You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
ANNNND we are back! Back to one of my favorite settings in a fantasy world. The Ashfire King is book two in The Sandsea Trilogy. The first book The Stardust Thief was by far one of my favorite fantasy books that came out in 2022 so this was long awaited and highly anticipated. Something I really wish I did was reread this first one! Luckily as I did start reading this it did start coming back to me more. As I a a voracious reader and tend to consume a lot of books sometimes it is har for me to recall everything.
The Ashfire King basically picks up were we left off. I loved how it started! The opener had me laughing. I loved it when books open with the types of lines this one did. We find that Louie, Mazen and Rijah are all now in a “foreign land” The jinn city of Dhahahb is where they are going. And this city is sinking.
I feel that the traveling to this change of scenery and going back and forth between our three major POVs, Louie, Mazen, and Aisha, kept everything flowing pretty easily and had me not wanting to put the book down…even when I had to.
I loved that we got to see carpet riding and there was still continuous world building. The characters to me were still very well done. I really want to grab the audiobooks of book 1 and this one and listen to them as I feel the immersive experience will make it all that much better for myself.
Overall this was still very fun to read and easy to get lost in. I can’t wait for the third and final installment.
Thank you Orbit for the complimentary advance reader copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own!!
The Ashfire King basically picks up were we left off. I loved how it started! The opener had me laughing. I loved it when books open with the types of lines this one did. We find that Louie, Mazen and Rijah are all now in a “foreign land” The jinn city of Dhahahb is where they are going. And this city is sinking.
I feel that the traveling to this change of scenery and going back and forth between our three major POVs, Louie, Mazen, and Aisha, kept everything flowing pretty easily and had me not wanting to put the book down…even when I had to.
I loved that we got to see carpet riding and there was still continuous world building. The characters to me were still very well done. I really want to grab the audiobooks of book 1 and this one and listen to them as I feel the immersive experience will make it all that much better for myself.
Overall this was still very fun to read and easy to get lost in. I can’t wait for the third and final installment.
Thank you Orbit for the complimentary advance reader copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own!!
The Ashfire King is the hottly anticipated sequel of The Sandsea Trilogy.
As soon as I received the arc, I was unavailable and my phone on DND!
The book kicks off with a recap of what happened in book 1, just to allow us to get right back into the rich atmosphere Chelsea Abdullah has created for us. We reconnect with our old friends, meet some new characters - all whilst exploring some personal insights and growth of our friends.
The story just gets better, page after page. Steeped in rich Arabic Folklore and Myths - the plot intricately weaves those into the story.
I am trying to find the right words to tell you how amazing this sequel was, without spoiling anything. However, so many little pieces are going to come together in the most satisfying way, that me telling you tid bits may give it away.
This has been a truly satisfying, heart warming, heart pounding adventure and if you enjoy being on an emotional rollercoaster (the good kind) this book is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to embark on this adventure with our friends.
As soon as I received the arc, I was unavailable and my phone on DND!
The book kicks off with a recap of what happened in book 1, just to allow us to get right back into the rich atmosphere Chelsea Abdullah has created for us. We reconnect with our old friends, meet some new characters - all whilst exploring some personal insights and growth of our friends.
The story just gets better, page after page. Steeped in rich Arabic Folklore and Myths - the plot intricately weaves those into the story.
I am trying to find the right words to tell you how amazing this sequel was, without spoiling anything. However, so many little pieces are going to come together in the most satisfying way, that me telling you tid bits may give it away.
This has been a truly satisfying, heart warming, heart pounding adventure and if you enjoy being on an emotional rollercoaster (the good kind) this book is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to embark on this adventure with our friends.
Our main characters are separated as the story continues—Loulie and Mazen to the world of the jinn beneath the Sandsea and Aisha aboveground.
I liked the world building, magic systems, and character development—especially of Loulie and Aisha—in this one but wish we had gotten to spend more time with Qadir who is (understandably) absent for much of the second book.
My favorite new characters in this book were Azhar and Duha. They both made me smile in different ways.
I agree with other readers when they say that this is very much a middle book (which I did still enjoy) and look forward to seeing the epic conclusion in book 3.
I received an advance copy of the book from Orbit Books. All review opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I devoured book one in this series and was on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel. It was well worth the wait! The Ashfire King was an exciting and well constructed next chapter in this trilogy. The story was so intricately built and the weaving storylines came together in such a nice way!
I loved seeing more of this world and loved jumping between the jinn and human realms. We meet so many fascinating new complex characters, while our other characters continue to shine, which adds rich layers to the overall story.
If you loved the first book, absolutely pick up the second book. I am now eagerly awaiting the third. I thought that this book was a solid representation of a key second book in a trilogy, the pacing was excellent and the overall story is amazing.
If you love fantasy this book is a must read! Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Note: I received an advance review copy in exchange for honest feedback.
I gave this book the same rating as [b:The Stardust Thief|58950705|The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy, #1)|Chelsea Abdullah|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636396304l/58950705._SY75_.jpg|91801906], but for very different reasons. The sense of wonder from book 1 wasn’t *quite* there, but I was happy that the characters were more fleshed-out, and their relationships more thoroughly explored. I loved that there were multiple villains, and that atonement was a major theme. I also loved some of the new characters, like Amina and Rijah, but disliked how “on the nose” the feminism aspect was (females are strong and fearless! males are cowards!). I was also annoyed by the scattered plot with too many side quests as well as the inconsistent and confusing expanded lore. Above all, I felt like most of the book was simply filler action: bad decisions leading to consequences. I kept zoning out while reading and was fed up with Loulie or Mazen going like “I have an idea” and everyone just going along without question. This type of behaviour could be expected from twenty-something humans… but century-old magical beings...? If the characters had communicated and planned, the book would have been 75% shorter… and that’s saying a lot.
Pros and cons of the series so far:
❤️ Rich worldbuilding and intriguing lore
❤️ Strong female characters
❤️ In-page stories
❤️ Action sequences
❌ Too many Arabic terms
❌ Meh MMC
❌ Repetitive use of cliché phrases
❌ Pacing issues
❌ Lots of telling vs. showing
Trigger warnings for the series: violence, death and murder (parent, child, etc.), grief, blood and gore, injury and injury detail, torture, fire and fire injury, genocide, physical and emotional abuse, kidnapping and confinement, toxic relationship, war, sexism and misogyny, animal death, panic attacks/disorders, hate crimes, slavery, sexual assault, etc.
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
I gave this book the same rating as [b:The Stardust Thief|58950705|The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy, #1)|Chelsea Abdullah|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636396304l/58950705._SY75_.jpg|91801906], but for very different reasons. The sense of wonder from book 1 wasn’t *quite* there, but I was happy that the characters were more fleshed-out, and their relationships more thoroughly explored. I loved that there were multiple villains, and that atonement was a major theme. I also loved some of the new characters, like Amina and Rijah, but disliked how “on the nose” the feminism aspect was (females are strong and fearless! males are cowards!). I was also annoyed by the scattered plot with too many side quests as well as the inconsistent and confusing expanded lore. Above all, I felt like most of the book was simply filler action: bad decisions leading to consequences. I kept zoning out while reading and was fed up with Loulie or Mazen going like “I have an idea” and everyone just going along without question. This type of behaviour could be expected from twenty-something humans… but century-old magical beings...? If the characters had communicated and planned, the book would have been 75% shorter… and that’s saying a lot.
Pros and cons of the series so far:
❤️ Rich worldbuilding and intriguing lore
❤️ Strong female characters
❤️ In-page stories
❤️ Action sequences
❌ Too many Arabic terms
❌ Meh MMC
❌ Repetitive use of cliché phrases
❌ Pacing issues
❌ Lots of telling vs. showing
Trigger warnings for the series: violence, death and murder (parent, child, etc.), grief, blood and gore, injury and injury detail, torture, fire and fire injury, genocide, physical and emotional abuse, kidnapping and confinement, toxic relationship, war, sexism and misogyny, animal death, panic attacks/disorders, hate crimes, slavery, sexual assault, etc.
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The second book in the Sandsea trilogy is just as expertly crafted and actioned-packed as the first! With skillful world building and mythology, this novel was a definite page-turner. The high stakes adventures were equal parts satisfying and gut wrenching. I can't wait for the third installment!
Oh, we're SO back.
The Ashfire King picks up almost right where The Stardust Thief left off, with a very helpful recap to kick off the book (please, authors and publishers, normalize this, I'm begging you). While it had been three years since I had read the first book, it didn't take me long at all to be swept back into this world.
You can tell that Chelsea Abdullah has put effort into the world and, more than that, that she really loves the world. It's so vast, so thought-out, and I love how these books span so much of it.
We once again get lots of folklore - which, be still, my heart. I loved the lore, and how much we learned in this book. I'm sure book three is going to absolutely fuck me upside the head and I am ready (???) for it.
However, as good as all of that is, the standout remains the characters. When you get multiple POV characters, they're often not all created equally, and - okay, Loulie and Aisha remain my favourite POVs, but they're all very, very strong. The characters are complex, they grow, they're engaging to read, and this applies to supporting characters as well.
A very strong second book in a very strong Arabic folklore-inspired epic fantasy trilogy. I don't know what the third book is called or when it will be released, but I do know that I would die for it.
Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.
The Ashfire King picks up almost right where The Stardust Thief left off, with a very helpful recap to kick off the book (please, authors and publishers, normalize this, I'm begging you). While it had been three years since I had read the first book, it didn't take me long at all to be swept back into this world.
You can tell that Chelsea Abdullah has put effort into the world and, more than that, that she really loves the world. It's so vast, so thought-out, and I love how these books span so much of it.
We once again get lots of folklore - which, be still, my heart. I loved the lore, and how much we learned in this book. I'm sure book three is going to absolutely fuck me upside the head and I am ready (???) for it.
However, as good as all of that is, the standout remains the characters. When you get multiple POV characters, they're often not all created equally, and - okay, Loulie and Aisha remain my favourite POVs, but they're all very, very strong. The characters are complex, they grow, they're engaging to read, and this applies to supporting characters as well.
A very strong second book in a very strong Arabic folklore-inspired epic fantasy trilogy. I don't know what the third book is called or when it will be released, but I do know that I would die for it.
Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.
The softhearted Prince, Mazen, and the Midnight Merchant, Loulie, find themselves in the sunken jinn realm, a legendary place no human has ever set foot in.
Aisha—the thief who had betrayed, then saved them—stayed behind to carry out her revenge against the king who had lied to her.
<b>Remember, there is no such thing as a single truth. There are just the stories we tell others, and the ones we tell ourselves.
</b>
Quadir (my favourite) takes a step back in this book (one of my saddest gripes) and despite the big revelations, he is sidelined.
Despite loving book one, it was more action and plot focused then character-driven. In this instalment, we get to see characters (especially Mazen) develop as he reflects on himself and how others may have perceived him and what he wants.
<b>“I know what it’s like to keep living after losing everything,” she said softly. “It’s like sinking in the Sandsea. You don’t know when the end will come or if it will. And either way, it doesn’t matter, because there is no reprieve. You just sink and sink...” Her breathing hitched. “Until someone pulls you out and gives you a new purpose. But even then, the hole remains. You can build a new life around it, but it never fills. You continue living, but you never stop sinking.”</b>
Again, I have to shout out the short stories contained in this book. They are vivid despite being merely pages long. They have a tale quality that makes me want a mythology short story collection by the author.
I did want more badass Aisha moments, but she seems more unsure of herself following the betrayal of book one.
One thing I didn’t get - how does Mazen, the supposed pacifist, is suddenly great at fighting.
Arc gifted by Little Brown Book Group.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes