Raymond Khoury mixes alternative history with political science, human emotions, and time travel to give us a wonderful and fascinating book. This review starts with how I found Empire of Lies.

I was perusing NetGalley to see if they had any books of interest They provide advance reading copies (ARCs) for free and just ask for a review in return. I had found several books there this year and the latest finds were nonfiction so I was ready for a good fiction book.

So in looking through the many books available on Netgalley found one by Raymond Khoury. I had read several of his books years ago and enjoyed them so I thought I would try Empire of Lies.

I read the Kindle edition so the link to Amazon with the picture of the book will take you to that edition but you can easily switch to the hardback if that is your preference.

I found the book a bit hard to get into. The prologue and first few chapters were interesting but I just wasn’t sure where this was going. But since I had enjoyed some of his previous books, I thought it worth reading on and after a little more reading I was totally into the story and understood the importance of the earlier parts.

The story really takes off once you realize the importance of time travel in this alternative history where the Ottoman empire rules Europe and then even more so as the empire tries to maintain its power and then a few of its subjects try to change history again. It makes for a great thriller.

Along the way, you learn about Ottoman society, enjoy well developed characters and listen to interesting discussions about the best form of government. I highly recommend Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read an ARC of this book.

I'm a fan of sci-fi, dystopian world's, and time travel. As such, this book didn't disappoint.

Pro's
- Thoroughly researched
- Solid character development
- writing that sucks you in and causes you to ask what if

Con's
- For some, the thinly veiled political commentary might be a turn off, although I felt it spot on
- The second half of the book sometimes felt too formulaic

My thanks to Macmillan/Tor Gorge and Netgalley.
Raymond Khoury has been my go to guy for spy/thriller stuff for a very long time! I once loved Robert Ludlum. He died. Eventually Mr. Khoury came along! If you've not read his stuff, then you are missing out!
Now, for the bad. Dum, dum, dum!
This isn't a book that I was able to finish. Yes, I know! How dare I leave a review? I dare!
It was for me a frustrating read. Politically, I'm mad as hell at Turkey. I just didn't give a shit about any of it. Also, I'm as always hating Trump. I've always had a soft spot for the Kurds, so this is not a time to read this book!
I really did try with this book, but I didn't like the Justice. I especially didn't like the Christian United States.
Khoury always has a lesson in his books. I'm absolutely positive that there is one here. Unfortunately, at this time I can't objectively read it.
Still, I would recommend any Khoury book! My favorite is "The Sign." That fucking book was the shit!

What if you found out the the world you know exists only because of a time traveler who changed things in his favor years ago? What if he told you the secret to time travel? Would you go back to “fix” things? Would your fixing make the present and future better or worse?

It took a bit for me to get into it, but it was worth it. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time. And I’lol definitely be recommending it.

If you haven't read any books by Raymond Khoury you are missing out. Empire of Lies doesn't disappoint. It contains history, daily problems and action all in one book. Rasheed knows how to time travel and has changed the world as we currently know it. Ramazan and his wife Nisreen find out and are trying to follow him. Ramazan's brother Kamal also gets pulled into the mystery of the past.
This book you cannot put down because it is so good. You can't wait to see what happens next.

Although the story was very unusual and entertaining, I thought 1100 pages was entirely too long. What would happen if history was changed and the Ottoman Empire ruled Europe and Islam was the predominant religion. That’s the premise of the book, but it is also a history lesson, one of conflicting personal and political beliefs, and how a family and their friends are caught up in changing times. A good historical novel as I mentioned before with lots of interesting and unusual facts.Not sure we needed the political commentary on the last 30 years of US politics but that’s just a personal preference.

This is an entertaining time travel/alternate history thriller centered around the premise that the Ottoman Empire conquered Europe in the 17th century and continued its rule up to the present, largely through the machinations of one man.

The story starts a little slowly - Khoury has done some meticulous world-building and it takes a while to completely set the stage - and about the first third is mostly a political thriller of individuals opposing an autocratic ruler and the secret police.

After a shocking plot turn, the story really takes off when the heroes try to restore "real" history. It's non-stop action the rest of the way, with plenty of twists and turns, resolute and resourceful heroes, and well-executed action sequences.

Like most time travel stories, you don't want to think about the paradoxes too much, but it's quite enjoyable, especially if you're interested in European and Middle Eastern history.

Very confusing at first but It's about time travel and the Turks,Ottoman Empire,if you are interested in this time in history!! I had a hard time following what was going on but I actually finally did and then all.pieces came together for me! Did learn a lot about the Empire and the characters were interesting to say the least! Enjoy!!

Who among us hasn’t wished, at one time or another, that we could go back in time to change something? I suspect the vast majority of people would want that change to result in a direct improvement to their own situation. But at the same time, there are a few folks who would take such a golden opportunity and think bigger. Like, say, re-writing the present by changing how a pivotal event in history plays out. Such is the broad idea behind Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury.

This review is based on an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for that purpose. The book is available for purchase now.

Ayman Rasheed is one of those big thinkers. Formerly part of Saddam’s Iraqi army, currently fighting with ISIS in Syria, Rasheed stumbles upon an ancient secret that can make possible his wish for a different present. Thoughtful in equal measure to his brutality, Rasheed searches for a suitable hinge moment in history and decides upon the 1683 siege of Vienna by the Ottoman Empire. By erasing the victory of “Christendom” in Vienna, and making certain other informed strategic decisions, Rasheed creates a new timeline that sees the Ottoman Empire ruling all of Europe for more than 300 years.

But when Rasheed time-travels to ‘the present’ for medical care he can’t get while serving as the Sultan’s governor in the former Kingdom of France, he sets into motion a series of events that could re-write history again. No spoilers, but I can say there were several unexpected twists throughout the story and an ending that leaves room for readers to do their own pondering about what changes they’d make. There are some thought-provoking ideas about the nature of humans and their governments, too.

As much as I wanted to like the book more, for me the pacing, especially in the middle, was uneven and there were long stretches where the story seemed to be in neutral. The back quarter picked up the pace quite a bit leading up to a big conclusion followed by a few chapters that helped finalize the story but could have, perhaps, been left out or truncated.

My review scale:
3 Stars — A good read, worth a reader’s time in my opinion.

A well crafted tale of time travel and alternate history, Raymond Khouri knows how to do it, and he does it very well.

Imagine a world where the Ottoman Empire doesn't fall and 300 years later Islamic Rule covers the world; The Ottoman Flag flying high over Paris.

Which means there was no Holocaust or Hitler, no American Revolution or Slavery...no world wars and no Russian revolution either. This is the world that Raymond Khouri has created, ripe with excellent and exciting time travel, plausible ideas and experiences.

A must read for fans of Alternate History and Science Fiction, rich with realistic details and believable characters, this is an excellent "what if" story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Tor/Forge, and Mr. Raymond Khouri for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy.
🌟🌟🌟/5

Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury is Historical/Speculative fiction about what would happen if somehow the tides were turned and the Ottomans were able to take Vienna and from there the rest of Europe. As a reader, I don’t often read historical fiction, but was drawn to this book by the comparison to The Man in the High Castle. I liked the idea of the “what if” scenario and seeing how our world can be completely turned on its head by one minor change.

In the beginning of the book I found it a bit difficult to keep up with the various dates, especially as some of them were written in different formats, but I was pretty quickly able to start identifying them by the various characters that played important roles in each one, and from there it was much less confusing.

One of the biggest strengths on this book in my opinion was the development of each of the characters and the rich description of the world. Even though I am not at all familiar with Islamic culture or the Ottoman Empire, I found that I learned a lot and never felt like I was on information overload. Everything was well described without overwhelming the reader.

Along with the interesting premise of the Ottoman Empire overtaking Europe, I really enjoyed the parts of the plot that dealt with the balance between democracy and autocracy, especially as it builds to the finale of the book. It was an apt topic that was handled well and wove interestingly through the entire plot.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor/Forge, and Raymond Khoury for this free advance copy in exchange for my honest review

Empire of Lies is a formidable book. It is a difficult read but is full of fascinating facts, details of both real and fantasy history, and a highly imaginative story that travels through time and space. The characters are realistic and deep, revealed as the ills of the world impact every time visited. The basic idea is that Islam has taken over the bulk of the world with a single Caliphate running things. Arguments are made and demonstrated both pro and con to the superiority of a dictatorship over a democracy. The book provides an affirmation that democracy, as bad as it is, beats the alternatives. The details of life under a Caliphate do not enhance the view of Islam. All religions prey on the ignorant, and it is clearly the worst. The book is worth reading for the excellent story and for the information it provides about much of forgotten history.

This is an action packed time travelling adventure story that deals with what the world have been like if the Ottoman empire had won a pivotal battle in Vienna in 1683. It is interesting to read how a Muslim rule would have impacted the world. They would have controlled Europe and America would have apparently evolved into a fundamentalist Christian country with no minorities.

Then in 2017 a tattooed man drops into a hospital apparently from nowhere badly in need of medical care. Ramazan Hekim is a member of his medical team and after helping to save his life spends time discovering the mystery of the tattoos, a very rare thing in this time. It turns out that it is the secret of time travel and when he confides in his wife, Nisreen, she immediately want to go back in time and change things allowing for more freedom. His brother, Kamal, a member of an elite police unit gets involved. They must decide if they go back to correct history changed by the tattooed man or allow things to say the same.

I got confused with all the dates because they jumped around time a lot and some of the dates were in Arabic times so I was not always sure when and where they were. It wasn't consistent. I am also not familiar with Ottoman history at all apparently and a lot of events and people had no context for me. I felt lost many times. Also, I found Nisreen very unlikable. She was shrill and so convinced that she was right in everything that she got them in trouble time and time again. As the only woman, basically, in the book she was not really well written and there were times I just wanted to slap her.

Still as an action paced novel that is pure escapism then this kept the pages turning. I did learn a lot about Ottoman history that was interesting. It was OK.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair reviews.

This book is an alternative version of history. I struggled a bit with that at first, but the book is full of action and quickly sucks the reader in. Something new for me!

🔺Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury:

Tiny Synopsis courtesy of @goodreads –
Istanbul, 1683: Mehmed IV, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, is preparing to lay siege to Vienna, capital of the Holy Roman Empire, when a mysterious visitor arrives in his bedroom–naked, covered in strange tattoos–to deliver a dangerous, world-changing message.

Paris, 2017: Ottoman flags have been flying over the great city for three hundred years, ever since its fall–along with all of Europe–to the empire’s all-conquering army. Notre Dame has been renamed the Fatih Mosque. Public spaces are segregated by gender. And Kamal Arslan Agha, a feted officer in the sultan’s secret police, is starting to question his orders.

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

A fan of alternate history or revisionist history will love this book. It starts on the slower side because it’s setting up the story – but as soon as you delve into the many fascinating characters… you just get engulfed in the story. The story itself felt so real like it actually happened. That’s how Khoury made it sound so eloquent and like a history book. I could be biased because I was a history major but I could not put it down and read late into the night to see what would happen. The mini history lessons of the Ottoman Empire was also so fun to read as I remembered it only very vaguely in school. Also the war of Vienna – I definitely did not remember that in school either and to see it incorporated in the story was wondrous to read about. It is a long read but if you love alternative history (think the show man in the high castle) then you will love this.

Thank you to #Bookishfirst #netgalley and #Forgebooks for my advanced copy and e-copy for my honest review!!

When a mysterious stranger—naked, covered in strange tattoos—appears on the banks of the Seine, police officer Kamal is called to investigate. What he discovers is a secret buried in the empire’s past. Will he decide to let the secret remain intact or will he change history forever?
The "Empire of Lies" discusses what would happen if the Ottoman Empire took over Europe. While the tattooed man thinks a Muslim dictatorship is the way to live, Kamal's sister-in-law Nisreen, a lawyer, believes freedom is the better path. Together, Nisreen and Kamal must decide the fate of the world.
I really liked this book. It's long, but the concept is unique and the writing is engaging. There is a bit of violence and sexual content in the book (the reason for only 3 instead of 4 stars), but it does entertain readers and makes them think about what our world could look like with a single shift in history. The question is, in what ways are we currently contributing to the world future generations will live in?

Fantastical, not fantastic, this what-if version of centuries of history and a naked jinn is for those who have no trouble suspending rational belief. The prose is excellent, the story fascinating - but this reader had considerable difficulty accepting the supernatural that weaves among the historical facts and the possible alternatives.

Speculative fiction, when it takes on the form of science fiction, often tackles contemporary issues by projecting them into the future, as George Orwell did with 1984, which was really about the year he wrote it, 1948. We can even travel well outside of the confines of our home planet and it may still really be about the here and now. Sometimes, we go backwards in time, via time travel, or by imagining an alternate history. In Empire of Lies, Raymond Khoury combines alternate history with time travel to speak distinctively about present-day real-life conflicts between democracy and autocracy.

Imagine a world in which the Ottoman Empire won its 17th century battles in Vienna and across Western Europe and imposed Islamic rule over Paris and the rest of the Christian continent. Imagine that Empire lasting into the 21st Century, with all of the world's economic and technological advances in place but with none of the ideological evolution catalyzed the Age of Enlightenment and embodied by the American and French Revolutions.

Religious autocracy -- safe and stable, but stifling. No democracy, no free will, no individual rights. Also, no World War I, no World War II, no Holocaust, no slavery in America, no Great Depression, no nuclear weapons, no Russian Revolution, no Communism. No Hitler or Stalin or Napoleon.

Would you make that trade? That's the question at the heart of Empire of Lies. On one hand, there is Nisreen, a woman in Muslim Paris alarmed at the brutal repression of any and all dissent, attracted to ideals of freedom and individual liberty. On the other, Ayman Rasheed, a displaced Iraqi recruited by ISIS who owns the secret of time travel, using it to go into the past and change history, allowing Islam to conquer Europe and maintain its fundamentalist dictatorship for centuries. In the middle is Kamal, a counter-terrorist hero of the secret police Rasheed created, but also unrequitedly in love with Nisreen, his sister-in-law, and consequently sympathetic to her views.

The first half of Empire of Lies lays out the world of this alternate timeline and the characters who inhabit it (in the case of Rasheed, the one who created it). It also lays out the rules of time travel -- an ancient incantation that doesn't allow you to travel to a time where you already exist or once existed, and keeps you on a linear timeline even if you're bouncing around the universal timeline. The second half, having already revealed almost all of its secrets, is a series of action sequences -- mostly, as the characters pursue their goals, they travel, are chased and caught, then escape, they travel, are chased and caught, then escape, etc. They eventually converge in 17th Century Vienna at a watershed moment in the history of Europe.

Until the end, I was firmly at four and a half stars -- five stars for the first half, with its impressive world building, sufficient character development, and rigorous consistency to the internal logic of the rules of time travel (even if I never, in any time travel story, buy into the idea that the physical world can be altered by changing history). The second half, four stars at best -- nothing new, except for remaining logically consistent, and just too invested in action sequences that are almost by definition predictable (with one major exception that surprised me).

The ending, though -- that led me to round up my final rating to five stars rather than round down to four. That's where the ongoing overarching theme of democracy vs. autocracy reaches its conclusion, referring back to where we are now in the real world. And it does so quite convincingly, for me at least. The history is well researched, detailed, and illuminating. The philosophical debate is well reasoned. The time travel, alternate history, and world building are well handled. Well done.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Free ARC from NET GALLEY

Great story lines, I would have given 5 stars if there would have been more "thriller" and less Ottoman empire.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Raymond Khoury, and Forge Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Usually a great fan of alternate history and long one of Raymond Khoury’s work, I was hoping to find great interest in this novel, though things began to fall short from the beginning and remained troublesome for me. The premise, that the Ottoman Empire continued to gather strength and overtook much of Europe into the present day, sounded good on paper, but as Khoury wove his story, things never seemed to work for me. With a mysteriously tattooed man lurking in the shadows, I hoped for some injected excitement, but even the information he revealed left me wanting more and unable to find something intriguing. While I hate to leave a book unfinished—particularly an ARC—I owe it to myself and others not to get bogged down with something that will make me miserable or keep me from reviewing books that appeal to me. While some will surely love it, I had to let this one go 55% in and hope this was but a blip on the Khoury radar, not the new norm after a fairly lengthy time away from full novels.

Kudos, Mr. Khoury, for dreaming up an interesting premise. Delivery was off for me, so I hope others can see the empire for the castle walls, to poorly mangle a cliché!