Nebahat: a powerful Malasani blood mage, one of the Enclave’s inner circle
Neylana: shaikh of Tribe Kenan
nigella seeds: a spice used in desert cuisine
Night Lily: a sleeping draught
Night’s Kiss: the blade the dark god, Goezhen, had granted to Husamettín on Beht Ihman
Nijin: a desert harbor
niqab: veil made of lightweight opaque fabric; leaves only the eyes uncovered
Nirendra: a slumlord lady, rents space in rooms
Old Khyrn Rellana’ala: judge from Tribe Rafik
Old Nur: a shipmate of Emre’s
Onondu: the trickster god, “God of the Endless Hills,” god of vengeance in Kundhun; father of the godling twins Hidi & Makuo
Ophir’s: the oldest standing brewery in Sharakhai
Ornük: Urdman’s son
oryx: large antelope
Osman: owner of the pits, a retired pit fighter and a one-time lover of Çeda’s
oud: a kind of lute
pauldrons: shoulder guards
Pelam: the master of games, the announcer for the gladiatorial bouts held in the pits
pennon: flag, pennant
Phelia: one of Melis’s sisters
physic: a medical doctor
prat: an incompetent or ineffectual person
Prayna: a powerful Sharakhani blood mage, one of the Enclave’s inner circle
Qaimir: a kingdom south of Sharakhai and the Shangazi Desert
Qaimiri: adjectival form
qanun: musical instrument, a large zither
Quanlang: a province in Mirea
Queen Alansal: of Mirea
Quezada: one of Ramahd’s men
Raamajit: one of the powerful elder gods who imprisoned Ashael
Rafa: Emre’s brother
Rafik: one of the tribes; a/k/a the Biting Shields
Rafiro: one of Ramahd’s men
rahl: a unit of currency, gold coins stamped with the mark of the Kings
ral shahnad: “summer’s fire,” the distilled essence of a rare flower found only in the furthest reaches of Kundhun
Ramahd shan Amansir: of House Amansir; one of only 4 survivors of the Bloody Passage
Rasel: Scourge of the Black Veils; former wearer of River’s Daughter
rattlewings: see “açal”
The Reaping King: a/k/a King Sukru, one of the twelve; commands the asirim by use of a magical whip
rebab: a bowed string musical instrument
Red Crescent: a neighborhood near the quays of the western harbor
Rehann: Ramahd’s murdered daughter, Meryam’s niece
Rengin: footman on Matron Zohra’s estate
Rhia: goddess of dreams and ambition, the sister moon of the goddess Tulathan
River Haddah: created by the goddess Nalamae in the Great Shangazi desert
River’s Daughter: the name of Çeda’s sword
Roseridge: Çeda’s neighborhood
Ruan: half-Sharakhani man who works for Juvaan Xin-Lei
Rümayesh: a female ehrekh, one of the first made by Goezhen
Saadet ibn Sim: killer of Emre’s brother, Rafa; a Malasani bravo
Sahra: Seyhan’s daughter
Salahndi: the first day of the week in the desert calendar
Saliah Riverborn: a witch of the desert, the goddess Nalamae in disguise
Salmük: one of the tribes; a/k/a the Black Veils
saltstone: one of the three types of diaphanous stones; can be swallowed, but is more often sewn beneath the skin of the forehead. It slowly dissolves, bleeding away memories until none are left. The victim becomes completely and utterly docile
Samael: an alchemyst
Samaril: capital city of Malasan
Savadi: the seventh day of the week in the desert calendar, the busiest along the Trough
Sayabim: an old crone, a Matron at the House of the Blade Maidens, a sword trainer
scarab: a name for a member of the Moonless Host
schisandra: a woody vine harvested for its berries
the scriptorium: a kind of library
Sehid-Alaz: a King of Sharakhai sacrificed on Beht Ihman, cursed to become an asir
Şelal Ymine’ala al Rafik: shaikh of Tribe Rafik
selhesh: a term for dirt dog
Serpentine: a winding street in Sharakhai
Seyhan: a spice seller in the Roseridge spice market
a shade: a mission to ferry goods or messages from place to place in Sharakhai
shaikh: the leader of a desert tribe
Shal’alara of the Three Blades: one of the elders of the thirteenth tribe, a storied swordswoman and adventurer
the Shallows: slums
shamshir: curved saber having one edge on the convex side
the Shangazi: the desert, a/k/a Great Shangazi, Great Desert, Great Mother
Sharakhai: a large desert metropolis, a/k/a the Amber Jewel
Sharakhan: the language spoken in Sharakhai and much of the desert
Sharakhani: adjectival form
shinai: a slatted bamboo practice sword
Shining Spears: a nickname for the people of Tribe Masal
shisha: hookah
Sidehill: a neighborhood in Sharakhai, a nickname for Goldenhill
Silver Spears: the Kings’ guard, the city police
Sim: works for Osman
Sirina Jalih’ala al Kenan: Mala’s mother, a lover of King Mesut
sirwal trousers: loose trousers that hang to just below the knee
siyaf: term of respect for a master swordsman
song of blades: tahl selheshal; a/k/a sword dance
the Spear: a large street running from the western harbor to the gates of the House of Kings, “one of the busiest streets in Sharakhai”
the Standing Stones: a nickname for the people of Tribe Ebros
Sümeya: First Warden, commander of the Blade Maidens, daughter of King Husamettín
Sun Palace: the lowest of the thirteen palaces on Tauriyat, once belonged to Sehid-Alaz
The Sunset Stone: a/k/a The Flame of Iri; a giant amethyst
Sunshearer: King Kiral’s sword
Surrahdi: the dead king of Malasan; a/k/a the Mad King of Malasan
Sweet Anna: a fragrant plant
Sword of the Willow: from Tribe Okan to the winner of Annam’s Traverse
Syahla: Mihir’s mother, Halim’s wife
sylval: unit of currency
tabbaq: a cured leaf, commonly smoked in a shisha
tahl selheshal: song of blades, a/k/a sword dance
tamarisk: a tree
tanbur: a stringed instrument
Tariq Esad’ava: one of Osman’s street toughs, grew up with Çeda & Emre
Tauriyat: Mount Tauriyat, home to the House of Kings, Sharakhai’s thirteen palaces, and the House of Maidens
Tavahndi: the third day of the week in the desert calendar
the Tears of Tulathan: a/k/a Iri’s Four Sacred Stones (result of the breaking of the Sunset Stone)
Tehla: a baker, friend of Çeda; Davud’s sister
tessera, tesserae: tiles of a mosaic
Thaash: god of war
Thalagir: Rümayesh’s new name, given by Brama
thawb: a common outer garment in the desert, consisting of a length of cloth that is sewn into a long loose skirt or draped around the body and fastened over one shoulder.
Thebi: character in a tale of the god Bakhi
the Thousand Territories of Kundhun: another name for Kundhun, one of the four kingdoms surrounding Sharakhai
Tiller’s Row: a street in the Shallows, “one of the few with any businesses to speak of”
thwart:
a seat in a rowboat
Tolovan: vizir of King Ihsan
Treü: one of the powerful elder gods who imprisoned Ashael
Tribe Ebros: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Standing Stones
Tribe Halarijan: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the White Trees
Tribe Kadri: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Burning Hands
Tribe Kenan: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Rushing Waters
Tribe Khiyanat: the name the thirteenth tribe chooses when they form anew; khiyanat means “betrayed” in the old tongue of the desert
Tribe Malakhed: the ancient name for the thirteenth tribe, abandoned when the tribe is reborn
Tribe Masal: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Red Wind
Tribe Narazid: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Bloody Manes
Tribe Okan: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Black Wings
Tribe Rafik: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Biting Shields
Tribe Salmük: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Black Veils
Tribe Sema: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Children of the Crescent Moons
Tribe Tulogal: Devorah and Leorah’s childhood tribe; a/k/a the Raining Stars
Tribe Ulmahir: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Amber Blades
the Trough: the central and largest thoroughfare in Sharakhai, runs from the northern harbor, through the center of the city, and terminating at the southern harbor
Tsitsian: capital city of Mirea
Tsitsian Village: an immigrant neighborhood in Sharakhai
Tulathan: goddess of law and order, sister moon of the goddess Rhia
Undosu: a powerful Kundhuni blood mage, one of the Enclave’s inner circle
Urdman: one of Narazid’s riders in the Traverse
Vadram: Osman’s predecessor in the shading business
Vandraama Mountains: a mountain range bordering the desert
Verda: works for Osman
Lord Veşdi: Külaşan’s eldest living son; Master of Coin
vetiver: the root of a grass that yields fragrant oil used in perfumery and as a medicinal
vizir/vizira: a high official, minister of state
Wadi: Devorah’s borrowed stallion
Way of Jewels: location in the city
the Well: a neighborhood near the Shallows; Osman’s pits are there
western harbor: the smallest and seediest of the city’s four sandy harbors
the Wheel: the massive circle where four thoroughfares meet: the Spear, the Trough, Coffer Street, and Hazghad Road
White Wolf: Çeda’s moniker in the fighting pits of Sharakhai
Willem: a brilliant young man with strange magical abilities bound to the blood magi, Nebahat, in Sharakhai’s collegia
wyrm: worm
Yael: mother of Devorah and Leorah
Yanca: Çeda and Emre’s neighbor in Roseridge
Yasmine: Meryam’s murdered sister, Ramahd’s wife and mother of Rehann
Yerinde: goddess of love and ambition; once stole Tulathan away “for love”
Yerinde’s Kiss: a honey collected from the rare stone bees’ nests; used as an aphrodisiac
Yerinde’s Snare: the convergence of a twisting, misshapen web of streets & the most populous district in Sharakhai
Yndris: a Blade Maiden with a hot temper, the daughter of King Cahil and an enemy of Çeda
Yosan Mahzun’ava: one of Tehla’s brothers
Zaïde: a Matron in service to the Kings; heals and takes Çeda into the House of Maidens
zilij: a board Çeda fashioned from skimwood, used as a conveyance to glide easily over sand
Zohra: i.e., Matron Zohra, resident of an estate in Sharakhai
Acknowledgments
And so, at last, we’ve reach the end of this epic tale. In many ways, it feels like the journey has passed quickly. I have to remind myself sometimes it’s been an endeavor that has taken nearly a decade. The first glimpses of Sharakhai, Çeda, and the series at large came in roughly 2012, while I was still working on my first epic fantasy series, The Lays of Anuskaya. Now, in 2021, after six full books, a shorter triptych of novellas, and many other standalone tales, it really has taken on a life of its own. When viewed from that perspective, the journey feels long indeed.
One major, major source of help in seeing this project reach its full potential has been Paul Genesse. Thank you, Paul, for the many reads, the conversations, your keen insights and your suggestions. All have helped Çeda to reach the end of her grand tale and to find peace at last. A big thank you as well goes out to Femke Giesolf, who gave valuable feedback, including on Ashael and his incarnation, which helped make him feel more fearsome and enigmatic.
My publishers, DAW and Gollancz, provide tireless work and expertise to get these books onto shelves (both physical and virtual). To Betsy Wollheim, you have my undying gratitude for believing in this series and for guiding it along the way. Thank you as well for including me in the cover art process. That’s something I particularly enjoy. To Gillian Redfearn, you’ve not only put in a ton of effort into the series, your guidance has helped me to become a better writer, so thank you for that. To Marylou Capes-Platt, thank you for grounding me and my writing, and paying such close attention to how readers will view the material. It’s really helped to put things into perspective for me. And to the DAW and Gollancz production, marketing, sales, and back office support teams, thank you once again for your tireless efforts.
I am indebted to my agent, Russ Galen, not only for this book, but for helping to ensure that the full series ended up seeing the light of day. Many thanks to Danny Baror and Heather Baror-Shapiro as well for your dogged efforts in bringing this series to readers all over the world.
Lastly, I’d like to thank all the Shattered Sands fans for your support and enthusiasm. It has helped me immensely to keep this series going and to put my heart and soul into it. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.
About the Author
Bradley P. Beaulieu is the author of the Lays of Anuskaya Trilogy and The Song of the Shattered Sands series, beginning with the acclaimed Twelve Kings in Sharakhai. His writing has garnered many accolades, including a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination and the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Award.
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A Desert Torn Asunder Page 47