The author is a beautiful writer. I loved her language and the beautiful pictures she painted. You could see the grandeur of the Granada court coming through every page. The book is about a strong female character who is a concubine in the Granada royal court. She is considered the king's favorite and the most beautiful of his harem. Then the Spanish Empire conquers Granada and Fatima manages to escape with her friend Hassan who can create a door way from anywhere to anywhere. They are hunted by a woman who works for the Spanish queen for their practices as pagans. The entire time you are on the edge of your seats. The way she mixes magic and reality is so perfect and so believable. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and historical fiction. You see so much of all the places in they travel to and she paints such vivid pictures of the past.