Sultana: Two Sisters: Sultana, #3
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
In fourteenth-century Spain, former friends vie for a man's heart and the future of his kingdom. Both women are captives sold into the harem of Sultan Yusuf I of Moorish Granada.
A young girl with a hidden heritage, Esperanza Peralta, forges a new identity as Butayna and becomes the mother of Yusuf's firstborn son.The Jewess Miriam Alubel takes the name Maryam and also bears Yusuf's children, including two sons.
The clash between former friends is inevitable, as each finds diverging paths in a dizzying rise to power beside their husband. Both remain aware of the struggle ahead, for only one heir may inherit Yusuf's throne and only one woman can claim the revered title, Mother of the Sultan.
Lisa J. Yarde
Lisa J. Yarde writes fiction inspired by the Middle Ages in Europe. She is the author of two historical novels set in medieval England and Normandy, On Falcon's Wings, featuring a star-crossed romance between Norman and Saxon lovers before the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and The Burning Candle, based on the life of one of the first countesses of Leicester and Surrey, Isabel de Vermandois. Lisa has also written five novels in a six-part series set in Moorish Spain, Sultana, Sultana's Legacy, Sultana: Two Sisters, Sultana: The Bride Price, and Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree where rivalries and ambitions threaten the fragile bonds between members of the last Muslim dynasty to rule in Europe. Her short story, The Legend Rises, chronicles the Welsh princess Gwenllian of Gwynedd's valiant fight against twelfth-century English invaders and is available now. Born in Barbados, Lisa currently lives in New York City. She is also an avid blogger and moderates at Unusual Historicals. Her personal blog is The Brooklyn Scribbler. Learn more about Lisa and her writing at the website www.lisajyarde.com. Follow her on Twitter or become a Facebook fan. For information on upcoming releases and freebies from Lisa, join her mailing list at http://eepurl.com/un8on.
Read more from Lisa J. Yarde
Sultana: Two Sisters (A Novel of Moorish Spain) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sultana: The Complete Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn Falcon's Wings Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Burning Candle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sultana Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSultana's Legacy Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5We All Fall Down Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Sultana
Related ebooks
Educating Muslim Women: The West African Legacy of Nana Asmau 1793-1864 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sultana's Legacy Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNimrod Twice Born Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last Hurrah: South Africa and the Royal Tour of 1947 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMemoirs of an Arabian Princess: An Accurate Translation of Her Authentic Voice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEighteenth Century Waifs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJane Austen's Cousin: The Outlandish Countess de Feuillide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVirginia Hall: Women of War, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBegam Samru: Fading Portrait in a Gilded Frame Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Girl and the Sword: A Novel of Medieval History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBrave Men and Women: Their Struggles, Failures and Triumphs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAfrican Queens: WOMEN OF AFRICA, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLight and Fire: Sex Lives of Modern Dynasties Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Traitor's Wife Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Out-of-Body Travel Foundation Journal: Abú Sa‘íd Ibn Abi ’l-Khayr, Forgotten Islamic Mystic - Issue Twenty Two Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Women of Mormondom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersian Miniatures 120 illustrations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Medieval Woman's Companion: Women's Lives in the European Middle Ages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mother of Washington and Her Times Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCourageous and Daring: WOMEN OF AFRICA, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMary Ball Washington: The Mother of George Washington and her Times (Illustrated Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMata Hari Decrypting The Spy Game Surrounding Her Life And Death Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerica's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51001 Nights: (Complete Annotated Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Shadow of God: A Novel of War and Faith Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Court Life in China: The Capital, Its Officials and People Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Sagas For You
The Seven Sisters: Book One Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stone of Tears Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Blackwater: The Complete Saga Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pride and Pleasure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seven Years to Sin Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grapes of Wrath Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cold Mountain: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Light Between Oceans: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5River God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wizard's First Rule Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don Quixote Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Gospel of Loki Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kitchen House: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Monsters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Of Women and Salt: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Our Town: A Play in Three Acts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nantucket Nights: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Darkness That Comes Before Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Son Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Soul of the Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unsheltered: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Storm Sister: Book Two Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Queen: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coal River: A Powerful and Unforgettable Story of 20th Century Injustice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Space Between Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Japanese Lover: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Three Fates Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Sultana
16 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I don't really know what I want to rate this book, maybe a 3.4 or 3.5. It takes awhile to get interesting and well I had a hard time letting it keep my attention. Can I say maybe it was because I knew nothing about the history of Moorish Spain.
I do now, I had to read some facts about this time, like what the heck are Moors doing in Spain...
Fatima the main character was just a child when she was married to her cousin Faraj. He was older then her by 8 to 10 years. Fatima was a spoiled child, her father let her have every little whim, her mother though tried to make her see that her father wasn't the great man that Fatima saw him as.
Faraj wasn't easy to like either, but he got there before Fatima.
When the time came to actually get to their relationship, they both had matured in many ways, even though Fatima still acted childish sometimes. Maybe because they grew into their love, it made it seem more real, the last 3/4 of the book was really good...I think I was about 36% into the book.
I am hesitant to pick up the second one, but I am sort of hoping the story would be getting from the point where the author stopped. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What a pleasure to read about a time and a place that 1) I knew very little about and 2) is under-represented in historical fiction. Sultana is a page-turner, the tale of the Moorish Nasrid sultans (and sultanas) and their fight to maintain power among shifting alliances in late 13th-century Gharnatah (Granada). In addition to the entertaining story, Yarde also provides fascinating historical notes, a handy glossary, and translations of place-names.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sultana is historical fiction set in Moorish Spain. It was great historical fiction providing enough historical details and yet telling a easy to read, action-packed story. It made me want to go research the history some more!The characters were engaging, and the story well told. The fact that the main character was a strong, independent woman made the story.*** Reviewed for member giveaway ***
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Normally, I have few complaints when it comes to historical fiction. A little embellishment here and there is just fine, particularly since we really never know what happened in the past.I have to say, though, that this was one historical fiction novel that I'm not crazy for. It's not a terrible novel, but I found the plot elements very difficult to follow. I also found it hard to believe that love came so easy to the main characters.The novel is set in the 1200's, where the young daughter of a Sultan is married off to her cousin as a pre-teen. The period is one of much turmoil. There is constantly some battle occurring, or a political fine-line to walk. Realistic to the period perhaps, but not always that interesting to read. The personal interactions were the best part, even if I found the main relationship hard to believe.Regardless, like I said, this isn't a terrible novel. I just didn't particularly enjoy it unfortunately. I found myself skimming the long parts describing the various battles, and half the time I wasn't sure what was going on since all of the names were the same and the relations were far too complicated. I won't be seeking out the sequel when it's released later this year.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On the night after her wedding, 8 year old Princess Fatima is kidnapped. Her mother Princess Aisha takes her so that she will escape the wrath of the Ashqilula who are angry that Fatima was not married to one of them as had been the custom for the Sultan's family. Fatima witnesses her mother's murder by the Ashqilula who have found them. She is then helped to escape and manages to get back to the palace where she lives. Fatima over time learns to love her new husband, who is ten years older than her, despite many seperations due to the many battles in the civil war between the many groups of Moors as well as the Christians. There are also many intrigues and incidents back at court involving Fatima and her family.This is a really interesting book set in among the Moors during their time in Spain. It was something that I had heard about before but had never really thought about reading before. However I really enjoyed it and it gave me another point of view on something that had happened in the history of this world that I live in. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Historical Fiction and especially European History in particular the history of Spain.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I had an ARC of Sultana by Lisa J. Yarde sitting so long my shelf that I felt guilty about not reading it. There were some positive things about this book, it was very well researched. Now I have some knowledge about 13th Century Moorish Spain, the clothes, customs and the royal families. I have to thank the author for that. In the back of the bock are some helpful charts like the one that gives the modern day name for the place identified in the book. Also, there is a great glossary and list of the characters in the front with concise descriptions.At the beginning of the book, the child Fatima was only eight years old when she was kidnapped. Fatima been married Farij earlier on the same day. She seemed intelligent and loyal to the family that she missed. But I had a load of trouble with the writing. There were awkwardly worded sentences that made me stop and think about they could be worded better. I found this annoying and often lost the flow of the story. Also the descriptions of the food were great and made me hungry. But I thought that the emotions of Fatima and Fariq were put down in a superficial manner. I love historical fiction but not so much romance. I think the roots of romance are there but again not very developed. I thought that the feelings could have been expressed in such a way that I could connect with the main characters but I was not able to connect even to Fatima. The author’s passion for history of this area and time period comes out in this book. However, I think it could have benefits from more re-writing. I think that she could do it but gave up too soon on editing.I cannot recommend this book. I am hoping that the writing has been improved in her next book. .