The Forgotten Siege of Ma’arrat al-Nu’man: Where The Father of Beasts Begins
In the winter of 1098, Ma’arrat al-Nu’man became a place where desperation turned into horror. The city was no fortress of kings — it was a town of workshops, orchards, and people who had already endured months of conflict. Yet when the armies of the First Crusade arrived at its walls, Ma’arra was thrust into history for all the wrong reasons.
The Crusaders, exhausted from their long march and starved after the brutal siege of Antioch, surrounded Ma’arra with one goal: survival. The chronicles speak of famine so sharp that the soldiers boiled leather for broth, scraped bark from trees, and dug through refuse for scraps. When the walls finally fell, the violence that followed shocked even those who claimed God was on their side.
Reports of cannibalism at Ma’arra shook Christendom. Crusader knights, once seen as holy warriors, were recorded by both Muslim and Christian writers as turning on the bodies of the dead. Entire families disappeared in the chaos. The siege became a wound in history — a story too dark to tell in full, yet one that demanded to be remembered.
This is where The Father of Beasts begins. Rather than following kings or princes, the novel traces the footsteps of Ahmad, a hunter whose only companions are a wolf, a hawk, and a black stallion. Through his eyes, Ma’arra is not just a battlefield but a living, breathing city under siege — a place where farmers climb the walls with slings, masons fight beside their sons, and loyalty is tested in the smoke of burning homes.
Why write about Ma’arra? Because it reminds us that history is not only shaped by banners and treaties, but by ordinary people trapped in extraordinary moments. The chronicles left us fragments — glimpses of fear, of betrayal, of survival against all odds. The Father of Beasts takes those fragments and imagines what it meant to live them.
The siege of Ma’arrat al-Nu’man is a warning across centuries. It shows how war consumes more than cities; it consumes humanity itself. And yet, within its darkness, we still find sparks of resistance, loyalty, and endurance — the very things that keep history alive through story.
Where to Find It
A gut-wrenching journey through real history
A city under siege. A people betrayed. A figure whispered into legend.
In the winter of 1098, famine and fear choke Ma’arrat al-Nu’man. A siege tower creeps closer each day, pushed by men who pray for blood. On the walls stand masons, farmers, and boys clutching slings. Among them moves one hunter with beasts at his side — a wolf, a hawk, and a black stallion stamping in the smoke.
Based on the chronicles of the First Crusade, The Father of Beasts is a story of endurance and betrayal, loyalty and memory — where history and legend meet, and even in the darkest hours, resistance is possible.
The Father of Beasts is available now in paperback and ebook through global distribution, with library access included. Links can be found above. The book is listed across major retailers, including Amazon, Booktopia, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, and more.
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