Every Rising Sun
Represented by Stephanie Cabot
In twelfth century Persia, clever and dreamy Scheherazade bears witness to the infidelity of the Malik’s wife. When Scheherazade tells the Malik of what she has seen, she sets the Seljuk Empire on fire. Enraged at his wife’s betrayal, the once gentle Malik beheads her, and begins to wed, bed, and behead a new girl night after night. Furious at the murders, his province seethes on rebellion’s edge. To suppress her guilt, quell revolt—and perhaps to marry the man she has loved since childhood—Scheherazade persuades her father, the Malik’s vizier, to offer her as the Malik’s next wife. On her wedding night, Scheherazade starts a tale, but as the sun ascends, she cuts the story off.
Scheherazade and her father persuade the Malik to leave Persia—and the memories of his unfaithful wife—to join Saladin’s fight against the Crusaders in Palestine. With plots spun against Scheherazade and the Seljuks from all corners, Scheherazade must maneuver through intrigue in the age’s greatest courts to safeguard her people. All the while, Scheherazade must keep the Malik enticed with her otherworldly tales—because the slightest misstep could cost Scheherazade her head.
Reviews
“Richly imagined and sumptuously told, Every Rising Sun is sure to delight readers of medieval fiction. Ahmed deftly interweaves history and myth to create a world that is as compelling as it is magical. Every chapter leaves you eager to sit at Scheherazade’s feet once more.” — G. Willow Wilson, author of The Bird King and co-creator of Ms. Marvel
“Jamila Ahmed’s Every Rising Sun is a beautifully imagined and fiercely feminist retelling of a cherished classic—and an audacious new invention all her own. You won’t want to miss Ahmed’s gorgeous writing, this rich and vibrant world, and of course, Scheherazade, a timeless heroine who speaks with an urgency it’s impossible to deny. I turned the last page grateful to be reminded of how during humanity’s darkest nights, stories are what keep us alive.” — V. V. Ganeshanathan
“A sumptuous, moreish novel infused with the joys of storytelling. A bold, heady journey into the riches and passions of Crusader history, presenting a fresh and fascinating Muslim perspective.” — Leila Aboulela