Esta quinta y penúltima entrega de la saga The Song of Shattered Sands denota un poco de desgaste tanto en la historia como en los personajes, supongo que algo lógico después de las muchísimas páginas que ya hemos leído y también en preparación del gran final que supondrá (supongo) A Desert Torn Asunder


No es que el libro esté mal, por supuesto pero sí que baja algo el nivel desde el estupendo Beneath the Twisted Trees. El autor vuelve a ser muy considerado ofreciéndonos un resumen de todos los libros anteriores (incluso las novelas cortas) para situarnos en la historia, pero sigue siendo un poco difícil volver a cogerle el hilo a la multitud de personajes e hilos que trenzan el relato. Sobre todo porque en esta ocasión los que se habían declarado enemistad eterna se ven forzados a aliarse cuando se va descubriendo quiénes son en realidad los que están moviéndolos como marionetas desde las sombras.

Beaulieu le daba mucha importancia en las entregas anteriores a las profecías, pero estas son un arma de doble filo, ya que pueden atraparte y dejarte sin margen de maniobra en el proceso de escritura. El autor sale del paso con una mezcla de saber hacer y un poco de trampa, ya que las visiones del futuro no son demasiado claras y vienen de una persona que tampoco está muy en sus cabales… dejando en el relato la suficiente holgura como para que pueda haber todavía sorpresas inesperadas.

La prosa el autor sigue siendo fascinante, aunque en esta ocasión me ha parecido que estaba algo más comedida. Cobran mucha más importancia los personajes “extranjeros” ajenos a la propia Sharakhai, que la ven como una preciada joya que puede caer en sus manos, y maquinan planes sin escrúpulos para apoderarse de ella.

La magia que ya estaba muy presente en las novelas anteriores cobra incluso más importancia en When Jackals Storm the Walls, bien sea magia de sangre, compulsión o simplemente poder de los dioses desencadenado. Hay numerosas subtramas que se van resolviendo para ir colocando a los personajes en las posiciones decisivas para una batalla final que sin duda tendrá lugar en la última entrega de la serie.

La saga The Song of Shattered Sands completa no es una lectura fácil y requiere mucha implicación por parte del lector, tanto por su longitud como por su complejidad. Me temo que no la veremos en español y el inglés en el que está escrita no es especialmente accesible, así que aunque la recomiendo sé que pocos se atreverán a dar el paso. Espero que a esos valientes el esfuerzo les merezca la pena.

What can I say other than that I love this series so much!

I Love Ceja and all of the other characters and I find the world to be unique which I think is partly why I love it so much. The idea of the kings and the desert sea etc is just something that I've never read before.

I'm so excited to try other series from this author.

5 stars! I can devour this world! Excited and pretty sad that there is only one book left. Çeda is my ultimate character and love how strong and fierce this woman is.

This was a fantastic fifth instalment to the Song of the Shattered Sands series. The writing continues to be great, the plot is compelling and the world is so well written. I can't wait to see what's in store for the sixth and final book in the series. I highly recommend checking this series out.

I put off reading this for a long time, not because I didn’t want to read it but I saving it for best. These books are always solid and satisfying I enjoy them immensely it’s like eating a chicken dinner after a week of cheese sandwiches. There’s nothing wrong with a cheese sandwiches but after a while you need something more substantial.
When Jackals Storm the Walls is the fifth in a six book series, which I started reading very much on a whim and it’s turned into one of my all time favourites. There’s a lot of moving pieces and setting up for the end game of the final book. Beaulieu is very much getting his ducks in a row and what a lot of ducks there are. The plot is spread over a lot of characters and because of this we don’t get so much of our favourites but what we do get is quality. Çeda is one of my favourite heroines, which is to say she’s one of the few heroines who does not annoy the living bejesus out of me. She’s far from perfect, she gets things wrong from time to time and her decisions sometimes don’t pan out...wait... what’s that she might be close to a human?! Imagine?! Good grief. The only misstep I ever felt Beaulieu ever made with Çeda was in her relationship with Sumeya. There’s a bit of a trend with male fantasy writers at the moment in making female sexuality as stretchy as an elastic band which is fine if there’s the meat to back it up but it rarely goes the other way. Emre never bunks up with Hamid or Frail Lemi because he’s feeling a bit cold and lonely. So Çeda and Sumeya felt a bit meh especially as it turns out they are related (!) I don’t care what anyone says incest will never be cool. Beaulieu does take steps to correct this in WJSW so I’m ready to forgive.
I am already can’t wait/dread the last book. I don’t want to say goodbye but I do want to see how it all pans out. I’m sure it will be epic and sandy.

I didn't realize this was the fifth book of a series, but I liked what I've read so far. Beautiful prose, great world-building. I will be giving a full spoiler-free review on it once I'm fully caught up from the beginning of the series!

This series remains top-notch. Despite being on book five, the plots and characters still felt fresh, and it feels like things are beginning to wind to a close (though events are no less thrilling/nail-biting/terrifying because of this. I absolutely cannot wait to see how Sharakhai's tale comes to an end, but at the same time, these characters feel so familiar now, like old friends, that I know it will be bittersweet.
My only complaint about When Jackals Storm the Walls is: not enough Çeda! She did shine, however, in her all-too-brief (in my opinion!) appearances, and the difference between the Çeda of book one and the Çeda of now is marked. We also got to learn more of Meryam's backstory, which I found interesting. Bradley really knows how to put his characters through the wringer, only to come out still fighting and with clear motivations.
Overall I highly, highly recommend this to anyone who's already started the series, and to anyone who's thinking of picking up the first book, Twelve Kings - do it! The Song of the Shattered Sands is standout fantasy, and trust me, I read a LOT of fantasy.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the views expressed in this review are my own.
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This is definitely a great continuation of the series. Although this is not my favourite so far, Beaulieu still manages to keep the pace exciting and interesting with his usual brand of incredible world-building.

Overall rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Jackals Storm The Walls is the latest in Bradley Beaulieu’s Sharakai saga, and a story which expertly blends three-dimensional, thoroughly human characters, a vividly realised world, and a properly kick-arse plot into a delicious narrative gumbo. I’ve talked at length before about how much I enjoy this series, so it’ll be no surprise that the tl;dr for this one is: yes, it’s as good as the previous installments. Yes, if you enjoyed those, you should go and get hold of a copy immediately. And yes, if you haven’t read the previous installments, you should do that, too.
We’re back in Sharakai, and the city is as beautiful and terrible as ever, even if things have changed. The spires still soar into a desert sky. The Collegia is still filled with scrolls of ancient knowledge, the quiet riffle of parchment and the laughter of students still matched incongruously with blood magic and mysterious disappearances. The Silver Spears are still on the march for their rulers, keeping the streets safe - but the new Kings and Queens aren’t the same as the old. But still, the heart of the city beats in its people, and the city has a vibrance, an energy, which makes it a jewel at the heart of the desert. It’s filled with contradictions, of course, though I think the most interesting is a matter of identity. As new rulers replace the old, is Sharakai still itself, or something new? Will the old systems remain in place, or are new alliances being made, new deals cut. Will old prejudices outweigh common ground? Given that the story has a deep history, one which very much informs the decisions of the characters, this isn’t a casual question. The city, and the desert, are wracked by change, with different actors trying to move the identity being built to ward their own designs. Will the desert tribes come together? Who can say. They may storm Sharakai and topple those towers, or perhaps come together with those inside the walls to act against invaders from outside the desert sands. Or perhaps neither. This is a story which is looking at what makes people who they are, and also one where who people are is very much in flux, both individually, and on a larger scale.

Which is a long winded way of saying that the elaborate wonder of the city, and the stark, unflinching beauty of the desert are breathtaking in their own ways, and the story expertly brings both to life. If you’ve missed the purple skies of a desert sunset, or the text-shrouded gloom of the collegia, you’ll find everything you needed here.

The characters...well, they’re difficult to talk about, actually. Because this is a story, as I say, of change, of flux. Çeda is still our protagonist, but we see more viewpoints too, from those in her orbit, but also those without, including some we might have previously considered antagonists. I will say that each comes with their own life, their own goals, and you can see them reaching out for those, see the tragedy when they fail (or succeed), and the triumph too. There’s nobody here who feels like a caricature, because we’ve been with most of them for several books. We know their complex, multi-layered story. There are revelations here though, changes to relationships that will make you gasp, make you re-read a page just to make sure something is true. I, for one, have been emotionally invested in this lot for some time, and so I feel every betrayal, and cheer for every victory - because they’re people, right there on the page, and in their humanity, in their defeats, in their reversals, in their lies and truths and moments of hope, you can see their humanity, and feel for, and with them. The characterisation here is, as always with the series, marvellous.

And the story. Well. As ever, no spoilers, so this’ll be brief, because there’s a lot going on! So many things change here, in this book. Alliances collapse, or are formed between unlikely compatriots. Romances are realised, The final steps in the dance begin to be laid down, and no-one, no matter how beloved, is safe. There are some very well deserved, carefully built up, beautifully delivered narrative moments that gave me joy, and you can see the plans set in motion books and books ago finally coming to fruition. Essentially, this is a book where the final pieces are getting played out, where the truth is becoming clearer, where people decide which sides they’re on - and there are so many surprises, so many pitch perfect moments, I couldn’t list them all. This is a love letter to Sharakai and its people, and an absolutely fantastic read; if you’ve come this far with the series, you owe it to yourself to see where this book takes you. It’s a heck of a journey.

Even if I didn't read the rest of this series I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I found it gripping and entertaining.
The author is a talented storyteller and the plot kept me hooked without any moment of bore.
The characters and the world building are excellent and I loved them.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.