Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Bahraini author Bader AlSadeqi’s new titles, The Wayfall Kidnapping and His Heroic Worth, are set to hit the shelves this month, transporting readers to a fantastic world of dwarves, elves, knights, princesses and more.
The 75-page The Wayfall Kidnapping is a villainous caper-crime fantasy novella – the creative talent’s first attempt at the sub-genre.
“I wanted to try a story with more villain-centric characters,” the 32-year-old told GulfWeekly, explaining his experience with the style.
“All the stories I write take place in the same fantasy world, but independent of each other, and while all have a focus on action and adventure, their characters are not necessarily all heroic. Writing a caper-crime novella added more fun and flexibility in my storytelling.
“The challenge was coming up with a more straightforward story while maintaining some fun and excitement, especially with the focus on villains as main characters. I felt this was something different, and I found the experience very enjoyable,” he added.
A caper story is a type of crime fiction and, unlike straight crime, has elements of humour, adventure or unusual cleverness – the main character often exhibits comical idiosyncrasies and law enforcement individuals are typically incompetent.
Wayfall Kidnapping is set in the glittering city of Wayfall. The story explores a daring team of women, each with an unapologetic history involving crime, who are brought together for a job that might catapult them to fame or the darkness of death.
The novella is part of Bader’s Daedalusian Legends series, which currently comprises seven titles, including the new books.
“Writing these fantasy fictions has been a journey of weaving intricate plots, crafting more or less morally complex characters, and balancing the thrills with the depth of world-building,” said the IT-systems analyst and holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Security from NYIT.
“One of the greatest highlights has been watching the story evolve, seeing characters surprise me, twists unfold naturally, and the world take on a life of its own.
“The biggest challenge? Ensuring the mystery remains sharp while keeping the fantasy elements immersive and believable.
“I’ve been working on these stories for over a month or more, refining every detail to make the adventure as gripping as possible.”
Blending action, adventure, and other tropes of traditional heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, His Heroic Worth is a 54-page short story and tells the tale of Prince Ronvid of Novidraken and Princess Philippa of Corniashire, who have long been betrothed – their union arranged to unite two neighbouring kingdoms.
As the day of their long-awaited wedding draws near, the young couple temporarily escapes courtly life for a private retreat.
But their idyllic getaway turns into a disaster when a vicious wyvern descends from the skies, abducting Philippa, setting the stage for ‘a crucible of devotion, valour and chivalry’, one that will truly test Ronvid.
Bader has been passionate about fantasy and science fiction ever since he was a young boy, which inspired him to write stories of his own. His books are a testament to his ‘wild imagination’, which he dreams of sharing with others.
All of Bader’s books are available on Amazon.
