Jem - Softcover

Conway, Morris R

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0552132802 ISBN 13: 9780552132800

Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd, 1989

Synopsis

Undercover agent Barak must locate Prince Jem, second son of the recently poisoned Sultan Mehmed, and bring him to Istanbul to become Sultan before his elder brother does

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

According to a postscript, this potentially interesting but indifferently executed first novel was "inspired" by documents recently discovered in the Ottoman Imperial Archives in Istanbul. In the late 15th century, narrator Captain Barak suddenly finds himself a secret agent for the Ottoman Empire, working for the head of Imperial Security and, indirectly, the sultan himself. Upon the death of the old sultan, a power struggle erupts between his two sons. Bayezid, the eldest and rightful heir, takes the throne, but Jem, his younger brother (and his father's choice as successor), soon raises an army to challenge the new ruler. When a defeated Jem disappears among the infidels to the west and is rumored to be lending his name and support to another Christian crusade, Barak is assigned by his superior, the mysterious Kivami Bey, to locate the missing prince. While Barak is certainly no James Bond (at one point, a band of broom-wielding nuns rescues him), he manages more than his share of intrigue and adventure during his clandestine undertakings. Readers caught up in Morris's depiction of an ancient time may be pleased; others may find the pace of this putative thriller excruciatingly slow.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The ostensible journal of an Ottoman secret agent, this first novel is set in the Turkish empire in the late 15th century. Captain Barak's story begins at the time of Mehmed II's sudden death in 1481. The Sultan's second son and intended heir Jem attempts to seize the throne but is driven into exile, where he becomes the pawn of Christian groups attempting to organize a crusade. Barak is assigned to locate and return the errant prince. His efforts span several years and take him as far as Rome. Morris was inspired by documents recently found in the Ottoman Imperial Archives to add a different twist to recorded history. Though basically entertaining, with interesting characterization and descriptions, this isn't particularly gripping, and since it's not the typical historical, it will probably have limited appeal.
- Ellen Kaye Stoppel, Drake Univ. Law Lib., Des Moines
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0552132802
• ISBN 13: 9780552132800
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 411