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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
**NOTE: I received ARC of this book via BookishFirst in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I did not receive compensation from the publisher for my review and so the opinions expressed within are of my own.**
Holy moly what a book! I just want to preface that this is my very first foray into the writings of Raymond Khoury. The synopsis of the book as well as reading a preview of the first chapter hooked me instantly. Being that I'm a fan of alternate history plots, this one was right up my alley.
This book gives a really great refreshing take on a "What If?" scenario that I haven't seen being done a lot. The story centers around a world in which the Ottoman Empire still exists and has taken control of practically all of Europe and all of the Middle East. This world is depicted as a world where neither WWI or WWII happened let alone any other wars since then. Despite of some of the pluses of this world, the trade off is that the entire empire is one gigantic police state. With the advent of technology, it has become easier for Big Brother to keep tabs on the subjects of the empire. All of this came to fruition because of a mysterious individual that appeared to the sultan of the empire in the 1600s in the advent of a major battle that, in the history we come to know, the empire spectacularly loses. We meet individuals who end up crossing paths with this mysterious individual in modern (alternate history) Paris and we take off on a really fun ride.
There is A LOT of history building in this book. If you're not one for that type of exposition then this book is certainly not for you. I found the history extremely fascinating because not only do we get a sprinkle of the actual events that transpired but we also get a timeline of events that would lead to the Ottoman Empire in becoming the large civilization it might have become in modern times. It was extremely cool to read especially since I don't have much knowledge in that particular period.
I will say it was very fun to read some of the Turkish phrases and words in the story personally being that I did end up taking a trip to Turkey a couple of years ago and learned a little bit of the language to make my way around the cities. Learning a little bit more of Islamic customs was a really neat insight as well.
All in all, I had a really great time reading this book. I never wanted to put the book down because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. It certainly was a nice starting point in reading more books by Khoury.
Holy moly what a book! I just want to preface that this is my very first foray into the writings of Raymond Khoury. The synopsis of the book as well as reading a preview of the first chapter hooked me instantly. Being that I'm a fan of alternate history plots, this one was right up my alley.
This book gives a really great refreshing take on a "What If?" scenario that I haven't seen being done a lot. The story centers around a world in which the Ottoman Empire still exists and has taken control of practically all of Europe and all of the Middle East. This world is depicted as a world where neither WWI or WWII happened let alone any other wars since then. Despite of some of the pluses of this world, the trade off is that the entire empire is one gigantic police state. With the advent of technology, it has become easier for Big Brother to keep tabs on the subjects of the empire. All of this came to fruition because of a mysterious individual that appeared to the sultan of the empire in the 1600s in the advent of a major battle that, in the history we come to know, the empire spectacularly loses. We meet individuals who end up crossing paths with this mysterious individual in modern (alternate history) Paris and we take off on a really fun ride.
There is A LOT of history building in this book. If you're not one for that type of exposition then this book is certainly not for you. I found the history extremely fascinating because not only do we get a sprinkle of the actual events that transpired but we also get a timeline of events that would lead to the Ottoman Empire in becoming the large civilization it might have become in modern times. It was extremely cool to read especially since I don't have much knowledge in that particular period.
I will say it was very fun to read some of the Turkish phrases and words in the story personally being that I did end up taking a trip to Turkey a couple of years ago and learned a little bit of the language to make my way around the cities. Learning a little bit more of Islamic customs was a really neat insight as well.
All in all, I had a really great time reading this book. I never wanted to put the book down because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. It certainly was a nice starting point in reading more books by Khoury.
What if the Ottoman Empire sacked Vienna in 1683 which changed the course of European and world history? A bit Man in the High Castle and a bit the Years of Rice and Salt-this is a good time-traveling thriller and what ifs with questions for us about privacy and surveillance in our culture today.
I enjoy alternate history stories and time travel stories. But I don't enjoy them when the alternate history is the result of time travel. That is what this book is.
In 2017 an Iraqi member of ISIS happens upon a way of traveling through time and he uses this power to go back through history to point where the Ottoman empire was defeated in their advance across Europe in 1683. He changes things so that they are not defeated and take the city of Vienna. The world has changed, but not forever.
In this new reality in 2017 in Paris the secret is accidentally discovered and the truth of what has happened is revealed. The task of setting things right begins but it's not an easy one, especially as you don't really know what you are doing.
This was an enjoyable read but it felt drawn out in places and more like an extract from an essay on the rights and wrong of one form of government verses another. It would have been better if it had not been so long.
In 2017 an Iraqi member of ISIS happens upon a way of traveling through time and he uses this power to go back through history to point where the Ottoman empire was defeated in their advance across Europe in 1683. He changes things so that they are not defeated and take the city of Vienna. The world has changed, but not forever.
In this new reality in 2017 in Paris the secret is accidentally discovered and the truth of what has happened is revealed. The task of setting things right begins but it's not an easy one, especially as you don't really know what you are doing.
This was an enjoyable read but it felt drawn out in places and more like an extract from an essay on the rights and wrong of one form of government verses another. It would have been better if it had not been so long.
This was one of the most infuriating reading experience I have had in recent memory
This book had such promise as an alternate history time travel story but more detail it went in the more unbelievable it became
A slog to get through
This book had such promise as an alternate history time travel story but more detail it went in the more unbelievable it became
A slog to get through
First of all, I want to say that if this book receives the same mini-series treatment that Khoury's book "The Last Templar" did, I will be one of the happiest people on the planet.
This book drew me in from the first page and I found myself sneaking in reading breaks wherever I could - even while I was supposed to being doing schoolwork - because I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen and the way that current-day issues and the potential timeline change were interwoven was truly amazing to read.
I will say, I liked some of the narrators more than others, but I feel like that is something that happens with every novel with more than one narrator/point of view, but there was never a perspective I hated.
I will say, this book has been compared to "The Man in the High Castle" and that does this book a huge disservice because "The Man in the High Castle" is less science fiction and more speculative fiction while this novel tends towards science fiction at points. I'm a fan of science fiction over speculative fiction, so I liked this book more than I liked "The Man in the High Castle".
Something I really appreciated about this book was how Khoury normalized Ottoman/Arabic/Islamic cultural values and day to day practices. I know the three have overlaps but are distinct in their own ways, but in a world that perhaps isn't as educated as it should be, normalizing all of those things truly makes the reader pause and think for a bit.
All in all, this is a contender for my favorite book of the year, and I am so glad I was able to read this book before the publishing date.
This book drew me in from the first page and I found myself sneaking in reading breaks wherever I could - even while I was supposed to being doing schoolwork - because I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen and the way that current-day issues and the potential timeline change were interwoven was truly amazing to read.
I will say, I liked some of the narrators more than others, but I feel like that is something that happens with every novel with more than one narrator/point of view, but there was never a perspective I hated.
I will say, this book has been compared to "The Man in the High Castle" and that does this book a huge disservice because "The Man in the High Castle" is less science fiction and more speculative fiction while this novel tends towards science fiction at points. I'm a fan of science fiction over speculative fiction, so I liked this book more than I liked "The Man in the High Castle".
Something I really appreciated about this book was how Khoury normalized Ottoman/Arabic/Islamic cultural values and day to day practices. I know the three have overlaps but are distinct in their own ways, but in a world that perhaps isn't as educated as it should be, normalizing all of those things truly makes the reader pause and think for a bit.
All in all, this is a contender for my favorite book of the year, and I am so glad I was able to read this book before the publishing date.
My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
A fan of alternate history or revisionist history will love this book. It starts on the slower side because it’s setting up the story - but as soon as you delve into the many fascinating characters... you just get engulfed in the story. The story itself felt so real like it actually happened. That’s how Khoury made it sound so eloquent and like a history book. I could be biased because I was a history major but I could not put it down and read late into the night to see what would happen. The mini history lessons of the Ottoman Empire was also so fun to read as I remembered it only very vaguely in school. Also the war of Vienna - I definitely did not remember that in school either and to see it incorporated in the story was wondrous to read about. It is a long read but if you love alternative history (think the show man in the high castle) then you will love this.
Thank you to Bookish and Forge books for my advanced copy for my review
A fan of alternate history or revisionist history will love this book. It starts on the slower side because it’s setting up the story - but as soon as you delve into the many fascinating characters... you just get engulfed in the story. The story itself felt so real like it actually happened. That’s how Khoury made it sound so eloquent and like a history book. I could be biased because I was a history major but I could not put it down and read late into the night to see what would happen. The mini history lessons of the Ottoman Empire was also so fun to read as I remembered it only very vaguely in school. Also the war of Vienna - I definitely did not remember that in school either and to see it incorporated in the story was wondrous to read about. It is a long read but if you love alternative history (think the show man in the high castle) then you will love this.
Thank you to Bookish and Forge books for my advanced copy for my review
My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
A fan of alternate history or revisionist history will love this book. It starts on the slower side because it’s setting up the story - but as soon as you delve into the many fascinating characters... you just get engulfed in the story. The story itself felt so real like it actually happened. That’s how Khoury made it sound so eloquent and like a history book. I could be biased because I was a history major but I could not put it down and read late into the night to see what would happen. The mini history lessons of the Ottoman Empire was also so fun to read as I remembered it only very vaguely in school. Also the war of Vienna - I definitely did not remember that in school either and to see it incorporated in the story was wondrous to read about. It is a long read but if you love alternative history (think the show man in the high castle) then you will love this.
Thank you to Bookish and Forge books for my advanced copy for my review
A fan of alternate history or revisionist history will love this book. It starts on the slower side because it’s setting up the story - but as soon as you delve into the many fascinating characters... you just get engulfed in the story. The story itself felt so real like it actually happened. That’s how Khoury made it sound so eloquent and like a history book. I could be biased because I was a history major but I could not put it down and read late into the night to see what would happen. The mini history lessons of the Ottoman Empire was also so fun to read as I remembered it only very vaguely in school. Also the war of Vienna - I definitely did not remember that in school either and to see it incorporated in the story was wondrous to read about. It is a long read but if you love alternative history (think the show man in the high castle) then you will love this.
Thank you to Bookish and Forge books for my advanced copy for my review
adventurous
fast-paced
This was an excellent exploration of the concept of alternate history and time travel. It’s gripping, the characters are believable (for the most part) and when the action really gets going, it is unputdownable. There were a couple of things that were slightly less believable and which could have been fleshed out more: the mysterious inscription from Palmyra, and Kamal’s character arc. That said, I loved the character of Nisreen and thought she was admirable. The alternative universe was fascinating, and the character of Ayman Rasheed was well drawn and very believable. If you like time travel, alternate universe stories, and/or you’re a history buff, then I’d recommend reading this. I also like that it presents various different forms and types of Islam, and doesn’t stereotype it.