When Jackals Storm the Walls

The Song of the Shattered Sands #5

by Bradley P. Beaulieu

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

The reign of the kings of Sharakhai has been broken. The blood mage, Queen Meryam, now rules the city along with the descendants of the fabled twelve kings.

In the desert, �eda has succeeded in breaking the asirim's curse. Those twisted creatures are now free, but their freedom comes at great cost. Nalamae lies dead, slain in battle with her sister goddess. �eda, knowing Nalamae would have been reborn on her death, sets out on a quest to find her.

The trail leads �eda to Sharakhai where, unbeknownst to her, others are searching for Nalamae as well. �eda's quest to find her forces her into a terrible decision: work with the kings or risk Sharakhai's destruction.

Whatever her decision, it won't be easy. Sharakhai is once more threatened by the forces of the neighboring kingdoms. As the powers of the desert vie for control of the city, �eda, her allies, and the fallen kings must navigate the shifting fates before the city they love falls to the schemes of the desert gods.

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

528 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2020

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

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and other reviews at superstardrifter.com

This is the continuing story of Çeda (pronounced Chay-da, if you’re unsure), who has had, it can be said with surety at this point, a grand adventure. She has killed kings, broken curses, and solved a problem or two. Now, after all the cursebreaking, she has to find Nalamae, a goddess who was slain, but reborn upon her death.

This series has gripped me from the very beginning, and this volume is no different. It had me reading well into the wee hours of the morning, wondering what will happen to Çeda and her friends.

I’ve been anticipating this one maybe a bit more than usual because of that thing that happened at the end of the last book aaaahem. (So vague, I know.)

The world of Sharakhai is really well described and easy to imagine. Imagine a huge city surrounded by a desert that giant ships traverse the sands like they were sailing on water. That’s this world. There was always plenty happening from several points of view (because we’re way past just Çeda as a main character at this point). There are some people who think that many points of view like this would be confusing, but since we were introduced to everyone very slowly over four long books, it isn’t at all. Everyone with the exception of one character is someone I was familiar with before this volume. Seeing the story from so many angles gives it a really epic feel that makes it a good long story to dive into.

And it is long. It felt incredibly long at times, but not necessarily in a bad way. There are definitely times that I like to immerse myself in a huge epic story, and this is one huge example of those times.

This was an excellent addition to the series and I still can’t wait for more. This is a series that I have loved thusfar and hope to love until the very end (which is only one more book from now!!!!).

Thanks to the author as well as DAW via NetGalley for the review copy.

[Izzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series remains top-notch. Despite being on book five, the plots and characters still felt fresh, and it feels like things are beginning to wind to a close (though events are no less thrilling/nail-biting/terrifying because of this. I absolutely cannot wait to see how Sharakhai's tale comes to an end, but at the same time, these characters feel so familiar now, like old friends, that I know it will be bittersweet.
My only complaint about When Jackals Storm the Walls is: not enough Çeda! She did shine, however, in her all-too-brief (in my opinion!) appearances, and the difference between the Çeda of book one and the Çeda of now is marked. We also got to learn more of Meryam's backstory, which I found interesting. Bradley really knows how to put his characters through the wringer, only to come out still fighting and with clear motivations.
Overall I highly, highly recommend this to anyone who's already started the series, and to anyone who's thinking of picking up the first book, Twelve Kings - do it! The Song of the Shattered Sands is standout fantasy, and trust me, I read a LOT of fantasy.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5***

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I’m a bit conflicted. About halfway through this volume I was sure it was going to be the last installment in the series. Then, in the last tenth of the novel, it took a hard turn and set itself up for another installment. I feel like the author could have ended the series relatively satisfactorily here, should he have chosen to. While I wouldn’t turn down more stories in Sharakhai and the great Shangazi desert, I admit I do worry about them becoming hackneyed or grasping for plot ideas. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt for now, I’ve enjoyed the ride thus far.

[L'encre de la magie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking... ❤️😍❤️
Si vous ne connaissez pas l'univers de Song of the Shattered Sands foncez c'est un des plus bel univers que j'ai pu lire. Frissons, chapitres lus en apnée, finis en pls 😂 des rires, des larmes. J'ai adoré cet avant dernier tome... Dur de devoir attendre juillet prochain

[Kayla (krakentoagoodbook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an excellent continuation of the series! It's been really cool to see how the general story has developed over the course of the books. We really get to see more of the grand plan revealed here, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. There's a nice blend of action scenes and down time with our characters searching for information. It's well paced and very easy to keep reading!

We have lots of characters/points of view here, but I generally enjoy all of them. We've gotten to know most of them over the previous books, so it's nice to see them continue to develop. It's also nice to have a variety of perspectives! Even the more villainous characters have some understandable motivations. There's not as much Ceda in this book, and while I do miss her, I also enjoy having these other POV characters.

The magic continues to be interesting (especially the blood magic). I really enjoyed the involvement of the gods and other beings here!

I really don't know what will happen next, but I can't wait to find out!

[Kara Babcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I think I’m getting old when I start to complain about the number of characters in a book and how hard it is to keep all the plots in my head! I’m starting here because that’s my major issue with When Jackals Storm the Walls, the fifth book of The Song of the Shattered Sands. For what it’s worth, Bradley P. Beaulieu is starting to bring all these various characters and plots together in preparation for what is hopefully a grand finale. So there’s that. But wow, this fantasy series is stretching my level of commitment….

Çeda has succeeded in freeing the asirim, but she has also lost her patron goddess, Nalamae. The 12 Kings of Sharakhai are dead or fled their city for the desert. These two forces will need to form an unlikely alliance to take on Meryam, who is now ruling Sharakhai and studying the mysterious crystal in the cavern beneath it. Meanwhile, other supernatural forces vie for power and position as the gods descend upon the city for a climactic culmination of their centuries-old plan.

It’s a good plan, too. And the way that different characters learn about it and then try to exploit it for their own ends? That’s neat. One of Beaulieu’s most obvious and useful talents as a writer, I think, is how he isn’t afraid to take his plots off into different directions than the most predictable. That is to say, he doesn’t mind detouring us before getting back on track if that’s going to bring us some more fulfillment. We see this in the subplots involving Hamid and Emre or Davud and Esmeray. As much as I groused in my introduction, if Beaulieu had indeed simplified things to satisfy readers like me, I have no doubt this series would have lost some of its enjoyment. He has succeeded at that lofty goal of creating an entire world out of whole cloth, and that’s why this series has enduring appeal for me.

This book is probably the least Çeda-focused so far, though, so a heads up there. I’ve complimented Beaulieu in the past for how he has been able to remain focused on her story even as he introduces more layers. So I wanted to remark when that changed—Çeda definitely plays an important role in this story, but so too do many of the supporting cast. Indeed, the prologue/epilogue might shore up a claim that When Jackals Storm the Walls is actually Meryam’s book if it’s anyone’s. We get more insight into her character, her backstory, than we have before, and we start to understand the origin of her hunger for power.

Had Beaulieu chosen, I think with a few tweaks the series could have finished with this book. But I believe the next book will indeed be the conclusion, and I am ready for it. I have enjoyed this series a great deal, but it’s also clear when a story is coming to a close. I’m excited to see how Beaulieu finishes off this story and what happens to my favourite (and maybe my not-so-favourite) characters.

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

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 / 5 ✪

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

The penultimate entry in the Song of the Shattered Sands takes a while, but manages to impress just as much as its predecessors. The same great world-building, character development, attention to detail and structure are just some of the reasons I’ve made it so far into this series, and many of the reasons I’m looking forward to its conclusion with the usual amount of hope, anticipation and anxiety. As much as I love a good ending—I’ll be sad to bid these characters farewell. But every story needs an end. Let’s just not rush to it too quickly, eh?

The rule of the Kings has been broken. The Blood Queen Meryam nows rules Sharakai, along with the descendants of the Kings. The remnants of the initial Twelve have been scattered to the winds. Ihsan—maimed and scarred—now wanders the Shangazi alone, searching for clues to the gods’ plans for the desert. As his hopes of solo rule have faded so too have his chances of survival. But there is still a slim hope: for Ihsan, and for the world itself.

Brama and Davud have staved off death, at least thus far. All but alone and abandoned, they must each rely on their single ally. But where Davud’s is the beautiful, formerly blood mage Esmerae—with whom he has fallen in love—Brama’s is the dangerous ehrekh, Rümayesh, with who he now shares a body. With no help coming, and nothing but doom before them, both will find themselves attracted to the same mystery. One that may determine the fate of the desert.

With the help of Sehid-Alaz—the thirteenth king—Çeda has broken the asirim’s curse. But it comes at a great cost, as both the goddesses Nalamae and Yerinde lie dead, slain at each other’s hand. But where Yerinde lies still, Nalamae is fated to be reborn, though where and when Çeda does not know. And so she turns her attention to Sharakai, hoping to find some clue to the goddesses whereabouts in the city.

But others are searching for the desert goddess as well. And when Çeda discovers the reason, it will force her to make a difficult choice: work with the former Kings, or risk Sharakai’s ultimate destruction. A desperate plan is hatched, one that may yet save the city. For while the city stands, the Shangazi rests easy, but if the sands consume it, then they may consume the world as well.

All in all, I enjoyed my time reading When Jackals Storm the walls. As always, Beaulieu’s world-building is strong; possibly his greatest strength. The characters aren’t far behind—each continuing their development to a satisfying degree by book’s end. Brama and Davud especially stole the show, though Meryam impressed as well. There are always exceptions to this rule, with two of note: Çeda and Ramahd. Çeda’s development was there, but felt a little diminished as she’s really the face of this franchise. While her love life seems to have recovered (more, at least) from where it’s been in recent books, her transition from warrior to leader seems to have hit a snag. Not that she regressed, more that it was stagnant. Ramahd, for his part, was stagnant. The little we see of him in WJStW, she’s chasing Meryam, still trying to bring her to justice. Late, late in the book, he shows some of the development we’ve seen in past books, but for the most part he’s a mindless, faceless drone

I’m always skeptical of the choice to add a new character so late in the series. While Meryam is by no means “new”—she’s been around as a significant character since the first book—she hasn’t had her own POV chapters until now. And when one gives a character their own POV, the author typically wants to delve into their character’s backstory. This can cause the pace to slow or become uneven, especially in the later books where most other characters have been fleshed out. Meryam is no different. But Beaulieu has attempted to mitigate this by putting only brief flashbacks in each POV chapter, disguised as a dream sequence. They don’t take up as much time, and don’t screw with the pacing as much either. Willem and Hamid show up not nearly as often as the Queen, and mostly just to flesh out the story. Neither feature a heavy backstory, nor much in the way of personality. While they’re mildly interesting, it doesn’t seem like either is around to stay. Or are they?

That said, the pacing of When Jackals Storm the Walls is already slow. Honestly, I found it slower to build than most of the predecessors—since roughly Book #2. This slow build clashes dramatically with the sense of urgency exhibited by most characters throughout the book, and makes for the oddest feeling. It’s like the army adage “hurry up and wait”. It’s legitimately strange to see the characters of a book talking with urgency, but then strolling around like they have all the time in the world.

Through most of the story, I was interested, if not overly so. While a bit slow, there is a good mystery to the book—involving Sharakai, the gods, Nalamae, the Kings, the desert itself. When the mystery begins to unfold, it sells vast on a vast scale; one where the gods move humanity and demons alike around like pieces on a chessboard. The moment where I put everything together I wondered if Beaulieu had this in mind all along—because it is brilliant. But it takes some patience to make it this far. Around the 55% mark, the pace began to catch up to the urgency, and the tale began to drink me in. The conclusion, which begins to build after around the 70% mark or so, was truly an epic one—one of the most epic and jaw-dropping conclusions I’ve ever witnessed. It wasn’t so much that I was blindsided, or didn’t see it coming, it was just the execution was spot-on; the description so vivid and detailed that I felt like I’d fallen into the book and was witnessing it happen myself.


TL;DR

Addition of new characters, new faces, and new POV chapters hurts the pacing, but ultimately helps tell the story. With everything happening, When Jackals Storm the Walls lays down a level of urgency that the text just doesn’t live up to, at least for a while. But throughout a mystery is unfolding, one written on the level of the gods themselves. It’s truly impressive once you figure it out, especially if one manages it before the story hands it to you. When the pacing finally does catch up with the urgency, it sets off a conclusion that is epic even in the most epic standards. So detailed is the writing, so vivid the description that I felt like I’d fallen into the book—and was witnessing events firsthand. The fifth book of the Shattered Sands sets up what’s certain to be an even more epic conclusion, if such a thing is possible. After the ending sequence of this one, I cannot wait for the next!

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shit has started to hit the fan.

Finally, hidden motives start to come to light and the main reason of why things have happened as they have on Sharakhai are revealed.

We knew the gods were petty, but not to that extent. All has been a devise to carry out their machinations, lurking in the shadows and observing their plan come to fruition...

...unless someone(s) gets in their way.

Liked how some characters' plots start to get tied and closed and how good that closing is after what they've done, it's somehow fair.

On the other hand, there are other cockroaches that seem to never die.

Let's see how this saga ties its last adventure and solves the problem at hand.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The penultimate installment to the Shattered Sands series. Politicking, maneuvering, and warring gods and peoples all come together in this book. A good combination of moving the chess pieces on the board so to speak, and action sequences and fight scenes. Only one more book left...

[Walter Qian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre installment. I enjoyed the read and was able to power through it but it had way too many threads that were underdeveloped. There were way too many POVs that did not get enough screentime. I enjoyed Ihsan's the most to see the life of the kings after they lost their power and influence, but the story moved way too quick. I wished they made a bigger deal of him getting his powers back. And same with many other story points such as Hamid vs Emre. Ceda also deserved far more screentime as the main POV. Finally I disliked the constant use of the blue journals. They were used far too liberally and made it easy for the characters to make decisions based on prophecy rather than their character.

All in all I'm curious to see the end of the series, but I hope it does the many plot points justice.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Jackals Storm the Walls the fifth book of the six-book series The Song of the Shattered Sands has finally revealed what this series is lacking:

• Consistency: like having a mother in a market surrounded by women with niqabs breastfeeding or having rules for the magical system: like being reborn actually meaning reborn even if you do not like it for your plot (as it takes a long time for someone to be reborn). Yes, of course, we are told that this has already happened (but only after the fact) but it was not believable.
• Show, do not tell: this was probably my major issue throughout the series. For example, when reading the summary, I realised that Davud and Esmeray were supposed to be in love although the only thing that happened was sex and an exchange of blood, how this led to love was not shown? In contrast, Davud rather still seemed in love with Anila but suddenly he has all but forgotten about her? Anyway, this is not a love story, but the issue of show don’t tell is very prevalent and I really do not like it!
• Characters are not fully fleshed out: take Hamzakiir going from devil to lamb and then to saviour. The reader of course believes this because we are told so. While this reader still lacks an explanation for the choice of creating “Frankenstein” students?

Despite this, I sort of liked this desert story – the many complex threads ranging from ancient Gods, to evil kings with 13 tribes and 4 surrounding power-hungry nations fighting for a desert jewel (or their own hidden agenda). Luckily for me the ending solved many of these threads in a huge crescendo. This was a bit surprising as there is still a six book. Yet based on the last chapter I can see were this will go and that I will not like it, especially as it introduces another new player Meryam and an ancient God At least the author sticks consistently to the inconsistency. So that’s why my story ends here. Should you read these books? I guess it depends how much you like to be shown and also how much you’ll have to pay for them. I would probably not have gotten as far, if they were more expensive. So the answer is no, you do not really miss out.

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

3.75 Stars

While I still liked this one, it definitely wasn't my favourite entry in the series. I felt like it kind of took a bit of a detour away from the original overarching plot of the series and I wasn't the biggest fan.

Despite that, there was still a lot to like. I thought that there were a lot of decent plot threads in this one but that most of them weren't particularly well developed or nuanced and that there didn't seem to be a whole lot of new information to uncover other than what the crystal was all about and Miryam's backstory bits (which were the highlight of the book for me). There was also one plot thread though that had me rolling my eyes though since it included not one but two tropes I dislike!

I also found myself struggling a bit in the first half since I didn't understand the motivations of the Gods (which took over the main plot) and therefore didn't really care much about what they were up to since I didn't understand why they were doing what they were doing or why it mattered for a good chunk of the book. I was so glad that we were eventually given some basic explanation for that since it helped but I wish we had gotten it much sooner and that it was more detailed so that I would have felt the stakes/tension more and earlier. I still think that part could have served better as more of a subplot instead of a main one though honestly.

I also thought there was a big lack of Ceda and that there was far too much Brama.

All those elements lead to this ultimately not being my favourite entry in the series but the ending was very interesting and has me curious and excited about book 6!!

[pristine.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Jackals Storm the Walls is the 5th book in the Song of the Shattered Sands series that released in July 2020. The book begins with Meryam trying to remove threat of Mirean and Malasani invasion to Sharakhai once and for all but there's a surprise even Meryam had not fathomed. And when Tulathan offers her deepest desire come true with a mere wish, the opportunity is too tempting to pass, but nothing comes free and Meryam knows, that what she has to do now is far more dangerous than anything she's ever done.

Then we come to Çeda and then Ihsan, each taking their own route to save the city. While Ihsan is headed in search of his fellow kings, Çeda comes back to the palace to get a clue on Nalamae's whereabouts.

There's a new character introduced here, Willem and the moment you read a few paragraphs, you know he's going to have a major part too. There's also mention of Enclave, a secret society which was talked about in the previous book when Ramahd approaches them for help. Another player in an already multi layered plot line.

The author has included Maryam's background story, which means her importance as a character just went up a notch.
By now, the author had moved on from Çeda as the only main character to include others like Emre, Brama, Davud, Hamzakir, Ramahd etc. each with their own mission. Emre is on a track to become the shaikh of the allied tribes, Brama is closely working with the Mirean queen while trying to keep Rumayesh from taking over his body, Davud and Esmeray are unravelling the mystery of missing students, Ihsan in coalition with the remaining kings is leading the search for Nalamae to save the city, Ramahd goes in search of Hamzakir to overpower Meryam and bring her to Qaimir to try for her crimes- not to mention the games the lesser gods are playing to fulfil a mission of their own- all these might seem like individual stories but they are closely connected with the overall plot without increasing the complexity.

The series as a whole is about the politics of the region and how it affects the lives of the people involved and the collateral damage incurred. There are quite a number of instances that seem right out of real life, for ex- when Ihsan travels to Sharakhai, he notices the changes that have taken place, these changes are not with regards to commerce or lifestyle or law, but with regards to the attitude of the people towards their own neighbours who have migrated from the kingdoms of Mirea and Malasan, and made Sharakhai their home. He says- “They were demonising all foreigners from the north of the east, even those who’d been living in Sharakhai for generations, even those with only a trickle of blood from those foreign lands running though their veins. Blood runs thick in the desert”- cuts quite close to the current world scenario.
Another excerpt that talks about diversity is my personal favourite- “Men like Hamid would never admit it, but Sharakhai was a melting pot. So was the desert. The tribes were built on trade with other nations. Their culture was not pure as some would claim, nor had it ever been. Purity had always been a fantasy, a way to exert power over others. There wasn’t a tribe in the desert that didn’t count amongst its people those who hailed from the grasslands of Kundhun or the mountains of Mirea or the temperate lands of Malasan or even the shores of the Austral Sea. But it went far beyond that. Whether it was recipes, customs, sailing ships, or the simple joy of being entertained, the lives of the desert’s people had been enriched by neighbouring lands, and those lands had been enriched by the desert. The time when nations could remain of themselves and only of themselves had long since passed.” The amount of maturity on the author’s part that these two excerpts offer is worth mentioning.
The action sequences are brilliant, it’s one thing to see the battle between humans, it’s wholly another thing to see the battle between gods, or a race against time to prevent an ancient crystal from breaking. The artistic standard is high when the higher powers get involved and Bradley P Beaulieu serves the scene to the readers effortlessly.
.
The complexity of each book is higher than its predecessor. Too many POVs’, too many characters, too many branched plotlines all leading to one focal point. The sequence of events are at a much faster pace and a lot is left to the imagination of the reader. One needs to pay close attention to read between the lines. It’s intellectually stimulating.
Generally, surprising me with an ending is rare, I usually know what will happen in the end and how, but this series has kept me guessing even after 5 books when I am completely aware of the character's motives. I don't know how the series will end, until I read the last page, I had no idea how the book would end. Utterly bewitching.

The end will literally blow your mind. The game plan is out in the open, the war between the mortal and the immortal is just beginning. The ancient riddle is going to be solved, time is going to turn back, to the very beginning of elder gods. And by the gods, it's so darn good. We see the end of story as the end of plot, but no… Here is the end of a plot within a plot. Finally when all the mystery regarding Sharakhai's kings is solved, the actual mystery, one that wove the kings’ mystery in the first place is going to be revealed.

Epic in every way, titillating, exciting, feels like an adventure sport in reading. Dark, magical, ancient, complex politics are all brilliantly explained, there are twists and turns in every page. Beaulieu’s epic fantasy has magic, gore, action, gods, love, power, immortality and plenty of other concepts enough to satisfy a reader of any genre.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jackals Storm the Walls is the penultimate entry in the Shattered Sands series and to me the strongest so far. The biggest reason being that all the plot threads have finally brought all the characters together. This series though has grown so much bigger then just Ceda's story.

WJStW is the least Ceda centered book, but I think the reason for that is validated. Now, I have to go into a few spoilers here so bear with me. This book is very much Meryam's story but it is more then that it is her villain origin story. Bradley P. Beaulieu crafted that story so fricking well. Meryam has already been such a compelling character but she is even more so now.

The Shattered Sands series is about to come to a close. All the chess pieces are in place and the final battle is heating up. The desert is about to be torn asunder.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really thought that this book would be the end. It seemed like the main issue was coming to ahead and all would be concluded in one way or another. And while I'm interested in reading more, I was also ready for it to conclude as it naturally seemed like it would, so the rest feels more forced. Meryam was defeated and she should have stayed defeated. In a lot of ways I was so ready to be done with her storyline. I thought defeating the cryatal would be the end of things and now it was just a stopgap. And while I wanted to see the Gods defeated, I felt like it could have happened in this book and didn't necessarily have to be another book. I'm sure the author has lots in mind that I can't anticipate, but by keeping all the same antagonists at the center all this time it starts to feel dragged on. Let's just get rid of Hamid and Meryam and be done with it and move on to more interesting things.
And then there were relationships that seemed to be solidifying in the last book that are now all over the place. Ceda and Emre, Ceda and Sumeya, Sumeya and Nayyan. It felt like an unnecessary complication that hasn't been resolved.
This book has a lot of threads and lots to be tied up, but the threads I most wanted ended are continuing and the ones I wanted more of seem to be ending so my enthusiasm for the next book has dwindled some.

[AltLovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually think I like this book more than I liked the previous book ( Beneath the Twisted Trees ), which I gather is somewhat of an unpopular opinion from reading the other reviews here. I feel like the story flowed more consistently in this one, and grabbed my attention from the beginning rather than taking a bit to hook me like the previous book. I didn't really think the pacing was all that weird, everything seemed more or less paced about the same, and if it felt like a speedy book, well, a lot was coming together in a short period of time.

I also really liked the nostalgic feel I had near the end of the book. I don't know if it was the author's intent, but the gang's return (all of them) to Sharakhai had me really considering how far everyone has come since the beginnings of their respective journeys. Really excited to see how this series wraps up.

[Meike Koopman · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the first three books of The Shattered Sands series, I marveled at the creativity and the complexity of this fantasy world, the characters and their storylines but as the story continued I feel that I do not really care so much anymore. I loved the former books’ aesthetics and the authors’ attention to detail, but at this point bits of the story feel either really strategically put together (every main character is present in every major battle or event) or just too random or unbelievable (for some reason I just can’t phantom that dome/veil thing). And I loved Meryam as a character but she should have stayed defeated. Now it feels as if her story line is just dragging on. The same goes for Ceda, I just simply do not care anymore about her or what is going to happen to her or to the asirim or the thirteenth tribe.

I do still care much about some of the characters (Davud, Frail Lemi and Willem will always have my heart) but at this point I’m not sure if I’ll ever finish this series. We’ll see, maybe I’ll start to miss Sharakhai and its desert in a few months’ time.

[Octarine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonne lecture.

Certains arcs de personnages sont définitivement conclus, on en apprend plus sur l’objectif des dieux.

Par contre Céda arrive à faire des trucs vraiment bizarres que je ne comprends pas.

J’étais contente de retrouver Davud, Brama, Anila, Ramad et Sumeya. J’aurais aimé les voir un peu plus, je pense qu’il y avait matière à les faire intervenir plus souvent.

A ce stade, je pense que ça craint pour les derniers rois. Si survivant il y a, je parie sur Ihsan, qui est au final un survivant endurci.

[Lennie Wynker]

I want to read the book, but I really hope the author fix the mess he's created romance wise. It was just nasty. Incest is not cool. Also, if you spend three books (which includes tons of flashbacks scenes) building an history between characters, you might as well follow the logic you created.

[Mridupawan Podder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of a stunning saga is almost upon us.

[Katie P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jackals Storm the Walls is the fifth installment in The Song of Shattered Stars Series by Bradley B. Beaulieu. I hadn't read any of the other books in this series, but I read through several reviews and there were synopses included in my ARC copy that were incredibly helpful in finding out where I was in the series. Though epic fantasy series like this can get convoluted with complicated plot lines, etc, I felt that the author had done a great job in separating out plot lines and showing the reader a complete picture of the story. That being said, there are several characters and many plot lines to follow, which can be a bit confusing if you haven't read the first 4 books, but that's not a criticism. I would have been much more prepared if I'd read the first four books.

I felt the plot was solid, this is a series based largely on One Thousand and One Nights, which is an epic collection of stories in itself. I found it to be a great re-telling with rich set pieces and wonderful character design. There is romance, particularly in the books leading up this one, but it's not the focus of the story. This series has had 4 other books of character development leading up to When Jackals Storm the Walls, and that is very evident throughout the narrative. This book has well-developed characters who all play integral parts in the ultimate conclusion of the novel. When I say sweeping backdrops, I'm taking sweeping. Huge deserts, grand palaces, ancient tombs, and so much more in this story!

From start to finish, I enjoyed this book and I will be picking up the previous 4 books as well as a physical copy of this title as well. This is an epic fantasy series that hasn't been on my radar, but should definitely be on yours!

Thank you to NetGalley, DAW, and the author for the chance to read this book! I received a galley copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Thelma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I feel like this book was better than the previous one (maybe because I waited longer to pick this one up?). But I still feel like this serie introduced way too many characters and storylines. There were pretty important characters introduced in this very book!
I feel like at least we have wrapped a few storylines so the story can be more focused in the last book. But at the same time I have no idea what is gonna happen in the next book? We seemed to be approaching a conclusion in this very book up until the last 50 pages. It leaves me curious to read the next book but not for the right reasons I fear ^^

[Valeriya Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the fifth instalment of the story, this book was certainly more successful than the previous one, and the cliffhanger in the end makes me wonder how this all will be rolled out in the final book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting pretty complicated with many threads of story. For high fantasy lovers.

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the direction I was hoping this book would go. Hopefully he can stick the landing with the final book because up until this point, this is a top 10 series for me.

[Ida Jagaric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it like the other books! The story and characters are still amazing :) but his excessively frequent switching of storylines (especially when there's been only 10 pages or less on one storyline) has been reducing my enjoyment and engagement. :( Enough that for the first time in 5 books I'm gonna take a break and read something else!? *gasp* ;) Actually I rarely read a series back to back, so it's testament to this series' awesomeness that I did! ;)

[Adebayo Oluwaseun]

Is the author going to do anything about the ceda and sumeya situation or is he telling us incest is acceptable in the world he built?

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book continues to have the same problems as the previous one in my opinion. While the setting started off very intrigue heavy - focusing on a handful of characters' mission to overthrow the tyrants ruling a single large city the scope and more importantly the stakes of this series have grown way too much. I feel like what we were promised in the first book was a story of political intrigue and fights in the shadows as the various factions try to maneuver the political situation in Sharkai to their benefit while Ceda seeks out the bloody verses to pick off the kings but what we got is a kind of bland always a bigger villain epic fantasy escalation. Of course the elements that the we see in this book were all hinted at in the earlier books, I just really didn't think these were the ones the author was going to want to play up. I don't really know how to leave a review of this without spoilers so here goes. So at this point all but 4 of the kings are dead (5 if you count Sehid-Alaz). Two more eat it in this one. But they barely even qualify as antagonists at this point because the real bad guys are the gods. In fairness to the author the idea that the gods have an agenda is present from the beginning of the series - we even got the idea that they might be antagonists of some kind because they are the ones who blessed the kings in the first place for mysterious reasons of their own. I really wish their reasons had remained mysterious because the idea that they are creating a doomsday machine is so boring. I think the author was trying to introduce the idea of bigger and bigger threats to make strange bedfellows of the various factions but this is so big that it really erases all meaning. It is also kind of unnecessary given that there are multiple armies about to sack the city. The other thing working against the book at this point is the lack of consequences of any actions. Brama rids himself of Rumayesh in the last book only to be back in her thrall, Ihsan loses his tongue at the end of the last book only to get it back within a few of his chapters in this book, Emre "dies" at the end of the previous book only to be brought back (this one was admittedly obvious but still). Then in this book Zeheb gets his mind restored only to die immediately to prop up Hamid of all characters as a villain and Meryam loses her powers only to become more powerful using Goezhen's corpse or something at the very end, Ceda chooses between Macide and Emre but gets forced to take back the choice (except not really at the same time). Nothing in this book really feels like it has any weight because at any moment it feels like it can be taken back. I think this is most evident when it comes to Hamzakir who basically exists to do whatever the plot needs of him at this point since everything he has ever done has been retconned to be what Meryam wanted him too, even things that don't really make sense like freeing Davud and Anila. The book kind of wants you to think he has a backstory too but then is just like eh what if we didn't go into it and just made him an important sacrifice to the crystal even though it is never explained why he is important. And finally I feel like this book continues the tradition of adding characters for no reason, in this case Willem who literally seems to exist just to give some exposition about the purpose the gods have in Sharkai.

[Nightfox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich das mal sage, aber dieses Buch hat einfach zu viele POVs! In der ersten Hälfte tritt die Handlung arg auf der Stelle, weil nichts Relevantes passiert und durch die vielen POVs wird dieser Effekt noch mal deutlicher. Ich mag viele POVs, aber hier ist die Umsetzung leider nicht geglückt. Hauptcharakter Çeda rückt zwischenzeitlich vollkommen in den Hintergrund, sie bleibt sehr passiv. Gut, ihre Suche nach Nalamae hat mich ohnehin nicht wirklich interessiert. Schade ist dabei auch, dass die hübschen Bildchen zu Kapitelbeginn sich nicht mehr auf einen POV-Charakter beschränken. Ich fand es eigentlich immer ganz angenehm, dass jeder Chara da sein festes Bild hat.

Die zweite Hälfte zieht das Tempo wieder deutlich an, aber das Finale gefällt mir leider auch gar nicht. Die Auswirkung des Kristalls ist mir einfach too much. Positiv annzumerken ist aber, dass die vielen Handlungsstränge hier durchaus alle zusammenführen. Durch die vielen Parteien wirken beide finalen Kämpfe recht chaotisch. Aber das liegt wohl in der Natur der Sache. Vielversprechend ist aber die neue Grundsituation, die sich am Ende für Sharakai ergibt. Da ist ja jetzt nichts mehr, wie es vorher war.

Es gibt noch ein paar Kleinigkeiten, die mich sehr stören: Ein gewisser Charakter, der am Ende von Band 4 ziemlich sicher tot war, überlebt das Ganze doch. Ich mag ihn zwar, aber das ändert nichts daran, dass diese Entwicklung etwas als Wunder aus der Dose daherkommt. Weiterhin fand ich die POV von Hamid etwas überflüssig, da somit ein wichtiger Wendepunkt quasi vorweggenommen wurde, als er seinen Verrat plante und auch Sehid-Alaz ins Boot holen konnte. Hier hätte ich mir mehr Hinweise aus anderen POVs wie Emre oder Çeda erhofft, sodass der Verrat nicht vollkommen im Voraus klar gewesen wäre, sondern sich lediglich erahnen ließ. Das hat dem Ganzen sehr die Spannung genommen. Und ja, Emre konnte ein Gespräch belauschen und die Spannung lag dann darin, ob er es noch rechtzeitig schafft, aber die andere Variante wäre mir trotzdem lieber gewesen Auch weiß ich noch nicht, was ich davon halten soll, dass die Götter jetzt so aktiv werden. Bin kein Freund von Göttern als handelnden Figuren.

Nun bleibt abzuwarten, was der kommende finale sechste Band bringen wird. Ich hoffe, dass das Tempo hier wieder besser wird. 'When Jackals Storm the Wall' ist für mich leider der bisher schlechteste Band der Reihe.