Also known as Twelve Kings (UK edition). Click here to see UK cover image.
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai is the exciting new Arabian Nights-inspired epic fantasy from the critically acclaimed author of The Lays of Anuskaya.
In Sharakhai's cramped west end, Çeda fights in the pits to scrape a living. Like so many in the city, she prays for the downfall of the twelve immortal Kings, but the very thought of a lone woman putting an end to their cruel ways feels ludicrous. This all changes when she defies Kings’ law to go out on Beht Zha’ir, the holy night when all are forbidden from walking the streets. It’s the night the asirim — the powerful, undying remnants of heroes that have long protected the Kings — wander the city and take tribute. That night, one of the asirim, a pitiful vestige of a man wearing rags and a golden crown, stops Çeda and whispers long-forgotten words in her ear. Çeda has heard those words before, in a book left to her by her mother, and it is through that one peculiar link that she begins to unwind the hidden riddles of her heritage.
As Çeda digs deeper into the origins of the asirim, she realizes that understanding the Kings’ pact with the desert gods, the dark bargain that created the asirim long ago, may provide a way of breaking the iron grip the Kings have had over Sharakhai once and for all. And yet the Kings are no fools — they’ve ruled the desert for four hundred years for good reason, and they have not been idle. As Çeda unearths more of their past, and the Kings come closer to unmasking her, Çeda must decide if she’s ready to face them.
Total ratings: 3
Bradley P. Beaulieu began writing his first fantasy novel in college, but in the way of these things, it was set aside as life 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 several novels and learning under the guidance of writers like Nancy Kress, Joe Haldeman, Tim Powers, Holly Black, Michael Swanwick, Kij Johnson, and many more.
Brad and his novels have garnered many accolades and most anticipated lists, including two Hotties - the Debut of the Year and Best New Voice - on Pat's Fantasy ... (more)
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