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The Song of the Shattered Sands #4
Beneath the Twisted Trees
The fourth book in The Song of Shattered Sands series—an epic fantasy with a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.
When a battle to eradicate the Thirteenth Tribe goes awry, the kingdoms bordering the desert metropolis of Sharakhai see the city as weak and ripe for conquest. Çeda, now leader of the Shieldwives, a band of skilled desert swordswomen, hopes to use the growing chaos to gain freedom for Sehid-Alaz, the ancient, undying king of her people. Freeing him is only the beginning, however. Like all the people of her tribe on that fateful night four centuries earlier, Sehid-Alaz was cursed, turned into an asir, a twisted, miserable creature beholden to the kings of Sharakhai—to truly free her king, Çeda must break the chains that bind him.
As Sharakhai’s enemies close in and the assault on the city begins, Çeda works feverishly to unlock the mysteries of the asirim’s curse. But danger lies everywhere. Enemy forces roam the city; the Blade Maidens close in on her; her own father, one of the kings of Sharakhai, wants Çeda to hang. Worst of all, the gods themselves have begun to take notice of Çeda’s pursuits.
When the combined might of Sharakhai and the desert gods corner the survivors of the Thirteenth Tribe in a mountain fastness, the very place that nearly saw their annihilation centuries ago, Çeda knows the time has come. She was once an elite warrior in service to the kings of Sharakhai. She has been an assassin in dark places. A weapon poised to strike from the shadows. A voice from the darkness, striving to free her people.
No longer.
Now she's going to lead.
The age of the Kings is coming to an end . . .
When a battle to eradicate the Thirteenth Tribe goes awry, the kingdoms bordering the desert metropolis of Sharakhai see the city as weak and ripe for conquest. Çeda, now leader of the Shieldwives, a band of skilled desert swordswomen, hopes to use the growing chaos to gain freedom for Sehid-Alaz, the ancient, undying king of her people. Freeing him is only the beginning, however. Like all the people of her tribe on that fateful night four centuries earlier, Sehid-Alaz was cursed, turned into an asir, a twisted, miserable creature beholden to the kings of Sharakhai—to truly free her king, Çeda must break the chains that bind him.
As Sharakhai’s enemies close in and the assault on the city begins, Çeda works feverishly to unlock the mysteries of the asirim’s curse. But danger lies everywhere. Enemy forces roam the city; the Blade Maidens close in on her; her own father, one of the kings of Sharakhai, wants Çeda to hang. Worst of all, the gods themselves have begun to take notice of Çeda’s pursuits.
When the combined might of Sharakhai and the desert gods corner the survivors of the Thirteenth Tribe in a mountain fastness, the very place that nearly saw their annihilation centuries ago, Çeda knows the time has come. She was once an elite warrior in service to the kings of Sharakhai. She has been an assassin in dark places. A weapon poised to strike from the shadows. A voice from the darkness, striving to free her people.
No longer.
Now she's going to lead.
The age of the Kings is coming to an end . . .
540 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2019
About the author
Bradley P. Beaulieu
69 books1,265 followersBradley P. Beaulieu began writing his first fantasy novel in college, but life eventually intervened. As time went on, though, Brad realized that his love of writing and telling tales wasn't going to just slink quietly into the night. The drive to write came back full force in the early 2000s, at which point Brad dedicated himself to the craft, writing and learning under the guidance of writers like Nancy Kress, Joe Haldeman, Tim Powers, Holly Black, and many more.
Brad and his novels have garnered many accolades including two Hotties—the Debut of the Year and Best New Voice—on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo and more:
* Top Ten Book and Debut of the Year for 2011 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist for The Winds of Khalakovo
* Best New Voice of 2011 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
* 2011 Gemmell Morningstar Award Nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo
* Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on Ranting Dragon's Best of 2011
* Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on Mad Hatter's Best of 2011
* Top Five Book for 2012 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist for The Straits of Galahesh
* 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on Staffer's Book Review
* 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on The Ranting Dragon
* 2013 Most Anticipated for The Flames of Shadam Khoreh on The Ranting Dragon
Brad continues to work on his next projects, including an Arabian Nights epic fantasy and a Norse-inspired middle grade series. He also runs the highly successful science fiction & fantasy podcast, Speculate, which can be found at speculatesf.com.
Novels
THE LAYS OF ANUSKAYA
* The Winds of Khalakovo
* The Straits of Galahesh
* The Flames of Shadam Khoreh
Short Story Collections
* Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten & Other Stories
Novellas
* Strata (with Stephen Gaskell)
Contact Information
Website: www.quillings.com
Twitter: @bbeaulieu
Facebook: facebook.com/bradley.p.beaulieu
Brad and his novels have garnered many accolades including two Hotties—the Debut of the Year and Best New Voice—on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo and more:
* Top Ten Book and Debut of the Year for 2011 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist for The Winds of Khalakovo
* Best New Voice of 2011 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
* 2011 Gemmell Morningstar Award Nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo
* Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on Ranting Dragon's Best of 2011
* Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on Mad Hatter's Best of 2011
* Top Five Book for 2012 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist for The Straits of Galahesh
* 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on Staffer's Book Review
* 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on The Ranting Dragon
* 2013 Most Anticipated for The Flames of Shadam Khoreh on The Ranting Dragon
Brad continues to work on his next projects, including an Arabian Nights epic fantasy and a Norse-inspired middle grade series. He also runs the highly successful science fiction & fantasy podcast, Speculate, which can be found at speculatesf.com.
Novels
THE LAYS OF ANUSKAYA
* The Winds of Khalakovo
* The Straits of Galahesh
* The Flames of Shadam Khoreh
Short Story Collections
* Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten & Other Stories
Novellas
* Strata (with Stephen Gaskell)
Contact Information
Website: www.quillings.com
Twitter: @bbeaulieu
Facebook: facebook.com/bradley.p.beaulieu
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
March 6, 2022
Full review on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
Want to read
July 6, 2019People. Stop giving books that aren't even out yet one or two stars, you know how much these damn stars means for the sale of books. Wish goodreads would fix this problem already ._.
Deleting review once the book is out.
Deleting review once the book is out.
July 19, 2019
This series has slowly became one of my favorites, I re-read the series before purchasing this one and realized just how much I loved it. Every book has moments that totally wrap me up in the story and makes me hate the fact that sooner or later they have to end. This book continued with that trend and totally sucked me in from beginning to end.
This series and this book have everything you could want in a fantasy series, an engrossing story, multiple pov's that are all well written, detailed action scenes, emotional scenes, romance, and great worldbuilding/setting. I've read so many medieval European fantasy books that any change of scenery is welcome. I absolutely loved the setting and culture of this book, everything feels organic and perfect for the story. I really wish more fantasy authors would start breaking away from the standard fantasy setting and really start exploring other options.
This book was a great addition to the series, if you've read the others you'll 100% enjoy this one as well. If you haven't read the series do yourself a massive favor and go purchase it. I can't give it enough praise. It's joined my club of amazing books that I will read multiple times throughout my life.
This series and this book have everything you could want in a fantasy series, an engrossing story, multiple pov's that are all well written, detailed action scenes, emotional scenes, romance, and great worldbuilding/setting. I've read so many medieval European fantasy books that any change of scenery is welcome. I absolutely loved the setting and culture of this book, everything feels organic and perfect for the story. I really wish more fantasy authors would start breaking away from the standard fantasy setting and really start exploring other options.
This book was a great addition to the series, if you've read the others you'll 100% enjoy this one as well. If you haven't read the series do yourself a massive favor and go purchase it. I can't give it enough praise. It's joined my club of amazing books that I will read multiple times throughout my life.
August 10, 2019
Where to start! The series is still going strong. I had the worst concentration the last few weeks. And that is causing me to remember little, but I damned much enjoyed it during the reading that is for sure!! There was so much going, a lot of traveling and scheming. The surrounding Kings and Queens were getting involved, everyone is so power hungry in this book! Which makes the intrigue so much better cause you don't know who is telling the truth. Because more tribes are involved and a war is breaking loose there are so many casualties by ehrekh/ golems and ghuls. Fantastic really. The magical creatures and bonds are cool. The necromancy aspect is nice and dark and gets us a lovely new character named Fezek! He is hilarious! The asarim also have this awesome evolving role. Also really enjoyed Brama his POV.
I don't have any complaints for this series. I definitely fear for some characters. The magic is dark and ruthless. The creatures are wicked, gods are mingling and our main characters are getting their asses whipped! Which also makes them stronger and that shows!
Thank you Bradley for the free eArc! Can't wait to buy my physical book to add with the rest :)
I don't have any complaints for this series. I definitely fear for some characters. The magic is dark and ruthless. The creatures are wicked, gods are mingling and our main characters are getting their asses whipped! Which also makes them stronger and that shows!
Thank you Bradley for the free eArc! Can't wait to buy my physical book to add with the rest :)
November 5, 2019
The author ruined his series because I guess he wanted more diversity or his book to be labelled queer, sacrificing story logic and creating a gross relationship between two beloved characters. I do hope that Beaulieu and his editors correct the error they have made in this instalment in Book 5. But honestly, did no beta readers/ editor see how wrong an idea the change made were?
Update 08/07
Just for clarification, when I said that Ceda and Sumeya are related, I wasn't joking. The big reveal of book 3 was that Husamettin is Ceda's father. And guess who's father Husametting also is? Yes, you've guessed right Sumeya's. I mean, we have literal incest. I don't how the beta readers, editor, and author thought this pairing was a good idea.
I'm honestly disappointed. Beneath the Twisted Trees was my most expected read of 2019 and while the writing is still good, some things are just WTF.
07/07 - Currently reading the book -
Hang on a minute! The way book 3 ended, I was sure Ceda and Emre were an item, but now I hear that he's sleeping with someone else???? AH! What is that? Ceda and Emre are my OTP, Beaulieu can't do this to me. I should stop with this but I'm really not liking where the romance is going, now it seems that the author is setting the way for a Ceda x Sumeya. Excuse me? I mean we ended Book 3 with Ceda and Emre admitting their love for each other, so why are we now having this relationship? Did the author felt having a queer relationship would be more diverse, trendy or cool? I don't know it doesn't make sense. There's no mention of Emre at all from Ceda's point of view. Besides, it's just uggh since, Ceda and Sumeya are related. And their relationship just wasn't like that.
I know I might be accused of making too much of this, but one of the last scenes of Book 3 is literally Emre and Ceda making love together and Ceda stating that she's allowed to love whoever she wants. How do we go from this to what I'm seeing now?
It's kind of ruining the book for me imo because it feels like cheap baiting and the author trying to get brownie point for diversity. I was really invested in the romance bit. Honestly, these days i kind of feel like telling authors that having heterosexual relationship in their book is fine. People are still invested in those.
Update 08/07
Just for clarification, when I said that Ceda and Sumeya are related, I wasn't joking. The big reveal of book 3 was that Husamettin is Ceda's father. And guess who's father Husametting also is? Yes, you've guessed right Sumeya's. I mean, we have literal incest. I don't how the beta readers, editor, and author thought this pairing was a good idea.
I'm honestly disappointed. Beneath the Twisted Trees was my most expected read of 2019 and while the writing is still good, some things are just WTF.
07/07 - Currently reading the book -
Hang on a minute! The way book 3 ended, I was sure Ceda and Emre were an item, but now I hear that he's sleeping with someone else???? AH! What is that? Ceda and Emre are my OTP, Beaulieu can't do this to me. I should stop with this but I'm really not liking where the romance is going, now it seems that the author is setting the way for a Ceda x Sumeya. Excuse me? I mean we ended Book 3 with Ceda and Emre admitting their love for each other, so why are we now having this relationship? Did the author felt having a queer relationship would be more diverse, trendy or cool? I don't know it doesn't make sense. There's no mention of Emre at all from Ceda's point of view. Besides, it's just uggh since, Ceda and Sumeya are related. And their relationship just wasn't like that.
I know I might be accused of making too much of this, but one of the last scenes of Book 3 is literally Emre and Ceda making love together and Ceda stating that she's allowed to love whoever she wants. How do we go from this to what I'm seeing now?
It's kind of ruining the book for me imo because it feels like cheap baiting and the author trying to get brownie point for diversity. I was really invested in the romance bit. Honestly, these days i kind of feel like telling authors that having heterosexual relationship in their book is fine. People are still invested in those.
April 15, 2019
This book left me breathless. <3 I have so much love for it and this series. <3 Because it hasn't been released yet, I'll be brief and try not to mention any spoilers.
NOTE: You need to start from the beginning. This is book four and you will be lost if you're not already familiar with the world, etc.
Things that I liked:
(1) The world-building was so in-depth that I felt like I could actually see a movie playing in my mind as I read along. You know that sh** takes some skill, so props to the author. ^_^
(2) Çeda, the main character, is so kicka** that I can't even really describe her. Assassin. Leader. Rebellion Instigator. She is a tough and amazing female lead, which is something that's akin to looking for a needle in a haystack in the fantasy genre.
(3) The pacing of the story was well executed. I didn't get bored at all. <3
Other thoughts:
(1) I would have liked a hint more romance; however, I realize that, that wasn't the focus of the story so this is just my own preference. LOL.
Would I recommend this book? He** yes! Well actually, I would recommend the first book: Twelve Kings in Sharakhai.
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) in exchange for an honest review.
NOTE: You need to start from the beginning. This is book four and you will be lost if you're not already familiar with the world, etc.
Things that I liked:
(1) The world-building was so in-depth that I felt like I could actually see a movie playing in my mind as I read along. You know that sh** takes some skill, so props to the author. ^_^
(2) Çeda, the main character, is so kicka** that I can't even really describe her. Assassin. Leader. Rebellion Instigator. She is a tough and amazing female lead, which is something that's akin to looking for a needle in a haystack in the fantasy genre.
(3) The pacing of the story was well executed. I didn't get bored at all. <3
Other thoughts:
(1) I would have liked a hint more romance; however, I realize that, that wasn't the focus of the story so this is just my own preference. LOL.
Would I recommend this book? He** yes! Well actually, I would recommend the first book: Twelve Kings in Sharakhai.
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2019
Full review is here, on my blog!~
Oh Çeda. You get into the most amazing shenanigans. Better and better ones as this series goes.
Okay, so, since this is book four, I’m going to do my level best to avoid spoilers.
Çeda and her Shieldwives are intent on freeing Sehid-Alaz, the king of the cursed asirim, from the clutches of the Kings of Sharakhai. Meanwhile, the kingdoms surrounding Sharakhai are taking the opportunity to try and conquer the city, and everyone is caught up in the chaos. Dun Dun Dunnnnnnnn.
This installment in the Song of the Shattered Sands follows several characters that we have met and come to know fairly well over the course of the series, but Çeda is still the main character of my heart. <3 Well, Emre is a close second. They aren’t together much in this installment… but they both have very important parts to play in the world of the Shattered Sands, and they just happen to be in different areas. Çeda spends a pretty good deal of this story being the badass I know she is though, and so I didn’t have to try at all to cheer for her to win the day.
I found myself cheering more and more for characters I was largely indifferent towards up until this point, like Brama, who is with the Mirean fleet, dealing as well as he can with a mysterious illness that has broken out. Also, Davud and Ramahd, who have come together in this book and are using all kinds of blood magic to stop the Queen of Qaimir from enacting horrible shenanigans on everyone, as well as attempting a rescue of a friend who was captured by one of the Kings.
This was a well written and engaging story with plenty of twists and turns making it exciting and hard to put down. The world in this series is so well built that I can very easily imagine myself in a desert while I’m reading it. A vast, sandy desert that one can sail across in massive sand ships. But it’s the characters that really bring this world to life.
Things happened in this one that left me with questions about the fate of certain characters, but it wrapped up this installment enough that I was still satisfied with the story and yet will eagerly await the next volume. Eagerly, eagerly await perhaps, due to the aforementioned fate of certain characters. ^_^
Up until this point in the series, I have listened to the audiobooks (they have a fantastic narrator, if you’re into that kind of thing). I have to say that I kind of missed the narration aspect, but it was interesting picking up a print copy of a series you’ve only listened to. Especially given that this one has so many interesting names in it, like Çedamihn, Sümeya, Külaşan, and Kameyl, that I would definitely been stumbling over how to pronounce if it wasn’t for the audiobooks I had listened to prior to this. Plus, I imagined many of the characters names in the narrator’s voice, which is always a plus. This might be one that I’ll have to buy in audio when credit day comes around, as it would be a great credit investment. :)
All told, I really liked this installment of the Song of Shattered Sands, and I very much look forward to the last two books in the series. I can’t wait to see how it ends, because the stuff that’s happened up until now has been pretty bonkers! I definitely had 4.5/5 stars of fun with this book. Çeda for the win!~
Thanks to the author as well as Berkley via NetGalley for the review copy. :)
Oh Çeda. You get into the most amazing shenanigans. Better and better ones as this series goes.
Okay, so, since this is book four, I’m going to do my level best to avoid spoilers.
Çeda and her Shieldwives are intent on freeing Sehid-Alaz, the king of the cursed asirim, from the clutches of the Kings of Sharakhai. Meanwhile, the kingdoms surrounding Sharakhai are taking the opportunity to try and conquer the city, and everyone is caught up in the chaos. Dun Dun Dunnnnnnnn.
This installment in the Song of the Shattered Sands follows several characters that we have met and come to know fairly well over the course of the series, but Çeda is still the main character of my heart. <3 Well, Emre is a close second. They aren’t together much in this installment… but they both have very important parts to play in the world of the Shattered Sands, and they just happen to be in different areas. Çeda spends a pretty good deal of this story being the badass I know she is though, and so I didn’t have to try at all to cheer for her to win the day.
I found myself cheering more and more for characters I was largely indifferent towards up until this point, like Brama, who is with the Mirean fleet, dealing as well as he can with a mysterious illness that has broken out. Also, Davud and Ramahd, who have come together in this book and are using all kinds of blood magic to stop the Queen of Qaimir from enacting horrible shenanigans on everyone, as well as attempting a rescue of a friend who was captured by one of the Kings.
This was a well written and engaging story with plenty of twists and turns making it exciting and hard to put down. The world in this series is so well built that I can very easily imagine myself in a desert while I’m reading it. A vast, sandy desert that one can sail across in massive sand ships. But it’s the characters that really bring this world to life.
Things happened in this one that left me with questions about the fate of certain characters, but it wrapped up this installment enough that I was still satisfied with the story and yet will eagerly await the next volume. Eagerly, eagerly await perhaps, due to the aforementioned fate of certain characters. ^_^
Up until this point in the series, I have listened to the audiobooks (they have a fantastic narrator, if you’re into that kind of thing). I have to say that I kind of missed the narration aspect, but it was interesting picking up a print copy of a series you’ve only listened to. Especially given that this one has so many interesting names in it, like Çedamihn, Sümeya, Külaşan, and Kameyl, that I would definitely been stumbling over how to pronounce if it wasn’t for the audiobooks I had listened to prior to this. Plus, I imagined many of the characters names in the narrator’s voice, which is always a plus. This might be one that I’ll have to buy in audio when credit day comes around, as it would be a great credit investment. :)
All told, I really liked this installment of the Song of Shattered Sands, and I very much look forward to the last two books in the series. I can’t wait to see how it ends, because the stuff that’s happened up until now has been pretty bonkers! I definitely had 4.5/5 stars of fun with this book. Çeda for the win!~
Thanks to the author as well as Berkley via NetGalley for the review copy. :)
January 25, 2020
Yep, I continue to love this series.
August 4, 2019
DNF @ Chapter 15. I was looking forward to reading this book for a long time. Book 1 was okayish, Book 2 got really good and then book 3 was where all the story started making sense.
But this book is nothing like the previous 3.
Firstly forget continuity, a few chapters in you would be questioning if its the same story as the previous 3 books then you would see characters falling in love and romance and you would ask yourself where did this come from? Why wasn't it in the previous books.
The pacing was terribly slow and on top of that the writing style was a lot different so much so that if felt someone else wrote it.
All in all. Read a broucher or something else when you are at a barber's because you might find something more interesting in that then what you would in this book.
But this book is nothing like the previous 3.
Firstly forget continuity, a few chapters in you would be questioning if its the same story as the previous 3 books then you would see characters falling in love and romance and you would ask yourself where did this come from? Why wasn't it in the previous books.
The pacing was terribly slow and on top of that the writing style was a lot different so much so that if felt someone else wrote it.
All in all. Read a broucher or something else when you are at a barber's because you might find something more interesting in that then what you would in this book.
August 6, 2019
This series is becoming one of my favorites
May 22, 2021
As promised a scant two weeks ago, I’m back with my review of Beneath the Twisted Trees, book 4 of Bradley P. Beaulieu’s epic The Song of the Shattered Sands series. Things are definitely heating up.
Çeda is determined to free Sehid-Alaz, the King of the Asirim. Not only would this hopefully free the asirim from bondage to the Kings of Sharakhai, but it is also the right thing to do: Sehid-Alaz is her ancestor, and she owes it to him. To achieve this goal, however, Çeda must find a way to help brave women of the Thirteenth Tribe to bond with asirim. The other protagonists we’ve come to know (even if we don’t love them—looking at you, Ramahd) face new challenges of their own. Emre is politicking when he’s better at fighting; Ramahd and Davud both independently want help from the secretive Enclave of Blood Mages; Brama finds himself torn between helping and once again trying to break free of Rümayesh. The forces of multiple nations around Sharakhai are descending upon the once-secure desert city, and the Kings—both new and old—are at their most precarious. Behind and beyond all of this lurk the new gods, whose schemes after 400 years may be reaching fruition.
Everything is ripe for change, and this comes through so clearly on the pages it’s energizing.
In my previous review, I commented on how Beaulieu manages to keep Çeda’s story central to the plot even as he expands the cast ever more. I still believe this to be true. However, Beneath the Twisted Trees definitely feels like it features more of the other cast members. We see a lot more of Ramahd, Emre, and Davud and their struggles. This isn’t a bad thing—it helps us understand the various forces at work in this world—but if you’ve come to identify with Çeda closely, as I have, it is somewhat of an adjustment. As I noted above, I don’t really like these other characters (Emre is all right, I guess). Ramahd and Davud both strike me as whiny people who keep making a lot of bad decisions. Davud, in particular, doesn’t seem to understand how not to be an overbearing, overprotective dude. Don’t get me wrong—I think this is a sign of great characterization on Beaulieu’s part, that he’s giving us these protagonists who are flawed and unlikable and not particularly heroic. But I don’t like spending time with them the way I like hanging out with Çeda. Just sayin.’
Speaking of characterization, I want to just flag Meryam as an excellent example of a heel turn. She started this series as someone we might have considered a protagonist and has sharply departed from that role, and it is a sight to behold. The fact that we seldom get access to her viewpoint means we’re forced to interpolate what we see from other characters (in contrast to someone like Hamzakiir, whose viewpoint we see in this book so we can understand the struggle that Meryam’s blood magic bondage has precipitated within him). Ramahd’s perception of her is clouded by his lingering love for her and his horror at how she has changed. Other characters see her more at a distance, and it’s so interesting, the way their opinions differ, not just on Meryam but on other prominent cast members. Beaulieu has a knack for showing (rather than telling) us how the main characters are perceived differently by different parties.
With each book, Beaulieu considerably advances the over plot of this series, and this one is no different. The gods are actively getting involved. Previously, we had (kind of) met Nalamae and briefly saw Yerinde talk to the Kings. In this book, those gods return, along with a couple of others. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say that Beaulieu makes it clear that the gods have a Plan, and all this chaos in the desert? All according to plan. Now, let’s hope that this Plan is better than the one the Cylons had on Battlestar Galactica, because boy was that a big letdown.
One criticism I have is that it’s often hard to understand the timescale of these novels. When are various events occurring? Is this chapter a day after the previous one? A week? Wait, this next chapter seems to be set before previous chapter? Similarly, when it comes to how long it takes characters to travel various places or accomplish a task, Beaulieu seems to use whatever timescale is appropriate for the plot. I’m not one to insist that an author meticulously calendar every event and make sure everything is internally consistent. But sometimes I need some good signposts, you know? And that seems to be largely missing from this book, so my sense of timing for a lot of the important events feels wonky.
Such is the peril of an epic fantasy series! On to book 5!
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
Çeda is determined to free Sehid-Alaz, the King of the Asirim. Not only would this hopefully free the asirim from bondage to the Kings of Sharakhai, but it is also the right thing to do: Sehid-Alaz is her ancestor, and she owes it to him. To achieve this goal, however, Çeda must find a way to help brave women of the Thirteenth Tribe to bond with asirim. The other protagonists we’ve come to know (even if we don’t love them—looking at you, Ramahd) face new challenges of their own. Emre is politicking when he’s better at fighting; Ramahd and Davud both independently want help from the secretive Enclave of Blood Mages; Brama finds himself torn between helping and once again trying to break free of Rümayesh. The forces of multiple nations around Sharakhai are descending upon the once-secure desert city, and the Kings—both new and old—are at their most precarious. Behind and beyond all of this lurk the new gods, whose schemes after 400 years may be reaching fruition.
Everything is ripe for change, and this comes through so clearly on the pages it’s energizing.
In my previous review, I commented on how Beaulieu manages to keep Çeda’s story central to the plot even as he expands the cast ever more. I still believe this to be true. However, Beneath the Twisted Trees definitely feels like it features more of the other cast members. We see a lot more of Ramahd, Emre, and Davud and their struggles. This isn’t a bad thing—it helps us understand the various forces at work in this world—but if you’ve come to identify with Çeda closely, as I have, it is somewhat of an adjustment. As I noted above, I don’t really like these other characters (Emre is all right, I guess). Ramahd and Davud both strike me as whiny people who keep making a lot of bad decisions. Davud, in particular, doesn’t seem to understand how not to be an overbearing, overprotective dude. Don’t get me wrong—I think this is a sign of great characterization on Beaulieu’s part, that he’s giving us these protagonists who are flawed and unlikable and not particularly heroic. But I don’t like spending time with them the way I like hanging out with Çeda. Just sayin.’
Speaking of characterization, I want to just flag Meryam as an excellent example of a heel turn. She started this series as someone we might have considered a protagonist and has sharply departed from that role, and it is a sight to behold. The fact that we seldom get access to her viewpoint means we’re forced to interpolate what we see from other characters (in contrast to someone like Hamzakiir, whose viewpoint we see in this book so we can understand the struggle that Meryam’s blood magic bondage has precipitated within him). Ramahd’s perception of her is clouded by his lingering love for her and his horror at how she has changed. Other characters see her more at a distance, and it’s so interesting, the way their opinions differ, not just on Meryam but on other prominent cast members. Beaulieu has a knack for showing (rather than telling) us how the main characters are perceived differently by different parties.
With each book, Beaulieu considerably advances the over plot of this series, and this one is no different. The gods are actively getting involved. Previously, we had (kind of) met Nalamae and briefly saw Yerinde talk to the Kings. In this book, those gods return, along with a couple of others. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say that Beaulieu makes it clear that the gods have a Plan, and all this chaos in the desert? All according to plan. Now, let’s hope that this Plan is better than the one the Cylons had on Battlestar Galactica, because boy was that a big letdown.
One criticism I have is that it’s often hard to understand the timescale of these novels. When are various events occurring? Is this chapter a day after the previous one? A week? Wait, this next chapter seems to be set before previous chapter? Similarly, when it comes to how long it takes characters to travel various places or accomplish a task, Beaulieu seems to use whatever timescale is appropriate for the plot. I’m not one to insist that an author meticulously calendar every event and make sure everything is internally consistent. But sometimes I need some good signposts, you know? And that seems to be largely missing from this book, so my sense of timing for a lot of the important events feels wonky.
Such is the peril of an epic fantasy series! On to book 5!
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
July 12, 2019
4.5 / 5 ✪
Beneath the Twisted Trees is the 4th Shattered Sands book, a series that began with Twelve Kings in Sharakai. That was one of my favorite books ever, and I’ve really enjoyed the journey thus far. I’m happy to say that Twisted Trees continues the trend, rather than upsetting it. Though, this installment is a departure of sorts from the previous books of the series as the Kings no longer take center stage. I mean, they’re still involved, and Çeda’s main goal is still to bring them down, but the focus in Twisted Trees goes instead to Sharakai.
War has come to the desert.
With so many Kings fallen, Sharakai’s neighbors have come calling. Brama, Emre and none too few of the Kings find their destinies caught up in the battle for the Amber Jewel. Emre heads the delegation from the Thirteenth Tribe—first in an attempt to reunite the other twelve tribes, then on to the invading Malasani as they sit before the walls of the city. But will it be dispute from without or betrayal from within that dooms this mission? Brama—alone with the ehrekh Rümayesh—roams to desert in search of beauty and wonders, but instead finds more than he imagined and is swept up in a gamble to bring Sharakai to ruin. The Kings—Ihsan, Beşir and Hamzakiir (masquerading as Kiral)—seek to save their city by any means necessary, while Hamzakiir seeks only to save himself from Meryam’s clutches.
Meanwhile Ramahd seeks the Qaimiri queen’s downfall; for the murder of her father, betrayal of their people, betrayal of Ramahd himself. Davud and Anila find themselves alone with enemies on all sides, with both the Kings and Sharakai’s new queen searching for them, they must seize on any ally in an attempt to save themselves. And yet, where will their desperation lead them? In the desert, Çeda searches for answers. Riddles, poems, stories—anything that will help her bring down the Kings. But first she seeks to free the asirim, remnants of her lost tribe. And this alone may prove too daunting a task. Nalamae, goddess of the Haddah, hides from the elder gods of the desert. Centuries prior, the other desert gods chose to deal with the Kings of Sharakai, while she abstained. The mystery remains: why? And why now do the other gods—Yerinde particularly—all seek her head?
In addition to these, there are the Malasani, the Mirean, the Qaimiri: all come to the Shangazi to pluck the Jewel from the sands. A work of epic fantasy at its finest, Twisted Trees weaves together a half-dozen POVs with multiple plots into a single epic story; which is but part of a greater, over-arching story. Blood, lies, love, plague, betrayal, and hope abound in this tale, which begins the second half of Beaulieu’s six-book Shattered Sands.
And it was… actually really good.
I had few issues with the book; for the most part I really enjoyed it. Starting from the events of A Veil of Spears—which featured a plot I really enjoyed with an ending that was somewhat uneven and disappointing—Twisted Trees picks up and carries on, expertly blending action with the intricacies intrigue and subtlety. It’s good to see that after four main, plus another six or so novellas set in the world, the Shattered Sands is still going strong. The plot and stories and weave of Twisted Trees continues to impress, and though I didn’t absolutely adore every chapter, there were none that I hated, either.
As with any book, there were those POVs I found myself more excited for than others, though they changed it up a bit throughout as individual stories are wont to do. Overall Brama, Hamzakiir and Ramahd intrigued me, while Emre and Anila fell short. Çeda, Davud and the other Kings failed to wow or disappoint in equal measure (bit disappointed a bit by this, as I’d always been wrapt by Çeda’s chapters, particularly).
My largest issue with Twisted Trees were the relationships. Or love-triangles. Or… whatever. About a month ago, I read the Tattered Prince (backstory on Brama and Jax’s relationship) to ready myself for Twisted Trees, so I was rather disappointed to find that Jax wasn’t even IN this book. Not that Brama seems to notice. Does little to further Emre and Çeda’s relationship either, though again each pursue their own. In fact, everyone (every POVC) seems to have turned a blind eye to their history before this book. YOLO, and whatnot.
My only other issue was with the pacing. It becomes a bit uneven in the second half of the text–particularly towards the end. This added a few days to my read time, and made it a little harder to focus on, but affected little else. It felt quite similar to the the pacing in A Veil of Spears, really.
Beneath the Twisted Trees actually exceeded my expectations in a big, big way. I definitely enjoyed it. More so, in waiting a few days between finishing and reviewing it, I was able to reread a bit of the sections that confused/annoyed me, which really helped me enjoy it more.
Reviewed on https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Beneath the Twisted Trees is the 4th Shattered Sands book, a series that began with Twelve Kings in Sharakai. That was one of my favorite books ever, and I’ve really enjoyed the journey thus far. I’m happy to say that Twisted Trees continues the trend, rather than upsetting it. Though, this installment is a departure of sorts from the previous books of the series as the Kings no longer take center stage. I mean, they’re still involved, and Çeda’s main goal is still to bring them down, but the focus in Twisted Trees goes instead to Sharakai.
War has come to the desert.
With so many Kings fallen, Sharakai’s neighbors have come calling. Brama, Emre and none too few of the Kings find their destinies caught up in the battle for the Amber Jewel. Emre heads the delegation from the Thirteenth Tribe—first in an attempt to reunite the other twelve tribes, then on to the invading Malasani as they sit before the walls of the city. But will it be dispute from without or betrayal from within that dooms this mission? Brama—alone with the ehrekh Rümayesh—roams to desert in search of beauty and wonders, but instead finds more than he imagined and is swept up in a gamble to bring Sharakai to ruin. The Kings—Ihsan, Beşir and Hamzakiir (masquerading as Kiral)—seek to save their city by any means necessary, while Hamzakiir seeks only to save himself from Meryam’s clutches.
Meanwhile Ramahd seeks the Qaimiri queen’s downfall; for the murder of her father, betrayal of their people, betrayal of Ramahd himself. Davud and Anila find themselves alone with enemies on all sides, with both the Kings and Sharakai’s new queen searching for them, they must seize on any ally in an attempt to save themselves. And yet, where will their desperation lead them? In the desert, Çeda searches for answers. Riddles, poems, stories—anything that will help her bring down the Kings. But first she seeks to free the asirim, remnants of her lost tribe. And this alone may prove too daunting a task. Nalamae, goddess of the Haddah, hides from the elder gods of the desert. Centuries prior, the other desert gods chose to deal with the Kings of Sharakai, while she abstained. The mystery remains: why? And why now do the other gods—Yerinde particularly—all seek her head?
In addition to these, there are the Malasani, the Mirean, the Qaimiri: all come to the Shangazi to pluck the Jewel from the sands. A work of epic fantasy at its finest, Twisted Trees weaves together a half-dozen POVs with multiple plots into a single epic story; which is but part of a greater, over-arching story. Blood, lies, love, plague, betrayal, and hope abound in this tale, which begins the second half of Beaulieu’s six-book Shattered Sands.
And it was… actually really good.
I had few issues with the book; for the most part I really enjoyed it. Starting from the events of A Veil of Spears—which featured a plot I really enjoyed with an ending that was somewhat uneven and disappointing—Twisted Trees picks up and carries on, expertly blending action with the intricacies intrigue and subtlety. It’s good to see that after four main, plus another six or so novellas set in the world, the Shattered Sands is still going strong. The plot and stories and weave of Twisted Trees continues to impress, and though I didn’t absolutely adore every chapter, there were none that I hated, either.
As with any book, there were those POVs I found myself more excited for than others, though they changed it up a bit throughout as individual stories are wont to do. Overall Brama, Hamzakiir and Ramahd intrigued me, while Emre and Anila fell short. Çeda, Davud and the other Kings failed to wow or disappoint in equal measure (bit disappointed a bit by this, as I’d always been wrapt by Çeda’s chapters, particularly).
My largest issue with Twisted Trees were the relationships. Or love-triangles. Or… whatever. About a month ago, I read the Tattered Prince (backstory on Brama and Jax’s relationship) to ready myself for Twisted Trees, so I was rather disappointed to find that Jax wasn’t even IN this book. Not that Brama seems to notice. Does little to further Emre and Çeda’s relationship either, though again each pursue their own. In fact, everyone (every POVC) seems to have turned a blind eye to their history before this book. YOLO, and whatnot.
My only other issue was with the pacing. It becomes a bit uneven in the second half of the text–particularly towards the end. This added a few days to my read time, and made it a little harder to focus on, but affected little else. It felt quite similar to the the pacing in A Veil of Spears, really.
Beneath the Twisted Trees actually exceeded my expectations in a big, big way. I definitely enjoyed it. More so, in waiting a few days between finishing and reviewing it, I was able to reread a bit of the sections that confused/annoyed me, which really helped me enjoy it more.
Reviewed on https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
December 25, 2019
Unfortunately, Beneath the Twisted Trees suffered a bit with a slow pace. The plot seemed too drawn out and I felt like the book could have been a lot shorter. The characters are presented with a lot of obstacles but to me, it didn't feel like the obstacles were a big deal. They managed to conquer them with relative ease.
That isn't to say there isn't a lot of sacrifice made in the fourth novel in The Song of the Shattered Sands series - there is. However, they didn't really have an impact on me - and I think that's largely due to the huge cast of characters.
The book presents a lot of different point-of-views; and it becomes a bit too much. I'd rather have had more focus on fewer characters. I specifically enjoyed Ceda's, Brama's and Davud's point-of-views. Those stood out to me more so than the rest of the character cast. Still, the ending took me by surprise and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series.
That isn't to say there isn't a lot of sacrifice made in the fourth novel in The Song of the Shattered Sands series - there is. However, they didn't really have an impact on me - and I think that's largely due to the huge cast of characters.
The book presents a lot of different point-of-views; and it becomes a bit too much. I'd rather have had more focus on fewer characters. I specifically enjoyed Ceda's, Brama's and Davud's point-of-views. Those stood out to me more so than the rest of the character cast. Still, the ending took me by surprise and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series.
October 11, 2020
I just got bored with the characters and story. I never really engaged with the lead character, Ceda. The books seem to jump across so many settings and characters – including settings from the characters' pasts – that it felt disjointed to me (and I really never got to understand the lead characters as a result). Keeping track of the Twelve Kings and their various alliances and battles kind of did my head in ... I forced myself to finish the fourth book, hoping to get to the resolution of the narrative, only to then realise two more instalments of the series are forthcoming – I am feeling so ambivalent that I am not sure I will bother.
I was also disappointed with the LGBTQI+ tokenism – the author appears to throw in a lesbian love affair for good measure – in the process adding nothing to the (becoming?) more enlightened gender relations in contemporary sci-fi/fantasy fiction.
I was also disappointed with the LGBTQI+ tokenism – the author appears to throw in a lesbian love affair for good measure – in the process adding nothing to the (becoming?) more enlightened gender relations in contemporary sci-fi/fantasy fiction.
April 17, 2020
HOLDUP! Why is no one else bothered by Sümeya and Çeda GETTING IT ON when they are LITERAL SIBLINGS???? Uhmmm. WHY???? I'm sorry that was just too weird for me. I mean at first, I thought maybe Sümeya didn't know that Çeda was her sister BUT it was, in fact, revealed that she does know. But they both seem not the acknowledge it all throughout the book so I'm just super confused like did I miss the memo where before reading this book incest was acceptable in this fantasy world??? But ugh whatever overall I loved the book. Don't really care much for Emre ending up with Çeda anyway, she deserves better than Mr. I Sleep Around To Get Information. Anyhow still excited for the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2019
*copy from the publisher in exchange for a review*
Beneath the Twisted Trees is the fourth in Bradley P. Beaulieu’s The Song of the Shattered Sands series. It’s filled with the intricate world-building, the emotional depth, the detailed characterisation we’ve come to expect; all of that wrapped up in a plot which has a constant roiling boil of tension, punctuated by explosive revelation, the narrative ground shifting underneath the reader’s feet. It is, in short, rather good. If you’re here after the first three books, and want to know if you should carry on – then here’s the unequivocal yes. There’s a lot going on here (it’s a rather thick book), but a strong, rewarding story is being told as a result.
So here we are, anyway with a city surrounded by a desert. The city is its own welter of political concerns, but the desert is no longer quiescent. And of course, there are third party actors. Those looking in from outside, seeing something they can exploit, a rivial they can bring down, a threat that can be neutralised.
So lets talk about the desert. It’s at the hart of the text, an environment which surrounds and swallows characters whole. This is a space filled with baking sands, and with the occasional life-giving oasis. Fleets sail across it, with tough wheels to drive the sane and trim sails to take advantage of the win. Sailing the dunes is not for the faint hearted, but here we have the potential, crackling like lightning between the grains of sand. The silence, the life, the soaring birds of the desert are all there, an ecosystem which exists as a force much like the ocean, washing people upon it. As they struggle between themselves, the sands are always there, waiting to seize upon anything abandoned.
In the centre of this unrelenting seeming-emptiness sits Sharakai. Less a city on a hill than a city between the dunes. It has high walls, and pits for fighters, and markets, and kings, so many kings, and a resistance willing to fight and die for change. The city is ruled by the king,s, a rapidly diminishing number of immortal oligarchs. Their slow removal due to infighting and enem action, and their struggles with their children, desperate to rise to the power they see as their birthright, are brutal, vicious, and entirely believable. When rulers carry divinity and the gift of immortality, still one may rise up to claim what one things they are due. The city is a heartbeat, fast and brutal and bloody, unforgiving and certain. Until it skips a beat. Then, things may struggle out of control.
In this liminal space, between the Kigns and the desert, we find Ceda, once again. The kings are monsters, that’s undeniable. They use their immortality to suppress history, to hide atrocities behind what may be nominally considered lesser atrocities. But they keep the city safe, swathed in sorcery and ruthlessness. Though they do not accept internal opposition, still less are they willing to accept external power. But that’s changing here, in these pages. As Kings are eliminated, the populace fees their hand less on their shoulders. But external forces are poised to fill the vacuum, fleets from across the sea and beyond. The text does a good job of showing us Malasani, Qaimiri, as distinct cultures, with their own goals and loyalties, and with rulers whose decisions will make or break them. We spend more of our time amongst these powers in this book than we had previously, and by the end, they each feel like a living, complex culture with its own needs and mores.
As ever, Sharakai is alive, and the desert, perhaps more than previously, is alive; now those who step upon the sands in trepidation take their turn.
This hols true of the characters as well. Ceda remains the star, here. Her feral energy pours off the page, even when she’s lost in thought. She has to take a lot of decisions very quickly, and though some of them are difficult, still the text crackles with the choices she makes. Ceda, not to put a point on it, kicks arse She’s not afraid to get into a fight – indeed, quite the reverse. At the same time, she’s embracing the mysticism of her life, of the powers she’s having to embrace on her own course for revenge and for truth. And even more, she’s coming to terms with being a leader, not just a fighter. With having to make the hard choices which get people killed. While the kings will stand and make the argument that each sacrifice is necessary, Ceda’s evolution is in parallel. She’s not willing to sacrifice friends on the altar of power – or at least, not yet. The truth will out.
And in her search she’s supported by a fantastic interweaving of parallel tales. There are the blood mages on the run, desperate to avoid notice, but trying to break free nonetheless. And the aide to the Qaimiri queen, a man desperate to rescue his monarch from herself, and willing to take horrendous risks with body and soul to do so. And the pair of a man and a desert djinn, a warped love story whose truth has yet to be entirely realised, but lies mapped in desolation. And the fellow seeking to turn back the tide of Malasani, an old friend of Ceda’s whose compassion may be his greatest weakness.
They all live and breathe between the leaves of the book, and they each drive the plot in their own way. Fundamentally though, the people feel like people. The entities – desert ghosts, deities, immortal kings – are strange and real and terrible, but still you can eel something of their needs. Ceda is the heart, but every one else is a key to the text as well.
I won’t go too far with the plot, but if you’ve come this far, through the rich, detailed world and the convincing, heartfelt characters, you won’t be surprised by the emotional investment. The story pulls no punches here, building up and creatively detonating tension, and making you care about each of the maladjusted characters. There’s parts that are a slow boil conspiracy, parts that are a fast-paced adventure, and segments which are a sweeping, epic scene of combat. Each has emotional integrity, and will grab you until its work is done.
Its an absolute stormer of a text, given a pitch perfect fusion of characterisation, universe and plot; as such I would say that you should pick it up.
Beneath the Twisted Trees is the fourth in Bradley P. Beaulieu’s The Song of the Shattered Sands series. It’s filled with the intricate world-building, the emotional depth, the detailed characterisation we’ve come to expect; all of that wrapped up in a plot which has a constant roiling boil of tension, punctuated by explosive revelation, the narrative ground shifting underneath the reader’s feet. It is, in short, rather good. If you’re here after the first three books, and want to know if you should carry on – then here’s the unequivocal yes. There’s a lot going on here (it’s a rather thick book), but a strong, rewarding story is being told as a result.
So here we are, anyway with a city surrounded by a desert. The city is its own welter of political concerns, but the desert is no longer quiescent. And of course, there are third party actors. Those looking in from outside, seeing something they can exploit, a rivial they can bring down, a threat that can be neutralised.
So lets talk about the desert. It’s at the hart of the text, an environment which surrounds and swallows characters whole. This is a space filled with baking sands, and with the occasional life-giving oasis. Fleets sail across it, with tough wheels to drive the sane and trim sails to take advantage of the win. Sailing the dunes is not for the faint hearted, but here we have the potential, crackling like lightning between the grains of sand. The silence, the life, the soaring birds of the desert are all there, an ecosystem which exists as a force much like the ocean, washing people upon it. As they struggle between themselves, the sands are always there, waiting to seize upon anything abandoned.
In the centre of this unrelenting seeming-emptiness sits Sharakai. Less a city on a hill than a city between the dunes. It has high walls, and pits for fighters, and markets, and kings, so many kings, and a resistance willing to fight and die for change. The city is ruled by the king,s, a rapidly diminishing number of immortal oligarchs. Their slow removal due to infighting and enem action, and their struggles with their children, desperate to rise to the power they see as their birthright, are brutal, vicious, and entirely believable. When rulers carry divinity and the gift of immortality, still one may rise up to claim what one things they are due. The city is a heartbeat, fast and brutal and bloody, unforgiving and certain. Until it skips a beat. Then, things may struggle out of control.
In this liminal space, between the Kigns and the desert, we find Ceda, once again. The kings are monsters, that’s undeniable. They use their immortality to suppress history, to hide atrocities behind what may be nominally considered lesser atrocities. But they keep the city safe, swathed in sorcery and ruthlessness. Though they do not accept internal opposition, still less are they willing to accept external power. But that’s changing here, in these pages. As Kings are eliminated, the populace fees their hand less on their shoulders. But external forces are poised to fill the vacuum, fleets from across the sea and beyond. The text does a good job of showing us Malasani, Qaimiri, as distinct cultures, with their own goals and loyalties, and with rulers whose decisions will make or break them. We spend more of our time amongst these powers in this book than we had previously, and by the end, they each feel like a living, complex culture with its own needs and mores.
As ever, Sharakai is alive, and the desert, perhaps more than previously, is alive; now those who step upon the sands in trepidation take their turn.
This hols true of the characters as well. Ceda remains the star, here. Her feral energy pours off the page, even when she’s lost in thought. She has to take a lot of decisions very quickly, and though some of them are difficult, still the text crackles with the choices she makes. Ceda, not to put a point on it, kicks arse She’s not afraid to get into a fight – indeed, quite the reverse. At the same time, she’s embracing the mysticism of her life, of the powers she’s having to embrace on her own course for revenge and for truth. And even more, she’s coming to terms with being a leader, not just a fighter. With having to make the hard choices which get people killed. While the kings will stand and make the argument that each sacrifice is necessary, Ceda’s evolution is in parallel. She’s not willing to sacrifice friends on the altar of power – or at least, not yet. The truth will out.
And in her search she’s supported by a fantastic interweaving of parallel tales. There are the blood mages on the run, desperate to avoid notice, but trying to break free nonetheless. And the aide to the Qaimiri queen, a man desperate to rescue his monarch from herself, and willing to take horrendous risks with body and soul to do so. And the pair of a man and a desert djinn, a warped love story whose truth has yet to be entirely realised, but lies mapped in desolation. And the fellow seeking to turn back the tide of Malasani, an old friend of Ceda’s whose compassion may be his greatest weakness.
They all live and breathe between the leaves of the book, and they each drive the plot in their own way. Fundamentally though, the people feel like people. The entities – desert ghosts, deities, immortal kings – are strange and real and terrible, but still you can eel something of their needs. Ceda is the heart, but every one else is a key to the text as well.
I won’t go too far with the plot, but if you’ve come this far, through the rich, detailed world and the convincing, heartfelt characters, you won’t be surprised by the emotional investment. The story pulls no punches here, building up and creatively detonating tension, and making you care about each of the maladjusted characters. There’s parts that are a slow boil conspiracy, parts that are a fast-paced adventure, and segments which are a sweeping, epic scene of combat. Each has emotional integrity, and will grab you until its work is done.
Its an absolute stormer of a text, given a pitch perfect fusion of characterisation, universe and plot; as such I would say that you should pick it up.
April 6, 2021
Incroyable ! Les scènes somptueuses et pleines de magies sont nombreuses dans ce romans où l'on frissonne à chaque chapitres. La première fois que je pleure en lisant un roman 📖
Read
March 13, 2021I'm really torn - I truly loved the previous books in this series, but like another reviewer posted, it was as if a different person wrote this book.
***Spoilers Below***
1. Multiple incidents of very graphic sex.
There were a number of incidents of extremely graphic sex, both hetero and same-sex. In earlier books, the writing quality was such that such graphic details weren't needed. Personally, I found them distracting, as well as detracting from the storyline.
2. Too many changes in point-of-view during this book. Every chapter was a different person's experience, rotating between three or four groups. It was distracting and sometimes difficult to track. I think the storyline would have flown more smoothly if the rotation change would have been done after multiple chapters, not after every single chapter.
3. This may be a bit controversial, but does need to be said: The sudden spike in same-sex relationships and sex scenes.
In previous books, there may have been an "awkward" scene, hinting at a possible same-sex attraction, but nothing overt, and only one scene. In this book, suddenly, there are multiple same-sex relationships and sex scenes, all with no earlier mention. It's like they suddenly came out of the blue. They truly had me scratching my head, wondering "Where in the neck did that cone from?!" One of the same-sex relationships is even incestuous.
In today's world, you'd expect at least one or two same-sex relationships. However, the sudden surge, from possibly one to multiple (last count I remember was four?), in one book, really made me raise my eyebrows and disrupted my suspension of disbelief. It was almost as if the author had changed direction of the sub-plot and was directly aiming it towards one group of his readers; going from a "General Reading" to a "LGBTQ Reading" tag.
If the author is trying to support LGBTQ causes, that is one thing, but it was handled badly here, imo, and didn't really do anyone any favors.
***End Spoilers***
All in all, I was really disappointed. There were some interesting developments, but there were so many disruptions, and change in tone, that I don't feel the same love, or immersion in the story, that I once did. I actually returned the book, as well as the next one, as I expected more of the same.
I truly do hope the author takes these constructive criticisms to heart. I truly did love his earlier works, but this latest one was disorienting and illogical. I hope he considers a re-write, where the relationships make more sense and the sex is toned down. Also, larger groupings between p.o.v. changes would be most helpful.
***Spoilers Below***
1. Multiple incidents of very graphic sex.
There were a number of incidents of extremely graphic sex, both hetero and same-sex. In earlier books, the writing quality was such that such graphic details weren't needed. Personally, I found them distracting, as well as detracting from the storyline.
2. Too many changes in point-of-view during this book. Every chapter was a different person's experience, rotating between three or four groups. It was distracting and sometimes difficult to track. I think the storyline would have flown more smoothly if the rotation change would have been done after multiple chapters, not after every single chapter.
3. This may be a bit controversial, but does need to be said: The sudden spike in same-sex relationships and sex scenes.
In previous books, there may have been an "awkward" scene, hinting at a possible same-sex attraction, but nothing overt, and only one scene. In this book, suddenly, there are multiple same-sex relationships and sex scenes, all with no earlier mention. It's like they suddenly came out of the blue. They truly had me scratching my head, wondering "Where in the neck did that cone from?!" One of the same-sex relationships is even incestuous.
In today's world, you'd expect at least one or two same-sex relationships. However, the sudden surge, from possibly one to multiple (last count I remember was four?), in one book, really made me raise my eyebrows and disrupted my suspension of disbelief. It was almost as if the author had changed direction of the sub-plot and was directly aiming it towards one group of his readers; going from a "General Reading" to a "LGBTQ Reading" tag.
If the author is trying to support LGBTQ causes, that is one thing, but it was handled badly here, imo, and didn't really do anyone any favors.
***End Spoilers***
All in all, I was really disappointed. There were some interesting developments, but there were so many disruptions, and change in tone, that I don't feel the same love, or immersion in the story, that I once did. I actually returned the book, as well as the next one, as I expected more of the same.
I truly do hope the author takes these constructive criticisms to heart. I truly did love his earlier works, but this latest one was disorienting and illogical. I hope he considers a re-write, where the relationships make more sense and the sex is toned down. Also, larger groupings between p.o.v. changes would be most helpful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2019
Another great read and addition to the epic that is the shattered sand series. This book sees both the nations of Mirea and Malasan vying to take control of the weakened nation of Sharakai and procure the riches of the Amber Jewel for themselves.
I enjoyed reading mostly from Davuds and Cedas POV with both on their own unique journeys culminating in the deaths of not only the King Besir and the freeing of the asirm but also seeing Anila finally rejecting Davuds help rather for a path of death and vengeance of her own.
I enjoyed Bramas inner conflict with Rumayesh as well as seeing him with the Mirean fleet, granting a fresh new perspective of a nation we haven’t seen too much depth of previously. Similarly, Emres storyline beginning with the job of forging alliances with eastern tribes, and later to come to an agreement with the invading Malasani King, offered a set of eyes within their camp and nation.
Although this would be as well my only qualm with the book, as often it seemed that the final epic battle of Malasan attempting to destroy the desert city, was mainly seen from a distance, and only on occasions such as Davud and Rhamads capture by the Enclave, would we see the main battle from within the city itself. And often only briefly.
Altogether though I still thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, coupled with a complex set of characters such as King Ishan, Rhamad, Ceda, Sumya and Haddad just to name a few. Who all had their own personal goals and often inner conflicts that added to the depth and complexity of the ever evolving story.
I am extremely excited to see what the next two final books in the series have in store for the characters I have come to love. As well as seeing how Sharakai will now be run following the Lesser Kings taking over. And especially in regards to finding out what plans the desert Gods set into motion ever since the night of siding with the kings of Sharakai, and why 400 years later they have now begun to mingle again in the affairs of mortals.
Solid 4.5/5 read.
I enjoyed reading mostly from Davuds and Cedas POV with both on their own unique journeys culminating in the deaths of not only the King Besir and the freeing of the asirm but also seeing Anila finally rejecting Davuds help rather for a path of death and vengeance of her own.
I enjoyed Bramas inner conflict with Rumayesh as well as seeing him with the Mirean fleet, granting a fresh new perspective of a nation we haven’t seen too much depth of previously. Similarly, Emres storyline beginning with the job of forging alliances with eastern tribes, and later to come to an agreement with the invading Malasani King, offered a set of eyes within their camp and nation.
Although this would be as well my only qualm with the book, as often it seemed that the final epic battle of Malasan attempting to destroy the desert city, was mainly seen from a distance, and only on occasions such as Davud and Rhamads capture by the Enclave, would we see the main battle from within the city itself. And often only briefly.
Altogether though I still thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, coupled with a complex set of characters such as King Ishan, Rhamad, Ceda, Sumya and Haddad just to name a few. Who all had their own personal goals and often inner conflicts that added to the depth and complexity of the ever evolving story.
I am extremely excited to see what the next two final books in the series have in store for the characters I have come to love. As well as seeing how Sharakai will now be run following the Lesser Kings taking over. And especially in regards to finding out what plans the desert Gods set into motion ever since the night of siding with the kings of Sharakai, and why 400 years later they have now begun to mingle again in the affairs of mortals.
Solid 4.5/5 read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2022
Beneath the Twisted Trees is the fourth installment in the Shattered Sands series and continues the story of Ceda's quest for vengeance. I would say I am still having a great time with this series, but there is something keeping me from loving it. I definitely am sticking with the characters being part of the reason. As this is a multi POV story there are a lot of plots going on. All separate with a shared goal. In Beneath the Twisted Trees, the POVs increase by quite a bit and now the story doesn't feel like Ceda's anymore. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but her POV gets overshadowed by everyone else. I have said multiple times that Ramahd, Ihsan, and Davud have had the most compelling arcs. However in Beneath the Twisted Trees the story arcs were so compelling for like everyone. There were a couple I felt didn't have the same energy but for the most part this was a very strong continuation in that regard.
There were quite a bit of cliffhangers at the end of this installment which has me itching to get into the next book very very soon. With only two books left, I am intrigued to see where Bradley P. Beaulieu is going to take this story in its final moments.
There were quite a bit of cliffhangers at the end of this installment which has me itching to get into the next book very very soon. With only two books left, I am intrigued to see where Bradley P. Beaulieu is going to take this story in its final moments.
September 1, 2021
3.5 to 4 ⭐️
Beneath The Twisted Trees is filled with power-hungrey kings and queens on one side and Ceda, leader of the Sheildwives on the other side, along with survivors thirteenth Tribe and remnant of the Monless host. The story almost feels like a game of chess, every single move by one of the characters moves the story in a completely different direction. Ceda is as strong as resilient as ever, her POV as well as Emre’s are my favorite. Same as previous books, there is still plenty of mystery , Deciets, deception, betrayal, necromancy, blood magic & more. Another thing I love in this series is that it’s a welcome change of pace from traditional fantasy setting
What I didn’t like: it felt a bit slower in pace than the previous 3 installments. There were too many POVs for my liking and I felt the events were drawn out.
The first three books were all 5 stars from me, Beneath The Twisted Trees is a solid sequel. I recommend this series and definitely looking forward to continuing the series.
Beneath The Twisted Trees is filled with power-hungrey kings and queens on one side and Ceda, leader of the Sheildwives on the other side, along with survivors thirteenth Tribe and remnant of the Monless host. The story almost feels like a game of chess, every single move by one of the characters moves the story in a completely different direction. Ceda is as strong as resilient as ever, her POV as well as Emre’s are my favorite. Same as previous books, there is still plenty of mystery , Deciets, deception, betrayal, necromancy, blood magic & more. Another thing I love in this series is that it’s a welcome change of pace from traditional fantasy setting
What I didn’t like: it felt a bit slower in pace than the previous 3 installments. There were too many POVs for my liking and I felt the events were drawn out.
The first three books were all 5 stars from me, Beneath The Twisted Trees is a solid sequel. I recommend this series and definitely looking forward to continuing the series.
May 23, 2024
Still great, still compelling and captivating a series! The cliffhangers are killing me, they're as bad as modern tv shows! But thank god I have book #5 in my hot little hands, all lined up and ready to go! ;)
It's been interesting as we get to know the surrounding kingdoms, how they have very different magic and magical creatures than Sharakhai does. It's kinda neat that it's not the same magic throughout this world. :) And I guess it gave Beaulieu a chance to do bonus world-building!
But I gotta say I'm still really mad about short chapters and the chopped up storylines. The book would lose nothing to cluster up storylines a little more.
It's been interesting as we get to know the surrounding kingdoms, how they have very different magic and magical creatures than Sharakhai does. It's kinda neat that it's not the same magic throughout this world. :) And I guess it gave Beaulieu a chance to do bonus world-building!
But I gotta say I'm still really mad about short chapters and the chopped up storylines. The book would lose nothing to cluster up storylines a little more.
August 9, 2019
The Song of Shattered Sands is quietly becoming one of my favorite fantasy series. On a whim, I picked up the first book of the series when it was showcased at my local library and I haven't looked back. In this installment, we see more world building and the advancement of all the major characters. I especially love how we got to see more of the desert in this installment. I also enjoyed some of the political intrigue in this book. Truly another fun read in the series, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.
September 2, 2023
This serie has diminishing returns for me, but every time I think I'm gonna quit something hooks me back in. I stills think there are too many different storylines and the timeline is handled poorly. I also don't like the way this author does last few chapters, it feels like suddenly we missed a month of story and are catching up, very jarring.
September 26, 2021
Je ne m'attendais pas à autant d'action dans ce 4e tome ! 😯
L'univers est tellement dingue ! C'est toujours un dépaysement total lorsque je lis un tome de cette saga ✨
J'ai h��te d'avoir la suite !!! 💜💜💜
L'univers est tellement dingue ! C'est toujours un dépaysement total lorsque je lis un tome de cette saga ✨
J'ai h��te d'avoir la suite !!! 💜💜💜
July 4, 2019
I didn’t think that The Song of the Shattered Sands series could possibly get any better. Boy, was I wrong!
This book was admittedly slower in pacing than the previous ones, but it set down some essential groundwork for the remainder of the series. We get a deeper look into each of the characters and their motivations, as well as the struggles they have faced and how they must come to terms with them. I can’t think of a single character POV that’s I don’t enjoy in The Song of the Shattered Sands. It’s difficult for authors to have multiple POV characters and have all of them be equally as interesting as the others, but Beaulieu has mastered this.
A major theme throughout this book is religion and beliefs, and how they can alternately be used as forces to inspire goodness and as tools to control and indoctrinate people, causing them to fear for themselves and their families if they do not heed their corrupt leaders. Melis’s journey in particular was one that affected me as I read her scenes. At first her hesitation to fully join Çeda’s cause annoyed me. But the more I analyzed her character, the more I understood her. She had to come to terms with the fact that the history she had been fed her entire life was a lie, that the beliefs held by generations of her family were based on deception. She had to discover the truth and rediscover herself and her purpose at the same time. Her struggle to find herself again after letting go of everything she thought she knew was very poignant and relatable.
Sümeya was another character I have grown to love as the series progressed. She started out as an antagonist, and now she is one of Çeda’s strongest allies, and arguably her most valuable. Sümeya, while realizing that the basis of all she grew up with was a lie, takes everything good she learned from the House of the Maidens and strives to use it to promote and fight for the truth. Where she used to be disagreeable, she is now a wise and calming influence. She arguably has one of the best character arcs in the series.
And as for our dear Emre... While he started out as my least favorite character in the first book, he has certainly been making a name for himself and has grown significantly in my estimation throughout the series. This book in particular solidified him as a favorite in my mind. Beaulieu is the master of good character arcs. I won’t venture into spoiler territory, but he was left in a very interesting position by the end, and I am very eager to see what comes of it!
Davud and Anila become even bigger players in this game played among kings and queens. Anila’s story in particular went in a direction I wasn’t quite expecting, but I love it! She’s transformed from a somewhat naive girl to a force to be reckoned with, and I pity anyone who tries to get in her way. Davud’s story also took on a new direction, particularly with a newly introduced character who I’ve come to adore.
I think all who have read the story thus far can agree on one thing: Meryam must die. And I for one hope Ramahd gets the honor. Although there are now many characters who would vie for the privilege of driving a dagger through her heart (if she even has one anymore).
Brama figures more in this novel than in previous ones. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him at first, but he’s become another favorite of mine. His internal struggle with who he was before and who he is becoming is fascinating to see, and I’m excited to see what direction Beaulieu decides to take his character. I definitely need to pick up Of Sand and Malice Made, a prequel novel to The Song of the Shattered Sands series. I want to know more about Brama and his backstory!
We also get a deeper look into the mind of one of the kings. If you’ve read the previous books, you’ll know who I’m referring to. And surprisingly, I find myself rooting for this king! He’s certainly the smartest of them all, and I’m beginning to suspect he’s also the only one with his soul still intact. His quick wit and sharp observations of the other kings and the events of the novel made his chapters immensely enjoyable to read.
And last but certainly not least, I have to mention our favorite warrior queen, Çedamihn Ahyanesh’ala. Her story really found its stride in this novel. Çeda has struggled before, of course, but I felt like this was the first time we got to see her have an internal conflict with herself. Çeda had to rise above everything she thought about herself before and become the leader her tribe, the 13th tribe, needed her to be. She’s matured tremendously, and now her journey has evolved beyond her initial goal of getting revenge into becoming a great friend to those in need, and a leader for her people. While she remains the hot-headed, determined badass we know and love, she has also become more compassionate and receptive to the counsel of others. She is becoming a true leader, and I can’t wait to see where her path will lead her. Is it almost time for the next book yet? I suppose I’ll just have to content myself with reading the series over and over again until that day comes!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was admittedly slower in pacing than the previous ones, but it set down some essential groundwork for the remainder of the series. We get a deeper look into each of the characters and their motivations, as well as the struggles they have faced and how they must come to terms with them. I can’t think of a single character POV that’s I don’t enjoy in The Song of the Shattered Sands. It’s difficult for authors to have multiple POV characters and have all of them be equally as interesting as the others, but Beaulieu has mastered this.
A major theme throughout this book is religion and beliefs, and how they can alternately be used as forces to inspire goodness and as tools to control and indoctrinate people, causing them to fear for themselves and their families if they do not heed their corrupt leaders. Melis’s journey in particular was one that affected me as I read her scenes. At first her hesitation to fully join Çeda’s cause annoyed me. But the more I analyzed her character, the more I understood her. She had to come to terms with the fact that the history she had been fed her entire life was a lie, that the beliefs held by generations of her family were based on deception. She had to discover the truth and rediscover herself and her purpose at the same time. Her struggle to find herself again after letting go of everything she thought she knew was very poignant and relatable.
Sümeya was another character I have grown to love as the series progressed. She started out as an antagonist, and now she is one of Çeda’s strongest allies, and arguably her most valuable. Sümeya, while realizing that the basis of all she grew up with was a lie, takes everything good she learned from the House of the Maidens and strives to use it to promote and fight for the truth. Where she used to be disagreeable, she is now a wise and calming influence. She arguably has one of the best character arcs in the series.
And as for our dear Emre... While he started out as my least favorite character in the first book, he has certainly been making a name for himself and has grown significantly in my estimation throughout the series. This book in particular solidified him as a favorite in my mind. Beaulieu is the master of good character arcs. I won’t venture into spoiler territory, but he was left in a very interesting position by the end, and I am very eager to see what comes of it!
Davud and Anila become even bigger players in this game played among kings and queens. Anila’s story in particular went in a direction I wasn’t quite expecting, but I love it! She’s transformed from a somewhat naive girl to a force to be reckoned with, and I pity anyone who tries to get in her way. Davud’s story also took on a new direction, particularly with a newly introduced character who I’ve come to adore.
I think all who have read the story thus far can agree on one thing: Meryam must die. And I for one hope Ramahd gets the honor. Although there are now many characters who would vie for the privilege of driving a dagger through her heart (if she even has one anymore).
Brama figures more in this novel than in previous ones. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him at first, but he’s become another favorite of mine. His internal struggle with who he was before and who he is becoming is fascinating to see, and I’m excited to see what direction Beaulieu decides to take his character. I definitely need to pick up Of Sand and Malice Made, a prequel novel to The Song of the Shattered Sands series. I want to know more about Brama and his backstory!
We also get a deeper look into the mind of one of the kings. If you’ve read the previous books, you’ll know who I’m referring to. And surprisingly, I find myself rooting for this king! He’s certainly the smartest of them all, and I’m beginning to suspect he’s also the only one with his soul still intact. His quick wit and sharp observations of the other kings and the events of the novel made his chapters immensely enjoyable to read.
And last but certainly not least, I have to mention our favorite warrior queen, Çedamihn Ahyanesh’ala. Her story really found its stride in this novel. Çeda has struggled before, of course, but I felt like this was the first time we got to see her have an internal conflict with herself. Çeda had to rise above everything she thought about herself before and become the leader her tribe, the 13th tribe, needed her to be. She’s matured tremendously, and now her journey has evolved beyond her initial goal of getting revenge into becoming a great friend to those in need, and a leader for her people. While she remains the hot-headed, determined badass we know and love, she has also become more compassionate and receptive to the counsel of others. She is becoming a true leader, and I can’t wait to see where her path will lead her. Is it almost time for the next book yet? I suppose I’ll just have to content myself with reading the series over and over again until that day comes!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2019
4.75/5 stars
Ho..ly..crap. This book was that good. Well done yet again, Mr. Beaulieu! I can't wait to continue this series.
Ho..ly..crap. This book was that good. Well done yet again, Mr. Beaulieu! I can't wait to continue this series.
December 1, 2019
After the last third of the book it earns 4.5⭐️
A lot to wrap my head around in this one!
A lot to wrap my head around in this one!
May 29, 2019
You probably remember that it took everything I had just to go through Twelve Kings in Sharakhai a few years back. Which was mostly due to the fact that the book featured nothing that made Beaulieu's first trilogy such a memorable work of fantasy. Indeed, I gave each installment of Bradley P. Beaulieu's The Lays of Anuskaya a glowing review, claiming that it was one of the most engrossing fantasy series I had read in many a year. Dark, ambitious, complex, and populated with a great cast of characters that leap off the pages, it was everything I wanted it to be.
Needless to say, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai was a major disappointment for me. So much so that I thought The Song of the Shattered Sands just wasn't for me and it took me two years to finally give the second installment a shot. Thankfully, With Blood Upon the Sand was a much better read than its predecessor. I was glad to have given the series another shot, for A Veil of Spears turned out to be just as good. Its endgame and finale set the stage for another compelling read and I was curious to discover what the author had in store for us in this fourth volume. In terms of plot, Beneath the Twisted Trees moves the story forward in surprising ways, but its execution occasionally leaves something to be desired. And in the end, though it is an interesting novel which builds on the storylines of its predecessors, it failed to live up to the potential of the last two installments.
Here's the blurb:
The fourth book in The Song of Shattered Sands series–an epic fantasy with a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.
When a battle to eradicate the Thirteenth Tribe goes awry, the kingdoms bordering the desert metropolis of Sharakhai see the city as weak and ripe for conquest. Çeda, now leader of the Shieldwives, a band of skilled desert swordswomen, hopes to use the growing chaos to gain freedom for Sehid-Alaz, the ancient, undying king of her people. Freeing him is only the beginning, however. Like all the people of her tribe on that fateful night four centuries earlier, Sehid-Alaz was cursed, turned into an asir, a twisted, miserable creature beholden to the kings of Sharakhai—to truly free her king, Çeda must break the chains that bind him.
As Sharakhai’s enemies close in and the assault on the city begins, Çeda works feverishly to unlock the mysteries of the asirim’s curse. But danger lies everywhere. Enemy forces roam the city; the Blade Maidens close in on her; her own father, one of the kings of Sharakhai, wants Çeda to hang. Worst of all, the gods themselves have begun to take notice of Çeda’s pursuits.
When the combined might of Sharakhai and the desert gods corner the survivors of the Thirteenth Tribe in a mountain fastness, the very place that nearly saw their annihilation centuries ago, Çeda knows the time has come. She was once an elite warrior in service to the kings of Sharakhai. She has been an assassin in dark places. A weapon poised to strike from the shadows. A voice from the darkness, striving to free her people.
No longer.
Now she’s going to lead.
The age of the Kings is coming to an end . . .
Personally, I felt that one of the shortcomings that sunk Twelve Kings in Sharakhai was that the author kept his cards way too close to his chest as far as the worldbuilding was concerned. Beaulieu plunged his readers into the heart of the tale without offering a whole lot in terms of explanation or information. There were hints of hidden depth throughout, yet we as readers were mostly left in the dark about most facets of the plot. Beaulieu definitely elevated his game in both With Blood Upon the Sand and A Veil of Spears. A panoply of revelations were made and secrets were unveiled regarding the kings, the Moonless Host, the gods, the asirim, and so much more. With a great amount of groundwork already laid out in the first three volumes, in Beneath the Twisted Trees Beaulieu continues to build on those plotlines and adds more layers to a plot that resounds with more and more depth with each new novel. This bodes well for the two installments to come. His Middle Eastern environment remains particularly well-realized and continues to create an arresting imagery.
In terms of characterization, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai was a world away from Beaulieu's previous series. The Lays of Anuskaya trilogy was all shades of gray. It was, in my humble opinion, adult fantasy the way it should be. Nothing clear-cut or juvenile about it, nothing so simple as good vs evil. The relationships between characters were complex and morally ambiguous, the way they normally are in real life. In the first installment of The Song of the Shattered Sands, there was no depth to speak of when it came to the main protagonists. Everything was black and white through and through, with not a single shade of gray anywhere within the storylines. Çeda was too badass for her own good, and I found it impossible to care for or root for her. With such a hardcore character, I was expecting Beaulieu to use our own preconceptions against us, the way he has often done in the past, and surprise and shock us when we least expected it. Alas, that was not to be. Previously, his protagonists, though not flamboyant, were always solid, genuine, and three-dimensional men and women that remain true to themselves. Not so in Twelve Kings in Sharakhai.
Fortunately, I found Çeda to be far more engaging and likeable in the following two installments and the same can be said of Beneath the Twisted Trees. Once more, the character development in this fourth volume made a big difference and Bradley P. Beaulieu found yet more ways to elevate his game in this aspect of his writing. Emre, who gradually fell under the yoke of the Moonless Host, was another decidedly black and white character with no depth early on. But he was also further fleshed out in the last couple of books. The same can be said of the Moonless Host and how it operates, the kings, the gods, and a whole lot more. The characterization, which was so weak in the first volume, has evolved considerably and is now comprised of a quality cast of characters. In addition, secondary protagonists such as Brama, Ramahd, Alina, and Davud play more important roles in this novel and its obvious that their respective storylines will have bigger repercussions in the greater scheme of things.
So what are those execution glitches that I've alluded to? In their attempt to free Sehid-Alaz, Çeda and her allies must find a way to try to bond with the asirim in order to weaken or break the connection they already share with the kings of Sharakhai. And though Beaulieu came up with a fascinating concept to do just that, how the process occurred sort of came out of left field. The same thing goes for the two mustering enemy forces arrayed against Sharakhai. There was no reason for them to delay this long to engage, but the plot demanded that certain events take place beforehand and hence everything feels clumsily contrived in that regard. The kings themselves, who have ruled ruthlessly for more than four centuries, continue to prove to be rather petty, arrogant, stupid, and ineffectual. So much so that it makes you wonder how a bunch of incompetent people who are seemingly so unfit to rule could have held power for so long. They also die rather easily, which cheapens the whole thing somewhat. Thus far, every time there has been a showdown between the twelve kings and those who oppose them, be they good guys or bad guys, they have pretty much lost every encounter. One would think that they would be a lot harder to defeat or kill. I'm well aware that with Beaulieu elevating his game and adding layers to the plot in Beneath the Twisted Trees, these execution glitches may not matter as much to some readers. So your mileage may vary. . .
Not surprisingly, as with most Bradley P. Beaulieu novels, there are a few pacing issues throughout. This fourth volume may not be a page-turner, but I felt that there was a nice balance between the various perspectives and that the plot progressed at a good clip. The first portion of the book may be a little too slow-moving in terms of rhythm, but other than a few rougher sequences here and there, for the most part the pace is never really a problem. In any event, readers who have made it this far have come to know what to expect.
It feels as though the author now has strategically placed all his pieces on the board and is setting the stage for the endgame that will lead us to the resolution of The Song of the Shattered Sands. With the proverbial shit ready to hit the fan, there should be plenty of fireworks. And even though Beneath the Twisted Trees wasn't as captivating as the last two installments, Bradley P. Beaulieu continues to move the story forward in an intriguing fashion, weaving his plotlines into a great tapestry that promies a lot of great things to come. Looking forward to the forthcoming When Jackals Storm the Walls.
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Needless to say, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai was a major disappointment for me. So much so that I thought The Song of the Shattered Sands just wasn't for me and it took me two years to finally give the second installment a shot. Thankfully, With Blood Upon the Sand was a much better read than its predecessor. I was glad to have given the series another shot, for A Veil of Spears turned out to be just as good. Its endgame and finale set the stage for another compelling read and I was curious to discover what the author had in store for us in this fourth volume. In terms of plot, Beneath the Twisted Trees moves the story forward in surprising ways, but its execution occasionally leaves something to be desired. And in the end, though it is an interesting novel which builds on the storylines of its predecessors, it failed to live up to the potential of the last two installments.
Here's the blurb:
The fourth book in The Song of Shattered Sands series–an epic fantasy with a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.
When a battle to eradicate the Thirteenth Tribe goes awry, the kingdoms bordering the desert metropolis of Sharakhai see the city as weak and ripe for conquest. Çeda, now leader of the Shieldwives, a band of skilled desert swordswomen, hopes to use the growing chaos to gain freedom for Sehid-Alaz, the ancient, undying king of her people. Freeing him is only the beginning, however. Like all the people of her tribe on that fateful night four centuries earlier, Sehid-Alaz was cursed, turned into an asir, a twisted, miserable creature beholden to the kings of Sharakhai—to truly free her king, Çeda must break the chains that bind him.
As Sharakhai’s enemies close in and the assault on the city begins, Çeda works feverishly to unlock the mysteries of the asirim’s curse. But danger lies everywhere. Enemy forces roam the city; the Blade Maidens close in on her; her own father, one of the kings of Sharakhai, wants Çeda to hang. Worst of all, the gods themselves have begun to take notice of Çeda’s pursuits.
When the combined might of Sharakhai and the desert gods corner the survivors of the Thirteenth Tribe in a mountain fastness, the very place that nearly saw their annihilation centuries ago, Çeda knows the time has come. She was once an elite warrior in service to the kings of Sharakhai. She has been an assassin in dark places. A weapon poised to strike from the shadows. A voice from the darkness, striving to free her people.
No longer.
Now she’s going to lead.
The age of the Kings is coming to an end . . .
Personally, I felt that one of the shortcomings that sunk Twelve Kings in Sharakhai was that the author kept his cards way too close to his chest as far as the worldbuilding was concerned. Beaulieu plunged his readers into the heart of the tale without offering a whole lot in terms of explanation or information. There were hints of hidden depth throughout, yet we as readers were mostly left in the dark about most facets of the plot. Beaulieu definitely elevated his game in both With Blood Upon the Sand and A Veil of Spears. A panoply of revelations were made and secrets were unveiled regarding the kings, the Moonless Host, the gods, the asirim, and so much more. With a great amount of groundwork already laid out in the first three volumes, in Beneath the Twisted Trees Beaulieu continues to build on those plotlines and adds more layers to a plot that resounds with more and more depth with each new novel. This bodes well for the two installments to come. His Middle Eastern environment remains particularly well-realized and continues to create an arresting imagery.
In terms of characterization, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai was a world away from Beaulieu's previous series. The Lays of Anuskaya trilogy was all shades of gray. It was, in my humble opinion, adult fantasy the way it should be. Nothing clear-cut or juvenile about it, nothing so simple as good vs evil. The relationships between characters were complex and morally ambiguous, the way they normally are in real life. In the first installment of The Song of the Shattered Sands, there was no depth to speak of when it came to the main protagonists. Everything was black and white through and through, with not a single shade of gray anywhere within the storylines. Çeda was too badass for her own good, and I found it impossible to care for or root for her. With such a hardcore character, I was expecting Beaulieu to use our own preconceptions against us, the way he has often done in the past, and surprise and shock us when we least expected it. Alas, that was not to be. Previously, his protagonists, though not flamboyant, were always solid, genuine, and three-dimensional men and women that remain true to themselves. Not so in Twelve Kings in Sharakhai.
Fortunately, I found Çeda to be far more engaging and likeable in the following two installments and the same can be said of Beneath the Twisted Trees. Once more, the character development in this fourth volume made a big difference and Bradley P. Beaulieu found yet more ways to elevate his game in this aspect of his writing. Emre, who gradually fell under the yoke of the Moonless Host, was another decidedly black and white character with no depth early on. But he was also further fleshed out in the last couple of books. The same can be said of the Moonless Host and how it operates, the kings, the gods, and a whole lot more. The characterization, which was so weak in the first volume, has evolved considerably and is now comprised of a quality cast of characters. In addition, secondary protagonists such as Brama, Ramahd, Alina, and Davud play more important roles in this novel and its obvious that their respective storylines will have bigger repercussions in the greater scheme of things.
So what are those execution glitches that I've alluded to? In their attempt to free Sehid-Alaz, Çeda and her allies must find a way to try to bond with the asirim in order to weaken or break the connection they already share with the kings of Sharakhai. And though Beaulieu came up with a fascinating concept to do just that, how the process occurred sort of came out of left field. The same thing goes for the two mustering enemy forces arrayed against Sharakhai. There was no reason for them to delay this long to engage, but the plot demanded that certain events take place beforehand and hence everything feels clumsily contrived in that regard. The kings themselves, who have ruled ruthlessly for more than four centuries, continue to prove to be rather petty, arrogant, stupid, and ineffectual. So much so that it makes you wonder how a bunch of incompetent people who are seemingly so unfit to rule could have held power for so long. They also die rather easily, which cheapens the whole thing somewhat. Thus far, every time there has been a showdown between the twelve kings and those who oppose them, be they good guys or bad guys, they have pretty much lost every encounter. One would think that they would be a lot harder to defeat or kill. I'm well aware that with Beaulieu elevating his game and adding layers to the plot in Beneath the Twisted Trees, these execution glitches may not matter as much to some readers. So your mileage may vary. . .
Not surprisingly, as with most Bradley P. Beaulieu novels, there are a few pacing issues throughout. This fourth volume may not be a page-turner, but I felt that there was a nice balance between the various perspectives and that the plot progressed at a good clip. The first portion of the book may be a little too slow-moving in terms of rhythm, but other than a few rougher sequences here and there, for the most part the pace is never really a problem. In any event, readers who have made it this far have come to know what to expect.
It feels as though the author now has strategically placed all his pieces on the board and is setting the stage for the endgame that will lead us to the resolution of The Song of the Shattered Sands. With the proverbial shit ready to hit the fan, there should be plenty of fireworks. And even though Beneath the Twisted Trees wasn't as captivating as the last two installments, Bradley P. Beaulieu continues to move the story forward in an intriguing fashion, weaving his plotlines into a great tapestry that promies a lot of great things to come. Looking forward to the forthcoming When Jackals Storm the Walls.
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January 15, 2021
Continuing story of The Shattered Sands series (#4), with Ceda determined to free all the asirim; with Emre trying his best to unite the tribes against the Kings and to accept the 13th tribe; meanwhile the Kings have their own agendas and are facing warships on their doorsteps from at least 2 other nations. This series has stories within stories within stories to the nth degree, yet it isn't too terribly hard to follow, and the writer always keeps it interesting. Queen Meryam, for example, has completely fooled most people into thinking that she is wed to Kiral, the King of Kings. But Kiral is dead, and she is using blood magic to alter the appearance of Hamzakiir, the son of another King, to look like Kiral. Meryam intends to destroy the Kings and rule Sharahkai herself. There are battles against kings, battles against plagues wrought by the Kings to destroy people who wish to war against them, and there are some major battles against Ceda and her shield-wives. There is also intrigue with other groups struggling to survive and maybe take down Queen Meryam. In the end, there is a bit of a cliffhanger as we wait for the next (and final, I think) book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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