A jest and a vengeance

"A Jest and a Vengeance" by E. Hoffmann Price is a fantastic story set in the early 1900's about Sultan Schamas ad Din who is attempting to survive betrayal and an uprising. His nephew, Maksoud, is working with the British to overthrow him, which sends the sultan on a quest for payback that takes him to the magical city of Atlânaat. After an attempted murder, the sultan, along with Ismeddin, journey into the spooky remains of this once-great city, full of old magic and ghostly people. There, the sultan meets a striking girl who speaks of the Lord of the World, the one who dreams reality. Instead of killing his nephew, the sultan decides to give Maksoud the throne, ensuring that he will suffer under the control of foreign powers, a witty and fitting punishment for his actions.