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Bahraini Bader Alsadeqi’s passion for science fiction and high fantasy has inspired him to pen his first novel.
The IT system analyst spent many years with his nose in a book reading short stories and narratives of all things magic and sci-fi that he found himself writing one of his own.
The 28-year-old, who has a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology & Security from NYIT, said: “I always wanted to write stories based on my own creative imaginations, exploring ideas and concepts presented in different ways.
“My love for science fiction and high fantasy, whether in novels, comic books, video games, animation or live action works, provided me with a lot of inspiration.
“It is based on the high fantasy genre, not to be confused with regular fantasy which is very popular globally.”
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, defined either by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.
“I am really excited about this book and even though it’s my first novel, I feel I wrote something special; something different and original. It was a fun and enjoyable experience,” he added.
While finding free time was an issue, he dug deep and began to emulate his favourite famous authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Isaac Asimov, H.G Wells, Michael Moorcock, and others to help guide him on his literary journey.
After a year, The Chosen Rainheart was complete. He created a 273-page eBook and a 310-page paperback as well. He launched it on Amazon at the beginning of February of this year and it is priced BD1.124 ($2.99) as an eBook and BD6 ($15.99) as paperback.
The book tells the story of Aurum Rainheart. He is a half-human nobleman and veteran adventurer who was first tasked by the young queen of his homeland to personally request aid from an allied kingdom after the queen’s fiancé was forced to flee with many of his people from their province, where an unholy plague was unleashed by the forces of another kingdom ruled by a witch queen.
As the story progresses, Aurum learns of the dire revelations behind all the conflicts and he finds himself in a much greater role when he realises that the world is entering one of its darkest periods, and very soon.
“This novel is set in a brand new magical and fantastic world to explore filled with shining kingdoms, rich in lore and home to many diverse races including humans, elves, beast-folk, as well as various creatures such as dragons, demons and more,” Bader added. “This is a story that is filled with magic and explores vast regions, with a series of fantastic battles and detailed choreographic action, as well as a unique ending that tries to make sense of good and evil.”
His dad Mohamed, the guitarist and back-up vocalist of Osiris, and mum Nasreen Khonji, are thrilled by his accomplishment. His siblings Dr Waleed, Dalia and Layla are equally proud.
Bader has already started working on his next book which is set in the same world as his first novel.
He said: “I initially intended this novel to be a standalone story, but I hope to write new stories that expand its universe.
“It’s possible I may be the first Bahraini to release a novel in the high fantasy genre and I hope I inspire others to do the same.”
