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Arabesk #3
Felaheen
In a world where secrets kill, an ex-cop discovers he's got the biggest secret of all. . . .
Set in a 21st-century Ottoman Empire, Jon Courtenay Grimwood's acclaimed Arabesk series is a noir action-thriller with an exotic twist. Here an ex-cop with nothing to lose finds himself on the trail of a man he doesn't believe in: his father.
Ashraf Bey has been a lot of things--and most of them illegal. Now, having resigned as El Iskandryia's Chief of Detectives, he's taking stock of his life and there's not much: a mistress he's never made love to, a niece everyone thinks is mentally incompetent, and a credit card bill rising towards infinity. With a revolt breaking out across North Africa, the world seems to be racing Raf straight to hell. The last thing he needs is a father he's never known. But when the old Emir's security chief requests that Raf come out of retirement to investigate an assassination attempt on His Excellency, that's exactly what Raf gets. Now, disguised as an itinerant laborer, Raf goes underground to discover a man--and a past--he never knew . . . and won't survive again.
Set in a 21st-century Ottoman Empire, Jon Courtenay Grimwood's acclaimed Arabesk series is a noir action-thriller with an exotic twist. Here an ex-cop with nothing to lose finds himself on the trail of a man he doesn't believe in: his father.
Ashraf Bey has been a lot of things--and most of them illegal. Now, having resigned as El Iskandryia's Chief of Detectives, he's taking stock of his life and there's not much: a mistress he's never made love to, a niece everyone thinks is mentally incompetent, and a credit card bill rising towards infinity. With a revolt breaking out across North Africa, the world seems to be racing Raf straight to hell. The last thing he needs is a father he's never known. But when the old Emir's security chief requests that Raf come out of retirement to investigate an assassination attempt on His Excellency, that's exactly what Raf gets. Now, disguised as an itinerant laborer, Raf goes underground to discover a man--and a past--he never knew . . . and won't survive again.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Jon Courtenay Grimwood
49Ìýbooks203Ìýfollowers'Tough, sexy and brutal, but leavened with sharp humour... Grimwood is a name to watch.' The Times
Jon Courtenay Grimwood was born in Malta and christened in the upturned bell of a ship. He grew up in the Far East, Britain and Scandinavia. Apart from novels he writes for magazines and newspapers. He travels extensively and undertakes a certain amount of consulting. Until recently he wrote a monthly review column for the Guardian.
Felaheen, the third of his novels featuring Asraf Bey, a half-Berber detective, won the BSFA Award for Best Novel. So did his last book, End of the World Blues, about a British sniper on the run from Iraq and running an Irish bar in Tokyo. He has just delivered the Fallen Blade, the first of three novels set in an alternate 15th-century Venice
His work is published in French, German, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Russian, Turkish, Japanese, Finnish and American, among others
He is married to the journalist and novelist Sam Baker, currently editor-in-chief of Red magazine. They divide their time between London and Winchester...
Jon Courtenay Grimwood was born in Malta and christened in the upturned bell of a ship. He grew up in the Far East, Britain and Scandinavia. Apart from novels he writes for magazines and newspapers. He travels extensively and undertakes a certain amount of consulting. Until recently he wrote a monthly review column for the Guardian.
Felaheen, the third of his novels featuring Asraf Bey, a half-Berber detective, won the BSFA Award for Best Novel. So did his last book, End of the World Blues, about a British sniper on the run from Iraq and running an Irish bar in Tokyo. He has just delivered the Fallen Blade, the first of three novels set in an alternate 15th-century Venice
His work is published in French, German, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Russian, Turkish, Japanese, Finnish and American, among others
He is married to the journalist and novelist Sam Baker, currently editor-in-chief of Red magazine. They divide their time between London and Winchester...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 19, 2018
And its one more time for our mysterious man with mysterious abilities and a mysterious past to go along with all that mystery! So far in the life of Ashray Bey we've seen him solve a murder and become Chief of Detectives, become Governor of the city of El Iskandryia without having solved a murder and then once the murders were solved give up pretty much every job to become a bum who lives with a woman who wants to be his girlfriend but won't because of reasons while he slowly runs out of money even though he's rich. Or she is. Or the nine year old child he's raising is. Boy, it sounds like someone's life could use a distraction or two.
Fortunately that vaguely mysterious past decides to come in handy when his reputed father the Emir of Tunis almost gets assassinated via technique straight out of a James Bond movie. He's been told all along its his real dad but since his mother was a trouble causing do gooder (or something of the sort) that knew how to have a good time, it was entirely his father was someone else. It hardly matters because the Emir wants his help anyway despite his track record being . . . not real solid (its high profile but you could probably make a case he's more lucky than smart). Which means Ashraf has to go undercover. Without telling anyone. So cue the little kid getting into the act!
My biggest complaint about this series so far has been how goshdarn opaque the plotting seems at times, tangled like a snake orgy and at times just as slow moving in its revelations. As with the last book the premise should be fairly clear cut, with the "someone wants to kill the Emir and needs to be stopped before they do" premise one that would presumably nicely dovetail with the politics of its alternate history. But it . . . doesn't quite go that way. The Emir has two other sons that would both like his job and then there's odd man out Ashraf and from there things start to get murky.
What helps is that the actual reading of the book is as entertaining as ever. Ashraf is both smart and dense, although in this book his niece Hani almost steals the show. She's been a highlight in the other two books, a fiendishly smart child with very little in the way of social skills (or at least worse than most little kids) but pretty good with computers and survival. With Ashraf undercover and sidelined for a good chunk of the book, she gets center stage and the book is the better for it. Grimwood writes a surprisingly effective child, by turns sentimental and standoffish the way that kids are, moody and friendly and not very good at fitting in with people she doesn't know. Her characterization balances out Ashraf's sometimes lack of presence and his confusion at her antics does go a long way toward mitigating how oblique the plot can be.
He also intersperses the actual plot with flashback scenes of Bey's mother's life before she had him, her travails and hijinks, which wind up being a long version of "How I Maybe Met the Man Who Might Be Your Father". It was nice to see but it didn't feel as relevant as the flashbacks to Zara's dad's war-crimey past did in the second book.
Evne with all the setup though when the actual plot starts to climax it all starts to congeeal into a slight mess when a lot of important action seems to take place off screen, leaving the reader feeling with the constant sense they've missed something important and having to play catch-up or just triggering rounds of confusion as it becomes unclear what everyone is doing and why. Soldiers are chasing people, Hani is with another kid trying to escape, Ashraf is popping up randomly also trying not to get killed . . . and then suddenly its over and there's a wedding. Yay? A lot of stuff seems to happen that we're not privy to (including the resolution of Zara and Ashraf's non-romance . . . she's barely a presence in this book) and if not for the decent action sequences and Hani's charm it would be a bit of a perplexing read. I know I read and maybe don't catch everything but I kept skimming back thinking I had let some important detail flash by me and . . . either I need a refresher course in basic reading or they're well hidden.
Its an interesting series, all told, one that was an entertaining read but never seemed to live up to its promises . . . an alternate history with a solid diversion point it never really made the case that it was a radically different world and despite flirting with a wider view, it never fully delved into the broader alliances and conflicts. It also seemingly wanted to be a Chandleresque mystery series at time and while Grimwood's prose could be up to the task he never had a really strong character in Ashraf Bey to communicate any kind of worldview beyond wanting to stay out of trouble. Even the "fox" in his head and his ill-defined combat abilities were kind of just . . . there. It winds up being a bunch of elements of stories that I like that somehow failed to fuse into an amalgamation that was more than the sum of its parts. I'd read about the continuing adventures of his niece, though, so make of that what you will.
Fortunately that vaguely mysterious past decides to come in handy when his reputed father the Emir of Tunis almost gets assassinated via technique straight out of a James Bond movie. He's been told all along its his real dad but since his mother was a trouble causing do gooder (or something of the sort) that knew how to have a good time, it was entirely his father was someone else. It hardly matters because the Emir wants his help anyway despite his track record being . . . not real solid (its high profile but you could probably make a case he's more lucky than smart). Which means Ashraf has to go undercover. Without telling anyone. So cue the little kid getting into the act!
My biggest complaint about this series so far has been how goshdarn opaque the plotting seems at times, tangled like a snake orgy and at times just as slow moving in its revelations. As with the last book the premise should be fairly clear cut, with the "someone wants to kill the Emir and needs to be stopped before they do" premise one that would presumably nicely dovetail with the politics of its alternate history. But it . . . doesn't quite go that way. The Emir has two other sons that would both like his job and then there's odd man out Ashraf and from there things start to get murky.
What helps is that the actual reading of the book is as entertaining as ever. Ashraf is both smart and dense, although in this book his niece Hani almost steals the show. She's been a highlight in the other two books, a fiendishly smart child with very little in the way of social skills (or at least worse than most little kids) but pretty good with computers and survival. With Ashraf undercover and sidelined for a good chunk of the book, she gets center stage and the book is the better for it. Grimwood writes a surprisingly effective child, by turns sentimental and standoffish the way that kids are, moody and friendly and not very good at fitting in with people she doesn't know. Her characterization balances out Ashraf's sometimes lack of presence and his confusion at her antics does go a long way toward mitigating how oblique the plot can be.
He also intersperses the actual plot with flashback scenes of Bey's mother's life before she had him, her travails and hijinks, which wind up being a long version of "How I Maybe Met the Man Who Might Be Your Father". It was nice to see but it didn't feel as relevant as the flashbacks to Zara's dad's war-crimey past did in the second book.
Evne with all the setup though when the actual plot starts to climax it all starts to congeeal into a slight mess when a lot of important action seems to take place off screen, leaving the reader feeling with the constant sense they've missed something important and having to play catch-up or just triggering rounds of confusion as it becomes unclear what everyone is doing and why. Soldiers are chasing people, Hani is with another kid trying to escape, Ashraf is popping up randomly also trying not to get killed . . . and then suddenly its over and there's a wedding. Yay? A lot of stuff seems to happen that we're not privy to (including the resolution of Zara and Ashraf's non-romance . . . she's barely a presence in this book) and if not for the decent action sequences and Hani's charm it would be a bit of a perplexing read. I know I read and maybe don't catch everything but I kept skimming back thinking I had let some important detail flash by me and . . . either I need a refresher course in basic reading or they're well hidden.
Its an interesting series, all told, one that was an entertaining read but never seemed to live up to its promises . . . an alternate history with a solid diversion point it never really made the case that it was a radically different world and despite flirting with a wider view, it never fully delved into the broader alliances and conflicts. It also seemingly wanted to be a Chandleresque mystery series at time and while Grimwood's prose could be up to the task he never had a really strong character in Ashraf Bey to communicate any kind of worldview beyond wanting to stay out of trouble. Even the "fox" in his head and his ill-defined combat abilities were kind of just . . . there. It winds up being a bunch of elements of stories that I like that somehow failed to fuse into an amalgamation that was more than the sum of its parts. I'd read about the continuing adventures of his niece, though, so make of that what you will.
Read
May 3, 2012Set in Islamic North Africa, in a world where Germany won the First World War and the Ottoman Empire remains powerful well into the 21st century, “F±ð±ô²¹³ó±ð±ð²Ôâ€� is the third installment of Grimwood’s “Arabeskâ€� trilogy.
The story begins right after the events of “Effendi�. Ashraf, Former Chief of Detectives, former Governor of El Iskandriya, possible son of the Emir of Tunis, caretaker to his 11 year old genius niece Hani, living (but not sleeping) with the beautiful and wealthy Zara, finds himself at loose ends. Currently unemployed and still on his journey of self-discovery, he is approached by the director of security for his father the Emir. Eugenie de la Croix tries to enlist his help to protect the Emir from an assassination attempt. Raf goes undercover to discover not only who is behind the planned assassination, but also to obtain proof once and for all as to who he in fact is: the son of Emir Moncef al-Mansur, or the nameless Swedish hiker that his mother maintained fathered him.
Leaving a note for his precocious niece, Hani, he leaves her and Zara behind and takes off in pursuit of the truth but Hani tracks him down, putting herself and her cousin, the Emir’s youngest son, in the middle of a civil war.
These books, while forming a trilogy, are designed to be stand alone novels as well. As with the other two books, the present day story is interspersed with one from the past. This time, the story of Raf’s mother, Sally. But while these novels do form complete stories of their own, they are best read together as each one builds from the character and story-line development of the previous one. I, for one, am glad that I did read them that way. It took me till well into the second novel to really want these characters to figure certain things out and in “F±ð±ô²¹³ó±ð±ð²Ô,â€� I was not disappointed. But Grimwood doesn’t spoon feed his readers and one has to actually be engaged in the story in order to understand what’s going on.
Fortunately, that’s not hard to do. Grimwood seems to be at ease in the world of his creation and brings us into the sights and sounds and setting till we feel that we are there, right alongside his characters. By showing us the points of view of different characters, the story gets fleshed out in a unique way. I would love to see more books about these characters that I have come to enjoy reading about, especially the relationship between Ashraf and his niece Hani. The relationships in this novel are so complex and layered and difficult. Much like real life.
Not at all light reading, but enjoyable and rewarding. I would recommend the series.
The story begins right after the events of “Effendi�. Ashraf, Former Chief of Detectives, former Governor of El Iskandriya, possible son of the Emir of Tunis, caretaker to his 11 year old genius niece Hani, living (but not sleeping) with the beautiful and wealthy Zara, finds himself at loose ends. Currently unemployed and still on his journey of self-discovery, he is approached by the director of security for his father the Emir. Eugenie de la Croix tries to enlist his help to protect the Emir from an assassination attempt. Raf goes undercover to discover not only who is behind the planned assassination, but also to obtain proof once and for all as to who he in fact is: the son of Emir Moncef al-Mansur, or the nameless Swedish hiker that his mother maintained fathered him.
Leaving a note for his precocious niece, Hani, he leaves her and Zara behind and takes off in pursuit of the truth but Hani tracks him down, putting herself and her cousin, the Emir’s youngest son, in the middle of a civil war.
These books, while forming a trilogy, are designed to be stand alone novels as well. As with the other two books, the present day story is interspersed with one from the past. This time, the story of Raf’s mother, Sally. But while these novels do form complete stories of their own, they are best read together as each one builds from the character and story-line development of the previous one. I, for one, am glad that I did read them that way. It took me till well into the second novel to really want these characters to figure certain things out and in “F±ð±ô²¹³ó±ð±ð²Ô,â€� I was not disappointed. But Grimwood doesn’t spoon feed his readers and one has to actually be engaged in the story in order to understand what’s going on.
Fortunately, that’s not hard to do. Grimwood seems to be at ease in the world of his creation and brings us into the sights and sounds and setting till we feel that we are there, right alongside his characters. By showing us the points of view of different characters, the story gets fleshed out in a unique way. I would love to see more books about these characters that I have come to enjoy reading about, especially the relationship between Ashraf and his niece Hani. The relationships in this novel are so complex and layered and difficult. Much like real life.
Not at all light reading, but enjoyable and rewarding. I would recommend the series.
March 6, 2014
'Dig' said the fox.
Ooops - here I am diving in willy-nilly because Connie Willis's time slip is not suiting (can't win 'em all) only to find that this is 3rd in a series about an alternative modern day Tunisia. Sheesh.
Like the Gurkas when they unsheath their Khukuris they must draw blood, once a book is swooped upon I must go with it for good or ill (or yawn).
NB I've been to Tunisia and loved it - hunted around for Carthage but I must of read the map wrong.
LATER - Dut-Doo!
Ooops - here I am diving in willy-nilly because Connie Willis's time slip is not suiting (can't win 'em all) only to find that this is 3rd in a series about an alternative modern day Tunisia. Sheesh.
Like the Gurkas when they unsheath their Khukuris they must draw blood, once a book is swooped upon I must go with it for good or ill (or yawn).
NB I've been to Tunisia and loved it - hunted around for Carthage but I must of read the map wrong.
LATER - Dut-Doo!
October 10, 2022
I read this book as part of a one volume edition of all three novels called Arabesk which I picked up in charity shop read without knowing anything about the author or the genre so although it took me awhile to understand what was going on I did enjoy the series the more I understood the problematic all the books in the trilogy became.
I have two major problems - first the weird wi-fi, si-fi (?) medical implants that give our hero special powers which were implanted when he was a child and the whole bizarre part of how his childhood was grossly extended by them etc. All this is only fully explained fully at the end of the trilogy, so for a large part of the story I didn't know what all the various dropped hints - for me just weird stuff about a fox in his head, etc. meant - clearly he seemed to have an ability to see things and do things out of the normal but it was all a bit vague. Maybe I found it more obscure because I don't read a great deal of modern, or any kind of, fantasy/wi-fi.
The second problem is a much bigger one - I caught on pretty quick that the story was set in an Egypt and an Alexandria of an alternate time, one were the Ottoman empire didn't end because England and France lost WWI. So this was alternate history (I don't think I knew the term steampunk when I read this) but if you are going to make an alternate history it is usually by playing around with a history that is known. The setting of this novel in an Egypt were there are still 'pashas' but bears no roots in real history, it is an alternate to what happened - probably because that would require explaining to readers of the book what the actual history you are diverting from was. As 99% of readers will know nothing about the real history of Egypt at the time of WWI the author hasn't created an alternate history but a fantasy history one that is, quite frankly 'Orientalist' in every sense of the word. How deeply offensive this is to anyone from Egypt or the middle east will probably be unknown to the readers of this trilogy but the author tries to avoid the accusation of cultural appropriation that his use of exotic locales and funny antique titles and having the hero being so clearly a westerner by inserting Berber background to explain why he is clearly a white man and not an Egyptian (I can't resist pointing out the Berbers were from areas of Tunisia and Morocco and had nothing to do with Egypt - just one of many egregious errors that have nothing to do with 'alternate' history only plain carelessness or ignorance).
I think the whole setting is just there for glossy colour, there is no understanding of Egypt its culture or heritage and certainly there is no alternate history because you have to understand the history you the real history you are creating an alternative too.
I give three stars because it is well written but that still means I think it is a mediocre and disappointing book.
I have two major problems - first the weird wi-fi, si-fi (?) medical implants that give our hero special powers which were implanted when he was a child and the whole bizarre part of how his childhood was grossly extended by them etc. All this is only fully explained fully at the end of the trilogy, so for a large part of the story I didn't know what all the various dropped hints - for me just weird stuff about a fox in his head, etc. meant - clearly he seemed to have an ability to see things and do things out of the normal but it was all a bit vague. Maybe I found it more obscure because I don't read a great deal of modern, or any kind of, fantasy/wi-fi.
The second problem is a much bigger one - I caught on pretty quick that the story was set in an Egypt and an Alexandria of an alternate time, one were the Ottoman empire didn't end because England and France lost WWI. So this was alternate history (I don't think I knew the term steampunk when I read this) but if you are going to make an alternate history it is usually by playing around with a history that is known. The setting of this novel in an Egypt were there are still 'pashas' but bears no roots in real history, it is an alternate to what happened - probably because that would require explaining to readers of the book what the actual history you are diverting from was. As 99% of readers will know nothing about the real history of Egypt at the time of WWI the author hasn't created an alternate history but a fantasy history one that is, quite frankly 'Orientalist' in every sense of the word. How deeply offensive this is to anyone from Egypt or the middle east will probably be unknown to the readers of this trilogy but the author tries to avoid the accusation of cultural appropriation that his use of exotic locales and funny antique titles and having the hero being so clearly a westerner by inserting Berber background to explain why he is clearly a white man and not an Egyptian (I can't resist pointing out the Berbers were from areas of Tunisia and Morocco and had nothing to do with Egypt - just one of many egregious errors that have nothing to do with 'alternate' history only plain carelessness or ignorance).
I think the whole setting is just there for glossy colour, there is no understanding of Egypt its culture or heritage and certainly there is no alternate history because you have to understand the history you the real history you are creating an alternative too.
I give three stars because it is well written but that still means I think it is a mediocre and disappointing book.
October 24, 2021
The third in Grimwood's Ashraf Bey trilogy, set in an early 21st century North Africa where the Ottoman and German Empires never fell (though Russia is nonetheless soviet) and which is otherwise not very different from our own time-line (to the extent of having the same computer operating systems). Apart from the alternate history aspect, other sf elements include the hero's electronic alter ego and the fact that Tunis is under international sanctions for unauthorised genetic manipulation experiments. I like this series as much for the sultry, sensual prose as for the intricate plot and striking characterisations. This one didn't disappoint. However now that Ashraf Bey has reached a certain point in his political career I hope his creator will move on to other things - as long as they are as enjoyable as this.
I'm sorry to say that I found it much more difficult to get into this time round, perhaps because I am more separated from the earlier books in the trilogy, perhaps I was just tired. I guess it's good that just a couple of years after 9/11, UK fans were ready to celebrate a book that engages positively with the Arab world by giving it the BSFA Award ahead of some other good candidates.
January 16, 2020
Il volume conclusivo della "Arabesk Trilogy" di Grimwood, dopo l'excursus della storia centrale che presentava una connotazione più storico-politica, torna a calcare i sentieri del noir.
Ashraf Bay, già ispettore capo di El Iskandryia (Alessandria d'Egitto) e governatore, deve nuovamente calarsi nei panni dell'investigatore per scoprire chi vuole morto il Pasha, suo padre.
Un'indagine che lo porta ad investigare sulla propria famiglia e sulle proprie origini.
L'ideale, per il lettore, sarebbe leggere nell'ordine le tre storie della trilogia, un affresco distopico superlativo nell'ambito dell'attuale letteratura di genere e di fantascienza in particolare.
Ashraf Bay, già ispettore capo di El Iskandryia (Alessandria d'Egitto) e governatore, deve nuovamente calarsi nei panni dell'investigatore per scoprire chi vuole morto il Pasha, suo padre.
Un'indagine che lo porta ad investigare sulla propria famiglia e sulle proprie origini.
L'ideale, per il lettore, sarebbe leggere nell'ordine le tre storie della trilogia, un affresco distopico superlativo nell'ambito dell'attuale letteratura di genere e di fantascienza in particolare.
April 4, 2021
The rating is provisional. I discovered this book on a list of BSFA award winners and didn't realize it was the third of a series. As such I spent the first third of this book trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Although I finally got the sense of things, I am certain there nuances I missed, especially at the very end. Very complex worldbuilding coupled with minimalist word usage. At times very reminiscent of William Gibson both in style and the exposition of advanced ideas. I very much intend to read the first two books in the series and then revisit this one. I anticipate a one, if not two, star upgrade to the rating.
August 6, 2022
4.5 stelle
Libro conclusivo, che dalla città di El Iskandrya, si sposta in quel di Tunisi.. sempre in bilico tra noir e ucronia con un po' di sci-fi, il libro trascina il lettore in giro per il Nord Africa, su più linee temporali e più punti di vista, per completare il terzo arabesco, portare a compimento trame e sottotrame, svelare segreti e dare un ottima conclusione 🥲🥲 alle avventure di Raf.. nella parte centrale alcuni avvenimenti sono descritti in modo un po' confusionario.. Per fortuna niente che infici il tutto e con un po' di attenzione alla fine di capisce come stanno le cose.. ottima trilogia, strana e inusuale, ma che si lascia divorare e sazia!!
Libro conclusivo, che dalla città di El Iskandrya, si sposta in quel di Tunisi.. sempre in bilico tra noir e ucronia con un po' di sci-fi, il libro trascina il lettore in giro per il Nord Africa, su più linee temporali e più punti di vista, per completare il terzo arabesco, portare a compimento trame e sottotrame, svelare segreti e dare un ottima conclusione 🥲🥲 alle avventure di Raf.. nella parte centrale alcuni avvenimenti sono descritti in modo un po' confusionario.. Per fortuna niente che infici il tutto e con un po' di attenzione alla fine di capisce come stanno le cose.. ottima trilogia, strana e inusuale, ma che si lascia divorare e sazia!!
September 1, 2024
Le premesse potevano essere buone, mi preparavo ad immergermi nella vera storia di Ashraf Bey� Peccato che poi la trama si perda e diventi eccessivamente intricata e a tratti incoerente. Ci sono molti buchi di trama e avvenimenti buttati lì ma mai veramente spiegati o giustificati.
[SPOILER]
Il finale inoltre è eccessivamente edulcorato e il fatto che lui riveli di essere immortale e che addirittura questa immortalità possa essere trasmessa a compagna e figli� mi è sembrato assurdo, come a voler forzare un perfetto lieto fine.
[fine spoiler]
Non lo boccio del tutto in quanto a tratti godibile, ma non all’altezza delle aspettative, credo il peggiore tra i tre libri.
[SPOILER]
Il finale inoltre è eccessivamente edulcorato e il fatto che lui riveli di essere immortale e che addirittura questa immortalità possa essere trasmessa a compagna e figli� mi è sembrato assurdo, come a voler forzare un perfetto lieto fine.
[fine spoiler]
Non lo boccio del tutto in quanto a tratti godibile, ma non all’altezza delle aspettative, credo il peggiore tra i tre libri.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2022
My ratings of books on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ are solely a crude ranking of their utility to me, and not an evaluation of literary merit, entertainment value, social importance, humor, insightfulness, scientific accuracy, creative vigor, suspensefulness of plot, depth of characters, vitality of theme, excitement of climax, satisfaction of ending, or any other combination of dimensions of value which we are expected to boil down through some fabulous alchemy into a single digit.
October 24, 2021
The third in Grimwood's Ashraf Bey trilogy, set in an early 21st century North Africa where the Ottoman and German Empires never fell (though Russia is nonetheless soviet) and which is otherwise not very different from our own time-line (to the extent of having the same computer operating systems). Apart from the alternate history aspect, other sf elements include the hero's electronic alter ego and the fact that Tunis is under international sanctions for unauthorised genetic manipulation experiments. I like this series as much for the sultry, sensual prose as for the intricate plot and striking characterisations. This one didn't disappoint. However now that Ashraf Bey has reached a certain point in his political career I hope his creator will move on to other things - as long as they are as enjoyable as this.
I'm sorry to say that I found it much more difficult to get into this time round, perhaps because I am more separated from the earlier books in the trilogy, perhaps I was just tired. I guess it's good that just a couple of years after 9/11, UK fans were ready to celebrate a book that engages positively with the Arab world by giving it the BSFA Award ahead of some other good candidates.
June 3, 2017
Da:
Terzo e conclusivo capitolo della trilogia Arabesk, di cui avevo già presentato Pashazade ed Effendi. Questa volta, come anche evidenziato dalla quarta di copertina del libro, si torna al filone principale della vicenda, cioè su chi (cosa) sia Ashraf Bey e cosa significhi il suo passato.
La trama è abbastanza lineare, anche se con alcune tortuosità , ma magari sono state difficoltà mie a fare le necessarie correlazioni, che lasciano alcuni aspetti non del tutto chiari. Lo stile narrativo ritorna ad essere quello concreto del primo romanzo, ma a me rimane qualche perplessità , come se Grimwood non avesse saputo davvero concludere la vicenda, forse più interessato all'ambientazione che aveva creato che a dare una struttura narrativa solita alla storia che voleva presentare. Lo scontro tra Raf e il suo fratellastro è sia scontato che banale, non riuscendo mai a raggiungere livelli di tensione efficaci, e quindi anche tutte le sottostorie di contorno ne risentono.
Mi rendo ben conto di essere probabilmente troppo negativo, perché questo è un romanzo che ho letto con un discreto piacere, ma non posso evitare di far notare un certo senso di disillusione che alla fine mi è rimasto...
O forse era stata troppo alta l'aspettativa data dal primo romanzo della trilogia.
In ogni caso vale sicuramente la pena di leggerlo, e ogni casa editrice seria dovrebbe sempre concludere le serie che incomincia, vero Mondadori e Rizzoli ? (per non parlare di altri più piccoli), per cui lode a Zona 42.
Terzo e conclusivo capitolo della trilogia Arabesk, di cui avevo già presentato Pashazade ed Effendi. Questa volta, come anche evidenziato dalla quarta di copertina del libro, si torna al filone principale della vicenda, cioè su chi (cosa) sia Ashraf Bey e cosa significhi il suo passato.
La trama è abbastanza lineare, anche se con alcune tortuosità , ma magari sono state difficoltà mie a fare le necessarie correlazioni, che lasciano alcuni aspetti non del tutto chiari. Lo stile narrativo ritorna ad essere quello concreto del primo romanzo, ma a me rimane qualche perplessità , come se Grimwood non avesse saputo davvero concludere la vicenda, forse più interessato all'ambientazione che aveva creato che a dare una struttura narrativa solita alla storia che voleva presentare. Lo scontro tra Raf e il suo fratellastro è sia scontato che banale, non riuscendo mai a raggiungere livelli di tensione efficaci, e quindi anche tutte le sottostorie di contorno ne risentono.
Mi rendo ben conto di essere probabilmente troppo negativo, perché questo è un romanzo che ho letto con un discreto piacere, ma non posso evitare di far notare un certo senso di disillusione che alla fine mi è rimasto...
O forse era stata troppo alta l'aspettativa data dal primo romanzo della trilogia.
In ogni caso vale sicuramente la pena di leggerlo, e ogni casa editrice seria dovrebbe sempre concludere le serie che incomincia, vero Mondadori e Rizzoli ? (per non parlare di altri più piccoli), per cui lode a Zona 42.
January 8, 2018
In a world where secrets kill, an ex-cop discovers he’s got the biggest secret of all.�
Set in a 21st-century Ottoman Empire, Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s acclaimed Arabesk series is a noir action-thriller with an exotic twist. Here an ex-cop with nothing to lose finds himself on the trail of a man he doesn’t believe in: *his father.
*Ashraf Bey has been a lot of things–and most of them illegal. Now, having resigned as El Iskandryia’s Chief of Detectives, he’s taking stock of his life and there’s not much: a mistress he’s never made love to, a niece everyone thinks is mentally incompetent, and a credit card bill rising towards infinity. With a revolt breaking out across North Africa, the world seems to be racing Raf straight to hell. The last thing he needs is a father he’s never known. But when the old Emir’s security chief requests that Raf come out of retirement to investigate an assassination attempt on His Excellency, that’s exactly what Raf gets. Now, disguised as an itinerant laborer, Raf goes underground to discover a man–and a past–he never knew…and won’t survive again.
“Fast, furious, fun and elegant, the Arabesk trilogy is one of the best things to hit the bookstores in a while.� �SF Revu
“F±ð±ô²¹³ó±ð±ð²Ô is SF at its most inventive.â€� â€�*Guardian
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May 10, 2016
The third and final book in Grimwood's Arabesk trilogy, continues the story of Ashraf Bey, a reluctant detective in a near future alternate North Africa. This is science fiction meets Raymond Chandler meets alternate history meets a touch of cyberpunk. A strange mix but one I find compelling. However, although still enjoyable, this has proved to be my least favourite of the three; easier to follow but it never quite attains the pace and tension of the others.
Grimwood’s writing is, as ever, sharp and gritty and his characters are well drawn though he allowed Zara, a strong character from the previous books, to slide into an unsympathetic and rather whiny minor character in this one which was a shame. However in compensation this time the young Hani is brought forward to prominence and the passages from her perspective were a real joy to read.
The cyber aspects of the cyberpunk is much reduced this time around but the punk aspects are still very much in evidence with Grimwood unfailingly capturing the atmosphere of the dirty underbelly of society without actually wallowing in it.
A good but not brilliant conclusion to the generally excellent Arabesk trilogy.
Grimwood’s writing is, as ever, sharp and gritty and his characters are well drawn though he allowed Zara, a strong character from the previous books, to slide into an unsympathetic and rather whiny minor character in this one which was a shame. However in compensation this time the young Hani is brought forward to prominence and the passages from her perspective were a real joy to read.
The cyber aspects of the cyberpunk is much reduced this time around but the punk aspects are still very much in evidence with Grimwood unfailingly capturing the atmosphere of the dirty underbelly of society without actually wallowing in it.
A good but not brilliant conclusion to the generally excellent Arabesk trilogy.
January 14, 2016
c2003: FWFTB: 2003: Yes, well. This may be a book that I need to read again in the future to really savour the elegance of the writing. This first read was fairly demented with trying to keep up with the main protagonists movements, the background concerning his mother and how these actions have influenced the future that I am reading about in the very next chapter. Phew. I am not sure that did actually keep up with all the whys and wherefores. I think I understood the ending....but I'm not sure. Perhaps that is what the author was aiming for but it always leaving me a little miffed. I agree with Entertainment Weekly's comments ie 'literary page-turner ' but can't agree with the Guardian's opinion of being 'SF at its most inventive". Any how, recommended to the normal crew that have already embarked on the Arabesk journey. "Their black uniform wasn't one Raf recognised but whatever force they represented it seemed to require them to wear steel-capped eighteen-rivet boots cut from shiny leather. Always a bad sign."
July 1, 2013
In this review, I’m going to write about the willing suspension of disbelief. Perhaps more precisely, I’m writing about the intersection of world-building and the willing suspension of disbelief. Enter Jon Courtenay Grimwood and the ARABESK trilogy: Pashazade, Effendi and Felaheen.
In Grimwood’s world, the Ottoman Empire never collapsed. Woodrow Wilson brokered peace between London and Berlin in 1915, World War II never happened, and the major world powers seem to be Germany, France, the USA and the Empire. This alternate timeline stretches a few decades beyond current time, but in terms of fashion and technology, there’s nothing the science fiction reader won’t recognize. It’s the social, political and economic things that are ... Read More:
In Grimwood’s world, the Ottoman Empire never collapsed. Woodrow Wilson brokered peace between London and Berlin in 1915, World War II never happened, and the major world powers seem to be Germany, France, the USA and the Empire. This alternate timeline stretches a few decades beyond current time, but in terms of fashion and technology, there’s nothing the science fiction reader won’t recognize. It’s the social, political and economic things that are ... Read More:
July 11, 2021
The third and last book in the Arabesk series, it is the weakest.
You need to have read the other two to understand the world and the characters. It is supposed to bring a close and it does that, but in a quite unsatisfactory way. You get finally the back story of the main character, as well as a look at the present of Tunis, solved mainly by the superhuman resources of the main characters. Which compensates the terminal stupidity they show.
Very unsatisfactory, but if you are this far in the series you will read it to know the truth of Ashraf Bey. Other mysteries are unresolved or ignored, however, which adds to the frustration.
You need to have read the other two to understand the world and the characters. It is supposed to bring a close and it does that, but in a quite unsatisfactory way. You get finally the back story of the main character, as well as a look at the present of Tunis, solved mainly by the superhuman resources of the main characters. Which compensates the terminal stupidity they show.
Very unsatisfactory, but if you are this far in the series you will read it to know the truth of Ashraf Bey. Other mysteries are unresolved or ignored, however, which adds to the frustration.
April 9, 2011
As I have come to expect from Grimwood, this was a thrilling read. He jumps from one thread to another quite easily. Or, rather, the author jumps, and the reader easily follows. His usual trick of hiding motivations of the various characters features heavily in this one - maybe a little too heavily for my tastes. In fact, the pieces of the puzzle are left out a little too long, then even at the end don't they still don't fit together quite right.
February 25, 2013
Third book in the series. It is set in an alter reality North Africa where the Ottoman and German Empires never fell. Strangely though Russia is nonetheless soviet. A good mystery noir with a bit of cyberpunk (think Neuromancer bio upgrades) thrown in. I shot through the whole series because I thought the premise was great. Sometimes a confusing read because of the multiple story-lines but worth it nonetheless.
March 4, 2017
Ottima conclusione del trittico Arabesque di quest'autore assai interessante.
Prosa eccellente e un intreccio molto interessante, di pari passo ocn l'ambientazione assai particolare.
Necessaria la lettura dei precedenti, ma non lascia mai delusi.
Le varie storie si amalgamano in modo coerente e la conclusione arriva al momento giusto.
Un autore assai interessante di cui proporre sicuramente altre opere.
Come sempre un grazie all'ottima traduttrice Chiara Reali.
Prosa eccellente e un intreccio molto interessante, di pari passo ocn l'ambientazione assai particolare.
Necessaria la lettura dei precedenti, ma non lascia mai delusi.
Le varie storie si amalgamano in modo coerente e la conclusione arriva al momento giusto.
Un autore assai interessante di cui proporre sicuramente altre opere.
Come sempre un grazie all'ottima traduttrice Chiara Reali.
October 8, 2011
Great premise--noir cyberpunk alt history!
Not so great execution. It just goes ... nowhere.
All style and no substance, alas. Though you do find out some of the whys and wherefores in this one. And Hani gets a lot more facetime. She's charming.
I hear there might be more Ashraf Bey books in the pipeline ... not sure if I will read them or not.
Not so great execution. It just goes ... nowhere.
All style and no substance, alas. Though you do find out some of the whys and wherefores in this one. And Hani gets a lot more facetime. She's charming.
I hear there might be more Ashraf Bey books in the pipeline ... not sure if I will read them or not.
May 7, 2008
This is the ending of the trilogy, though its less engaging or involving than the first two. The ending is rather disapointing and unclear. Still though, worth reading if you have read the previous two.
July 21, 2008
The Arabesk trilogy takes you for a suspense mystery joyride with a bit of cyberpunk thrown in for good measure. I wouldn't recommend this books as an intro to Jon Courtenay Grimwood's work, but his fans will definitely get a lot of entertainment out of this cliffhanger. ~mwb
January 31, 2011
the final book in the trilogy made a great ending to the series. you find out about the fox, the motivations of ashraf's mother, and more secrets of ashraf bey. the ending seemed a foregone conclusion, until the author threw in a delicious twist!
April 24, 2007
Third Arabesk
June 15, 2007
fluffy read.
August 31, 2008
Noir Arabian cyberpunk. Very enjoyable purely for that!
August 7, 2011
The weakest of the three, but still a fun alternate future whodunnit. Plus we get a bit more on the history of who and what ashraf is.
August 10, 2011
Great series Must read again
November 26, 2011
i must admit i struggled with this book - too many characters that were too flat and whose names i couldnt distinguish, a plot that didnt feel like anything happened... i just didnt get it.
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