Books like The lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

In the desert‑born Asharite empire of Al‑Rassan, centuries of decadence have fractured the kingdom into competing city‑states ruled by petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada rises through the ranks with the aid of his loyal friend and advisor Ammar ibn Khairan, a poet, diplomat, and soldier whose counsel grows strained after a brutal parade of violence. Across the northern frontier, Rodrigo Belmonte, the famed but feared Jaddite military leader exiled after conquest, gathers a mercenary band to travel south. The inevitable convergence of these two men brings them into service under a shared, uncertain master. Amid this turmoil, Jehane, the skilled court physician, must navigate her growing affections while her medical expertise becomes crucial as Al‑Rassan teeters on the brink of a holy war. Guy Gavriel Kay blends intricate political drama with a richly envisioned setting that mirrors the culture and conflicts of medieval Spain.

First publish date: 1995