A DEMON’S TOUCH
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Writing a third novel in a trilogy is always problematic for the author. Will the new novel hit the heights of the previous two, will it dip and fizzle out in the opinion of the readers? Endings are after all more memorable than beginnings.
No matter, how well they start, if the storytelling deteriorates as the reader immerses themselves in the world, it’s likely they will be left with a negative impression upon finishing the story. In fact, they may even hark back with some level of nostalgia to the opening of the novel, and wish the author maintained the same level of quality.
Fortunately, the writing process for a third novel in a trilogy is simpler at the level of the setting. We know where the story is taking place, the time period, the politics of the world, the social norms of it, who has power, who seeks it, and so on. In other words, the landscape upon which our tale is told, is known to the reader. The writer will introduce new locations but overall there is a degree of familiarity. It’s also simpler at the level of the characters, since we know who they are, what they desire, their characteristics and quirks, and most importantly their true character, who they really are on the inside, since we would have seen them placed under pressure. True character is only revealed when we place our characters under pressure. It’s the same in life as well, if everything is smooth sailing, you don’t really find out about a person. But when the chips are down, and its hard times, peoples true character surfaces.
However, what is more complex in a third novel is maintaining the integrity of the plot. In the first two novels, the writer would have created a number of plot lines, sub-plots, plots-within-plots. Yet in the third book, these need to be drawn together and resolved for the reader. This requires the writer to forensically go back across the previous two books, identify all of the loose ends, and conclude them in a manner that the reader is not left wondering what happened to such and such character, or the threat which didn’t materialize.
I am hoping in A Demon’s Touch I have suitably concluded the various plot strands and tied them together to the satisfaction of the reader. Across the three novels, A Tudor Turk, A King’s Armour, A Demon’s Touch, some of the themes which I have embedded within the plot, are to do with how we read history, how diverse individuals come together to solve common problems, and identifying narratives which unite cultures.
When it comes to how we read history, many in the West are surprised to learn that Tudor England was not even on the map of the great Mediterranean powers, such as the Ottomans. Equally West Africa, under the Songhai, where one of our protagonists, Awa, comes from, was a literate, cultural milieu of thinkers, artisans and traders. It produced scholars and scientists, who were far ahead of anything in the West at the time.
With regards using diversity as a strength to solve human problems, the fictional Rüzgar unit, within the Janissaries, provide an example of how individuals from diverse regions (England, Bosnia, Greece, Turkey, Mali) and faiths (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) can work together for the common good.
Finally, when it comes to common narratives across cultures, this relates to how the interconnectedness of ideas flows across communities, tribes and nations, and demonstrates that all ideas have origins, and often they come from people not from the part of the world in which we might reside. As a result, there is a certain gratitude we should show to the other and acknowledge this debt.
If you would like to explore further themes and ideas from the A Tudor Turk trilogy in a book club or school reading group, then you can download a guide from the following link: https://www.rehankhan.com/resources
In the meantime, I hope you have the opportunity to engage with Will, Awa and the multicultural cast of characters from the sixteenth century, as they undertake their swashbuckling adventures from England to Azerbaijan and many other memorable places in between.
FROM THE BACK COVER
Istanbul, 1593- returning from their previous mission with the death of their Commander weighing heavily upon them, there is no respite for the Ruzgär unit, as they are declared traitors to the Ottoman Empire and banished from the legendary Janissary order. Even the recovery of the fabled Armour of David, so prized by the Sultan is not enough to prevent this.
Now, desperate and on the run, Will must turn to the sinister Earl of Rothminster as an unlikely protector. Meanwhile Awa and the remaining Ruzgär, outcasts as far as the authorities are concerned, are nevertheless called upon by their small band of supporters to protect the very people who have declared them enemies of the empire, as a mysterious force threatens to engulf the capital. All roads lead to Istanbul and all who traverse it, will be plagued by a demon's touch.
BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Hope Road (24 Feb. 2022)
ISBN-13: 978-1913109813
REVIEWS
“‘An area of history which is endlessly fascinating, readers who love Assassin's Creed will enjoy this’ BookTrust
‘Totally unique and amazingly intriguing’ ReadItDaddy