This article discusses the connection between power and sexual activity as seen in the novel Rā’iḥat al-qirfah (The Scent of Cinnamon) by the Syrian author Samar Yazbik. It addresses how the fictional society constructed in the novel sees sexual prowess as an instrument of power and how the author uses this connection to analyse and critique the power structures found in Syrian society. This is done through all the characters but in particular through the development of ‘Alyā, who transgresses gender norms and adopts what is coded male sexual behaviour in an attempt to obtain power. The article argues that her actions at the same time validate and violate the gender order since not only do they show that male sexual performance is linked to power, but also that a female can perform the same actions. Alyā’s conduct further illustrates the mechanisms of power structures built on fear and violence as found in the novel.