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3.5 

Twelve Kings in Sharakhai

By Bradley P. Beaulieu
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

A desert pit fighter plots to overthrow the immortal kings who terrorize her homeland in this first thrilling adventure in a blood- and sand-fueled epic fantasy series.

“Breathtaking.” —Robin Hobb, New York Times–bestselling author of Fool’s Assassin

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.

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213 Reviews

3.5
“Like any desert themed novel, Twelve Kings of Sharakhai has its monsters, tribal politics, religion and an oppressed society. As a first book it definitely sets the tone for this highly praised series. In this installment we meet Çeda, pit fighter whose moniker is White Wolf who dreams of revenge against the rulers- the twelve kings that rule Sharakhai and the surrounding nations. Told in dual timeline we learn about Çeda’s motivation to seek retribution. Invariably nothing is quite as it seems. This is not the standard fantasy plot. With its tone it portrays an Arabic /Northern African society and the tensions between nomadic tribes and an established town. The clothing, food and religious aspects all make for a different reading experience. It was a refreshing difference to be treated to sweet and savory dishes especially in the bazaar. On top of that the writing is superb. It takes a bit of time to get used to the non-linear narrative, but it imparts needed information without info-dumping. This played with the Chosen One trope to good effect. The characters are nuanced and there will be opinions about some secondary characters. It is difficult to predict the twists that arise and the ending provoked more questions. There isn’t a cliff hanger per se, more of a desire for the continuation of the plot.”

About Bradley P. Beaulieu

Bradley P. Beaulieu fell in love with fantasy from the moment he began reading The Hobbit in third grade. While Bradley earned a degree in computer science and engineering and worked in the information technology field for years, he could never quite shake his desire to explore other worlds. He began writing his first fantasy novel in college. It was a book he later trunked, but it was a start, a thing that proved how much he enjoyed the creation of stories. It made him want to write more. He went on to write The Lays of Anuskaya series as well as The Song of Shattered Sands series. He has published work in the Realms of Fantasy Magazine, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine ShowWriters of the Future 20, and several anthologies. He has won the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Award and earned a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination. Learn more about Bradley by visiting his website, quillings.com, or on Twitter at @bbeaulieu.

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