| Vendor | |
|---|---|
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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher |
| Original language | |
| English | |
| Categories | |
THE BLOODPRINT
In this tightly plotted, brave, timely, and politically astute work of epic fantasy, Ausma Zehanat Khan has created a world inspired by the Middle East of today.
The Bloodprint: Book One of the Khorasan Archives is the first in a projected four book epic fantasy series by Ausma Zehanat Khan, Ph.D. The Bloodprint explores themes of literacy and education, social justice, race, religion, and feminism, with the backdrop of a politically nuanced and rich world inspired by the current political climate of the Middle East. It also happens to feature a page turning edge-of-your-seat quest to reclaim a sacred text and, subsequently, the narrative of a people. The series is helmed by a badass heroine whose magic is both awe-inspiring and frightening in that it is dangerous and slightly out of her control.
The One-Eyed Preacher has taken over the kingdom of Khorasan, propagating intolerance, religious extremism, and bigotry. A land that was once rich with culture and tradition is now stunted under the rule of the Talisman. Talisman law states that women cannot leave the house uncovered or unaccompanied by a man. If they do, they will be enslaved. The law states that reading is illegal. As a result, all of the libraries have been burned to the ground and generations of knowledge and history have been tragically lost. Ignorance and hate run rampant and the voices against the Talisman are few and far between.
Despite it all, some traditions from the past remain. The Council of Hira, a collective of educated women working for the powers of good, has managed to stand strong against the Talisman, shining like a beacon of hope. And Arian, The First Oralist, a woman whose voice contains powerful magic, and one of the few literate people still living, has spent the past decade working with her travelling companion, Sinnia, to free women from the slave-chains. Each time she comes across the women bound for a life of imprisonment, Arian sees her sister, Lania, long ago kidnapped by the slavers, in each of their faces. She is determined to spare as many women as possible her sister's sad fate, for which she blames herself.
The Talisman's power comes from an extreme interpretation of The Bloodprint, a holy text that has been missing for generations. None alive have read it, which means that there are none to challenge The One-Eyed Preacher and his doctrine. When Arian learns the location of The Bloodprint, she sets out on a harrowing quest to reclaim it. Arian is joined in her travels by her trusted companion, Sinnia; an endearing young nameless Hazara boy whose life Arian saves and who saves her life in turn (she dubs him Wafa, the loyal); and, Daniyar, the man whose heart she broke many years ago and whose love she still yearns for. Together, this unlikely group journeys across the continent to save Khorasan from the spreading evil of the One-Eyed Preacher.
In this tightly plotted, brave, timely, and politically astute work of epic fantasy, Ausma Zehanat Khan has created a world inspired by the Middle East of today. The Bloodprint gallops along at a page-turning pace and ends with a breathtaking twist. Ausma has written a fantasy that, I believe, will find an important place in the fantasy canon.
Her debut novel, The Unquiet Dead, was published in January by Minotaur. It was an Indie Next pick, received a starred PW review and positive reviews from all of the trades, as well as the LA Times, the New York Times, and The Washington Post. It exceeded sales expectations and was reprinted within the first week of publication. The Unquiet Dead's sequel, The Language of Secrets, is one of Macmillan's lead titles for Spring 2016. Khan has a PhD in International Human Rights Law, and served as Editor in Chief of Muslim Girl magazine, which was award-winning and actively changed the conversation around what it is to be a Muslim woman in North America. She is an activist at heart and brings that sensibility to her writing, making The Bloodprint a powerful read beyond just the gripping plot and lovable characters.
The One-Eyed Preacher has taken over the kingdom of Khorasan, propagating intolerance, religious extremism, and bigotry. A land that was once rich with culture and tradition is now stunted under the rule of the Talisman. Talisman law states that women cannot leave the house uncovered or unaccompanied by a man. If they do, they will be enslaved. The law states that reading is illegal. As a result, all of the libraries have been burned to the ground and generations of knowledge and history have been tragically lost. Ignorance and hate run rampant and the voices against the Talisman are few and far between.
Despite it all, some traditions from the past remain. The Council of Hira, a collective of educated women working for the powers of good, has managed to stand strong against the Talisman, shining like a beacon of hope. And Arian, The First Oralist, a woman whose voice contains powerful magic, and one of the few literate people still living, has spent the past decade working with her travelling companion, Sinnia, to free women from the slave-chains. Each time she comes across the women bound for a life of imprisonment, Arian sees her sister, Lania, long ago kidnapped by the slavers, in each of their faces. She is determined to spare as many women as possible her sister's sad fate, for which she blames herself.
The Talisman's power comes from an extreme interpretation of The Bloodprint, a holy text that has been missing for generations. None alive have read it, which means that there are none to challenge The One-Eyed Preacher and his doctrine. When Arian learns the location of The Bloodprint, she sets out on a harrowing quest to reclaim it. Arian is joined in her travels by her trusted companion, Sinnia; an endearing young nameless Hazara boy whose life Arian saves and who saves her life in turn (she dubs him Wafa, the loyal); and, Daniyar, the man whose heart she broke many years ago and whose love she still yearns for. Together, this unlikely group journeys across the continent to save Khorasan from the spreading evil of the One-Eyed Preacher.
In this tightly plotted, brave, timely, and politically astute work of epic fantasy, Ausma Zehanat Khan has created a world inspired by the Middle East of today. The Bloodprint gallops along at a page-turning pace and ends with a breathtaking twist. Ausma has written a fantasy that, I believe, will find an important place in the fantasy canon.
Her debut novel, The Unquiet Dead, was published in January by Minotaur. It was an Indie Next pick, received a starred PW review and positive reviews from all of the trades, as well as the LA Times, the New York Times, and The Washington Post. It exceeded sales expectations and was reprinted within the first week of publication. The Unquiet Dead's sequel, The Language of Secrets, is one of Macmillan's lead titles for Spring 2016. Khan has a PhD in International Human Rights Law, and served as Editor in Chief of Muslim Girl magazine, which was award-winning and actively changed the conversation around what it is to be a Muslim woman in North America. She is an activist at heart and brings that sensibility to her writing, making The Bloodprint a powerful read beyond just the gripping plot and lovable characters.