I haven’t read a book as unique as The Steel Seraglio in a very long time. It stands out on a bookshelf as furious, quick-paced and a great story all in one.

The Steel Seraglio, by Mike, Linda and Louise Carey, is about a City of Women that once was. “The water shimmered like liquid fire”… “They built a library out of gold, and they placed within it a scroll which contained all the knowledge of all the ages of the world.” There is a woman “who cries tears of ink,” and a woman “who has the golden touch and the death touch.”

There is myth and there is truth within the stories that spread across the lands about the City of Women.

The Steel Seraglio is about their journey and their fight. The women start off as concubines in the palace of sultan Bokhari al-Bokhari until a zealot stages a coup. The concubines are sent into exile and begin to plan a way to win back their city.

But it is someone within their own group who becomes their most formidable enemy.

What that enemy doesn’t realize, though, is that a city is nothing without its people. And you can take a home away from its people, but you can’t take away their ideals and the mark they have already left on history.

This is a book for both men and women. For the guys, there’s a lot of adventure and fighting that is reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino and Kill Bill. And for the ladies, the female characters in The Steel Seraglio often get the upper hand (don’t we always?!).

This book is about perseverance, courage and strength. Get the female leads, with the men equally at their side, to rule today’s world and most problems would be solved.

Check out the book trailer:

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