A gut-wrenching journey through real history
A city under siege. A people betrayed. A figure whispered into legend.
In the winter of 1098, famine and fear choke Ma'arrat al-Nu'man. Each day the siege tower inches closer, pushed by men who pray for blood. On the walls stand masons, farmers, and boys clutching slings. Among them moves one hunter with beasts at his side - a wolf, a hawk, and a black stallion stamping in the smoke.
Based on the chronicles of the First Crusade, The Father of Beasts weaves history and imagination into a story of endurance, betrayal, and memory. While kings and governors bargained with cities like coins tossed across a table, ordinary men and women endured the hunger, fear, and cruelty of conquest. Their names were rarely recorded, yet they bore the weight of history.
Through the eyes of Ahmad - the so-called Father of Beasts - the novel follows the struggle of those forgotten by chronicles but not by God. He does not appear in the records, yet he could have. His life is a lens through which to walk the roads of Bilad al-Sham in 1098-1099 and witness the events as they unfolded.
From the massacre at Ma'arra to the silence of Jerusalem in 1099, this work draws on both Muslim and Frankish accounts to create a vivid, cinematic portrayal of the First Crusade. It is a tale of loyalty and betrayal, of truth against falsehood, and of the enduring strength of those whose voices were never heard.
The Father of Beasts is more than historical fiction - it is a remembrance. It does not seek to change history, but to keep it alive through the story of one man, so that we may resist, endure, and remember.
Salim Ibn Ahmad is the author, media producer, and founder of SleepForm Studio, an independent publishing brand creating books and media that explore history, endurance, and atmosphere. His work combines cinematic storytelling with a deep respect for the past, drawing on chronicles, landscapes, and memory to bring overlooked perspectives to life.The Father of Beasts is his first work of historical fiction, set during the First Crusade. Blending fact with fiction, it follows the story of Ahmad - a hunter caught between survival and legend - as a way to remember those whose names were never recorded in history.Growing up in the West, Salim often encountered stories of the Crusades told only from one side, where Muslims and Arabs were reduced to villains or footnotes. His writing seeks to change that perspective: to present history through an authentic lens, without glorifying violence or simplifying the struggle.He continues to develop new projects through SleepForm Studio, ranging across fiction, media, and immersive storytelling.
