Twelve Kings in Sharakhai: The Song of the Shattered Sands, Book 1

Having listened to the audiobook put me at an instant advantage, because I never needed to find out how to pronounce Çeda. I would have stumbled over the name like an idiot every time I saw it in print. (It’s pronounced Chay-da, for those interested.) Çeda is an awesome character and I really liked hearing her story. She is a woman living in the slums of Sharakhai, the great desert city, making her way day to day by fighting anonymously in the fighting pits, and running errands (of the sensitive and probably not legal kind) and delivering packages (of the almost definitely not legal kind) for the pit master. One night, a holy night, she is running one such errand and sees the Kings of Sharakhai. The very kings she’s sworn vengeance against since they executed her mother when she was young. This leads her on a journey of self-discovery, full of riddles about her past, her parentage, and the Kings themselves. The book starts out with a scene in the pits with Çeda just laying the smackdown on her opponent, a man probably twice her size, which then segues nicely into a love scene that was unexpected but well written and not out of place at all. This scene was a really fantastic attention grabber for me, because not only do I enjoy the occasional well written sex scene, but I really enjoy a female lead who is believable in her actions and motivations, and I thought that this was a good example of that. Çeda is the type that (usually) does what she wants and apologizes for it later. I can relate to her in this way, and so it was very easy for me to root for her and hope she succeeded in her endeavors. The world of this book, the desert, the slums, and the overall city of Sharakhai was so rich and well built that I could imagine it really well, and that is always awesome. There’s so much intrigue in this world. The story is full of mysteries to be solved and that is entirely well executed, between flashbacks and present day, Çeda uses a book that her mother left her and some help from her friends to unravel the truth of her past and the truth about the Kings. Her journey takes her right into the heart of her worst enemies, and Çeda, being the resourceful gutter wren that she is, thwarts their efforts to ruin her day (also, kill her). Parts of the book made me legitimately emotional, as I wondered what would happen to Çeda or to Emre, or to both of them. I really, really liked Emre as a character as well, and I wanted the whole world for him. The relationship between them felt like best friends at times and so much more at other times, and the way it was written really had me hoping for the happiest of endings for both of them, whether together or not, best friends or more. It’s things like these that keep me reading books into the wee hours. Listening to, in this case, but it was still one of *those* books. The ones that make dust just get in my eyes because it can’t possibly be emotions because I don’t get misty about books (except that I do. I totally do). The narrator, Sarah Coomes, did a fantastic job, and 25 hours felt like it just flew right by. I’m really, really picky about female narrators, as I’ve found out more recently with some experimentation, but this one really nailed this presentation. There are some accents here that I would think are legitimately difficult to pull off, but she managed, at least she totally managed in my eyes (or ears? lolololokay okay, I’ll stop :P) I will definitely listen to more of this series narrated by her! This was a fantastic book, and I can’t wait to listen to some more of this trilogy!

Writing a full review will take a bit more time than I have at present. But I will express my thoughts as neatly and cogently as possible. The beginning establishes characters, and does it very quickly. There is a somewhat gratuitous sex scene very early on, but it aims itself at painting a more full protagonist. We'll come back to that. We get a wide cast of supporting characters in a very bright, interesting world. We start predominantly in one point of view, but then we expand into others, as well as through a 'flashback' point of view that enlightens us on current events as we go along. It's an entertaining read, and the characters become quite a colorful addition to the canvas. The setting can stand the weight of the narrative, and it keeps things suspenseful. Things are typically moving, though there is a slightly lull with the beginning, but I think that'll depend on the reader. And, we'll go into that now. The thing we wanted to come back to was having a full protagonist, and by George do we! Ceda is a hard-working, hard-fighting, hard-loving young lady with everything to prove and hell to pay. We get a lot of her character going in... and in some ways perhaps a bit too much. What do I mean? Obviously you can't have TOO much of a great character, right? Well, yeah. Though, what I will say is, sometimes the story takes too much time to show us all the things she's amazing at, instead of her being great in-and-of herself. We are launched into a plethora of her skills, and all the mixed up shenanigans she has gotten into over the years. How she interacts with people, how she feels for and treats them. A number of these are great, but some of them rattle off forever. She fights, she persuades, she deceives, she sneaks, she knows secrets, she has a vast social network to draw upon, she's crafty, and so many other things. These end up being believable, but it's hard to take in at some points, especially when some are just blatantly thrown at you with no justification. Almost as if you are wondering how these missing puzzle pieces will fit together, only to have the story drop a dozen extra pieces onto the board. Though, if you can get through all of that, you have a very entertaining read. With solid characters. And conflicts that don't appear to simply resolve themselves, but grow as the characters themselves do.

A nearly error-free, well crafted story. The protagonist is likable, dynamic, and her adventures are a layered mix of action, mystery, drama, a hint of romance, and secret magic. She navigates a variety of complex relationships that make the story more believable and engrossing. While there are many characters to track, some with similarly complex or unusual names, the key players are defined and more than two-dimensional as they each have their hidden motives. My only complaint would be that the large cast of characters should be accompanied by an index to which the reader could easily refer as needed. There are numerous points-of-view shifts with different timelines and characters, but these are cleanly indicated at chapter breaks. The POV shifts are purposeful and help the reader gain understanding and collect clues. The foreshadowing builds terrific suspense in spite of allowing the reader to predict outcomes. There are plot twists, though, that draw the reader further into the story. The world is rendered through excellent cultural details: scents, flavors, colors, and names. The landscape is familiar but tweaked with unique qualities to make it fantastical. I stayed up way too late to keep reading this book, a sure sign that it is engaging and of high quality. The length of the book is satisfying, and the ending of this book is at an acceptable and appropriate point. I will definitely read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book to adult readers who enjoy epic fantasy and who have patience to savor a long story that unfolds bit by bit, page after page.

Wat een collectie

I'm a sucker for a really good female leads in a book . Ceda Is a great character with great character development . I love her extended family and how she relates to them . I love the harshness of her upbringing and how that helps form her character as she grows older and tougher . The Kings are horribly evil as they should be ! This is a really great beginning of what will be a great series; it has a complex plot, neatly nestled within a complex society . I hugely enjoyed it moving right along to number two .

Bradley is clearly an experienced and capable writer. He introduces his main protagonist – an orphan with a terrible backstory – and little by little, we understand exactly who she is and why she is so driven. Çeda is a really interesting character – initially, she seems yet another sword-waving heroine, who manages to somehow overcome normal female behaviour to give us an unlikely-yet-equally-badass-protag that is rapidly becoming the norm in fantasy novels. I do get a tad exasperated at times by the ease with which these girls get access to expensive weaponry and the training to go with it – but, hey, this is fantasy, right? However, Bradley then devotes a large chunk of this long novel – nearly 600 pages long, though it doesn’t feel like it – to showing us exactly how she has got to where she is. And a hard old road it’s been… Alongside Çeda’s amazing journey, we also follow the fortunes of the young street kid who befriended her and was her partner in mischief for most of their childhood. Emre doesn’t have Çeda’s reckless streak and often feels inadequate that his instinct is to back off just when she surges forward to get stuck in. Though as far as I can see, his is the more intelligent move… He is also on a journey throughout the book, which is mostly dual narrative, charting the different paths these young people take in a brutal society forged by the demands of the desert. Bradley’s world is intricate, vivid and engrossing. I love the layers of society and power he has built against this unforgiving backdrop – and the magical elements are woven in with skill to provide plenty of impact when we finally get to learn what exactly is going on during the holy night of Beht Zha’ir. While there are frequent flashbacks, I didn’t find them jarring, as they helped us to understand the motivation of our two main protagonists, who I became very fond of throughout the book and am looking forward to getting reacquainted with in With Blood upon the Sand. If you enjoy quality epic fantasy set in the heat and drama of a desert backdrop, then this one comes highly recommended. 9/10

Twelve Kings (aka Twelve Kings in Sharakhai in the US) is not Bradley’s debut novel, though it is the first major release here in the UK. US readers may recognise Bradley’s name from his Lays of Anuskaya series, beginning with The Winds of Khalakovo. He has also been a Gemmell Award shortlist nominee and an L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Award winner. This is a book that should fit right into the next set of nominations for the Gemmells. Epic in tone and scale, we begin the novel mainly from the perspective of Cedamihn Ahyanesh’ala (Çeda, pronounced Chayda).We see her life as a young gladiatrix and street tough, both in the arena as ‘The White Wolf’, never defeated, but also the life she leads outside the arena, as a runner for the local gangleader. Through backstory we discover Çeda’s relationship with her life-long friend Emre and how her mother Ahya was killed when Çeda was young. Blaming the ruling group for her mother’s death and promising revenge on the twelve kings of the city of Sharakhai, Çeda has been left to be brought up under the care of apothecary Dardzada. This somewhat hectic double lifestyle changes when Emre, delivering a secret package for the local gang leader, is attacked and has to be rescued by Çeda. The rescue is made much more difficult because it happens on the night of Beht Zha’ir. This is when Mesut, the Jackal King, takes the carnivorous asirim from the blooming fields outside the city to collect a blood tithe, arranged by the Twelve Kings, through the streets and houses of Sharakhai. It is a time normally when the populace of Sharakhai stay indoors lest they be taken away and eaten by the asirim, but an ideal time for secret deliveries. Çeda saves Emre but at the same time meets an asirim wearing a crown, who does not kill her but kisses her. Once Emre has been retrieved, Çeda finds that his delivery item contains’ a major secret about the twelve Kings that both horrifies her and gives her an advantage in her plans for revenge. As the plot develops, the cast of characters expands. The arrival of Ramahd Amansir from neighbouring Qaimiri steps the plot up a gear. He defeats Çeda as a dirt dog (gladiator) and their following discussion leads Çeda to believe that she has a new ally also wanting revenge. Ramahd, and his strange sister-in-law Meryam, are determined to gain revenge on those who killed his wife and his daughter, the ones still organised by Macide, the godfather of Sharakhai’s criminal underworld. A rebel group, The Moonless Host, are searching for the tomb of Hamzakiir, an ancient King who they hope to use to usurp the Twelve Kings. To speak with Hamzahiir, they need a breathstone, a blood magic-based jewel that allows the user to speak to the dead. Çeda and Emre find themselves involved, in different ways. Much of the middle part of the novel is about Çeda discovering secrets about her own family and her past, and trying to find out how she can take on the Kings to depose them of their 400-year rule. It shifts from the present to the past, filling in backstory from five and eleven years previous. The last part is an exciting, page-turning event as the various plot threads are deftly woven together. There are a number of disclosures that surprised me. Though the tale is just beginning, there is a huge reveal in the end, which will have consequences for Çeda and Sharakhai later in this epic series. Twelve Kings is a book that rather confounds current trends. For example, it is based in a desert world, rather than a faux-Medieval Tolkienesque one. Though it has dark moments, it is not grimdark. As befitting an Epic Fantasy, it has a range of characters, but not too many, concentrating on four main perspectives. It has a range of places in its setting, but is mainly focused on the city-state of Sharakhai. It even has a quest element, something that has been absent from many a recent Fantasy novel. So it may not be ‘trendy’. But it is engaging, absorbing, entertaining, and exciting. Firstly, the setting is superb. Evoking images of desert landscapes and exotic cultures, Twelve Kings is definitely not a Tolkien-clone. The arid desert environment is often described in terms that we would normally use for oceans, with a terminology to match. In the city itself, the impression of size and great variety is given without resorting to detailed place descriptions that can be obtrusive to the plot. I also liked the fact that there is an entertaining mix of different tribes and cultures which gives Sharakhai a multicultural feel, reminiscent of downtown Casablanca or Marrakesh. Travelling a little further afield from the city-state of Sharakhai itself, we have desert journeys, sandships and pirate battles across the Great Shangari Desert. Of course, a good book needs something more than just a good setting. Bradley manages to combine our previous ideas of big deserts (Dune) with something that is subtly his. There is magic in this world, which the twelve kings use to maintain their rule. Much of this is based around the arcane use of blood, which gives rise to some very Elric-style events. To add to this, strange creatures walk this desert world – poisonous rattlewing beetles, the black laughers (some sort of hyena), and, of course, the immortal asirim themselves. The asirim are wonderfully creepy, part werewolf, part vampire, long-living slaves to the blood-tithe who we discover are part of the big secret. Most of all though, this book works on the quality and the strengths of its characters, and in particular Çeda. Through the backstory, we realise that Twelve Kings is really about the relationship between Çeda and her childhood associates. Emre is her lifelong friend, someone on whom Çeda has both relied on and saved at various times in their lives. Through the glimpses of Çeda and Emre’s earlier life we also meet Rafa, Emre’s older brother, whose unfortunate fate binds Emre and Çeda together more. Hamid is the shy one, the one who secretly fancies Çeda, whose lifestyle choices have led him to a life of crime as an adult. Tariq is the bully, the one whose dealings with the local crime gangs creates little but trouble for both Emre and Çeda. Although the book’s focus is about Çeda and the difficulties she faces to reach her destiny, obviously her actions have consequences on all those who know her. Though I guess my loyalties should lie with Çeda, strangely, the person I feel for most in the novel is Dardzada, the apothecary who has to deal with Çeda growing up. It is not an easy task and many difficult decisions have to be made to keep Çeda’s background a secret. He does so out of love and loyalty for Çeda’s mother, Ahya, but this also leads to his estrangement from Çeda. His gruff, tough approach to living belies a caring side that is genuinely concerned for Çeda, even when she doesn’t appreciate his support. It is a situation that is handled most delicately and pleasingly well. Generally the style of the narrative is great, with a combination of vivid imagery and just enough invented vocabulary to draw the reader in without them having to work hard for it. The double life that Çeda leads is well portrayed but is in stark contrast to that of the twelve kings. “You are an arrow, Cedamihn. A spear pointed at the heart of Sharakhai. And we will work together to unravel what the Kings have done in the name of their gods.” The balance between warrior and street-tough is a difficult one to judge, but Brad does it here brilliantly. Çeda is not a sanitised heroine by any means, but she wins the reader over as a passionate, fierce and loyal person who makes blunders and yet stays true to her beliefs. The core of Twelve Kings is about following her journey and watching her grow into an adult from her actions and her mistakes. There’s a lot of thought gone into this book. One of the little additional touches I liked whilst reading was that each of the viewpoints given is signified by a different picture at the beginning of each chapter. Çeda’s symbol is the adichara flower, the lethal plant whose petals are an illegal drug. Ramahd’s is a heron-like bird, the symbol of his family. Çeda’s friend Esme has a rattlewing beetle in a scarab-style posture whilst the perspective for Ihsan, the King of Sharakhai, is shown with a bladed shield. As you might expect, Çeda’s is the one we see most, whilst the Kings only really appear at key points in the book. (I’m sure this may change further into the series.) There are occasional parts that don’t work quite so well – an uncomfortably written sex scene, the odd clunk of exposition and dialogue. Some readers may baulk at the flitting between past and present, though what is told in the past is important and the style is rather en vogue at the moment. But really, for a book of this length and drive, the flaws are surprisingly few. How often do you read a book not wanting it to end? Or, as you read, you feel so much in a book’s grip that you are happy, just knowing that this is good. It happens too rarely for me these days, but Twelve Kings is the first book that did this for me in a long while. Twelve Kings provides superior world-building, memorable characters and an exciting plot in a thoroughly entertaining adventure that I struggled to put down. Putting it simply, Twelve Kings is the best new Epic Fantasy I’ve read in years. Thoroughly recommended.

All too predictable to the point of being boring and that what isn't boringly predictable too complicated to make one curious for the following tale. Especially the salvation "queen" spoiler.