Obsidian: Awakening is every bit as dark, with every bit as much horror and brokenness in it, maybe more, than the disclaimer would suggest (of course, no disclaimer could capture the fullness of it. This isn't a short novel by any means but the pages do tend to fly by fairly quickly whenever I got the chance to pick it up.

The prince is impressed by the woman’s bravery and intellect, and decides to make her one of his wives, against the woman’s will. What follows is a soul-stirring and unforgiving tale of survival, humanity, destiny, duty, loyalty, sacrifice and love.A grimdark epic fantasy inspired by the dryland cultures of the Mongolian nomads and Bedouins, it’s got multiple POV characters from both sides in a war between the Shakshi desert nomads of the White Desert, and the more-city-based Salasar Empire.

Despite the white and black of its deserts setting, it is all about shades of grey and the perspectives of different cultures.A tale of humanity’s deadliest weapon that drives us all to do the unthinkable, written in the blood of its heroes, the scorching sands of the desert, and the fires of war that never leave anyone without scars. Inspired by Arabic and Mongolian cultures, the peninsula setting of the Black and White Deserts is so rich and in-depth, and the worldbuilding is weaved masterfully through the narrative. If you didn’t like the cold reality that Game of Thrones explored then you won’t want to touch this either.