The Bladebone

The Khorasan Archives #4

by Ausma Zehanat Khan

Armed with the powerful sorcery of the Bloodprint and supported by the Talisman, the oppressive One-Eyed Preacher is on the verge of conquering Ashfall, the Black Khan’s capital in the west. Yet not all is lost for Sinnia, Arian, and the Citadel of Companions. If these brave female warriors can find an ancient magic weapon known as the Bladebone, they can defeat the Preacher and crush his cruel regime.

Neither Sinnia and Arian, nor their allies, the Mages of Khorasan, know the Bladebone’s whereabouts, and not all may survive the search to uncover it. Pursued by a nefarious enemy aligned with the Preacher, they become separated, each following a different path. Then, in their darkest hour, unexpected help appears. But is the Khanum of Black Aura a friend or foe? Arian may discover the answer too late.

When the secret of the Bladebone is finally revealed, the knowledge comes at a devastating price for Arian. As the capital falls, only Hira, home of the Citadel of Companions, stands in the way of the Preacher’s victory. While the Companions rise to defend their home from enemies outside and within, Arian must face off in a cataclysmic battle with the Preacher that pits the powers of the Bloodprint against the Sana Codex. 

For those who survive, Khorasan will never be the same.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, War

472 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2020

About the author

Ausma Zehanat Khan is a British-born Canadian living in the United States, whose own parents are heirs to a complex story of migration to and from three different continents. A former adjunct professor at American and Canadian universities, she holds a Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law, with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre as the main subject of her dissertation. Previously the Editor in Chief of Muslim Girl Magazine, Ausma Zehanat Khan has moved frequently, traveled extensively, and written compulsively. Her new crime series debuted with 'Blackwater Falls' in November 2022. She is also the author of 5 books and 1 novella in the Esa Khattak/Rachel Getty mystery series, including the award-winning 'The Unquiet Dead'. And she is the author of The Khorasan Archives fantasy series, beginning with 'The Bloodprint'. She has also written a middle grade non-fiction book called 'Ramadan'.

Reviews

[Barbara Senteney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of The Khorasan Archives. In this story Arian, Sinnia , The Silver Mage and Wafa all ascend into the furthest reaches of their magic. Each taking their own road into a fog like veil to view their own road, some will take their advised path, but some may not be as willing to abandon their own wants to do the greater good. Some of their paths I found crystal clear, but others a bit flowery and confusing. I however did not find this installment of the story as satisfying as the previous 3 books. In comparison it was tame, I expected a lot more battle then I was given, but all in all it was a good read, with a sweet ending.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come just as soon as I can think of something to say that will do the novel, the series, the writing, and the author justice. For now, just know that if you haven’t tried this series, you should. It builds beautifully over the four novels and this conclusion is the best of the four books. Khan has outdone herself.

Full, lengthy review on my blog. Wordpress apparently doesn't copy/paste well anymore:
https://tailsfromthedogside.blog/2020...

[Misha · Rating 4 out of 5]

So... at the start of this book, I was uninterested in the characters. I no longer wanted to know what happened to them, so I set it aside for a while. I took it up again to finish, but... I guess I would say that while the book itself was good and finished the series well, it was too long?

[Hafsa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had bought the series at once with high hopes and it didn't really get better for me in fact it may have gotten a bit worse. I was already a bit tense going into the fourth book as I had felt uncomfortable the more I read on, at the complete imitation of the Quran and the Seerah as the story went on. But I thought if I could get past the discomfort it would be better, but I couldn't bc, and this is completely my opinion I am not here to represent the entirety of the faith, but it felt a bit exploitative. Like you are using not just the foundation of the religion but literally even minor details to create your plot and then treating the protagonist as though she is basically another prophet.

I mean all of this is one point that may only be an issue to me as I am literally learning the Seerah at the same time. It's just something I didn't like to see. But then another point is that, none of the grandeur that is being portrayed in this story is invoking any feeling or imagination, neither is the emotional connection between the characters, bc it just feels like there was so much going on? At one point there were pages of writing that just seemed unnecessary where the author was either describing in depth in a really well articulated manner, the structures and scenery of the story at hand but it was more waffle than anything awe-inspiring to me. But fr I'm sorry this is just what I thought, and so many things even in the last books where Arian is crying bc she is having a moment or something has happened but it doesn't invoke any feeling in the reader bc by the time you understand what's going on it's over. Also how is this book perceived by people who don't know the importance of each event? Would it be more confusing idk.

I also didn't like that the power was shown through spoken verses bc it takes away the excitement from the battles, and sometimes you don't even know what kind of battle is happening, is it a battle of the mind and how is she suddenly able to do this thing like look inside the preacher's mind where did this concept come from and why are we acting like she could always do this. And then the random tribunal where they tried to banish her as well like in the middle of a war, where they were interrupted bc they were being attacked like if it was a surprise attack fair enough, but everyone knew it was about to happen and they're like sure we have to come to this trial and then suddenly it's all this discussion of morality of faith and becomes like a religious lecture like that was not the time for it that should've happened at another point not when you've built up the whole war.

I'm kinda sad and I'm sorry to the author bc I would totally encourage stories of this design but I just don't think this was written well and i think the premise of it is actually little exploitative of Islam rather than a celebration of it. And the way the antagonists Ilea and the one eyed preacher basically just become so child-like and immature especially in their dialogue like it retracted from the story even more. This sucks I'm sad and sorry.

[Steph De Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading "The Bladebone" was a bittersweet experience. This is primarily because I've become deeply invested in the the lives of Khan's characters and the wonderfully-detailed world they inhabit, such that turning the page on it all for the last time has left me feeling rather bereft. Further, in terms of overall quality, this final instalment ends the series on neither a bang nor a whimper, but something in-between.

My main critique of the narrative is that it spends far too much time with Arian and Sinnia, whose plotline is tediously slow-paced and lacks dynamism, and far too little time in Ashfall, in the company of the series' most interesting characters: Rukh, Arsalan, and Darya. This flaw is compounded by the fact that, while Arian's storyline is drawn to a satisfying close, the latter group receives decidedly more ambiguous (and hurried) endings, which I find frustrating. In particular, I'm left craving a follow-up novel dedicated solely to Rukh and Arsalan, ideally one that centres on the Black Khan's interminable political machinations and his commander's patient attempts to save him from himself, and that develops their fascinating relationship more fully.

On a more positive note, Daniyar is as wonderful as ever, Khan's world-building remains vivid and meticulous, and while the final showdown with the series' villain is incredibly confusing to read, the arrival of the roc is a fantastic moment that almost makes the surrounding chaos worth enduring. This is, in sum, a brilliant adult fantasy series that deserves to be widely known and loved.

[Amani · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off this is going to contain spoilers so please do not read this if you haven’t read the other books in the series yet or this one yet. Come back when you’ve read it .

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When I read the first book I was intrigued by the Qur’anic verses that were in it. I loved Arian and Daniyar’s relationship. Rukh is another one of my favorite characters and I also adored Arian and Sinnia’s friendship. I have to admit, I was a little confused after reading The Bloodprint and I had to go back and reread parts to understand it but other than that I genuinely loved the books. Disclaimer: I received an arc from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

[Floor Visser · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,75 stars

A good ending for the Preacher. The first 25% of this book was just incomprehensible to me, everyone was Ascending and it was just a little to much for me. The rest was fine, I dont understand what the Assassin wants from/for Darya or what the whole purpose around her character was at all but whatever.
I saw Ilea's wrath/deception coming from the first book and in the end was wondering if it ever came about in the story and cant believe Arian never saw or suspected it. So yeah I liked the overall message of the story but I think this series is very long-winded and some of the characters are held dumb.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I would like to state that I have received this book through goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity and honor in being able to read this book. When I received this book I began reading it at once. This book was a very interesting read. It pulls you in and keeps you wanting more. I would recommend this book to others. It is a very good read

[Revkid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been somewhat confused by all the books in the series but I had to finish the story. Ultimately I did enjoy the series but I'm not sure what she was trying to portray: men and women are equal? belief in an ultimate entity is necessary to live well? words are powerful? Maybe all of these? I had trouble relating to the "Claim"......why not just call it magic?

[Xanxa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will postpone writing a proper review of this beautiful book until I've managed to get hold of the previous three books in the series. I don't feel I can do it justice without reading the whole story as played out over four books.

[Brooke Wrasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was seriously beautiful in the end. Like I was enthralled. They definitely weren’t messing around calling it an epic fantasy though… I have an insane amount of knowledge about this fictional world and nothing to do with it🤷‍♀️

[Steph]

When you read a fourth book in a series but haven't read any of the previous books...

[Flavia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and so unique, I've been wishing a book like this existed for a long time. I definitely want to catch up on what I missed of the series ASAP!

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love Asuma Zehanat Khan,s books and this one was brilliant and lyrical. Capturing my attention from page 1, I couldn't put this down.

[Labiba Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb finale to an outstanding series.

[Mohamed Ameen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gripping end to the series, I was hooked from start to finish. Excellent writing, excellent story

[CerysAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I wanted so desperately to love this series. I tried so hard, and gave it so many chances, right up until the end. But, alas.

CW: violence; blood; death; war; references to sexual assault

[L. O'Dell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, a lovely end to the series.