With Blood Upon the Sand

The Song of the Shattered Sands #2

by Bradley P. Beaulieu

The second book in The Song of the Shattered Sands series--an epic fantasy with a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.

Ceda, now a Blade Maiden in service to the kings of Sharakhai, trains as one of their elite warriors, gleaning secrets even as they send her on covert missions to further their rule. She knows the dark history of the asirim--that hundreds of years ago they were enslaved to the kings against their will--but when she bonds with them as a Maiden, chaining them to her, she feels their pain as if her own. They hunger for release, they demand it, but with the power of the gods compelling them, they find their chains unbreakable.

Ceda could become the champion they've been waiting for, but the need to tread carefully has never been greater. After their recent defeat at the hands of the rebel Moonless Host, the kings are hungry for blood, scouring the city in their ruthless quest for revenge. Ceda's friend Emre and his new allies in the Moonless Host hope to take advantage of the unrest in Sharakhai, despite the danger of opposing the kings and their god-given powers, and the Maidens and their deadly ebon blades.

When Ceda and Emre are drawn into a plot of the blood mage Hamzakiir, they learn a devastating secret that may very well shatter the power of the hated kings. But it may all be undone if Ceda cannot learn to navigate the shifting tides of power in Sharakhai and control the growing anger of the asirim that threatens to overwhelm her...

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Adult, Adventure, Science Fiction Fantasy

736 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 9, 2017

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

[Bradley]

Please like this review. I'll be using it for various updates as the book heads toward release and beyond!

Feb 7th, 2017 - Release day! Thank you for all your support, everyone! I've been overwhelmed with all the well wishes and the response to the book so far.

If I might ask a favor, if you review (or have already reviewed) the book here, please copy the review to even one other site (Amazon, B&N, Kobo, etc.). It raises the profile of the book and helps the launch immensely.

Onward!

Jan 31st, 2017 - If you're looking to get into the series, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai is on sale now in the US for $2.99. Not sure how long this lasts, so jump on it now! Use the Goodreads links on the page for Twelve Kings in Sharakhai or head on over to the book's web page for various links on where to buy!

Jan 7th, 2017 - If anyone is interested in an ARC, I'm hosting a giveaway over at Reddit's /r/Fantasy for several of them! Head on over to the post on /r/Fantasy for all the details! Entries due by end of day (GMT-6) on Sunday, Jan 8th. Good luck, everyone!

Dec 28th, 2016 - With Blood Upon the Sand has ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies). Find out more at my blog. If you're a reviewer and would like a review copy of the book, please send me your name and the site you review for and I'll do my best to get you a copy. NetGalley should have it up next week, and you can request a copy there as well once it's available.

Nov 20th,2016 - Covers revealed! We had two cover reveals for the book this past week, one from DAW Books for the North American cover and another from Gollancz for the UK/AUS/NZ cover (which includes a giveaway for UK fans). The styles are different, but they're both pretty brilliant, I think. I hope you enjoy them. I can't wait to get this book out an into your hands!

Oct 19th,2016 - If you're curious to learn a bit more about the series, here's a fun YouTube video that I recorded with Ezekiel Boone (The Hatching) and Mark Stay from Gollancz!

Oct 19th,2016 - At this point, we're still on schedule for a February release. The near-final book has been turned in and is being copy edited. I expect to have something back in the next month or so, and then I need to turn around edits quickly for the final run-up to production.

We're also nearing the final cover design. The artwork itself was turned in a while ago, and the artist, I think it's safe to share at this point, is Donato Giancola! It's some pretty stunning artwork, and I can't wait to get it out there for you to see. Hopefully soon!

More as I have it!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: blood; gore; torture; blood magic/self harm

This second installment was just as good as the first, and the we of political intrigue and world building its weaving is even more intricate! This definitely solidified this series as one of my favorites.

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

”War is war. The will of the Kings must be opposed, and the prose that they’d set for peace was blood.”

The second instalment in The Song of the Shattered Sands series proved Mr Beaulieu a writer who not only promises things in a terrific opening volume, but more importantly a one that keeps the quality of writing, and plotting, and character development as the series unfolds; a thing that I find rare in contemporary fantasy.

I lauded this series for excellent world building. With firm foundations already set in place, at this point in the story, the world is blooming like adichara under the full moon. And since we already know about the desert and its gods, and its peoples, and the remnants of the thirteenth tribe, the asirim created by the Kings with the help of the spell placed four hundred years earlier, in this instalment, the author is able to focus more on plot and character development.

I have read reviews complaining that pretty much nothing happened in Twelve Kings; rest assured that things do happen in this book, sometimes so fast that it is hard to trace the shifting allegiances, changing configurations and make sense of all that is revealed in the process.

While Çeda is still on her personal revenge quest, she realises that it is no longer her lonely battle but a full-blown war is coming to embrace the whole Great Shangazi. The main agent of the brewing darkness is a blood mage Hamzakiir, calculating and full of hubris son of King Külaşan.

For some strange reason in this book Çeda starts her gambit in a most idiotic way imaginable, that is by attempting to kill a King without knowing the poem that would reveal his weakness. Why, Mr Beaulieu, why would you push your otherwise sensible protagonist into this stupidity? Do you plan to destroy, what you have already achieved? My fears that this instalment will be nothing like the previous one were ripe. Also, they were unfounded.

The story is carried out through the same POVs we know from before:

Çedaminh the White Wolf now in the House of Maidens is fighting to retain control of the powers that got hold of her - some external and some internal, all pushing her in different directions and trying to make the decisions for her. There is poison in her veins, but there is also wilfulness. Çeda is both eager to carry on with her vengeance and filled with unease as things prove to exceed her political imagination; there are more factors at play than she initially thought.

Her neither friend nor boyfriend Emre, a member of the infamous Host locked in the never-ending cycle of violence with the Kings, chases a destiny he dreams of (but as they say, be careful what you wish as it might come true).

Prince Ramhad Amansir caught in a revenge of his own finds himself at a mercy of powers extending far beyond his grasp and as he struggles with the fetters placed on him.

They all work toward the same goal, that is the downfall of the Kings but they pursue different paths to achieve it.

However, you will also find new protagonists moving into the centre of the stage, among them Ihsan the Honey-tongued King. His POV is both interesting and full of surprises; I was kicking myself for forgetting about him when writing the review of the previous book. I have forgotten because his short and rare chapters did not seem to be consequential. Silly, silly May, this inconsequential POV came to bite me straight in my refined butt of a seasoned fantasy reader.

The narrative is swinging again between the present and the past in flashbacks although I have to say that this time the flashbacks felt more forced and thin with regards to what they contribute to the main story. Also, the romance is not an asset of this book Ramahd’s idiotic affair with his late wife’s repulsive sister!; Çeda and Emre bring the worst of YA in this regard.

Overall, some mysteries are unveiled but many more make themselves known, the alliances and the betrayals are not as straightforward as we were led to believe in the previous book, with cracks in the facades, doubts and intrigues abound, all the individual arcs are mere currents in a greater flow of the story.

While I enjoyed this instalment of The Song of the Shattered Sand and I am looking forward to reading the next one, I am currently putting this series on hold as the whole thing is far from finished and I am more of a binge reader than a resolute and patient one. Nonetheless, this should not stop you if you wish to continue as this has definitely been one of the more worthwhile series I have read this year.

Also in the series:

1. Twelve Kings in Sharakhai ★★★★★
3. A Veil of Spears RTC
4. Beneath the Twisted Trees RTC
5. When Jackals Storm the Walls RTC
6. A Desert Torn Asunder RTC

[Scott Hitchcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 1: 3*
Book 2: 3*

Same complaints as book one. The pacing at times it's brutally slow to the point that when you turn a page and see only a couple of long paragraphs you're tempted to glance over them because you know it's a verbose slog that could be summed up much faster.

The overall story and characters are good. The world which is what the writer loves the most is very developed, again ad nauseum at times. If you love vivid depictions of the environment you'll love this book. I wish the author put as much time into characterization.

[SAM · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book was good and had a cool ending with the unearthing of Hamzakiir and death of Kulasan. It took me a while to pick this up from my book shelf but once i did it was like re-visiting an old friend. Ceda is a decent protagonist and Hamzakiir is a very intriguing character. His blood mage trickery reminded me of Voldemort, which would be an interesting fight! For 400 pages i was loving the book because unlike Twelve Kings in Sharakhai we visited different parts of the world and there were chapters from more characters perspective rather than just Emre and Ceda. Unfortunately, the author had to include an unnecessary lesbian encounter and from that point i was less and less impressed with the story. It became messy, bloated and the final battle was boring. Going back to the sex scene, i believe there is a time and place. Game of Thrones was full of degenerate characters, so it was necessary to the character building. The inclusion was ridiculous in this book. I'll read A Veil of Spears but i hope it's shorter and solely concentrates on the war.

5 stars for the first half, 2 for the second.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ovo je najbolja vrsta nastavka, sve je vece, neke misterije su resene ali nove dobijaju na snazi. Upoznajemo par novih likova ali se broj igraca zadrzava na relativno skromnom nivou za knjigu ovih razmera.

Sem toga nemam nekih komentara, knjiga je na nivou prethodnika i po stilu pisanja, i po tempu, i po kvalitetu tako da kome se svideo ovaj svet ima da uziva.

Jedini minus je ociti klifhenger na kraju. Jasno je da prica ide dalje ali ovako imam osecaj ko da je knjiga presecena poglavlje do dva ranije.

Sve u svemu cekamo sledeci deo. Cheers :)

[Karina Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great continuation from Twelve Kings. I liked that there was no information dump/rehashing of what has happened thus far which is usually the case with sequels. The writing was great, the plot moved along with many twists and turns and i still love all the characters. I am really enjoying this series and at the moment, i just don’t want it to end. I will now read the two novellas in prep for the third instalment which, thankfully, comes out next month 😄

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I was sent this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review *

This is book two in the Song of the Shattered Sands series by Bradley Beaulieu and it's one I have been eagerly anticipating for quite a while I loved book one in this series, Twelve Kings, and I was super happy when I got to meet the author a few times at events and tell him just how much I had enjoyed seeing a strong, wonderful and unique world within fantasy, and a delightful and fierce female lead.

In this world we follow a young woman called Çeda who used to be a pit fighter. She's a very talented fighter, and she lives in a city called Sharakhai which is ruled over by Twelve Kings. These Kings are demanding and exacting and they will stop at nothing to have complete power over the population, but troubled times are brewing as they face off against a rebel group called The Moonless Host.

When we pick up this story we see that Çeda has moved on a long way from where she began in book #1. Not only is she a stronger individual who has managed to find out a lot more about her past and her family ties (this is all very important to why she sets herself against the Kings) but she's also managed to move into a position of power where she may be able to learn the King's secrets. Çeda faces a troubled path with few allies at first, but as the novel goes on and opens up more storylines we see her friend Emre and the people he works for starting their own rebellions too.

What I most enjoyed about this book was the setting and Çeda's sections. It's always refreshing to see a fantasy book that's not set in a Western medieval setting and this one is set in a desert so it's definitely not that. We have sand dunes that act like waves and ships can cross the sands; we have magical fields of blossoms which, when you eat them, can heighten senses and give ultra fast reaction times; we have various neighbouring Kingdoms looking to both betray and ally with the Kings; we have Blood Mages who work with untoward powers to take down and raise up the rebels; we have a lost thirteenth tribe who some say sacrificed themselves and who others say were forced to die; and we have Gods and Goddesses also getting involved. Honestly, what more could you want?!

One tiny quibble which would have definitely helped when first returning to the world would have been a short plot summary of book #1 or at the very least a character sheet. I feel as though this would really have benefitted the reader and made it easier to slip back into the plot, becuase there are a lot of characters and threads to balance. Although I didn't find it too hard to reconnect and enjoy the story I do think this would have been a big benefit to people who do not read quite as much epic fantasy as me (I read a LOT) as it's a fair amount to remember and keep track of when you consider the length of time between books being released.

Overall I really, really enjoyed being back in this world and I am very much looking forward to continuing the series when future books come out. This is a series I think many readers would enjoy, whether you read predominantly fantasy or not, becuase of the great setting and the balance of character development and action. 4*s from me - recommended :D

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kind of love and hate reading this series.
Love, because it is exciting, the overall story is good.
Hate, because pacing is just so slow. I find that there are just so many unnecessary paragraphs and at times unnecessary chapters as well.

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Video Review:

https://youtu.be/dlgalgznulI

[Mili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the sequel! It worked so well, scheming becomes more complicated as more parties get involved with their own goals. I like how Bradley continues the plot but also makes references to the previous book! Makes it so much easier for certain moments to properly stick and to keep you sharp where things left off and how they interweave in the continuation. The books are chunky so this is ideal! The pace is slow but a lot is going on. We have several POVs and they are all fascinating and full of plotting. In this installment we get to see more of the blood magic! It is dark and cruel which I love! I am a big fan of bloody things so this magic is maybe..surely something I'd love to be gifted in XD! The power is fascinating and so is Meryam. The atmosphere and descriptiveness is still my favourite part of the series. It sucks you right in to that warm and sandy world with ships sailing the sands. We also get to know more of the Asir, their link to the kings and Ceda which is dark/ emotional and there is so much hatred. Emre, Davud and everyone involved is fighting and surviving and growing as characters. Who to trust! When everyone is set on their own vengeance and power~

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book, "Twelve Kings in Sharakhai," so was eager to pick up this sequel. In 'Twelve Kings' we met Çeda, accomplished swordswoman, who makes it her secret mission to destroy the dozen immortal Kings who rule the city of Sharakhai with a heavy hand. In the first book, she manages to kill one of the twelve...

In 'With Blood Upon The Sand' we continue where we left off. Çeda has achieved the elite position of Blade Maiden, and is conspiring from within the system for her hoped overthrow, plotting slowly and laboriously to try to assassinate more of the Kings and to discover from whence their power and life-extension ability come.

As in the first book, there's an extremely low page-count to kings-killed ratio. I have to admit that at several points I really wished we could dispense with some of the one-step-forward, two-steps-back details, and get this revolution moving! But we spend an awful lot of time on Çeda's rivalry with a hostile colleague, her training to commune with/control the undead 'asirim,' covert communications that don't go anywhere, and her frustration with the stagnant situation. I felt frustrated too!

Stick with it though, and there WILL BE exploding zombies!

It's really not a spoiler to say that there are still plenty of Kings left in Sharakhai to fuel further sequels in this epic.

Man thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinion is unaffected by the source of the book.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best fantasy book in 2017?
Yes.

„Had he worried? Had he feared? It seemed not. The very notion felt like an insect boring its way deeper beneath the skin. It enraged him.
On he ran, the urge to feed building. But the memories began to fade, to darken. The shrieking wind, so loud only moments ago, dwindled, until all that could be heard was sand falling to the desert floor, a sound like rain against the river.“

U godini u kojoj se željno iščekuju nastavci serijala Brendona Sandersona, (možda) Džordža Martina, Pitera Breta, Skota Linča i još nekolicine autora, a zatim i završeci serijala Robin Hob i (opet, veeeliko možda) Patrika Rotfusa, gde će se epiteti poput „najbolji“, „najoriginalniji“, „fantastični“ deliti šakom i kapom (u slučaju Hobove i Rotfusa verovatno i zasluženo), ova knjiga će proći nezapaženo i do kraja ove godine - na veliku žalost mnogih ljubitelja ovog žanra (a i onih koji to nisu) - biće zaboravljena.

No, dosta sa melodramom. :D

Nastavak meni sada već jedne od najomiljenijih knjiga „12 Kraljeva Šarakaija“ i povratak u svet kojim jurca naša glavna junakinja Çedamin Čeda Ajaneš’ala.
U prethodnoj knjizi pisac se potrudio da nam prikaže osvetu u njenom najednostavnijem obliku i kako ona utiče na pojedinca, odnosno glavnog lika.
Ovoga puta pisac nam prikazuje šta je osveta u stanju da uradi drugim likovima ove knjige, odnosno da prikaže koliko glasna može biti pa postane glavna vodilja čak i kraljevima koji imaju sve, uključujući i besmrtnost, i snažna pa se proteže generacijama jednog čitavog naroda.

„The enemy of my enemy – Is in the end no friend at all.“

Piščeva proza je još bolja u ovoj knjizi i mogu slobodno reći da je sada u ravni sa Rotfusovom.
Predivna knjiga.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review is here, on my blog.

Oh Çeda. I missed you! But… and I feel a little bad for this, I missed Emre more (<3). But they’re back, and are both in pretty deep with their respective factions. Things are really starting to come to light in this volume, especially regarding the various magics and magical beings of this world. Blood mages are described in more detail here, as are the asirim, the kings, and the gods of this world.

I’m not going to spoil this one for you, and I’m even trying to not spoil the previous one for anyone reading this who hasn’t read Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (read it though, it’s awesome). Let me just say that this was, plot wise, a very thrilling addition to the series. It’s told from several points of view, but mainly from the POVs of Çeda (obviously), Emre, and Ramahd, and all kinds of craziness happens between the three of them. Lots of intrigue and plotting and sailing across the desert.

The world itself is so richly described, I felt that I could clearly imagine myself in this vast desert with Çeda and company. Yet again, just like in the first book, I got legitimately misty-eyed here a few times, as emotional things took place. This book, as the one before it, has such intense feeling, and I don’t know that I can describe that in a way that does it justice. I got very, very emotionally invested in these characters, and this lead to quite a thrilling listen, for me. This sort of investment in a fictional character is not super common for me, but it’s common enough that there are a few other books this year (I can think of 4, out of 90) that have also elicited this reaction from me. When I am this invested in a character, the relationship I hope for them going sideways and then up and down and round and round, wrenches my poor little heartstrings. When thrilling things happen to Çeda and Emre, I am also thrilled. When Çeda gets upset, I get upset. It’s not exactly a bad thing (though it can admittedly be a bit exhausting), but most of all, getting me this invested says a lot for the character development here.

Sarah Coomes once again completely nails the narration here. There were times I totally chided myself for waiting even a second between these books, nevermind two entire months. My bad! :D She puts so much emotion into her narration, that my emotional reactions just might be enhanced because of it. Sarah Coomes uses emotion. It’s super effective! Kristen bursts into ugly tears at goddamn work. You’d think that I’d just shrug it off, because all my coworkers have to be used to this shit by now. Really there is a certain amount of… risk in listening to audiobooks like this at your place of employment. I will happily take that risk any day. :)

[TheReadingStray · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC.
I loved this book so much... The first one was also a 5 Star read for me but it's nothing compared to the second one <3

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2017/0...


The Shattered Sands trilogy was by far one of my favorite finds of last year. With Blood Upon the Sand continues to deepen the intrigue and entanglements, and displays the harsh desert environment is not the only thing to fear in Sharakhai. It will also take your emotions and bend them to its will, ripping them through fear to excitement, from horror to triumph (or maybe triumph to horror), from sorrow to jealousy, hope, betrayal. Where it lands, I can’t tell you, but be prepared for the roller coaster of events that will evoke a huge range of emotional turmoil and excitement.

I continue to love Çeda as a protagonist. She is fierce not just in battle but also in personality. It’s quite interesting to see her handle life as a Blade Maiden, becoming part of what should be a close knit team, while also still working in secret to take down the Kings. Her every day life and training stands in conflict with what has pretty much been her life’s mission. Çeda is also much more alone in the beginning of this book. Emre, who has always been there for her in the past, is part of the Moonless Host. That alone is hard on her. Add to that, her inability to reach out due to her isolation from her previous life caused by living in the House of Maidens. But Çeda is not without opportunities, and when she sees one, she seizes it with all her might.

The setting and world for this series continues to be unique and fascinating. Çeda learns even more about asirim, those ghastly creatures that serve to protect the kings, and what she discovers is bone chilling. I also have to say, I still love the desert setting. I sometimes find myself sometimes forgetting that ships are sand ships, and when I remember, for some reason that detail just makes me happy.

My only concern with this book is something that could be an issue for some readers but not others. This is a hefty book, as many epic fantasies can be. But for epic fantasies to pull off the heft well, they require a balance. There has to be sufficient character development, world building, action and plot development at a pace that will keep the reader fully engaged for the page length. The story can be fantastic, but if it slows down too much, some readers may lose interest. Some readers love world building, so if it slows down for that, those readers won’t mind as much. Same for the other traits.

As much as I love this story, I did feel like it slowed down a bit around the half way mark. I never felt like that with the first book. While I still really, really enjoyed it, I do have some concern that it is walking that line of feeling somewhat over inflated for certain readers. That said, I can’t look at the story and pick anything that I would want cut, maybe its just a matter of increasing the pace in a few sections to help revive the readers excitement. I can’t say I felt like this one was quite as strong as either Twelve Kings of Sharakhai or the novella Of Sand and Malice Made and my sole reason for that is pacing. In all fairness, this is also a second book, so some of that initial excitement of a brand new world wanes just a little solely because it is not as new as it was in the first one. It may just be that second book syndrome coming in to play a little bit.

Overall though, I still absolutely love this series and can not wait to read the next installment to find out how Çeda’s quest for vengeance pans out. And I can’t leave this review without also throwing a little love for the cover. I absolutely love it and it is perfect for the book/series.

[ScottIsANerd (GrilledCheeseSamurai) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many badass moments in this book that must have been so much fun for the author to write -- I imagine him sitting in front of a keyboard laughing maniacally and typing away as he guzzles coffee by the gallon to help keep him going.

The book legit had me on the edge of my seat 90% of the time. If I wasn't freaking out over the risk of our main character, Çeda, getting caught by the people she was spying on, I was whooping and hollering over all the incredibly well done choreographed action and fight scenes!

Not a single dull moment in the great desert city of Sharakhai.

Loved every second I spent in this 2nd volume, it took everything that the first book gave us and expanded the story in all the right ways. Couldn't ask for a better sequel, really. And the ending? Holy hell I can't wait for the third book now!

Author, Bradley P. Beaulieu, has given us deep characters that you want to get to know and spend time with and dropped them in a world that is rich and alive and steeped in a history that, frankly, kinda scares the hell outta me.

Bravo, sir. Thanks for the tale.

[Apsalar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely his best work yet. Looking forward to the next book.

[Maraia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sequel! I enjoyed With Blood Upon the Sand even more than the first book, and Bradley Beaulieu successfully avoids the dreaded Second Book Syndrome. There’s so much going on in this book, and we learn a lot about the asirim, the Kings, and about Çeda's mother and her motivations. With every answer comes a new question, however, so I’mg glad the series is far from over.

As with the first book, the worldbuilding is one of the best parts. The world is rich and well-developed, and since it isn’t new this time around, no time is wasted with info-dumping. I particularly love the ships that sail through the sand and wish the books were illustrated.

I appreciated seeing Çeda’s struggle to balance her desire to destroy the Kings with her growing ties to the other Maidens. It’s not easy to be around such a small group of people day after day without some sort of bond forming, and I’m glad Beaulieu explores this. I hope this will be followed up in the next book and that some of the Maidens might be swayed to join Çeda's cause. I also find the Kings fascinating and enjoyed their interactions with each other as well as with Çeda.

I’m not a huge fan of the various romantic directions being hinted at in the book (aside from one, which I would totally ship), but fortunately romance plays a tiny role in the novel. As it should – the characters all have better things to do than pine after each other. It’s so nice to see an epic fantasy where romantic relationships aren’t prioritized.

My only other quibble is the number of POVs. As usually happens in books with multiple POVs, some are more engaging than others. Çeda's chapters are by far my favorite, followed (somewhat surprisingly) by King Ihsan’s.

All in all, this is shaping up to be a great epic fantasy series, and I’m looking forward to continuing the journey!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

No sophomore slump here! With Blood Upon the Sand was a fantastic follow up to the very impressive and enchanting Twelve Kings of Sharakhai, which I read earlier this year. I’ve actually had this book hanging around for about 4-5 months now and I just hadn’t had the time to dedicate to this 700 page beast. An accidental purchase of extra Audible credits (woops) led me to pick up the audio version of this book so I could catch up in time for the 2018 release of book 3. I’m very glad things worked out the way they did! The audio version has great narration and it’s like, 30 hours long which in my opinion is a good thing.

After the dramatic events of book one, I was curious to see how this book would play out – would it be outrageous or awesome? Lemme tell u wut. It was awesome. Beaulieu really took it up a notch and expanded the roles of certain characters that made appearances in the first book and introduced a few new faces to the game. There are so many threads to follow and each is a vibrant, significant element in the tapestry Beaulieu is weaving here. The House of Kings is filled with secrets, plots, secret plots, and so forth. The Moonless Host is solidifying itself in my mind as a group that is both good and bad – the internal factions certainly keep things lively. Ramahd and Miriam have yet again proven themselves utterly determined to exact their revenge. There’s just too much to explain!

I continue to love the characters, but find that certain people blend together in my mind, particularly members of the Moonless Host like Tariq and Hamid. One thing I did really like was how several of the kings are becoming much more developed. In Twelve Kings, they’re present but feel like an undefined threat only interested in holding power and suppressing dissent. Here we get to see some actual personality, learn a little more history, and see the internal division that’s been festering between the kings for the last four centuries. Ceda continues on an unparalleled streak of awesomeness and her feud with a fellow Maiden gets pretty brutal as the events of the book culminate. It was almost as satisfying as the Littlefinger scene in Game of Thrones.

I’m a big fan of this series, especially after the sophomore installment further raised the bar and met my expectations/hopes. Book 3, A Veil of Spears, is scheduled for release in March 2018 so for all you folks that haven’t caught up (or haven’t even begun the series), YOU STILL HAVE TIME! I’m considering checking out some of Beaulieu’s other books and would welcome suggestions from those of you who’ve read them.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author/publishers in exchange for an honest review.

In this book Ceda, our protagonist, is continuing her mission to undercover ways of killing the corrupt, powerful and seemingly immortal 12 Kings of Sharkahai. She continues her journey training with the Blood Maidens, while getting closer to the kings and figuring out their weakness.

I enjoyed this book just as much, if not more, as the first in the trilogy. I was able to jump straight back into the world and I was able to follow along with the plot and all the characters as if I'd just finished the first book the day before. The book was powerful and action-packed and i really loved Ceda's journey, with both her mission and her renewed training with Zaide and the maidens. I thought the introduction of Ceda's struggles with the asirim, and her stronger connection with them. I also immensely enjoyed Ramadh's POV in this book and his struggles with Hamzakiir. I thought the introduction of real blood mage spellwork, with both him and Davud. I look forward to seeing more of Davud's progress as a blood mage and I hope he becomes a bigger character in terms of fight scenes in the next book.

As for Emre, I still have no time for him, and I hate his relationship with Ceda (or more so, how she seems to care more for him and his safety than he is for hers.)

I really enjoyed Ceda's relationship with her Blade Maiden leader, and some of the progress that occurred there. The deepening relationship was intriguing to follow and I was surprised, but delighted, when it turned into a sexual tryst as I hadn't expected it but it felt right. Up until that point, all of Ceda's lovers had been male so I presumed she was straight but I loved that she didn't question what was happening in terms of it being with a female but just enjoyed the intimate companionship of another person.

The ending was absolutely thrilling, I was on the edge of my seat reading it (which equals to on the train and almost missed my spot). I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review of this one went up on B&N earlier this week!: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sc...

[Solseit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part of this series, by far, is the mystery and the intrigue of the world that is slowly unveiled in a strategic way and at a perfect pace.
Certainly the best feature by far which is not an easy task to accomplish by any means.

I am also in love with the description of the scenes, locations and combat. It is extremely vivid.

The only aspect that bugs me really is Ceda. Her decisions often make me roll my eyes; the dramatization of her life (which is not easy by any means) is just over 9000 and it is not to my taste. Yet, it does not matter overall.
The story is great, the world building and explanation is masterfully done. That usually gets my goat and it certainly does in this case!

[Kdawg91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song of the Shattered Sands is currently one of my favorite series. I have let it be well known that I am a world building junkie and the city of Sharakhai and surrounding area is a living, breathing thing and I revel in it. Beautiful writing, a deep and exciting story and characters you CARE about.

I can't say enough good things about this series or this book, you guys know I don't review things I don't like and I am FAR from an objective reviewer.

Throw this man your money, do yourself a favor and just start from the beginning and read them all, I am not gonna tell you wrong, that I promise.

9389 out of 5 stars

[Rhoddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but not nearly as much as the first book. I understand that Bradley is going for a massive series here and needed to create as many plots and subplots as possible to keep it all going, but unfortuantely at times the story became too convoluted at the expense of the characters and flow of the book. What made the first book so intriguing was its wealth of deep characters and simple story that drew you in and this is exactly what the second book sacrifices. Again, it's an enjoyable read, just perhaps trying to do too much.

[Rossana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first one, I gave it 4 stars, but this one was WAY better.
Amazing from start to finish (except maybe Davud's story, which I really didn't care of).

[Stephen Aryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the series set in a rich desert world full of weird and wonderful magic that we've not seen before. Full of creative and interesting ideas, with a city that is richly described without it ever being too much or slowing the pace of the story. Every chapter has time for character development but it also drives the story forward and without spoilers, by the end of this book, the story is in a very different place from where it started. The status quo is constantly changing for all characters which gives it a truly epic feel. I've taken my time with this book, savouring the world and the story. A fantastic book and a wonderful series that deserves praise.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so to one of my most eagerly awaited sequels of recent years. Blood Upon the Sands (aka With Blood Upon the Sand in the US) is the sequel to Twelve Kings (aka Twelve Kings in Sharakhai), one of my Best Fantasy novels in 2015.

And with such a title, so reminiscent of the Weird Tales pulps of the 1930’s and 40’s, you know it’s going to be messy, right?

The book starts at a cracking pace, and this is evident even from the first few pages when there is an assassination attempt made upon a group of the Kings. I’m really pleased that much of Blood answers the many questions raised in Twelve Kings. And then goes beyond.

As shown in the previous novel (spoilers!) Ceda, our heroine of Twelve Kings, is now one of the Blade Maidens, the elite group trained to protect the Twelve Kings of Sharakhai. As a Blade Maiden, she is sworn to guard the Kings with her life, but we know from the first novel that she has an alternate role – her purposes as a Maiden is only a cover because she knows the Kings grisly secret and she knows that they killed her mother. As a result, she is determined to kill them and destroy the world they have created, and much of Blood is about how she moves nearer her aim.

As you might expect, this is a journey not without drama. The characters that we have learned to love and hate, as anticipated, evolve here too. Ceda too grows and matures in this book. Still headstrong, she finds that her mysterious talent becomes more and more important as the book progresses. There are risks and dangers not just to others but to Ceda herself as she learns to cope with her changing circumstances.

The Moonless Host, the freedom fighters leading the opposition against the Twelve Kings, are also back at work, and as a result we see Emre, Ceda’s ex-lover, more and more involved with their activities. This creates complications for Ceda in her new role as a Blade Maiden.

The great thing about Blood is that it expands on what has gone before. We see much more of the Twelve Kings, the rulers of Sharakhai. As I had hoped, we get to know more about the Kings here – their separate identities, their likes and dislikes, their politicking and their secrets. It’s a tricky situation and one worthy of A Game of Thrones. There’s a few surprises there as well, revelations that show us the situation is rather complicated. It even evoked the creepy feel of the old Weird Tales stories for me.


We also flashback, as we have done before, to show Ceda’s earlier life. This time we show more of Ceda as a young street urchin and her complex relationship with her mother who, fourteen years earlier, was a famous gang leader and fighter.

As before, the importance of the adichara trees of Sharakhai and the once-feared guardians of the Kings, the asirim, is still important, but as we discover more it is realised that the asirim are victims, not enemies and Brad does well to convey their anger resentment and hatred as a result. The fate of Esre is connected to this.

Bradley’s world of Sharakhai is a wonderful play area for the imagination, and here we find it expanded. Though much of the book is still set in the city of Sharakhai and the Great Shangazi Desert, we find that Ceda’s work leads her to the much more humid climate of Mirea, a city of thieves and vagabonds as well as elegance and opulence.

In short, Blood Upon the Sand is everything I had hoped for. The world is bigger, the characters are more developed and events more thrilling. There are surprises throughout. Exciting, engaging and immersive, the world of Sharakhai has become more as a result of reading this book, and I loved it. Recommended.

[Jonathan Terrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Blood Upon the Sand continues to develop the fantasy setting of Sharakhai and its surrounding world. Sharakhai is a mystical and magical city that dominates the sands, yet is a source of conflict and history in the world. The twelve kings who rule it are each responsible for a different aspect of this world. Their responsibilities ranging from managing the cursed zombie-esque creatures who roam the desert, to keeping an eye upon the future. Here, in With Blood Upon the Sand, Çeda trains under the kings as one of their warriors. Yet, the novel focuses on her quest to seek a way to dispose of the kings by finding the secret weakness of their gods-given abilities and immortality.

Full review up over at my website jonathanterrington.com. You can either navigate to the website and click through the menus. Or you can click the linked text right here.

[Joey Stettnisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the first, with a better pace to the story. If sailing a vast magical dessert on a sand ship sounds cool to you, pick this bad boy up. Also check out unfettered story collections. This author has one in there where dodzada solves a crazy murder mystery. CSI Shangazi yo, gangster ass story.