REVIEW: Soraya Bouazzaoui’s debut blends Moroccan folklore with colonial-era history
JEDDAH: In “Aicha,” Soraya Bouazzaoui, a British writer of Moroccan heritage, turns to one of Morocco’s most enduring monster myths to craft a historical fantasy epic exploring the immense love and consuming rage that coexist under colonial occupation.
Set in 18th-century Morocco during the Portuguese occupation of a coastal citadel, “Aicha” follows its titular heroine, the daughter of blacksmith and freedom fighter Fouad who teaches her to forge weapons and fight.
Published by Orbit Books, a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group, the novel takes place over the eight days leading up to the sultan’s long-awaited siege to drive out the occupiers from the city.
Rachid, her childhood friend and protective secret lover who wishes to marry her, is the rebellion leader whose underground network is working toward the battle that could finally liberate the coast.
