Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

New Beginnings #3

Anzulla: According to ISH

Rate this book
"Hmmm, an alien, an angel, and a dead prophet. Welcome. We’ve been expecting you. Please come in."

Ishtar, born in Babylon, joined the humans in an insurrection against their oppressor, his father, King Apsu, Patriarch of the Anunnaki.

Following the uprising, the Fates charge him with overseeing a human settlement on the moon, assuring him that more of his kind will come. Time passes and Ishtar grows increasingly lonely and frustrated with the desperate, self-destructive humans. He begins to self-medicate with tainted human blood as an escape. In his drug induced state, he is haunted by a mysterious face. In an effort to break his addiction and determine if the face in his visions is real, he uses his time machine, controlled by the onboard computer and his only friend, Lasitor, to travel through time searching for the man with the angelic face.

His time travels take him to a world where the air is clean and filled with the scent of blooming flowers, the forests blush with vibrant colors and the people greet him with friendly faces. This jungle world intensifies his visions of what he progressively comes to believe is his fated mate and he obsessively hunts for him in the past and future of this world.

In between visiting the jungle, he returns to the moon, and as the Fates predicted, his Anunnaki kin arrive there. Now, Ish must make a choice—continue searching for his mate or focus on working with Cian, Ivan, and Eryn in their quest to help the humans escape their grim life on the moon. He decides on one last visit to the jungle, one last search for the other half of his soul.

On this visit, miraculously, he finds him, only to lose him hours later.

Anzulla, According to ISH, is a crossover from the New Beginnings Trilogy and can be read as a standalone before or after it.

The story focuses on one couple, Ishtar and his soulmate, written in first person POV. It is a time travel, speculative fiction fantasy. This story contains alternate history and explicit, graphic depictions unsuitable for young, sensitive readers or anyone offended by gay sex. Copyright © 2024 Anzulla, According to ISH. A New Beginnings Crossover by Kashel Char. All rights reserved.

640 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2024

5 people are currently reading
40 people want to read

About the author

Kashel Char

26 books50 followers
I am a Canadian speculative fiction author writing in science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal.

My writing explores who we are, where we come from, and where we are going as a human race on Earth. 

I enjoy weaving and exploring questions and subjects about our history and origin by creating new, exciting worlds and characters. My stories are unpredictable, twisted with a dash of humor, and centered on gay characters.

You will question your existence among these worlds and wish you could escape to these places filled with foul-mouthed heroes who struggle and strive to save humankind.

* * *
I hope you’ve discovered something that excites and intrigues you. Please share your thoughts by leaving a review or visiting www.kashelchar.com to contact me or learn about my latest works.


Love to all creatures—Kashel Char.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
26 (86%)
4 stars
3 (10%)
3 stars
0 (0%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
1 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Sharon L.
918 reviews15 followers
October 11, 2024
Ish, poor Ish! Can he make things right or will it all get worse?!?

What a wild ride for this book and the series!!! I know to expect shock and awe from our dear author, Kashel Char and I've not been disappointed yet. Wow, just wow. My brain, my brain, it exploded all over the floor.

Narrator Johnathan Winters, I can't say enough about him. His voices for each character, I don't know how he does it!!! What I love is that it doesn't matter how much time goes by he still gets the voices right with each audio release. You're my hero!!!

About the book, what to say about the book... Hmmmm. If you haven't started this series you definitely don't want to start from this book. This is not a standalone story by any stretch of the imagination. You have to go back to the very beginning which I hear is a very good place to start. Insert wink emoji. I'm bowled over and I'd like to revisit each and every one of these stories again. Now if I can just figure out where to get those 50 hours to listen to them all again I'll be on it like a duck on a June bug.

Kashel, thanks for the ride!!! I look forward to seeing what you have in store for us next. I'm not sure you can top this, you'll have to pull out all your epicness to make it happen!!!
Profile Image for BobbyNack.
18 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2024
Entertaining. Love the characters. A must-read/listen.
Incredible world and characters. All male of course. Whatever you think this is, it not it?
I laughed, I cried, and I rode this out to the end. Kashel Char is one of my favorite authors.
Thank you for my review copy, I freely gave my honest review.
16.8k reviews159 followers
August 1, 2024
A delightful story which will follow one couple as they try to navigate their lives and love. Their journey may not be easy but love may just be the best journey of their lives. How will they get on? See how they get on
Profile Image for Isaiah.
Author 1 book87 followers
November 8, 2024
To see a full review check it out here.

I am so lost, but so invested in this story. I need to read the others.
Profile Image for Beestars.
15 reviews1 follower
August 7, 2024
I'm in love. You will be too! It's such a joy to read, perfection. Thank you for my review copy. I leave my review voluntarily. Five full stars! Please keep writing. We want more!
1,016 reviews10 followers
November 2, 2024
Incredible!!

Wow! Just wow. I had to sit on this for a few days to let it marinate because that was one chunky book. I absolutely love this series. After Cian's Song, I knew Ishtar had a lot of explaining to do. I liked that the first 45% or so was learning about Ish's backstory: how he got his ship, we learned about his father and sisters, dealing with the Fates, his struggles trying to find his true mate, and his perspective of events from the previous books in the series. Then the rest was one wild adventure as we learn what Ish's constant time jumps had really done to the timeline. And then there were a couple of whammy's that really rocked my boat, ahem Lassitor. And I had to stop reading for a couple days because Kashel Char ripped my heart out at the beginning of one of the last chapters. You really got me with that one. But I prevailed and was able to finish reading. What an incredible way to finish this series. I love the men of Phoenix (especially Juandre, I adore him!), I love Eryn and Barkor, and I love Ish and Peter.
Profile Image for Luke Ryan.
39 reviews4 followers
October 13, 2024
Excellent, best audiobook of the year

Between narrator Jonathan Waters and Kashel Char, they've created something epic. This was the best audiobook I've listened to in a long time. It consisted of a beautiful world, a magnificent plot, deep emotional struggles within the characters, humor, action and fighting scenes, hot MM romance and so much more. Each chapter provides a story so vividly and extraordinarily described that I can't wait to hear what comes next out of the woodwork. I've read the book and after I heard the audio, I can't say more than I loved everything about the conclusion. I'm a big fan of this author, once I open their books or listen to the audiobooks my mind goes on a ride I never want to stop. The narration makes this mind-blowing. The voices are perfect for each character and the performance brings out all the emotions, making it super entertaining.
The tremendous brain power behind these writings is unique and the gay romance is not overpowering. It is plot and character-driven and although explicit the love and personal struggles between the characters are palpable. I hope it gets lots of rewards, this new author is pulling out all the stops to deliver the best sci-fi fantasy under the MM genre umbrella. Ten out of ten for originality.
Don't get me started on the humor, I laughed one second, cried the other, and chewed my nails down to the bone at the end. Okay, I'm done. Now get the audiobook to see for yourself.

Profile Image for Neena.
Author 1 book85 followers
September 8, 2024
Char’s latest SF romance is a compelling blend of ancient mythology, science fiction, and raw emotion. The story follows Ishtar as he faces the challenge of living up to his father Apsu’s legacy while seeking his own path. Ishtar’s troubled past and strained relationship with his father further complicate his journey.

The novel skillfully explores the intense bond between Ishtar and Peter, focusing on the complexities of love and vulnerability amid personal and cosmic conflicts. Their relationship reveals desires and insecurities that go beyond physical attraction, reflecting the inherent difficulties of human connections. The first-person narrative voice offers an intimate look into Ishtar’s thoughts, making his journey relatable. Dialogue is sharp, and the witty exchanges between characters provide relief from the story’s more dramatic moments.

The novel features explicit depictions of physical intimacy, further emphasizing the complex nature of desire between the pair. A compelling MM read that beautifully captures the struggle for identity and the impact of love amid a chaotic and myth-filled world.
5 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2024
I had received an ARC review request for Anzulla, According to ISH and sat down to read it. I finished it three days later. I loved it! It was so well written, a wonderful story about being human, taking care our earth before it's too late, and about life itself, especially living in harmony with all our differences. I laughed out loud, cried, cheered and my heart melted. This story of Ish and Peter took me from one emotion to the other and I loved every second of the ride! I can't wait for my own copy of Anzulla, According to ISH, to add it to the New Beginnings series. Thank you, Kashel Char, for another mesmerizing story! <3
Profile Image for Nicole.
202 reviews18 followers
December 13, 2024
Wow! Just wow. The way Kashel writes her stories, you fall into the world she has built. I feel in love with this world and men. The story unfolds into one of my favorite books to date, and I have read for too many years lol. Johnathan Winters made you feel the world/story beautifully. I need to find more books he has done in audiobooks. I need all the books from this series. Thank you, Kashel, for allowing me to review this story.


Nicole Harvey
Profile Image for Ceebe.
18 reviews
October 9, 2024
Action packed, emotional and extremely entertaining. This is a must listen. You can start with book 3 and work your way back. Kashel Char is an amazing talented writer and together with Jonathan Waters I mark this book as the best of 2024! Its original and refreshing. Thank you ☺️ for gifting me with such a wonderful audio book
Profile Image for CandaceElaine.
194 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2024
Epic world building.
Complex cast of character and with wonderful diversity.
Paranormal.
M/M.
First person POV.
Alternate history.
18+.
High Angst
(suggestion: rework the cover)

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Samantha Cato.
413 reviews7 followers
August 17, 2024
Really enjoyed this one from a fairly new to me author. Great worldbuilding and great characters! Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Profile Image for BobbyNack.
18 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2025
Emotional and energetic, very hot 🥵 Fantastic Narration by Jonathan Waters! Really enjoyed this!
Profile Image for Luke Ryan.
39 reviews4 followers
July 3, 2024
Firstly, thank you for the review copy. I loved everything about this book and its conclusion. I'm a big fan of this author and jumped immediately to read the conclusion of the NB Trilogy, and oh boy, it was a ride I never wanted to stop. Those final few chapters were mind-blowing, bringing me back to the start. The king's games, the battle, the whole Phoenix city, arriving, and, and, and, not only to this book but the whole back story.
I loved all the characters, and I was shocked when some of them were wiped from existence, (I am not going to spoil this for anyone who is as crazed about these books as I am.
I was hooked from the start and each chapter was a discovery each time, making this a page turner to the very end. The tremendous brain power behind these writings is unique and the gay romance is not overpowering. It flows with the story and is so HOT. Best sci-fi PNR because of its originality.
The humor injected, made this a book where I laughed one second, cried the other, and chewed my nails down to the bone at the end.
I'm invested in this plot and love each character, and can't wait to read what Kashel comes up with next. It's a joy to read and listen to their work and I predict tons of more original works from this author in the MM genre, as this was their fourth book and it keeps getting better as the author grows. Can't wait to hear the audiobook!
Profile Image for Luke Ryan.
39 reviews4 followers
October 13, 2024
Firstly, thank you for the review copy. I loved everything about this book and its conclusion. I'm a big fan of this author and jumped immediately to read the conclusion of the NB Trilogy, and oh boy, it was a ride I never wanted to stop. Those final few chapters were mind-blowing, bringing me back to the start. The king's games, the battle, the whole Phoenix city, arriving, and, and, and, not only to this book but the whole back story.
I loved all the characters, and I was shocked when some of them were wiped from existence, (I am not going to spoil this for anyone who is as crazed about these books as I am.
I was hooked from the start and each chapter was a discovery each time, making this a page turner to the very end. The tremendous brain power behind these writings is unique and the gay romance is not overpowering. It flows with the story and is so HOT. Best sci-fi PNR because of its originality.
The humor injected, made this a book where I laughed one second, cried the other, and chewed my nails down to the bone at the end.
I'm invested in this plot and love each character, and can't wait to read what Kashel comes up with next. It's a joy to read and listen to their work and I predict tons of more original works from this author in the MM genre, as this was their fourth book and it keeps getting better as the author grows. Can't wait to hear the audiobook!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.