by Elif Şafak
First published 2013
Jahan, a 12-year-old animal tamer, arrives in Istanbul's bustling court. He soon befriends the sultan's brilliant daughter and becomes an apprentice to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect. As Jahan helps Sinan design some of the most magnificent buildings in history, a dangerous rivalry brews among the other apprentices. Caught in a web of ambition, love, and power, Jahan must navigate the treacherous currents of court politics to pursue his passions.
Genres: historical, historical-fiction, adventure, architecture
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Turkey
Period: Süleyman I, 1520-1566, Ottoman Empire, 1288-1918, 16th century
456 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Viking