Bradley P Beaulieu Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Bradley P. Beaulieu

For most readers, the best entry point into Bradley P. Beaulieu’s fiction is Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, the opening novel of his acclaimed epic fantasy series, The Song of the Shattered Sands. This book showcases the author's trademark strengths: rich, Middle Eastern-inspired world-building, a complex and logical magic system, and a resilient, compelling protagonist in Çeda, a pit fighter seeking vengeance against the immortal rulers of her city.

If you prefer a shorter commitment, you can start with The Winds of Khalakovo, which kicks off The Lays of Anuskaya, a completed trilogy that blends Slavic folklore elements with airships and elemental magic. Alternatively, if you want a fresh series featuring dragons, political conspiracies, and ancient gods, you can jump straight into his newer saga with The Dragons of Deepwood Fen.

The Song of the Shattered Sands Reading Order

This is Beaulieu's masterpiece, spanning six main novels and several companion novellas and short stories. While the main novels must be read in order, the placement of the novellas depends on whether you prefer publication order or a chronological integration.

The Main Novels

• Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (2015)
• With Blood Upon the Sand (2017)
• A Veil of Spears (2018)
• Beneath the Twisted Trees (2019)
• When Jackals Storm the Walls (2020)
• A Desert Torn Asunder (2021)

The Companion Novellas and Short Stories

Beaulieu has written numerous side stories to flesh out secondary characters and history. While optional, they add rich flavor to the world:

• Of Sand and Malice Made (2016): A prequel novella featuring three linked stories focused on Çeda's early years. It is often numbered as Book 0.5.
• The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (2017): A companion story following Brama, a side character from the prequel, dealing with an elemental spirit (Book 0.6).
• The Doors at Dusk and Dawn (2017): Set decades before the main series, focusing on a desert horse race and a character named Leorah (Book 2.2).
• In the Village Where Brightwine Flows (2017): Follows the apothecary Dardzada on a dark mystery in Sharakhai (Book 2.1).
• A Wasteland of My God's Own Making (2019): A side story featuring Djaga, a pit fighter (Book 4.5).
• The Flight of the Whisper King (2020): Follows a street thief named Mala, set directly between Books 4 and 5 (Book 4.6).
• The Last Days of Old Sharakhai (2023): An epilogue-like companion set near the conclusion of the final novel, focusing on King Ihsan (Book 6.5).

Recommended Hybrid Reading Path

1. Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (Start here to get grounded in the main plot and characters).
2. Of Sand and Malice Made (Read this prequel next to explore Çeda's past before the stakes rise).
3. The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (Optional companion).
4. With Blood Upon the Sand
5. In the Village Where Brightwine Flows & The Doors at Dusk and Dawn (Optional expansions to read before Book 3).
6. A Veil of Spears
7. Beneath the Twisted Trees
8. A Wasteland of My God's Own Making (Optional companion).
9. The Flight of the Whisper King (Highly recommended to read here as it bridges Books 4 and 5).
10. When Jackals Storm the Walls
11. A Desert Torn Asunder
12. The Last Days of Old Sharakhai (Read as a final farewell to the city).

The Lays of Anuskaya Trilogy

This completed trilogy is set in a windswept, Norse-and-Russian-influenced world of elemental spirits and fractured nations. Unlike his desert series, this is a tighter, three-book narrative arc. Start with the main novels, then explore the side stories:

• The Winds of Khalakovo (2011)
• The Straits of Galahesh (2012)
• The Flames of Shadam Khoreh (2013)

Anuskaya Companion Stories

• To the Towers of Tulandan (2015): A prequel short story (Book 0.5) that details events prior to the start of the trilogy.
• Prima (2014): A post-trilogy short story exploring the fallout of the events in the final novel.

The Book of the Holt

This is Beaulieu’s newest epic fantasy series, set in a forested, mountainous landscape where humanity lives alongside dragons and hidden gods. The series follows Lorelei Aurelius and Rylan Holbrooke as they investigate a conspiracy threatening their homeland.

• The Dragons of Deepwood Fen (2023)
• The Tapestry at Briarmount Abbey (2024 / Book 1.5): An intermediate novella detailing a side quest.
• A God of Countless Guises (2026): The epic sequel and continuation of the story.

Short Story Collections and Collaborations

Outside of his main epic fantasy universes, Beaulieu has compiled several collections of his short fiction and co-authored works:

• Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten & Other Stories (2013): Contains several of his early short stories, including the Anuskaya tale To the Towers of Tulandan.
• In the Stars I'll Find You (2015): A collection of science fiction and fantasy stories.
• Future Dreams (2018): A short fiction collection.
• The Burning Light (2016): A standalone sci-fi/fantasy novella co-authored with Rob Ziegler, published by Tor Books.

What to Know Before You Start

Bradley P. Beaulieu writes with the meticulous logical consistency of a computer programmer—his former profession—which translates into magic systems that have clear rules, limits, and costs. His settings are deeply immersive, steering away from generic European medieval fantasy to draw from Middle Eastern, Slavic, and woodland biomes. While his main series feature grand, world-altering conflicts, they are driven by intimate, character-focused motivations such as vengeance, family, and survival, making them accessible and deeply human.