Saki

The historical dilogy "Saki" by the Kazakh writer Bulat Zhandarbekov (1932-1991) takes the reader back to the 6th century BC, into the thick of events related to palace intrigues and love passions, the fall of great powers and the birth of new states, epic battles, and legendary heroes.
The first book, the novel "Tomiris," tells the story of the birth and rise of two extraordinary rulers of that time - the queen of the Massagetae, Tomiris, and the Persian king Cyrus, as well as their confrontation, which will lead one of them to inevitable destruction.
The second book, "The Exploit of Shirak," is dedicated to the ascent of King Darius to the Persian throne, and here the narrative continues about the lives of the Saka tribes, weakened by wars, feuds, and political squabbles. At this time, Darius decides to accomplish what the great Cyrus could not achieve - to conquer the lands of the irreconcilable, yet weakened nomads of Tomiris. How could Shirak, an unknown shepherd in love with the queen, stop Darius's enormous army?