“Harem. The Real Life of Hurrem by Colin Falconer is a gripping tale of betrayal, revenge and murder spanning four decades. From medieval Venice to the slave markets of Algeria, from the mountains of Persia to Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Suleiman the Magnificent, the greatest Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, must protect his legacy at all costs. On the battlefields and beyond the gates of the forbidden palace, his sons and viziers find themselves embroiled in a deadly intrigue for absolute power. The concubines compete for his favor, no matter the cost. One of them is Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. She knows that there is only one way out of the Sultan's golden prison: to attract his attention and give birth to his child. In Venice, Abbas is the impulsive and stubborn son of the city's warlord. He embarks on a reckless romantic adventure with terrifying and unimaginable consequences. An irony of fate brings Abbas and Hurrem together in the Byzantine world of the Ottoman court. Their intrigues threaten the future of the Ottoman throne, and if they are exposed, they both face a terrible death.