I absolutely loved the Elemental Mysteries by Elizabeth Hunter. I say, books and series like those make most TV and movies seem like an inferior form of entertainment. The Scribe is her newest book and I was excited to give it a try.
Aaand it was wonderful! I'm quite convinced that I will love anything she writes, because there hasn't been one exception in about ten novels I've read from her. That's about everything she's published.
The Scribe was so interesting! The history of the characters, the ambiance, the story itself... I just got sucked right in. I love traveling to exotic places while reading and I could just imagine I was in Istanbul myself, your writing and descriptions were that inspiring. I need to get out of the country for a while.
A very good read!
***
Another very, very good novel in an exotic milieu is Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, which is mostly set in Prague, Czech Republic. I want more of that. No more lil' ol' American towns, I want Jerusalem, Sao Paulo, Wien and Mumbai...