Flood of Fire, the long-awaited conclusion of the Ibis trilogy will be published on 28 May 2015. At the heart of this epic saga, set just before the Opium Wars, is an old slaving-ship, the Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, its crew a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a truly diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt Raja to a widowed villager, from an evangelical English opium trader to a mulatto American freedman. As their old family ties are washed away they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais or ship-brothers. An unlikely dynasty is born, which will span continents, races and generations. The vast sweep of this historical adventure spans the lush poppy fields of the Ganges, the rolling high seas, and the exotic backstreets of China. But it is the panorama of characters, whose diaspora encapsulates the vexed colonial history of the East itself, which makes Sea of Poppies so breathtakingly alive - a masterpiece from one of the world's finest novelists.
Ibis Trilogy Series
This sweeping saga unfolds in the first half of the 19th century, chronicling the intertwined destinies of a diverse group of individuals aboard the ship Ibis amidst the turbulent era of colonial oppression and the Opium Wars. The narrative delves into the clash of cultures, exploitation, and the search for identity across continents. It masterfully blends historical drama, adventure, and poignant human stories of survival and found family.
Recommended Reading Order
River of Smoke
- 580 pages
- 21 hours of reading
The sequel to the bestselling, Booker-shortlisted, Sea of Poppies.
Flood of Fire (Ibis Trilogy 3)
- 616 pages
- 22 hours of reading
It is 1839 and tension has been rapidly mounting between China and British India following the crackdown on opium smuggling by Beijing. With no resolution in sight, the colonial government declares war.One of the vessels requisitioned for the attack, the Hind, travels eastwards from Bengal to China, sailing into the midst of the First Opium War. The turbulent voyage brings together a diverse group of travellers, each with their own agenda to pursue. Among them is Kesri Singh, a sepoy in the East India Company who leads a company of Indian sepoys; Zachary Reid, an impoverished young sailor searching for his lost love, and Shireen Modi, a determined widow en route to China to reclaim her opium-trader husband's wealth and reputation. Flood of Fire follows a varied cast of characters from India to China, through the outbreak of the First Opium War and China's devastating defeat, to Britain's seizure of Hong Kong.