Fatima is a slave to the Sultan's mother and also a favored bed partner of the Sultan. The Sultan's territory is in danger from the Spanish. He has a talented cartographer who has some hidden magic. Hassan, the Cartographer, can bend reality wit the maps he draws. He can create doors that lead to real places that are much further away. Fatima and Hassan are friends. The stage is set for a many conflicts- will the Spanish take over the Sultan's lands? Will the Muslim and Catholic religions run up against each other? Will Fatima get her wish to not be a slave? The first several chapters set the scene, leaving me wanting to know more of the story.