I was recently lucky enough to receive an ARC from Faber and Faber Ltd. through Netgalley of Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. And boy was it fantastic!
Rebel of the Sands follows Amani as she finally escapes from her prison-like hometown in the search of a better life, only to get caught up in a rebellion so much larger than she could have dreamed of. Alongside a foreigner she crosses paths with, Jin, she must decide if she wants to continue in her search for the ideal life she has dreamed of for so long or take a new path that she had never expected.
Amani and Jin are both extremely intriguing characters, with so many layers that continue to be pulled back throughout the course of the novel. Amani's strength, skill, and determination are so exciting to read about. Her wonder at the world around her is truly refreshing and places a whole new light on the adventure taking place. Jin's mysterious past continues to develop, leaving the reader with no idea of what he could do next.
Alwyn Hamilton's writing style is at the same time fast paced and descriptive. You are never left bored, despite the potentially dreary desert surrounding Amani for much of the story. The interweaving of western themes and a middle-eastern setting is something that I have never read before, particularly in a young-adult novel, and an aspect that I feel made the novel so exciting. Whilst there are undoubtedly dystopian elements, this is by no means a sterotypical young-adult dystopian and I absolutely adored this unique aspect.
Overall, I highly recommend this novel, particularly to lovers of adventure and dystopia, with a dash of romance added in there!
Rating - 4.75/5
Love always,
Ari
I love, love, love this book! I'm glad you did, too. I just love the world and the myths that the author has incorporated with her story. The characters are simply divine. I'm a fan of humans with superpowers, so this book was just right up my alley. But the thing is, I didn't know that before reading the book, so it was such a great surprise. :)
ReplyDeleteI know right! There were so many lines in the myths and stories that were incorporated that I totally fangirled over!! Such beautiful writing and world building. xx
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