Rebel of the Sands Review: Amani

Book: Rebel of the Sands
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Series: Rebel of the Sands
Genre: YA fantasy
Pages: 320
Published: March 8th 2016

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.

Goodreads / Amazon / Kobo

Think sharpshooters, traditional culture, trains. All centring around a girl who defies them all. A beautiful mix between the old west and the gorgeous desert!

This book stars the one and only Amani, who's desperate to get out of her small factory-working town, a town full of gender discrimination, a town where if she stays, her only escape is death. 

Less than 20 pages in, and I fell in love with this book. That's how good it is. The first few pages were all I needed to get to know Amani and to immediately take a liking to her. A girl who rises above gender discrimination? Check. Disguising herself as a boy and entering a dangerous competition  with skills better than any man? Check. Strong morals when things turn south? Check. Easy way to get my heart? Check. New favourite book? Check!

Right from the beginning, I was captivated by just how much life Amani had. The risks she took, her determination to get out of the town to escape the oppression, her deadly accuracy with a gun, and her strong morals to risk her own life in the place of innocents. Her character was brilliant, and made even better by her quick tongue. I've read characters whose pettiness drives me insane, but for Amani, her pettiness as extremely appropriate, as it provided by comic relief and absolutely sound logic. Amani was as quick with a gun as she was with her tongue, and they very often made great combinations! 

"You stole it first. If you hadn't set such a bad example, maybe I would've never stolen your broken compass."

And then we have Jin, my newest love. Not once was Amani's character overshadowed by him, which I really enjoyed. What I especially liked about him was that he wasn't Amani's better; he was her equal. And he acted like it, too. They met each other match for match, witty remark for witty remark, and together, formed the ultimately team. Jin really kept Amani grounded when it mattered, with his supposedly selfish actions for wanting to keep her safe actually unintentionally pushing Amani to be better, to be selfless and strong. They feed off each other's motives, making each other stronger and more determined to do what's right. It's an absolutely beautiful relationship the author has given the two, and I cannot be any happier (and in love) with Jin!

"You are this country, Amani." He spoke more quietly now. "More alive than anything ought to be in this place. All fire and gunpowder, with one finger always on the trigger."

The idea of Djinni and Demdji were new to me in the sense that this is the first book I've read without the lore being overwhelming. The integration of various other mythical creatures was so fluid, so natural, it just felt right that they belonged in the world. This entire book came with fresh ideas, creatures that you see very little of, and it's all done in such a fabulous way that mixes magic and practicality all in one without one being more overbearing than the other.

The concept this rebellion was built off of was a complete breath of fresh air. There was no angst or sabotage. It was purely a group of people trying to live peacefully, trying to help those who have suffered under the current Sultan's rule. I was concerned there would be vicious or cut throat leaders with a grim atmosphere, but there was none of that. You can easily see these people are Team Good, and have strong morals they will uphold no matter the cost. There are no power struggles within, no spies, no web of lies and secrets among them. Everyone is fair and equal, and the cast of characters are strong and memorable in all ways!

High action, adventure, and danger. No insta-love, no love triangle, no emotions of love getting in the way of the plot of affecting the action of characters. Both Amani and Jin as allies, working together as a team, neither better than the other. No petty hatred between characters. The leader of a rebellion not in it for power, but for peace. A unique take on Djinni and the myths associated with it. A gripping plot, with passionate characters. Honestly, what's not to love? I highly recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a fresh spin on an original fantasy story!