The Flames of Shadam Khoreh (The Lays of Anuskaya)
Read The Flames of Shadam Khoreh (The Lays of Anuskaya) Online
Authors: Bradley Beaulieu
The Flames of Shadam Khoreh
© 2013 by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Cover art by Aaron J. Riley
© 2013
Cover design by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Interior art by Evgeni Maloshenkov © 2013
Maps by William McAusland
Author photo by Joanne M. Beaulieu
Edited by Ross E. Lockhart
All rights reserved.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
First Edition
ISBN:
978-1-93964-906-5 (pbk.)
ISBN:
978-1-93964-907-2 (epub)
ISBN:
978-1-93964-908-9 (Kindle)
Visit the author on the web at
http://www.quillings.com
Also by Bradley P. Beaulieu
The Lays of Anuskaya
The Winds of Khalakovo
The Straits of Galahesh
The Flames of Shadam Khoreh
Short Story Collections
Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten & Other Stories
Novellas
Strata
(with Stephen Gaskell)
Forthcoming in 2014 from DAW Books
The Song of the Shattered Sands
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai
The Inverted Thorn
The Thirteenth Tribe
Praise for
The Winds of Khalakovo
“Well worth exploring… Beaulieu [depicts] a strange culture [with] a remarkable fantasy/magical reality feel.”
—
Glen Cook
, bestselling author of The Black Company
“Overlaid with the rich feel of Cyrillic culture, Beaulieu’s debut introduces a fascinating world of archipelagic realms and shamanic magic worked primarily by women. Verdict: Strong characters and a plot filled with tension and difficult choices make this a good option for fantasy fans.”
—
Library Journal
“Sailing ships of the sky! Bradley P. Beaulieu’s
The Winds of Khalakovo
is an energetic, swashbuckling novel with a distinctive flavor, a lush setting, and a plot filled with adventure, interesting characters, and intrigue. Exactly the kind of fantasy I like to read.”
—
Kevin J. Anderson
,
New York Times
bestselling author of The Saga of Seven Suns
“Elegantly crafted, refreshingly creative,
The Winds of Khalakovo
offers a compelling tale of men and women fighting to protect their world. Politics, faith, betrayal, sacrifice, and of course supernatural mystery—it’s all there, seamlessly combined in a tale driven by intelligent and passionate characters whose relationships and goals a reader can really care about. A great read!”
—
C. S. Friedman
, bestselling author of the Coldfire and Magister trilogies
“A page-turner with twists, turns and palpable danger...”
—
Paul Genesse
, author of
The Golden Cord
“In
The Winds of Khalakovo
Beaulieu navigates through a web of complex characters... dukes, duchesses, lovers, and more, while building a rich and intricate world thick with intrigue. He plots the course of Nikandr Iaroslov Khalakovo, a prince laden with disease and courtly responsibilities, and deftly brings the tale to a satisfying end that leaves the reader hungry for the next installment. Beaulieu is a writer that bears watching. I look forward to his next novel.”
—
Jean Rabe
,
USA Today
bestselling fantasy author
“Bradley P. Beaulieu is a welcome addition to the roster of new fantasy novelists.
The Winds of Khalakovo
is a sharp and original fantasy full of action, intrigue, romance, politics, mystery and magick, tons of magick. The boldly imagined new world and sharply drawn characters will pull you into
The Winds of Khalakovo
and won’t let you go until the last page.”
—
Michael A. Stackpole
, bestselling author of
I, Jedi
and
At the Queen’s Command
Praise for
The Straits of Galahesh
“Dark, ambitious, complex, populated with a great cast of characters that leap off the pages,
The Straits of Galahesh
is just what the doctor ordered if you are looking for a quality read that’s different from everything else on the market today.
The Winds of Khalakovo
turned out to be one of the very best SFF works of 2011. Somehow, Bradley P. Beaulieu has raised the bar even higher for this sequel, making
The Straits of Galahesh
a ‘must read’ speculative fiction title for 2012.”
—
Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
“If you’re the kind of reader who enjoys Steven Erikson’s approach of throwing readers into a setting without too much guidance and letting the story do the job of explaining the details as it progresses, you should have a great time getting to know this fantasy universe. While that happens, you’ll be treated to healthy doses of feudal and international politics, strong characters, unique magic, romance, spectacular battles on land and in the air, and a story that continues to broaden in scope. The Lays of Anuskaya is shaping up to be a fine fantasy trilogy.”
—
Tor.com
“Beaulieu presents a [...] vividly realized tale of heroes torn between duty and love.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“In the title to this review, I called
The Straits of Galahesh
a Russian Bear of a novel. Like
The Winds of Khalakovo
, this is a thick, dense secondary world fantasy that requires a full engagement from the reader to really get the best enjoyment out of. And yes, given the stakes, and the scope of the novel, this is definitely epic fantasy.”
—
The Functional Nerds
“If you read
The Winds of Khalakovo
, then you will want to read
The Straits of Galahesh
. If you haven’t, then buy and read them both. This one is full of excitement, suspense, and betrayal. Lots of betrayal, some intentional, some not. I’ve read a great deal of fantasy in the last year, and almost all of it was good to great.
The Straits of Galahesh
was one of the best.”
—
Adventures Fantastic
“Reading Bradley P. Beaulieu’s The Lays of Anuskaya series is like traveling through grand undiscovered country, being in a place that is familiar enough to understand and different enough to amaze. [...]
The Straits of Galahesh
continues the breakneck pace of a fight for an entire world, touched by passion, love, and loyalty. As a reader, almost every chapter added to my sense of wonder and realization. I can’t recommend this fabulous fantasy series highly enough. Read it.”
—
Brenda Cooper
, author of
The Creative Fire
and
Mayan December
“With
The Straits of Galahesh
, Beaulieu returns to the vibrant fantasy he introduced in
The Winds of Khalakovo
. A gritty book packed with big ideas and Byzantine politics, and inhabited by compellingly flawed heroes,
Straits
is the sort of fully realized epic one can sink into for days. It sings with action, magic, and heart—the perfect second act in a brilliant series.”
—
Rob Ziegler
, author of
Seed