Publisher's Synopsis
The narration of this book starts with the events that followed the end of the first series of Persian wars that started in 1532 with Sultan Suleiman's capture of Baghdad along with his Grand Vizier Pargali Ibrahim and continued till 1955. After a series of indecisive battles that inflicted great losses to both combatants, this long conflict was ended by the Amasya Treaty with Kara Ahmed as Grand Vizier.During the last stage of the Persian Wars, Suleiman Khan tortured by gout and influenced by the rumors that his oldest son Sehzade Mustafa was conspiring against him because he was favoring the sons of Hurrem as heirs of the throne, decides to act proactively. Thus, he invites Mustafa to his tent and executes him by strangulation. With this act Suleiman was hoping that this death would secure his reign from the possibility of a Janissary rebellion to put Mustafa on his throne or a civil war between his descendants after his death. Nevertheless, the events refute his hopes, as the Janissaries loyal to Mustafa rebel and threaten to topple him and kill the Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha who they suspect is behind Mustafa's murder. The throne is saved by the intervention of a valiant Vizier, Kara Ahmed who promises that Rüstem's role in the conspiracy should be investigated and if he is guilty he will be punished. However, the turmoil continues, new conspiracies to topple Suleiman erupt and a new pretender named Mustafa appears in Walachia threatening to replace the House of Osman. The resulting chaos is eventually disperse by the appearance of a new most able actor Vizier Sokollu Mehmet Pasha who finally saves the Empire, but leads Kara Ahmed's to execution and the reestablishment of Rüstem Pasha as Grand Vizier. During this period the arrival of Nurbanu Sultan in the Topkapi Harem also occurs. Her outstanding beauty turns her into an Eris' Apple for many of the Seraglio inhabitants who for their own reasons consider her a valuable asset for their bid for power. However, no one seems to realize to a sufficient degree that her beauty that dazzles them maybe just a camouflage for an exceptional degree of intelligence that can turn the tables against them in case they try to take advantage of her influence at her expense.Hurrem's aim is to use Nurbanu to excite the declining manliness of her oldest son Selim who is considered the legitimate heir of the Ottoman throne. Hurrem hopes that when Sultan Suleiman dies and Selim becomes the new Padisah, she can control him through her. Hurrem's ultimate goal is to avoid the execution of her most favorite son Bayezid according to Fatih's law that demands the elimination of all living brothers after the assumption of power by a new Sultan to avoid the possibility of a civil war.However, after the marriage of Selim with Nurbanu Sultan and his transfer to the provincial capital Manisa to practice statesmanship, after several years of calmness that produce four daughters and one son, the future heir of the throne Murat, a drinking and homosexual scandal erupts in Manisa involving Selim. Suleiman acts decisively executing his son's lover, but Nurbanu takes advantage of this incident to assume full control the bridegroom replacing his mother Hurrem Sultan. To strengthen her position in case somehow Selim is eliminated, after the untimely death of Hurrem's confident Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha, she mesmerizes the new rising star, Sokollu Mehmet Pasha, who has become second Vizier and supports her husband Selim against his more able brother and Hurrem's favorite son Bayezid.Hurrem with the support of her daughter Mihrimah next tries to save her son's life Bayezid, but his rebellious nature has alienated his father, while her power to influence the events has considerably declined with the death of Rüstem Pasha and the rise of Sokollu Pasha who has become one of Selim's supporters.The situation becomes critical for Bayezid when his mother Hurrem Sultan also dies suddenly and unexpectedly.
