A Wicked Wicked Man

WWMan_ Byman transports readers to the world of ancient Persia world where tribal customs mean more than personal desires, where Greece and Persia compete to conquer the world. Amidst the turmoil, two young boys vow to be friends for life: Haman the lonely son of a wealthy landowner and Mordechai, the son of a tenant farmer on Haman’s estate. When Haman steals his father’s horse and blames Mordechai, the friendship splinters, and when Mordechai takes his own revenge the friendship shatters beyond repair. As they grow up and leave their village, Haman believes he will never see Mordechai again. But their paths cross continuously, first during military training where Mordechai catches the attention of young Xerxes, son of King Darius and Queen Atossa. They are thrown together once again when they compete again for the love of Narat, a Hebrew woman that Haman loves and Mordechai marries. They meet again in Susa, the capital of Persia. In the political labyrinth of the Persian court, each man vies for power. Their struggle takes them into the royal harem where sexual politics Haman meets Atossa and Xerxes queen, Vashti each with her own agenda. As Mordechai climbs up the ladder of power, Haman becomes jealous of his rival to the point of obsession, and when Xerxes showers Mordechai with honors that Haman felt he alone deserved, he vows to kill his rival. Byman interlaces the historical and biblical canvas with real and imaginary characters to consider how the promise and ideals of youth are crushed in real life, and how the struggle to live up to a code of honor conflicts with love, ambition and desire.