TWELVE KINGS IN SHARAKHAI Song of Shattered Sands, Book 1

eda, a 19-year-old gladiator, makes a strong impression when she defeats a much more experienced fighter in the pits. She perfects her fighting skills as she slowly puts together clues regarding her mother's death when she was a young girl. Sarah Coomes provides a balanced narration that is compelling as eda's story moves between her present quest and her earlier life with her mother and then as an adolescent. At times, Coomes overemphasizes the soft side of the strong, sometimes brutal heroine. The story's desert setting is harsh, as are the 12 kings, and Coomes adeptly handles the range of characters and their struggle for survival. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2015]