Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Title: Rebel of the Sands
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Series: Rebel of the Sands #1
Publication: March 8th 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Summary: She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from.
Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.
Review
This book has completely blown away my expectations. Everyone has been raving about it and now I will rave and gush about it. At first, I was hesitant to read this book because hype almost always ruins a book, but let me tell you- the hype is real.
I went into the books without reading the summary, so my expectations are a direct result of reading reviews. And it says something that this book has exceeded my expectations which were based on 5 star reviews. Once I started though, I could not stop reading. I finished the book in one day. This is one of those stories where you will be sucked into the captivating characters and nonstop action. The story just grabs you and refuses to let go. There is never a dull moment and expect the unexpected with this book. Rebel of the Sand proves that the young adult genre is not an inferior genre.
This isn't a story for the faint hearted. Alwyn Hamilton does not hold any punches and it's fascinating to learn about Miraji culture, considering many of their customs can be found around the world today, especially gender inequalities. It's horrifying to learn that some cultures today still carry some of those beliefs. These circumstances made me love Amani more. She refuses to succumb to the confining laws of her home and decides to pursue her own future elsewhere. She has flaws like any human, but she learns from mistakes. She's smart enough to survive in the desert and can take care of herself. Jinn is another character that I absolutely fell in love with. His character was definitely the cherry on top of this fabulous sundae. I already predict there will be many Jinn fans. I've even created a nickname for the couple- Jamani! I hope we get more scenes with him in the next book, because I just couldn’t get enough of him in this one.
The mythology was another aspect I loved. I'm a big mythology freak, so reading about the mythologies in this book was fascinating. The story was unique and complex, but well-written. The world-building was also well-developed. I found no faults with either. Honestly, I found no faults with anything in this book. Even with moments where I disagreed with Amani's actions, I still loved her, which reflects Alwyn Hamilton's amazing writing method.
I cannot wait for the second book. I recommend this book a thousand times. Everyone should get their hands on this book. This will go down in history as one of the best books of 2016 or at least in my opinion :).
