(Review) Rebel of the Sands

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Publication Date: March 8, 2016

Pages: 314 (hardcover)

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis: 

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him... or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

My Review: 

I am so glad I finally picked this book up! (Literally. It's been sitting in a pile from the library for a month.) It's got everything you could ask for: cute boys, romance, magic, murder, and- did I mention cute boys? 

Amani is a character that I fell in love with from the start. She is strong-willed and knows what she wants. What she wants is an escape from the life she's been given because, well, it's pretty awful.  I love Amani's determination and bravery. She doesn't need anyone but herself...or so she thinks. 

I love Amani and Jin's first meeting- and their second. Jin is a great character: handsome, daring, and definitely mysterious. He's one that keeps you on your toes and make you want moremoremore of his quips and, oh, anything with him, basically. 

Their journey together is a wild ride full of secrets and tons of action. Each page leads you down a path that you aren't sure where it's going until the very end. And, even then, I was still kind of wondering where it was going. (Good thing there's a sequel!) 

This mix of characters and unlikely heroes makes for a great story. I love how the friendship/relationship between Jin and Amani builds slowly.There isn't insta-love and it wouldn't work with this story anyway. Both Jin and Amani have things holding them back. I loved reading and watching them grow together. I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Should you read this? 

Yesssss.