Tuesday 27 September 2016

Of Sand and Malice Made by Bradley Beaulieu - Review


Publisher: Gollancz

Çeda is the youngest pit fighter in the history of the great desert city of Sharakhai. In this brilliant new story, a prequel to Twelve Kings, she has already made her name in the arena as the fearsome, undefeated White Wolf. None but her closest friends and allies know her true identity.

But this all changes when she crosses the path of Rümayesh, one of the sadistic creatures known asehrekh which were forged long ago by the god of chaos. They are usually desert dwellers, but this one lurks in the dark corners of Sharakhai, toying with and preying on humans. As Rümayesh works to unmask the White Wolf and claim Çeda for her own, Çeda's struggle becomes a battle for her friends, her life, and her very soul. (Publishers' Blurb)


I thought this might be hard to follow because I haven't read 'Twelve Kings'. This wasn't an issue at all, as the book was accessible and made me want to know much more about this world.

My favourite part was Çeda's character and voice. She's quickly seemed real to me because her back story and motivations were fleshed out well. I loved that she was a pit fighter and I think my favourite scene was when we got to see her in action!

The world building was also incredibly strong
. Even though it was comparatively short, the book captured a complex and fascinating world underpinned by mythology.

Another strength was the plotting. There weren't any points where it lost momentum (or my attention with it). I loved the little mysteries that were thrown in and then uncovered later, such as Çeda's use of petals.

This was a great introduction to a new fantasy world and I'm looking forward to reading 'Twelve Kings'.




Image result for 4 stars

If you liked the sound of this, now try Nevernight by Jay Kristoff.


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