Rings Of Dhone — J.M. Martin

"The Rings of Dhone" follows in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs and E. R. Eddison in its depiction of other-worldly adventures that have their beginnings on a contemporary Earth. The hero, John Gordon, returns from an alternate Earth to tell his tale and leave behind the manuscript that recounts his life-and-death struggles with the Ghalan Empire and the enigmatic Kantu. Along the way he is befriended by a giant panther-like entity, Clypas, with whom he is able to communicate telepathically; and encounters many strange variations of humanity on his quest for a noble throne -- and a beautiful queen