Every Rising Sun

Ahmed debuts with a vibrant spin on the Arabian classic One Thousand and One Nights, foregrounding the political stratagems of Shaherazade, wife of the fumbling and murderous leader Seljuk Malik Shahryar. Shahryar, who killed his wife Fataneh after discovering her infidelity, beheads a new bride each day out of continued rage. Shaherazade hopes that by marrying Shahryar, she can put a stop to the “mad Malik, with a pile of dead girls at his feet.” As in the original, Shaherazade avoids the fate of the Malik’s previous brides by weaving an extraordinary series of serpentine tales, always careful to end on a cliffhanger. Djinns and magicians, psychic parrots, and other worlds unfold in her narration. In between the stories, a new romance buds—and it’s as much a threat to Shaherazade’s life as the possibility that Shahryar will grow bored with her stories. Ahmed is a shrewd observer of how Shaherazade navigates the strict gender roles and political uncertainty of her time. When the Seljuks go to war, supporting Sultan Saladin during the Crusades, Western readers familiar with the story of Richard the Lionheart will gain a new perspective on the battles over Jerusalem. Ahmed brings new life to Shaherazade’s thrilling tales. (July)