The long awaited second book in Chelsea Abdullah’s The Sandsea Trilogy will be released on Tuesday, April 15th. A huge thanks to the publisher for gifting me an advanced uncorrected proof of The Ashfire King. I loved The Stardust Thief and had high hopes for the second installment of the trilogy. The publishing delay concerned me a little (it was initially supposed to be out Fall 2023), but I shouldn’t have worried; The Ashfire King is a solid follow-up that sets the scene for the final installment.
Abdullah blends magic and stories within stories to create something that continues to be quite special. We still have our relic hunter, Loulie; the now-dead sultan’s son and banished prince and storyteller, Mazen; and Aisha, a former jinn-killing member of Mazen’s brother’s forty thieves whose life is now tied to a relic and ifrit. Along with Mazen’s brother, Hakim, the map maker, and a cast of other memorable characters, once more we’re off on an adventure. Adventures, to be exact. Aisha is hellbent on revenge against Omar. Loulie wants to find and save Qadir. And Mazen, well, Mazen is struggling a bit, but his adventure will always be being there for Loulie.
Noticeably absent is Qadir, Loulie’s bodyguard and the so-called Ashfire King. The plot centers around Loulie trying to find and save him while she operates from within his former world beneath the Sandsea and he is imprisoned by the now sultan, Mazen’s brother, Omar, in the human world.
It’s a story of found families, lasting loyalties, and legends that breathe life and fire. I can’t wait for the final installment.
A Girl Named Tommi 