Ancient Egyptian madness

Author's name: Talal Faisal

A history professor stumbles upon a bundle of old papers belonging to an unknown Egyptian historian, transporting him back to the Mamluk era at a particularly critical moment. Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh dies, and everyone is forced to accept his infant son as sultan. The infant's mother then marries an ugly man who becomes her son's guardian, before the allure of power seizes him and he usurps the sultanate from the infant sultan. Madness unfolds during the reign of al-Ashraf Barsbay, who distrusts his inner circle and falls prey to the obsession of turning dust into gold, becoming a plaything in the hands of a charlatan. The novel reeks of treachery and conspiracy, and you can almost hear the sounds of swords being drawn. It portrays what happens when "the sultan's mood turns against him," promising its reader astonishment, enjoyment, and a smile.