The Straits of Galahesh: Book Two of The Lays of Anuskaya

PRAISE FOR
THE STRAITS OF GALAHESH

“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
Wings of Creation
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

“The right combination of complex worldbuilding, compelling characters and supremely confident storytelling combine to produce this superb sequel to
The Winds of Khalakovo
...an exceptional series. Whether you’re a novice or a grizzled veteran of epic fantasy, you’re in for a wild, exhilarating ride.”

—Gregory A. Wilson, author of
The Third Sign

PRAISE FOR
THE WINDS OF KHALAKOVO

“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

“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

“Elegantly crafted, refreshingly creative,
TWOK
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, author of
I, Jedi
and
At the Queen’s Command

THE
STRAITS
OF

GALAHESH

THE
STRAITS
OF

GALAHESH

BOOK TWO OF THE LAYS OF ANUSKAYA

BRADLEY P. BEAULIEU

NIGHT SHADE BOOKS

SAN FRANCISCO

The Straits of Galahesh
© 2012 by Bradley P. Beaulieu

This edition of
The Straits of Galahesh

© 2012 by Night Shade Books

Cover art by Todd Lockwood

Cover design by Claudia Noble

Interior layout and design by Amy Popovich

Maps by William McAusland

Author photo by Joanne M. Beaulieu

Edited by Ross E. Lockhart

All rights reserved

First Edition

ISBN: 978-1-59780-350-2

Night Shade Books

Please visit us on the web at

http://www.nightshadebooks.com

This one is for Relaneve, my star, my bright and beautiful child.
May you one day know the kind of love I hold for you.

A
s the story opens, the islands of the Grand Duchy are under siege from a blight to their crops and a deadly wasting disease that strikes royalty and peasants alike. A prince of the islands, Nikandr Khalakovo, is set to be married to Atiana Vostroma, a princess from a neighboring Duchy. A pall is cast against the nuptials, however, when a fire spirit attacks and murders the Grand Duke.

The gathered royalty demand justice, and Nikandr is sent to investigate. All signs point to a young autistic savant named Nasim, and it is this boy’s mysterious past that Nikandr becomes entangled with. Nikandr believes Nasim is not to blame for the attack. He believes instead that he was used as a tool by the Maharraht, a ruthless sect of the peace-loving Aramahn that want nothing less than the destruction of the Grand Duchy. As escalations rise over the murder of the Grand Duke, Nikandr and Nasim escape to the island of Ghayavand, a place that holds many secrets from Nasim’s past.

Meanwhile, Atiana is pressed into service as a Matra, a woman who submerges herself in ice-cold water and enters the astral realm of the aether, where she can project herself to tend to the defense of the Grand Duchy and to communicate with other Matri. While doing so, Atiana comes face to face with Rehada, Nikandr’s Aramahn lover. Atiana later learns that Rehada has only been posing as Nikandr’s lover, and that in reality she is a spy for the Maharraht. Not only has she been feeding the Maharraht information about the Grand Duchy for years, she’s been in league with Soroush, a sworn enemy of the Grand Duchy who hopes to open a rift that hangs over Khalakovo. Tearing open the rift would cause untold destruction to Khalakovo and the other islands of the Grand Duchy, but Soroush cannot do this alone. He must use Nasim and his unique abilities to tear the rift open. Rehada’s loyalties, however, are not so resolute as they seem at first. She has come to doubt the path of violence that Soroush and the Maharraht are following, and it is through this doubt that she begins to question her place in the Maharraht.