Describing this book is difficult. Rushdie has taken historical figures including Machiavelli and Mughal India's Emperor Akbar and historical events, e.g. the various conflicts between near-eastern Asia and southern Europe, and blended them into a fantastical collection of tales that intertwine into one convoluted story. What makes this amalgam of characters, locations, and time periods work is Rushdie's beautiful use of language. A mysterious blonde man in a multicolored coat arrives in the court of Akbar and spins a tale of Qara Koz, great-aunt of Akbar. Qara Koz is a woman so beautiful men can think of nothing else once they see her. Surrounding her is a life of sex, obsession, and magic that can both elevate and undermine political power and fortune. I found this book to be lush, confusing, and frequently funny. I was occsionally reminded of Baudolino by Umberto Eco. This is not a book you can zip through. It needs concentration on the details to fully appreciate what Rushdie has created.
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