Нощите на османската принцеса

by Linda Lafferty

Константинопол, 1826 г.
Всеки месец при новолуние, когато слънцето все още не е изгряло, една лодка се отдалечава към най-дълбоките води на Босфора, между Европа и Азия. Чува се сподавен вик, бърз плясък и... отново тишина.
Принцесата - Есма Султан, любимата сестра на султана, заспива блажено в своя дворец на брега, изпратила поредния си любовник християнин на смърт.
Султанът – Махмуд Втори обмисля да наложи нов ред в Османската империя и да се справи с непокорните еничари. Затова отстранява най-добрия от тях – ага Ахмед Кадир, като го изпраща за страж на принцесата.
Палачът – Ахмед, или Иван Постивич, роденият като християнин войн, е обучен за езда и битки, но вместо това e заставен да бъде личният палач на Есма Султан. Две силни личности се изправят една срещу друга...
Есма Султан се разболява от странна болест и по съвет на лекаря си започва да споделя мислите, които я терзаят, с единствения човек, посветен в нейната тайна. Защото това е болест на душата, а не на тялото. Всяка нощ тя разказва на Ахмед своя живот и го отпраща преди първите лъчи на слънцето, но разкрила частица от себе си:
Коя е Есма, какъв е бил животът й. Какво е превърнало принцесата, която е приятелка и закрилница на жени от различни народности с различна вяра, в жестока убийца на млади мъже...
Възможно ли е едно сърце да бъде обезобразено дотолкова от жестоките актове на сила и власт, че да престане да обича?
Има ли сили любовта да излекува наранените души и да промени хода на историята?

Политически амбиции и добре пазени тайни в харема, съблазняване и копнежи в духа на „1001 нощ” ще ни отведат в Истанбул от началото на XIX век.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, 19th Century, Ebooks, Fantasy

360 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2013

About the author

The daughter of a naval commander, Linda Lafferty attended fourteen different schools growing up, ultimately graduating from the University of Colorado with a master's degree and a PhD in education. Her peripatetic childhood nourished a lifelong love of travel, and she studied abroad in England, France, Mexico, and Spain. Her uncle introduced her to the sport of polo when she was just ten years old, and she enjoys playing to this day. She also competed on the Lancaster University Riding Team in England in stadium jumping, cross country, and dressage. A veteran school educator, she is the author of The Bloodletter's Daughter and The Drowning Guard. She lives in Colorado.

Reviews

[Navessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Not all is as simple as Good and Evil."

That line speaks volumes about this story and the characters within it. This book is enthralling, profound, enraging, uplifting, beautiful, hideous, elevated, common - I could go on and on. Many of these words contradict each other, but that’s kind of the point. You see, this story is full of contradictions, in the best way. These characters are so layered, so intricately woven and complicated that you find yourself forever questioning their motivations.

In the synopsis, there’s one line that really grabbed my attention: “The Drowning Guard explores the riddle of Esma.” Yes. Exactly. Who is this woman that, through her actions, condemns a man to death each night? How can she justify her behavior, assuage her conscious? Or more importantly, does she even try to?

I’m at a loss for how to fully describe Esma Sultan. In the beginning of the book, I hated her. She’s a spoiled, coddled princess whose male relatives have catered to her every whim. She throws priceless jewels during her tantrums, yet will buy all the female slaves in the markets in order to save them from the harems of men, only to turn around and free them. She is a feminist. She hates all men. She loves her brother. She is selfish. She is selfless.

I CANNOT RECONCILE HER.

And the thing is, I’m not meant to. This character is neither good, nor evil. She is what she is.

Near the beginning of the story she falls ill. It isn’t a malady of the body that afflicts her, but one of the mind, because as much as she pretends indifference, she’s deeply affected by the fact that her actions have led to so many deaths. She begins to see specters even while waking, and the breeze from the Bosphorus, the river she lives on and in which her lovers have been drowned, seems to carry the heavy stench of rotting corpses. The Greek doctor that treats her tells her she needs a priest but she, a Muslim princess, considers this blasphemy.

Enter Ivan Postivich, aka Ahmed Kadir. He’s her drowning guard, and in a cruel twist of royal whim, the one man she sees fit to hear her confessions.

Ivan is a giant of a Serbian. He was taken from his house as a child and forced to convert to Islam and join the Janissaries, the legendary guards of Constantinople. Even though he’s enormous, he proves to be an incredible horseman and gains fame and notoriety for his early exploits in the game of Cirit (kind of like polo). When he becomes the captain of a cavalry unit, he goes from notorious to infamous, his bloodlust and courage in battle elevating him in the eyes of the Janissaries. He also becomes a target for the future Sultan, Mahmud II.

In a lot of ways his character and situation remind me of Maximus Decimus Meridius from Gladiator. Mahmud, seeing the threat in such a strong leader, strips him of his command for a ridiculous reason and relegates him to guarding his sister. Ivan obviously hates the woman who’s forced him to become nothing but a murderer of innocents, and the honesty of that hatred is what first draws him to her, a woman surrounded by nothing but sycophants.

Don’t let my glowing description of Ivan’s military prowess fool you, he’s an asshole. He’s a misogynist. He hates all women. He loves his sister. He is selfish. He is selfless. He’s a Muslim. He’s a Christian.

I CANNOT RECONCILE HIM.

And again, I’m not meant to. Not only are these characters enigmas, but the city in which this book takes place, Constantinople, becomes just as enigmatic when painted in Lafferty’s beautiful prose. I’ve been sort of obsessed with it ever since I was a child and heard the strange, yet horrifically catchy Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants blaring forth from my brother’s boom box. I’ve read numerous books based in and around it but in my opinion, no one has done it justice like Lafferty. No one else has been able to capture the essence and the magic of a time there like she has. I felt like I was walking through the bazaars myself.

“Noisy vendors hawked their fiercely colored spices – green hennas and saffrons – their silver teapots, and lapis opium pipes. Red glass hookahs hung from rawhide tethers under the awnings. The tang of tobacco laced the air, mingling with the aroma of fish frying in olive oil and garlic.”

The city of Constantinople under Ottoman rule was a place that’s as difficult to understand as Ivan and Esma. While numerous religions were allowed to practice freely, women were sold like cattle at the markets, destined to be sex-slaves in the harems of sultans and pashas. The poor were kept well fed through numerous charitable foundations, but when horses died in the streets, they were left there because the citizens knew the packs of feral dogs that roamed the city would pick the corpse clean by day break. It was civilized. It was barbaric. It was tolerant. It was oppressive.

I CANNOT RECONCILE IT.

And that’s part of the reason my obsession has continued into adulthood.

Okay, so I’ve talked about the characters, about the city and now I suppose I should talk about the story. I can’t. I simply haven’t found a way to do it justice. It’s too complicated to put into words, too emotional of a journey for me to accurately describe it. I took over 2,000 words of notes while reading this, and now I’m just sitting here staring at them, a day after finishing the book, wondering how the hell to summarize it all. It’s proving impossible.

I will say this: this book may not be for everyone. There are a lot of strong themes within it. Some of the characters commit heinous acts, unforgivable acts that will turn your stomach and enrage you. Lafferty also throws you into the deep end with a lot of the terms and words common to the time and place, and if you don’t have some sort of basic knowledge of the Muslim faith or the Ottoman Empire, you may find yourself confused. Don’t be alarmed, there’s a site to help you out.

It’s called Google.

Basically if you’re a history nerd, a feminist, a fan of gorgeous prose, are interested in learning about the Ottoman Empire or just in reading a riveting story about two complicated and highly compelling characters, you should give this book a chance. You won’t regret it.

This is hands down one of the best books I've read all year.

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[Jaidee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 "fascinating, a bit too fanciful, uneven" stars !!!

This book was more exotic romance than a work of serious historical fiction. This is not necessarily a bad thing but very much needs to be said. Having made that proclamation I also want to say I was extremely entertained despite middling writing, uneven narrative and a desire for more authenticity.

The setting was very exotic and the descriptions were rich. The grand court of Constantinople in the nineteenth century with intrigue, romance, debauchery and war was described with pomp and elegance. However, the characterizations were simply not believable and neither were many of the motivations of the protagonists. Psychologically it felt rather flat. More of a Victorian bodice ripper than characters with any depth and dimension.

The story arc was logical but the pacing was off. An excessive amount of time spent on talking about a celebratory event versus a very superficial and short description of a mutiny. Repetitive use of adjectives and "authentic" words was also distracting as I found myself counting- is this the eighty third time she used the word "orta"?

On a positive note, the story was extremely interesting if underdeveloped and I learned some of the customs, culture, art and gender relations of that very interesting time period.

I have absolutely no regrets reading this book but I really wanted and expected more especially from an author who has both a masters degree and a PhD.

[Allison Coffin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear God, did anyone even bother to edit the last third of this novel???

I love historical fiction. And strong women. Go Harem Ladies! Yay! This book start out okay, not that anyone would confuse it for Pride and Prejudice in the desert, but at least it was readable. Then it's like the author gave up. The last third felt like the author was just trying to get it over with already, and pretty soon I was with her on that. Poorly written, the ending felt like a barely-flushed-out summary rather than an actual writing effort. It was repetitive and contained glaring continuity errors, such as a very pregnant character riding in on a horse then turning and walking off two sentences later...you would think the effort of having a very pregnant woman dismount might have merited a mention, huh? Or a bedridden character who is too weak to stand having a miraculous recovery just in time to play polo without mentioning that gee, look, she's walking again?

And that ridiculous sex scene...for the love of love, that made 50 Shades look like literature.

I hit the end, slammed the cover of my kindle closed (not as satisfying as slamming a real hardcover book, but oh well) and declared "Thank God that book is over!" to the room.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Despite its flaws and change of storytelling in the second half it was a rather interesting story.

[Gilles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Drowning Guard is a beautifully written book, rich with descriptive details. I could see it, smell it, hear it, taste it. The author takes a piece of history from Constantinople and brings it alive, fleshing it out with her own imagination and characters. I was fascinated, brought into another world in another time.

I have trouble finding the words. I start thinking in fragments. The Sultan, the Sultan’s sister, the harem, the Sultan’s guard, the politics, the spying, the multi-cultures, multi-religions. It was so interesting.

The author doesn’t make everything pretty and glossy and wonderful. The characters are complex, and the story includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. It made me want to read more about this time and place and it definitely made me want to read more from this author.

[Stevie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Linda Lafferty has quite clearly never been taught to show, not tell. The plot of the first three quarters of the book is interesting, but the actual writing is amateur at best and the final quarter of the novel was just all around weak. There was no tension between Ivan and Esma - it just went from him hating her guts one minute to wanting to shag her the next - and I found the whole relationship between them to be forced and unbelievable. Despite the fact that Esma's "confession" was supposed to be about the Christian lovers she takes and then has killed, she never discusses it at all so I finished this novel feeling completely dissatisfied and with a lot of unanswered questions. Was lust the only reason she took them as lovers? Surely there must have been other motives for her to sleep with someone knowing that it would condemn them to a pretty awful death! If not, it makes her a pretty terrible person, yet Lafferty seemed to want the reader to like her. The concept of this book is very interesting, but the execution is awful. The lack of character development especially bothers me - how did the sultan go from being such a sweet child to being an awful, cruel ruler? Why does Ivana simply shrug off her life long fear of men in the end for someone she doesn't even know? Why does Lafferty keep telling us that the sultan and his sister are so close when their relationship is strained and resentful throughout the entire book? I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down this is the best Audible narration to which it has ever been my pleasure to listen. Suzanne Cypress transported me to another time and place so foreign as to be another world.

Never have I experienced such lush beauty interwoven with implacable cruelty. These are the stories of a princess and a slave girl, of a kidnapped boy thrown to the stables in a foreign land - of the deep unfairness of having to grow up hard and fast.

This was a good book I am never reading again.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

After absolutely adoring Lafferty’s debut novel, The Bloodletter's Daughter, I have been keeping an eye out for the opportunity to read any more of her work. Here, Lafferty moves away from the Hapsburgs of 17th century Bohemia to the Ottoman Empire in 19th century Constantinople. Whereas her previous novel borders on the historical mystery, this one leans more in the direction of a historical romance - though a bodice-ripper this most certainly is not. Lafferty skillfully brings not only her characters to life, but also the city, the era and the Empire itself. Lafferty weaves in plenty of historical detail which greatly adds to the richness of the story - a sort of homage to The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights.

The titular drowning guard is male, but Lafferty offers several strong and complex heroines. Lafferty’s women show surprising amounts of freedom and feminist leanings and have scraped out a semblance of freedom in their oppressive, patriarchal society. Again, Lafferty includes horrors of history, but evenly balances them with scenes of fanciful beauty. The novel as a whole presents a quite authentic picture and it is all the more impressive considering the richness of detail present in the novel published just last year. The amount of research is definitely apparent.

And though the book involves some romance - the romance themselves are quite surprising. Despite its relative length, the book maintains a consistently fast and easy pace. It is quite gripping - and definitely hard to set aside! The writing is quite strong and in this ARC there are only a few distracting errors (some vestiges of a first-person, earlier draft and some other POV shifts) that I am sure will be rectified before the final release in September. But, as enjoyable as this one is, I am ecstatic to learn that Lafferty’s third novel, House of Bathory, is due to be released early next year! I can’t wait. Lafferty is such a talented author who evenly balances her lush, historic settings with sympathetic and realistic characters.

[Natasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I could not stay interested in The Drowning Guard. Something about the author's writing style did not resonate with me. I would start to empathize with a character, only to later think my empathy was misplaced.

[One-Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

Great narration

This is a dark and twisty book with really great characters. It's historical fiction about the Ottoman Empire - spoiled, twisted, freaky "royalty", but that's how they roll, I guess.

Main characters you hate and love all in the same breath. What I loved about the book is that I could never guess what was going to happen next. So unpredictable, so good.

It's really a complex story that is so much more than the book description.

Now, who will like this book? Well, it's not your traditional romance. There's a lot of violence and these Sultan's did some pretty sick, cringe worthy stuff, so if you have a weak constitution, it's not for you.

It has a lot of references to the Muslim faith and the Koran which I don't know much about and I honestly couldn't tell you if it was factual but it was important to the story. So if that isn't your thing? Maybe not for you.

And I'm not into either of those things, but still enjoyed it. So there you go.

[Abby Goldsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liberties are taken with the history, but it's well-researched and lends a sense of time/place. A steamy tale of harems, sultans, eunuchs, infidels, and at the center of the tale, a secretive Ottoman princess and a sympathetic giant Janissery!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story that kept me engaged from the start. Not something I would usually read so it was nice to find I really enjoyed it. Love story, war story, murders and exotic locales all in one.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Islam and feminism

I have a limited knowledge of world history, with bits and pieces of European and Egyptian history comprising the majority of what's in my head. I had no idea this was based on real history - people that actually lived and events that actually occurred. I picked this up partly because someone told me it was like a version of 1001 Arabian Nights with the gender roles reversed.

I feel that categorization is a poor representation of the essence of this novel. It's more about a woman's independence and how she was able to provide independence, in a way, to other women in a patriarchal system with very strict rules.

It's also about imperialism and how people can assimilate into their abductors' culture, but how some never lose their affiliation with their home country and religion.

And a love story. Unlikely men and women finding love with each other. And the love that ties siblings together for life.

I like reading contemporary fiction written by Muslims, some translated from the Arabic. This can be difficult to find, but more of that is working its way into our culture. This is a good complement to that since it gives a little historical perspective wrapped in a good story.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the culture of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. Also to people who like a good love story. And those who like political intrigue.

[Radoslava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nice book. Oriental magic, wealth and devestating drama,
I was surprised by the details and how true the facts for the Ottomans were.

[Mikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please don’t be misled by the terrible cover. It is the only bad thing about The Drowning Guard. This is actually a terrific book marred only by that atrocity on its face, rather like how I am a terrific person, marred only by the atrocity that is my face.

At first I was pretty lukewarm about the story and the characters. Yes, the prose was lush and vibrant (adjectives that are so commonly used in stories about the Ottoman empire that now I feel like I cheated a little) -- when Lafferty describes scenes in the marketplace you really get the feel that it’s a cultural melting pot, with people impatiently shouting at each other and activity spilling over everywhere you look. There’s also something almost fairy tale-like to the way she narrates her characters, often calling Ivan “the giant” or “the janissary” instead of by his name.

And then I got to this part of the story.

Scene: It’s the second night Ivan sits with Esma. She’s lounging around like a spoiled queen, baiting him in her carelessly spiteful way. She knows Ivan hates her for the murders she forces him to commit, but she doesn’t care.

When he sees one of her hot slave girls walking around with her face on display (outrageous!), he asks why the women of her harem go about unveiled. And she says:

“A veil is an invention of man to protect what he feels is his property. None of my slaves wear the yasmak; we show our faces to Allah without shame.”

With that, I knew Esma was going to surprise me. I expected that there had to be some sort of backstory to make her that way and figured that a change of heart was inevitable.

But what a backstory.

Esma does what she does to defy the injustices men inflict daily upon women. In her own way, she exerts her brand of power over man, raging against the fact that as a woman she has no real power except what her brother allows her. She does it to exact revenge upon them for what they did to her best friend -- and maybe in frustration because she knows she is the equal (or more) of any sultan who has ever sat on the throne. She has created her own little world within her palace, the only place in the whole empire where women can feel safe and free to be themselves without punishment. Esma knows how to play the game within the confines of her cage, and skillfully manipulates her own brother to protect those she has taken under her wing. Esma has the biggest heart of all perhaps, and it bleeds for women everywhere. Esma, selfish murderer of men. Esma, holy protector of women.

There’s no end to the things I want to say about her. She’s such a fascinating character, with layers of rich motivations covering a fierce core of independence and yearning. Calling her a feminist would barely scratch the surface of her.

Ivan poses a fascinating character study himself, constantly caught between things like the hem of a long straggly dress. Though he is introduced to us as a janissary man faithful to his adopted religion through and through, over time his impassive facade cracks. He often wheels between his Christian origins and his choice to follow Islamic faith. As a soldier of the empire, he values loyalty to the throne but as a janissary, his independence of spirit is what makes him who he is. He refuses to accept his attraction to the woman who turned him into a murderer, but soon starts to see her as a woman whose motivations he understands and even begins to share.

I am not even a little bit done, but I’m cutting this short. You don’t have to read all this drivel I'm spouting, but do read The Drowning Guard.

Trust me, it’s worth it.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Unlikely Romance Amid the Luxury and Depravity of the Ottoman Empire

Each night Ahmed Kadir starnds guard outside the palace of the sultan's favorite sister, the Sultanes Esma, waiting for her discarded Christian lover who he must drown in the Bosphorous. Ahmed, a Janissary, hates his enforced idleness. He wants to return to his Kapikulu calavary regiment, but his prowess has earned the envy of the sultan, so he is banished and sent to guard the sultan's sister.

Esma falls ill. No one can help her. She sees the faces of dying men and smells rotting flesh. Her physician urges her to confess or at least share the thoughts troubling her. Ahmed, who shares her secret of the drowning lovers, seems the perfect person to confide in. In a reverse Scheherazade scenerio, she calls him to her each night and tells him stories of her life.

The best part of this book is the description of the Ottoman Empire; the luxury, depravity, and political machinations. The rich detail draws you into the time and makes the area come alive.

The characters, however, and not believable. Esma is a historical character and her depravity well documented. The turn around from drowning her Christian lovers to telling a man the secrets of her heart seems a bit far fetched. I also find it difficult to believe that a man was allowed into her bed chamber each night. I think it more likely, considering the sultan's dislike of Ahmed, that he'd use the information to have him killed.

One of the themes of this book is the desire for freedom. The Esma and her ladies are secluded in the harem, but they long to be free and able to compete with men. This is an admirable theme, but I find it hard to couple with the era and the Ottoman Empire where the spoiled harem women never left the luxurious palaces. I can believe that a slave girl from the Serbian plains would have trouble adjusting to the lack of freedom, but with the others including Esma it's more of a stretch.

If you enjoy historical novels with good background, this is a book for you. If you expect characters that are realistic in the context of the time, give it a miss.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely pleased with this book. It's 1001 Nights but with a woman responsible for the deaths of her lovers--a white Christian male nearly every night. As the Sultan's favorite sister, any man who beds her is forbidden to live. Her drowning guard takes care of the dirty deed...and because of his knowledge, when struck with illness, he becomes her confessor.


It's a twisted and fascinating tale with dashes of feminism and female empowerment in an otherwise oppressed world. It's rich in history, of the Ottoman empire, Muslim beliefs and customs, brothers murdering brothers, and the revolt of the janissaries--a group of soldiers that before now I knew nothing about.

Though she's cruel, I loved Esma. She is ahead of her times. Having witnessed the oppression of women, she vows no man will control her and has her own harem of rescued slaves. She's very tough too.

"If you do not consent, I will speak to my brother who indulges me more than any wife, and he will have your head impaled upon my garden wall for insolence."

"An untouchable princess who ordered him from her bed, slapping and biting him on their wedding night. She bloodied his nose with a kick when he kissed the coverlet to approach her."

There are a few love stories entwined in all this. The Sultan and a long long, disfigured slave. The Sultane and her drowning guard/now confessor...but these aren't your traditional romance, but love in a place you don't expect it and you doubt it, and thus, it's suspenseful as the reader doesn't really see that usually easily obtain happily ever after in sight.

This isn't fluff, but real literature.

I think some liberties were taken, however. I was surprised that a harem allows outside men to come and party. That took me aback, but again, this particular harem is Esma's, not the Sultan's. Love these girls, too.

The story is also interspersed with surprise bursts of humor in the jokes among the harem women and just plain name-calling among the villagers.

I'm not done. Read some funny bits and my lone quibble or two: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you recall last week I was Gushing over a book by Linda Lafferty called the Bloodletters Daughter. This week I availed myself of another story she has published called the Drowning Guard (a Novel of the Ottoman Empire.)

It was a little different but almost as enjoyable. Which in this case is super duper awesome. It takes place in the late 1500’s early 1600’s. The beloved sister of a ruling Sultan, with her own kingdom, has sex with non Muslim men, then has her drowning Guard, a Serbian Mercenary, take them out on a boat, and kill them. Pretty straightforward right? Nothing is as it seems.

Miss Lafferty once again takes us to a different time and place and allows us to live there if only for awhile. Descriptions of daily life are woven into her book effortlessly giving us a idea of the food, transportation, hierarchy, moods, sights and smells. It is very rich in it’s descriptions. You can tell she took great pains to ensure the book is historically accurate. It is a small history lesson.

This book is a bit more erotic than the last, although the sex has purpose and is not thrown in for effect. Her next book, the House of Bathory is currently on pre order.

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was poor, I thought. The writing's overwrought while never rising above the level of workmanlike, and it's tainted by that faintly racist exoticism which sometimes affects stories by Westerners of places they've visited abroad. And, while I don't claim to be any judge of sex scenes, I boggled at the climactic one here.

There's some interesting detail about the Ottoman Empire, especially the lives of its royal family, and some theoretical discussion of feminism in Islam which I enjoyed. But overall, having established in the first chapter that the Empire is huge, cosmopolitan and byzantine, the novel takes only a perfunctory interest in the world outside the harem of a murderous princess, even when there's a full-scale rebellion going on. Said princess's hand in numerous deaths is frequently mentioned -- mainly in terms of how distressing it is for her -- but never explained or justified, yet we're expected to accept as a proto-feminist romantic heroine anyhow. The hero, a disgraced janissary officer, is simply dull.

The first third is the best. After that I was increasingly unsure why I was bothering.

[Night Goddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read from Linda Lafferty and she is easily becoming a favorite of mine. The Drowning Guard is a historical fiction novel about the Ottoman Empire in 19th century Istanbul. It tells the tale of the Ottoman Princess, Esma Sultan and her drowning guard Ivan Postivich, who has the grim job of executing the sultaness's Christian lovers each night once they have fell victim to her seduction. Ivan loathes Esma for the atrocities he is forced to commit but he soon finds that there is more to this story than what meets the eye.

The Drowning Guard paints a vivid picture of what life was like living in a harem and the lives of women who are ruled and dominated by men who thinks of them as little more than cattle. A very intriguing read that is all at once a mystery, a love story, and a detailed historical account of Istanbul in 1826.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of taking less well-known figures from history and building a story around them is an interesting one, but this book doesn't really deliver in the end. The author suffers from trying to take on too many issues, and the story ends up being unclear. The conclusion,in partcular , feels rushed .

[Cassandra Brotherton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed the story. Easy read. I liked the Historical references too.

[Elijah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty ok. The conflict between the characters was mostly interesting and kept it moving. But the pacing was odd and it could have used some more editing—it’s not clear whether it was the idea for the story or the research on the Ottoman Empire that came first, but there are frequent, jarring and very noticeable chunks of exposition that are just regurgitation of a bunch of stuff the author learned about Ottoman history, or Muslim sect positions on particular topics, etc. It’s like being at a party and accidentally asking a grad student a question that squarely hits their research area.

Perhaps because the narrative was a thinly veiled excuse to regurgitate “all this cool stuff,” the pacing made no sense at all. The tension will be ratcheted up to 11 with life-or-death consequences, and then we get half a page about what someone ate for lunch, and then segue into “several days went by,” and then we jump to another character, and apparently this mortal danger is just…theoretical? Or not imminent? And then everyone just hangs out together a while. Similarly, the book feels like it really should have wrapped right about halfway through—and then it just goes on and on, losing steam, picking up more intrusive exposition, harping on the implausible love story, until you just want it to end, one way or another.

Also, while there was a clear feminist theme that was tied to the main story, there was a weird mishandling of one particular issue that gave it a gross sheen of insincerity. There was this idea that came up, repeatedly, that women’s minds are dominated by sexual urges that are tied to the cycle of the moon and render them unable to think or act rationally. There were plenty of misogynist ideas that were brought up by the male characters and carefully debunked over the course of the story, but this one was treated as if it was literally true. Female characters would note from their own perspective that this was a problem they suffered from. What the hell? Why treat this old bullshit like fact? It had the same feel as those novels clearly written by men where women’s nipples are treated like antennae of some kind, or the female character pauses in her daily errands to describe her own figure to herself in detail. Weird AF. Maybe it’s a pen name.

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really surprised I finished this at all.

(it's on kindle unlimited - even the audiobook is free to listen to! Don't do it, though, the audiobook is trash)

After the Wrath and the Dawn, I was convinced it would be impossible to create a worse retelling of Shehrazad's framing story in 1001 nights. I was pretty much accurate, it IS impossible. But Linda Lafferty tried, bless her.

The first 20% were so painful to read I nearly preferred cleaning to listsning to it. And I also preferred all the other books on my kindle to this one.

But! There are a number of bright ideas in here. Feminism and stuff. Some philosophy. Very little good writing, but not none. Some characters who aren't a complete waste of space and time.

Sadly this description does not apply to the perverse/evil/feminist Sultane, Esma and her love interest, the confused/stupid/righteous/murderous Ivan. I can see how Lafferty agonized over making her characters layered and shit. Imagine, a sensitive murderess!

Of course you'd have to have extraordinary talent to pull such a feat off, making a princess who sleeps with a man, discards him and has him drowned, then make her a character that deserves compassion. Didn't work. And worse, it shouldn't have worked on Ivan. I can't imagine she's that pretty.

Also, same mistake The Wrath and The Dawn did: the evil murderous sultan is actually an innocent. In this case one striving for love, in the other book, trying to protect his country by fucking virgins and murdering them.

Bullshit much? If you need sex so badly you don't give a shit the poor guy dies afterwards, don't pretend to care. No one will believe you! That's child rapist logic.

[Jessica H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was truly a magnificent read.

The text requires a lot of patience, especially that the narrative shifts its focus every now and then--almost at every high point. I recommend this novel to everybody who is open to experiencing new concepts and definitely a new world.

The novel is mainly set in the Bosphorus, and the main story line unveils an Ottoman princess's lifestyle. Despite it being slightly of a historical essence, the novel could be read without historical background. Nevertheless, understanding the context is fundamental. Otherwise, preconceived judgments would be the result.

My only concern is the ending. Though the ending was rational, it disappointed me. The only explanation I could offer for the ending is that the author tried to stay faithful to the historical context she was working with.

The author fyi has a ton of historical novels worth checking out. She's good!

[-Bookish Gal- · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating - 2.5 stars.

When everyone is determined to present someone as a monster, there are two possibilities: either he’s a saint or they themselves are not telling the whole story. - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

This book has left me with mixed feelings. I cannot hate the book but I don't really love it either and I really don't know what to make of that.

The reason I requested an ARC of it was owing to the peculiar title, the synopsis and my love of historical fiction.

The reason for my reaction particularly is the last quarter of the book. I simply cannot wrap my head around it. It just left me with such a huge sense of disappointment, because the build-up was quite good before Lafferty lost her way kinda.

The book opens in the city of Constantinople, in the year of 1826. And we are introduced to the Ottoman empire and come across princess Esma Sultan, renowned for her beauty, her harem, her palace and above all for her notoriety of having different Christian lovers every night and having them drowned after she has had her pleasure.

The repugnant and immoral work of drowning these men befalls on the hero - Ivan Postivich aka Ahmed Kadir, a renowned soldier who has been reduced to become the princess' feared drowning guard. It is he, who takes these men to their doom by plunging them into the depths of the Bosphorous.

Ivan a Serbian by birth was forcefully taken away from his widowed mother along with his sister at the tender age of 7, after which he is made to convert to Islam, is circumcised and is made to take the name of Ahmed Kadir to serve the Sultan of the empire. He rises through his ranks and is placed among Janissaries, the legendary guards of Constantinople. His enormous size, his horsemanship and his supremacy in the game of Cirit brings him to the notice of Sultan Mahmud II. And while Ivan holds no particular love for anyone or anyplace in his life, he does respect and honor the code of Janissaries, the only family he has known for most of his life and is fond of horses especially mares and in particular his Peri.

He hates the princess with all his heart believing she is a vile woman who not only disgraces herself and Allah, but also brings upon shame on her people. But most of all he hates her because she is the sole reason he is forced to commit murder of innocent men night after night. Although he won't admit to it, Ivan is deeply disturbed and haunted by his actions, however involuntary they may be on his part.

In what can be termed as only ironical, princess Esma Sultan seeks refuge from her own demons and nightmares by confessing her deepest darkest secrets to the one man who she has condemned to hell, by making him her confidante. She summons Ivan to her chambers night after night so that she may be relieved of the burden that is her past and the consequences of her actions.

Slowly but steadily you see a woman who is more than meets the eye. She is definitely no saint, but she is also not the monster people presume her as, as well. She who is the cause of the death of numerous men, has saved countless women too, by sheltering them in her harem and providing them with a refuge which is safer than even their own homes could be. These women, who were sold to her as slaves choose their own paths once Esma frees them on purchase, some choose to go back to their homes, their families, most stay. Some to not be back at the mercy of a torturing husband, others because they don't have anyone else.

As Ivan returns night after night to hear Esma recount her life, he learns though she leads the life of a princess, in the ottoman empire that does not really mean much. Yes she has been the favorite child of her father and is the dearest sister to the Sultan, but she is still very much like a prisoner owing only to her gender. Esma narrates to Ivan how she slowly realizes the meaning of what is it to be the daughter of a Sultan, to be a part of a harem and the horrors that she has had to witness owing to her lineage. They fall in love but cannot be together of course.


While this book in part did remind me of a number of characters and themes from the popular series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, a favorite of mine, I sadly cannot bring it upon myself to say it left me with the same level of satisfaction. Not even a fraction of it. Granted Martin' saga isn't all sunshines and roses and the man really leaves you horror stricken when he springs something like the Red Wedding or the execution of poor Ned Stark, you hate him and yet you love him for this brutality, this sick yet real approach towards his characters that he has. The good guy doesn't always win, heck he can have his head chopped off, while those who deserve it truly, are so lucky or should I say devious that not even a hair on their head is harmed.

While I do see a certain charm in Lafferty' penmanship, her skills as an author are definitely a lot above the average fare however I cannot find it within me to like this book.Had Lafferty taken a similar approach here to Martin, then perhaps I would have been a satisfied reader. What bothered me was when the Janissaries revolt, all twenty thousand of them are killed, but Ivan by sheer luck is saved from the carnage.

The ending felt rushed, contrived and conveniently wrapped up in a bow to me, had it been different I would have rated this book a bit more.

I was provided an advance readers copy for reviewing courtesy of Amazon Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of the book. This review is in no way influenced and is solely based on my opinion.

This review can also be found at One reader A thousand lives

[Melisende · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will preface this by saying that at the time (2013) I had not the chance to read this via NetGalley. I managed to track down a copy and this can provide my feedback.

Having persevered through average narrative, and characters and events that should have held my attention for far longer than they did, I was left slightly dissatisfied with the ending. The subject matter at hand (which I have detailed on my blog Melisende's Library) could have made for a much stronger storyline. Possibly those unfamiliar with this period of history may find it more to their liking. Kudos for taking on a rather lesser-known female character and period of history; however, sometimes fiction just does not do actual history any justice.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to write a review for this book for the last two days, but quarantine has my head all messed up. Anyway, it's fairly obvious to say that I freaking loved this book.

Linda Lafferty has a beautiful way with words. Her descriptions thrust you right into this historical world that make you feel like you're part of the action. I wasn't very familiar with the Ottoman Empire, but after reading this book, I can honestly say I know more now than I used to.

I also like how the author takes obscure and less know figures from history and creates a whole life story around them. Sure, creative license is taken, but even with made up notes, this story introduces us to Esma, a woman we may have never learned about, had it not been for this book. Again, liberties taken aside, this book is a joy to read. I highly recommend it.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really like this book. It is a little strange - it starts with the Sultane's bizarre behavior of having her lovers drowned but then quickly moves into hearing the story of her upbringing. I anticipated that we would eventually understand why she does this but the reason isn't because of her but because of her brother. It was all a bit strange.

That being said - I'm not one of those people who only reads books that are plausible. I like all kinds of books as long as the characters are well developed, it's written well and keeps my interest. This book met all of that criteria so am giving it 4 stars. Couldn't give it 5 because of how strange the direction the plot ended up taking.

[Linda Himmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. First, I visited Istanbul back in the 70’s when I lived in Turkey for six months. This book brought back all my memories of that city, the history, the mystery, the sounds and smells. I had visited Topkapi palace, and sailed on the Bosporus and her writing brought back so many good memories. Second I learned more about the Ottoman Empire by googling as I read this book. At the end of the book I discovered several additional books (non fiction that are now in my must read list. And finally, characters that I liked and disliked at the same time. Definitely worth the read.