Review: Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton

Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Page Count: 314
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Borrowed from Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic. For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.

Amani Al’Hiza is all three. She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.

Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.

Rebel of the Sands reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally, at long last, embracing her power.

Let me start off by saying that Rebel of the Sands is not a typical read for me. I'm more of a contemporary gal. I don't do fantasy. That being said, I freaking loved this book! I was lucky enough to win a signed 2 chapter sampler from the author. I read it immediately, and then had to wait impatiently until the book was released to finally finish it. It was more than I had hoped for, and I enjoyed it so much.

Everything about this book was so well done. The world building didn't lose me (like so many other books have), and the story was so creative. There were more than a few surprises along the way, and some reveals that I never saw coming. It was very easy to get caught up in the nonstop excitement and adventure, and I loved every second of it.

Amani and Jin were amazing and worked so well together. I loved everything about them! They had some crazy chemistry, and the small touch of romance was enough to get me hooked on this couple. The secondary characters were varied and kick ass, and they all added something unique to the story.

Rebel of the Sands turned out to be an awesome debut that I highly recommend. This is definitely a book that you shouldn't pass up.

My rating: 4 stars