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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
“But even if the desert forgot a thousand and one of our stories, it was enough that they would tell of us at all. That long after our deaths, men and women sitting around a fire would hear that once, long ago, before we were all just stories, we lived.”
2.5 stars.
I've said this in my other two reviews for this series but, just to reiterate, I think the novelty of the setting was nice, but... why Westernize the Middle East? Y'all, I'm tired. This could have been so much more but was wasted instead the poster child of wasted potential. It's kind of a caricature of all the bad things people assume about the Middle East (there's so much horrifying misogyny. Is that really all we can get from "Vague Middle East" vibes? And sand, lots of sand, let's not forget) ft. some Iranian names that really don't fit in the mostly Arabian setting. And guns. Because remember, it's Western. Sort of.
There were some very cool characters though (shoutout to my favs Shazad and Sam.
At the end of the day this was an entertaining read, some pieces were beautifully written, others (most) were meh, but I still enjoyed reading it and it did wrap everything up pretty nicely which is something that tends to be overlooked in series(es?). It was fun while I read it and kept me invested with each page, but it's not a story I think I'll ever find myself revisiting.
So good. I cried.... a lot. I think I need to re-read this though in order to fully process what the hell went down. I’m a bit of a mess. I also wish there was more of the sultan, he’s the best character. ALSO the last chapter was so fucking good- it concluded the book and the series so well. My soul hurts and you can tell by the fragmented sentences that I’m a bit of a mess.
4.5
“E acho que o pó que um dia fui vai passar a eternidade vagando pelo deserto, tentando chegar o mais perto possível do pó que você foi.”
“As histórias seriam imperfeitas, as lendas seriam incompletas. E cada um de nós de pé no jardim naquela noite levaria um universo inteiro de histórias conosco quando morrêssemos, os testemunhos de cada pequeno momento que não parecia grandioso o suficiente para os contadores de história, que desapareceria na fumaça quando nossos corpos fossem queimados.”
“E acho que o pó que um dia fui vai passar a eternidade vagando pelo deserto, tentando chegar o mais perto possível do pó que você foi.”
“As histórias seriam imperfeitas, as lendas seriam incompletas. E cada um de nós de pé no jardim naquela noite levaria um universo inteiro de histórias conosco quando morrêssemos, os testemunhos de cada pequeno momento que não parecia grandioso o suficiente para os contadores de história, que desapareceria na fumaça quando nossos corpos fossem queimados.”
you guys... my heart hurts.
i love this series so goddamn much i just finished it and i already want to review it. it's that good. this was literally the perfect ending. it's definitely apart of one of those series with an ending of like-leaving me happy with how/where the characters were but also really sad to have to say goodbye to them.
im a saudi. i love some good rep in books and when the characters in one amazing book series live in a place so simialr to your home...man. that just gets me. so the people in this arent really the same as what we have here where i live but i am a desert girl and i understood and conected with that part of the book so much.
i love these characters. they are the best. i hated that we lost some people from the journey of the first book to this one but for that ending...im almost ready to say it was worth it. shazad is now basically one of my all-time favorite charcters. shes so badass and sometimes decitful and i love ever inch of her. (and im really bitter over her and sam. they didnt get the ending they deserved.)
basically-- all in all -- this series quickly and easily has become a favorite of the year and possibly of all time! 💕✨
i love this series so goddamn much i just finished it and i already want to review it. it's that good. this was literally the perfect ending. it's definitely apart of one of those series with an ending of like-leaving me happy with how/where the characters were but also really sad to have to say goodbye to them.
im a saudi. i love some good rep in books and when the characters in one amazing book series live in a place so simialr to your home...man. that just gets me. so the people in this arent really the same as what we have here where i live but i am a desert girl and i understood and conected with that part of the book so much.
i love these characters. they are the best. i hated that we lost some people from the journey of the first book to this one but for that ending...im almost ready to say it was worth it. shazad is now basically one of my all-time favorite charcters. shes so badass and sometimes decitful and i love ever inch of her. (and im really bitter over her and sam. they didnt get the ending they deserved.)
basically-- all in all -- this series quickly and easily has become a favorite of the year and possibly of all time! 💕✨
CARALHO MDS COMO CONTINUAR A MINHA VIDA DEPOIS DESSA TRILOGIA??????????????
It has been a long time since I took the time out of my life to finish a book in a single day. I finished Traitor to the Throne the day before and I just had to know how the series ended. I have seen so many first person female characters destroyed in the third book (Katniss, Tris etc.) and I was so worried that this would happen to Amani.
Alwyn Hamilton has managed to create a world of fire and magic, drawing you in with every word. The way she writes reminds me of the old storytellers of Persia weaving a tapestry out of fire and smoke, watching the sparks dance in the eyes of the listeners, enthralling us at every turn. It works extremely well, and her play with the 'legend says...' interludes is the best part of the book. It gives the readers a chance to question the truth, only to have it confirmed by Amani.
Not only is the world building extensively amazing, rivalling Leigh Bardugo's construction of her Grisha filled world, Hamilton's characters are flawed and human through and through, making you root for even characters you wouldn't have known long. In Six of Crows, the mythology of the Grisha was enough to draw the readers in, and the characters kept us (even though it still had that grim, black humour filled 3rd person narrative style that I'm not sure I like). Rebel of the Sands made the amazing choice of having a protagonist who cannot lie, which meant that we believed Amani every step of the way. We felt her ups, her downs, her doubts, her passions, her anger and her love. We saw her love for the foreign stranger, drinking in his words with her curiosity and giving all of herself to him. We saw her choose a sister at the edge of the world, choosing to save her instead. We saw the other Demdji's fears and struggles mirrored in her own eyes, and her reckless desire to keep everyone safe. Above all, we saw her grow into a leader willing to throw herself for a cause she believes in, for a Rebel Prince who can save her country.
The magic undercurrent in this series isn't just present in the Djinn powers running through Miraji, it is woven in the bonds between Amani and Jin, Delila, Ahmed, Rahim, Imin, Hala, Izz, Maz, Tamid and Sam. The consequences were never overplayed or downplayed, and the magic was never a deux ex machina swooping in to save the day. Traitor to the Throne was such an amazing sequel in that it set the Sultan up in Amani's (and our) minds as someone who may be right, and the palace politics as something that's not that bad, but then turns it around and solidifies our fear of the main villain. That's not something I have seen done in the second book of a trilogy in a LONG time.
Hero at the Fall was en emotional rollercoaster. I felt raw and hurt every time Amani faltered. I desperately wanted Ahmed and Shazad and Rahim to survive, they were such compelling and different characters. I felt the fire Amani and Jin had for each other, and the pang that came with wanting someone like Jin around. I felt the unbridled happiness of the twins, the easy jokes of Sam, the grief of loyalty of Hala and the quiet kindness of Imin. And every step of the way I felt Amani's thoughts, her confused wants and needs and her connection with the Man in the Mountain.
In all honesty, there were SO MANY different predictable outcomes I had envisioned in my head that it took all of me to not just skip ahead to have it confirmed, and I AM SO GLAD I WAITED AND READ. Except for the tent-scapade Amani and Jin had (still fanning myself btw), the book was filled with so many plot twists. This is a rare series that doesn't glorify war, doesn't glorify the ancient times and fills it with real crimes and consequences, subtly hinting when necessary and forcing us to bear the full force of it at other times.
I'm rambling at this point. I cannot believe we have come from a Blue-Eyed Bandit and the Foreign Stranger at the end of the world in a shooting contest to a full fledged Rebeliion. The ending was just perfect. Not too drawn out, just enough to keep our imaginations alive, and enough to soothe the pain of the previous few chapters.
All I know is that I'm glad the Foreign Prince who was cool as the sea set himself on fire and the Blue-Eyed Bandit who burnt like the sun drowned herself for him.
Alwyn Hamilton has managed to create a world of fire and magic, drawing you in with every word. The way she writes reminds me of the old storytellers of Persia weaving a tapestry out of fire and smoke, watching the sparks dance in the eyes of the listeners, enthralling us at every turn. It works extremely well, and her play with the 'legend says...' interludes is the best part of the book. It gives the readers a chance to question the truth, only to have it confirmed by Amani.
Not only is the world building extensively amazing, rivalling Leigh Bardugo's construction of her Grisha filled world, Hamilton's characters are flawed and human through and through, making you root for even characters you wouldn't have known long. In Six of Crows, the mythology of the Grisha was enough to draw the readers in, and the characters kept us (even though it still had that grim, black humour filled 3rd person narrative style that I'm not sure I like). Rebel of the Sands made the amazing choice of having a protagonist who cannot lie, which meant that we believed Amani every step of the way. We felt her ups, her downs, her doubts, her passions, her anger and her love. We saw her love for the foreign stranger, drinking in his words with her curiosity and giving all of herself to him. We saw her choose a sister at the edge of the world, choosing to save her instead. We saw the other Demdji's fears and struggles mirrored in her own eyes, and her reckless desire to keep everyone safe. Above all, we saw her grow into a leader willing to throw herself for a cause she believes in, for a Rebel Prince who can save her country.
The magic undercurrent in this series isn't just present in the Djinn powers running through Miraji, it is woven in the bonds between Amani and Jin, Delila, Ahmed, Rahim, Imin, Hala, Izz, Maz, Tamid and Sam. The consequences were never overplayed or downplayed, and the magic was never a deux ex machina swooping in to save the day. Traitor to the Throne was such an amazing sequel in that it set the Sultan up in Amani's (and our) minds as someone who may be right, and the palace politics as something that's not that bad, but then turns it around and solidifies our fear of the main villain. That's not something I have seen done in the second book of a trilogy in a LONG time.
Hero at the Fall was en emotional rollercoaster. I felt raw and hurt every time Amani faltered. I desperately wanted Ahmed and Shazad and Rahim to survive, they were such compelling and different characters. I felt the fire Amani and Jin had for each other, and the pang that came with wanting someone like Jin around. I felt the unbridled happiness of the twins, the easy jokes of Sam, the grief of loyalty of Hala and the quiet kindness of Imin. And every step of the way I felt Amani's thoughts, her confused wants and needs and her connection with the Man in the Mountain.
In all honesty, there were SO MANY different predictable outcomes I had envisioned in my head that it took all of me to not just skip ahead to have it confirmed, and I AM SO GLAD I WAITED AND READ. Except for the tent-scapade Amani and Jin had (still fanning myself btw), the book was filled with so many plot twists. This is a rare series that doesn't glorify war, doesn't glorify the ancient times and fills it with real crimes and consequences, subtly hinting when necessary and forcing us to bear the full force of it at other times.
I'm rambling at this point. I cannot believe we have come from a Blue-Eyed Bandit and the Foreign Stranger at the end of the world in a shooting contest to a full fledged Rebeliion. The ending was just perfect. Not too drawn out, just enough to keep our imaginations alive, and enough to soothe the pain of the previous few chapters.
All I know is that I'm glad the Foreign Prince who was cool as the sea set himself on fire and the Blue-Eyed Bandit who burnt like the sun drowned herself for him.
The Rebel of the Sands series just went from strength to strength. This book had so many elements to it: legends coming to life, magic, armies, rebellions, life and death, romance and so much more. I liked the first book [b:Rebel of the Sands|24934065|Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1)|Alwyn Hamilton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446829335s/24934065.jpg|44589645] but I basically fell in love with Hero at the Fall. The last two books just went from strength to strength and broke my heart all at once. The price was high, but that was what made the story all the more realistic. These books for me reminded me very much of [a:Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg]'s Mistborn series with rebels plotting rebellion, having to recruit knowledge to overthrow the ultimate leader and facing loss, trials and tribulations.
The setting of Rebel of the Sands series in the desert with magic, legends, princes and peasants was so fantastic and I only became more and more immersed in the storyline. It certainly became more fleshed out as we went along. The use of the Djinni was so refreshing for a YA fantasy novel which often focus on other elements of fantasy: vampires, werewolves or faeries. Hamilton in doing so crafted such a refreshing approach to YA fantasy which I really enjoyed.
The characters were by far the highlight of this series though. Amani, Jin, Shazad, Imin, Hala, Sam, the twins Maz and Izz, Delilia, and Ahmed. The rebellion characters captured my heart and ran with it. They developed so much over the series and I became invested in all their lives, so every loss broke my heart. Amani, Jin and Shazad especially captured my heart. The friendship between Amani and Shazad was such a wonderful thing, to see two strong female characters support each other, love each other and route for each other. They were both intelligent and resourceful women and I applaud Hamilton for focusing on their friendship just as much as the romance between Amani and Jin. I definitely fell for the romance between Jin and Amani; they just worked from the moment we met them their relationship was sizzling. I had my heart in my mouth as they were always on the edge and this book just cemented that love. Then there were the villains; they were so good. The Gallan, the Sultan, the other characters who I won't name so as to not give spoilers for the last book. They were all admiral adversaries and so well-crafted and I did dislike them but they were crafty and smart. Hamilton crafted her characters well.
If I had doubts about the Rebel of the Sands, then Traitor to the Throne blew them away. Then Hero at the Fall just blew them both out of the water. I could definitely see myself reading these books again in the future and would recommend them to all fantasy authors.
The setting of Rebel of the Sands series in the desert with magic, legends, princes and peasants was so fantastic and I only became more and more immersed in the storyline. It certainly became more fleshed out as we went along. The use of the Djinni was so refreshing for a YA fantasy novel which often focus on other elements of fantasy: vampires, werewolves or faeries. Hamilton in doing so crafted such a refreshing approach to YA fantasy which I really enjoyed.
The characters were by far the highlight of this series though. Amani, Jin, Shazad, Imin, Hala, Sam, the twins Maz and Izz, Delilia, and Ahmed. The rebellion characters captured my heart and ran with it. They developed so much over the series and I became invested in all their lives, so every loss broke my heart. Amani, Jin and Shazad especially captured my heart. The friendship between Amani and Shazad was such a wonderful thing, to see two strong female characters support each other, love each other and route for each other. They were both intelligent and resourceful women and I applaud Hamilton for focusing on their friendship just as much as the romance between Amani and Jin. I definitely fell for the romance between Jin and Amani; they just worked from the moment we met them their relationship was sizzling. I had my heart in my mouth as they were always on the edge and this book just cemented that love. Then there were the villains; they were so good. The Gallan, the Sultan, the other characters who I won't name so as to not give spoilers for the last book. They were all admiral adversaries and so well-crafted and I did dislike them but they were crafty and smart. Hamilton crafted her characters well.
If I had doubts about the Rebel of the Sands, then Traitor to the Throne blew them away. Then Hero at the Fall just blew them both out of the water. I could definitely see myself reading these books again in the future and would recommend them to all fantasy authors.
i'm completely in love with this trilogy. i'm so sad it's now over, i wanted to read more about all the characters after the war. maybe more about jin and amani's future after all they've gone through together.
i loved it so much. it has become one of my favorites for sure. people should pay more attention to them.
i loved it so much. it has become one of my favorites for sure. people should pay more attention to them.