A sweeping saga of passion, betrayal, power and revenge set in the opulent Ottoman palace of Suleyman the Magnificent, as one fierce slave girl rises from captivity to queen, using all the intrigue necessary for her own and her sons' survival. Inspired by the wondrous and compelling true story of Sultana Roxelana.

Stolen from her family as a child and sold into slavery in the Sultan's palace, Roxelana vows not only to survive, but to rise. In the cut-throat world of the imperial harem she embraces its language, rules, music – and the chance to catch the Sultan's eye.

When she succeeds in winning the heart of Suleyman the Magnificent, her ascent is assured. But power in the Ottoman court is fickle, and jealousies and hatreds are rife. Spurned rivals circle and plot. The Sultan's subjects revile her as a witch. And a deadly tradition hangs like a curse over the fate of every son she bears.

From the perfumed corridors of Topkapi Palace to the battlefields where Suleyman wages war against the kings of Europe, Roxelana must exert all her wiles to protect her position and her family. But at what cost?

A sweeping tale of desire, intrigue and the devastating price of power.

PRAISE

'It comes as no surprise that Sally Neighbour knows how to spin a story. The qualities that make her a great journalist - fearlessness, insight, boundless curiosity - are put to excellent novelistic ends here. But the wild ambition and assured imagination that she brings to telling Roxelana's story are a revelation. Ferocious humanity, grand scope and skullduggery at every turn make this the most delicious kind of historical fiction by a true writer' Michael Williams, editor of The Monthly