Khaled, a Tale of Arabia
1891
What if a being of infinite power chose to become mortal, simply to love? Khaled was a genie, bound to serve, until he stood before the Angel of Death and begged for one precious thing: to live as a man. His request granted, he descends to ancient Arabia, to the court of a Sultan, armed with supernatural knowledge but vulnerable to every human weakness. His quest: to win the heart of Princess Zehowah, a woman whose hand is sought by princes and politicians alike. In this luminous oriental romance written in the tradition of the Arabian Nights, Crawford weaves a tale where magic collides with mortal frailty, where love demands sacrifice, and where a former spirit must learn what it truly means to be human. For readers who long for the enchantment of old-world storytelling, for those who believe love is worth any price, Khaled remains a shimmering gem of Victorian fantasy.
