Bradley P. Beaulieu

I love Epic Fantasy for many reasons, not least of which is the fact every book is a portal to a whole new world. But when you read as much as this genre as I do, you sure get to visit a lot of them. That is why, when every once in a while I come across a setting that truly stands out, I sit up and take note. And Bradley P. Beaulieu’s Twelve Kings in Sharakhai made me do just that.

Right from the start I was captivated by the magnificent desert city of Sharakhai, where this novel takes show more place. Surrounded by a literal ocean of dust and sand, this political and cultural trade center attracts all manner of visitors. From merchants to dignitaries, they sail across the dunes in great sand-ships to treat with the city’s kings, twelve immortal men who have held power in Sharakhai since time immemorial. However, not all people are happy with their rule, and many remember the injustices wrought upon them by the kings and their ruthless agents.

The novel’s protagonist Çeda is one such individual. When she was eight years old, her mother was a rebel captured and executed by the kings, then hung from Sharakhai’s walls as a warning and example to other detractors. Çeda has sworn vengeance ever since. Now more than a decade has passed, and Çeda is still as determined as ever to take down the twelve kings, with the help of a book of cryptic writings left to her by her mother. Unlocking the book’s puzzles will not be easy though, and there are many questions about her own heritage that must be solved before Çeda can bring the fight to her enemies.

So many thoughts filled my mind when I finished this book, I’m not even sure where to begin. Beaulieu weaves a complex tale of adventure and intrigue, employing devices like flashbacks and bringing in other characters points-of-view to great effect. In many ways, Çeda’s story plays out almost like a mystery plot, following her on a journey to uncover clues about the twelve kings’ weaknesses while also revealing details about her own past and the secrets her mother kept from her. Flashback chapters are generally tricky to pull off, but I was impressed with the way they were done here, inserted at precisely the best moments to emphasize important events in the characters’ lives.

Çeda is also a wonderful main character, one of the best female protagonists I have encountered in years. We open the novel with a scene from the fighting pits, where she is a competitor in the tourney. Right after a phenomenal combat sequence which ends with Çeda serving her opponent his ass on a platter, she then goes on to engage in an intensely passionate tryst with the fighting pit’s owner. If all this was part of Beaulieu’s attempt to capture the reader’s attention right off the bat, well, it certainly worked on me! More importantly though, I got the sense that Çeda is her own woman. She does what she wants but she’s also smart about it, and she is committed to her goals and utterly loyal to those she cares about.

The story also introduces several more major characters, first of which is Emre – Çeda’s childhood friend, partner in crime, and brother of her heart. As Çeda’s mission takes her down one path, Emre’s involvement with the underground resistance takes him down another, leading the two friends to drift apart. But what I love about this story is that nothing about it is black and white, and there’s much more to it than simply good versus evil. The twelve kings may be ruthless and cruel, but the rebels – a group calling themselves the Moonless Host – are far from innocent themselves, employing methods that are just as bloody and destructive. The relationship dynamics between Emre and Çeda become a focal point when the two of them end up on opposite sides, fighting for the same cause while driven by different forces. Throw in a third faction, Ramahd and Meryam of the Qaimiri delegation, and it gets even more difficult to tell friend from foe. As with the best and most realistic stories of fluid loyalties and political intrigue, there is absolutely nothing clear-cut about the situation and the plot will keep you wondering who’s an enemy and who’s an ally every step of the way.

While Beaulieu never stops challenging his characters, the world building in this novel is where his skills really shine. The many distinct cultures that feature in the pages of Twelve Kings in Sharakhai provided a diverse setting, which is further fleshed out by its rich history, religions, and various magic systems. The many sights and sounds of the city are brought to life by the stunningly detailed descriptions of important locales, from the decadent halls of the Tauriyat to the blooming fields of adichara plants in the surrounding desert. The world-building also made up for the slower pacing of the first half of the novel, because there were just so many wonderful things to take in.

All told, the payoff was definitely worth it. A promising start to a new series, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai offers readers a glimpse into Bradley P. Beaulieu’s talent for storytelling as well as his emerging role as a master of world building. With its many different peoples and cultures, Sharakhai’s desert setting was utterly spellbinding. I also found myself enthralled by the plot’s combination of adventure and intrigue, along with the richness and depth of the characters. Books like this keep the epic fantasy genre fresh and diversified, and I am very excited to see what the future holds for The Song of the Shattered Sands sequence. show less

Wow. I was utterly blown away by this fantasy novel. It felt completely unique, wholly realized, and epic in scope. Everything you would want a new fantasy series to be.
Beaulieu writes masterfully! From his amazing prose, to his in depth characterizations and everything in between. He ensured to take the time to allow us to uncover these characters and understand them, ensuring we cared for their plights and desires and motivations.
Ceda is a flawed heroine that carries this story show more masterfully. Such a strong female lead, which can be so hard to stumble on in the fantasy genre. She is completely realized and written so that her motivations and desires become your own.
I found the story moved at a steady pace that worked very well. It never felt rushed like many fantasies, but also didn't drag on like others.
I am so impressed with this debut and this new start, this is definately a fantasy I will recommend and a fantasy series I am eager to continue reading as it comes out! show less

Het krijgt van mij 4 sterren. Ja, er zitten wat dingetjes in die ik niet zo geweldig vind. Maar de plot is interessant genoeg, de wereld zit enorm goed in elkaar en ik mag Ceda wel. Niet genoeg om op te zoeken hoe dat met dat stomme krulletje zit onder de c, maar wel genoeg om heel erg graag te weten hoe het verder gaat.

Dit boek draait om geheimen en hoe die geheimen invloed hebben op ieders leven. Het lijkt wel of niemand gewoon wil vertellen wat er gebeurd is, wat ze voelen of wat ze show more willen doen. De hele maatschappij is gebaseerd op de geheimen en leugens van de koningen. Ik vraag me af of het daardoor komt dat er werkelijk niemand zegt wat hij of zij denkt.

De oosterse invloeden die doorschemeren in het verhaal vind ik erg interessant en maken de wereld nog een stukje intenser. De stad als haven in de woestijn, de verhoudingen tussen stadsbewoners en de stammen, de verhoudingen tussen de 12 koningen en de stammen, dat alles wordt mooi beschreven en geven de wereld diepte. De klingmaagden zijn interessant en ik wil dolgraag meer weten over de 12 koningen. Daar zit nog een hele hoop achter en dat laat de schrijver je goed voelen.

De magie vind ik ook fascinerend. Er lijkt sprake te zijn van verschillende soorten magie en ik ben benieuwd hoe dat zich verder ontwikkelt. Ik denk dat deze serie zeker potentie heeft tot het zijn van een hele goede serie, maar dat heeft wel alles te maken met hoe het nu verder gaat. Want het zou ook zomaar ineens een heel voorspelbaar geheel kunnen vormen en dat zou erg jammer zijn, want er zit genoeg potentie in om het echt verrassend te laten eindigen. show less

Setting aside at page 68 (of 447) because this story is being told to me, not shown, and certainly not felt. I think it's probably an interesting story - we have a steampunky Russian-esque archipelagan empire held together by airships and ruling classes and riddled with subjugated classes, famine and pestilence (of hinted magical/phenomenon origin). We've hit issues of class and race inequality from the get-go, through our two viewpoint characters of Nikandr (a Prince, a have) and his show more mistress Rehada (a wanderer of the underclass, a have-not), and I could see those developing in promising ways. But through both narrations, we keep being told about emotions and yearnings of which no evidence is shown. The story thus far has been tremendously opaque - not to mention that we haven't yet achieved the inciting incident outlined on the back of the book - and the writing isn't charming enough for me to want to hang around waiting for tidbits of elucidation to be doled out. show less