Of Sand and Malice Made - Softcover

Beaulieu, Bradley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1473218462 ISBN 13: 9781473218468

Publisher: Gollancz, 2017

Synopsis

Çeda, the heroine of the novel Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, is the youngest pit fighter in the history of the great desert city of Sharakhai. In this prequel, she has already made her name in the arena as the fearsome, undefeated White Wolf; none but her closest friends and allies know her true identity.

But this all changes when she crosses the path of Rümayesh, an ehrekh, a sadistic creature forged long ago by the god of chaos. The ehrekh are usually desert dwellers, but this one lurks in the dark corners of Sharakhai, toying with and preying on humans. As Rümayesh works to unmask the White Wolf and claim Çeda for her own, Çeda's struggle becomes a battle for her very soul.

About this title

About the Author

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 Show, Writers 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.

Review

Praise for Twelve Kings in Sharakhai:
 
Best Book of 2015 by Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BuzzFeed 
 
“Çeda and Emre share a relationship seldom explored in fantasy, one that will be tried to the utmost as similar ideals provoke them to explore different paths. Wise readers will hop on this train now, as the journey promises to be breathtaking.” 
—Robin Hobb, bestselling author of Fool’s Assassin
 
“I am impressed.... An exceedingly inventive story in a lushly realized dark setting that is not your uncle’s Medieval Europe. I’ll be looking forward to the next installment.” 
—Glen Cook, author of The Black Company
 
"Fantasy and horror, catacombs and sarcophagi, resurrections and revelations: the book has them all, and Beaulieu wraps it up in a package that's as graceful and contemplative as it is action-packed and pulse-pounding." —NPR
 
"Beaulieu's intricate world-building and complex characters are quickly becoming the hallmarks of his writing, and if this opening volume is any indication, [this series] will be one of the next great fantasy epics." —B&N SF&F Blog
 
“Beaulieu has crafted a rich, fascinating world, filled it with compelling characters, and blended them into an epic tale that grabbed my attention on the first page and refused to let go. I look forward to more stories of Sharakhai.” 
—D.B. Jackson, author of the Thieftaker Chronicles
 
“Sumptuous and incredibly entertaining, Beaulieu has created memorable characters in a richly imagined world.” 
—Michael J. Sullivan, author of The Riyria Chronicles

“Beaulieu’s new fantasy epic is filled with memorable characters, enticing mysteries, and a world so rich in sensory detail that you can feel the desert breeze in your hair as you read.” 
—C.S. Friedman, author of Dreamwalker
 
“A memorable heroine, a poetically told tale of revenge, and superb worldbuilding make Twelve Kings in Sharakhai a splendid read.” 
—John Marco, author of The Eyes of God

“Twelve Kings in Sharakhai isn’t the same as the last epic fantasy you read. Like the desert sands of Sharakhai, this first volume of Beaulieu’s new series is a constantly shifting narrative of betrayal and friendship, loyalty and vengeance. Leave the farm boys to their chickens and the scullions to their pots, because Çeda’s bringing a knife to this fight. It’s vivid and diverse, full of complex relationships, eye-opening magic, and world building for this new age of fantasy that’s broken out of its medieval shackles.” 
—Aidan Moher, A Dribble of Ink

“A lavish epic featuring gods, gangs, gladiators and everything in-between. With its deliciously original magic system, vast new world, reckless heroine and sinister array of ageless villains, this is a must for fans of Brandon Sanderson.”
—Jared Shurin, Pornokitsch
 
“An excellent example of what a fantasy author can achieve when he has a talent for storytelling and has courage to add originality to the story.... The story is full of depth, fantastic scenes, and intriguing characters.... Twelve Kings in Sharakhai may well be the best epic fantasy novel of the year.” 
—Rising Shadow

About this edition

• Publisher: Gollancz
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1473218462
• ISBN 13: 9781473218468
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 228