Mundie Moms

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton / Blog Tour: Book Review #RebelOfTheSands #HeroAtTheFall


Welcome to the next stop in the HERO AT THE FALL blog tour, hosted by Penguin Teen. This week's stops are featuring the first book in the series, REBEL OF THE SANDS. I'm thrilled to share my review, which was originally posted here. This series is one of my all time favorites. If you haven't already, be sure to pick up the first two books in the series, before Hero At The Fall is released next month. More about the series, and the tour schedule below. First, here's a little about the book that started it all, Rebel Of The Sands. 

ABOUT THE BOOK


By: Alwyn Hamilton
Published by: Viking Books
Released on: March 8th, 2016
SeriesRebel of the Sands #1
Purchase fromAmazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

Arabian Nights meets Mockingjay in a world unlike any you've ever seen before!
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still perform their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. When the gunslinging girl meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she sees him as the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's part of the secret rebel movement plotting to overthrow the Sultan. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him . . . or that he'd help her unlock the truth about who--and what--she is. Debut author Alwyn Hamilton weaves this spellbinding story of treason, passion, and magic.
 
MY REVIEW

A captivating debut, Rebel of the Sands has it all! It's an action packed read with rich world building, adventure, character chemistry that practically ignites the pages, magic, epic battles, fantasy, and a fascinating lore. Hamilton's debut is one that blends together Western, Middle East and Fantasy elements together beautifully. It's unlike any other story I've read before, and one I really enjoyed! 

I love it when a book has characters that are not only well written, but all have a purpose. Each character, whether they're a main one, or supporting one, all help bring this incredible story to life. I loved that whether they're a good or bad character, they each have a belief in something that is greater than themselves. Their belief in their cause drives to make the choices they do. I liked that there's a history and magic that runs so deep within some of the characters. Their abilities are part of what make the battle scenes epic. 


Amani is a character I really liked. She's a girl who's stuck in a society that wants to suppress who she is. She's not someone who will sit back and allow others to dictate or control who is she, and what she's able to do. She has courage, determination, and an inner fire that makes her restless, and willing to risk it out to escape her dead end town, regardless of the deadly consequences that she may face. There's a wildness in her I admired, and it's something that ties into her abilities, which I won't mention for the sake of spoilers. I really enjoyed the characters Amani meets after her journey. There's so much they teach her about who she is, and what she can do. 


The character chemistry in this book is one I loved! There's an irresistible pull between Armani and Jin. It's the kind that is both sigh worthy and maddening all at the same time. What these two have ignites the pages when they're together. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next between these two. There's so much that they've shared with each other, and so much they haven't, that puts them both in danger. I loved watching their relationship grow, and the untold secrets between them unravel. My word, I need more of these two! 


There are so many elements to this story that when combined, they all worked together perfectly to tell an unforgettable story. From the world building, to her characters and their dialogue, everything about Hamilton's story is captivating. The diverse world in which the characters live in is vividly detailed, and easily imagined. I loved that the world plays a role in the magic abilities some of the characters have. Speaking of magic, the battles that happen are epic. This book has a little bit of everything, but the magic, and fantasy were some of my favorites. 


Hamilton has come blazing into the YA book scene with this incredible debut. Her storytelling is amazing. Like the stories you'd except to be told around a campfire, that are rich with legend, and lore, and are passed one from generation to generation, this is a story that felt very much like that at it's heart. I need more of her books!! This debut is one I thoroughly enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to reading it's sequel! 


ABOUT THE SERIES 


TRAITOR TO THE THRONE (Book2)


A sizzling, unputdownable sequel to Rebel of the Sands that will make you question everything you thought you knew about the land of Miraji!
The gunslinger Amani al'Hiza never wanted to be a hero or a revolutionary, but now she's become a key member of the rapidly growing rebellion against the Sultan of Miraji. After Amani is captured by the Sultan's army and imprisoned in his palace, she realizes she's there not to be questioned as a rebel but used as a Demdji. As Amani tries to spy on the enemy and plots her escape, Jin andthe rebels are brewing a rescue plan. But the longer Amani stays in the palace, the more she questions if the Sultan is the tyrant she's believed or just a ruler fighting foreigners for his country. As the rebellion swiftly spirals into war, Amani wonders whether she's on the right side.
 

HERO AT THE FALL (Book 3)
 
The breathless finale to the New York Times bestselling Rebel of the Sands series will have you on the edge of your seat until the dust from the final battle clears!
When gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn't exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Alwyn Hamilton was born in Toronto and lived between Canada, France, and Italy until the was three, when her family settled in the small French town of Beaune. She studied History of Art at King's College, Cambridge, graduated in 2009, and lives in London.

FOLLOW THE SERIES TOUR 

REBEL AT THE SANDS SCHEDULE
 
WEEK ONE
1/30 – Spinatale Reviews – Review
1/31 – Library Ladies – Review
2/1 – I Fangirl about books – Review
2/2 – Aimee, Always – Quote Wallpaper 
 
WEEK TWO
2/5 – Opalsbookjems – Review
2/6 – Mundie Moms – Review
2/7 – As Told By Michelle – Review
 
TRAITOR TO THE THRONE SCHEDULE
 
WEEK THREE
2/12 – YA and Wine – Review
2/13 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – “5 Reasons to Read the Series”
2/14 – ReadingAnyone – Review
2/15 – The Clockwork Bibliophile – Booklook + Photo Feature
 
WEEK FOUR
2/20 – The Lovely Books – Review
2/21 – Never Too Many To Read – Creative
2/22 – Sisters Who Read – Creative Post
 
HERO AT THE FALL SCHEDULE
 
WEEK FIVE
2/26 – Writing is Hard – Review + Social Media Promo
2/27 – Mike the Fanboy – Fun Recap of Series
2/28 – My Friends are Fiction – Review 
3/1 – The Young Folks – Review
3/2 – Lisa’s Lost in Lit – Creative
 
WEEK SIX
3/5 – The Reader Bee – Review + Bookstagram Post
3/6 – Seeing Double in Neverland – Review + Creative Insta Post
3/7 – A  Book and A Cup of Coffee – Playlist
3/8 – Fiction Fare – Moodboard
 
WEEK SEVEN
3/12 – The Eater of Books – Moodboard
3/13 – Love Is Not a Triangle – Review + Bookstagram Picture 
3/14 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Creative Content
3/15 – Forever Young Adult – Review 
 

1 comment:

  1. Eee, so glad you loved this book Katie :D I adored book one, but never read book two.. ahh. Though my collection of these books is HUGE :D I'm re-reading book one when this hardcover is out, to finally read them all, and I am so excited. <3 You are making me even more excited about this :D Thrilled you loved the characters, and that the romance was great. Eee.

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