Introduction

In ancient times, Socrates fled Athens for the courts of Egypt, setting in motion events that led to Carthage destroying Rome. A millennium later, by the grace of Allah, Muhammad received the Qur'an. And the Prophet's apostle Bilal was granted a vision that Islam's destiny lay far across the western ocean, in a New World...

The year is 1279, or, to those who worship the son of Mary, 1863. Bordered by fierce Azteca to the south, the red men's nations of the far west, and the Viking empire in the north, Bilalistan is a vast, rich land adorned with inspiring mosques, Zulu kraals, and glorious Moorish castles. Its grand estates are worked by savage Franks and Gauls captured from darkest Europe.

A primitive child from Eire, little Aidan O'Dere knows nothing of the world on the day his village is raided. His father is murdered while Aidan, his mother, and his sister are chained in the dark, diseased hold of a slave ship bound for the New World of Bilalistan. There the boy is sold to Dar Kush, the estate of the Wakil Abu Ali.

The Wakil is notorious for his lenient handling of his whites, even letting them keep their tribal names and pagan beliefs. And when Aidan becomes personal servant to the Wakil's mischievous yet brilliant younger son, Kai, friendship is allowed to blossom between the two youths--a bone that seems to eclipse their status as master and slave. But the tranquility of Dar Kush hides a world where slave families are torn apart to pay bets, whipping and rape are daily fare, and runaways are slaughtered by vicious animals. And behind their happy comportment, the whites are seething with hatred.

When war suddenly sweeps over the entire continent, the Aztecs, Zulus, Arabs and whites are engulfed in carnage. And in the terrible darkness of the battlefield, Kai and Aidan will learn that blood is neither black nor white...

This [paraphrased] summary of Lion's Blood was available on the book's promotional website. It is a well-written text that gives just enough information for the audience to know what the book will be about and, perhaps, invite them to actually find out what will happen next by reading it.

    I've been familiar with this book for more than ten years as I type this sentence. My initial path in discovering this book began when I was younger and I was reading about what alternate history was about on Wikipedia. There, I saw a list of alternate history fiction from different types of media that included books and video games. From that list, I found Lion's Blood, written by Steven Barnes, and read the plot synopsis and it caught my attention. There were certainly others that I could have chosen, but this one stuck out from the rest. It was also during this time that I had read Richard Wright's novel titled Native Son and I was still left with a strong melancholic mood about the entire story. It seemed appropriate, therefore, that I would be interested in reading about a role-reversal story between Black and White people as defined by American culture and history.

    Luckily, I was able to find Lion's Blood and its sequel, Zulu Heart from a local library. I rented the first book and began reading it when I arrived home. That summer, I became enamored with what I was reading. The book was only a few years old since its publication and I wondered why this book was not well-known after I finished it. I don't remember how long it took me to finish it, but during my time reading it, the book served as a useful experience to help my imagination create this hypothetical world where race, religion, and language were starkly different from my general life. The idea of a Black, African, Islamic, Alternate America was so alien to me and while I did not agree with the idea of portraying Christianity in a minimal role, I understood that in the context of the book, it made sense and that I should be able to entertain a thought without necessarily accepting it as true.

    After finishing Lion's Blood, I read Zulu Heart, finished it, and I wanted to read more about Aidan and his family, Kai and his family, and what the future of Bilalistan and its White population will be. Many years have passed and there has not been another book written. The website that described the world of Lion's Blood is no longer available.

    Regardless of the future of the story, I think that this book should not be forgotten. It was my first alternate history book that I have ever read. It is also connected to other genres and sub-genres that other people may express interest in, such as Afrocentrism, European Pagan culture, Arabic Studies, Muslim literature, Afro-Celtic music, and the relationship between society and race. In my case, it has helped me become interested in African culture, its history, and the Arabic language. I remember around this time that I was listening to Arabic pop culture from a music television channel called Melody Arabia. Fun times!

    This blog is an expression of my admiration for the story that originated in Lion's Blood. I expect to eventually talk about topics related to the story: its plausibility, opinions on the characters and their choices, questions about the world outside of Bilalistan, and more.

    I truly hope that, one day, the story will continue and that it will be made into a television series, a web series, or a series of films.

    To Mr. Steven Barnes, the author of the book, thank you for writing Lion's Blood. It has been an honor for me to have read such a fascinating book that has helped me expand my sense of wonder that can be found when reading. I hope that this blog gives you joy in knowing that there is one more person in the world who values your work done in creating this memorable story.

A dagger that is a close approximation to what I imagined may have looked like when it was found by Aidan and his father in the beginning of the book.