Books like Odalisque by Fiona Mcintosh

Lazar, once captured by desert slave traders and then freed, became the trusted guard of the city of Percheron. As the city’s protector and confidant to the ruler Zar Joreb, he has spent years safeguarding its walls. With Zar’s death, the throne is set to pass to his fifteen‑year‑old son Boaz, while the balance of power rests with Boaz’s mother, a former harem slave who now wields real influence. Amidst court intrigue, a new bride, Ana, a young odalisque, is brought into the harem, unsettling both Boaz and Lazar with unexpected feelings. The palace’s shadowy politics are compounded by the impending return of gods, whose cyclical rise promises a cosmic struggle that could engulf the entire realm. The novel blends political intrigue, harem dynamics, and mythic ambition, exploring themes of succession, power, and the tension between personal desire and public duty in a richly detailed fantasy setting.

First publish date: 2005