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Lords of Misrule
Aliuf Ag Albachar, born into the noble Tuareg ancestry, is just thirteen when he crests a dune with his mother, looks down from atop his camel onto the ancient fabled city of Timbuktu, and contemplates the day it will finally be his. Unfortunately Aliuf has no idea that misfortune will soon force him to flee across the desert away from everything he has known and toward something greater than he ever imagined.
Propelled by restlessness and the indomitable spirit of his clan, Aliuf bravely pushes onward through a dangerous coming-of-age journey that leads him through a barren land. While following his heart through the vast expanses of the Sahara, he becomes a student enthralled with the great works of Islams golden age, a warlord who leads his army of angry men through the colossal dunes of the Sahara to battle the enemy, and finally an Islamic judge who makes a monumental discovery that shakes the foundation of his beliefs and forever shapes his destiny.
Lords of Misrule is an epic tale of redemption, forbidden love, and atonement against all odds as a young man is led on a path of enlightenment across the Sahara where he ultimately must face the consequences of his decisions.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2016
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Joel D. Hirst
13 books28 followersJoel D. Hirst is a novelist and playwright. "An Excess of Nationalism" is his 5th novel. All great writers need their Armenia novel, this is his. He has also written "I, Charles, From the Camps", his 4th novel, a coming of age struggle about a poor boy from the camps in northern Uganda and his tragic attempts to build a wall between himself and the misery which nevertheless comes for him, as well as "Lords of Misrule", about a Tuareg from Timbuktu who is radicalized to jihad and how he finds his way out, and what it costs him. He has also written "The Lieutenant of San Porfirio"; and its sequel "The Burning of San Porfirio". His first play is "Dreams of the Defeated". Joel was a visiting Fellow in Human Freedom at the George W. Bush Institute and a visiting International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a graduate of Brandeis University.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 24, 2018
Aliuf Ag Albachar, a 13-year-old Muslim boy from North Africa has always struggled to come to term with his identity as a noble Tuareg. An accidental misfortune forces him to flee his land and venture into a vast barren land of Sahara. Led by his desire to find some kind of purpose in his life, he takes on to study great works of Islam’s golden age, and eventually, is chosen to lead army of violent Muslim young men to battle the enemies. Later he is made to take position of an Islamic judge. But after making a shocking discovery in a library, he finds himself questioning his beliefs and learns it was about time to face the consequences of his decisions.
The book starts with an ominous note and readers know the final fate of Aliuf in the very first chapter.
The desolate Saharan states in the book are pretty weak and highly vulnerable to inter-religious conflicts. Through the spread of a more radical version of Islam, the theological conflicts spread way faster than the ethnic conflicts in the region. Readers come across rise of certain radical groups which become highly active and are interested in creating an independent Islamic state with branches in other countries. Aliuf is picked by one such group and went on to become an Islamic judge after spiritually leading an army of violent soldiers
It was sad to see how easy it is to twist any ideology and destroy humanity in the name of religion. Hirst portrayed ‘the mob mentality’ in a brilliant way; how a vast majority of people follow their leaders blindly and would unleash their inner demons easily to commit crimes against humanity.
Aliuf’s part in heinous crimes didn’t stop me from feeling a certain sympathy for him. The naïve ’13-years-old’ boy stays inside him and that’s what brings his doom all along. Only if he was sharper, more practical, he would’ve survived the gruesome end.
The mother in me wished Salif had never entered his life. I wish Aliuf had taken advice of his elder to stay away from Salif. As a mother I felt her mother who was always aware of her son’s restlessness, failed to warn him of the imminent dangers. I understand, parents have to let children find their own life paths, but isn’t it, essentially, duty of a parent to guide the child in the right direction? The first time Aliuf had to flee home, it was because of certain unsavoury circumstances, but the last letter that he received from his mother cleared the last few doubts in his mind and finalized the things for him in a way; she didn’t even try; she should have warned him of the impending dangers; she didn’t fight; instead, she just let him go.
There is one weak link in the story that I would like to mention. Azter’s part in Aliuf’s doom seemed a bit forced to me. Considering Aliuf’s naivety, his strong feelings for Azter after so many years, though, seem plausible, but any other woman character could have achieved the desired impact.
Having said that, the book is intense as Hirst’s other works. Hirst is, a brilliant writer. there is no doubt about that.
Definitely recommended to all the serious readers.
The book starts with an ominous note and readers know the final fate of Aliuf in the very first chapter.
The desolate Saharan states in the book are pretty weak and highly vulnerable to inter-religious conflicts. Through the spread of a more radical version of Islam, the theological conflicts spread way faster than the ethnic conflicts in the region. Readers come across rise of certain radical groups which become highly active and are interested in creating an independent Islamic state with branches in other countries. Aliuf is picked by one such group and went on to become an Islamic judge after spiritually leading an army of violent soldiers
It was sad to see how easy it is to twist any ideology and destroy humanity in the name of religion. Hirst portrayed ‘the mob mentality’ in a brilliant way; how a vast majority of people follow their leaders blindly and would unleash their inner demons easily to commit crimes against humanity.
Aliuf’s part in heinous crimes didn’t stop me from feeling a certain sympathy for him. The naïve ’13-years-old’ boy stays inside him and that’s what brings his doom all along. Only if he was sharper, more practical, he would’ve survived the gruesome end.
The mother in me wished Salif had never entered his life. I wish Aliuf had taken advice of his elder to stay away from Salif. As a mother I felt her mother who was always aware of her son’s restlessness, failed to warn him of the imminent dangers. I understand, parents have to let children find their own life paths, but isn’t it, essentially, duty of a parent to guide the child in the right direction? The first time Aliuf had to flee home, it was because of certain unsavoury circumstances, but the last letter that he received from his mother cleared the last few doubts in his mind and finalized the things for him in a way; she didn’t even try; she should have warned him of the impending dangers; she didn’t fight; instead, she just let him go.
There is one weak link in the story that I would like to mention. Azter’s part in Aliuf’s doom seemed a bit forced to me. Considering Aliuf’s naivety, his strong feelings for Azter after so many years, though, seem plausible, but any other woman character could have achieved the desired impact.
Having said that, the book is intense as Hirst’s other works. Hirst is, a brilliant writer. there is no doubt about that.
Definitely recommended to all the serious readers.
November 29, 2016
Hirst does it again! Thanks to his extraordinary ability to transport readers to the most exotic locales where some sinister plot is usually afoot, he gives us a novel like “Lords Of Misrule” – a coming-of-age tale that takes us across the Sahara to witness the horrific consequences of religious fanaticism firsthand. Here we meet Aliuf Ag Albachar, a Tuareg from Timbuktu whose adolescent dreams of fortune and glory are tucked away after a chance encounter forces him to abandon his way of life and carve out a new place for himself in a society that has moved away from its founding values and traditions.
His radicalized journey will at once strike fear and sympathy in the audience’s heart as Aliuf battles his demons and finally achieves the enlightenment he has sought all his life. However, by that point it is too late to stop the wheels of what he has set in motion, leaving readers reeling from the all-too-familiar events in today’s world that are spurred by hatred, intolerance, and misguided retribution.
“Lords Of Misrule” is an action-packed adventure of one man’s quest to fulfill his destiny and the everlasting impact of those decisions. A highly recommended read that perfectly captures the struggles of reconciling what is right with what is humane.
His radicalized journey will at once strike fear and sympathy in the audience’s heart as Aliuf battles his demons and finally achieves the enlightenment he has sought all his life. However, by that point it is too late to stop the wheels of what he has set in motion, leaving readers reeling from the all-too-familiar events in today’s world that are spurred by hatred, intolerance, and misguided retribution.
“Lords Of Misrule” is an action-packed adventure of one man’s quest to fulfill his destiny and the everlasting impact of those decisions. A highly recommended read that perfectly captures the struggles of reconciling what is right with what is humane.
January 17, 2017
Lords of Misrule by Joel Hirst is the first literary novel I have read that reflects the motivations and consequences of Jihadist movements in the post-colonial Africa. Being a Muslim and living in the hotspot of the Boko Haram insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria, I find a lot of familiar events in the book.
Lords of Misrule is a story of Aliuf’s transition from a teenager that is guided by his mum to a man that is controlled by his imaginations, and the consequences of his wrong choice. Inspired by a desire to create a name for himself and his Tuareg community in Mali that has been corrupted by western countries and local officials, Aliuf becomes a student of a radical Muslim scholar and later joined a terrorist movement that made him a Judge and Administrator of the captured Timbuktu, a capital of the newly established Islamic Republic of Azawad. But shortly, a more violent Jihadist group commanded by his old friend Salif overtakes the city, and replaced Aliuf’s exhortations to Shariah with new, harsh rules. That is when Aliuf finally realized the consequences of his becoming a lord of misrule and a messenger of great darkness. He regretted his actions, and apologized publically; but it’s too late for him, as his friend - and the new Caliph executed him for blasphemy.
Lords of Misrule is a story of self-discovery, friendship, love, radicalization, betrayal and culture in a fast-changing world. I highly recommend this book, especially to youth and policy experts that are fighting the misrule.
Lords of Misrule is a story of Aliuf’s transition from a teenager that is guided by his mum to a man that is controlled by his imaginations, and the consequences of his wrong choice. Inspired by a desire to create a name for himself and his Tuareg community in Mali that has been corrupted by western countries and local officials, Aliuf becomes a student of a radical Muslim scholar and later joined a terrorist movement that made him a Judge and Administrator of the captured Timbuktu, a capital of the newly established Islamic Republic of Azawad. But shortly, a more violent Jihadist group commanded by his old friend Salif overtakes the city, and replaced Aliuf’s exhortations to Shariah with new, harsh rules. That is when Aliuf finally realized the consequences of his becoming a lord of misrule and a messenger of great darkness. He regretted his actions, and apologized publically; but it’s too late for him, as his friend - and the new Caliph executed him for blasphemy.
Lords of Misrule is a story of self-discovery, friendship, love, radicalization, betrayal and culture in a fast-changing world. I highly recommend this book, especially to youth and policy experts that are fighting the misrule.
January 28, 2017
This was quite an interesting read for me. There was a lot about this book that was disturbing on some level because of the overall subject matter. In truth, if I took out the aspects related to Sharia Law, being a Muslim, and living in the desert I realized there were some basic themes everyone shares.
Aliuf Ag Albachar, may be a Tuareg but when the story starts he is just a young boy looking for his place in the world. All he has is his mother and his dreams of a different life. This book is a journey of self-discovery, family, friendship, betrayal, love and learning about one’s culture/heritage. It’s a book about unrequited love. Aliuf wants nothing more than to have a life of his own. He dreams of learning all he can and of a redhead that he carries with him in his dreams wherever he goes.
Aliuf makes a number of choices that have a profound impact on his life and the lives of others. He has to learn the hard way that acting impulsively can bring about tremendous trouble for himself and others. Aliuf learns that sometimes your choices can come at a price and he ends up paying many times over for his choices. In the end this is a story of a young man’s very difficult journey from boy to a man and the consequences paid for his choices.
Aliuf Ag Albachar, may be a Tuareg but when the story starts he is just a young boy looking for his place in the world. All he has is his mother and his dreams of a different life. This book is a journey of self-discovery, family, friendship, betrayal, love and learning about one’s culture/heritage. It’s a book about unrequited love. Aliuf wants nothing more than to have a life of his own. He dreams of learning all he can and of a redhead that he carries with him in his dreams wherever he goes.
Aliuf makes a number of choices that have a profound impact on his life and the lives of others. He has to learn the hard way that acting impulsively can bring about tremendous trouble for himself and others. Aliuf learns that sometimes your choices can come at a price and he ends up paying many times over for his choices. In the end this is a story of a young man’s very difficult journey from boy to a man and the consequences paid for his choices.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews