Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands, #1)

by Alwyn Hamilton

The New York Times bestselling novel by the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Debut Author of 2016, published in 15 countries!

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic.  For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female. 

Amani Al’Hiza is all three.  She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead. Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.

A New York Times bestseller

Film rights optioned by Willow Smith 

“Evokes such disparate influences – 1,001 Arabian Nights, Hindu lore, and Navajo myth, as well as, inevitably, the triumvirate of Tolkien, Lucas and Rowling.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Fans of Sarah Maas and Victoria Aveyard should give this one a try.” —VOYA

Reviewed by readingwithwrin on

4 of 5 stars

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4.5 stars

"You're country is the crossroads between the east, where guns were born, and the west, where they're waging a war of empires."
See reviews first on my Blog


Amani is a gifted and fiesty young woman who is not going to let her fate be decided for her. From a young age she has taught herself to shoot a gun better than any man, and taken more risks then most of the girls her age have taken. Now with no parents and living with her aunt and uncle she feels more trapped than ever. So she decides to take a risk that could earn her enough money to get far away if she can when.

"The girl who taught herself to shoot a gun. Until she could knock down a row of tin cans like they were nothing and the gun was everything. Because I'm the girl with the gun."
Sadly though things don't go to plan. But she does meet someone who will take her on a whole new adventure. One that will not only show her who she truly is, but one where she also for the first time finds more than one person that she can truly trust. Jin gives her something to believe in and new hope that she didn't know was even possible.
"You can't judge me for wanting to be more than just another worthless grain in this desert. Not when you were born so much more than this. Not when you were born powerful and important."
This new adventure she goes on with Jin was thrilling and I didn't want to put my book down when we go to it. I had to know what was going to happen next and if they were all going to be okay.

Overall I really loved this story and it has just become my new favorite fantasy novel so far this year. It has action, and adventure and heroine that doesn't take any crap from anyone. She makes tough choices and doesn't really regret them because she knows that they had to be done and she doesn't dwell on the past. While it was surprising to find out certain things about her it made the fantasy in this book also so much more enjoyable. The folklores she were told I also really enjoyed, and made it seem even more real if that makes sense. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series.


P.S. I would like to also thank the person who was in charge of the detail inside of the book and made it look like sand was on each page. It was a little thing, but it made the experience very enjoyable.

"A new dawn. A new desert."

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 November, 2016: Finished reading
  • 14 November, 2016: Reviewed