The straits of galahesh epub

Now I loved Nasim back in book one because his entire character was shrouded by mystery and to have him as a lead now in this one was smart thinking.

We got to learn so much more about why this kid is so important to the overall plot. That is true for all the main leads though as Nikandr and Atiana also start to realize their connection to the bigger picture. The author isn't afraid to go the distance either. There was so much action and loss and I started fearing for my babies quite early on in book two. My one tiny issue with this sequel would be that I felt like it was just a tad to long.

There was a moment I was thinking to myself are we there yet or even didn't this already happen. Again minor issue to a book a truly truly adore. I am excited to see how this all wraps up in the final book. View 2 comments. Jul 07, Ryan rated it liked it Shelves: books-read I just can't seem to get into this series.

I'm not sure what it is but it took me forever to read this book. I think the setting is pretty cool Russian islands with windships. I liked some of the characters Nikandr, Ishkyna. I think maybe the magic system was kind of confusing for me and might have been the cause of me not enjoying the book as much.

But I have the third book and will read it to find out how it ends. Aug 01, Paul Weimer rated it really liked it. Mar 28, Sarah rated it really liked it Shelves: read-in , epic-fantasy , arc-or-review-copy. The Straits of Galahesh is a strong second book. Readers who enjoyed The Winds of Khalakovo will be sure to love this one.

This is a book full of surprising twists and turns resulting in a high impact novel that will have you hanging on for dear life by the time it The Straits of Galahesh is a strong second book. This is one series to pay attention to. Jun 01, Paul Genesse rated it it was amazing. Beaulieu for the second time. Wow, I love this book. It's the second novel in the Lays of Anuskaya trilogy and is epic fantasy at its finest. The Winds of Khalakovo, book one, was awesome, and this one set five years later is even better.

This series is a cross between George R. I really enjoyed the sword fights, ship-to-ship canon battles, and all the gunfire--with muskets of course. There is also a Persian influence The Aramahn and in this book we get a Turkish-like culture, led by the Kamarisi the emperor , who is the most powerful man in the world, and is the overlord of the freezing, windswept islands where the Anuskayan Russian culture lives. The Kamarisi is going to crush the islanders and take over, unless the heroes are able to find a way to prevent war.

There is also the problem of the wasting disease and the rifts that are opening all over the world, slowing destroying it and threatening the ley line trade routes that the windships use to navigate from island to island. The worldbuilding is top-notch, and the strength of the setting really anchors the book and makes it feel real.

The characterization seals the deal, and I was swept up in the turbulent winds that blast through this novel leading to an epic conclusion that left me wide-mouthed and in awe.

Few finales are as remarkable as in Straits. Beaulieu pronounced: bowl-yer writes three character threads and they come together brilliantly and go in unexpected directions. There is a serious body count in this book, and no one is safe. The large cast of secondary characters is painted expertly, making you care, then they are. All the action keeps you riveted to the rich, detailed, and unfolding storyline, and the fascinating world.

As the book goes forward the confrontation between the Kamarisi, the Anuskayan islanders and their windships, the powerful Sariya and Muqallad who are trying to tear open the rifts, and our protagonists, Nikandr, Atiana, and Nasim build and build until the mystery of the rifts and the antagonists plans are slowly revealed. This is an expansive story told through the eyes of three main characters. Nikandr Khalakovo, heir to the Duchy of Khalakovo is one. Atiana Vostromo, a strong woman and princess who will do anything to save her people, even if it means sacrificing her love for Nikandr, and Nasim, a teenage boy who is the reincarnation of a man who once wanted to bring about the destruction of the world.

In Straits, Nikandr is trying to stop the rifts from spreading, as they are tearing the world apart. He is a dynamic and complex character and his chapters are my favorite.

He spends a lot of time on the amazing windships and I very much looked forward to Nikandr's chapters. He is actively trying to save his islands He is in love with Atiana, and their first chapter together will leave you in shock. Atiana is one of many strong female characters in this series.

Her chapters, especially the ones where she goes into the drowning basin and her spirit wanders the aether, are incredible. In Straits she has become a Matra, and her abilities to navigate the aether make a huge difference in the book. The third story thread belongs to Nasim. He is the reincarnation of Khamal, a master of the elemental magic, who along with his two friends, Sariya and Muquallad, wanted to bring about a tremendous change in the world.

The Nasim chapters are the most challenging to understand, and the most obtuse. Luckily there are many Nasim chapters side by side, so you can understand them better and get into a flow with them before Beaulieu switches to another storyline.

The Nasim chapters are written in such a way that you will mostly understand, but this series is not spoon fed to you. It made me think hard and sometimes I had to just pass some things by and hope I figured them out later. Even Nasim didn't understand it all, as he struggled with remembering things from his previous life as Khamal. He's a very interesting character, and he's like a villain who is turning over a new leaf in a new life.

He's young a teenager though he really has the experience of a much older person buried inside him, but he is impetuous and kind of annoying with his stubbornness at times. He doesn't like what he did in his past life, and escaped that life to fix things that he did in this one. A hard road to follow. Understanding this book can be a challenge, but the glossary in the back is a lifesaver. When I was stumped, I would look at it and be reminded of what I'd forgotten.

There are a lot of unfamiliar names Persian, Turkish, Russian and they don't stick in my mind that well, but the glossary helped a lot. Also, there is a great summary of book one before chapter one, which really reminded me of what had gone before, as it had been a year since I read Winds.

It was great being back in this world, and one of the big features in this book is The Spar, a bridge that will connect the two halves of the island of Galahesh from the book title. The Spar made my imagination soar. It would be an awesome painting, golden light reflecting off the titanic arches that connect the sheer cliffs on either side, and the raging sea beneath. So much of the imagery in this novel blew me away and Beaulieu is a very gifted writer, worthy of the accolades he's achieved and all the great reviews.

He's attempted an extremely ambitious trilogy and book two delivers on the promises made in book one. The Winds of Khalakovo link to my review of Winds was an incredible achievement, and Straits makes it clear that Winds was no fluke. There area a multitude of epic fantasies set in white, Medieval European settings, and if you're getting a little bored with those, and want a flavor you've never had before, please check these books out.

I love how Beaulieu broke out of the mold and created such a unique world. I love the cultures, the windships, the mysterious and cool elemental magic, and all of the action. Mostly, I love the characters, especially Nikandr, and Atiana.

If you'd like to take a ride on windships, see the amazing elemental magic of the Aramahn, fall in love with strong characters who drive the story, and lose yourself in a fantasy world the likes of which you've never seen before.

Zoom in to learn more and watch little videos and much more, including Brad reading from his books. I've never seen a map as cool as this one. Oct 19, Abhinav rated it really liked it Shelves: read. When I read the first book earlier this year in February, I was quite struck with the scope of the world-building and with the characters. Not to mention the fact that I loved the inspired-by Russian setting, despite sometimes getting lost with the names and the familiar names.

The Winds of Khalakovo is definitely one of my favourite books of the year and Bradley one of my favourite authors. The second novel, set some time after the events of the first novel, goes further with the world-building and deals in concepts and cultures and locales that we did not see in the first book.

That gets some automatic points from me, for sure, because I love that aspect in a second or third novel. Fleshing out the setting created and introduced in the first book is one of the most important things in a sequel that I look for, and Straits of Galahesh is enjoyable for that fact.

BradleyPBeaulieuAnuskaya02The one thing that I can say about this novel, unconditionally, is that it is a gripping novel. Yes, the pacing dips at times, and at times the characters just act weird, and what not, but the story still maintains your interest. It did for me. I just wanted to keep on going and going and not stop reading the book. In that respect, it is very much like its predecessor. One of my complaints with big fantasy novels is that at times they fell too bloated and it is easy to lose any interest in the reading of it.

While Straits of Galahesh does feel bloated in a few rare cases, the central story is packed with enough mysteries and reveals to keep you going. Given the world-ending themes and plots that were introduced in the previous book, we continue to see here how those revelations have changed Anuskaya now, some years removed from those fateful events. It makes for a really interesting reading experience since Bradley pretty much notches up the tension and scope of things by several degrees.

As the book starts, the various Dukes have to contend with a neighbouring nation that wants to either ally with them for its own benefit, or make war on them for that reason. This in turn leads to a strained relationship between the two protagonists, Nikandr and Atiana, who were to be married in the previous novel but their relations were ultimately called off because of some momentous reversals suffered by Nikandr and House Khalakovo.

Now, with this new threat on the horizon, Tatiana is given the option of marrying the errant neighbour king, and it is something that she constantly rails against. So the really fun part of the novel is in seeing how Nikandr and Tatiana rekindle their romance and where they go from there.

Some of the scenes involving both Nikandr and Atiana seemed rather superfluous in the novel, and I think could have been better if they had been just cut. They were all basically resets of a status quo because of certain plot twists that seemed rather random. This happened especially with Nikandr in the second half of the novel, towards the end when the story is just about to get into the climax.

These were weird moments at best and made me wonder if they had been added in for the sake of adding plot twists rather than anything genuine. We see a whole lot more of the various magic systems that are used in Anuskaya and each of them has its own charm and what not, which I loved.

Incredible diversity here. Even the action scenes were a step up from those in the previous novel. They were much more detailed and better choreographed, all of which went towards making for a better reading experience. The ship battles in particular were thrilling affairs. It needs the context of the first novel to be appreciated fully, and that was helpful for me in retrospect since I did have the experience from the first novel.

Onwards and forwards, I should be reading the third and final book in the series quite soon. Dec 29, Abbe rated it it was amazing. I am really enjoying this series, the world is rich and imaginative, the characters are well thought out and interesting.

Perhaps not entirely the same, but in the way that feels like a train wreck you can't stop watching. Not that I am looking for a romance novel, there is always that hope for found happiness. Regardless, anything else to I am really enjoying this series, the world is rich and imaginative, the characters are well thought out and interesting.

Regardless, anything else to say has already been said in the reviews I read and I am looking forward to mre Feb 15, Shaun rated it it was amazing Shelves: fantasy.

When I read the first book of the Lays of Anuskaya, The Winds of Khalakovo, I was struck by the authors world-building skills, first and foremost. The influences taken from our world were not the typical medieval European flare, but were more fitting for the Silk Road trade route during the time of the Great Game in the late nineteenth century. I loved the blend of Russian and Islamic cultural influences as well as the use of gunpowder technology. I enjoyed that Mr.

Beaulieu could use such a tec When I read the first book of the Lays of Anuskaya, The Winds of Khalakovo, I was struck by the authors world-building skills, first and foremost. Beaulieu could use such a technology and not have the whole story leave the realm of Fantasy and become a steampunk novel. My biggest compliant was a lack of full disclosure. As if there were blinders on the side of my head keeping out the rest of the world.

Due to the gracious nature of Mr. Beaulieu I was able to read his second book, The Straits of Galahesh. My earlier complaints have been dealt with. I stated that the characters, while likable, had never given me much to become attached to them. That changed with this publication. Nikandr, who was kind of wishy-washy before, has become a hard man of principle. He possesses his own moral compass and becomes a bridge, unwanted at times, between the Maharraht and the Landed people from Anuskaya they despise so much.

His captain skills are well tested in this novel, giving him the more heroic air of master and commander of his vessel. Atiana, who before was only head strong, actually became strong.

Her willingness to put herself in danger gives her a self sacrificing nobility. She thinks fast and charges faster. She becomes a true threat to her enemies and asset to her allies, which explains why devious powers within the story try to use her to their advantage. Nasim, who was a disturbed untalkative boy and therefore was more of a prop in the first installment, has become a young man exploring his power and destiny. Nasim wages a long and complicated intellectual and spiritual battle with the two remaining Al-Aqim, Muqallad and Sariya, who are semi-immortal beings attempting to force upon the world enlightenment, this is actually not a good thing.

Nasim also drives himself to find answers to his connection to Khamal, the third Al-Aqim, which in part is found within a group of cursed children turned into demon like creatures.

Doing this while trying to stop the other Al-Aqim paints him as an intellectual hero, who pits his life as well as his sanity against the powers of the Al-Aqim. In this second volume the world of Anuskaya is expanded, it covers a much larger territory and introduces more players for the stage Mr.

Beaulieu has created. There is a large empire, Yrstanla, that lies to the west of the Islands of the Grand Duchy. Imagine a Russian culture on multiple small islands similar to Iceland having to face down an Ottoman Turk like empire based on the mainland. It possesses Janissaries, which like the Ottoman version, are highly organized and of one mind, as opposed to the Grand Duchy whose troops come from the different houses of the islands.

It possesses more windships, more guns and more people then Anuskaya does. There is also more information given concerning the Maharraht, what their motivations are beside a hate for the Landed, as well as identifying different factions with in their ranks. The Aramahn people, whom make up the members of the terrorist group the Maharraht, believe that people are capable of attaining a state of enlightenment they call indaraqiram.

Most peace loving Aramahn believe that this is an individual journey, while others, like the members of the Maharraht believe that all of the world could undergo this transformation, even if forced. The Al-Aqim are really a new aspect to consider. While they were introduced in The Winds of Khalakovo, their importance to the story was not clear. In The Straits of Galahesh they become the main enemy of all things living. The Al-Aqim, including Khamal, are responsible for the state of the world.

The rifts that are identified in the first book which are causing disease and famine are a botched attempt at an experimental religious ritual they initiated centuries ago. This ritual was to bring the whole world into the state of indaraqiram. Muqallad and Sariya, newly escaped from the island prison Khamal left them in, insist on finishing what they started, which will destroy everything. The main focus of this second installment is to stop the Al-Aqim from finishing their experiment.

Muqallad and Sariya manipulate the kingdoms to achieve their goals and it falls to Nikandr, Atiana, and Nasim to stop them from doing so. Amidst air battles with cannons and elemental magic these three separated heros must find a way to end up at the same place and time as Muqallad and Sariya. In The Winds of Khalakovo there were plenty of blood pumping battles taking place, between airships and musketeers. I found this style of combat refreshing for the fantasy genre, and was very pleased to see that Mr.

Beaulieu added even more in The Straits of Galahesh. This time the battles are bigger, more encompassing, and more exciting. Each of these heros could die, each has fears and weaknesses, they are not the perfect warriors. Atiana tends to be too smart for her own good, over thinking some things. This leads to her falling for traps set by Sariya. Nikandr is always too trusting, putting himself and many of his crew in the hands of potential enemies. Granted, Nikandr does all this in the name of peace, but the risks still seem foolish.

Nasim struggles with his confidence. He doubts himself when faced with questions posed by Muqallad. He second guesses his closest allies and places rifts between himself and them at the worst possible times. With each conflict I began to wonder if these scattered heros would survive.

Not to mention that the elemental magic featured in the first book is used once again with great effect, giving many of the characters an almost Last Airbender feel and upping the danger factor. The ability Mr. Beaulieu has to convince you that he might kill off his leading roles helps make for good reading. Read it. A gritty book packed with big ideas and Byzantine politics, and inhabited by compellingly flawed heroes, Straits is the sort of fully realized epic one can sink into for days.

It sings with action, magic, and heart—the perfect second act in a brilliant series. Bradley P. Exactly the kind of fantasy I like to read. Bradley P. Quillings Literary. The Empire has lived at peace with Anuskaya for generations, but with political turmoil brewing and the wasting disease still rampant, opportunists from the mainland have begun to set their sights on the Grand Duchy, seeking to expand their empire.

Five years have passed since Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, was tasked with finding Nasim, the child prodigy behind a deadly summoning that led to a grand clash between the armies of man and elder elemental spirits. Today, that boy has grown into a young man driven to understand his past — and the darkness from which Nikandr awakened him. Nikandr's lover, Atiana, has become a Matra, casting her spirit forth to explore, influence, and protect the Grand Duchy.

But when the Al-Aqim, long thought lost to the past, return to the islands and threaten to bring about indaraqiram — a change that means certain destruction for both the Landed and the Landless — bitter enemies must become allies and stand against their horrific plans. Media The Straits of Galahesh.