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karatics's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Grief, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cursing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism, and Abandonment
msradiosilence's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/empire-of-sand/
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, War, Abandonment, Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
griffinthief's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, Physical abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Confinement, Murder, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
aseaoftomes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is a desert South Asian fantasy novel that follows our main character Mehr. She has this special magic that allows her to control spirits and gods, and after being hidden her whole life, her and her abilities get discovered and she's forced into an arranged marriage and into a life she's never known and everything that comes with it.
I really liked the writing a lot. It was really well done and generally flowed well. It was easy to fall into and just really captures your interest.
The plot was mostly secondary to the characters, but it's pretty much what I mentioned above.
The world building is definitely one of the strongest parts of the book. I loved learning about the customs and traditions of the different cultures in here and how they came together, the magic was excellent and the dancing that went with it was fantastic. The atmosphere was also great (desert setting). At the same time, I also wish we got more of the world and the history of everything. There were certain aspects I wanted more of and felt a bit underdeveloped, but I think that might be more of a personal preference than anything else.
Finally, the characters. I really liked Mehr as our main character. She was strong, kind, and incredibly smart. I really liked seeing her growth throughout the book. My favorite character though was definitely Amun and while he was always there, I wish we got to spend more time with him. The Maha was written well and I despised him. I just really liked a lot of the dynamics and themes that were explored as well (family, love, sacrifice, vows/oaths...) it was all just really well done. But like with the world, I would've liked to spend more time exploring the relationships and dynamics. It just felt like something was missing and it's hard to put my finger on what.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book despite feeling like I wanted more and that things could've been expanded on. Definitely the best desert fantasy I've read so far.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content