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Promethea
An inexplicable heist had cast its shadows on the magnificent Austrian city of Vienna, leaving its local authorities, and their failed security measures, in shambles… One of Europe’s most fabled relics, in one of its most secured museums, had just been stolen in an arrogant, deliberate tour de force with no evidence at hand.
Yet this was not exactly the first time where the alluring Holy Spear was in danger… as Christianity’s most sought-after artefact, it had always garnered the attention of both the spiritual and the occult.
Could the legends around the spear be considered ultimate truths? Or is there a hidden, even more sinister plot at hand? These are the questions two Interpol agents would have to answer, as one suffers from a traumatizing loss and puts an already weakened faith to the test.
Yet this was not exactly the first time where the alluring Holy Spear was in danger… as Christianity’s most sought-after artefact, it had always garnered the attention of both the spiritual and the occult.
Could the legends around the spear be considered ultimate truths? Or is there a hidden, even more sinister plot at hand? These are the questions two Interpol agents would have to answer, as one suffers from a traumatizing loss and puts an already weakened faith to the test.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2014
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 28, 2015
Promethea by Mahmoud M. Abougabal is a piece of art in the world of fiction literature, shrewdly blending together historical facts with such an ingenious cliff- hanging fiction, that would surely leave you at the edge of your seat holding your breath with chills. This book evidently targets the fans of mysteries, suspense and thrillers. However, it is noteworthy that it is not for the easily offended readers, who take religious matters too sensitively, as Abougabal dauntlessly taps on religious and historical facts, fusing them with his larger than life imagination, creating this outright believable work of fiction.
As a lover of mystery fiction, especially those imbued with historical facts, I found every page of this book stimulating and highly entertaining. As I flipped through every page, I was reminded of Dan Brown. Thinking of the apparent similarities between the two authors, not only in the religion vs. science plot but also in the distinct inflection of it.
“May the rich never perish, may the strong never suffer and may the leaders never sustain the injuries of those who act without a stutter. For as these, the blindsided masses, have, yet again, marched to their maim, carrying the false banners of beliefs and idealogies that have been proven to be vain, yet puzzlingly reminded.”
With these lines as an opening quote, the author Mahmoud M Abougabal is giving the reader a hint on what to expect within the pages of his first fictional novel, which started from asking the question “What if?” as he explains in the Preface.
“Are our sufferings so miniscule that they go by unnoticed?”
You can unmistakably tell from the very first pages how skillful and talented the author is, the way he effortlessly paints a vivid image of every scene, and the way he pulls you deep into the musings of every character in a way that you can resonate and identify with them.
“I felt a numb ecstasy by the flurry of flashbacks that forced themselves into the back of my head.”
Abougabal successfully weaved within this fictional novel intricate historical references from Zopyrus the Persian, and the tower of Babylon, in addition to some intriguing philosophies and ideologies, steering the reader’s thoughts into different dimensions and alternate perspectives when thinking of common beliefs regarding the infinite mystery of the origin of evil and the battle of religious vs non- religious individuals, which gives it a psychological depth, not to mention the time traveling, back and forth, from our modern times to as far back as 500 BC, all of which suggests the amount of historical, geographical and scientific knowledge and research Abougabal must have done.
Abougabal’s writing technique in a beautiful yet articulate manner has the ability to enchant the reader with an insatiable thirst for unfolding the course of events and the mystery.
In short, Promethea is a novel that undeniably stands out for its accurately researched details and construct of events, coupled with its ability to transport the reader through time and place, appealing to history, mystery, architecture and science enthusiasts.
As a lover of mystery fiction, especially those imbued with historical facts, I found every page of this book stimulating and highly entertaining. As I flipped through every page, I was reminded of Dan Brown. Thinking of the apparent similarities between the two authors, not only in the religion vs. science plot but also in the distinct inflection of it.
“May the rich never perish, may the strong never suffer and may the leaders never sustain the injuries of those who act without a stutter. For as these, the blindsided masses, have, yet again, marched to their maim, carrying the false banners of beliefs and idealogies that have been proven to be vain, yet puzzlingly reminded.”
With these lines as an opening quote, the author Mahmoud M Abougabal is giving the reader a hint on what to expect within the pages of his first fictional novel, which started from asking the question “What if?” as he explains in the Preface.
“Are our sufferings so miniscule that they go by unnoticed?”
You can unmistakably tell from the very first pages how skillful and talented the author is, the way he effortlessly paints a vivid image of every scene, and the way he pulls you deep into the musings of every character in a way that you can resonate and identify with them.
“I felt a numb ecstasy by the flurry of flashbacks that forced themselves into the back of my head.”
Abougabal successfully weaved within this fictional novel intricate historical references from Zopyrus the Persian, and the tower of Babylon, in addition to some intriguing philosophies and ideologies, steering the reader’s thoughts into different dimensions and alternate perspectives when thinking of common beliefs regarding the infinite mystery of the origin of evil and the battle of religious vs non- religious individuals, which gives it a psychological depth, not to mention the time traveling, back and forth, from our modern times to as far back as 500 BC, all of which suggests the amount of historical, geographical and scientific knowledge and research Abougabal must have done.
Abougabal’s writing technique in a beautiful yet articulate manner has the ability to enchant the reader with an insatiable thirst for unfolding the course of events and the mystery.
In short, Promethea is a novel that undeniably stands out for its accurately researched details and construct of events, coupled with its ability to transport the reader through time and place, appealing to history, mystery, architecture and science enthusiasts.
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July 4, 2014Promethea is a fictive work of literature that blends historical facts with a soupçon of whodunit.
When reading the opening quote, I felt compelled to recite the words out loud. The sound of my own voice gave me chills. The author depicts sceneries so impeccably that it makes you dwell deep into the narrator’s thoughts. Up until the end of the first chapter, I felt compelled to narrate the lines myself, as though I was the chronicler’s embodiment.
The author reveals his talent in portraying minutiae since the very first pages of the book. He paints a vivid canvas of the narrator’s hands holding a blue rosary, one that led me to imagine slim, slender hands with perfect fingers, manicured nails, a rather porcelain white skin holding turquoise blue beads. The cliché was welded in my thoughts and I could not help but sketch the narrator’s palm holding the rosary. The writer plunges us into his characters’ contemplations in such an imposing way that you cannot help but identify with their situation. In the first pages of the novel, the narrator is immersed by conspicuous sentiments that attract you into her state of being:
“I felt a numb ecstasy by the flurry of flashbacks that forced themselves into the back of my head.”
Throughout the book, Abougabal bequeaths historical references starting with Zopyrus the Persian nobleman. This reference directly steered my thoughts to the common beliefs attributing all evil to Satan. I could not help but think of the psychological depths of the story. We often tend to deny the obscurities in us, what Freud calls the death drive, the Thanatos instinct. This personification is derived from the daemon personification of death and evil, Thanatos. It allegedly compels humans to engage in risky and self-destructive acts that could lead to their own death. However, humans often abstract all malevolent traits from their attributes, to the benefit of Eros, the life instinct, the desire to create life and favors productivity and construction. We often neglect the fact that both instincts are necessary for the development of a healthy psyche. Both darkness and light are necessary for the completion of a full circle.
The second reference is no other than the tower of Babylon. Abougabal uses the relationship between humans and the tower, illustrating the battle, blood, the sound of swords and Zopyrus’ mutilated self in a suave style, highlighting the importance of symbolism.
The author graciously transports us from 500 BC to modern times, from historical epic battle scenes to the narrator’s reality.
Aside from the accurate historical research, the writer uses precise geographic locations to symbolically link travel and arrival to closure. Throughout the chapters, the narrator does not spare sharing with us philosophical existential questions that each and every reader would relate to.
“Are our sufferings so miniscule that they go by unnoticed?”
The author does not bargain when it comes to his characters’ delineation. Throughout the chapters, even the background actors are given meticulous silhouettes that help the reader explore the different dimensions of every chap’s psychological and physical dimensions.
Aside from his gift for tell-tailing past events, Abougabal has the power to plunge his reader into a future projection of events. His words have the ability to fixate you, as though the thirst for discovering the course of events is unquenchable.
Promethea stands out as the author’s first novel for its pedantic welding of events, as well as its ability to transport you through a voyage that joins scientific efforts to religious symbolism in the procreation of a futuristic projection of consciousness.
When reading the opening quote, I felt compelled to recite the words out loud. The sound of my own voice gave me chills. The author depicts sceneries so impeccably that it makes you dwell deep into the narrator’s thoughts. Up until the end of the first chapter, I felt compelled to narrate the lines myself, as though I was the chronicler’s embodiment.
The author reveals his talent in portraying minutiae since the very first pages of the book. He paints a vivid canvas of the narrator’s hands holding a blue rosary, one that led me to imagine slim, slender hands with perfect fingers, manicured nails, a rather porcelain white skin holding turquoise blue beads. The cliché was welded in my thoughts and I could not help but sketch the narrator’s palm holding the rosary. The writer plunges us into his characters’ contemplations in such an imposing way that you cannot help but identify with their situation. In the first pages of the novel, the narrator is immersed by conspicuous sentiments that attract you into her state of being:
“I felt a numb ecstasy by the flurry of flashbacks that forced themselves into the back of my head.”
Throughout the book, Abougabal bequeaths historical references starting with Zopyrus the Persian nobleman. This reference directly steered my thoughts to the common beliefs attributing all evil to Satan. I could not help but think of the psychological depths of the story. We often tend to deny the obscurities in us, what Freud calls the death drive, the Thanatos instinct. This personification is derived from the daemon personification of death and evil, Thanatos. It allegedly compels humans to engage in risky and self-destructive acts that could lead to their own death. However, humans often abstract all malevolent traits from their attributes, to the benefit of Eros, the life instinct, the desire to create life and favors productivity and construction. We often neglect the fact that both instincts are necessary for the development of a healthy psyche. Both darkness and light are necessary for the completion of a full circle.
The second reference is no other than the tower of Babylon. Abougabal uses the relationship between humans and the tower, illustrating the battle, blood, the sound of swords and Zopyrus’ mutilated self in a suave style, highlighting the importance of symbolism.
The author graciously transports us from 500 BC to modern times, from historical epic battle scenes to the narrator’s reality.
Aside from the accurate historical research, the writer uses precise geographic locations to symbolically link travel and arrival to closure. Throughout the chapters, the narrator does not spare sharing with us philosophical existential questions that each and every reader would relate to.
“Are our sufferings so miniscule that they go by unnoticed?”
The author does not bargain when it comes to his characters’ delineation. Throughout the chapters, even the background actors are given meticulous silhouettes that help the reader explore the different dimensions of every chap’s psychological and physical dimensions.
Aside from his gift for tell-tailing past events, Abougabal has the power to plunge his reader into a future projection of events. His words have the ability to fixate you, as though the thirst for discovering the course of events is unquenchable.
Promethea stands out as the author’s first novel for its pedantic welding of events, as well as its ability to transport you through a voyage that joins scientific efforts to religious symbolism in the procreation of a futuristic projection of consciousness.
September 7, 2014
Why I liked Promethea? It's actually very hard to answer that question without spoiling it. All these twists and all these random information. It took me a while to start it. But once I did, I couldn't leave it. You can feel that the author was trying to choose every word in its right place. He succeeded.
You should definitely give it a shot! It's the kind of books that make you learn and think about new things.
You should definitely give it a shot! It's the kind of books that make you learn and think about new things.
July 2, 2014
Brilliantly researched novel with bits and pieces for lovers of history, mystery, architecture and science alike. Gabal knows how to capture and keep his readers' attention. A highly recommend page-turner!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews