Hiyas!
This is excellent inspiration & "realistic" ambiance for a The Cradle & the Crescent Saga. Altho' the protagonist is not a mage, there is magickall shenanigans within. Plus, it's a page-turner!
THE DESERT OF SOULS by Howard A Jones
amazon.com/Desert-Souls-Howa ... 0312646747
HtH
T
PS: Set in the 8th century during the reign of Harun al-Raschid of Baghdad & Irene of Bizantium. The great Ja'far is one of the main characters. & Zoroastrian magi, oh my!
This looks like it could be a good thread.
Here's a couple of classic (and good!) novels in the "Arabian Nights Gothic" subgenre.
The Arabian Nightmare, by Robert Irwin, who also wrote the non-fiction Companion to the Arabian Nights and tons of other good stuff.
amazon.com/Arabian-Nightmare ... 602&sr=1-1
Vathek, by William Beckford, which is available free in electronic format.
Thanks. I didn't know Irwin wrote fiction. Should try and pick it up on Kindle.
Lachie
That does look like some fun sword and sorcery. You might like another book set in around the same time period, albeit not in an Arabian setting. It's not so magical but it's got the same feel as this one gives off.
Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure by Michael Chabon
I enjoyed Judith Tarr's "A Wind in Cairo"
Quick, easy read, with great archetypal characters. Several of them have appeared in my saga...