Reign of the Favored Women Series by Ann Chamberlin

Kidnapped by corsairs and sold into captivity in the Ottoman Empire, Sofia vows to rise above the sexual slavery of the sultan's harem, while a fellow slave, Giorgio Veniero, an Italian sailor, pays a terrible price for falling in love with Esmikhan, the sultan's daughter.

Giorgio Veniero, once a Venetian sailor, now a eunuch, guards the life and honor of his beloved mistress, Esmikhan, wife of the Grand Vizier. Unable to bear children that survive, the Sultan's daughter nearly resigns herself to a life alone, unloved by absent husband or child. Sofia, captured by the Turks at the same time as Giorgio, enthralls the heir to the Ottoman Empire with her loving wiles... moreGiorgio Veniero, once a Venetian sailor, now a eunuch, guards the life and honor of his beloved mistress, Esmikhan, wife of the Grand Vizier. Unable to bear children that survive, the Sultan's daughter nearly resigns herself to a life alone, unloved by absent husband or child. Sofia, captured by the Turks at the same time as Giorgio, enthralls the heir to the Ottoman Empire with her loving wiles. Secure within the cloistered depths of the harem, Safiye, as she is called, wields power that stretches its tendrils far beyond the palace walls. When these plots grow to threaten Esmikhan, Giorgio does what he can to thwart them. But his more difficult challenge lies in the love he bears Esmikhan. When kidnappers threaten her, this slave must choose between his chance to regain freedom and his desire to help the woman he loves. And when forbidden passion tempts her astray, earlier dangers pale in comparison. Giorgio finds that he holds Esmikhan's happiness in his hands--and risks death for both of them, should he give it to her. less

From harem slaves to empresses with global power, the Reign of the Favored Women was a watershed period in world history. The great Turkish empire of the seventeenth century, the most powerful of its day, was ruled by women who had been brought to Constantinople as slaves for the Sultan's pleasure -- but used their slavery to acquire power on a global scale.The Venetian-born Safiye, "the Fair One" as she is known, is the embodiement of the newly coined term "Machiavellian"... moreFrom harem slaves to empresses with global power, the Reign of the Favored Women was a watershed period in world history. The great Turkish empire of the seventeenth century, the most powerful of its day, was ruled by women who had been brought to Constantinople as slaves for the Sultan's pleasure -- but used their slavery to acquire power on a global scale.The Venetian-born Safiye, "the Fair One" as she is known, is the embodiement of the newly coined term "Machiavellian". With her perfumed body and bewitching eyes, she rules the men who own her. She controls the Empire from within the veiled harem walls, her web of intrigue reaching far beyond Constantinople and into Europe. Her touch is felt in wars, acts of sabotage, and the machinations of both European and Asian politics. The aim of her ambition? To see that her son becomes ruler of the Ottoman Empire. She will allow nothing to stand in her way. less