The Song of the Shattered Sands
#2404.07 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 6 books Status Complete 2015–2021 Reading commitment Medium Bradley P. Beaulieu Last reviewed 2026-08-27
Overview
In the desert city-state of Sharakhai, the immortal Kings have ruled for four hundred years since striking a dark bargain with the desert gods. Ceda, a pit fighter and street thief, seeks to bring the Kings down and uncover the truth behind her mother's murder, in a series drawing on Middle Eastern and Arabian desert cultures rather than the medieval-European settings more common across epic fantasy.
Epic fantasy, Grimdark · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (6 works) counts toward ranking
The Song of the Shattered Sands Bradley P. Beaulieu
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Twelve Kings in Sharakhai | 2015 | 1 | core | 3.93 (7,736 ratings) |
 | With Blood Upon the Sand | 2017 | 2 | core | 4.17 (3,584 ratings) |
 | A Veil of Spears | 2018 | 3 | core | 4.21 (2,281 ratings) |
 | Beneath the Twisted Trees | 2019 | 4 | core | 4.17 (1,423 ratings) |
 | When Jackals Storm the Walls | 2020 | 5 | core | 4.15 (1,027 ratings) |
 | A Desert Torn Asunder | 2021 | 6 | core | 4.22 (848 ratings) |
Middle Eastern/desert-inspired epic fantasy set in the city-state of Sharakhai, ruled by twelve immortal Kings; the six-book main sequence (2015-2021) is Core Canon. The standalone prequel novella "Of Sand and Malice Made" is Expanded Canon.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Song of the Shattered Sands? The Song of the Shattered Sands's Core Canon is 6 books.
- What is the reading order for The Song of the Shattered Sands? Publication order, starting with Twelve Kings in Sharakhai. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Song of the Shattered Sands finished? Complete (2015–2021).
- How much reading does The Song of the Shattered Sands take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 6 Core Canon books · ~3,437 pages).
- How is The Song of the Shattered Sands ranked? #240 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 16,899 reader ratings across 6 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #240?
Ranked #240 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.07 across 6 core books.
- A smaller readership (16,899 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #239, The Death Gate Cycle (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 6 books · Complete · 17k ratings · Ranks #240 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (6 Core Canon books)
- 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)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.07 across 16,899 ratings on 6 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Song of the Shattered Sands admitted; Core Canon = the six-book main sequence accepted 2026-08-27
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-27
Rule: Core Canon is the six-book main sequence (2015–2021). The standalone prequel novella “Of Sand and Malice Made” is Expanded Canon.