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onbeesbookshelf 's review for:
Of Sand and Malice Made
by Bradley P. Beaulieu
I didn't realise this was a prequel when I first picked it up, but now I'm definitely looking forward to getting the other titles in the series. Because I hadn't been aware of the other books, I didn't have any idea what this story was about going in but it was very easy to pick up a feel for the setting and the characters.
Çeda is a young girl in Sharakhai, and an accomplished pit fighter. But when a ehrekh named Rümayesh grows fond of her, she's in more danger than she'd ever have imagined. The ehrekh can steal dreams and thoughts and completely consume a person. As Rümayesh entangles herself into Cedas life, Ceda must decide to help her to free herself, or deal with the torment of living under her spell, all while fighting the growing temptation to allow herself to give in and love Rümayesh back.
It's beautifully written, the setting is vivid and the relationships between the characters is complex and full of chemistry. The magic written into the plot is subtle and not overdone, and the story keeps building suspense that makes you want to keep reading just one more page.
Some parts of this story follow the conventional Arabian-nights style / dystopian style that I expected, but it has its own unique take on the myths and legends that it tells. I found myself wishing we had a bit more information about Ceda in this story, as I felt her description felt somewhat unfinished - but this could also be because Ceda is young is this story and hasn't developed into the character of the following stories.
Some places felt a bit slow in contrast to the high suspense that made me keep turning the pages, and I could have used a bit more information on the creatures that inhabited Sharakhai, but it's still interesting without this.
All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Çeda is a young girl in Sharakhai, and an accomplished pit fighter. But when a ehrekh named Rümayesh grows fond of her, she's in more danger than she'd ever have imagined. The ehrekh can steal dreams and thoughts and completely consume a person. As Rümayesh entangles herself into Cedas life, Ceda must decide to help her to free herself, or deal with the torment of living under her spell, all while fighting the growing temptation to allow herself to give in and love Rümayesh back.
It's beautifully written, the setting is vivid and the relationships between the characters is complex and full of chemistry. The magic written into the plot is subtle and not overdone, and the story keeps building suspense that makes you want to keep reading just one more page.
Some parts of this story follow the conventional Arabian-nights style / dystopian style that I expected, but it has its own unique take on the myths and legends that it tells. I found myself wishing we had a bit more information about Ceda in this story, as I felt her description felt somewhat unfinished - but this could also be because Ceda is young is this story and hasn't developed into the character of the following stories.
Some places felt a bit slow in contrast to the high suspense that made me keep turning the pages, and I could have used a bit more information on the creatures that inhabited Sharakhai, but it's still interesting without this.
All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.