The End of the Fall

'How far can one go? When the dreams are dreams no more, and the wishes are attainable behind a certain door, how far can one go...We always wish for more, much more' - The End of the Fall

Knights, fairies, wizards and guardian jewels. Ring a bell? Maybe Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings? The Chronicles of Narnia? Maybe not if I told you that our protagonists' name is Majid, an Arabian embodiment of courage, adventure, modesty and honour. Developed so honestly and purely, you can't help but feel like you already know him.


Or maybe it's because I already do.


After reading this article in Arab News, I mentioned it to my friend Majid, who happens to be the brother of the author, Mostafa Fahmi. (Not coincidentally, Majid lends not only his name, but is also the muse and inspiration for our Arabian hero.) I suggest you read the article, but in a nutshell, what started as a personal project developed into a 40 chapter Fantasy, with interweaving mythologies written within an Arabian framework, in English. In a word, Unique. Unfortunately local publishing houses had another word, Dismissed.

As the article states, Mostafa started a Facebook group and invited people to read chapters from his book, establishing a fanbase. That's where I read the prologue and the first 8 chapters of The End of the Fall. Now Fantasy has never been my style of choice, so I started reading with skepticism. After the prologue and the first chapter, I printed out the other seven and curled up to finish them all last night. The story is a creative adventure, where imagination has no limits, yet is carefully sculpted in a way to lead the reader by the hand through this new world without getting lost, yet without losing the sense of discovery and suspense.

Yet what drew me through the 8 chapters was the characters. Arabian in spirit and close to the heart, you can't help but read on just to make sure our heroes are alright, seeing a bit of yourself, or someone you know, in every character you come across. For me personally, the spirited and compassionate fairy Fay, who is Majid's companion and guide throughout his adventure reminds me of my friend Faten, and I can't help but picture her flying around and sprinkling her fairy dust with determination as I turn from chapter to chapter.

I would recommend the light and spirited read to anyone, but alas it is not published. But I do want to be able to read the remaining 30 or so chapters, and therefore recommend you join the Facebook Group here, read a couple of chapters and see how it goes. Maybe with our support, we will be able to get The End of the Fall published.

On a side note, what saddened me the most about the article is Mostafa Fahmi's assertion that publishers rejected the book on the notion that Saudis don't read. An ignorant statement, at the very least. A dangerous perspective and oversight in reality. Mostafa is contributing to a vacuum in the market, which exists not because there is no demand, yet because it is a niche that has yet to be filled, and The End of the Fall represents an excellent first step towards serving this market segment.

And speaking of first steps, "Dreams will always be dreams, but if we believe and take that step, they will be dreams no more. It is our decision, and it's our choice to act on it. It took one first step to fall into the well, as it took one first step to cross the rusty wooden door, but it will take many other first steps..." - The End of the Fall