Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands is a realistic-ish fantasy adventure that starts a series that, as of this writing, has three total volumes. Amani is desperate to escape the tiny desert town of Dustwalk in the middle of a vast desert. Her mother killed her father, then her mother hanged for it. Now her pervy uncle wants Amani to be his 16 year old bride. The only viable skill Amani has is that she can shoot guns better than almost anyone, but when she tries to win a shooting contest to get out of town, her plan backfires. Instead of skipping town and escaping her Uncle’s bed, Amani gets entangled with a strange criminal who is being hunted by the law. And that’s before the explosions happen or the army arrives.

Think of Rebel of the Sands as one part the Disney movie Aladdin, or Arabian Nights, and another part Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s full of action and has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, turning pages, and wanting more by the end. The sequels are Traitor to the Throne and Hero at the Fall (released March 6, 2018).