(Review) Traitor to the Throne

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Pages: 528 (hardcover)
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
Mere months ago, gunslinger Amani al'Hiza fled her dead-end hometown on the back of a mythical horse with the mysterious foreigner Jin, seeking only her own freedom. Now she's fighting to liberate the entire desert nation of Miraji from a bloodthirsty sultan who slew his own father to capture the throne.

When Amani finds herself thrust into the epicenter of the regime—the Sultan's palace—she's determined to bring the tyrant down. Desperate to uncover the Sultan's secrets by spying on his court, she tries to forget that Jin disappeared just as she was getting closest to him, and that she's a prisoner of the enemy. But the longer she remains, the more she questions whether the Sultan is really the villain she's been told he is, and who’s the real traitor to her sun-bleached, magic-filled homeland.

Forget everything you thought you knew about Miraji, about the rebellion, about djinni and Jin and the Blue-Eyed Bandit. In Traitor to the Throne, the only certainty is that everything will change.

Rebel of the Sands was a New York Times bestseller, published in fifteen countries and the recipient of four starred reviews and multiple accolades. But its sequel is even better.

My Review: 
I have been seriously slacking on my reading for the past couple of weeks/months, but I was so excited to get my hands on this one. I loved Amani's story in Rebel and couldn't wait to get back to them. 

When we first get back with Amani she is, of course, being a badass. She has become all about the mission and the resistance. Amani is still the brave and kind of cocky girl we know and love but now she's got plenty of experience under her belt. 

Missing from the first part of this book (much to my dismay) is Jin. While I love that there is a mission and that they are both independent characters, I also really love them together. As things progress and Amani gets herself into a rather tricky situation you definitely start to feel the tension. 

Amani being stuck in the harem brings to light so many emotions for her and also gives us, as readers, a little more insight into Ahmed and Jin's lives. I loved the history we got from her time there and also all of the characters we got to meet and love (or hate). 

I loved this book for so many reasons, including the interpretation of how war and fighting can take a toll on friends and family. Not only that, but you absolutely get the feeling of how they are all being brought together too. 

This book was heavy on the fatalities that come with war. The Sultan is ruthless and so many of his followers are, too. Hamilton doesn't spare any feelings and there were definitely parts that broke my heart here. (I actually read the majority of this book while standing in lines at Disney.) 

The twist at the end just about killed me, so good luck with that. 



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