A dying city. A shattered ideal. A choice that will forge a survivor.
Based on the real-life 1873 Cantonal Rebellion and the subsequent flight of the ironclad Numancia, The Oran Ultimatum explores the “Great Divergence” found in the archival gaps of Saturnino Ximénez’s exile in North Africa.
THE ORAN ULTIMATUM
January 1874. As the brutal siege of Cartagena reaches its bloody climax, a massive explosion shatters the city. From the rubble, young idealist Sadurní Enrich emerges with one purpose: to find his friend Miquel, last seen at the heart of the blast.
His search is a harrowing pilgrimage through the streets of a dying revolution, a desperate journey that will systematically destroy his youthful beliefs and test his very will to survive.
Meticulously researched and powerfully told, The Oran Ultimatum is a gripping story of survival, disillusionment, and the impossible choice that forges a survivor, setting the stage for the international mysteries of The Saturnino Ximénez Files.
The Oran Ultimatum is a gripping, richly atmospheric historical short story—perfect for readers of Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Louis de Bernières, and fans of intense, character-driven prequels.
Purchase & Own
Available globally. While The Oran Ultimatum is an ebook-exclusive prequel, all full-length novels will be released in both print and digital formats. For all upcoming titles, we encourage you to support your local community by requesting them through your neighbourhood bookstore or library.
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What Readers are Saying
FAQ about The Oran Ultimatum
The conflict is a blend of historical chaos and personal crisis: it is both external and deeply personal. Externally, Sadurní must survive the violent collapse of the Cantonal Rebellion and the grueling conditions of a refugee camp in Mers El Kébir. Personally, he faces an agonizing ideological defeat and is faced with a life-altering ultimatum.
The real Saturnino (1853–1933) was a formidable Menorcan polymath—a journalist, archaeologist, and gentleman adventurer.
Historically, he was a distinguished war correspondent who covered the Third Carlist War and the Russo-Turkish War, eventually becoming a respected authority on Greek and Roman archaeology. The series leans into his real-world reputation as a tireless traveler and intellectual.
We explore the gaps in the historical record to ask: What if his documented travels were actually part of a secret, lifelong pursuit of a global mystery? He remains the “Indiana Jones of the Belle Époque,” a man whose real life was already so extraordinary it invited a fictionalized legacy.
Not at all! The Oran Ultimatum provides the deep origin story of our protagonist, but each novel in The Saturnino Ximénez Files is designed to be enjoyed as a standalone historical mystery.
If you prefer to dive straight into the action, The Mariquina Manuscript is the perfect entry point, plunging you into the lush, dangerous world of 1870s Manila.
However, reading the prequel first offers a deeper look at the psychological “why” behind the protagonist’s arrival in Manila and provides the essential context for the “identity shift” he undergoes as he transitions from a man fleeing his past to a seeker of suppressed truths.
Absolutely. The story is set against the backdrop of the very real Cantonal Rebellion in Cartagena (1873–1874) and the subsequent internment of Spanish refugees in French-controlled Algeria.
Although the protagonist’s specific journey is fictional, the atmospheric details of the refugee camps, the geopolitical tension of the era, and the social constraints of 19th-century Spain are all drawn from meticulous historical research.
Start the Journey
Start the adventure today. Get The Oran Ultimatum, the FREE prequel short story, and discover the choice that forged a survivor.