The novel, translated from Turkish by Clifford and Selahn Endres, is punctuated by the literate wit of the author, whose extraordinary range of references extends from ancient authors to modern crime fiction. This is a hugely enjoyable crash-course in imperial bloodbaths, plus a travelogue, interwoven with snippets of poetry. Independent Readers tired of the endless Da Vinci Code knockoffs will find Altun's variation on the theme a refreshing one. Turkish economics professor Halas Araboglu's quiet life is upended when he receives a letter from Nikos Askaris promising excellent news, and requesting that the academic bring a 15th-century map drawn by a Florentine priest to their meeting. Naturally curious, Araboglu attends, to be greeted with the mind-blowing news that he is actually a descendant of the last Byzantine emperor, and thus the emperor-in-exile the Byzantine has been awaiting for over 500 years. He accedes to carry out the tasks Askaris assigns him as necessary to fulfilling his new role-two months of study, followed by a testing process requiring him to solve a riddle in his ancestor's will. Altun (Songs My Mother Never Taught Me) beautifully incorporates details about the Byzantine Empire less familiar to Western audiences, as well as healthy injections of wry humor, into this riveting escapade. Publishers Weekly Sultan is first and most definitely a carefully executed mystery...What are you, some kind of aristocratic character escaped from a romantic novel? asks the comely professor of the narrator/protagonist, who fits this description so perfectly. He also may or may not be The Sultan of Byzantium of Selcuk Altun s absorbing novel. The longest-lasting and most satisfying intrigue is that readers never learn the name of the narrator, a dashing economics professor, until the book s conclusion. How it is revealed, resolving many a loose end, is well worth the journey getting there. newpages.com Now in English, Altun's novel rightly claims its place among the works of world literature through its brilliantly constructed plot and offers an intriguing read for readers and scholars of world literature. World Literature Today
