Hey there,
Before you dive too deep into sword fights, court intrigue, and suspiciously powerful empires, I figured we should have a quick little chat. Just to clear the air. You know, the kind of talk where I say "don't sue me for historical inaccuracy" and you say "ah, makes sense." Great! Let's get to it.
This novel wears historical clothing, but under that robe, it's all fantasy—sometimes grim, sometimes magical, sometimes just plain weird.
A bunch of characters, families, and kingdoms might sound familiar. That's because they're loosely inspired by real history. But please—emphasis on loosely. Like, duct-tape-loose.
Also, the Sassanid Empire… yeah you heard that right, is still around.
In our reality, the Sassanid Empire took a historical nosedive a long time ago. But in this world? They're alive, well, and kicking imperial butt across the map.
They're still a dominant force in the Middle East, and their people follow Zoroastrianism. Yes, that Zoroastrianism. But here's the twist—Islam never really took hold as it did in our timeline, although a few of its ideas did cozy up with Zoroastrianism. History, but make it spicy.
Anyways, what I am trying to say is that this is not a documentary. There are no professors. No boring narrator voice. No historically accurate clothing (okay, maybe a little). This is a fantasy novel, baby.
If you're here for flawless reenactments of historical events, well… might I suggest your nearest library or streaming service?
If you're here for alternate timelines, ancient empires doing weird things, and historical figures who probably wouldn't recognize themselves—then grab your metaphorical popcorn and let's roll.