Wonke umbhali udlulisela isimemo kubafundi babo. Basibiza besuka emashalofini asezitolo zezincwadi noma, mhlawumbe kaningi namuhla, kusuka kuhlu oluku-inthanethi olunezihloko nobuciko bekhava obuthembisa ukuzijabulisa, ukutholakala kwamaqiniso nokuqonda okusha kwezwe elisizungezile. Izethembiso zihlala zikhona, kepha kuphela ezilandela okuhle kakhulu. Lokhu kunjalo ngenoveli entsha ka-Anne Rice INkosana uLestat nezindawo zase-Atlantis

Ekugcineni sashiya iqhawe likaRice elilodwa, lestat wayethathe umoya ka-Amel, owayengumgogodla namandla empi yesizwe sama-vampiric, wamenza waba yiNkosana yaseVampires. U-Amel ubengomunye wezimfihlakalo ezisemqoka zeVampire Chronicles zombhali. Selokhu saqala ukufunda ngaye kumnandi Indlovukazi Yalahliwe. Lo moya onamandla wake wafuna umusa kaMaharet noMekare, abathakathi abanamandla abalethwa enkantolo yeNdlovukazi u-Akasha lapho ezwa ngamakhono abo.

Abathakathi abangamawele bacasula u-Akasha futhi uyalela umyeni wakhe uKing Enkil ukuthi abajezise. Uyalela umphathi wakhe ukuthi adlwengule abesifazane phambi kwenkantolo yonke ukufakazela ukuthi abanawo amandla wangempela futhi ubaxoshe enkantolo. Njengoba bezulazula ogwadule bebheke ekhaya, uMaharet uthola ukuthi ukhulelwe kanti uMekare, ngokufutheka, uyalela u-Amel ukuba abuyele enkantolo ayohlukumeza iNkosi neNdlovukazi bese enza lo msebenzi ngokujabula.

Iqembu labakhi bozungu futhi ligwaze liphindelela u-Enkil no-Akasha baze balale befa emachibini egazi labo. Kungaleso sikhathi kuphela lapho u-Amel enza khona isinyathelo sakhe sokugcina. Uzihlanganisa negazi nenyama yeNkosi u-Enkil neNdlovukazi u-Akasha edala ama-vampire okuqala emhlabeni wonke. Kusukela ngalowo mzuzu kuqhubeke, noma yini eyenzeka kumvampire ophethe umnyombo, ingathinta sonke isizwe.

Manje, mhlawumbe niyazibuza ukuthi kungani ngichitha isikhathi esiningi ngikhuluma ngo-Amel, futhi impendulo ayinakuba lula. Ngemuva kweminyaka engama-40 yamanoveli kanye nobukhosi obuningi bama-vampire, INkosana uLestat kanye nezindawo zase-Atlantis ekugcineni indaba ka-Amel.

Futhi kuyindaba yeminyaka. Ilayisi linikeza abafundi bayo ibhomu elihlanganiswe ngobukhazikhazi esingakaze silibone liza, futhi mhlawumbe asikaze sazi nokuthi siyafuna.

Konke esikwaziyo ngama-vampire kanye no-Amel kuze kube manje, noma ngabe kuklanywe kahle kanjani futhi kwakhiwa ngokuqinile, kunika ekujuleni obekungacabangi ukuthi lo mfundi kungenzeka. Eqinisweni, ezandleni ezinamandla zikaRice, ngangicishe ngasala nomuzwa wokuthi kwakufanele ngicabange ngalokhu ngaphambi kwami. Indaba ikhula ngokwendalo kusuka kuzindikimba iRice ezifake ku-IziKronike kusukela ekuqaleni.

Ubungane, umndeni, ukulangazelela, ukucindezela isizungu, isidingo esikhulu sothando, ukufuna incazelo ezinxushunxushwini zeSavage Garden. Ngamafuphi, izinto esizifunayo sonke ziyefana nezifiso zakhe zezimvubu, futhi njengoba kuvela, yizinto u-Amel ake wazifunela zona.

Njengoba ngithembisile esihlokweni, ngeke kube nabaphangi lapha. Engizokutshela khona ukuthi njengomlandeli wesikhathi eside wama-vampire ka-Anne Rice, abathakathi, ama-taltos, ama-castrati, ama-djinn, izidumbu, imimoya, kanye nama-waswolves akamuva nje, angizange ngiphoxeke kancane yile ncwadi. URice ukuxoxa kahle kakhulu lapho evumela abalingiswa bakhe ukuthi baveze imvelaphi yabo ngamazwi abo, futhi yilokho kanye esikuthola kule ncwadi.

Ngokujikajika ngakunye endabeni, kudalulwa iqiniso elisha ngomhlaba omuhle kaRice, kugoqwe ungqimba olusha ukuze kuvezwe impendulo entsha ebuza omunye umbuzo ngokushesha. Ngokunyakaza okukodwa okusheshayo emakhasini angamashumi amathathu okugcina kule noveli, umhlaba nokuphila okungafile ama-vampire abekwazi ngemillenia kuguqulwe ngokuphelele futhi okungenakuguqulwa. Futhi umbuzo wokugcina ulula.

“Yini manje?”

Umbhali ungumcwaningi ongakhathali futhi ungena ngokujulile kulore kanye nenganekwane yase-Atlantis ngendlela enweba izinganekwane zezimvubu zakhe ngenkathi ehlonipha uPlato nabanye abaqala ukubhala ngesiqhingi esiwele olwandle.

Ilayisi lenze lokho ababhali abambalwa abangaphumelela ukungena kulo ngempumelelo INkosana uLestat kanye nezindawo zase-Atlantis. Ngemuva kweminyaka engama-40 namanoveli ayishumi nanhlanu, uwushintshe ngokuphelele umdlalo ongafi, futhi mina, ngilindele ukubona ukuthi umdlalo olandelayo uwela kuphi. Ngangikhathele ngendlela engcono kakhulu njengoba ngavala ikhava futhi ngahlala emuva ngazindla ngalolu hambo olunamandla.

Unga-oda INkosana uLestat kanye nezindawo zase-Atlantis on Amazon, UBarnes noNoble, noma uye esitolo sakho sezincwadi sangakini ngoNovemba 29. Awufuni ukuphuthelwa yile ndaba emangazayo.