I enjoy reading the alternate history subgenre: I also write alternate history. "Empire of Lies" starts promisingly. One can see how the alternate world differs — and is similar — to our own. Rasheed, the tattooed man who travels through time, is enigmatic: I want to know more about him and why he wants to change history. Kamal seems appealing and I think he will make a good protagonist. The cover also intrigues me: how and why was the Eiffel Tower built in an Ottoman-ruled Paris? The Eiffel Tower was built for a world's fair that celebrated the centennial of the French Revolution. If there was no French Revolution, then why is there a 300-meter wrought-iron tower in central Paris?
The supporting characters also seem to be rounded. I feel for the ambitious and insecure Sultan Mehmed IV, whom Rasheed goes back in time to visit. In the alternate world, I like Taymoor, Kamal's partner in the sultan's secret police, and want to know more about Kamal's sister-in-law Nisreen. Why is Kamal so interested in her? Alternate histories rarely have prominent female characters ("The Handmaid's Tale" being one of the relatively few exceptions, although I am unsure that it fully qualifies as an alternate history), so I hope that Nisreen will be a good major character.
This excerpt is a tasty sample of the novel. It makes me want to read more. Thank you very much for sharing it with me :-)
The supporting characters also seem to be rounded. I feel for the ambitious and insecure Sultan Mehmed IV, whom Rasheed goes back in time to visit. In the alternate world, I like Taymoor, Kamal's partner in the sultan's secret police, and want to know more about Kamal's sister-in-law Nisreen. Why is Kamal so interested in her? Alternate histories rarely have prominent female characters ("The Handmaid's Tale" being one of the relatively few exceptions, although I am unsure that it fully qualifies as an alternate history), so I hope that Nisreen will be a good major character.
This excerpt is a tasty sample of the novel. It makes me want to read more. Thank you very much for sharing it with me :-)