A Shadow in Summer

The city-state of Saraykeht maintains its economic supremacy by virtue of the captive power of the andat, spirits bound to near-human form by the magic of the city's specially trained poet-wizards. Master poet Heshai has held control of the cunning at Seedless for decades, granting dominion over the lucrative cotton trade, but when one of the city's noble merchant houses is betrayed, the consequences prove likely to shake Saraykeht to its foundation. Four characters become entangled in the tide of events: Maati, Heshai's new apprentice; Amat, the accounting overseer of the betrayed house; Itani, a laborer with a secret and a connection to Maati's past; and Itani's lover Liat, Amat's young assistant. Reader Neil Shah does a remarkable job with tone, accent, and inflection to individualize the cast of characters.