The Ashfire King
Published on 17. February 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
560 pages
978-0-356-51748-3 (ISBN)
Description
The Ashfire King continues the tale of myth and magic that began with The Stardust Thief, Chelsea Abdullah's unmissable debut.
'A masterpiece of a book! I couldn't stop reading . . . This book was literally perfection!!'
Reader review ?????
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?
'Triumphant . . . Fans old and new will be excited to pick up this incredible sequel'
Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn
Praise for The Stardust Thief:
'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
'A thrilling adventure about found families, ancient magic and stories that linger' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
'A marvellous plunge into a beautifully crafted adventure' Kirkus
'Abdullah is a gifted storyteller. . . [bringing] to life a rich world, rife with magic, where anything that can be dreamed up can happen' Booklist
Readers are loving this incredible sequel:
'This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint!'
?????
'Oh. My. God. Abdullah, I could truly just give you the most love-filled forehead kiss the world has ever seen . . . I don't think I'll ever get over how much I enjoyed reading this'
?????
'I am trying to find the right words to tell you how amazing this sequel was . . . a truly satisfying, heart warming, heart pounding adventure'
?????
'I'm absolutely obsessed! I already loved the first book in the series, but the second one It completely blew me away'
?????
'Pure magic!'
?????
'It reminded me of why I fell in love with reading as a kid. I'm dying for book 3 already'
?????
'From the very first page, Abdullah weaves an intricate tapestry of magic, creating an environment so immersive that it feels like stepping into a dream'
?????
'An absolute masterpiece of fantasy that immerses readers in a breathtaking world rich with depth and detail'
?????
'Oh, we're SO back . . . I don't know what the third book is called or when it will be released, but I do know that I would die for it'
?????
'A masterpiece of a book! I couldn't stop reading . . . This book was literally perfection!!'
Reader review ?????
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?
'Triumphant . . . Fans old and new will be excited to pick up this incredible sequel'
Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn
Praise for The Stardust Thief:
'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
'A thrilling adventure about found families, ancient magic and stories that linger' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
'A marvellous plunge into a beautifully crafted adventure' Kirkus
'Abdullah is a gifted storyteller. . . [bringing] to life a rich world, rife with magic, where anything that can be dreamed up can happen' Booklist
Readers are loving this incredible sequel:
'This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint!'
?????
'Oh. My. God. Abdullah, I could truly just give you the most love-filled forehead kiss the world has ever seen . . . I don't think I'll ever get over how much I enjoyed reading this'
?????
'I am trying to find the right words to tell you how amazing this sequel was . . . a truly satisfying, heart warming, heart pounding adventure'
?????
'I'm absolutely obsessed! I already loved the first book in the series, but the second one It completely blew me away'
?????
'Pure magic!'
?????
'It reminded me of why I fell in love with reading as a kid. I'm dying for book 3 already'
?????
'From the very first page, Abdullah weaves an intricate tapestry of magic, creating an environment so immersive that it feels like stepping into a dream'
?????
'An absolute masterpiece of fantasy that immerses readers in a breathtaking world rich with depth and detail'
?????
'Oh, we're SO back . . . I don't know what the third book is called or when it will be released, but I do know that I would die for it'
?????
Reviews / Votes
The Ashfire King cements the series as a must-read for fantasy lovers. . . its second instalment will go down as one of 2025's biggest hits -- SCREENRANT 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) 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 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 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 on THE STARDUST THIEF A thrilling adventure about found families, ancient magic and stories that linger -- Shannon Chakraborty on THE STARDUST THIEF 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 on THE STARDUST THIEF 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 on THE STARDUST THIEF Sizzling with action and secrets, The Stardust Thief is a grand adventure with unforgettable characters, enchanting magic, and plenty of heart -- Melissa Caruso on THE STARDUST THIEF Abdullah is a gifted storyteller. . . [bringing] to life a rich world, rife with magic, where anything that can be dreamed up can happen -- BOOKLIST on THE STARDUST THIEF A marvellous plunge into a beautifully crafted adventure -- KIRKUS on THE STARDUST THIEFMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 39 mm
Weight
380 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-356-51748-3 (9780356517483)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
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.