Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton is the second book in the Rebel of the Sands series. This book picks up a handful of months after the last book. Amani now wields her powers with ease and the rebellion seems to be gaining ground. She feels at home with the rebels and their bonds go deep. Even so, Amani is uncertain about her future with Jin, who disappeared after she was shot and almost died during the gap between books. Now Jin is back and Amani doesn’t know how to feel.
She doesn’t get long to think before the rebel camp is attacked and she is kidnapped. Now Amani is in a den of vipers, powerless and at the mercy of the very man she has been fighting to overthrow. Amani must walk a fine line between staying true to the rebellion and staying alive.
What secrets will Amani uncover in a palace of lies? With her powers gone, how will she ever escape? And what will happen to the rebellion without the blue-eyed bandit?
I was really looking forward to this one and it did not disappointed. At first I was hesitant with how quickly Amani was separated from the rebels and left to fight for herself. I wasn’t sure how the story would progress with her captive and enthralled to the whims of the sultan, but it worked. We were introduced to new characters and we learn more about the Djinni and their origins and place in the world.
There’s more intrigue in this one and the plot thickens. There is more going on then just a father and son fighting for power and the Djinni are at the center of it. We learn more about the sultan’s plans and the dynamic of the rebellion changes. Whereas the first book was action packed, this second one has action and depth–it sets the stage for more.
I also liked that this book addresses some of the loose ends left in Rebel of the Sands. We find out what happened to Tamid and Shira, we also find out more about Amani’s parents and foreshadowing of the future. I also loved that Hamilton kept Amani as the sole narrator. A lot of series these days have a single narrator in the first book and then add narratives in subsequent books. This has been driving me crazy lately, so it was refreshing to have one consistent narrator throughout.
Oh man guys, that ending! This book ended with a massive bang. The twist was both expected and totally out of left field. You knew something was up but Hamilton sets everything up really well. This book was worth reading just for the last 100 pages.
Overall, a great read. This one gets 4 stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-