Ficlets

Nathalie Mallet:

Strange historical facts and practices fascinate me. Through the ages people have done some bizarre things, things that often defied the imagination…and common sense; such as Caligula making his horse a senator or the Countess Bathory bathing in the blood of peasant girls to stay young and beautiful.

So it is not surprising that my debut novel, The Princes of the Golden Cage, is inspired from one such unorthodox practice, namely the Ottoman Kafes, which entailed locking all the Princes into one section of the palace until one was chosen as the heir. Of course, these Princes tried to kill each other every chance they had. Needless to say, I loved the setting; it was perfect for an Arabian Nights whodunit.

One of the challenging aspects I encountered while writing The Princes of the Golden Cage was how to mesh fact with fiction. At first, I didn’t know how to proceed. Should this book simply be a historical mystery? Or should I forget the facts and construct a different world around my protagonists? Well, a mix of both was the obvious solution, but finding the right balance was tricky. Although I love all those fascinating cultural details, I know that not everybody shares my taste. Yet I wanted the story to retain that Arabian Nights flavour, because it evokes such a strong imagery in people’s minds.

Oddly enough, the questions I had concerning the story’s background were answered the moment my protagonist made his apparition. Prince Amir Ban is a loner with a penchant for alchemy, who’s never as happy as when his head is buried in one of his beloved science books. His logical mind and sceptical nature, made magic the perfect obstacle for him. Amir could easily believe his brothers guilty of murder, but believing in magic was very difficult for him. That’s when the story truly became a fantasy. It also dictated the direction the series would take, which for me was something like the adventures of a 14th century ghostbuster.

Although Amir had solved one problem, he had created another one: how can I transform this brooding, pessimistic Prince, whose sole ambition is to remain anonymous, into a hero? Well, the answer was rather simple: I didn’t transform him at all. I just made him care enough about other people to risk his own safety to help them. Okay, also I didn’t give him any choices. I forced him into action by making him the prime suspect in his brothers’ murders. Cruel but efficient. Writers can be unpleasant that way.

I must say, I look forward to putting Amir in more peril. I want to see him grow, explore new territories and experience different cultures. The second book in the Prince Amir Mystery series, The King’s Daughters, has a Russian inspired setting, so one can expect a lot of snow and much whining on Amir’s part.

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Visit Nathalie Mallet’s blog here, and hear audio excerpt from the book here.