by John Cressler

Much of modern Spain was under Muslim control for nearly 800 years (from 711 to 1492 C.E.). Medieval Islamic Spain was deeply influential in world events, for a multitude of reasons, including the rediscovery, translation, and dissemination of the lost works of medicine, science, and philosophy of the ancient Greeks, which helped set the stage for the European Renaissance. The Muslim Umayyads (with roots tracing back to Syria) were great lovers of books and learning. An exceptional period of peaceful coexistence during the 10th and 11th centuries between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam occurred under Umayyad rule, providing a powerful lesson in multiculturalism for our 21st century. Together, the three traditions helped launch a remarkable and enduring cultural revolution.

Merchants of Iniquity is the fourth and final release in the Anthems of al-Andalus Series, which breaks open this largely forgotten and fascinating history for modern readers. All four historical novels revolve around love stories set at pivotal moments in the history of medieval Islamic Spain. Merchants of Iniquity is a sequel to Fortune’s Lament and is set 120 years after Emeralds of the Alhambra. The heroine and hero of Fortune’s Lament, Danah and Yusef, are trapped in the middle of the bloody war between Granada and Christian Spain. The surrender of the Alhambra Palace in 1492 marks the end of the storied history of Islamic Spain, and precipitates the tragic Sephardic diaspora, as well as the fateful voyage of Columbus to claim the Americas.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: 

“This impressive work by Cressler ticks all the boxes for a great historical novel. His extensive research and vivid interpretation of the 15th century battle for power between the Christians and the Moors in southern Spain keeps the reader gripped until the very last page.”
—Joan Fallon, author of the al-Andalus Series, Málaga, Spain

“[Cressler] creates an incredibly touching world in which love and loyalty become visceral, and even mystical, through the deep and complex relationships that he helps us to experience between family, friends, and community as he reveals layer by layer what it means to lead, to serve, and to care about the people and places that surround us.”
—Jackie Royster, Dean Emerita of the Ivan Allen College, Georgia Tech

“Cressler’s nuanced portrayal of these dynamic individuals, together with his masterful use of dramatic irony, invites deep empathy and sparks an achingly unrealistic hope that things might end—or, in this case, might have ended—differently.”
―Julia Baumgardt, Marian University

John D. Cressler is Regents Professor, Schlumberger Chair Professor in Electronics, and Ken Byers Teaching Fellow in Science and Religion at Georgia Tech. He is the author of five non-fiction books, as well as the historical novels Emeralds of the Alhambra, Shadows in the Shining City, and Fortune’s Lament. Merchants of Iniquity is the fourth and final release in the Anthems of al-Andalus Series. Visit the author at: http://johndcressler.com.