Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Publisher: Faber & Faber (UK)
Publication Date: February 4th 2016
Part of A Series?: Yes! (Book One of A Planned Trilogy)
I Got A Copy Through: Guardian Children's Books
Blurb Description:"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."
Dustwalk is an unforgiving, dead-end town. It's not the place to be poor or orphaned or female. And yet Amani Al'Hiza must call it 'home'.
Amani wants to escape and see the world she's heard about in campfire stories.
Then a foreigner with no name turns up, and with him she has the chance to run.
But the desert plains are full of dangerous magic. The Sultan's army is on the rise and Amani is soon caught at the heart of a fearless rebellion...
An epic story of swirling desert sands, love, magic and revolution.
When I first looked at the cover of Rebel of the Sands, I
knew that it was a book I had to have. I didn’t care what it was about, this
was cover love at first sight. My love only deepened when I actually read what
the book was about: ‘A Sharpshooter. A
Dreamer. A damn good liar.’ and I had chills running down my back!
To be quite honest, I don’t think my words can quite capture
the essence of what this book has in store for you when you pick it up (because
you REALLY should) so I’m going to try and capture it from some of the
many lines that were so awesome, I HAD to re-read them over and over.
‘I didn’t seem to mind proving myself dumb if it meant proving someone else wrong.’
You know badass heroines, right? We all love them. There’s
Katniss Everdeen and Celaena Sardothien and Mare Barrow. Here’s the thing
though, how many of said actually SAID they were badass, because Amani does.
And Amani is AWESOME!
She’s a fearless dreamer with perfect aim and a will to
live, and I assure you, you will LOVE her.
‘No one could see me, a girl with a stolen gun, shooting until my fingers were sore and my aim was good enough that I could’ve knocked a shot glass out of a drunk’s shaky fingers.’
The book opens with Amani trying to get out of the bleak
existence she can’t help but detest. She’s meant for greater things; she’s
meant for places where your gender doesn’t make you lose respect, where it’s
okay to not be ashamed to have been born a girl. (SHE SAYS THIS, YES.)
*FREAKS OUT* *BOWS HEAD IN RESPECT*
I loved that in the middle
of an Arabian Night’s story, we had FEMINISM,
and equality and non-discrimination. These were really
life issues that every girl in the world faces – East or West – and Alwyn
handled it all brilliantly.
‘I was a desert girl. I thought I knew heat.I was wrong.’
But, of
course, a book is NOT complete without the smoldering boy who gets our heroine
completely! Although in most novels, she just falls right into his arms without much
thought and he does almost all of the work. SO NOT THE CASE! Amani, even if she
was wrong, wasn’t afraid of doing what she needed to get what she wanted, even if it meant hurting him. And
the CHEMISTRY! *Swoons* *Finds Ointment for Burns*
‘These ideas could make men shout for rebellion even when it meant they would hang for it.’
The
blurb promises you rebellion and love and magic, and IT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!
From the stories of Djinn to Ghouls to Skinwalkers, to the passion between Jin
and Amani and through all the characters with their dangerous powers and
powerful personalities, this book will grip you and never let go.
I guess
I just need to end with: ‘Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in this masterful
Arabian Nights setting, leaving readers spellbound.’
What do you guys think of that cover? Who is your favourite Badass Heroine?
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