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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
I loved this series. This book was...cruel, in a good way, if such a thing is possible.
Now, you’re going to read this and think “this can’t be an honest review because it’s all good…” well, yeah. It was really that incredible! Alwyn Hamilton is really that talented.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Launch Event at Waterstones, Piccadilly on the 25th January – a few days before the official publication date! And I’m so glad I did; as one of my most anticipated reads of the year I’d been itching to get my hands on it. You can find my blog post about the event here: www.sammysshelf.wordpress.com
I must start with saying that this book was the perfect end to the series; Alwyn had said at her event that she felt that she had tied up character stories and answered all the questions the world wanted answered about her characters. I wholeheartedly agree with this.
Compared to the previous books this one is way more heart-breaking (I very nearly cried) and by far the most profound in nature. Following the events in Traitor to the Throne (review here) Amani now finds herself pretty much at the head of the rebellion, and our loveable, headstrong, and sassy Demdji takes us on a final journey through the desert, where there are now whispers that the Rebel Prince could be the Hero they have longed for after all. Characters in this series have been so fantastically developed, that delving back into this story was like being reunited with old friends. I thought I knew all there was to know (apart from the answer to “what did Amani’s mother wish for?!”) but Alwyn proves us wrong over and over, continuing to develop our rebels characters, their back-stories, and their relationships.
What I love about this series is how it comes across so realistic; a whole desert desperate to survive and to be rid of foreign invaders; a Sultan who simply disposes of anyone who opposes him, and a continual fight to live to see another day. Additionally the attitude towards women is something I think sends a really powerful message; a quote from Rebel of the Sands set this scene quite early on:
“My little cousin Nasima, who still hadn’t caught on that she was supposed to be ashamed to be born a girl” – Alwyn Hamilton, Rebel of the Sands
This then paves the way for a series promoting equality, non-discrimination, and feminism; elegantly entwined with a beautiful Arabian Night’s kind of story.
Book 3 is about so much more than the rebellion; it is about friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and values – who or what would you put first in time of a crisis? How far would you go fighting for the cause?
I think we can all agree that Amani and Shazad are just friendship goals; and I have to say if any character pips the sharpshooter to the top, it’s the bad-ass Shazad. The two of them together are the perfect partnership – from such different roots but evidently fighting for the same cause, and though under different circumstances, have developed the same beliefs.
Amongst these beautifully written pages were also delicately incorporated stories of the past; both relating to our characters directly, or myths from the desert. All of which helped to set wonderful scenes, provide more information, and link chapters together sublimely. The writing style changes for these slightly too; written in more of a mythological/ fairy tale kind of manner which set them apart from the main body of the book really well. I felt like I was being told the stories around a fire by members of the rebellion – it really was like I had walked into the pages and joined their group.
I have mentioned before in my Rebel of the Sands, and Traitor to the Throne reviews that the writing style is audience-perfect. It isn’t complicated, nor does it drag out descriptions, but equally it is able to pull us entirely into the book, and be consumed by the amazing creation that is the Rebel of the Sands world.
This book is just a whole whirlwind of adventure, magic, and action and I couldn’t pick a flaw in it if I tried. It lived up to everything I expected and more. Following Alwyn on instagram and twitter, I have seen she is working on some new material – and whilst I’d love it to be a sequel to Hero, she assured us that she is done with the Rebel of the Sands trilogy. What I would do to forget what I had read in this trilogy and discover it again for the first time all over again!
Naturally, this book overall is receiving a well-earned 5*/5. If you enjoyed the first two in the series you will adore this one (in ways we love books that break us); and if you haven’t read them but enjoy Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen, SJM’s Throne of Glass, and/or Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes then this is a series I very much recommend you read!
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Launch Event at Waterstones, Piccadilly on the 25th January – a few days before the official publication date! And I’m so glad I did; as one of my most anticipated reads of the year I’d been itching to get my hands on it. You can find my blog post about the event here: www.sammysshelf.wordpress.com
I must start with saying that this book was the perfect end to the series; Alwyn had said at her event that she felt that she had tied up character stories and answered all the questions the world wanted answered about her characters. I wholeheartedly agree with this.
Compared to the previous books this one is way more heart-breaking (I very nearly cried) and by far the most profound in nature. Following the events in Traitor to the Throne (review here) Amani now finds herself pretty much at the head of the rebellion, and our loveable, headstrong, and sassy Demdji takes us on a final journey through the desert, where there are now whispers that the Rebel Prince could be the Hero they have longed for after all. Characters in this series have been so fantastically developed, that delving back into this story was like being reunited with old friends. I thought I knew all there was to know (apart from the answer to “what did Amani’s mother wish for?!”) but Alwyn proves us wrong over and over, continuing to develop our rebels characters, their back-stories, and their relationships.
What I love about this series is how it comes across so realistic; a whole desert desperate to survive and to be rid of foreign invaders; a Sultan who simply disposes of anyone who opposes him, and a continual fight to live to see another day. Additionally the attitude towards women is something I think sends a really powerful message; a quote from Rebel of the Sands set this scene quite early on:
“My little cousin Nasima, who still hadn’t caught on that she was supposed to be ashamed to be born a girl” – Alwyn Hamilton, Rebel of the Sands
This then paves the way for a series promoting equality, non-discrimination, and feminism; elegantly entwined with a beautiful Arabian Night’s kind of story.
Book 3 is about so much more than the rebellion; it is about friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and values – who or what would you put first in time of a crisis? How far would you go fighting for the cause?
I think we can all agree that Amani and Shazad are just friendship goals; and I have to say if any character pips the sharpshooter to the top, it’s the bad-ass Shazad. The two of them together are the perfect partnership – from such different roots but evidently fighting for the same cause, and though under different circumstances, have developed the same beliefs.
Amongst these beautifully written pages were also delicately incorporated stories of the past; both relating to our characters directly, or myths from the desert. All of which helped to set wonderful scenes, provide more information, and link chapters together sublimely. The writing style changes for these slightly too; written in more of a mythological/ fairy tale kind of manner which set them apart from the main body of the book really well. I felt like I was being told the stories around a fire by members of the rebellion – it really was like I had walked into the pages and joined their group.
I have mentioned before in my Rebel of the Sands, and Traitor to the Throne reviews that the writing style is audience-perfect. It isn’t complicated, nor does it drag out descriptions, but equally it is able to pull us entirely into the book, and be consumed by the amazing creation that is the Rebel of the Sands world.
This book is just a whole whirlwind of adventure, magic, and action and I couldn’t pick a flaw in it if I tried. It lived up to everything I expected and more. Following Alwyn on instagram and twitter, I have seen she is working on some new material – and whilst I’d love it to be a sequel to Hero, she assured us that she is done with the Rebel of the Sands trilogy. What I would do to forget what I had read in this trilogy and discover it again for the first time all over again!
Naturally, this book overall is receiving a well-earned 5*/5. If you enjoyed the first two in the series you will adore this one (in ways we love books that break us); and if you haven’t read them but enjoy Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen, SJM’s Throne of Glass, and/or Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes then this is a series I very much recommend you read!
I will not cry I will not cry I will not.. dang it. I cried. Mostly happy tears though. Mostly. This is one of my favorite endings BUT THE FEELS I HAVE SO MANY FEELS. This world... it’s amazing. I never wanna leave. It’s so rich and awesome and I love all the magic elements but especially THE STORIES. Alwyn spins the best stories, that’s the true magic here. Those stories draw me in and admittedly made me cry. Especially the story at the end. It is phenomenal and epic and at the same time small and feeling. I’m gonna hug the books some more and hope that Alwyn is secretly writing an entire anthology. OK I know it should probably not happen because it’s perfect as it is now but I’m not ready to leave this world just yet!
I really don't know how to feel about this. I liked it, but not a lot.
Desert, danger, magic and legends. This stunning trilogy has everything I never knew I was looking for in fantasy YA.
Amani is a rebellious, very human (ish) protagonist who makes mistakes, who does doubt, who does sulk, but then she does things about all that. She's a hero who never stops fighting. Alongside her is the brilliant Shahzad, the general's daughter whose mind is sharper than her sword.
With a diverse and wonderful cast from the desert and surrounding lands alike, the REBEL trilogy is a maze of legends and wonder, lit by very determined, endlessly strong rebels, all fighting to put their Prince on the throne.
Amani is a rebellious, very human (ish) protagonist who makes mistakes, who does doubt, who does sulk, but then she does things about all that. She's a hero who never stops fighting. Alongside her is the brilliant Shahzad, the general's daughter whose mind is sharper than her sword.
With a diverse and wonderful cast from the desert and surrounding lands alike, the REBEL trilogy is a maze of legends and wonder, lit by very determined, endlessly strong rebels, all fighting to put their Prince on the throne.
This series is DEFINITELY a must read. The final book in the series is by far my favorite and was such a rollercoaster ride on my emotions! I can’t wait to see what other world the author will bring us in the future.
2.5 stars. This was so cliche and had so many tropes I didn't like. It also could have been 100 pages shorter.
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was very enjoyable. The plot was different than usual, for a ya, and actually very good. the characters were a bit lacking
Would've been even better if the main character did not have such plot armor. I wonder if it is a rule that the mc will always have to be stupid when they could choose not to be. She will not eliminate the 'tool' of the enemy but do mercy killing because 'morals'. Again, leave her comrade to die because its for 'the greater good' but not thinking through if letting your friends to die but not killing your enemies are morals.
Thus, my quest for a smart mc who is not burdened with 'oh so much morals' continues.
Would've been even better if the main character did not have such plot armor. I wonder if it is a rule that the mc will always have to be stupid when they could choose not to be. She will not eliminate the 'tool' of the enemy but do mercy killing because 'morals'. Again, leave her comrade to die because its for 'the greater good' but not thinking through if letting your friends to die but not killing your enemies are morals.
Thus, my quest for a smart mc who is not burdened with 'oh so much morals' continues.
So there are several deaths in this and they're characters you should care about and I was just like "Really?" So. That says something about my investment...which is a shame, as the Amani and Jin of book 1 were wonderful. I don't know why so much modern YA does this to me - where I love the first one but get bored/detached from the next ones.
also I'm PMS-ing and there's 4 weeks of school left so the horribly unrealistic (historically) summary of what happened after is driving me nuts.
As with the sequel, the random 3rd person chapters that were supposed to be like fairy tales but weren't annoyed me and often took me out of the story. Plot resolutions often felt convenient and some of the "epic drama" and even deaths felt manufactured, thrown in for the drama but without build up or context.
also I'm PMS-ing and there's 4 weeks of school left so the horribly unrealistic (historically) summary of what happened after is driving me nuts.
As with the sequel, the random 3rd person chapters that were supposed to be like fairy tales but weren't annoyed me and often took me out of the story. Plot resolutions often felt convenient and some of the "epic drama" and even deaths felt manufactured, thrown in for the drama but without build up or context.