Could it be possible for a historical novel of this immense magnitude to discuss some groups of humans, the events and situations they lived through in the Mamluk era, and their upbringing during this time, all through the symbols and phrases we use every day and every time? It seems as if the narrator weaves for us a dictionary in a simple, yet profound language. We delve into its terms and connect them with their simple meanings, only to discover that behind the lines lie meanings we would only grasp if we live with them. What we say with our transient tongues is nothing but a long history that has been woven over hundreds of years.

In our minds, we associate the concept of the phrase "This is a man, a son of people" or "This is a girl from a decent family" with a specific class of human strata, a class that might be described as being from an ivory tower difficult to approach, or a group that has followed a specific method to receive the foundations of education, the etiquette of high taste, and manners. But, there is no consensus on who exactly are referred to as "children of people", and can they be classified as a class that has become extinct in our current era, considering that "children of people" are a group of humans associated with a specific period of history?

Another term mentioned frequently in the intricacies of the novel is the "shadow puppet". Many may not understand what this term precisely refers to. It is a popular art consisting of simple handmade puppets moving randomly behind a thin curtain in a dark theater. A dim light is cast on these puppets from behind the stage, making their shadows appear on the screen as they move to the rhythm of a narrated text with music. Who are these puppets throughout history, and what is the intended meaning from describing them in such a frail way?

Author Reem Basyouni ventures through three contrasting periods, each reflecting the religious, social, political, and historical condition of Egypt and its "children of people" in the era when the Mamluks ruled after the end of the Ayyubid rule. The effects of Mamluk rule, which to this day sparks debate, are depicted. On the one hand, some see and chronicle it as the rule of a group of slaves brought from various places to Egypt as children, trained as soldiers and servants to sultans and princes who exercised authority over Egyptians. On the other hand, Egyptians never tire of mentioning the Mamluks' victories over the Tartars and Crusaders and how they protected Egypt from their invasions over centuries, besides their architectural, educational, and charitable contributions in building mosques, schools, markets, and hospitals.

"Mamluks Trilogy" is a historical novel composed of three distinct periods in the Mamluk era. The first novel takes place during the reign of Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun (the pinnacle of the first Mamluk state's era - the Bahri Mamluks), the second during the reign of Sultan Barquq (founder of the second Mamluk state - the Circassian Burji Mamluks), and the third during the reign of Sultan Tuman bay (when the Ottomans entered Egypt and the second Mamluk state fell).