Howard Andrew Jones, until now best known as the editor of Black Gate, a magazine dedicated to sword and sorcery tales, has written his debut novel, a rollicking adventure that takes place in 8th century Baghdad. During a trip to the marketplace to distract Jaffar from the death of his beloved parrot, an unusual encounter results in the death of a stranger and a jeweled tablet for the scholar Dabir to research. It turns out the tablet is a doorpull that, along with magic, will open the way to the ancient city of Ubar, a sort of Atlantis of the desert. The adventure really begins when the doorpull is stolen from Jaffar's house and Asim, the captain of his guard, and Dabir set out to retrieve it, a trip with danger at every step including undead creatures brought to life, magical fire, and sword battles.

Howard Andrew Jones has created a masterpiece of entertainment in this journey back in time. Jones's writing style makes one feel as if they're listening to someone with incredible narrative talent telling a story as Asim and Dabir go from hurdle to hurdle, barely making it out alive from some. In Jones's hands, the characters come to vivid life, including the evil wizard, and it's easy to feel as if you've been transported back to early Baghdad as well. The dialogue, and especially the interplay between Asim & Dabir, rings true and speaks to a closeness only seen in strong teams like Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Jones incorporates forbidden romance and other intrigues in this tale and as with all good storytellers, slowly builds up the suspense. Once you get to a certain point, you'll just have to finish this one as there's no setting it down. I've heard rumors that there is a sequel to come, and I hope they're true. For fans of sword and sorcery adventure, this is a don't miss.

Book Summary

A thrilling, inventive cross between One Thousand and One Nights and Sherlock Holmes In 8th century Baghdad, a stranger pleads with the vizier to safeguard the bejeweled tablet he carries, but he is murdered before he can explain.

Charged with solving the puzzle, the scholar Dabir soon realizes that the tablet may unlock secrets hidden within the lost city of Ubar, the Atlantis of the sands. When the tablet is stolen from his care, Dabir and Captain Asim are sent after it, and into a life and death chase through the ancient Middle East. Stopping the thieves—a cunning Greek spy and a fire wizard of the Magi—requires a desperate journey into the desert, but first Dabir and Asim must find the lost ruins of Ubar and contend with a mythic, sorcerous being that has traded wisdom for the souls of men since the dawn of time.

Debut author Howard Jones breathes new life into the glittering tradition of sword- and-sorcery, combining the masterful fantasy of Robert E. Howard with the high-speed action of Bernard Cornwell.

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