Synopses & Reviews
The Assassin paid no heed to his quarrys death throes. His attention remained fixed on the long blade in his fist, on its pommel of yellowed ivory carved in the shape of a djinnis snarling visage. “I am al-Hashishiyya,” he said to the glittering-eyed devil. “I am Death incarnate.”
So am I, the devil replied . . .
On the banks of the ageless Nile, from a palace of gold and lapis lazuli, the young Caliph Rashid al-Hasan rules as a figurehead over a crumbling empire. Cairo is awash in deception. In the shadow of the Gray Mosque, generals and emirs jockey for position under the scheming eyes of the powerful grand vizier. In the crowded souks and narrow alleys, warring factions employ murder and terror to silence their opponents. Egypt bleeds. And the scent draws her enemies in like sharks: the swaggering Kurd, Shirkuh, who serves the pious Sultan of Damascus and Amalric, the Christian king of Jerusalem whose greed is insatiable and whose knights are hungry for battle.
And yet, all is not lost. There is an old man who lives on a remote mountainside in a distant land. He holds the power of life and death over the warring factions of the Muslim world - and decides to come to the Caliphs aid. He sends his greatest weapon into Egypt. He sends a single man. An Assassin. The one they call the Emir of the Knife....
In this lighting-paced epic, bestselling author Scott Oden masterfully blends history and adventure in the style of Robert E. Howard. Bringing medieval Cario, the true jewel of the Arabian Nights, to exhilarating life, full of intrigue and thunderous battle, Oden resurrects one of the Ancient Worlds most beautiful and beguiling countries.
Review
Advance Praise for The Lion of Cairo
"The mark of exceptional historical fiction is its creation of an alien world so convincing (and peopled by such fascinating characters) that the reader never wants to go back to the real world. Scott Oden delivers exactly that in The Lion of Cairo, a tale of Assad the assassin that reads like a cross between the Arabian Nights and a Hollywood blockbuster. Memnon and Men of Bronze put Mr. Oden squarely on the hist/fiction map. The Lion of Cairo assures his place in the very front rank." —Steven Pressfield, New York Times bestselling author of Gates of Fire
“The Lion of Cairo is filled to the brim with assassins and concubines, caliphs and street thugs, the devout and the heretical. Its partly a swashbuckling historical, partly a tale of palace intrigue, partly a fast and furious espionage yarn. A terrific trip into Cairos exotic past. Just pray that the Emir of the Knife is on your side…” --David Anthony Durham, award-winning author of Pride of Carthage
"A fabulous medieval adventure with plenty of swords and a hint of sorcery in the form of a demon-haunted sword that reminds me a bit of the one owned by Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné. Assassins and crusaders, caliphs, viziers and courtesans mix it up in a vividly recreated desert world." --HistoricalFictionOnline.com
Praise for Scott Oden:
“Oden's masterful story of bloody battles, political intrigues, betrayal and romance offers a gripping portrait of the collapse of an empire.” -Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Men of Bronze
“Fast, tense and exciting, Men of Bronze brings to life a fascinating moment in world history, the descriptions are terrific and the final, climactic battlefield scene is just brilliant.” -- Conn Iggulden, author of the bestselling Emperor series
“Historians have paid scant attention to Memnon of Rhodes, but Oden… brings the man and his times to life with a combination of vivid conjecture, deft plotting and graceful prose.” -Publishers Weekly on Memnon
Synopsis
The bestselling author of "Men of Bronze" returns with Book One of the Emir of the Knife trilogy--a vivid and gripping tale of intrigue and thunderous battle set against the true jewel of the Arabian Nights, medieval Cairo.
About the Author
SCOTT ODEN's fascination with far-off places began with the vistas of Robert E. Howard and Harold Lamb. He writes full-time from his home near Somerville, AL. Visit him on his web site, www.menofbronze.com.
Reading Group Guide
Discussion Questions1. In the prologue, readers discover the protagonist, Assad, is an Assassin from Alamut—essentially a fanatical member of a sect of killers. How might this fact shade readers opinion of him? Do you think it makes it harder to sympathize with him?
2. Throughout the book readers see glimpses of Assads past, from the abuse he endured as a child to his survival of the ferocious Crusader siege of Ascalon. How do you think these episodes motivated him to join the Assassins? Do you think he was disillusioned, and thus an easy mark for conversion, or do you think the failings of orthodox society drove him to seek a different path? Both? Neither?
3. Give your impression of the relationship between Assad and Daoud ar-Rasul. Is the dynamic between them more like that of father and son, or is it better described as the relationship between mentor and pupil? What are the differences between the two? Assad seems concerned for Daouds health but do you think Daoud truly cares for Assads well-being, or does he consider him merely a tool in the arsenal of Alamut?
4. Sorcery appears to be a real and tangible force in the book, as witnessed by Assads enchanted knife. Do you believe the enchantment is real? Could it be something psychological in nature, a hallucination or a mere figment of imagination? How would you explain the physical response to touching the blade? What did you think of the authors handling of sorcery as a whole? Did it seem consistent with the legends and myths of Egypt and the Middle East? Was the presence of sorcery a distraction, or did it lend itself well to the Arabian Nights feel of the book?
5. What did you make of the authors use of detail when describing the city of Cairo? Was it over-the-top and self-indulgent, or did it help you to visualize what medieval Cairo might have been like? Do you think Oden meant for the city to be a character in its own right? Or was he merely following genre conventions? Did it surprise you to discover touches of ancient Egypt in the medieval Islamic architecture? Do you think there is a link between the two cultures?
6. What impression did you have of the three main female characters: Parysatis, Zaynab, and Yasmina? Do you think their lives are representative of how women fared in medieval Cairo? If you were in their place, would you prefer the safe-but-cloistered life of the harem or the more dangerous freedom of the courtesans lifestyle? How might their lives be different if the book were set in modern Cairo, instead?
7. Though ostensibly historical fiction, Oden plays fast and loose with the truth surrounding 12th century Cairo, the Assassins, and the Crusader States—at times radically departing from known history for the sake of story. Do you think such “historical creativity” is one of the books strengths? Is it a weakness? How might it impede readers enjoyment of the book? Or should we judge such a work on the merits of story, alone?
8. Through the course of the story, the author introduces quite a number of characters—heroes and villains, men and women, soldiers and slaves. Do you feel any special affinity for one or more of Cairos denizens? Do you sympathize with the plight of the women? With the politics of the King of Thieves? Or even with the motives of the villains? Discuss your favorite characters and what makes them stand out from the others.
9. What did you make of the explicit violence in The Lion of Cairo? Do you think Oden opted for such a gory style as homage to his inspirational material, the pulps of the 1930s? Or do you think he meant to illustrate the viciousness and brutality of warfare in the 12th century? Or were his motives different altogether?
10. Scott Oden peppered The Lion of Cairo with allusions and references to his favorite author, Robert E. Howard. Can you find them? How do you feel about authors engaging in such behavior over the course of a book? Is it mere gimmickry, or do you think its the equivalent of the author giving a wink and a nod to those who inspired him? If you were an author, is there another whose work youd like to pay your respects to? How would you go about it?