Thoughts on "The Song of the Shattered Lands" (books 1 - 4) by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Seems like every fantasy series is a "song" these days, huh?

Well, while Bradley P. Beaulieu's "Song of the Shattered Lands" series has some things in common with George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, there's also some seriously pronounced differences.

Firstly, Beaulieu is actually likely to finish his six-book series, so there's that.

Okay, with that snark out of the way, a bit of unsolicited thoughts on this series.

Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (book 1)
The introduction to Sharakhai, a grand city in the middle of a vast desert. Sharakhai is a metropolitan center and a great power, both militarily and commercially. It is ruled by twelve seemingly-immortal kings who each are gifted by the gods with magical gifts beyond their apparent immortality. In this city is Çedamihn Ahyanesh'ala (aka Çeda) a young woman who lives a double life as an unassuming city woman and secretly a pit fighter known as "the White Wolf" (yes, I get the coincidental naming with the Witcher, they're nothing alike). Çeda also has a secret: she's trying to assassinate the Twelve Kings of Sharakhai for their part in the murder of her mother. It proves a bit difficult. Aside from the powers of the Twelve Kings, they've also got potent defenders in the form of the Silver Spears (their soldiers), the Blade Maidens (the ninja-like super-warriors who are each a daughter of a King), and the asirim (immortal, undying, fierce creatures of incredible strength and power). On Çeda's side are few people, including her friend Emre, Dardzada the apocathery, and a few others. Çeda's path in the book takes her across weird politics, the meddling of gods, the deadly Moonless Host (a terrorist band who seek the downfall of the Kings), and the terrible secret of the asirim.

I have to say, this book is fucking amazing! It's brilliant, riveting stuff. Beaulieu does a fantastic job of crafting a world with a strong Persian/Arabian feel that is also strangely original. His mythology, his characters, his settings, and his magic all feel engaging and fresh.

With Blood Upon the Sand (book 2)
With the sequel to "Twelve Kings in Sharakhai", Çeda's started on the road of killing the Kings. She's had some success and learned some shocking things along the way. She's also found her way into the Blade Maidens. Meanwhile, the people who have orbited through Çeda's life are finding themselves getting drawn into politics and a game of magic and gods.

Yeah, I can't summarize this more without spoiling things. This was a very solid sequel to "Twelve Kings" and introduces both higher stakes and some interesting characters. I could not put this book down.

A Veil of Spears (book 3)
So this is where the shit hits the fan. The Moonless Host has had a throwdown with the Kings. In the last couple of books, some of the Kings have died. The mysteries around their divine gifts have started to come to light and other powers are starting to encroach on the desert with a goal of taking Sharakhai as their own. In this, Çeda has found an unexpected home among the Blade Maidens while still working her goal toward killing the Kings. She learns more about who her mother was and, ultimately, more about herself in the process. Other characters, such as Emre, branch out and start to grow into their own stories. Characters from the novellas also start to pop in, playing surprisingly-important roles at times.

This was also really solid. The twists and turns in the story kept me engaged up to the last page. I could not wait until book 4.

Beneath the Twisted Trees (book 4)
The desert is descending into war. The neighboring kingdoms around the desert are making their own move against Sharakhai. The surviving Kings fight among one another. The Moonless Host is largely shattered, but their successors are forming up, with Çeda playing a vital role. The game the gods play is starting to take shape.

I have to admit, this book falters a bit. It feels like a slog in parts with a lot of the characters going through the same sort of shit that they've gone through in the last few books. A couple progress and evolve, but even while there are advances in the story, they don't feel quite as satisfying to me as in the previous books. I dunno. Maybe I'm developing expectations? I can't say. I'm hoping books 5 and 6 (when completed) are more dazzling.

And lest I forget the novellas...

• The Doors at Dusk and Dawn A story told long before Çeda's birth, but tied to her in an interesting way.
• Of Sand and Malice Made The ehrekh are creatures made by Goezhen, the god of chaos. They're nasty, immortal, and fascinated with humans. One living in Sharakhai finds itself fascinated with Çeda. Bad things happen.
• The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled After Of Sand and Malice Made, Brama the thief finds himself in an interesting position with relation to an ehrekh. Poor guy.
• A Wasteland of my God's own Making A story of one of Çeda's teachers. A love story, really.
• In the Village where Brightwine Flows Dardzada the apocathery helped raise Çeda and was a sort of (horrible) surrogate father to her. He gets his moment to shine in a short story.

Overall, I am simply in awe of Beaulieu's imagination, prose, and all that he's created. This series is awesome. Even though I'm slightly underwhelmed by book 4, it's still head and shoulders better than most stuff I've read recently. I think Beaulieu's fast becoming my favorite fantasy author. And, unlike others (Rothfuss, Martin, Butcher), he seems to show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Hopefully I didn't just jinx things by saying that.