Fadel Almheiri

Kingdom of Peacocks Fadel Almheiri

It is the year AD 1510 and young Zahran wants to be a sailor more than anything in the world. As Portuguese caravels arrive to seize his town of Calicut, India, stories begin circulating about the legendary one-eyed pirate and smuggler, Dayjur, who is known for his reckless bravery. Enchanted by the stories, Zahran dreams of joining the infamous corsairs of the Arabian Sea and has his first encounter with Dayjur.

As the Portuguese blast Calicut into rubble, Zahran is left orphaned after his entire family is killed. Now with his city in ruins and thousands dead, Zahran plans a daring scheme to seek revenge for his family that leads him to Dayjur's ship, the Jahanam, where the pirate's and teen's lives become entangled in a twist of fate. After Dayjur reluctantly adds Zahran to his crew as a cabin boy, the Jahanam gallops into the open ocean. As Zahran's adventure begins, he must battle to survive and get along with his crusty crewmates-all while learning the tale of Dayjur's fascinating life journey fueled by vigilance, peril, and escape.

Kingdom of Peacocks shares a young corsair's retelling of the swashbuckling story of smugglers and pirates who stood against the Portuguese oppression in the early sixteenth century.