Hi Guys,
I finally got my TBR pile down a bit and realized that I have a ton of holds coming in over the next week or so! But they weren’t in yet so I did a little shelf browsing and came up with this one… and a few more. Sigh. The cover alone is beautiful, so I figured I’d give it a try.
Rebel of the Sands is a debut novel by Alwyn Hamilton. Rebel of the Sands takes place in the unforgiving deserts of Miraji. In a small, dying town on the outskirts of society lives Amani, a gifted sharpshooter stuck in a life where her only options are marriage or death.
Hoping to win enough money to escape her life, Amani dresses as a boy and enters a gun shooting contest where she meets a foreigner named Jin. Together, Jin and Amani get out of a tight scrape and Amani sees Jin as her way out of her dead-end life. Jin is reluctant to take Amani with him but it seems fate has other plans.
Amani and Jin travel together and Amani learns that the desert, the world, is a bigger place then she could have ever imagined. Mythical beats roam the desert, people with powers are more common then they seem, and rebellion is on the horizon. Although, Amani and Jin grow close, Jin is secretive and more then he seems.
What will Amani do when she finds out the truth… the truth about her country, Jin and herself?
This was an interesting read. It was cohesive and yet I felt like I was reading two different books. The first half of the book focused so much on Amani and Jin, their budding relationship and Amani’s escape. This was an interesting journey but I also didn’t really know where the story was going. Then we get that ah-ha moment and book two (the second half of the book) takes over. We get history, rebellion, action, backstory, feelings and more. The story gains a lot more depth and momentum as the book progresses. It was just funny because you can actually pin-point when the story evolved into more than just a chance relationship.
Can I just ask, why do we love smart-ass, cocky, mischievous, ultimately good boys? My favorite male characters have that cocky little, know-it-all grin and Jin is definitely one of those guys. I sort of wish we got more of Jin. He was in the shadows for a lot of the story, there but this shadowy figure that you know has more to offer.
This is one of those rare stories where you know the sequels are going to get even better. The first book sets the stage for so, so much more. I ended up giving this one 3.5 stars because the first half of the book read so different from the second half. I am definitely excited for book two because I think we are going to learn and see a lot. Overall, a super quick read with much to come.
That’s all for now!
-M-