House of Rain is one of those rare books that may change you forever.  It's not destined to have that affect on everyone, but for those with even a passing interest in the ancient Anasazi culture of the  American Southwest (think Mesa Verde or Chaco Canyon), this book is a page-turner.  While archaeology can seem like a dry subject, Craig Childs is a different kind of archaeologist.  Part scientist, part adventurer, and occasional mystic, he seems driven by a passion not just to discover and understand, but to FEEL.

I don't tend to read a series of books one after another.  After 600 pages of exploring a fantastical world, I'm usually ready for something else before continuing on with more books in a series.  After finishing Bradley Beaulieu's Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, within 5 minutes I had acquired the next book in his "Shattered Sands" series because I couldn't wait to learn more.

Sharakhai is a shining city in the desert, and a center of commerce and power, its history magnificent and literally the stuff of legend.  But, as in so many things, a closer look reveals that not all is what it seems.  Ruled by twelve immortal kings, who wield absolute power and dispense swift and cruel retribution against all dissenters, the city both bustles with activity and trembles with fear.