Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton Series: Rebel of the Sands #1
Publisher: Viking Books (2016)
Hardcover (314 pages)
Rating:
Reading Challenges: Read 2016
Synopsis
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic. For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.
Amani Al’Hiza is all three. She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.
Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.
Rebel of the Sands reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally, at long last, embracing her power.
Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository
My Review
Amani is a great character. She lives in Miraji, a desert nation that seems to think women are invisible, for the most part. But Amani hasn’t let this get in her way too much. She has taught herself to be one of the best sharpshooters ever and she has plans to make her own way in the world.
It is because of Amani’s shooting abilities that she meets Jin, a foreigner with secrets of his own. Amani knows he’s hiding something but she doesn’t know quite what it is. Jin is willing to take Amani away from Dustwalk and that is all she needs to know. She isn’t too worried about his secrets as she has her own plans for the future.
I really love how this desert nation is a cross between the wild west and mythological beings. It is a wonderful mix that, in a way, had me thinking about the TV series Firefly.
This novel was rather fast-paced and was bale to keep me intrigued. Sure, I had guessed some of the twists, but there were more that I didn’t. This was a really fun book to read and I cannot wait until the sequel comes out and I can read more of Amani’s story.
Leave a Reply