The Treasure of Akram el-Amin

By: Chris L Adams

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

An Arabian tale of a quest that could only transpire in another time and place… When Iskandar’s father came to him and said: “My son, you must go to the tents of mine enemy and bring to me his greatest treasure!” little did the lad guess what was about to befall him. Now, alone amidst the palisaded tents of his father’s rival, would he come away with the chieftest of the great sheikh’s riches? How would he know this gem among gems? Or would the boy lose his life as he attempted to wrest the most valued possession held by one of the most powerful sheikhs of all Arabia - Akram el-Amin! Simsalabim! This quick read is a short-story.

Loved It

This is a fun little tale that feels like it’s a lost portion of the original manuscript of a Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Iskandar has been sent by his father to steal the most valuable treasure of Sheik El-Amin, but choosing which of his many riches the old man values most will prove as harsh a test of his intelligence as escaping with the treasure will test his martial skills. This short adventure piece is well worth your time.

My favorite scene focuses upon Iskander’s encounter with a djinn. The djinn is a staple of fanciful Arabic literature in which wishes often go awry. Adams brilliantly uses the scene to show both Iskandar’s ethics and his cunning. It’s a great scene in a great story.