Authors Electric

When I first saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it! The gorgeous orange flames, the mysterious golden horses, and the intriguing title all speak of an exotic historical setting, and possibly a bit of magic, too. As it turns out, this is historical fiction rather than fantasy, but Saviour Pirotta weaves a rich tale that brings the ancient city of Baghdad and its unfamiliar (to me) culture alive in a way that should appeal to both sets of readers. The horsemen of the title are part of the elaborate mechanism of a water clock presented by the caliph of Baghdad Harun-al-Rashid (he of the Thousand and One Nights fame) to the Emperor Charlemagne in the eighth century. There were twelve horsemen altogether, carved out of wood and gilded, which appeared through little doors to mark the hours. But who made this fabulous clock, and whose hand carved the horsemen? Meet young Jabir, whose father - a night fisherman on the River Tigris - has drowned in mysterious circumstances,...