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justkentbob's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Excellent sword and sorcery fiction.
mferrante83's review
5.0
In 8th Century Baghdad the Captain of the Jaffar’s Royal Guard, Asim and the scholar Dabir are dispatched to uncover the mystery of a rune inscribed relic. The Desert of Souls by Black Gate editor Howard Andrew Jones is a fresh look at the sword and sorcery genre in a Arabic setting full of vibrant characters, dastardly villains, and strange landscapes. As Minsc said best: “Adventure, excitement, and steel on steel.” This is also Jones’ first novel and is perhaps one of the best debuts, likely the best debut, I’ve read since Ian Treglis’ Bitter Seeds last year. The Desert of Souls is, in a word, awesome. I don’t mean awesome in the colloquial sense that awesome has come to embody in recent years (though to be fair that applies as well). No, rather I mean that literally. The Desert of Souls does what the sword and sorcery (hell, any fantasy) story should: it inspires awe.
The adventure opens with a discussion about a dead parrot. A dead, possibly poisoned parrot. Not the most auspicious of openings for an adventure but Jones handles it deftly letting readers tag along in Asim’s head thus allowing for some humorous commentary on the disposition of said parrot. Thankfully this is not a novel about the mystery surrounding a parrot’s death (though I have to wonder if someone really did poison the parrot since the question is never answered). Rather, Jones uses the scene to segue into Asim’s suggestion that Jaffer venture out into the city undisguised more as a distraction than anything else. That the magical mystery that later ensues is in fact a diversion from a diversion is a thread that gets lost as the excitement of the adventure as our heroes plunge onward. That a writer can move from a dead parrot to a magical adventure involving a rogue Zaroastian Magician, alternate worlds, and ancient entities without really causing any eyebrow raising is perhaps the best indications that said writer is going to go far.
So moving beyond dead parrots the stoic and honorable Captain Asim and the well-educated and extremely resourceful Dabir set forth on the trail of a magical door pull facing the threat of a fire wielding magician, undead monkeys, and the complications of a forbidden romance with Jaffar’s niece. Gluing the whole story together, and often serving as an added complication for our heroes, is an unexpected prophecy from Baghdad fortune teller. The real glue is Jones’ adept use of the setting. While he admits in his afterward that historical liberties and outright inventions were taken Jones’ vision of an 8th century Arabian setting where magic is real is one that consistently rings true. From the darkened streets of Baghdad, to a trip down the river, to the ancient ruins of a long lost city Jones conveys a sense of magic to his realistic settings and, when it comes to the titular desert, a sense of reality to his magical ones.
I don’t want to spoil things too much but Asim and Dabir’s journey into the Desert is perhaps my favorite part of the novel and particularly their negotiation, conversation, and eventual confrontation with the entity that resides there are fresh in my mind. It is a scene that reveal much about the characters and the world they inhabit while at the same time exciting the imagination reader right be before thrilling them with some intense action. I really couldn’t ask for more in any single scene of a novel. Keep in mind The Desert of Souls is not like other modern fantasies. There is a decidedly old-school vibe here that hearkens back to the Howard, Lieber, Moore and the countless other sword and sorcery fantasists. At the same time there is a freshness here that is difficult to place. Yes, we’re on familiar ground but it familiar ground that feels exciting to explore once more. As I mentioned you’ll be hard pressed to find a debut as accomplished as The Desert of Souls. This is some top notch fantasy adventure fiction that will put a grin on your face. I want more. I had delayed this review (more than once) because well I didn’t really want to gush. See how well that worked!
The adventure opens with a discussion about a dead parrot. A dead, possibly poisoned parrot. Not the most auspicious of openings for an adventure but Jones handles it deftly letting readers tag along in Asim’s head thus allowing for some humorous commentary on the disposition of said parrot. Thankfully this is not a novel about the mystery surrounding a parrot’s death (though I have to wonder if someone really did poison the parrot since the question is never answered). Rather, Jones uses the scene to segue into Asim’s suggestion that Jaffer venture out into the city undisguised more as a distraction than anything else. That the magical mystery that later ensues is in fact a diversion from a diversion is a thread that gets lost as the excitement of the adventure as our heroes plunge onward. That a writer can move from a dead parrot to a magical adventure involving a rogue Zaroastian Magician, alternate worlds, and ancient entities without really causing any eyebrow raising is perhaps the best indications that said writer is going to go far.
So moving beyond dead parrots the stoic and honorable Captain Asim and the well-educated and extremely resourceful Dabir set forth on the trail of a magical door pull facing the threat of a fire wielding magician, undead monkeys, and the complications of a forbidden romance with Jaffar’s niece. Gluing the whole story together, and often serving as an added complication for our heroes, is an unexpected prophecy from Baghdad fortune teller. The real glue is Jones’ adept use of the setting. While he admits in his afterward that historical liberties and outright inventions were taken Jones’ vision of an 8th century Arabian setting where magic is real is one that consistently rings true. From the darkened streets of Baghdad, to a trip down the river, to the ancient ruins of a long lost city Jones conveys a sense of magic to his realistic settings and, when it comes to the titular desert, a sense of reality to his magical ones.
I don’t want to spoil things too much but Asim and Dabir’s journey into the Desert is perhaps my favorite part of the novel and particularly their negotiation, conversation, and eventual confrontation with the entity that resides there are fresh in my mind. It is a scene that reveal much about the characters and the world they inhabit while at the same time exciting the imagination reader right be before thrilling them with some intense action. I really couldn’t ask for more in any single scene of a novel. Keep in mind The Desert of Souls is not like other modern fantasies. There is a decidedly old-school vibe here that hearkens back to the Howard, Lieber, Moore and the countless other sword and sorcery fantasists. At the same time there is a freshness here that is difficult to place. Yes, we’re on familiar ground but it familiar ground that feels exciting to explore once more. As I mentioned you’ll be hard pressed to find a debut as accomplished as The Desert of Souls. This is some top notch fantasy adventure fiction that will put a grin on your face. I want more. I had delayed this review (more than once) because well I didn’t really want to gush. See how well that worked!
itabar's review
3.0
Fun adventure, but not compelling. Admittedly I'm in a reading slump, so that might be why I didn't find it compelling.
gmvader's review
5.0
Some stories can seem refreshing just by taking a familiar idea and showing it to us in a new way.
Howard Andrew Jones has taken the Sword and Sorcery adventures of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber and dropped them into the middle of eight century Middle East.
What comes out is a cross between a Sherlock Holmes mystery and the Prince of Persia.
Asim is the captain of the guard for Jaffar — friend and confidant of the Caliph. When two priceless door pulls are stolen from Jaffar Asim is sent along with his friend Dabir, the scholar, to find them and bring them back.
Asim is not simple but he is not complicated either. He does not understand subtlety and rarely thinks things through logically. Dabir on the other hand is the story’s detective. He puzzles through the problems, formulates plans and acts on them. The two of them work together like a well-oiled machine. Dabir plots and Asim fights and between the two of them there is little that they can’t overcome.
The result is one of the most delightful tales that I have read in a long time. Asim isn’t stupid (though he isn’t particularly smart, either) and many of his insights are genuinely thought provoking. His story unfolds so smoothly and with such practiced skill that I have a hard time believing this is the author’s first published novel.
The action scenes are done just right, with the perfect amount of detail to imagine the fights and leave some up to the imagination. The slow parts come in the perfect places, allowing the characters and reader to rest for short periods before diving back into the plot of intrigue and sorcery.
Mostly, however, what sells this book is Asim. He is an outstanding character. Devoted to Allah, devoted to his oaths and his friends and willing to admit when he is wrong. He is also one of the most honest and believable heroes in fiction.
I’m already looking for the next one.
Howard Andrew Jones has taken the Sword and Sorcery adventures of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber and dropped them into the middle of eight century Middle East.
What comes out is a cross between a Sherlock Holmes mystery and the Prince of Persia.
Asim is the captain of the guard for Jaffar — friend and confidant of the Caliph. When two priceless door pulls are stolen from Jaffar Asim is sent along with his friend Dabir, the scholar, to find them and bring them back.
Asim is not simple but he is not complicated either. He does not understand subtlety and rarely thinks things through logically. Dabir on the other hand is the story’s detective. He puzzles through the problems, formulates plans and acts on them. The two of them work together like a well-oiled machine. Dabir plots and Asim fights and between the two of them there is little that they can’t overcome.
The result is one of the most delightful tales that I have read in a long time. Asim isn’t stupid (though he isn’t particularly smart, either) and many of his insights are genuinely thought provoking. His story unfolds so smoothly and with such practiced skill that I have a hard time believing this is the author’s first published novel.
The action scenes are done just right, with the perfect amount of detail to imagine the fights and leave some up to the imagination. The slow parts come in the perfect places, allowing the characters and reader to rest for short periods before diving back into the plot of intrigue and sorcery.
Mostly, however, what sells this book is Asim. He is an outstanding character. Devoted to Allah, devoted to his oaths and his friends and willing to admit when he is wrong. He is also one of the most honest and believable heroes in fiction.
I’m already looking for the next one.
ayaha's review
4.0
This was a pretty enjoyable read! I love the characters, they're all complex and have cool quirks and I felt like I knew them well while I was reading. The narrator, Asim, is hilarious, and he's also sincere and blunt and honest as a narrator, which makes him very likeable. The plot is pretty good, too, and the historical atmosphere of 8th century Baghdad was pretty cool, from the scholarship to the trading goods to the bureaucracies between caliphs/qadis/viziers/eunuchs, and even the women in society (I love the nerdy, adventurous Sabirah!). I also like how real historical figures featured as side characters, like Haroun al-Rashid, his vizier Jaffar the Barmakid, etc.
Also, though I worried about this before reading, the characters' religiosity was handled surprisingly well! Islam was not villainized nor romanticized, it was just acknowledged as a part of the characters' lives with frequent mentions of them making time to pray, listening to the athan, asking Allah to help when faced with a tricky scenario. It was neither overemphasized nor completely ignored, which was perfect for this type of story.
There are a lot of action scenes (to be expected, since it is an action-adventure story after all) and I found myself growing bored at first, but this got better as the story progressed and the action was sprinkled with more reflective scenes in between that pushed character development well.
So, in conclusion, if you're interested in an Arabian Nights-flavored historical fantasy set in Abbasid Baghdad with sword fights and monsters and diverse characters and a likeable narrator, I'd recommend it!
Also, though I worried about this before reading, the characters' religiosity was handled surprisingly well! Islam was not villainized nor romanticized, it was just acknowledged as a part of the characters' lives with frequent mentions of them making time to pray, listening to the athan, asking Allah to help when faced with a tricky scenario. It was neither overemphasized nor completely ignored, which was perfect for this type of story.
There are a lot of action scenes (to be expected, since it is an action-adventure story after all) and I found myself growing bored at first, but this got better as the story progressed and the action was sprinkled with more reflective scenes in between that pushed character development well.
So, in conclusion, if you're interested in an Arabian Nights-flavored historical fantasy set in Abbasid Baghdad with sword fights and monsters and diverse characters and a likeable narrator, I'd recommend it!
dancingprince's review
3.0
Pretty good overall. An intricate and compelling plot, but the almost academic-sounding writing style renders this story inaccessible to many readers. An acquired taste, not particularly my favorite, although the talent of the author is evident.
patrickkanouse's review against another edition
4.0
Howard Jones has crafted a heck of a story, weaving magic, science, swashbuckling, adventure, and, most importantly, character into this tale of Dabir and Asim. The classic buddy tale with a twist and set in Abbasid Caliphate. The pace is expertly handled, never seeming to slow but never seeming to move too quickly. Read it and enjoy!
maecave15's review against another edition
4.0
Very enjoyable! I like the magic woven so easily into the story, and the main characters are quite likable. The character relationship development between Dabir and Asim, and even Hamil, was well written and I enjoyed their friendship. It is also quite a nice change to read a book where a love story is not the main plot. I only wish to know how Sabirah is doing. I think Sabirah should have her own story after the end of this book. Maybe about how she deals with her current situation and hopefully how she continues her studies.