The Peace Machine by Ӧzgϋr Mumcu

The Peace Machine

Ӧzgϋr Mumcu

Billed as a ‘rollicking Ottoman streampunk adventure’, I thought I'd breeze through this short novel but a challenging narrative, coupled with a convoluted plot slowed me down. Saying that - the story gives an insight into a period of history (political events leading to the assassination of Serbia's ruling monarchy), I knew little of and poses questions about warfare which are as relevant today as at the time those events took place.

Extract
Sahir blinked and then sighed, placing his hand on Celal's shoulder. 'Electromagnetism,' he said, 'is perhaps the most democratic force in the world. It exists everywhere in every single moment. It has the power to influence every single person's soul. You're right. If we could use the machine on those people who make decisions about war and peace, our work would be much easier.'
Parallels
  • Eros Element by Cecilia Dominic
  • Love is Blind by William Boyd