Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumour has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic. For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.

Amani Al’Hiza is all three. She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim… Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. – Penguin Books

I know that they say don’t judge a book by its cover, but I couldn’t help it – it’s such a beautiful cover! I couldn’t help but pick it up. When I turned it over to read the back I was hooked at the premise – a young female sharpshooter in a small town where women end up ‘wed or dead’. She wants nothing more than to escape the horrible future in store for her (married to her Uncle, working in his shop for the rest of her life), and will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

This is a story about a girl who wants to escape a boring life that she detests. A life where she is told to be ashamed of her gender, and is told she will never amount to anything more than being someone’s wife. She wants to belong in a world where that doesn’t matter. She wants to be judged on her skills, not her gender, and because of this she is a badass (and she knows it).

Described as a cross between the wild west and Arabian Nights, this is a book about one girl's desire to be free, and the rebellion she ends up in the middle of. A world of magic and war, and (of course) love.

Posted by Sas

Catalogue link: Rebel of the Sands