Khalifah by John Elray
Aardwolfe Books - 2002
ISBN: 0970777620 Trade Paperback
Historical Fiction / Islamic Empire
- Violence
Reviewed by Beverly
J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com
Buy a Copy
at Aardwolfe Books
This is the story of Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan (Mwe-wee-ya iben Abee Soofyon), a young man that was forced to convert to the Muslim religion and then defying all odds, through his own ingenuity and power, rose to the top to reign as Khalifah in the seventh century.
The action begins on the first page and never stops. Mu'awiya is the son of the fiercest enemy of the Prophet Muhammad, and following Muhammad's death, Mu'awiya's odyssey begins. Exciting hand-to-hand battles, deceit, treachery, betrayal, and lifelong friendships are woven into the tapestry of this story of the desert. Mu'awiya's empire stretched from Egypt to Persia and the story pits Arab against Arab during the Muslims' rise to power, with all the brutality of the times.
Elray includes a page of the main characters names and their places in the story, along with a key to pronunciation of these names, a family tree diagram, maps, and an explanation of the Muslim calendar. These items add greatly to the understanding of people, places and events.
Mu'awiya unexpectedly falls in love with a young Bedouin slave, frees her, and then is married to her against his father's will. Their marriage and mutual love cements relations between their people. A gripping rush of events follows the assassination of the Khalifah and leads to the exciting, satisfying ending.
The timing of the publication of this novel coincides with the upsurge in interest and curiosity about Islam, though it takes place in the distant past. It is a very well written story, with colorful characters, a well developed plot, and wildfire action that will keep you glued to the page way past bedtime.