The Bones of the Old Ones

A thrilling, inventive follow-up to The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones, a rare master of the storyteller's art (Greenmanreview.com)As a snowfall blankets 8th century Mosul, a Persian noblewoman arrives at the home of the scholar Dabir and his friend the swordsman Captain Asim. Najya has escaped from a dangerous cabal that has ensorcelled her to track down ancient magical tools of tremendous power, the bones of the old ones.To stop the cabal and save Najya, Dabir and Asim venture into the worst winter in human memory, hunted by a shape-changing assassin. The stalwart Asim is drawn irresistibly toward the beautiful Persian even as Dabir realizes she may be far more dangerous a threat than anyone who pursues them, for her enchantment worsens with the winter. As their opposition grows, Dabir and Asim have no choice but to ally with their deadliest enemy, the treacherous Greek necromancer, Lydia. But even if they can trust one another long enough to escape their foes, it may be too late for Najya, whose soul is bound up with a vengeful spirit intent on sheathing the world in ice for a thousand years... The Bones of the Old Ones is a damn good tale that not only pays homage to the masters, but sets its own print on the genre. --SF SignalThis rousing sequel to The Desert of Souls offers a mélange of ancient adventure myths populated by convincing, endearing characters... As intricately woven as the magic carpet of Greek sorceress Lydia, Jones's tale incorporates real historical personages and settings like Mosul of haggard beauty from the early days of Islam, and fills the pages with gallantry and glamour to provide a thrilling spectacle. -Publishers Weekly, starred review