【 SLAVE CONCUBINE QUEEN 】

Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: Adult
Author: Sally Neighbour
Published: October 2026
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 352 (paperback)

This was a fascinating read and also not what I expected. I was drawn into this because it was pitched as about the life of Sultana Roxelana. I love me some historical fiction about famous women of the past, and the Ottoman Empire is such a fascinating period to delve into.

But I must start this review by stating that though this is about her life, it’s not a particularly personal (or focused) history of her, but more about what was going on in the Ottoman Empire during her life. As such, she doesn’t really feel like the main character, but just one of many. Yet, the book does begin and end with her in important ways, and thus it’s her life that bookends this story. And honestly, all the other characters were quite interesting to follow too.

I’m left with some mixed feelings at the end of this book. I chowed through and found it thoroughly engrossing to read. But I’m also somewhat unsatisfied by the swift ending (and angry that history didn’t have a better ending for me) and confused about how to feel. This story of history felt like it propelled itself toward an undesired end through a manifestation of its own anxieties (blaming history here, not the author). And so I feel the need to read up on the true history now and compare notes with this book to see if this all really did happen (more or less).

I must say, though, that I think Neighbour has potentially done something clever. So let’s roll with it and interpret this book as a cold and clever warning of what happens to the legacy of women that history deems had too much power. Over and over in this book, external forces are at play depicting Roxelana as this horrid, manipulative witch. But at no point does the reader ever really see her do anything like that. Yes, she has the Sultan’s ear, but if she’s doing any master-minding, it’s nothing as overtly evil as the men of this time would have you believe.

And why is this clever? Because at the end of the book I almost put it down and went, eurgh, do I even like Roxelana? But then I thought, perhaps that’s the point. This book makes you think about the portrayal of women, their role in history, and the ease with which the narrative is manipulated. It puts you in the place of history looking back at Roxelana to see if you can see beyond the smoke and mirrors, and whether you can form your own opinion about this curious woman and her motives. And I do love a book that makes you think.

I also enjoyed the moments of the narration where the author butts in and gives the reader this omniscient narration to fill us in on the wider context of what was happening – or to foreshadow heavily. I can see that not being everyone’s cup of tea, but I like it for the way it served the purpose of progressing the story, even if it does offer a slightly more detatched and distanced narration.

In sum, I can agree with some other reviewers in that I don’t feel this book was pitched entirely right, but I still had a good time. Roxelana is not the main character but one of many, and you still get a great and interesting slice of what her world might have looked like. I’d recommend this book to history buffs and those who like books that challenge you to think. This book reads like an ode to history, more so than a piece of history reimagined. I suspect this book will stay with me for some time, and I will keep turning it over and over in my mind.

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Title: Slave Concubine Queen
Author: Sally Neighbour
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A sweeping saga of passion, betrayal, salvation and revenge set in the opulent Othman palace of Suleyman the Magnificent, as one fierce slave girl rises from captivity to the position of queen, using all the intrigue necessary for her own and her sons’ survival. Inspired by the wondrous and compelling true story of Sultana Roxelena.

Stolen from far outside the empire and sold into slavery in the Sultan’s palace, Roxelana vows to live – and to rise. In the ferocious world of the imperial harem she learns its language, its rules, its music – and the secrets of how to survive.

When she captivates Suleyman the Magnificent and is crowned as queen, her unprecedented ascent ushers in a scandalous new the Sultanate of Women. But power in the Ottoman court is fickle. Whispers brand her a witch. How else could this concubine have captured the heart of a sultan? Enemies circle. Mahidevran, mother of the beloved heir, and Ibrahim, the Sultan’s boyhood confidant-turned-grand vizier know her as a rival. And the old law of fratricide threatens every son she bears.

From the perfumed corridors of the Topkapi palace to the battlefields where Suleyman vies for dominion over the kings of Europe, Roxelana must exert wit and iron resolve to protect her position and her family. In a realm where love is leverage and loyalty can be fatal, how far will she go to keep what she has won?

A sweeping story of desire, intrigue and the devastating price of power.