Quirky Cat
Written on Nov 27, 2019
Empire of Lies is the latest novel from the mind of Raymond Khoury, and it is a time-traveling mystery of epic proportions. It’s one of those novels that is utterly thought-provoking, while leaving you uncertain of what is to happen next.
Raymond Khoury has written a novel here that requires the reader to suspend their disbelief and dive right into the debate and wonder he’s presented to us. This is an alternative version of Europe and its history, thanks to the meddling of one determined time traveler.
“Rasheed’s first trip to this new world had been the most dangerous. He’d been curious to see the result of his work, but he’d be traveling light.”
Wow. Empire of Lies is one of those books that will just make you sit back and think. And then think some more. I’ve never read anything quite like this – and I mean that in all of the best ways possible.
What would happen to the politics of a country – or the world – if time travel became a thing? What if one agent found the way to head back in time and change their country’s future for the better? How would the people stuck in one timeline fight back?
Those questions, and more, are raised during the course of Empire of Lies. It’s an intricately written novel, full of time jumps, plotting, reactions, and dramatic scenes. And all of it is designed to make the reader think and wonder.
I’m both fascinated and put off by the way Raymond Khoury established and wrote this novel. It was compelling – but it was also designed to throw us off balance, and that can be more than a little bit jarring at time. I have to respect what was done here though. I’ve never imagined anything quite like this before. It’s fascinating.
I’ll be honest and tell you that this is the first novel I’ve ever read by Raymond Khoury. Perhaps that is the reason I’m so blown away by Empire of Lies; I simply didn’t know what to expect. I am more than a little bit curious about the rest of his works. I’m going to have to make a point of checking out his backlog sooner rather than later.
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