Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Book Review
Title: Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Genre: Fantasy, Eastern
Rating: DNF
There was so much potential here. Twelve Kings in Sharakhai has a beautiful setting, an intriguing premise, and writing that does an excellent job of evoking the atmosphere of a vast desert city steeped in history, mystery, and mythology. Unfortunately, for all its strengths, I found myself struggling to connect with the story, and by almost 30% of the way through, I still felt as though I had very little understanding of the world, the direction of the plot, or what the characters were actually working towards. As much as I wanted to enjoy this book, I ultimately decided to DNF.
My biggest issue was the pacing. I appreciate that this is the first book in a series and that establishing a new world takes time, particularly in epic fantasy, where there are often complicated histories, political systems, religions, and mythologies to introduce. However, there is a difference between taking the time to establish a foundation and leaving the reader struggling to understand what is happening. Almost a third of the way through, I was still waiting for the narrative to give me something substantial to hold onto. The plot moved at a glacial pace, and although there were hints of something interesting beneath the surface, neither the central storyline nor the character motivations felt strong enough to carry me through the slower sections.
Unfortunately, the world-building only made this more difficult. The setting itself was one of the aspects I liked most, but the way information was introduced left me feeling overwhelmed rather than immersed. We are presented with a considerable amount of terminology, history, and lore early on, often with little context to help us understand its significance. Rather than allowing the world to unfold naturally through the story, the book seemed determined to establish its complexity before I had a proper understanding of the fundamentals. The irony is that some of these elements began to matter more as the story progressed, but by that point, I was struggling to remember what they meant or why I should care about them. Good world-building should make a setting feel expansive and alive, not leave the reader feeling as though they have missed an essential chapter of an imaginary history book.
Ceda was another sticking point for me. I understood the broad strokes of her motivation: she wanted answers about her mother’s murder, and there was clearly more to the mystery than she initially knew. That should have been a compelling foundation for the story, and I wanted to be invested in her search for the truth. However, I struggled to see a clear sense of purpose behind her actions. Rather than feeling as though she was actively investigating, following leads, and deliberately piecing together a mystery, much of what she discovered seemed to happen by coincidence. She would stumble across information or find herself in situations that revealed something new, but I rarely felt that these discoveries were the result of her own initiative. Consequently, her investigation lacked the momentum I wanted, and her motivations, while understandable in principle, did not translate into a particularly engaging narrative.
The lack of a clearly established antagonist also contributed to my difficulty connecting with the story. We hear about the twelve kings who rule Sharakhai and the mysterious creatures associated with the surrounding desert, both of which sound like fascinating elements of the setting. Yet, at the point where I stopped reading, neither had made enough of an impression through their actual presence in the narrative to give the story a strong central threat. I knew there were powerful forces in this world, and I could appreciate that the author was building towards something larger, but I struggled to understand what Ceda was ultimately working against or what immediate danger was driving the plot forward. A mysterious antagonist can be incredibly effective, but mystery needs to create anticipation. Here, I felt more disconnected than intrigued.
What makes this particularly disappointing is that I genuinely liked the writing style and the setting. Beaulieu has a lovely way of evoking the heat, scale, and atmosphere of the desert, and Sharakhai feels as though it could be an extraordinary place to explore. There is a richness to the world that suggests an enormous amount of thought has gone into its creation, and the premise itself gave me plenty of reasons to be interested. Unfortunately, I don’t think these strengths were used to their full potential. The beautiful prose and evocative setting were not enough to compensate for a story that felt slow to develop, a mystery that lacked a clear investigative thread, and world-building that left me struggling to find my footing.
Ultimately, I don’t think Twelve Kings in Sharakhai is necessarily a bad book, nor do I think its slower pace and extensive world-building will be a problem for every reader. I can absolutely see the appeal for someone who enjoys taking their time exploring a richly imagined fantasy world, particularly if they are willing to wait for the larger narrative to take shape. For me, however, the balance between atmosphere, exposition, and forward momentum simply wasn’t working. I wanted to be swept up in Ceda’s search for answers, to feel the danger posed by the kings, and to become immersed in the mysteries of Sharakhai. Instead, I found myself increasingly aware of how little I understood or felt invested in, and continuing began to feel more like a chore than a pleasure.
I’m disappointed to be leaving this one unfinished because the foundations of something wonderful are here. The setting is beautiful, the writing has real strengths, and the central mysteries have the potential to develop into something compelling. Unfortunately, potential can only carry a story so far, and I need more than an intriguing world to keep me turning the pages. This one simply wasn’t for me, so I’m setting it aside for now.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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