by Alwyn Hamilton
Viking, 2016, 314 pages, Young Adult Fiction
Amani is desperate to leave the dead-end town of Dustwalk, and she's counting on her sharpshooting skills to help her escape. But after she meets Jin, the mysterious rebel running from the Sultan's army, she unlocks the powerful truth about the desert nation of Miraji ... and herself.
This book reads like a combination of a western and a tale from Arabian Nights. The two genres have more in common than I thought: Both are tales of living in an unforgiving land, and the people who live there have to be spunky in order to survive. A warning to those who are sensitive to language: this book is saltier than I expected, but it also seems appropriate for the genre. The pacing of the novel is quick, and full of plot twists that I did not see coming. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I can’t wait to pick up the second book!
MB
1 comment:
This was an interesting mix of western and middle-eastern (think Arabian Nights) culture. The plot is well-developed and has one exciting turn after another. The main character is strong and capable, but loses some steam partway through the story when she is more swept along by events rather than setting them in motion herself. This is a solid story and I appreciated all the world building, different characters, and thoughtful plot development, but I have to say it does fall into predictable young adult novel tropes from time to time. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the story.
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