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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Another puzzle piece falls into place! I can't wait to get to A Veil Of Spears next!
Spoiler free part:
To be honest, the first part was a snooze there is something about the author's writing that makes the earlier parts of the book feel kinda slow or hard to read and the latter the exact opposite, because even though I am familiar with Sharakhai and the lore of the series( I have read all the 6 main books and this is just a novella between book 2 and 3) the book still felt a little hard to get into at first and I was supposed to read after reading the 2nd main books in the series, because the events that occurred here were referenced a lot in the latter books but I could not bring myself to abandon the latter books for anything so I had to keep this waiting till I finished the main series and after finishing the main series and reading this book, I have realised that it provides recontextualization for the other books I have read and despite the fact that I didn't read it when I was supposed to it makes sense and is still enjoyable anyways and I like the outlook this story gives to the whole series regardless especially how it showed the teenage experience of Ceda and her friends and her growing up unlike the other books which were based on her adult self and flashbacks to when she 7/8 in this book we get to experience her coming of age.
This is a story of free will,love and sacrifice(The overarching themes of the series in general) about how a human being(Çeda in this context ) constantly has to battle a supernatural Godlike being( Ehrekh) who preys on the stories and memories of people and seeks to takeover the protagonist's body and later in the series we are actually provided context that the Ehrekh(Rumayesh) did it for love in order to be with someone she loved yet in this story it tries to forcefully impose it's will on the protagonist(Çeda) and it almost suceeds but the love she has and her will to protect those closest to her grants her enough fortitude to withstand the Ehrekh and overcome it, it creates an internal conflict within her and greatly affects her mental health but the threat of seeing her loved ones suffer spurred her back to reality despite the offer of the Ehrekh to surrender seeming more pleasing, I also enjoyed how she had a mini breakdown from trying to get away from the taint of the Ehrekh and gets drunk and sleeps with another man but still cant get over it yet when she sees the person she loves most (this is me declaring that I am a big fan of Çemre(Corny ik) and their romance and how they are always there for each other although they were in denial about their feelings initially)get threatened she is immediately reminded of her will to protect those she loves.
I believe that the most important theme of the story is how strongly freewill prevails when you believe strongly in something and in the protagonist's case it was protecting the people important to her.
Non spoiler free part
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
Also, the foreshadowing this book does is very interesting,several themes and concepts that weren't fully explored until the last book in the early series were subtly referenced all over this book, a good example is the rocks in the desert where Meryam summoned Ashael(although it was mentioned/referenced in A Desert Torm Asunder multiple times that Adzin was exploring a different type of supernatural force and the ifin were used in like the 3rd book when Adzin helped Macide, Emre and co to escape and I had no idea about their detailed backstory then until Meryam went to summon Ashael and not even that did the type of justice that this book did, also we get a glimpse into Brama's backstory(knowing his character conclusion before reading his backstory makes it hurt 1000 more times btw) and how Rumayesh came to become entangled with Ceda and Brama and how it all started
To be honest, the first part was a snooze there is something about the author's writing that makes the earlier parts of the book feel kinda slow or hard to read and the latter the exact opposite, because even though I am familiar with Sharakhai and the lore of the series( I have read all the 6 main books and this is just a novella between book 2 and 3) the book still felt a little hard to get into at first and I was supposed to read after reading the 2nd main books in the series, because the events that occurred here were referenced a lot in the latter books but I could not bring myself to abandon the latter books for anything so I had to keep this waiting till I finished the main series and after finishing the main series and reading this book, I have realised that it provides recontextualization for the other books I have read and despite the fact that I didn't read it when I was supposed to it makes sense and is still enjoyable anyways and I like the outlook this story gives to the whole series regardless especially how it showed the teenage experience of Ceda and her friends and her growing up unlike the other books which were based on her adult self and flashbacks to when she 7/8 in this book we get to experience her coming of age.
This is a story of free will,love and sacrifice(The overarching themes of the series in general) about how a human being(Çeda in this context ) constantly has to battle a supernatural Godlike being( Ehrekh) who preys on the stories and memories of people and seeks to takeover the protagonist's body and later in the series we are actually provided context that the Ehrekh(Rumayesh) did it for love in order to be with someone she loved yet in this story it tries to forcefully impose it's will on the protagonist(Çeda) and it almost suceeds but the love she has and her will to protect those closest to her grants her enough fortitude to withstand the Ehrekh and overcome it, it creates an internal conflict within her and greatly affects her mental health but the threat of seeing her loved ones suffer spurred her back to reality despite the offer of the Ehrekh to surrender seeming more pleasing, I also enjoyed how she had a mini breakdown from trying to get away from the taint of the Ehrekh and gets drunk and sleeps with another man but still cant get over it yet when she sees the person she loves most (this is me declaring that I am a big fan of Çemre(Corny ik) and their romance and how they are always there for each other although they were in denial about their feelings initially)get threatened she is immediately reminded of her will to protect those she loves.
I believe that the most important theme of the story is how strongly freewill prevails when you believe strongly in something and in the protagonist's case it was protecting the people important to her.
Non spoiler free part
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
*spoilers for a Desert Torn Asunder and a Veil of Spears*
Also, the foreshadowing this book does is very interesting,several themes and concepts that weren't fully explored until the last book in the early series were subtly referenced all over this book, a good example is the rocks in the desert where Meryam summoned Ashael(although it was mentioned/referenced in A Desert Torm Asunder multiple times that Adzin was exploring a different type of supernatural force and the ifin were used in like the 3rd book when Adzin helped Macide, Emre and co to escape and I had no idea about their detailed backstory then until Meryam went to summon Ashael and not even that did the type of justice that this book did, also we get a glimpse into Brama's backstory(knowing his character conclusion before reading his backstory makes it hurt 1000 more times btw) and how Rumayesh came to become entangled with Ceda and Brama and how it all started
4.5*s Loved this! I'm really enjoying this series. I can't wait to continue to book 2.
Review - https://chapterswelove.com/2017/06/10/ofsandandmalicemadeashatteredsandnovelbybradleyp-beaulieu/
Review - https://chapterswelove.com/2017/06/10/ofsandandmalicemadeashatteredsandnovelbybradleyp-beaulieu/
Written as a prequel to the Twelve Kings series. I haven't read any of his other material so the characters were new to me and therefore, spoiler free.
Three interwoven tales tell us of Ceda, a pit-fighter who doubles as a runner for her dodgy boss. This reminded me a little of the Bel Dame trilogy particularly with a desert setting but the stories are dis-similar.
There is a djinn-like character who fixates on Ceda and the story quickly escalates.
Three interwoven tales tell us of Ceda, a pit-fighter who doubles as a runner for her dodgy boss. This reminded me a little of the Bel Dame trilogy particularly with a desert setting but the stories are dis-similar.
There is a djinn-like character who fixates on Ceda and the story quickly escalates.
I haven't read the novel that this is a prequel to, but I'm going to rectify that at some point soon.
This novella is made up of three interlinked stories with Çeda, a young pit fighter with a dark past, and her interactions with Rümayesh, an ehrekh, a demonic/djinn like creature.
By this point Çeda has already made a name for herself as the White Wolf, fighting in the pits, but she also works for her handler Osman doing various criminal work. Unfortunately her exploits of attracted the notice of Rümayesh and after she handles their first encounter "notice" escalates to obsession.
Excellent world-building with a desert city flavor and a compelling protagonist.
This novella is made up of three interlinked stories with Çeda, a young pit fighter with a dark past, and her interactions with Rümayesh, an ehrekh, a demonic/djinn like creature.
By this point Çeda has already made a name for herself as the White Wolf, fighting in the pits, but she also works for her handler Osman doing various criminal work. Unfortunately her exploits of attracted the notice of Rümayesh and after she handles their first encounter "notice" escalates to obsession.
Excellent world-building with a desert city flavor and a compelling protagonist.
I picked this up on a lark after the cover grabbed my eye and the title intrigued me. Glad I did. . .this was a great intro into an Arabian-esque fantasy world that I'm looking forward to getting more of.
I really enjoyed this novella and Ceda’s adventure with an ehrekh. It explained a few more things about the world and I enjoyed Brama’s character. I’m so excited to start book two 😍😍
Of Sand and Malice Made is a short prequel to the fantasy novel, Twelve Kings of Sharakhai (which I have not yet read) and follows the heroine of that book, Çeda.
Going in, I thought Of Sand and Malice Made was a novella (it’s only 175 pages). As it turns out, the format is closer to three highly related short stories. Çeda, a young pit fighter in the arena, crosses the path of an ehrekh, Rümayesh. The ehrekh is a creature made long ago by the god of chaos, and this one is living in Sharakhai, stealing human’s memories.
Perhaps it was the nature of the book’s format with its three different parts, but I had a lot of trouble with the pacing. For such a short book, it took me an unusually long time to finish. I would read a few pages and end up putting it down, sometimes to read something else. If I hadn’t intended on finishing it for a review, I likely would have quit less than halfway in.
I never got much of a feel for Çeda or the other characters. Çeda felt like she was often reacting to the plot instead of driving it, and I would have liked to see more of what motivates her outside of her reactions to specific plot points.
The most intriguing thing about the book was the world building, but it can be hard to read something solely for the world. There’s hints at some interesting mythology, and the city did manage to feel vivid and lifelike for such a short book. If there’s one good thing that came out of reading Of Sand and Malice Made, it’s that I’m now more likely to finally getting around to checking the full length novel out of the library.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC of Of Sand and Malice Made from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Going in, I thought Of Sand and Malice Made was a novella (it’s only 175 pages). As it turns out, the format is closer to three highly related short stories. Çeda, a young pit fighter in the arena, crosses the path of an ehrekh, Rümayesh. The ehrekh is a creature made long ago by the god of chaos, and this one is living in Sharakhai, stealing human’s memories.
Perhaps it was the nature of the book’s format with its three different parts, but I had a lot of trouble with the pacing. For such a short book, it took me an unusually long time to finish. I would read a few pages and end up putting it down, sometimes to read something else. If I hadn’t intended on finishing it for a review, I likely would have quit less than halfway in.
I never got much of a feel for Çeda or the other characters. Çeda felt like she was often reacting to the plot instead of driving it, and I would have liked to see more of what motivates her outside of her reactions to specific plot points.
The most intriguing thing about the book was the world building, but it can be hard to read something solely for the world. There’s hints at some interesting mythology, and the city did manage to feel vivid and lifelike for such a short book. If there’s one good thing that came out of reading Of Sand and Malice Made, it’s that I’m now more likely to finally getting around to checking the full length novel out of the library.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC of Of Sand and Malice Made from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Definitely wasn’t what I expected. After reading the blurb I was excited to read about the youngest pit fighter in Sharakhai only there wasn’t so much pit fighting as running all over the desert trying to escape from a demonic being who becomes fixated on Ceda.
Ceda is 15 when the story begins and it starts off with her picking a fight with someone who – in the beginning – gives off a secondary character kinda vibe, almost filler but ends up being an integral part of the story later on. Brama had apparently stolen a purse that Ceda wad tasked to collect and Ceda decided she’d rather fight him than find the purse. That came across as quite juvenile particularly when her “boss” pointed out the same thing that I thought.
The story progresses pretty slowly for the first 60 or 70 pages where it does eventually improve but there’s a distinctly Middle Eastern vibe to this story. It’s sort of like a twisted sci-fi type of Aladdin story.
The pit fighting is few and far between and for a character who is called the White Wolf I would have preferred a little more fighting and a little less talking but the steroidal like properties to the flower petals is amazingly unique, I don’t think I’ve ever read that in a book so kudos to that.
The writing style was a touch different to what I’m used to but it was written quite well. As mentioned above there was a distinctly Middle Eastern vibe to this story and the descriptions of the desert and other areas in Sharakhai were beautifully written and it almost made me feel like I was back on holiday in Egypt which was a lovely experience.
The concept of Rumayesh was really good – a semi corrupt demonic type being who overtakes the body of her “chosen” one – and Rumayesh took an awful big shine to Ceda which is where the story basically followed. Now having not read Twelve Kings I am completely unable to comment on how the story progresses in that book but the plot line in this novella was drawing to the mind and the descriptions of what was happening were very good.
Apart from my initial dubious feeling and the subsequent lack of pit – fighting for a story based on a pit-fighter I did enjoy Of Sand and Malice Made but I don’t think that it is entirely my thing and I don’t think I’d be continuing the story anytime soon though I do look forward to seeing where this novella leads.
Ceda is 15 when the story begins and it starts off with her picking a fight with someone who – in the beginning – gives off a secondary character kinda vibe, almost filler but ends up being an integral part of the story later on. Brama had apparently stolen a purse that Ceda wad tasked to collect and Ceda decided she’d rather fight him than find the purse. That came across as quite juvenile particularly when her “boss” pointed out the same thing that I thought.
The story progresses pretty slowly for the first 60 or 70 pages where it does eventually improve but there’s a distinctly Middle Eastern vibe to this story. It’s sort of like a twisted sci-fi type of Aladdin story.
The pit fighting is few and far between and for a character who is called the White Wolf I would have preferred a little more fighting and a little less talking but the steroidal like properties to the flower petals is amazingly unique, I don’t think I’ve ever read that in a book so kudos to that.
The writing style was a touch different to what I’m used to but it was written quite well. As mentioned above there was a distinctly Middle Eastern vibe to this story and the descriptions of the desert and other areas in Sharakhai were beautifully written and it almost made me feel like I was back on holiday in Egypt which was a lovely experience.
The concept of Rumayesh was really good – a semi corrupt demonic type being who overtakes the body of her “chosen” one – and Rumayesh took an awful big shine to Ceda which is where the story basically followed. Now having not read Twelve Kings I am completely unable to comment on how the story progresses in that book but the plot line in this novella was drawing to the mind and the descriptions of what was happening were very good.
Apart from my initial dubious feeling and the subsequent lack of pit – fighting for a story based on a pit-fighter I did enjoy Of Sand and Malice Made but I don’t think that it is entirely my thing and I don’t think I’d be continuing the story anytime soon though I do look forward to seeing where this novella leads.
