REVIEW: Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley Beaulieu

http://lestgoo.id
http://lestgoo.id/download
US Cover
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley Beaulieu
Publishing information: Paperback ARC; 592 pages
Publisher: Daw 1 Sept 2015
ISBN: 978-0756409722
Series: The Song of Shattered Sands #1
Copy: Provided by author
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "Sharakhai, the great city of the desert, center of commerce and culture, has been ruled from time immemorial by twelve kings -- cruel, ruthless, powerful, and immortal. With their army of Silver Spears, their elite company of Blade Maidens and their holy defenders, the terrifying asirim, the Kings uphold their positions as undisputed, invincible lords of the desert. There is no hope of freedom for any under their rule.

Or so it seems, until Çeda, a brave young woman from the west end slums, defies the Kings' laws by going outside on the holy night of Beht Zha'ir. What she learns that night sets her on a path that winds through both the terrible truths of the Kings' mysterious history and the hidden riddles of her own heritage. Together, these secrets could finally break the iron grip of the Kings' power...if the nigh-omnipotent Kings don't find her first."

I have a small confession to make, I bought The Winds of Kalakovo the day it came out and never got around to reading it. Everyone said it as a great debut and I don't doubt that they aren't telling the truth but I just always found a book to read instead of picking up the one I had every intention of reading. So, when Bradley mentioned that he would like me to be one of the first reviewers to read he book, I figured I need to get off my duff and actually make space to read his latest book release.

Twelve Kings in Sharakhai tells the story of Ceda, a young woman bound and determined to uncover why her mother was killed by one of the twelve kings, and then put them to death for their actions. In order to do this she has been trained by one of the best pit fighters out there and taken on the moniker, the White Wolf, a masked champion of the people of Sharakhai. While being a fighter is work enough, Ceda is also a black market courier.

It is during one of her midnight courier runs that she sees one of the Asirim and instead of killing her
UK Cover
or taking her captive she discovers something that links it to her mother. This tiny clue sends her on a path of discovery and gets her closer to her ultimate goal. I don't want to spoil things so I will leave it rather vague.

What I can tell you is that Twelve Kings in Sharakhai has been abuzz well before it was released and that the positive reviews and accolades are worth it. The books does start off a tad slow as the story unfolds but by the time the action picked up, I was already deep into the story I really didn't care if the pace started to increase. Twelve Kings just does a tremendous job of bringing the characters to life and the world building is top notch. It is hard to find a story so rich in every detail as the one that Bradley has penned here.

To an extent, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai has a lot in common with Star Wars: A New Hope. Our protagonist has a hidden talent that was kept even from them and as it is uncovered, the true story unfolds. My only complaint with the book is that it ended. Twelve Kings in Sharakhai is the book you are looking for. It has a rich story filled with interesting characters and it is just getting started. Highly recommended.

Overall 9.5/10
http://lestgoo.id
http://lestgoo.id/download

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular

Ukkusiksalik: The People's Story

Image
Ukkusiksalik: The People's Story By David F. Pelly Toronto: Dundurn, $21.50 Reviewed by Russell A. Potter When I was in Gjoa Haven for ten days in 2004, I remember a local Inuk who, though he was happy to answer my newcomer's questions, regarded my interest in his community as a short-term one, despite my protestations to the contrary. When I asked him why, he put it plainly: many  Qallunaaat say the same thing -- but then that's the last you see of them -- they never come back. David F. Pelly is one who came back -- again and again -- and so earned the trust and the friendship of the people he sojourned among. And these qualities are vital to the  project of  Ukkusiksalik , which is no less than to provide a comprehensive oral history of this area from the earliest appearance of humans to the establishment of the national park that bears its name in 2003, and beyond. Indeed, Pelly opens with an account of the geological history of the area beginning with the last Ice Ag...
Read more

REVIEW: Star Wars Vol. 2 Showdown on Smuggler's Moon by Jason Aaron, Stuart Immonen, and Simone Bianchi

Image
Star Wars Vol. 2 Showdown on Smuggler's Moon by Jason Aaron, Stuart Immonen, and Simone Bianchi Publishing Information: Paperback; 144 pages Publisher: Marvel; 26 Jan 2016 ISBN: 9780785192145 Series: Vol. 2 Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "Injustice reigns on Tatooine as villainous scum run rampant. Will Ben Kenobi risk revealing himself to do what's right? Then, Luke continues his quest to learn about the Jedi by heading for the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Plus: Han & Leia are confronted by an unexpected foe from Han's past! COLLECTING: STAR WARS 7-12" Last week I reviewed the first volume of the new Star Wars comic book that covers the time between New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. Volume 2 continues the adventures of the rebels and this time it features a little more of Leia, which was missing from the last book. I don't want to give too much away but in this storyline Han and Leia's struggling romance gets sidelined when someone...
Read more

REVIEW: Mort(e) by Robert Repino

Image
Mort(e) by Robert Repino Publishing information: Hardcover; 358pgs Publisher: Soho Press; 1 Jan 2014 ISBN: 9781616954277 Series: War with No Name #1 Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "After the “war with no name” a cat assassin searches for his lost love in Repino’s strange, moving sci-fi epic that channels both Homeward Bound and A Canticle for Lebowitz. The “war with no name” has begun, with human extinction as its goal. The instigator of this war is the Colony, a race of intelligent ants who, for thousands of years, have been silently building an army that would forever eradicate the destructive, oppressive humans. Under the Colony's watchful eye, this utopia will be free of the humans' penchant for violence, exploitation and religious superstition. As a final step in the war effort, the Colony uses its strange technology to transform the surface animals into high-functioning two-legged beings who rise up to kill their masters. Former housecat turned ...
Read more