Rising from bandit to ruler, Ali Pacha carves out his own kingdom in the mountains of Epirus, defying the mighty Ottoman Empire through cunning, ambition, and ruthless brilliance. As Pasha of Janina, he courts European powers and builds a court of legendary splendor, blind old men serving as his counselors and women guarding his palace. But his rebellion against Sultan Mahmud II seals his fate. Betrayed by allies and abandoned by fortune, Ali faces his enemies in a final stand at the monastery of Panteleimon. A sweeping tale of power, treachery, and tragic grandeur in a decaying empire.
