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Interested in Rebel of the Sands, but not sure if it’s worth reading? This review about romantic and magical fantasy book Rebel of the Sands will give you an honest idea and should help you decide! 😉
Title: Rebel of the Sands
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Pages: 358 (paperback)
Point of View: 1st person (Amani)
Genre(s): Fantasy
Instalments: Book 1 in the Rebel of the Sands Trilogy
Amani, a girl in the desert, is just as worthless as any other girl in Miraji. A country that is poor in food and water but rich in iron and pistols. So, it’s only natural that Amani learns how to shoot better than any man and wants freedom in the city. Living with her uncle after her mother’s death threatens to take that completely away from her for young Amani is to marry. Needing money to flee from her little village she dresses up as a boy and participates in a shooting competition. She doesn’t expect to meet a mysterious foreigner. She doesn’t expect to see him again and she sure as hell doesn’t expect him to help her run. The two of them soon find themselves in more trouble as dangerous magic lingers in the sands and a rebellion threatens to overthrow the Sultan.
Written in a way that makes you hurt
This book is more than I expected from the description at the back. I expected the writing to be sullen and heavily detailed and was surprised to find it funny and hardly weighty. It is not a classical feel-good book by any means, but it balances perfectly between dark and light. Hamilton depicts the discussed topic of oppressed females in a shockingly true way. A way that makes you hurt, because not only is this our history, in some cultures, it is our present. It’s actually sad when Amani finds people that respect her and hold her in the same regard as men as there’s a constant reminder how many refuse to trust and listen to her, because of her gender.
A powerful couple amidst a perilous journey
The romance between Amani and Jin is refreshingly not a slow burn. There’s chemistry from the start, but you are still unsure whether there truly is something between them or whether it’s just one-sided. Thanks to a strong female lead and Jin’s impressive fighting skills they make a powerful couple who share humor and affections alike. While you follow the two in their journey through the desert, entertained by tales of djinn and trailed by other magical beings, you are fully engaged in this story setting. I totally devoured the second half of this novel, because it had me wrapped in its clutches.
Romantic, suspenseful, funny and full of djinn tales, Rebel of the Sands is known by some but underrated by many.
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If this review whetted your interest buy the book here:Â Thalia
