Content levels
Trigger warnings
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Once, in a city known as Bessa, there was a sultan named Bokhari Al-Bokhari, who was thrown down by the zealots of the ascetic Hakkim Mehdad. The sultan, his wives and children were put to the sword, while his 365 concubines were sent to a neighbouring caliph as tribute, Hakkim having no use for the pleasures of the flesh. But a day after the caravan had departed from Bessa, Hakkim discovered the terrible secret that the concubines had hidden from him. His reaction was swift and cruel. Kill the women of the harem forthwith, along with their children and maidservants. Let not one survive. This, then, is the tale - or tales - of how a remarkable group of women fight together to survive both the fury of Hakkim and the rigours of the desert. This is the tale of the forging of a rabble of concubines, children, camel-herds and thieves into an army of silk and steel. It is the tale of the redemption and rise of Bessa, fabled City of Women. And it is the tale of an act of kindness that carries the seed of death, and will return to bring darkness and the end of a dream...
The steel seraglio: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
Parents should know this book contains graphic violence including murder of women and children, political brutality, and religious persecution. The concubines face execution and must fight for survival in the desert, forging themselves into warriors.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include genocide, murder, captivity, death of children, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult readers will be gripped by this ensemble story of women transforming from victims into warriors and building their own society against impossible odds.