Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Book Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands was so much fun!

The novel started off with a bang (quite literally) and never slowed down. Amani lives in a dead end town and is looking for a way to escape when a foreigner comes along and changes everything. All of a sudden she's on the run with a stranger as an ally. Jin, the male lead, is everything I wanted in a male protagonist for this novel. I haven't completely fallen in love with him, but it is bound to happen.

My only wish is that my reading experience was different. I have been so busy these past couple weeks, and so it took me a long time to finish this book. Goodreads says 18 days, but I only sat down three different times to read this book. I know that if I had more free time, I would've felt more connected to the story and the characters.

By far my favorite character is Amani. She is such a headstrong heroine, and I absolutely loved reading from her perspective. Out of the secondary characters, I liked Shazad the best. She's yet another kick-ass female character, and I loved how Hamilton had females on the same playing field as men.

The second half of the novel took a different turn than I was expecting. I wouldn't say I liked it less, but it kind of threw me off. However, I am looking forward to where this new plot will take us. Amani's struggles have just become a lot more complex, and seeing it unravel in the next book will be one heck of a ride.

My only worry is that the series will end up feeling rushed. The world of this series is so complex, and I don't want it to be brushed over so that the story finishes nicely. I'd rather have this series become a quartet if it means that the world building is stronger. Hamilton knows what she's doing, so I still am hopeful!

I would recommend this to any fantasy lover. I'm quite a newbie to the YA fantasy, but I think even veterans would appreciate this. I can see this trilogy becoming one of my favorites out there. Amani and Jin's relationship is slow burning and I love it.  The plot is original and the characters strong. This story took twists and turn I was not expecting, and I really appreciated it. I normally can anticipate the "gotcha" moments, but this one really took me aback! Hats off to Alwyn Hamilton!

Overall, Rebel of the Sands is a strong opening novel to what can be a fantastic fantasy trilogy. The series holds true promise and I am looking forward to the second novel that will be coming out next year. I wish I could've had a better reading experience, because it negatively affected my enjoyment of the book.

With that, I give this book

4 out of 5 Stars!
 




Have you read Rebel of the Sands? What did you think?

Thanks guys for visiting and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

12 comments:

  1. Great review! I'm really looking forward to reading this one! :)

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    1. Thanks Lauren! I hope you like it when you do! :D

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  2. Awesome review! I've been seeing this book everywhere it seems and I really want to get my hands on it. Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later...

    Danica @ A Redheaded Bookworm

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    1. Thanks Danica! I hope that you like it whenever you do get around to it. :D

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    1. Aww thanks Kate! I can't wait for the second book! :)

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  4. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I've been putting off this book for a while now because there are so many other great books coming out but I think I'm going to read it soon :) I do love good series openers (you know, before all of the tragedies happen... there's a reason I don't like rereading the last three HP books!). Lovely review!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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    1. Thanks Laura! I'm on the same page as you. I haven't read some of my most anticipated reads just because there have been so many books coming out right now! It's been overwhelming. I hate to say it, but I've only read the first HP book and it was two years ago! My childhood series was Percy Jackson, but I definitely understand. The last book is so much darker than the others, and I'm sure the last three of HP is the same way. I've seen the movies, so I know what (kinda) happens!

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  5. I'm so glad you liked this one. I've been dying to read this! Loved your review!

    - Poulami @ Daydreaming Books

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    1. Aw thanks Poulami! I hope you like it (or love it!) when you read it!

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  6. I love your take on this and I'm glad you liked the book! I'm hoping the next book will be as action packed as this one! -Tina

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    1. Thanks Tina! I completely agree with you. Maybe even more? :D

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