The House of Sand by Terrence Douglas

Witness The House of Sand trickle down in this allegorical novel, replete with humor, about those consumed by self-interest, greed and ambition who rule a fictional desert, located in the middle of the Empty Quarter.
Follow Aziz as he reluctantly agrees to lead a caravan across the treacherous sands at the village merchants’ urgings, anxious to capitalize on a royal wedding. The journey is as difficult as Aziz predicted and the travelers nearly lose their lives, but for the sudden eruption of water from the empty sands. And it is this water that serves to finance the future Kingdom of Aquifia.

Proclaimed unanimously king by the survivors of the near tragedy, Aziz abdicates as soon as possible, turning power over to Sultan, his self-absorbed son, upon the latter’s return from Clatterbush Military Academy in the U.S. which he has been studying. Accompanied by a respected alumnus, the now-King Sultan begins his reign. Foreign businessmen rush to the kingdom, anxious to satisfy the king’s every whim—agreeing to build at exorbitant cost the vessel dubbed the boat that would not float, organizing a safari in the bush to include dancing girls for Sultan’s pleasure, to recreating a water park in the desert for his entertainment as well.

As the Kingdom approaches its demise, Aziz, the once-king, retakes the reins of power from his son, and leads the citizens and businessmen across the desert to safety just as a huge sinkhole swallows up what was once the Kingdom of Aquifia.

“…Sharp satire with crisp, intelligent writing and spot-on characterizations.” – Kirkus Reviews
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