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The Songbird Chronicles #2
The Azmayat: A Songbird Chronicles Novella
In the pocket world of Ardvaandara, the dayikama are caged by their rulers, shunned by society and bound in restricted powers and even tighter regulations by a centuries-old contract.
Sameera Al Zahrani is one of the many who live this grim reality, able to shift into just one murderous wolf, a far cry from the powerful creatures of legend. Trapped in a life of routine and hardship, she knows better than to dream of freedom—until the day she risks everything to save her younger cousin from a brutal attack.
Her bravery doesn't go unnoticed. As punishment, Sameera is forced to enter the Azmayat—a deadly trial where only the strongest survive. The odds are stacked against her; over half of the contestants will die, and every one of them has been better trained, better fed, and better equipped. With the world's bias against her pack, Sameera faces an impossible go it alone and risk everything, or find allies among those who would just as soon see her dead.
As she navigates the treacherous trials, Sameera begins to realize that surviving may not be enough. With whispers of rebellion and the possibility of new alliances, she might just have the chance to change her world—if she can survive.
For fans of epic fantasy and fierce heroines, The Azmayat is a heart-pounding journey of survival, courage, and the power of defiance. Perfect for readers of New Adult and Young Adult fantasy alike.
Sameera Al Zahrani is one of the many who live this grim reality, able to shift into just one murderous wolf, a far cry from the powerful creatures of legend. Trapped in a life of routine and hardship, she knows better than to dream of freedom—until the day she risks everything to save her younger cousin from a brutal attack.
Her bravery doesn't go unnoticed. As punishment, Sameera is forced to enter the Azmayat—a deadly trial where only the strongest survive. The odds are stacked against her; over half of the contestants will die, and every one of them has been better trained, better fed, and better equipped. With the world's bias against her pack, Sameera faces an impossible go it alone and risk everything, or find allies among those who would just as soon see her dead.
As she navigates the treacherous trials, Sameera begins to realize that surviving may not be enough. With whispers of rebellion and the possibility of new alliances, she might just have the chance to change her world—if she can survive.
For fans of epic fantasy and fierce heroines, The Azmayat is a heart-pounding journey of survival, courage, and the power of defiance. Perfect for readers of New Adult and Young Adult fantasy alike.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 27, 2024
4 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Reid
4 books2 followersLike many authors, S.J. Reid leads a double life: by day, a regular human job in the regular human world, and for every other hour of the day, an avid storyteller. Her evenings and weekends are spent transforming into a dragon so that her daughter may ride around the house rescuing toys, being lovingly trailed by her always-hungry labrador and getting lost in the intricate worlds of her own fictional characters.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 24, 2024
ARC Reader!
This is my second S.J Reid book and when I tell you these books do not disappoint I wholeheartedly mean that. The writing style is excellent I mean complete chefs kiss for how beautifully written and detailed these books are and the expert world building.
I see everything as I read as a movie in my head and was able to easily translate this book into my “head movie” and let me just tell you it made a beautiful “head movie.”
Our main character is a strong badass female so ladies if you need a book that inspires you to be better and do better Sameera is your newest female icon! If she can withstand the pain and trauma she endured and still come out strong forging healthy relationships with our other characters and maintaining the love and loyalty she has for her for family than so can I/we! There were plenty of times she could have broken down given up and just let herself perish (I mean shoot I wouldn’t have made it) but the fight and drive in Sameera is freaking incredible!
I cannot thank S.J. enough for making a whole first page dictionary type thing that explains the different shifter types, city names, and how to pronounce that characters names. I found myself returning to that page more times than I care to admit to try and fix pronunciations in my head. However, I still wish this book had an audible so I could hear the actual pronunciations because I just know I was not saying them right in my head and half the time I just gave them my own nicknames because I was over trying lol.
This book should be an add to all fantasy and action lovers TBRs immediately because this story will rock you to your core in all the best ways!
This is my second S.J Reid book and when I tell you these books do not disappoint I wholeheartedly mean that. The writing style is excellent I mean complete chefs kiss for how beautifully written and detailed these books are and the expert world building.
I see everything as I read as a movie in my head and was able to easily translate this book into my “head movie” and let me just tell you it made a beautiful “head movie.”
Our main character is a strong badass female so ladies if you need a book that inspires you to be better and do better Sameera is your newest female icon! If she can withstand the pain and trauma she endured and still come out strong forging healthy relationships with our other characters and maintaining the love and loyalty she has for her for family than so can I/we! There were plenty of times she could have broken down given up and just let herself perish (I mean shoot I wouldn’t have made it) but the fight and drive in Sameera is freaking incredible!
I cannot thank S.J. enough for making a whole first page dictionary type thing that explains the different shifter types, city names, and how to pronounce that characters names. I found myself returning to that page more times than I care to admit to try and fix pronunciations in my head. However, I still wish this book had an audible so I could hear the actual pronunciations because I just know I was not saying them right in my head and half the time I just gave them my own nicknames because I was over trying lol.
This book should be an add to all fantasy and action lovers TBRs immediately because this story will rock you to your core in all the best ways!
October 13, 2024
I received this book as an advanced reader copy and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
This story crushed my soul, you should absolutely read it! The main character, Sameera, suffered so much in pain in her life and deserves the world. SJ, I have no words, lots of feelings.
I fell in love with these characters. Sameera’s love and loyalty for her family, especially Nilah, was palpable throughout the story. Lala was always on her mind! She forged bonds with Adham, Leyla, Kamran, and even Cyrus. Sameera is someone I would love to be friends with.
The setting of the city and the location of the trials was beautifully written, I felt as though I was walking the streets and running through the jungle. I loved the trials aspect and seeing Sameera come into her own as the Shadow of Talasetari.
I could only identify one light skinned/white person in the entire story! I love reading and seeing representation of people of color. All the way down to Sameera’s braids and headscarf for sleeping, there was no mistake she is a strong, dark skinned baddie.
While The Azmayat is a novella of The Songbird Chronicles, it is easily read as a standalone. I plan on reading City of Dust and Blood ASAP and will be eagerly awaiting the next book. I hope this story gets the recognition it deserves, I’ll be telling everyone about it!!
This story crushed my soul, you should absolutely read it! The main character, Sameera, suffered so much in pain in her life and deserves the world. SJ, I have no words, lots of feelings.
I fell in love with these characters. Sameera’s love and loyalty for her family, especially Nilah, was palpable throughout the story. Lala was always on her mind! She forged bonds with Adham, Leyla, Kamran, and even Cyrus. Sameera is someone I would love to be friends with.
The setting of the city and the location of the trials was beautifully written, I felt as though I was walking the streets and running through the jungle. I loved the trials aspect and seeing Sameera come into her own as the Shadow of Talasetari.
I could only identify one light skinned/white person in the entire story! I love reading and seeing representation of people of color. All the way down to Sameera’s braids and headscarf for sleeping, there was no mistake she is a strong, dark skinned baddie.
While The Azmayat is a novella of The Songbird Chronicles, it is easily read as a standalone. I plan on reading City of Dust and Blood ASAP and will be eagerly awaiting the next book. I hope this story gets the recognition it deserves, I’ll be telling everyone about it!!
May 31, 2025
"Azmayat": A Novella to "The Songbird Chronicles"
Author S. J. Reid
Azmayat is a series of trial, first roll of it is painful exhausting and possibly fatal.
If you succeed in getting through. Then get released into the vast wilderness of the Azmayat, you need everything you possess and more to survive and to live to walk out at the end of it.
In and world that is split into separate pockets. As always the one's that lord it over others. Shun them as if they are nothing. Try to control there lives.
We follow Sameera, after defending her cousin through defending she shifted into her wolf.
Her only option to avoid outright sentence of death. She requests to run the Azmayat. It is powerful and breakneck action. Gasps and saves. Trust me you won't just read this, you will be with Sameera through it all, feeling the fear, the hope, the excursion, the closeness and the loss and more.
What will await Sameera if she survives and walks out the gates of the Azmayat.....
I strongly recommend this book.
Author S. J. Reid
Azmayat is a series of trial, first roll of it is painful exhausting and possibly fatal.
If you succeed in getting through. Then get released into the vast wilderness of the Azmayat, you need everything you possess and more to survive and to live to walk out at the end of it.
In and world that is split into separate pockets. As always the one's that lord it over others. Shun them as if they are nothing. Try to control there lives.
We follow Sameera, after defending her cousin through defending she shifted into her wolf.
Her only option to avoid outright sentence of death. She requests to run the Azmayat. It is powerful and breakneck action. Gasps and saves. Trust me you won't just read this, you will be with Sameera through it all, feeling the fear, the hope, the excursion, the closeness and the loss and more.
What will await Sameera if she survives and walks out the gates of the Azmayat.....
I strongly recommend this book.
February 4, 2025
The Azmayat follows Sameera's heart-wrenching story from trial to trial, and even though it's set in a fantasy world, and is at it's core a fantasy story - her tale is one that is all too familiar. It's painfully relatable but set in a beautiful world that comes alive as you read. I could see every aspect of this book playing out in my head, the descriptions are stunning, the characters are relatable and flawed.
Where Rose (the FMC from City and Blood) has been raised in a position of power and her story shows her navigating politics as a woman born for a leadership role, Sameera is reluctant to own the power she's been gifted and forced to hide. The story explores her slowly embracing that she might need to destroy the status quo, challenge the limitations that have been put in place for her and break the walls down if she wants to live for even a week longer.
This is female rage at its finest.
Where Rose (the FMC from City and Blood) has been raised in a position of power and her story shows her navigating politics as a woman born for a leadership role, Sameera is reluctant to own the power she's been gifted and forced to hide. The story explores her slowly embracing that she might need to destroy the status quo, challenge the limitations that have been put in place for her and break the walls down if she wants to live for even a week longer.
This is female rage at its finest.
January 4, 2025
This book broke me.
It pulled me in. It made me feel like I was in a forest. Sameera is the strongest woman alive and she deserves everything.
But this book broke me. It devastated me. You should read it.
It pulled me in. It made me feel like I was in a forest. Sameera is the strongest woman alive and she deserves everything.
But this book broke me. It devastated me. You should read it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews