The Ashfire King

The magical sequel to The Stardust Thief, Chelsea Abdullah's unmissable debut that weaves a tale of myth and magic in a world steeped in Middle Eastern folklore, perfect for fans of The City of Brass and The Bone Shard Daughter

NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, BUT LONG AGO . . .

After fleeing a patricidal prince, legendary merchant Loulie al-Nazari and banished prince Mazen bin Malik find themselves in the realm of jinn. But instead of sanctuary, they find a world on the cusp of collapse.

The jinn cities, long sheltered beneath the Sandsea by the magic of its kings, are sinking. Amid the turmoil, political alliances are forming, and rebellion is on the rise. When Loulie assists a dissenter she puts herself in the centre of a centuries-old war.

Trapped in a world that isn't her own and wielding magic that belongs to a fallen king, Loulie must decide: Will she carry on someone else's legacy or carve out her own?

Review

You'll be charmed immediately by the characters and pulled in by this exploration of how the stories we hear and the stories we tell ourselves - beautiful and heartbreaking alike - shape us. Perfect for fans of S.A. Chakraborty's City of Brass -- C.L. Clark, author of THE UNBROKEN

A thrilling adventure about found families, ancient magic and stories that linger -- S. A. Chakraborty, author of THE CITY OF BRASS

The Stardust Thief is a dream written upon a page - absorbing, lingering and poignantly told. Abdullah weaves a sweeping adventure of tales within tales, while laying bare the ways those we love can both uplift us and break our hearts -- Andrea Stewart, author of THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER

Abdullah has created a sumptuous feast of richly layered classic tales, and characters who will have you hungering to unravel their mysteries. The Stardust Thief will transport you, enchant you, and revive your belief in the magic of storytelling. -- Shelley Parker-Chan, author of SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN

Abdullah continues to cleverly integrate tales from One Thousand and One Nights into her intricate worldbuilding while delivering a heady mix of adventure and romance -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Sizzling with action and secrets, The Stardust Thief is a grand adventure with unforgettable characters, enchanting magic, and plenty of heart -- Melissa Caruso, author of THE TETHERED MAGE

Abdullah is a gifted storyteller. . . [bringing] to life a rich world, rife with magic, where anything that can be dreamed up can happen -- BOOKLIST

This powerful, intriguing adventure will leave readers eager for more -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

A marvellous plunge into a beautifully crafted adventure -- KIRKUS

Abdullah transports readers into this rich world and literary heritage -- LIBRARY JOURNAL

This triumphant return to the world of jinn, relics, mystery and danger takes everything you love from The Stardust Thief and dials it up to a thousand. Chelsea Abdullah is as powerful a storyteller as Mazen, as bold an adventurer as Aisha, as intelligent a schemer as Loulie, and as loyal to her characters as Qadir. Fans old and new will be excited to pick up this incredible sequel -- Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of SO LET THEM BURN

Once again Abdullah deftly conjures magic. The middle book in Abdullah's adventure is no less thrilling or expansively conceived than the first -- LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)

About the Author

Chelsea Abdullah is the award-winning author of The Sandsea Trilogy, an epic fantasy series that begins with The Stardust Thief. An American-Kuwaiti writer born and raised in Kuwait, she grew up listening to stories about mysterious desert creatures and wily (only sometimes likable) heroes. Consumed by wanderlust, she has put down roots in various states. After earning her MA in English at Duquesne University, she moved to the East Coast, where she currently lives. When not immersed in her own fictional worlds, she spends her free time playing video games, doodling characters and hoarding books she doesn't have the shelf space for.