Throne of the Crescent Moon is the debut novel by American writer Saladin Ahmed, and the first book in The Crescent Moon Kingdoms series. I’ve had this one on my TBR pile for a while now, and it’s been staring at me, all that time, from my bookshelves, telling me to read it.
Plot:
Doctor Adoulla Makhslood is a ghul hunter, but he’s getting up there in age and his body isn’t what it used to be. He’s looking forward to retire in his beloved city of Dhamsawaat and spend the rest of his days drinking delicious teas and enjoying the company of friends. But he knows a peaceful life isn’t for those in his profession: he’ll be fighting ghuls until he’s dead. Adoulla and his devout assistant Raseed go ghul hunting after they find out a village of marsh dwellers has been slaughtered, but they aren’t prepared for what they end up getting entangled in. Something worse than regular ghuls is threatening Dhamsawaat. He recruits his old friends, Litaz the alkhemist and husband Dawoud whose magic is fuelled by his own life force. They are also joined by Badawi tribeswoman Zamia, whose band has been murdered by the same seemingly unstoppable force. Together they must navigate the magical, and the political, for there’s civil war brewing in Dhamsawaat.
