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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has time travel and alternate history, its set in the middle east and is primarily from the viewpoint of someone from that region and its always good to read books from different perspectives than our own. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
Man was this a hard book for me to get through at first! Empire of Lies turned out to be really good! However, the first 200 pages felt like they were just setting up for the plot. I got bored throughout those pages, the history being rewritten and the character backgrounds were really cool, don’t get me wrong, but it was a lot!
Now the last 245 pages were absolutely incredible. Once things got rolling, I was absorbed into the writing, wanted to know how things were going to turn out for our unlikely heroes. It was a roller coaster, and I loved it!
Wins:
-action packed plot once we got to it.
-character development. Kamals character development and change throughout the novel was absolutely incredible. I know at first he was supposed to be unlikeable. I didn’t get that, I liked him from his first chapter.
-a good history lesson for people -like me- who didn’t know much about the Ottoman Empire.
-absolutely heartbreaking moment towards the end. I wanted to scream, throw the book and cry all at the same time. Didn’t see it coming, super impressed with it!
Opportunities
-as I said above, the first like 180-200 pages are setting up for the plot. At first, I wanted to DNF the book because nothing really happened.
-a lot of Turkish that doesn’t have any explanation or meaning that’s just kind of thrown in there, but then the year is constantly pointed out as being 2017 in the footnotes. I would’ve liked a page just with translations or footnotes for those.
This book is very heavy, and it’s not one you want to pick up for an easy fast read, this took me a few days to get through, and that was after a reading streak of reading 450 page books in 1 day. I was definitely afraid of it putting me in a reading slump. Until I got to the actual plot, and things started flying by and the action was fast paced and real. The heartbreaking moments hurt like hell! All in all, a very good read once everything is established!
Now the last 245 pages were absolutely incredible. Once things got rolling, I was absorbed into the writing, wanted to know how things were going to turn out for our unlikely heroes. It was a roller coaster, and I loved it!
Wins:
-action packed plot once we got to it.
-character development. Kamals character development and change throughout the novel was absolutely incredible. I know at first he was supposed to be unlikeable. I didn’t get that, I liked him from his first chapter.
-a good history lesson for people -like me- who didn’t know much about the Ottoman Empire.
-absolutely heartbreaking moment towards the end. I wanted to scream, throw the book and cry all at the same time. Didn’t see it coming, super impressed with it!
Opportunities
-as I said above, the first like 180-200 pages are setting up for the plot. At first, I wanted to DNF the book because nothing really happened.
-a lot of Turkish that doesn’t have any explanation or meaning that’s just kind of thrown in there, but then the year is constantly pointed out as being 2017 in the footnotes. I would’ve liked a page just with translations or footnotes for those.
This book is very heavy, and it’s not one you want to pick up for an easy fast read, this took me a few days to get through, and that was after a reading streak of reading 450 page books in 1 day. I was definitely afraid of it putting me in a reading slump. Until I got to the actual plot, and things started flying by and the action was fast paced and real. The heartbreaking moments hurt like hell! All in all, a very good read once everything is established!
I received a copy of Empire of Lies through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Empire of Lies is the latest novel from the mind of Raymond Khoury, and it is a time-traveling mystery of epic proportions. It’s one of those novels that is utterly thought-provoking, while leaving you uncertain of what is to happen next.
Raymond Khoury has written a novel here that requires the reader to suspend their disbelief and dive right into the debate and wonder he’s presented to us. This is an alternative version of Europe and its history, thanks to the meddling of one determined time traveler.
“Rasheed’s first trip to this new world had been the most dangerous. He’d been curious to see the result of his work, but he’d be traveling light.”
Wow. Empire of Lies is one of those books that will just make you sit back and think. And then think some more. I’ve never read anything quite like this – and I mean that in all of the best ways possible.
What would happen to the politics of a country – or the world – if time travel became a thing? What if one agent found the way to head back in time and change their country’s future for the better? How would the people stuck in one timeline fight back?
Those questions, and more, are raised during the course of Empire of Lies. It’s an intricately written novel, full of time jumps, plotting, reactions, and dramatic scenes. And all of it is designed to make the reader think and wonder.
I’m both fascinated and put off by the way Raymond Khoury established and wrote this novel. It was compelling – but it was also designed to throw us off balance, and that can be more than a little bit jarring at time. I have to respect what was done here though. I’ve never imagined anything quite like this before. It’s fascinating.
I’ll be honest and tell you that this is the first novel I’ve ever read by Raymond Khoury. Perhaps that is the reason I’m so blown away by Empire of Lies; I simply didn’t know what to expect. I am more than a little bit curious about the rest of his works. I’m going to have to make a point of checking out his backlog sooner rather than later.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Empire of Lies is the latest novel from the mind of Raymond Khoury, and it is a time-traveling mystery of epic proportions. It’s one of those novels that is utterly thought-provoking, while leaving you uncertain of what is to happen next.
Raymond Khoury has written a novel here that requires the reader to suspend their disbelief and dive right into the debate and wonder he’s presented to us. This is an alternative version of Europe and its history, thanks to the meddling of one determined time traveler.
“Rasheed’s first trip to this new world had been the most dangerous. He’d been curious to see the result of his work, but he’d be traveling light.”
Wow. Empire of Lies is one of those books that will just make you sit back and think. And then think some more. I’ve never read anything quite like this – and I mean that in all of the best ways possible.
What would happen to the politics of a country – or the world – if time travel became a thing? What if one agent found the way to head back in time and change their country’s future for the better? How would the people stuck in one timeline fight back?
Those questions, and more, are raised during the course of Empire of Lies. It’s an intricately written novel, full of time jumps, plotting, reactions, and dramatic scenes. And all of it is designed to make the reader think and wonder.
I’m both fascinated and put off by the way Raymond Khoury established and wrote this novel. It was compelling – but it was also designed to throw us off balance, and that can be more than a little bit jarring at time. I have to respect what was done here though. I’ve never imagined anything quite like this before. It’s fascinating.
I’ll be honest and tell you that this is the first novel I’ve ever read by Raymond Khoury. Perhaps that is the reason I’m so blown away by Empire of Lies; I simply didn’t know what to expect. I am more than a little bit curious about the rest of his works. I’m going to have to make a point of checking out his backlog sooner rather than later.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
The author continued to use Arabic and other foreign words without supplying a glossary for the reader. Every time I had to stop and look up the meaning of a word, it pulled me out of the story.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to BookishHq for a free copy of the book.
I had such high hopes for this but it didn't live you too this hopes for me.
Raymond Khoury does do a really good job at imagining a world where the Ottoman Empire exists today. We have a heavily tattooed man, Ayman, who can time travel and comes from 1683 to 2017 in Paris. He is found naked (because can clothes really time travel? Not here!) Kamal is an officer in the sultan's (yes we have a sultan leader) secret police that is sent to this mysterious stranger and question him.
This new world is bloody, where you can still be beheaded for anything from being a murderer to being a teacher
There is a TON of description in the beginning parts of the book and it gets a little confusing. 8 never got really interested work any of the characters or what happened to them.
I had such high hopes for this but it didn't live you too this hopes for me.
Raymond Khoury does do a really good job at imagining a world where the Ottoman Empire exists today. We have a heavily tattooed man, Ayman, who can time travel and comes from 1683 to 2017 in Paris. He is found naked (because can clothes really time travel? Not here!) Kamal is an officer in the sultan's (yes we have a sultan leader) secret police that is sent to this mysterious stranger and question him.
This new world is bloody, where you can still be beheaded for anything from being a murderer to being a teacher
There is a TON of description in the beginning parts of the book and it gets a little confusing. 8 never got really interested work any of the characters or what happened to them.
When a strange, tattoo-covered man mysteriously appears in the sultan’s bedroom, he sets off a chain of events that will alter the course of history.
The rule of the Ottoman Empire—it’s laws, beliefs, customs—has extend across Europe, existing for over 300 years. On the outside everything appears peaceful and wonderful. When a strange, tattoo-covered man suddenly appears, the mystery surrounding him and the things he says leads many to question whether the peace they experience is worth the apparent cost.
Empire of Lies is a page-turning thriller that kept me guessing and was full of surprises. Khoury’s descriptions are powerful; from the settings to the action and fighting, I was able to picture and then immerse myself in the story. The characters are themselves exciting, Nisreen being my favorite.
If you are a fan of thrillers and alternate histories, go grab a copy of Empire of Lies! Thank you to Forge Books and BookishFirst for an ARC of Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury, given in exchange for an honest review.
The rule of the Ottoman Empire—it’s laws, beliefs, customs—has extend across Europe, existing for over 300 years. On the outside everything appears peaceful and wonderful. When a strange, tattoo-covered man suddenly appears, the mystery surrounding him and the things he says leads many to question whether the peace they experience is worth the apparent cost.
Empire of Lies is a page-turning thriller that kept me guessing and was full of surprises. Khoury’s descriptions are powerful; from the settings to the action and fighting, I was able to picture and then immerse myself in the story. The characters are themselves exciting, Nisreen being my favorite.
If you are a fan of thrillers and alternate histories, go grab a copy of Empire of Lies! Thank you to Forge Books and BookishFirst for an ARC of Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury, given in exchange for an honest review.
A powerful, engrossing and entertaining novel that kept me hooked till the last page.
I was always fascinated by alternate history and this book was an excellent one as it described what could've happened if the Ottomans conquered Wien and the rest of Europe.
I was fascinated by the mix of fantasy and current history.
The plot is well crafted, the characters are interesting and fleshed out.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I was always fascinated by alternate history and this book was an excellent one as it described what could've happened if the Ottomans conquered Wien and the rest of Europe.
I was fascinated by the mix of fantasy and current history.
The plot is well crafted, the characters are interesting and fleshed out.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Time travel is always a tricky thing to figure out. But what if you could travel back in time and change one important event that results in a rewrite of history? Empire of Lies explores this "what if" and sets the story in this rewritten world. In this alternate world, the Ottoman Empire has conquered all of Europe and the story takes place in a Muslim Paris in 2017.
The book was long. I was hooked at the beginning, but reading became a chore after a while. I enjoyed the story, but I didn't get too attached to most of the characters and I didn't really care what happened to them. I tend to get frustrated with characters that make such dumb choices that I just lose interest in them. There were definitely parts of the story that I found very enjoyable, so overall I will give it 3 stars.
Thanks to BOOKish First for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book was long. I was hooked at the beginning, but reading became a chore after a while. I enjoyed the story, but I didn't get too attached to most of the characters and I didn't really care what happened to them. I tend to get frustrated with characters that make such dumb choices that I just lose interest in them. There were definitely parts of the story that I found very enjoyable, so overall I will give it 3 stars.
Thanks to BOOKish First for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.