From the author of the acclaimed "The Arabian Nightmare" comes a dark and mysterious tour-de-force of fantasy, eroticism and storytelling--"exotic and sexy" said The Guardian.
Finally published in the United States, Robert Irwin's gripping fantasy tale of sensuality and ancient Arabian culture takes readers on a kaleidoscopic ride of deception, temptation and greed.
The virginal hero of the tale, Prince Orkhan, escapes from The Cage of the Imperial Harem, in which the sons of the sultan are imprisoned, and finds himself hailed by the Harem's concubines as their new Sultan. He is immediately caught up in the excesses and perversions of the harem. But evil flourishes in a bed of boredom and, after allowing the Viper to drink at the Tavern of the Perfume-Makers, Orkhan enters a maze of complicated relationships, all orchestrated by the devotees of the Prayer-Cushion movement. Temptation, seduction, story-telling and magic are used to lure the Sultan towards a climax which is designed to be both ecstatic and fatal.
Prayer-Cushions of the Flesh is a masterful blend of historical fact, dark humor and robust fantasy. The tale features sex with men, women, fairies and alligators--there is something here to titillate every desire, and a wonderful story to boot.
About the Author
Robert Irwin studied Modern History at Oxford and taught Medieval History at the University of St. Andrews. In addition to Prayer-Cushions of the Flesh and The Arabian Nightmare, he has written four other novels and is the editor of Night and Horses and the Desert: An Anthology of Classic Arabic Literature.