajacii and Demons — Jeffrey Quyle

A man without memories of his past awakens adrift at sea in a tiny boat, then is picked up by a fishing vessel; so began "Rescuing the Captive", the precursor to "Ajacii and Demons." That previous volume, number seven in the Ingenairii Series, presented a significant new beginning in the life of Alec the Healer, a new beginning that provides exciting adventures as it continues in "Ajacii and Demons.".As Alec learns the language, the culture and the geography of the Avonellene Empire, he learns that he holds strange abilities, and he learns that foreigners, like himself, are little loved by the people of new land he lives in. He slowly begins to regain his memories in portions that reveal the past glories and loves of his life, without revealing all of his past or giving him any explanation of how or why he came to this land he does not know and does not blend into.His quixotic decision to help a princess who has been overthrown in a coup comes to dicate the activities of his life, as he tries to assist and protect her, then comes to love her. But he is made painfully aware that a foreigner, with his barbaric accent and lack of native roots, cannot be tolerated in the royal court, even though his extraordinary abilities are all that can keep her on the throne.Alec is sent away from the court, obstensably to help fight the princess's foes in Krimshelm, the northern city the Conglomerate hopes to conquer next.The challenge of battle in Krimshelm, awaits Alec. More fundamentally, the challenge of recovering his memories, and learning who he is, who he has left behind, and how he came to be in Avonellene are dark shadows across his future path, blocking any clear vision of how he can try to establish a life with the princess he cares about, who needs him in many ways, but who cannot withstand the political pressure to remove the foreigner in her court and in her heart."Ajacii and Demons" leads Alec across the lands, relying on secret allies and battling new foes and old ones as he tries to find wholeness for his memories and his heart.