Rebel of the Sands Review

2.5 to 3 stars!!! Guess I'm going to have an unpopular opinion about this book. I waited for a year to read this one and I was pretty psyched when I finally got a chance to pick it up. Boy, was I disappointed! I don't even know where to start with this one. Firstly, I thought the premise of the book was good but there's absolutely no worldbuilding in the book. There's some Western/Persian kind of setting which I couldn't even get into. It was so confusing. Even the magic system in place had me in a kerfuffle. For example, there are a lot of stories about the history of Djinnis and other First Beings, but I'm at a complete loss regarding them. I can't even remember what they were about. The idea behind the concept was solid, but I guess the author just didn't know how to actually relay it into a proper story/plot. Secondly, I did enjoy the MC Amani. She is quite fearless and breaks the usual norms for a female character. She is fighting against a culture that chooses to dominate over women and I liked how the author made her unique and skilled in sharp shooting. I also liked seeing how independent and strong-willed she was. However, I wasn't such a fan of her romance with Jin. As usual, it was all insta-love without any substance and she readily trusts him with her life. For a girl who doesn't trust so easily, she seems to fall for him pretty easily. Moreover, there was no character development for minor characters. Essentially, there are props in the story and help for story progression because the focus is on Amani and then Jin. We do get his backstory in the novel but I wasn't too interested in him. He was a rather average character, to be honest. All in all, the book is rather mediocre. The plot takes a while to unravel and although I am a fan of road-trip books, this storyline lacked action and thrills. It was a rather tedious read for me. The book picks up pace only towards the end and the plot is revealed in the final chapters. Hence, I rounded up my review to 3 stars. Honestly, I feel the author should have spread the plot devices around and come up with twists every couple of chapters to add depth to the novel. This would have made it more interesting. However, as I finally understood where the author was taking the reader, I must confess I will be reading the sequels to find out what happens next. But, I won't be rushing to find out what's in store for these characters.

#youngadult #magic #fantasy #romance #specialabilities #AlwynHamilton