When I came across Rebel of the Sands I thought the cover was one of the most beautiful covers I was seen. The mix of the gold and sea green together was just pure magic. It made me want to pick it up. In The Rebel of the Sands is a book that I read during the Booktubeathon and it was a super fast paced book that left me wanting to find out what happens next.
Synopsis:
For those that haven’t heard of Rebel of the Sands, it’s the first book in the trilogy that has a combination of Middle Eastern and Western vibe. Think of Aladin if they were cowboys. The book takes place in the country of Marijin and center around a girl name Amani who lives in the middle of nowhere town Dustwalk. And this town was a prison that Amani wanted to desperately leave and seek the freedom of what is out there. So in order to get her freedom, Amani pretends to be a boy and goes to shooting contests in hope of winning money to get herself out of Dustwalk.
One night during a shooting contest Amani meets the mysterious foreigner who goes by the name of Jin. Later does she know that Jin is in the hurry to leave as well since he is wanted for treason of crime? So, Amani decides that Jin is her one-way ticket out of Dustwalk. Little did she know that the adventure through the desert leads her to discover the hidden magic that lies within the sand.
Review:
Before I started reading Rebel of the Sands I had a feeling that I would enjoy it. I was also gravitated by the beautiful cover. The book didn’t disappoint, to say the least. I really enjoyed the plot. I liked the combination of Middle Eastern culture and western cowboy vibes in the story. I also liked the fact that story had many surprises as you go along the story. I also enjoy the fact that book had a lot of myths, legends and its own story about the world.
Another thing I liked about Rebel of the Sands was the characters. I think Amani is awesome, she is funny and sassy in every way. I mean despite her not knowing a lot about the real world outside of Dustwalk she didn’t let that stop her from going on the journey. She had a dream and she went for it. I also liked the fact she is a talented shooter and can take care of herself.
For Jin, the other character I thought was very intriguing. He pretty was funny as well but also was always there for Amani. I also liked that he gets all the good lines that I am sure you will find enough to quote after.
For the magic itself, I have mixed feelings. I liked the magical elements in the book from the Djinn elements and the fact that there was also magical creatures like Nightmares(creepy monsters that come out a night. Though do wish I could’ve seen more of. I guess due to the size of the book there wasn’t any room to put them all in.
Final Thoughts
Overall I really enjoyed reading Rebel of the Sands and has so much fun reading it. I really liked getting to know the characters and watching how they interact with each other. If you are interesting checking out the book yourself I do have an affiliate link at the bottom of this post and until next time keep on reading.