Review

"I'm afraid I'll overuse the word imaginative if I tried to describe what Drake has done here in the depth I want to. You haven't read a fantasy novel like this one before -- almost certainly, anyway -- but you should." -- Irresponsible Reader



"a hard-edged version of One Thousand and One Nights" -- Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews



"the ending is one of the most heartfelt conclusions I've read -- The Coffee Archives



"Waray is a complex creature, angry and violent but with a sweetness and vulnerability that I found deeply compelling." -- The Tome & Tankard Inn



"When magic can have serious consequences I think it adds something extra to the world rather than having magic always be safe." -- Weatherwax Report (Top 10 Indie-Authored Novels)



Do not be misled by the author's light hand (and occasional bad puns);this is a story with some haunting imagery and deep themes, and not oneI'm going to forget quickly." -- Words & Birds



"At first, the novel may seem like one grand adventure for justice and retribution, and while it most certainly is, it is also a cautionary tale of what holding onto the past can do to a person." -- Door Stop Novels



"[ On Ashtadukht, the protagonist. ] I found her to be one of the more realistic female characters I've read about in a long time. She, along with the detail is what really made this book worth reading the most." -- The Arched Doorway



"Darrell does a fantastic job of bringing everything together, it just takes a while to realise what's happening, and the ending is spectacular." -- The Fantasy Inn

From the Author

The events of A Star-Reckoner's Lot unfold in a fictional setting heavily inspired by 6th-century Iran. At the time, the Sassanian Empire stretched from the Euphrates in the West to Central Asia in the East. Through a combination of strength of arms and tolerance, Sassanian Iran brought swathes of land into its fold. There, by harnessing cultures and ideas from both within and without, the empire nurtured the arts and sciences. It glowed with an appreciation for court, religion, king, and nature--often finding unity in depictions of the Royal Hunt.



Many of the well-travelled tales of One Thousand and One Nights first graced the lips of storytellers in Sassanian Iran's thriving and magical folktales. The empire's military conquests scored heavy blows on many fronts: from the Eastern Roman Empire to the Caucasus, from Arabia to Sogdiana, its armies commanded respect.



A mighty yet often unsung player in ancient history, Sassanian Iran commanded an indelible place both in contemporary times, and in the world we live in today.