Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Set in the compelling world of the Ottoman Empire, The Sultan's Favorite continues the saga of Erik from the Phantom of the Opera and his journey to a new life-and a new love.
The Phantom
Rejected by the only woman he loved, Erik tries to leave his past behind to begin a new life working as an architect. As the years pass, he accumulates enormous wealth and finds much success. When he is summoned by the sultan of the Ottomans to build a new palace, Erik believes it will be his greatest accomplishment. Yet even in another land he cannot escape his bitterness toward the world, and when the creation of the ruler's home appears impossible, his anger only increases. But the arrival of the sultan's newest wife awakens feelings Erik thought were long dead.
The Widow
As widow to the ruler of Constantinople, Alexandria must marry the sultan of the Ottomans in exchange for peace. Alexandria is the sultan's third wife and soon finds that accepting her new life is much harder than she imagined. Will she ever find happiness again? When the sultan orders her to work with his architect on her new court, Alexandria discovers a man that hides not only his face, but also his heart ...
Mistressoftheheart
Posted December 12, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Finished the online section of Sultan's Favorite (on Fanfiction) about two weeks ago, then immediately ordered the full novel...received it yesterday...and finished it last night...:-) Loved it! Truly a good story! Characters are complex, plot twists are unavoidable and the emotions are real! I have read MANY published Phantom sequels and this was one of my favorites. Cant wait to start "The Heir". Great book!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.belladonna1975
Posted May 20, 2010
I Also Recommend:
The Sultan's Favorite by Anne Burnside is the single best Phantom of the Opera "sequel" I have read. Much the way Susan Kay's Phantom retold the original story in fabulous detail; Anne Burnside has opened a window into what happened to Erik after the curtain dropped in the original as well as fleshing out the character's background and giving us an insight into his thoughts.
The story opens with Erik as the architect in charge of building a fantastic palace for the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The sultan soon acquires a third wife who quickly becomes his favorite. Erik is drawn to Alexandria for her beauty as well as her intelligence and in the process of working with her on her portion of the palace, he finds himself losing his heart again. Is history destined to repeat itself or is this a woman who can finally see the true man behind the mask? Even then, how can they ever be free to be together?
The writing was riveting and I was sucked into the story from the very beginning. It had everything you could want in a book including romance, action, intrigue, mystery and suspense. The re-emergence of characters from the original Phantom of the Opera merged seamlessly with the new characters. The only fault I could find with this book is that it eventually had to end. Rarely do I read a book that once finished, makes me want to immediately reread it but The Sultan's Favorite is such a one.
There is even a glimmer at the end (at least to my mind) that a sequel to this book could be possible. If that were true, I would snatch it up in an instant (and perhaps even do a little happy dance). Regardless, this is Anne Burnside's debut novel and I look forward to reading anything else she comes out with.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Sultan's Favorite
BY: Anne Burnside
PUBLISHED BY: iUniverse
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4401-1907-1
Pages: 435
Ages: Adult
Reviewed by Billy Burgess
In this sequel to Gaton Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera," the phantom, Erik, is living in the Ottoman Empire. He's working as the sultan's personal architect. He's still mourning the rejection of his love, Christine.
The sultan takes a third wife, Alexandria - the widow of the ruler of Constantinople, and demands Erik to make changes in the designs for the new palace. The sultan wants his new wife to have her own court.
Erik hates Ottoman Empire and the way the women and slaves are treated. He remains there to finish the palace because he believes it will be his greatest achievement. With one look at Alexandria, he knew she was unlike the sultan's other wives. She was smart, beautiful and independent. Erik begins spending time with her. Alexandria wants to get closer to this masked man.
Erik tries to control his ongoing feelings for her. He never thought he could ever feel this way about another woman after Christine's rejection. Soon, he can no longer hold back his feelings. He starts a passionate affair with Alexandria.
Being a fan of the original novel, I was intrigued in reading "The Sultan's Favorite." After reading the first few pages, I was hooked. Author Anne Burnside has done a wonderful job in continuing Erik's journey into this violent world of the Ottoman Empire. I was surprised to find two other characters from Gaton Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera" pop into the latter half of the book. I recommend reading this book if your fan of the original or for anyone who wants to read a good romance.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Akasupermanda
Posted January 12, 2010
I loved 'The Sultan's Favorite.' I picked it up and didn't set it down again until I was finished. Set in the Ottoman Empire, it delves into the culture and practices of a world that held me fascinated. The characters were enjoyable and I connected with them all. I hoped for Erik and Alexandria to be together even while I felt for the sultan and the position he was in. It was a good romance with an antagonist who is human, not just evil.
Erik, the mysterious Phantom of the Opera ghost, is running from his bitterness of his love's rejection of him. Throwing himself into designing and building architectural masterpieces, the man in the mask is currently building the new lavish palace for the Ottoman Empires' sultan.
During the building of the palace, Alexandria, the new widow of the ruler of Constantinople, is brought to be the third wife of the sultan. The world she finds herself thrust unwillingly into is very different than the life she had come from. While she used to be her husband's only beloved wife, she is now the third, and the lowest of wives. The first wife proves to be friendly and welcoming, but she quickly meets the ridicule of the sultan's second wife and harem when the sultan establishes her as his favorite wife.
Working with the sultan's newest wife to design her court is the last thing Erik wants to do, but he is surprised to learn she is a well educated woman with a quick mind who loves to read and whose opinion was respected in her last home. As he teaches her about architecture he also sneaks her books and debates with her, treating her as an equal. He soon comes to care for her far more than he will admit.
When Alexandria is kidnapped for ransom while on a journey, Erik is the one who rides to her rescue and in the heat of the moment they reveal to each other the depths of their feelings for one another. When they try to go back to the way things were before they know it is impossible. Somehow they must find a way out of the hopeless situation.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.There is a popular trend within many genres to write a continuation, or new story, using characters from an existing television show, movie, play, or book. Romance is one of the genres where this movement is prevalent, and within this genre, the story of Erik, the hero (or is it villain?) of The Phantom of the Opera is a well-liked topic. Author Anne Burnside, in her debut novel, tackles the life of Erik beyond the Paris Opera House in the compelling story of The Sultan's Favorite.
In Burnside's version of the tale, after freeing Christine so she can marry Raoul, Erik leaves France to work for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire as the sultan's personal architect. The story begins with Erik working furiously to build the sultan's new palace. He is in a bad mood (a recurrent theme in the book) because he doesn't have enough slaves to get the palace built within the short time that the sultan demands.
The sultan is the all-powerful ruler of his empire and nobody argues with him with the exception of Erik. The two have worked out a unique relationship where Erik is allowed to speak his mind, up to a point. All appears well until the sultan takes a third wife, Alexandria. The beautiful Christian widow to the ruler of Constantinople is given to the sultan to keep peace between the two lands. She quickly becomes the sultan's favorite wife and it isn't long before Erik begins to notice the lovely woman too.
Following the sultan's wishes, Erik and Alexandria spend time together planning her lavish living quarters. Erik, convinced that his one true love is back in Paris, refuses to acknowledge his growing attraction to Alexandria. When Erik accompanies the sultan, Alexandria, and their entourage to Constantinople to get design ideas for the palace, his passion for the sultan's wife rises to the surface. But soon the beautiful woman is kidnapped by Titus, the ruler of nearby Phocaea. Erik, with his many talents at getting into difficult places unseen, is the one who comes to her rescue. During the rescue, the intensity of the pair's love rushes to the surface and soon the two are trying to hide their love from the sultan, knowing it will lead to certain death.
The Sultan's Favorite is a hot and steamy novel that involves three passionate people, each desiring nothing more than love. At the onset, the sultan is actually the more likeable of the two men as Erik has a vicious temper and appears to have little or no redeemable characteristics. The sultan, although brutal in his punishments, truly cares about his wives, particularly Alexandria. When he realizes he is falling in love with her, he lavishes his favored wife with gifts. Although women are forbidden from expressing their opinions in his world, the sultan relishes his talks with Alexandria behind closed doors. However, in public, the sultan is unable to show weakness of any kind, even to his favorite wife.
Burnside does a convincing job of slowly bringing Erik around to a more sympathetic character. At first he is devoid of any semblance of affection, unable to do anything other than show his brilliance with his designs and yell at those around him. It takes a while for the masked man to acknowledge his attachment to Alexandria and the reader is likely to at first be rooting for the sultan.
Quill says: The Sultan's Favorite is a juicy romance novel that will tantalize the reader with an adventure to a far-off land.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 20, 2009
For those open minded readers who want more of the Phantom of the Opera, this book deserves a chance. Due to the mature content (violence/rape), it is not for everyone. But the content was written well and did not dwell forever on details of violence as some books I've read. The story keeps you guessing with a number of cliffhangers and is fast moving enough for a long book. The characters were quite complex - for example, the sultan is not a simple, evil rival to Erik, the phantom. Instead, you begin to understand the position he finds himeself in, even though you still want to hate him. The fact that he has multiple wives but deeply loves Alexandria (thus the sultan's favorite) shows he is capable of love but only to a certain extent in his world. The phantom starts out fairly angry and bitter in this story, but grows along the way in admitting to his heart when it comes to Alexandria. Overall, a good story any phantom fan (or romance fan) will want to add to their collection.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 19, 2013
I thought that the first two-thirds of the book was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The last one-third of the book stretched the limits of imagination to the breaking point, and I found myself shaking my head in disbelief page after page. If I had only read the first 2/3 of the book, I would have given it 5 stars. Overall it was a really good love story.
Anonymous
Posted December 30, 2012
Well written. Follows what we expect from Erik as a character and shows a softer side as well as some romantic scenes. Highly recomend.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Kylie51
Posted August 28, 2011
Definitely not a historical romance; but if looking for a great fictional story, this is perfect for even those not familiar with the phantom story.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
Set in the compelling world of the Ottoman Empire, The Sultan's Favorite continues the saga of Erik from the Phantom of the Opera and his journey to a new life-and a new love.
The Phantom
Rejected by the only woman he loved, Erik tries to leave his past behind to begin a new life working as an architect. As the years pass, he accumulates enormous wealth and finds much success. When he is summoned by the sultan of the Ottomans to build a new ...