A Modern Republic From the Ashes of an Old Theocracy - an Editorial Review of "It Always Rains in Estaran"

Book Blurb:

A nation in turmoil.

A people divided.

A revolution unfinished...

The great revolutionary leader, reformer, liberator, and, for some, oppressor, General Mateh Redes is dead. He leaves behind a newly formed, fragile republic crumbling under the weight of its own creation. With Estaran remade, its people struggle with the disorienting clash between past and present. Now rival factions clamor for power, and it is up to Sark Efni, the handpicked successor of Mateh Redes, to preserve the modern republic from the ashes of the old theocracy.

It Always Rains in Estaran explores the rise of a modern state and identity in an island nation torn between distinct cultural identities.

And only one can claim Estaran.

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/XoWmBV

Editorial Review:

Title: It Always Rains in Estaran

Author: Acar Murat Boyner

Rating: 4.7

"It Always Rains in Estaran" by Acar Murat Boyner explores the rise of a modern state and what it takes to preserve it from the ashes of the old theocracy. The novel introduces Fetma Largaz- sister of the Chief of the General Staff Esin Largaz, who confronts her brother begging him to use the army to stop the slaughter of reformist protestors by King Mobul Abdor and the Hurkis. He however refuses, labeling the protesters as "hooligans." He also threatens to turn Fetma into nothing if she continues to defy and question his decisions. Heartbroken, Fetma leaves his office and drives to Ushkar Army Station to find General Mateh Redes.

 “You’re here just in time, Ms. Largaz. Welcome to the future of Estaran.”

These words prime the reader for a journey whose foundation encompasses a choice that is not just ideological but also deeply personal. The choice embodies the fatal compromises made at the core of the quest for peace and freedom, as well as the huge price the two demand. The heavy moment also embodies a betrayal or rather, a fidelity to something higher, that feels necessary and urgent, not of a country or a people, but of one man who has proven himself to be a tyrant in waiting.

“Minister,” Merel responded softly. “We need to discuss this.” “We need to discuss whether that is a good idea...” “I realize that this is his dying wish he has bestowed upon you, the most noble task imaginable... " “But,” continued Merel, “his final decision seems misguided.” “You are opposed to our leader’s wish?” Sark asked cautiously. “Not opposed, but afraid. Estaran is not ready for this.”

Years later, the war is over and Mateh has served as the president until now. He is however dying. Sark, a minister who is also Mateh's handpicked successor, announces his dying wish but is met by Merel's calculated and layered response. The latter has been the second most powerful man in the land, he is a war hero, and an old guard. The words spoken against what feels like a sacred charge of the nation's founder make the reader sense that something terrible is about to happen. They want Sark stronger amidst a growing conflict between two visions of what the Republic should be.

“Why did you try to kill me? Did someone hire you?”

“I don’t know who they were. They said that an armed rebellion would take place and that they needed young volunteers. They told me that my family would be taken care of."

Sark, who sees himself as a reformer, a good man, and a successor to Mateh's legacy, is trying to understand why someone would want him dead. The reader learns that the nature of the conspiracy against him although shadowy, is part of a larger operation to destabilize him and the Republic at large. The moment reveals how insurgencies recruit, by framing violence like service, and by manipulating young men by appealing to their desperation. The reader knows that when the Republic was promising progress, prosperity and justice, it also planted seeds of its own destruction by taking everything from certain families who it portrayed as traitors, as well as those it forced to choose sides.

It is remarkable how Boyner constantly plants seeds that bloom into devastating consequences, including tragic irony. They include Fetma's choice to fight tyranny which ends up destroying her, Merel's warning that the country is not ready, a warning that is later validated by subsequent events, and Esin's threat to destroy his sister, a threat that is later fulfilled. Additionally, its dialogue reveals character depth while advancing the plot and themes simultaneously. For example, when Merel says “Not opposed, but afraid. Estaran is not ready for this...," he reveals his fears and advances the plot in one single line by setting up a conflict over the elections.

"It Always Rains in Estaran" follows a clear arc that begins with the founding of the Republic, followed by its consolidation of power, its struggle to establish democratic governance against internal and external threats, and lastly, its fall. It invites readers to a deep exploration of the tension between idealism and pragmatism, a tension that it doesn't really resolve but instead, shows how it destroys a Republic. "It Always Rains in Estaran" is a book that make readers experience its tragedies through the characters' perspectives, transforming it from an ordinary political allegory into a visceral, unforgettable human experience. Such characters include Fetma, who reveals the true cost of defiance, tragedy of loyalty and fragility of progress, as well as Cevret, who reveal the human cost of revolution, the cycle of violence, and the tragedy of desperation. Readers will be moved by its delivery of an ending that feels honest, tragic and yet not entirely hopeless. Indeed, all those who seek to understand the fragility of democracy, the cost of revolution, and the human toll of ideological failure will find much to appreciate in its great story telling.

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