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Company of Strangers #5
Sands of Memory
A CITY LOST TO TIME
An unexpected discovery takes Sienne and her companions to the mysterious country of Omeira, Kalanath’s lost homeland. There, a surprising welcome for Kalanath leads to another discovery. To complete their quest, they must travel to the city of Ma’tzehar, swallowed up by the desert centuries ago.
Dangers lurk on every side on the journey to Ma’tzehar. But the real challenge begins when they reach the mysterious city, filled with dangers of a darker kind. And in the heart of the desert, they encounter an ancient, powerful creature whose magic and knowledge may be the key to their quest.
An exciting adventure of epic battles, family ties, and the desire for freedom.
An unexpected discovery takes Sienne and her companions to the mysterious country of Omeira, Kalanath’s lost homeland. There, a surprising welcome for Kalanath leads to another discovery. To complete their quest, they must travel to the city of Ma’tzehar, swallowed up by the desert centuries ago.
Dangers lurk on every side on the journey to Ma’tzehar. But the real challenge begins when they reach the mysterious city, filled with dangers of a darker kind. And in the heart of the desert, they encounter an ancient, powerful creature whose magic and knowledge may be the key to their quest.
An exciting adventure of epic battles, family ties, and the desire for freedom.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2019
48 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books861 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 20, 2019
This is fifth in a series that builds with an over-arching plotline. So you definitely want to read these in order.
If you're looking for reasons to ignore or skip this review, you can go with how I'm part of the Saturday Night Gaming Group (since we don't have an actual name, I suppose that'll do for now, however boring) mentioned in the dedication. Or that I introduced Melissa to the group when we started dating. Or that we've been married for a number of years we only disclose when we're feeling particularly old. Or that I'm the one who suggested one of the main antagonists for this book. I do my best to be honest in all my reviews regardless of author, even with Melissa's books, so it's probably a good thing I end up liking them so much.
So you've been through the four previous books and know mostly what to expect—at least in terms of the characters and how they work to get things done. So I hope you are as excited as I was to see Kalanath's homeland and find out his backstory in some detail. And it turned out even better than I had hoped and his family situation plays a major role in the emotional development of this story. I really love how it played out and the depth of the background that came to the fore here.
And I loved how the quest to free Alaric's people progresses. We get some vital advances in this story and . I love how well our team is working together in this story and how much they trust and rely on one another. There are some major discoveries and fundamental changes that we've been building to for the entire series and I love how seamlessly they come together.
And I think I'll stop there because I'm fighting all the spoilers I want to rave about. I found this story deeply moving for the emotional events tied to Kalanath and Perrin and without bogging the story down or interfering with the pace of the adventure and hence, a strong five-stars. And I can't wait for the next (and final) installment.
A note about inside baseball: Melissa became so intrigued by the potential for her invented "hazard deck" that she put some energy into fleshing it out in some detail. Then, because we kind of love oddball tarot decks, she commissioned some art and put the whole thing together. So we actually have a couple of these decks, now, and I dearly love how well they turned out. The descriptions of those cards in the story draw from that art (or the art was commissioned to include those details, I can never remember which came first).
A note about Chaste: Sienne and Alaric are together romantically throughout this story. And they have time and space for intimacy that clearly involves sex. None of which is on-page. So I consider this chaste, though stricter interpretations might disagree.
If you're looking for reasons to ignore or skip this review, you can go with how I'm part of the Saturday Night Gaming Group (since we don't have an actual name, I suppose that'll do for now, however boring) mentioned in the dedication. Or that I introduced Melissa to the group when we started dating. Or that we've been married for a number of years we only disclose when we're feeling particularly old. Or that I'm the one who suggested one of the main antagonists for this book. I do my best to be honest in all my reviews regardless of author, even with Melissa's books, so it's probably a good thing I end up liking them so much.
So you've been through the four previous books and know mostly what to expect—at least in terms of the characters and how they work to get things done. So I hope you are as excited as I was to see Kalanath's homeland and find out his backstory in some detail. And it turned out even better than I had hoped and his family situation plays a major role in the emotional development of this story. I really love how it played out and the depth of the background that came to the fore here.
And I loved how the quest to free Alaric's people progresses. We get some vital advances in this story and . I love how well our team is working together in this story and how much they trust and rely on one another. There are some major discoveries and fundamental changes that we've been building to for the entire series and I love how seamlessly they come together.
And I think I'll stop there because I'm fighting all the spoilers I want to rave about. I found this story deeply moving for the emotional events tied to Kalanath and Perrin and without bogging the story down or interfering with the pace of the adventure and hence, a strong five-stars. And I can't wait for the next (and final) installment.
A note about inside baseball: Melissa became so intrigued by the potential for her invented "hazard deck" that she put some energy into fleshing it out in some detail. Then, because we kind of love oddball tarot decks, she commissioned some art and put the whole thing together. So we actually have a couple of these decks, now, and I dearly love how well they turned out. The descriptions of those cards in the story draw from that art (or the art was commissioned to include those details, I can never remember which came first).
A note about Chaste: Sienne and Alaric are together romantically throughout this story. And they have time and space for intimacy that clearly involves sex. None of which is on-page. So I consider this chaste, though stricter interpretations might disagree.
Read
March 1, 2025I remember feeling, when I started writing this book, that it would be lighter than the previous one (which is Shifting Loyalties) just because that one was such an intense writing experience. And yet any time you deal with families, particularly families that have been lost and are only just being rediscovered, "light" isn't what you end up with. As I was reading this again for the final editing check, I came across a moment that hit me unexpectedly: I've read this book more than any other person, and being surprised by an emotional moment under those circumstances was...surprising.
We're coming close to the end of the story, and in some ways, this book wraps up most of the major loose ends. Almost all the companions have resolved their secrets and they very nearly have everything they need to resolve their quest. And yet there are still surprises in store for them. I hope that means readers will go on to be surprised, too.
My husband is responsible for the "monster" at the center of this book.
I hope readers enjoy this step of the journey, and I'm looking forward to seeing Sienne and her companions through to the end, in book 6, Call of Wizardry.
We're coming close to the end of the story, and in some ways, this book wraps up most of the major loose ends. Almost all the companions have resolved their secrets and they very nearly have everything they need to resolve their quest. And yet there are still surprises in store for them. I hope that means readers will go on to be surprised, too.
My husband is responsible for the "monster" at the center of this book.
I hope readers enjoy this step of the journey, and I'm looking forward to seeing Sienne and her companions through to the end, in book 6, Call of Wizardry.
Read
December 7, 2019Stayed up way too late last night to finish this fifth installment in the Company of Strangers series.
This series is really a roman fleuve in disguise. That is, each character is deftly introduced at the start of the book, the scene set, but a huge part of the pleasure is the reader's investment in the characters' experience and growth over the course of the series.
In addition, I'd say that this book, in comparison to the others, has a more leisurely start, after Sienne finds out something fascinating about one of her magical artifacts. (Looking forward to how it would be deployed was one of the pleasures of the story.) There is less catastrophic disaster during their travels, affording time for more interaction, including with new characters.
The focus is on Kalanth, the quietest of the scrapper gang. We get to see his country of origin, and find out why he left. And who he left.
Because he is so inward a character, this book is truly more of an ensemble story; there is more of Perrin's difficult situation, about which I'm very curious. At around the halfway point it begins to accelerate fast as the scrappers reach a city that was supposed to a ruin, and is now newly restored . . . but something is very weird about the place.
Why, and what happens, took me totally by surprise. That was fascinating, and after the dust settles, actually kind of scary to contemplate!
We get a lot of magic razzle-dazzle, winding up to a cinematic climax that introduces changes that make me really eager to see where this is going.
Copy provided by author.
This series is really a roman fleuve in disguise. That is, each character is deftly introduced at the start of the book, the scene set, but a huge part of the pleasure is the reader's investment in the characters' experience and growth over the course of the series.
In addition, I'd say that this book, in comparison to the others, has a more leisurely start, after Sienne finds out something fascinating about one of her magical artifacts. (Looking forward to how it would be deployed was one of the pleasures of the story.) There is less catastrophic disaster during their travels, affording time for more interaction, including with new characters.
The focus is on Kalanth, the quietest of the scrapper gang. We get to see his country of origin, and find out why he left. And who he left.
Because he is so inward a character, this book is truly more of an ensemble story; there is more of Perrin's difficult situation, about which I'm very curious. At around the halfway point it begins to accelerate fast as the scrappers reach a city that was supposed to a ruin, and is now newly restored . . . but something is very weird about the place.
Why, and what happens, took me totally by surprise. That was fascinating, and after the dust settles, actually kind of scary to contemplate!
We get a lot of magic razzle-dazzle, winding up to a cinematic climax that introduces changes that make me really eager to see where this is going.
Copy provided by author.
November 12, 2019
Disclaimer: I know the author. I like her. I like most of her books. But not all of them. Opinions are my own. She can't even buy them with brownies.
Onto the review:
Sands of Memory is book 5 in the Company of Strangers series. By this point in the story everything that has happened before is important and you need to know it in order to understand what happens next. This is not a good place to jump in and hope that you get it. The author has done a good job of seeding information and reminders through the book, but I would totally suggest reading the first four first. Go ahead... I'll wait.
Okay...all caught up?
Here we go.
I really enjoyed Sands of Memory. In this book we go back to Kalanath's homeland in order to move forward with finding information for the next part of Alaric's quest. This means smashing headlong into the reasons Kalanath left home in the first place. We discover he had very good reasons to go, but that some of those reasons aren't as driving any more. And family he'd thought lost...might not be so lost. And this all comes on the heels of big changes with Perrin's family too. So the whole book really does revolve around family and relationships while not forgetting that they have a quest to complete.
The Omerian landscape is beautiful and it's fun to be somewhere so very different for our heroes. This is something the author does really well and I love visiting the places she comes up with and experiencing them through the character's eyes.
So how does it end? Oh no... I can't tell you that. But I can tell you that everything is driving the characters forward to the last book and a confrontation that's been building from the beginning. I can't wait to read it!
Onto the review:
Sands of Memory is book 5 in the Company of Strangers series. By this point in the story everything that has happened before is important and you need to know it in order to understand what happens next. This is not a good place to jump in and hope that you get it. The author has done a good job of seeding information and reminders through the book, but I would totally suggest reading the first four first. Go ahead... I'll wait.
Okay...all caught up?
Here we go.
I really enjoyed Sands of Memory. In this book we go back to Kalanath's homeland in order to move forward with finding information for the next part of Alaric's quest. This means smashing headlong into the reasons Kalanath left home in the first place. We discover he had very good reasons to go, but that some of those reasons aren't as driving any more. And family he'd thought lost...might not be so lost. And this all comes on the heels of big changes with Perrin's family too. So the whole book really does revolve around family and relationships while not forgetting that they have a quest to complete.
The Omerian landscape is beautiful and it's fun to be somewhere so very different for our heroes. This is something the author does really well and I love visiting the places she comes up with and experiencing them through the character's eyes.
So how does it end? Oh no... I can't tell you that. But I can tell you that everything is driving the characters forward to the last book and a confrontation that's been building from the beginning. I can't wait to read it!
January 17, 2020
The disclaimer from the previous stories still stand. I know the author and her family, and I like them.
Edited to change the name to the actual name of the character in the book and NOT the name of the authors character from the game group session.
I find myself without much to say about this book. I enjoyed the read and I continue to like the characters a lot. It still reminds me of playing in the gaming group with friends. I found myself with only one passionate reaction during the book, when this experienced adventuring party who has made a running joke about how important coffee in the morning is to two of them, leaves on a heroic journey with lots of baggage and they never packed any coffee.
That moment really threw me out of the story. I mean, by now their usual packing should be. Armor, coffee, weapon, coffee, adventuring gear and coffee.
This story follows Kalinath and delves into his history. I was less mysterious than I had expected and he makes some growth as a person. I wonder if it will make him more vocal in the next book. One thing did feel out of balance. At the end of the story it felt like two of the party had leveled up but the other three had not. I will be curious to see how that works out next.
Edited to change the name to the actual name of the character in the book and NOT the name of the authors character from the game group session.
I find myself without much to say about this book. I enjoyed the read and I continue to like the characters a lot. It still reminds me of playing in the gaming group with friends. I found myself with only one passionate reaction during the book, when this experienced adventuring party who has made a running joke about how important coffee in the morning is to two of them, leaves on a heroic journey with lots of baggage and they never packed any coffee.
That moment really threw me out of the story. I mean, by now their usual packing should be. Armor, coffee, weapon, coffee, adventuring gear and coffee.
This story follows Kalinath and delves into his history. I was less mysterious than I had expected and he makes some growth as a person. I wonder if it will make him more vocal in the next book. One thing did feel out of balance. At the end of the story it felt like two of the party had leveled up but the other three had not. I will be curious to see how that works out next.
November 20, 2019
This is the first series by Melissa McShane that I read, and it remains my favorite of her work. The Company of Strangers books are just the type of adventure fantasy I like to read. The books build on each other, so it's best for newcomers to start with Company of Strangers and work forward from there.
In this book, the wizard Sienne and her scrapper companions set out for the desert country of Omeira. They believe that something within the fabled lost city of Ma’tzehar will help them in their quest to free Alaric's people. The journey also serves as a sort of uneasy homecoming for Kalanath, who fled from his birthplace years ago and doubts that he will receive a warm welcome upon his return.
I enjoyed the change of setting in this book and learning more about Omeira. The scrapper team also comes across this world's version of a genie, an androgynous being known as Jenani, who was an interesting character. **SPOILER ALERT** **END OF SPOILER**
This book sets up everything nicely for the sixth and final novel of the series, which will focus on the goal the scrappers have been working toward all along: freeing Alaric's people from the evil wizard who has cursed them to do his bidding. As resourceful as Sienne and her companions might be, I'm sure it will be a heck of a challenge, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.
Disclaimer: I do know the author, if only through Goodreads, and while that is the reason I was aware of and decided to read this book, it has not influenced my rating. She did not contact me to ask me to read or review this book.
In this book, the wizard Sienne and her scrapper companions set out for the desert country of Omeira. They believe that something within the fabled lost city of Ma’tzehar will help them in their quest to free Alaric's people. The journey also serves as a sort of uneasy homecoming for Kalanath, who fled from his birthplace years ago and doubts that he will receive a warm welcome upon his return.
I enjoyed the change of setting in this book and learning more about Omeira. The scrapper team also comes across this world's version of a genie, an androgynous being known as Jenani, who was an interesting character. **SPOILER ALERT** **END OF SPOILER**
This book sets up everything nicely for the sixth and final novel of the series, which will focus on the goal the scrappers have been working toward all along: freeing Alaric's people from the evil wizard who has cursed them to do his bidding. As resourceful as Sienne and her companions might be, I'm sure it will be a heck of a challenge, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.
Disclaimer: I do know the author, if only through Goodreads, and while that is the reason I was aware of and decided to read this book, it has not influenced my rating. She did not contact me to ask me to read or review this book.
December 13, 2019
While not up to the previous book's level of tension, a decent, enjoyable adventure.
It's replete with Arabian Nights tropes, so not necessarily a super-original setting either.
The team accidentally unleash bad consequences on other people and escape without permanent damage themselves - in fact, in a better state than they start out in. So, also not my favourite from a moral-consequences standpoint.
In fact, it had enough flaws that I'm leaving it off my Best of the Year list, something I seldom do with a Melissa McShane book. That's not to say it was bad, just that I usually like her books a lot more than I liked this particular one. I don't regret buying it, but I hope the next one brings back the full level of tension (despite the team's now awesome power levels).
It's replete with Arabian Nights tropes, so not necessarily a super-original setting either.
The team accidentally unleash bad consequences on other people and escape without permanent damage themselves - in fact, in a better state than they start out in. So, also not my favourite from a moral-consequences standpoint.
In fact, it had enough flaws that I'm leaving it off my Best of the Year list, something I seldom do with a Melissa McShane book. That's not to say it was bad, just that I usually like her books a lot more than I liked this particular one. I don't regret buying it, but I hope the next one brings back the full level of tension (despite the team's now awesome power levels).
February 28, 2021
4 stars for the characters and plot, 1 star for a religion that has prostitution as a holy act of worship. While that wasn’t a main focus of the story, it’s important to the backstory, and while the rest of the fictional religion and avatars in this series are interesting, this new take religion just makes me sad that it would ever be touted as religious. That aside, and like I said, it’s not the main focus of the book, I enjoyed the progression in the companions’ quest, and I’m interested to see how it will end in the next book.
November 25, 2019
McShane ' s Sands of Memory is the 5th book in this series. It would be difficult to follow fully if you have not read the earlier books, but I really recommend that you do so. This series just gets more exciting with each book. In this one, the gang of scrappers continues their quest to free their leader, Alaric, and his species from a long - enduring spell that dooms them to serve their wicked, selfish wizard/creator.
The quest leads them to Kalanath's home country. He has been exiled from there, and generally outsiders are not welcomed, but Kalanath discovers some changes in his situation as a new political situation means he is allowed to return. In fact , he learns that his biological father has been identified and recognized, and is with his mother. Kalanath is more jealous than pleased by these changes. But the country's new leader appoints the father as part of the expedition to seek the place and means to create the ritual freeing Alaric.
In some ways this expedition recreates the first adventure of the scrappers, when they were strangers to one another, harboring varying degrees of suspicion and doubt towards one another. Kalanath resents his father, and Sienne is jealous of the young woman warrior also assigned to the expedition, because she flirts incessantly with Alaric.
As they travel across a dangerous desert, they have to learn to work together as a team. This need is quadrupled when they reach their destination only to find it is not the abandoned ruin they had expected, but a bustling, extravagantly appointed new city , oddly out of kilter, and definitely not a friendly place.
I won't attempt to summarize the truly astonishing events they must win through, from another evil wizard to an even more frightening supernatural being. The last half of the book is non-stop, breathtaking adventure well worth the investment in the entire series! Ms. McShane has outdone herself.
Progress is made in the quest, too, as the complex spell Sienne performs succeeds in transforming Alaric, but unexpectedly it transforms Sienne even more dramatically. These changes are well-timed, as they enable the group to defeat the terrifying supernatural enemy they have made, and thus to save the world. But it is clear that this may be a mixed blessing going forward , as even her treasured team members become somewhat afraid of what she has become. I can't wait to read the next book!
I received an advanced reading copy of this book, under no obligation to write a favorable review or, indeed , any review at all. It is my honest opinion that this book is an outstanding example of its genre. If you love fantasy full of magic, weird and frightening beings, and a love story to boot, you too will love this book!
The quest leads them to Kalanath's home country. He has been exiled from there, and generally outsiders are not welcomed, but Kalanath discovers some changes in his situation as a new political situation means he is allowed to return. In fact , he learns that his biological father has been identified and recognized, and is with his mother. Kalanath is more jealous than pleased by these changes. But the country's new leader appoints the father as part of the expedition to seek the place and means to create the ritual freeing Alaric.
In some ways this expedition recreates the first adventure of the scrappers, when they were strangers to one another, harboring varying degrees of suspicion and doubt towards one another. Kalanath resents his father, and Sienne is jealous of the young woman warrior also assigned to the expedition, because she flirts incessantly with Alaric.
As they travel across a dangerous desert, they have to learn to work together as a team. This need is quadrupled when they reach their destination only to find it is not the abandoned ruin they had expected, but a bustling, extravagantly appointed new city , oddly out of kilter, and definitely not a friendly place.
I won't attempt to summarize the truly astonishing events they must win through, from another evil wizard to an even more frightening supernatural being. The last half of the book is non-stop, breathtaking adventure well worth the investment in the entire series! Ms. McShane has outdone herself.
Progress is made in the quest, too, as the complex spell Sienne performs succeeds in transforming Alaric, but unexpectedly it transforms Sienne even more dramatically. These changes are well-timed, as they enable the group to defeat the terrifying supernatural enemy they have made, and thus to save the world. But it is clear that this may be a mixed blessing going forward , as even her treasured team members become somewhat afraid of what she has become. I can't wait to read the next book!
I received an advanced reading copy of this book, under no obligation to write a favorable review or, indeed , any review at all. It is my honest opinion that this book is an outstanding example of its genre. If you love fantasy full of magic, weird and frightening beings, and a love story to boot, you too will love this book!
November 22, 2019
So...I haven’t been reviewing this series thus far, because when I read the first book I thought “cute concept; like an RPG game”. You know, a thief, a magician, a fighter, a priest...but I wasn’t convinced a series would really work. But each book in this series has pulled me further in, and now I LOVE it! At the end of this book I was so desperate to find out what was going to happen that I read the teaser chapter at the end, something I normally avoid since it makes it harder to wait for the next book because I’m already invested.
Why have I changed my mind? Well, we have great character development, plot twists I can’t predict the outcome of, and a story that just gets more and more fascinating. We increasingly see glimpses of the complexity of this world and it’s system of deities and magical beings, only tantalizing us into wanting more details. As this book leads us ever closer into the major plot resolution, we become increasingly anxious to find out of the relationship between the two main characters can survive.
If you haven’t read any of this series yet; start. And if you have read the previous books, but haven’t read Sands of Memory yet; you’re in for a treat. I’m very lucky to get a copy of these books as an ARC reader, but the choice to review and all opinions are mine.
Why have I changed my mind? Well, we have great character development, plot twists I can’t predict the outcome of, and a story that just gets more and more fascinating. We increasingly see glimpses of the complexity of this world and it’s system of deities and magical beings, only tantalizing us into wanting more details. As this book leads us ever closer into the major plot resolution, we become increasingly anxious to find out of the relationship between the two main characters can survive.
If you haven’t read any of this series yet; start. And if you have read the previous books, but haven’t read Sands of Memory yet; you’re in for a treat. I’m very lucky to get a copy of these books as an ARC reader, but the choice to review and all opinions are mine.
March 23, 2020
So, it's been a weird week and it took me longer to read this than it would have under normal circumstances, but I was still delighted to read this and the second half flew by in a happy speed reading blur. First and foremost, my love for Sienne as the main character grows with every book - it would be so easy for her to be blandly innocent, but her sweet nature, her overdeveloped sense of justice, her nosiness, and her determination to keep her loved ones safe and happy work so well. I love the whole crew, and it was nice to get a lot more of Kalanath's story in this book, and I am really not ready for this company of strangers to disband after the next book, but all good things must come to an end.
November 20, 2019
As with the rest of this series, classic quest fantasy a la 80s/early 90s TSR novels, updated for today's world. Enormously entertaining plot, very appealing characters, and exciting to see the series' overarching plot nearing its conclusion. Impatiently waiting for the final volume!
November 25, 2019
Good
This was another solid addition to this series. However I felt that it lacked much of the spark of the past books. The banter and camaraderie of previous books. Not sure why? Strong plot and good pace.
This was another solid addition to this series. However I felt that it lacked much of the spark of the past books. The banter and camaraderie of previous books. Not sure why? Strong plot and good pace.
January 16, 2022
A fast-paced adventure... or maybe it felt more fast-paced than the other books in the series because I zipped right through it.
(2022 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book with the name of a board game in the title)
(2022 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book with the name of a board game in the title)
October 4, 2023
This series is terrible for my sleep patterns!
I had to stay up late last night to finish this one.....
I had to stay up late last night to finish this one.....
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews