Khoury has written another masterpiece. I enjoy time travel books and this book checks that box.. The book has all the trademarks of a classic Khoury novel. The plot is fast paced and tightly woven. I liked the character development and the interplay of the characters in the story. I could not put the book down until I finished it. As with all great science fiction, this book makes you think about an alternative reality.

My thanks to Net Galley, Forge publishers and the author, Raymond Khoury for sending me a free copy of “ Empire of Lies” to read and review.
“ The Empire of Lies” has been blurbed as a novel in the alternative history, time travel and sci- fit genres. Please do not that put you off from reading it. The well- written and deftly plotted novel is an exciting and entertaining blend of history, adventure and danger, with a bit of an unrequited love story added for leavening. “Empire of Lies” might be classed in the “ alternative history “ genre, but in my opinion it is far to well written and believable for that niche.Those novels, which begin with a twisting of history such as , “ If the South had won at Gettysburg,” or “ If Japan had invaded Hawaii after Pearl Harbor,” are one trick novels, shallow and lacking “ Empire of Lies”’s developed, interesting characters, it’s use of familiar, but changed locales and it’s serious content about the corruption of power versus the tumult of freedom and democracy make it a compelling story. The title, “Empire of Lies” is apt, for it is built on lies, corruption and repression.

A very brief plot synopsis follows.


The book begins in 1683, with the powerful army Ottoman Empire ( the empire of the title) attacking and besieging the fortress city of Vienna. If the city falls, the Ottoman army will be able to sweep through Europe and convert all of Christendom to Islam by force of arms. But a relief army is speeding to Vienna’s rescue.
All true. But here is the author uses the wrinkle in timeline of history when the villain of the book, Ayman Rasheed Pasha appears in the story. A jihadist of the Syrian civil war of 2016, he had taken refuge from aerial bombing in a cavern under the ancient city of Palmyra, where he discovers a secret that he could uses manipulate to change history. Using an incantation he finds carved into a wall allows him to go back and forth in time, he travels to1683 to give a great victory to Islamic caliphate of the Ottoman Empire. He worms his way into becoming an advisor to the general of the Ottoman armies Rasheed sets up a trap for the Christian relief forces. He has called for one last parley between the lines to offer an honorable surrender to the beleaguered city. But when the Christian princes leading the relief forces appear, Rasheed sets off multiple bombs hidden in what are supposed to be gifts to the city. The automatic detonation of dynamite, an explosive yet to be invented by Alfred Nobel 200 years later, destroys the Christian army. Rasheed has used knowledge of 2016 to build IEDs to change history. Mr. Khoury makes this totally a believable and very compelling start to a grand story.
Fast forward to Paris, 2017, to a Paris that has been Ottoman and Islamic for more that 200 years. Notre Dame, and all other churches are mosques. Instead of croque monsieur and wine; lamb kebabs and tea are staples at restaurants. Women are veiled, covered and sequestered.
Paris , on the surface, is quiet, devout and orderly and kept that way by the Islamic state police who are quick to investigate any whiff of heresy. One of these policeman is Kamal a decorated and devoted police officer. But he has a secret:he loves his brother’s wife, Nisreen. She is devoted to her family, but her desire for greater freedom from the strictures of The Empire will soon bring her under suspicion.
The sinister Ayman Pasha appears in Paris . His arrival changes the lives of Kamal forever. His brother, Razham, a physician and his brother’s wife, Nisreem. She is not quite committed to loyalty, and yearns for greater freedom for women. Kamal and Nisreem are at the heart of the novel and Mr. Khoury brings them vividly to life. They are swept them across Europe and across time. The Empire besieges them as it did Vienna , hunting them down a dangerous rebels and heretics. They must cling together , fighting for their lives against forces of a worldwide autocracy.
You will be swept along in their story to a climatic battle that was fought once three hundred years before and is to be once again. To paraphrase Faulkner, History is not dead, it isn’t even history- yet. “Empire of Lies” is an amazing book, well worthy of your reading time.
It is only my opinion, of course, but I think its deserves. every one of the four stars I gave it.
Recommended to all to love an engrossing story.

The alternative history premise of if the Ottoman Empire had not been defeated and now ruled most of the modern world was intriguing. When the narrative was on the actions of the characters I was interested, but there were too many long divergences into world building that threw me out of the story. I would much rather be shown than told how things got to where they are in an alternative history or epic fantasy in a way that's organic to the story.

Raymond Khoury creates a great alternative history thriller with Empire of Lies Basically a Persian Man in the High Castle-style thriller.