Le Désert déchiré

The Song of the Shattered Sands #6

by Bradley P. Beaulieu, Olivier Debernard (translator)

The twelve kings of Sharakai tried to bury their secrets in the sand.

But no matter how deeply they are buried, secrets want to be found.

One by one Ceda has found them. And she has used those secrets to destroy the corrupt kings and take her battle for justice to the gods themselves.

Now comes the final showdown . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adult, Adventure, Audiobook, Fiction, Ebooks

504 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2021

About the author

Bradley 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

Reviews

[Mikaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfying conclusion to an amazing and beloved saga. It will probably stay in my top 5 of favorites fantasy series for a looong time 💕

[Blaise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced read copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It is always a bitter sweet feeling when coming to the concluding volume of a six book epic. You feel elated at finishing but sad at the same time saying goodbye to such wonderful characters which I have grown to love over the years. The desert is literally torn in the destruction of war and the overall politics of the gods. How does Bradley P. Beaulieu stick the landing? Quite well and I only wish he revisits this world once again. This will be a spoiler free review, but I will be touching upon some events in the previous books.

Ceda and Emre seem to be fighting against the tides of a civil war among the desert tribes. The traitor Hamid has united the thirteen tribes and plans to attack Sharakhai with their full military forces. Ceda has no choice but to demand a meeting of the tribe leaders and ask for a trial to determine the guilt of Hamid and Ceda knows she needs to find overwhelming proof of Hamid’s deception. She may need to seek the painful memories of her past and that of the acacia tree for guidance. The blood mage Davud is investigating the slow death of the twisted trees and how the asirim are sacrificing themselves to keep the last few trees alive. With the gateway between worlds opening more and more by the day, Davud will need to seek the guidance of the blood mage council and find a solution to this endeavor. Meryam, the fallen queen of Qaimir, plans to seek vengeance of the kings and desert tribes by raising a dead god. She soon learns the location of the burial site and will pay a great sacrifice to raise him from the dead.

The first half of the novel is buildup for the action packed conclusion to the series, but I enjoyed the earlier chapters tremendously. The author introduces an interesting concept in this novel called water dancing. Water dancers are basically seers who use water in order to predict the future but they need to do it in a group. This will have massive implications for the rest of the book and I love it when authors use this writing technique especially when the prediction turns out to be different. The only shame is that I wish we were introduced to these seers in a earlier volume. The action really picks up in the second half with a satisfyingly but somewhat predictable ending. Some of the conclusions for our characters will not make every reader happy especially the fate of one of the kings. These are my only tidbits with the story as it was a nonstop ride and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

This underrated epic is and will continue to be among my favorite fantasy series in the SFF genre. It provides something different, engaging, shocking, and all around kickass action the whole way through. There is nothing more I can say that will prepare you to jump into the streets of Sharakhai except WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!

Cheers!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point The Song of the Shattered Sands books compete directly with A Song of Ice and Fire to be my favourite epic fantasy series. And as sorry that I am that it's concluded, now it also has that as a point in its favour. Beaulieu can complete an ambitious, very complex, large-scale series in well less than under three decades. Love that.

I'm very satisfied with the conclusion of the series, aside from a couple lingering questions. I'm sure these books will be on my shelves forever, and I'm honestly excited for the next time I pick them up and experience the whole thing again. Sharakhai and the Great Shangazi is one of my favourite fictional worlds to visit.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last, the series has come to an end. Wicked series hangover time. What an absolute wild ride and one hell of an introduction to Beaulieu’s work. Safe to say this series blasted its way onto my all time favorites list.

[Kara Babcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we are, the sixth and final book of The Song of the Shattered Sands. A Desert Torn Asunder brings to a close the quest of Çeda to kill the Kings of Sharakhai, perhaps in unexpected ways. But the story has grown grander and more epic in scope since that first book, and there are other players on the field who deserve closure too. Bradley P. Beaulieu manages the not inconsiderable feat of creating a satisfying ending to an epic fantasy series, certainly more satisfying than some I have read over the past few years (Sara Douglass, looking at you). If you want my praise in one blurb, it is this: this book does not rush you towards its conclusion, nor does it grant any character an easy end to their struggle.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for this free e-ARC.

This review is going to be, in many ways, a review of the series as a whole now that we have closure. That being said, I’m going to keep it spoiler-free for A Desert Torn Asunder, so you should be fine as long as you don’t mind spoilers for the previous 5 books.

Look, I mentioned this in a previous review, and I’m sure I am not the only one to make this comparison, but this series is way better than A Song of Ice and Fire ever was. I’m using George R.R. Martin’s unfinished epic opus as a touchstone because of its cultural relevance—this series could easily be adapted by HBO or any number of competing studios to the same fidelity that they produced Game of Thrones but with the added benefit of, you know, a good ending. Oh, and tons less misogyny and gratuitous nudity and sexual violence! Not only is Beaulieu a better writer but he has delivered in a few years what Martin has failed to do in a couple of decades. Yes, I know that every writer is different, and I’m not here to dismiss any difficulties Martin might have with his writing—I’m just pointing out a simple fact.

I’m looking at this series from the position of someone who has been a fan of epic fantasy for almost her whole life. When I was young, my first genre love was mystery. I went from Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew up to the big leagues of Agatha Christie. Then in grades 6 and 7, I discovered science fiction and fantasy. Dune and LOTR were great, but it was The Belgariad by David (and Leigh) Eddings that truly stoked the fantasy fire in this reader’s heart. I devoured that series and its sequel series, and from there I tore through my library’s epic fantasy books. I remember reading the first three Song of Ice and Fire novels in Grade 7—waaaay too young for that content, oops—and then waiting, patiently, for the next book. Still waiting for book 6 at 31, George….

So, I’ve not just read epic fantasy; I have steeped myself in it. Yet as I grew older and learned more about the world around me, I began to understand how a lot of epic fantasy reflects our problematic worldviews. I saw how it is often mired in European ideas of feudalism and patriarchy and how the few attempts to subvert that are often clumsy or problematic in other senses. So it has been with great excitement that I have watched so many authors, particularly women of colour, reimagine what epic fantasy can be (N.K. Jemisin, I’m looking at you!). Anybody who writes today that epic fantasy is too whitewashed, too Eurocentric, etc., just isn’t paying attention to the brilliant renaissance of fresh voices and worlds being created right now.

Beaulieu’s series is a part of that. What I admire most is the way he marries the old and the new. There are tired tropes in this book: elder gods versus younger gods—including a literal deus ex machina at the end of A Desert Torn Asunder—and enchanted blades and ancient curses, etc. But Beaulieu infuses these ideas with different settings—in the middle of a desert—and diverse characters, most of whom are neither good nor evil but simply fallible humans on power trips. To that last point, I was very impressed with the characterization of Ihsan in this book. We’ve come a long way from the first book, when the Kings seemed like these remote and terrible figures, to now, where they are as beaten and broken as any of the other mortals trapped in this gods-caused struggle.

Indeed, in addition to the overall quality of this series as it pertains to the epic fantasy subgenre, I just want to praise the incredible characterization in this book. So many of the main characters are three-dimensional. I have been angry with pretty much all of them—Çeda included—at one point or another. Meryam’s evolution from possible hero to villain, and the way Beaulieu has unpacked the childhood traumas that her mind has fled into to rationalize her actions, has been so fascinating. I appreciate how, in this final book, each of the remaining main characters receives some kind of resolution to their story. Sometimes it is entirely what you would expect; other times, it’s different because of how their story has changed over these six books.

Do I agree with all of it? No. This series is far from perfect. As I have previously mentioned, I would like to see more explicit LGBTQ+ representation—Çeda’s dalliance with Sumeya is further minimized in this book in a way I didn’t appreciate, and the only other major gay characters I can think of were antagonists. So in that respect Beaulieu could have done better. Similarly, this series suffers from what any epic series does: way too many characters, way too many subplots, and the challenge of bringing it all together at the end. As I have already said, I think Beaulieu succeeds at this challenge. However, there’s definitely elements to A Desert Torn Asunder that feel very narratively convenient. Davud’s entire storyline is one of them, in my opinion, along with the deus ex machina I mentioned above. These are all “your mileage may vary” type things, of course, and someone else might have fewer nitpicks while another reader might think I’m going too easy on the series.

But I’m not here to put any fantasy series on a pedestal. I’m here, rather, for more diverse fantasy in the sense that we are seeing a lot of different and fresh takes on what it means to be “epic.” I have seen so much of that lately; here’s a short list if you want it: The Jasmine Throne , Ashes of the Sun , Blades of the Old Empire , the aforementioned N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season . I’m sure there are listicles and other recommendations out there if you need more of this in your life—I know I do.

Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I want to thank the author for doing something so crucial that the absence of it has caused me to stop reading long series - he has provided a short but detailed summary of previous books at the beginning of each. Brandon Sanderson - learn from this. And even more to the testament of this series, I remembered most of it!

This is such a satisfying end to a phenomenal series. Highly recommend.

[Octarine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plutôt 3,5.
Un tome mitigé, mais une très bonne série de manière générale.

J’ai peut être enchaîné les tomes 5 et 6 trop vite. Mais j’ai eu un ressenti de « trop ». J’en avais assez de Meryam, assez de Hamid.
Le tome 5 se finissait pourtant bien et donnait envie de finir avec le dernier arc. Mais Ashael qui arrive comme ça comme un cheveu sur la soupe, ça ne m’a pas convaincue.

J’ai beaucoup apprécié l’idée des Danseuses d’eau de Mirea. Dommage qu’elle n’apparaisse que dans ce dernier tome.

Je pinaille, mais je ne suis pas fan de la traduction du titre original de la série proposée à la fin. En revanche, c’était très sympa d’avoir la référence (pour ceux qui connaissent le titre original).

La fin était quand même très satisfaisante. Le destin de Sharakhai, des personnages encore en vie, et surtout le destin des différents rois.

J’avoue que pour l’un d’eux, j’ai été émue. Je lui avais tout pardonné, mais comme il le dit lui même, les Fileuses du Destin ne l’épargnent pas.

Clairement je garderai un grand souvenir de Ihsan, Davud, Rhamad, et des vierges du Sabre. Le couple formé par Ihsan et Nayyan restera aussi dans ma mémoire.

Malgré certains tomes en demi-teinte, c’est une série que je recommande ardemment pour son worldbuilding et certains personnages mémorables, antagonistes comme protagonistes (je n’oublie pas Hamzakir, Brama
, Anila et tous les rois qui ont marqué la série par leur charisme).

[Mpauli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fitting and satisfying ending to the Song of the Shattered Sands series.

It wrapped up many of the story arcs that we got for our various pro- and antagonists.
As always, the atmosphere in the desert and in Sharakhai is very unique and the imaginative world-building is as present as ever.

I'm a bit sad to leave Ceda, Emre, Davud, Meryam, Ihsan and all the others behind, but look forward to reading the first and the new series of Bradley P Beaulieu soon.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great conclusion to the series! :)

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

A satisfying conclusion to the series!

[Stella Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole series was so creative and then the end was like: liberal democracy😭😭😭😭

[Garrett Olinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series, worth the years waiting. Long complex stories, good characters. I'm glad he reprised each book at the start of the last couple of volumes. Recommended.

Ceda is a great lead character, but in the last couple books, you saw more of other characters than of her. She did take the lead in the last couple hundred pages.

[Smangaliso Gumede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent read!! The journey through the Shattered Sands has been a magical one these past years. A journey that will never be forgotten. Thank you Mr Bradley P. Beaulieu.

[Joel Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthy conclusion to a beautiful series of books.

[AltLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Everything rests on a knife's edge."

I realized when making my to-read list for this year that, for whatever reason, I had gotten up to book five of this amazing series years ago and never bothered to finish it up. I went into it a bit hesitant after being gone from the desert for so long, but this book delivered and then some. An amazing end to an epic fantasy series I wish more people knew about.

I'm not going to summarize the plot here because it's the culmination of five books of setup. Not only would it not make sense to someone jumping in fresh, it'd also be rife with spoilers from the previous books. You'll just have to trust me that this book's story is a worthy conclusion to this desert fantasy series.

All of our favorite cast members are here, with nothing and nobody extraneous. I felt some of the previous books dragged on a bit (Beneath the Twisted Trees, I'm looking at you), but this book has the advantage of being set up to be wall-to-wall plot with nothing really new in the mix. Watching everything come together was delightful. I also appreciated that the author included a 'Story so Far' section up front to catch readers up to speed, because a lot happens in the previous books.

Just a great book, a great end, to a great series. Well done.

[Aneta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mostly liked the ending, just didn't like how we got there.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...

‘ Where can we go when all is lost? ‘

The reign of the Kings has been interrupted, but not all is lost. Though Queen Alansal of Mirea now sits atop the Tauriyat, two of the original Twelve Kings still draw breath in the desert. And both Husamettín and Ihsan remain with the Royal Fleet, committed to retaking the city.

Queen Meryam’s blood magic has been burned from her, yet her ambition still burns strong. Armed with the body of Goezhen and the blessing of the younger gods, she seeks out the Hollow—where the elder god Ashael was bound eons prior. But will waking him deliver her all the power she’s ever desired, or will the god’s wrath fall upon the desert instead?

Elsewhere in the desert Çeda and Emre prepare to confront the Alliance about Hamid’s betrayal, but to their horror the tribes have agreed to unite under his banner. Even as the pair arrive, the Alliance readies to sail to Sharakai—to raze the city to the ground.

Even as the Kings, Mirea, Malasan, the Tribes, and Ashael all converge on Sharakai—the gateway beneath the city continues to expand. Though Davud and his allies are attempting to close it, so far they’ve had no luck. And soon nothing will stop the younger gods from stepping through into Further Fields, leaving the mortals to pick up the remnants of they shattered world.

‘ When at last the fields do wither,
When the stricken fade;
The Gods shall pass beyond the veil,
And the land shall be remade. ‘

Well, it’s been a long and immersive voyage—one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed! With the sixth and last book in the Song of the Shattered Sands—A Desert Torn Asunder—so many threads that’ve been built up over six books (and more novellas) set to converge for the first and final time. As with all grand fantasy adventures, so much COULD happen that it’s next to impossible to know just what will. Going into this I had a general idea—one that proved to be somewhat correct, albeit pathetically limited in imagination. There was just so much going on here! And when it all came together… it was amazing.

This was the perfect ending.

Okay, okay, it wasn’t absolutely PERFECT, but after six books and so many hours of growth and imagination, a few minor issues along the way couldn’t derail it. In fact, there were so many touches and details that I loved, to be honest I don’t remember what any of my gripes were.

As with the previous books, I would rave about the characters, the world-building, the intricacies of the plot, the attention to detail, and more, but instead let’s focus on the gods. Up to this point we’ve known the gods (the younger ones, that is) are the ones pulling the strings. They’ve been behind the scenes until now, but lately have begun to assume center stage. And as such, there are so many details about them in A Desert Torn Asunder that I loved. Let’s begin with Ashael. He was so much more than what I’d expected. So different—and yet not. The elder gods are all more than I’d’ve guessed—detailed yet mysterious.

This holds true for the younger ones as well. They’re still mysterious, albeit less so, with their deeds now at the forefront of the story and their intentions well known. There are so many things I could talk about, but I want to focus on one little (non-spoilery) thing. The way they come and go, each in their own way. Bakhi slashes a line in the air, which he departs through like a portal. Rhia arrives in a flash of moonlight, and Tulathan departs the same way, except hers is done by sunlight. Thaash turns to stone which crumbles to dust as he departs—dust that is scattered by the desert winds. Nalamae appears and vanishes in a swirl of sand. Each of these touches I found incredibly imaginative and had no problem picturing them. As with so much in this series, my imagination hardly knew where to stop; the story ran wild through my mind.

TL;DR

I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed the Shattered Sands, especially this conclusion to the series. A Desert Torn Asunder is the end this series deserves. So many threads come together that literally anything could happen and frequently does as the desert people all attempt to save their home. Save it, or rule it. If you haven’t started this series yet (perhaps waiting for all the books to be released), well, now’s the time. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as I have. But I can only hope. Whether this is the final time Bradley Beaulieu will revisit Sharakai I cannot say—though there’s still room for more in this world. As for myself I know that I’ll return to the series time and again.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad to see this series end.

[KM Draijer · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars
**Spoilers for entire series**
** overall series: 3 stars

Overall, this series is ok. This last book gives a somewhat satisfying conclusion, but the pacing was bad and the prose was sub-par. For the first half of the book every character was re-introduced with nearly their entire backstory retold in the most matter-of-fact way; it felt like I was reading a wiki.

Like Twelve Kings, Desert Torn Asunder has a slow first half. However, for Twelve Kings this was excuseable because it laid the groundwork for the entire series' setting and introduced the fascinating world Beaulieu created. In Desert Torn Asunder, I was reminded of the snooze-fest of the Phantom Menace (for anyone who hasn't seen it, it's a Star Wars movie which for a large part contains extensive trade negotiations which lead nowhere instead of, y'know, action, or character development).
The whole trial with Hamid was predictable and (to me) lacked any sort of tension. So far it has become clear that Çeda and Emre have plot armor thicker than Lemi's arms, and no matter what the tribes decided it was always going to end in a confrontation with Ashael upon reaching Sharakhai.
However, the final (or rather, penultimate) fight over Sharakhai was great, it was a satisfying conclusion to the character arcs.

So, overall opinion of the series. It's ok. It has a lot of interesting themes and concepts, which is why I finished the series. One theme I enjoyed was the concept that there are no real cookiecutter 'good guys' among the protagonists. Emre hates the Kings so much in the first few books that he becomes a domestic terrorist (let's not forget that the series opens with the Moonless Host burning a marketsquare full of people in an attempt to kill a single King). Ramahd is so consumed by anger and guilt that he spends years chasing vengeance against a man who sees him only as a nuisance and nearly loses himself in the process. Ahya is so hellbent on killing the Kings she abandons her daughter and effectively chooses suicide for the chance to kill a single one of them. Davud starts as a self-righteous know-it-all.

However, when a character becomes a designated villain, they become quite one-dimensional and non-sensical. The Twelve Kings have so little motivation other than "we like power" that they really feel extremely interchangeable. The best motivation any of them delivered for choosing that power was Husamettín, who tells them of the horrors Suad committed on his warpath to Sharakhai 400 years earlier. However, even he is reduced to a simple villain by the last book who never sees reason to give up power even when it's nonsensical.
Meryam, who was one of my favorite characters throughout the series, also loses all sense of believability in Desert Torn Asunder (in my opinion), or at least any sense of relatability, which makes a far less compelling villain.

Çeda is a cool protagonist, one who grows throughout the series. For a "bad ass" protagonist, she has some surprising moments of vulnerability and self-reflection. What Beaulieu does with this character is quite great, because he allows the reader to draw their own conclusions based on Çeda's story. It starts out a somewhat stereotypical revenge story, but grows into so much more until both Çeda and the reader realize that it isn't about vengeance anymore, but about the survival and lives of the people she holds dear.

As a final remark on the content, I want to note that nearly all these books have mediocre pacing. If you like slow burn after slow burn, maybe this is for you, but the books start to slow for me. Of all of these books, I enjoyed Beneath the Twisted Trees the most, and coincidentally I thought the pace of the story was definitely the best there.

Now, as a final remark for this series. Dear editors and proof-readers: the amount of textual mistakes in these books is too damn high!
I have seen characters misnamed in the summary and in the main text, I have seen they're/their mistakes, I have seen misplaced letters, you name it. I hope to dear god the newer editions have these eyesores removed.

In the end, I enjoyed these books enough that I recommend them to people who enjoy fantasy series, but if you prefer a bit more depth in your villains and a high-pace story I can't say this book is for you.

[Ida Jagaric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book! Amazing finale! First chunk of the book was still unengaging like the previous ones coz of the POV changing too often, but then you could tell momentum took over and the POV's would last longer as excitement and events built up!! And I'm reminded what my favourite aspect of fantasy books is.... EPIC battle scenes!! With hero moments or "saved by the cavalry" moments when unexpected allies swoop in in the nick of time to save them from certain defeat! Love those!! And the ending felt complete and right and not forced, yet tied up such a huge story really well. And I cried after I finished the book 😭, feeling all the feels, but also coz of the very sad (but right) moment in the epilogue.

My only complaint might be that every single character became so heroic and capable BUT that's also why I enjoy reading fantasy. ;) vs. Brent Weeks' Black Prism character Kip's inner critic narrative was exhausting coz I already have that in my head!

There's an NPR review on the cover that says "As graceful and contemplative as it is action-packed and pulse pounding." .... I think that describes this series perfectly!

[Joel Adamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soooo...I feel a little guilty giving this only three stars. I would give it 3.425 stars if I could.

This is the conclusion to my favorite fantasy series of the last few years, and it has almost everything that makes the other books, especially the first two of the series, absolutely brilliant. Sharakhai and the Shangazi (I'll say it before and I'll say it again!) is a setting that belongs in the fantasy pantheon right alongside Middle Earth, Hogwart's, and whatever you call where the Wheel of Time takes place. And the characters...Çeda is a character that I think about all the time. She is a brilliantly-rendered, not just believable, but REAL character who is brave, smart, and frustrating in her decisions. But she's consistent, and always well-written.

That's where I think this book just falls a little bit short for me. As often happens in series, the number of characters goes up by necessity, and the faves just don't get as many pages. I read these books for Çeda, and there is just too much of the other characters that, although they are just as well-done, just aren't Çeda.

The other problem was just that this book felt too short. It was suspenseful, it was exciting, but it was very fast-paced and it just seemed like it was over too fast. I have to admit I had a particular ending in mind, and it just didn't happen. It's pretty rare that I care that much, but I guess I went into it with too many expectations.

NEVERTHELESS, this is a good ending to an excellent series. I will definitely be re-reading at least two of the books. They are that good.

[Guillaume Rho · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in the Song of the Shattered Sands series was extremely satisfying. A Desert Torn Asunder indeed! Sharakhai and the Great Shangazi Desert are on the brink of collapse.
Although most of the worldbuilding was done in previous books, the elements in this one were all brilliantly executed. I found that the role of the elder gods was brought in a bit late in the overall story, but it's also highly possible that I've missed some hints earlier on in the series.
The stakes are high and the battles are epic. On a personal note, I tend to prefer - and care more - when we're deep in the trenches with one specific character. Some scenes had a wider scope, but others were deeply personal. (Strangely, Ihsan's struggles were the most emotional for me.)
The resolution was very satisfying, yet open enough to leave us feeling like the world is moving on beyond the page.
Çeda's final chapter (before the epilogue) was my favorite in the book, giving us a full-circle moment of everything our heroine stood for throughout the six books.
Thank you for this wonderful adventure Mr. Beaulieu!

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so the end has come and gone. Was it a perfect ending, no, but it was satisfying for the most part. This conclusion picks up right after the events of book five and the final battle is nye. A Desert Torn Asunder is definitely the tightest and fastest of all the plots. Bradley P. Beaulieu does not waste anytime here. This novel goes back to focusing more on the core characters then the secondary characters. Which is what made this novel the most entertaining. Did I miss the secondary characters of course, because for a while there it felt like there story. I felt like we did not get enough time with the big bad guy of this novel. So on top of missing out on some of the secondary characters, the villain was a bit of a let down.

The Song of the Shattered Sands is a great series. It is one I feel is under appreciated and deserves more eyes. So do yourself a favor, now that the whole series is out and there is no waiting, pick this series up and give it a whirl.

[Victoria Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bittersweet ending to what has become one of my top 3 fantasy series of all time. Ceda is everything you want in a female lead, but I knew I loved her from Book 1...it's the rest of the characters that get you...that you hate at times but then find yourself cheering for, rooting for, crying for--I'm looking at you, Ihsan ;) I also wonder how I would have felt if I read this book at a different point in history...like, if I weren't living through a political dystopian nightmare right now, would I be that excited about a democratic conclusion? Also, can we show some appreciation for something Beaulieu doesn't get enough praise for: 'The Story so Far' synopses at the start of each book. It's not just the refresher of the plot, but highlighting the key details that will be relevant to the current plot. I can think of a number of complex fantasy series that would benefit from these additions!

[Carmen (TheReadingTrashQueen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little emotional. It truly feels like the end of an era, especially after having read all 6 books back to back. It was so good coming back to this series, back to Sharakhai, and now I have to say goodbye??? So not cool.

I also can't believe I actually managed to finish a/this series. I'm emotional all around.

I loved this. This book was incredibly fast paced, we got more focus on Çeda, and it kept me turning those pages as fast as I could. Amazing. I will most definitely revisit one day!

Though I do still have questions; none of which are overly important, but they're there all the same. What is Ihsan's true name?? And can someone please explain the Asirim's Curse to me in full because I suck at poems and if I had had to solve it all Kings would still be alive xD

[Mridupawan Podder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy is so underrated! One of the finest fantasy series I've ever read and trust me, I've read a lot more than average. A Desert Torn Asunder is the 6th and final volume of "The Song of the Shattered Sands" series and it was a phenomenal ending. At times I did feel it was a little rushed but that's probably me saying whenever a series ends. Everything about the book, the series and the characters will remain in my memory for a long, long time.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good conclusion to the series. Like the film version of the third installment of LOTR, a few too many battles, darkness, repetitive limb severing and so forth, skippable...and the barest recognition of the losses. A little question left at the end, too, of what became of one of the principal characters was a nice touch.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series definitely started on a much higher note than it ended on. I think once the focus went away from revenge against the kings, which was book 4 or so, my enjoyment faded a bit. The last two books could have been combined in my opinion. I still had a great time with all 6 books and Çeda is no doubt one of the most badass female characters I've read. Right up there with Nona from Book of the Ancester. 4 out of 5 stars for the series as a whole. Definitely would recommend.

[Clark Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A very satisfying conclusion the to the Shattered Sands saga. Mr Beaulieu does an incredible job keeping the reader interested in the saga of Çeda, Emre, the kings of Sharakhai and others through the 6 volumes of the series. Highly recommend this series!

[Valeriya Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic final instalment of beautiful series with Eastern setting and 1001 Arabian tales vibe👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I enjoyed this book very much!