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A review by skycrane
With Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley P. Beaulieu
4.0
I read With Blood Upon the Sand right after reading the first book in the series, and the sequel's even better. If you liked Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, you should read this.
Near the very end of Twelve Kings, Cheda joins the Blade Maidens, a major shift in her vendetta against the kings. Lots of new characters are introduced, and Cheda has opportunity to learn far more about the kings and their history now that she works for them. My one complaint about that book was that this shift isn't explored much before the end. The sequel completely rectifies that.
Now we get a whole book where Cheda is in hiding among the elite warriors of the regime she is attempting to overthrow. She has to balance pursuing her goal with keeping her cover, and all the while she comes to respect and even care about the Blade Maidens whom she used to despise. It's very good setup, both building on the foundation of the first while also taking a departure into new territory. I feel like the action in this book builds towards the conclusion more consistently, with fewer sudden leaps.
There are more chapters about side characters in this book, and fewer flashback chapters (or at least it feels that way—I haven't actually gone back and counted). I think this is a good change, since the flashbacks never really felt that instructive. I think I got a better idea about Cheda's relationship with her mother from the way she thinks about her as an adult than from the actual memories. The placement of the different types of chapters feels well-paced. Usually each section about Cheda will be several chapters long, with a break for one or two chapters about other characters. The points where different plot threads intersect feel particularly well constructed.
Cheda's character arc has some problems. Starting early on, and continuing from the last book, her major flaw is established as a lack of self-control, and thus her growth is dependent on her ability to learn patience. However, there really aren't enough negative consequences for her impulsiveness. She acts rashly on many occasions, but it usually works out well for her, and when it doesn't, someone else is there to help her. It feels like Cheda doesn't have much of a personal arc—she learns to control her emotions better, but she doesn't really have to sacrifice anything, confront her flaws, or make many difficult decisions.
As a whole, this is a very good book. The characters who were developed in the first book are now placed into new circumstances, and it's fun reading about how they deal with it. We get to see Sharakhai from the perspective of the ruling class, and Cheda has become (at least on the surface) one of the oppressors she hates.
Near the very end of Twelve Kings, Cheda joins the Blade Maidens, a major shift in her vendetta against the kings. Lots of new characters are introduced, and Cheda has opportunity to learn far more about the kings and their history now that she works for them. My one complaint about that book was that this shift isn't explored much before the end. The sequel completely rectifies that.
Now we get a whole book where Cheda is in hiding among the elite warriors of the regime she is attempting to overthrow. She has to balance pursuing her goal with keeping her cover, and all the while she comes to respect and even care about the Blade Maidens whom she used to despise. It's very good setup, both building on the foundation of the first while also taking a departure into new territory. I feel like the action in this book builds towards the conclusion more consistently, with fewer sudden leaps.
There are more chapters about side characters in this book, and fewer flashback chapters (or at least it feels that way—I haven't actually gone back and counted). I think this is a good change, since the flashbacks never really felt that instructive. I think I got a better idea about Cheda's relationship with her mother from the way she thinks about her as an adult than from the actual memories. The placement of the different types of chapters feels well-paced. Usually each section about Cheda will be several chapters long, with a break for one or two chapters about other characters. The points where different plot threads intersect feel particularly well constructed.
Cheda's character arc has some problems. Starting early on, and continuing from the last book, her major flaw is established as a lack of self-control, and thus her growth is dependent on her ability to learn patience. However, there really aren't enough negative consequences for her impulsiveness. She acts rashly on many occasions, but it usually works out well for her, and when it doesn't, someone else is there to help her. It feels like Cheda doesn't have much of a personal arc—she learns to control her emotions better, but she doesn't really have to sacrifice anything, confront her flaws, or make many difficult decisions.
As a whole, this is a very good book. The characters who were developed in the first book are now placed into new circumstances, and it's fun reading about how they deal with it. We get to see Sharakhai from the perspective of the ruling class, and Cheda has become (at least on the surface) one of the oppressors she hates.