A Refreshing ChangeReading this collection of genre shorts by acclaimed author Saladin Ahmed was like slaking a thirst you didn't know you had.It goes without saying the majority of speculative fiction (especially epic fantasy) is told from the perspective of White European traditions.However, these collected stories are brilliantly told through a Middle Eastern cultural lens. They are original, provocative, exotic, and mesmerizing. Engraved On The Eye is a shining testament to the need for the

Cracking collection of shorts, some fantasy, some SF, some both, mostly with a strong Middle Eastern element. I particularly loved the one about an immigrant actor playing the Evil Arab in yet another racist US movie: the ending is spectacular. Vivid imagination, well written, with a lovely sort of storyteller's lilt to the writing. The highly engaging intro story is linked to the author's full length fantasy Throne of the Crescent Moon so I'm off to that.

This collection of stories is very diverse and fascinating. It ranges between genres, settings, eras and cultures. Most stories have references to Islamic mysticism and folklore. Quite a few, dealing with supernatural creatures such as ghuls [sic] and jinn, have a dark aura to them. There are heroic or anti-heroic exploits, highly moral as well as highly amoral characters, martial arts, super-villains, and more. Ahmed is a master of character, plot and narrative voice. The prose is polished and

A collection of eight original short stories by Saladin Ahmed, most of which have references to Islamic mysticism and folklore. Several deal with supernatural creatures such as ghouls and djinn, and have a dark aura. The three best (Where Virtue Lives, Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela, and Judgment of Swords and Souls) are deeply embedded in Middle Eastern culture and mystique: provocative, evocative, exotic, and mesmerizing. You can even smell the spices...

This was my first book by Saladin Ahmed and was impressive enough for me to decide that I want to read more by him. A delectable collection of short stories that range far and wide in their settings and are almost all of them focussed on the feeling of wonder. As I mostly do with short story collections, here is what I thought of them.Where Virtue Lives : Among all of the stories, this was the meatiest one. Set in a Muslim world, the author had beautiful prose to bring this place to life. Among

This is an excellent and somewhat unique collection of science fiction/fantasy tales by Saladin Ahmed. I would recommend this to sci-fi fans who are looking for something a little different.

Highly recommended if you are looking to expand your FSF reading to include non-white-European authors. It's a lovely (and alas, still unusual) experience to read FSF written with very different cultural underpinnings, attitudes, "local color" as it were. These stories, drawing on Middle Eastern folklore, culture, experiences, and locales are steeped in a totally different milieu.The stories are uniformly good, ranging from small villages to big cities, from 'once upon a time' to near-future dys...

Wondrous Stories There is something magical about Saladin Ahmed's writing. He has the unique ability of mixing reality and fantasy in a manner that does justice to both. His powers are fully displayed in this collection of short stories. They involve mystery, action, adventure, pain, sorrow and redemption. And they do so in a setting that's known yet unknown.Highly recommended.

Overall a fun collection of SFF shorts, mostly centered on Muslim-flavored stuff but includes other non-northern-European cultures (for example, the MC of one story is a Latino supervillain and another's setting was definitely Asian but polytheistic.)"Where Virtue Lives" takes us back to the MC's of Throne of the Crescent Moon, showing how the young warrior, a pious zealot, learns to appreciate the practical wisdom and especially the compassion of the older wizard who'd the book's star. "Hooves

I was very impressed by this short story collection from the author of Throne of the Crescent Moon. Only two of the eight short stories were set in the fantasy world of the novel, the first of which being the story of how Doctor Adoulla Mahkslood and Raseed bas Raseed, the two protagonists of the novel, first meet. In addition to being a great short story, it is an excellent introduction to the Crescent Moon universe.The other stories were as engaging as they were varied. But I did have favorite...

Really liked. A fresh voice and perspective. The quality was uneven, with the earlier stories being better.A very good read. The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights setting as if told by Fritz Lieber.

Unsettling intriguing stories, told with superficial simplicity. There are no explanations given, and little tangible connection between the short episodic tales, so it's left to the reader to conjure a world in which they co-exist. I don't know whether I'd have had a more coherent response if I had read more widely in the mythologies of the Middle East (the stories seem to be set in Turkey / Persia / Yemen) but their surrealism is still potent.

Engraved on the Eye is a collection of short fiction by Saladin Ahmed. There’s a couple of stories set in the same world as his novel (Throne of the Crescent Moon). However, there’s also several pieces set outside of that world, covering a broad span of locales and ideas.The first story in the collection, ‘Where Virtue Lives’ is set prior to the opening of Throne of the Crescent Moon, and sets out how the protagonists of that tale first met. Looking at the world from both characters perspectives...

One of the most unique new voices in the genre belongs to Saladin Ahmed. His debut novel Throne of the Crescent Moon was the very first debut novel I reviewed. So when I heard that Ridan Publishing was releasing a collection of Ahmed's short fiction, I was understandably excited. With a low price and an immediate release date, I snatched it up and blocked out some quality time with the e-reader.Fans of Throne of the Crescent Moon will be pleased to know that Ahmed chooses to open this collection...

A collection of eight short stories: Where Virtue Lives : A prequel to the author's Throne of the Crescent Moon. The Doctor and the Dervish meet and share their first adventure together. As someone that enjoyed the novel, this was a highlight, and worth the price of this book. Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela : I'm not exactly sure what this is supposed to be. An attempt at horror? Certainly the main character reacts as if he's encountering mind shattering events, but there didn't really f...

Captivating, imaginative, and refreshingly different from the "usual" medieval/European-inspired fantasy fare, this collection of fantasy and sci-fi short stories was a very promising introduction to an author I'm excited to read more from.

Engraved on the Eye is a collection of short fiction by Saladin Ahmed, who is probably best known to readers for his debut novel Throne of the Crescent Moon. In Engraved, we get a number of pieces from him in a variety of universes. In Where Virtue Lives ,we witness the first meeting between two of the main protagonists of Throne of the Crescent Moon, Rasheed and Doctor Adoulla, as the former’s arrival in Dhamasawaat coincides with a ghul problem the Doctor is dealing with.In Hooves and the Hove...

Some really good stories, in interesting worlds. I would love to read more stories in the world of "Iron Eyes and the Watered Down World" for instance. Are there any other animal-people like the rabbitmen? Also, it was great to have 3 stories in the world of Crescent Moon, and I enjoyed "Doctor Diablo Goes Through the Motions". Saladin Ahmed is a very enjoyable storyteller. Please write more!

I really enjoyed the first two stories, "Where Virtue Lives" and "Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela." Vivid descriptions, charming (and refreshingly jovial) characters, and the stories have a wonderful classic feel about them. The third, "Judgement of Swords and Souls," takes place in the same world, and while I liked it, I felt myself skimming. I felt bad about this, because I really like Ahmed's writing, but something about it just wasn't grabbing me. The above are apparently tied to Thron...

So many anthologies, whether a collection by one author or a mix of many, are an uneven mix of brilliance, mediocre, and just plain puzzling. This is one of the most uniformly high quality collections I've read in some time. While I'd stop short of "brilliance", the stories are all engaging, well-written, lovely little baubles. I also want to avoid the word "exotic", which has far too much Orientalist baggage. But many of these stories play with settings, legends, and characters of Middle Easter...