Set in the heart of the exotic Ottoman Empire during the first years of its chaotic decline, Michael David Lukasâ elegantly crafted, utterly enchanting debut novel follows a gifted young girl who dares to charm a sultanâand change the course of history, for the empire and the world. An enthralling literary adventure, perfect for readers entranced by the mixture of historical fiction and magical realism in Philip Pullmanâs The Golden Compass, Orhan Pamukâs My Name is Red, or Gabriel GarcĂa MĂĄrquezâs One Hundred Years of Solitude, Lukasâ evocative tale of prophesy, intrigue, and courage unfolds with the subtlety of a Turkish mosaic and the powerful majesty of an epic for the ages.