The Sultan’s Favorite: A Phantom of the Opera Story

Anne Burnside
iUniverse (2009)
ISBN 9781440119071
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (12/09)

 

“The Sultan’s Favorite” tells about the life of Erik, the tormented, masked man from “The Phantom of the Opera.”  He has now been dumped, by the only love of his life, for another man.  Deciding to escape from his self-imposed exile in Paris, he becomes an architect and gets hired by the sultan of the Ottomans to build a new palace.  Erik brings his mask, his architectural knowledge, and his anger with him.  His plan is to build the most incredible palace that the world has ever seen.  His temperament does not help him. In the beginning the sultan overlooks his rudeness, however as time passes and certain situations occur, Erik puts himself and others in danger.

The sultan has three wives.  The third one, Alexandria, is newly acquired. She is a widow to the ruler of Constantinople.  Her wedding to the sultan is for political reasons, so that she can ensure the safety of her people.  She brings with her an education, and her Christian beliefs. This makes life very difficult. She is accustomed to being able to read books and to being the only wife.  As Erik consults with her about her quarters in the palace, they begin a friendship.  He appreciates both her beauty and her intelligence.  He secretly brings her books, and helps design a hidden place for them. 

Not fitting in with the others, Alexandria feels like she is trapped in a gilded cage. Erik can relate to this because of the choices he made in life to hide his disfigured face.  He does not let her know this right away; instead they tend to argue more than anything. His anger holds him back from being able to get along well with anyone.

In time, it becomes apparent that Alexandria is in danger. The sultan relies on Erik to help protect her.  Erik becomes more angered because it takes time away from completing the palace. He also sees how Alexandria is being manipulated by the sultan.  As Alexandria begins realizing this she feels even more trapped. Their relationship starts shifting and they begin to fall in love.  Having an affair with a sultan’s wife can only bring pain.  The events that follow force them to take chances and make decisions that not only affect them, but also the whole Ottoman Empire.

“The Sultan’s Favorite” is an incredibly written tale.  Anne Burnside writes in such a way that she brings the Ottoman Empire alive to her readers.  She also does an excellent job of taking us into the hearts of the main characters. Each of them has a reason for being the way that they are.  Erik has almost been completely destroyed by being rejected by his love.  Alexandria has to agree to be the third wife of a man, before she even has a chance to grieve for her deceased husband.  I even gained a better understanding of why the arrogant sultan had to make the choices he made.  I highly recommend reading “The Sultan’s Favorite.”  Whether you are on a beach, or curled up at home on a rainy day, this is the perfect book to have in your hands.

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