Angol
Samarkand, 1449. Mirzo Ulugbek, the astronomer-king who mapped the heavens, lies murdered on the orders of his own son. Now the parricide prince sits on Amir Temur's golden throne, and the city holds its breath.
In a cold, dark cell, the scholar Ali Qushji guards the one secret the new ruler craves: the hiding place of his master's priceless library, sealed deep in the Dragon Cave. Spies prowl the bazaars, scholars betray one another for gold, and books of "unbelief" feed the flames at the observatory.
Beyond the palace walls, the wandering poet Kalandar Karnaki risks everything to free his imprisoned master and to win Khurshida Banu, the beauty the prince himself desires.
But a throne taken in blood is never safe. As conspirators gather in the mountains and a terrible prophecy hangs over the court, every soul in Samarkand must choose: loyalty or survival, knowledge or the darkness.
