About the Book
India, 1658. History blazes in the pages of Tiger Claws as passion and desire ignite India's Muslim-Hindu conflict. The adventure that began with The Temple Dancer now continues as Maya, the temple dancer, traveling by caravan to her new owner, is kidnapped by the bandit prince Shivaji, and their destinies unite.
Meanwhile, in the jeweled palace of Agra, Aurangzeb---a fanatic warrior-prince with an insatiable lust for power---conspires with the Eunuch Brotherhood to overthrow his own father, the dissolute Mogul Emperor.
Shivaji reforges Maya's broken sword, sparking a rebellion that will rage across India and shatter the Mogul Empire. To this day, the names Shivaji and Aurangzeb inspire fierce love and fiercer hatred. Only the vast canvas of an epic novel can truly embody them. In Tiger Claws, a master storyteller breathes new life into their history---a conflict that shaped the face of India, and our world today.
With thrilling, sensual prose, John Speed weaves a rich tapestry of intertwining stories---of commoner and king, of women and the men they love, of Hindu priest and Muslim sheik, of eunuch, farang, and devadasi; a world of violence, passion, and heartbreak; of unexpected wonder and enduring love.
About the Author :
John Speed began studying Indian history, art and religion while still in high school. For more than 30 years his explorations have deepened, as he became absorbed in tales of the fall of the Mogul Empire and of the rise of the rebel prince Shivaji. In his many visits to India, he has stood on crumbling battlements, crawled through lightless caves, bathed in sacred rivers, wandered through forgotten gardens, prayed at old mosques and ancient temples, joined in night-long kirtans and qwalis, cheered on ecstatic temple dancers, and laid his head at the feet of hundreds of saints both living and dead, Hindus and Muslims alike. Speed is a freelance political consultant and journalist who co-founded a successful online newspaper. He now lives with his dogs in a very small house overlooking Swami's Beach in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. Tiger Claws is his second novel, following The Temple Dancer.
Review :
...a fascinating glimpse into a history unfamiliar to most Westerners. "Publishers Weekly on Tiger Claws""
Praise for "Tiger Claws" ..".a fascinating glimpse into a history unfamiliar to most Westerners." --"Publishers Weekly"
Praise for "The Temple Dancer" ""The Temple Dancer" sweeps the reader into an age of passion and danger, romance, chivalry, and high adventure - an age when a bandit could defy an emperor and a dancing girl change the course of history. Set against the rich backdrop of Moghul India, "The Temple Dancer's" combination of history, intrigue, and forbidden love should appeal to anyone who loves M.M. Kaye's "The Far Pavilions" and "Shadow of the Moon" - in fact, it should appeal to anyone who loves a story that will totally intrigue them."
--India Edghill, author of "Queenmaker" and "Wisdom's Daughter"
""The Temple Dancer" is an ocean of a story, filled with adventure, passion and heartbreak.It's compulsively readable and everything you want in a novel."
--Michael Swanwick, author of "Bones of the Earth"
"What an adventure! Two women, utterly different in culture and outlook, travel across seventeenth century India on elephant back and discover, in the face of betrayal, that they have a great deal more in common than they ever suspected. Beautifully researched, this novel has it all: heroes adept with sword and pistol, bold and independent heroines, corrupt rulers, treacherous eunuchs, slippery merchants, and bloodthirsty banditti. The author stirs them all together with a handsome dose ofconspiracy, mysticism, and sensuality to create a splendid entertainment in the grand style. --Karleen Koen, author of author of "Through a Glass Darkly" and "Dark Angels" ""The Temple Dancer" is a lush, loopy, multicultural epic set in 17th -century India, like the cockeyed marriage of a Bollywood musical and an Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland movie, well-researched, playfully written, and highly entertaining."
--Chris Bram, author of "Gods and Monsters "and "Lives of the Circus Animals"
""The Temple Dancer" is what reading is all about. This book upholds true literature, which is -- the beauty of language. There is a wonderful world here full of enchantment and nourishment."--Daniel Ladinsky, author of "The Gift" and "I Heard God Laughing"
"Speed conducts a dazzling tour of seventeenth century India. Lavish and lush...mesmerizing...Chock-full of sex, suspense, and peril, this high-voltage adventure yarn will rapidly transport willing readers to vanished time and place. [It] will leave readers craving more."--"Booklist""A melange of creatively imagined characters populates Speed's first novel, an entertaining historical saga that takes place in 17th-century India. The fast-paced story benefits from intriguing characters and situations twisted just enough to keep them on the safe side ofunbelievable... it's driven by a contagious enthusiasm for the people and places encountered throughout the journey... an enjoyable adventure that still has respect for its characters.""--Publishers Weekly"
Praise for "The Temple Dancer": ""The Temple Dancer" sweeps the reader into an age of passion and danger, romance, chivalry, and high adventure - an age when a bandit could defy an emperor and a dancing girl change the course of history. Set against the rich backdrop of Moghul India, "The Temple Dancer's" combination of history, intrigue, and forbidden love should appeal to anyone who loves M.M. Kaye's "The Far Pavilions" and "Shadow of the Moon" - in fact, it should appeal to anyone who loves a story that will totally intrigue them."
--India Edghill, author of "Queenmaker" and "Wisdom's Daughter"
""The Temple Dancer" is an ocean of a story, filled with adventure, passion and heartbreak.It's compulsively readable and everything you want in a novel."
--Michael Swanwick, author of "Bones of the Earth"
"What an adventure! Two women, utterly different in culture and outlook, travel across seventeenth century India on elephant back and discover, in the face of betrayal, that they have a great deal more in common than they ever suspected. Beautifully researched, this novel has it all: heroes adept with sword and pistol, bold and independent heroines, corrupt rulers, treacherous eunuchs, slippery merchants, and bloodthirsty banditti. The author stirs them all together with a handsome dose of conspiracy, mysticism, and sensuality to create a splendid entertainment in the grand style. --Karleen Koen, author of author of "Through a Glass Darkly" and "Dark Angels" ""The Temple Dancer" is a lush, loopy, multicultural epic set in 17th -century India, like the cockeyed marriage of a Bollywood musical and an Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland movie, well-researched, playfully written, andhighly entertaining."
--Chris Bram, author of "Gods and Monsters "and "Lives of the Circus Animals"
""The Temple Dancer" is what reading is all about. This book upholds true literature, which is -- the beauty of language. There is a wonderful world here full of enchantment and nourishment."--Daniel Ladinsky, author of "The Gift" and "I Heard God Laughing"
"Speed conducts a dazzling tour of seventeenth century India. Lavish and lush...mesmerizing...Chock-full of sex, suspense, and peril, this high-voltage adventure yarn will rapidly transport willing readers to vanished time and place. [It] will leave readers craving more."--"Booklist""A melange of creatively imagined characters populates Speed's first novel, an entertaining historical saga that takes place in 17th-century India. The fast-paced story benefits from intriguing characters and situations twisted just enough to keep them on the safe side of unbelievable... it's driven by a contagious enthusiasm for the people and places encountered throughout the journey... an enjoyable adventure that still has respect for its characters.""--Publishers Weekly"
Praise for "Tiger Claws": .,."a fascinating glimpse into a history unfamiliar to most Westerners." --"Publishers Weekly"Praise for "The Temple Dancer": """High-voltage adventure. Chock-full of sex, suspense, and peril."-- "Booklist""The fast-paced story benefits from intriguing characters and situations... it's driven by a contagious enthusiasm for the people and places encountered throughout the journey... an enjoyable adventure...""--Publishers Weekly"
"A dazzling debut and a real page-turner."
--India Edghill, author of "Queenmaker "and "Wisdom's Daughter"
Praise for "Tiger Claws": ."..a fascinating glimpse into a history unfamiliar to most Westerners." --"Publishers Weekly"Praise for "The Temple Dancer": ""“High-voltage adventure. Chock-full of sex, suspense, and peril.”-- "Booklist""The fast-paced story benefits from intriguing characters and situations... it's driven by a contagious enthusiasm for the people and places encountered throughout the journey... an enjoyable adventure...""--Publishers Weekly"
“A dazzling debut and a real page-turner."
--India Edghill, author of "Queenmaker "and "Wisdom's Daughter"
Praise for "Tiger Claws" ."..a fascinating glimpse into a history unfamiliar to most Westerners." --"Publishers Weekly"Praise for "The Temple Dancer" """High-voltage adventure. Chock-full of sex, suspense, and peril."-- "Booklist""The fast-paced story benefits from intriguing characters and situations... it's driven by a contagious enthusiasm for the people and places encountered throughout the journey... an enjoyable adventure...""--Publishers Weekly"
"A dazzling debut and a real page-turner."
--India Edghill, author of "Queenmaker "and "Wisdom's Daughter"
..".a fascinating glimpse into a history unfamiliar to most Westerners." --Publishers Weekly on Tiger Claws
