Odalisque, by Fiona McIntosh

Aware that all eyes in the room were trained on him, Boaz took his father’s hand. It felt dry, too cold, as if death had indeed arrived…’Boaz…You are the Chosen One. No-one else! You alone. Never forget it!’ he forced out. The stricken physicians watched the last struggling breath arrive and expel in a desperate gasp.

At fifteen, Boaz finds himself the new Zar of Percheron and surrounded by those who would manipulate him for their own ends – his mother, Herezah, the new Valide; the Vizier Tariq; and Salmeo, the Grand Master of the Eunuchs. Fortunately, he also has a handful of genuine friends, including the Spur, Lazar, head of Percheron’s security, Pez, the mad jester and Ana, an odalisque purchased to begin his new harem. As Boaz struggles to establish himself , he will need all the support these friends can give him – but they have struggles of their own to confront.

Odalisque is a breathtaking new fantasy title, the first in a trilogy. Readers will find themselves caught up in the intrigue, the drama and the treachery of the palace and its harem. There are scenes of horror which are so intense the reader is gasping for release, yet unable to put the book down. The story sweeps along through the rooms and corridors of the palace and into the surrounding landscape, visiting diverse characters and witnessing events both cruel and dramatic. There is an ending, of course, but an ending which leaves the reader desperate for the next instalment.

Brilliant.

Odalisque, by Fiona McIntosh
Harper Collins, 2005