Adhara: Book One
At only age five, all Adhara knows is a quiet life with her grandmother, tending chicken coops and trying to eavesdrop on the secrets her grandma whispers to visiting villagers. But that simple life is shattered when she is forced to escape the atrocities of war-torn Iraq. Little does Adhara know, she is not just a casualty of war, but the cause. She barely makes it out alive, the sole survivor in her family, and struggles with the guilt of being the only one left standing. In another corner of the world, a young Teddy navigates his own set of traumas, several that threaten his life. When the universe forces them together, neither one is aware that their survival is no accident, and that they are tied jointly by a magic beyond worldly understanding.
The Hollow Tube, my first book in the ADHARA series, alternates between the point of view of these two dynamic characters who meet as children and forge a connection through tragedy. Though Adhara is adopted by new parents and moves to London while Teddy grows up in Arizona, they find each other as adults when Adhara’s adoptive parents pass away in an unexpected car accident. It is then that she learns that, like her grandma, her adoptive parents were keeping the secret of her heritage from her. Adhara begins to unravel these secrets with Teddy’s help, and together they are sucked into a time-travelling adventure to recover Adhara’s long-lost sister. This epic historically accurate mystery novel will take readers into a page-turning world of complex psychological plotting, where our main characters find themselves unraveling mysteries from childhood. They will access powers they were previously unaware of, all while their childhood adoration for one another blooms into an adult love. Set in the 60s and 80s, the novel weaves in real cultural events and religious themes within this fantastical world, so readers will be able to reflect on the historical accuracy while they ride along on this trip through the undulations of space and time. This will serve as book one to a series of three books.
Notably, the novel's strengths lies in its pacing. The toggling back and forth perspectives keep the narrative fresh and engaging, propelling the reader forward as secrets are revealed, and the danger unfolds. Each twist left me turning the pages late into the night, and I often found myself lost in the world the author created…
Excerpt from Chapter 4: The Hollow Tube By Patrick N. Bays
In the pitch-black emptiness of the putrid sewer tunnel, Adhara sat upon the bottom rung of the ladder and waited. The green cloud of death had spared her, blown away by the lips of Allah. But above, the city was quiet as a tomb. Gone were the explosions, gun shots, and screams of the dying. She’d not heard the rumble of trucks or the honking of horns for over an hour. Only the occasional shrieking of sirens somewhere in the distance—aid cars rushing to the hospital, she prayed, breadcrumbs leading to her mother.
With each passing minute, the knot that had formed in her stomach when she was still at Qashta’s grew larger. It grew with the fear of silence, fear of what awaited her on the surface. Jahannam was Arabic for the netherworld, Qashta had taught her. A place of dragon fire and boiling vats of oil, where evildoers were punished after death. If that nightmare were true, then Qashta’s vision of hell was above her, not below. A wasteland of death and destruction, and of whatever evil remained after Allah had gathered the souls of innocents and carried them to heaven.
Adhara’s shoulders sagged as she peered upwards into the darkness. Gone was any trace of sunlight. Even the fingerholds were black. With the lid ajar, at least she could see her chalky toes. Now, even the tip of her nose was invisible…
…Qashta said everyone had secrets. The only secrets in Adhara’s life were the shadowy nighttime voices that rumbled from the chicken coop after Qashta blew dark the last candle. Most of the voices were unfamiliar, but a few belonged to the local villagers: shopkeepers, butchers, distant neighbors. And though she never let on to Qashta, Adhara knew that her father and Jib were at the meetings too, and that when the men’s rumblings grew quiet, it was a woman’s voice she last heard.
Adhara’s inner clock said it was mid-afternoon. Enough time to find the hospital before the sun’s fading light fell from the sky. Risky for certain, as Saddam and his soldiers hunted her down, but what other choice did she have? She couldn’t hide in the manhole forever; the bread and water in her satchel would barely last a day. And without light, she’d never find her way out of the maze of sewer tunnels. Probably drown or be eaten alive by rats.
She would take her chances on the street. Blend in. Play hide and seek all the way to the hospital. Besides, she had a secret power now—the power of deception. The eerie reflection in the storefront window was that of a ghost; even Qashta wouldn’t recognize her. She was no longer Adhara, the little girl… She was Kasia, the scary white witch.
This is only the beginning of Adhara's story.
The Hollow Tube is book one of a thrilling three-part series. Sign up now to be the first to hear about upcoming book releases, exclusive content, and all the latest news from the world of Adhara. Don’t miss out on the next chapter of this extraordinary journey!
Adhara Book One: The Hollow Tube offers an escape from reality, tackling heavy themes such as grief, identity, and the burdens of the past with overarching sensitivity and grace. I can't wait to see where the journey leads in the next release of the series. I can safely say, this debut is not just a story—it's an experience. A must-read for anyone who enjoys rich storytelling with heart, history and depth!...