I loved this book! I really enjoyed Rebel of the Sands, but I think this one was even better. It's full of suspense and adventure. Definitely recommend.

I've been counting down the days to Traitor to the Throne ever since finishing Rebel of the Sands last year. Rebel was one of my top 5 books from 2016 - a fantastic debut and a gripping a story, one that stayed on my mind even after reading nearly 50 books afterwards.

Traitor started a tad rough for me. During the first few chapters I found myself focusing on trying to remember who is who from book one (as much as I loved it, it has been a year since I've read it). The list of characters at the beginning detailing the most important facts about them was super helpful and probably saved my life. However, if you have read Rebel rather recently, you'll have no trouble jumping right in.

Once I got my characters sorted, it was one big thrill ride. I love love love Amani! She's a no-nonsense bundle of joy who won't hesitate to pull a gun on you.

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Alwyn Hamilton's writing was already good in Rebel, but in Traitor I noticed a definite improvement in her style, making this a 500+ page book of top notch story telling. It was more pronounced, more.. Alwyn Hamilton.

"No more tricks, just a good old-fashioned rescue."

Traitor to the Throne has it all: a fantastic cast of characters, prison breaks, shoot outs, romance, humour, and a whole lot of feels. I loved it. It was everything I could have hoped for in a sequel.

And then the ending broke me.

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Aaaaand Alwyn Hamilton just earned herself a spot on my auto-buy list of authors.

Thanks so much to Faber and Faber for giving me a copy to review through NetGalley!

Thank you Netgalley and Faber&Faber for allowing me to read this! So the first book, Rebel of the Sands, I liked it, but wasn't sure if I loved it. But I did like it enough to want to continue the series. And I'm so glad I did - I liked this one so much more than the first!

I really appreciated the development of the characters - and I'll admit one of the main reasons I wanted to continue reading the series was for the character Shazad - such an awesome character! The story itself was still a bit on the slow side for me, and I do enjoy that quite often, just not when it has me actively thinking "oh this is a wee bit slow" - because it can sometimes take me out of the story. I found that more so with the first book, not as much in this one, it felt more a bit more punchy, which was great.

Overall, I'm super excited for the next one! And horrified at the thought of waiting another year for it!

Firstly, I did enjoy this book but found it very different to the first book.

While the first book is all movement and personal growth with the events of the story most often a result of Amani actions and choices. To me, the second book felt more static and that the activity and twists (of which there are a lot) were happening around Amani.

There are a lot of twists to this story and most of them I didn't see coming, which I really enjoyed and there was some additional character development that I'm really glad the author took the time with (Shira in particular). But overall, the bits I loved about the the first book where minimal in this book, friends made in the first book were sidelined for new characters and Amani's sassy activity role became a play it safe observer post.

At the end of it all, I may not have enjoyed this book as much as the first book but I think I will be adding book 3 to my to-read list. Give it a go and see what you think.

Thank you NetGalley for this free ebook copy.

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton was waaaay better than Rebel of the Sands, and I loved Rebel of the Sands. It was action packed and a great read! That cliffhanger though! Do I really have to wait now?

The second installment of this series was even better....

In the first book I was like okay interesting, interesting but in the second I was like give me more of that...

The best aspect of this book is the characters, the book puts the in a difficult position and it was awesome to see how the corresponded...

Amani is stripped of her powers, a dessert girl with no sand... But she is strong and we realize with her that her power isn't what makes her the person is...

She can destroy empires if she wants... (I hope she does)

For me was also a big surprise that the second character that was as much intriguing as Amani was the villain. The king was a complex person and his ideals were logical... He didn't act on emotion, he was cruel and he truly believed that he was doing the best for his empire...

What I also liked a lot were the descriptions, some parts of the book were presented to us as stories people were telling near campfires... I loved that it made the book more unique..

I highly recommend it!!!!

I can't say anything bad about Traitor to the Throne. I love every moment an word of it. The political part of it was exciting and interesting. My favourite thing in this series is the world that Alwyn built, it's amazing!
I still love the characters, but i missed Jin. I think Amani's character developed a lot, and of course in the right direction. She became stronger without her demdji powers, too. She's a real badass protagonist.
We get to know the Sultan better, and I started to dislike him more, than ever. Still team Rebellion.
I can't wait to read the next book, and find out what Alwyn has is store for us.

After reading the much-loved Rebel of the Sands, Traitor to the Throne jumps ahead nearly a year to when the Rebellion has gained much more ground and Amani is fighting for what she believes in. I feel like this book suffered the second-book-syndrome. That's not to say it was rubbish (because it really wasn't!) it just wasn't as good as the first one - hence the four stars instead of the five.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

The reason I didn't like it as much as the first one is because I feel like the book is too long. It's 500 odd pages, which is brilliant in a way, because you get to read more of Hamilton's amazing writing, but I feel like the middle of the book was too slow and the plot dragged a bit. They could have easily could out 100/150 pages and the book would be like the first one: fast-paced and amazing.





"I thought about revenge and about love and about sacrifice and the great and terrible things I’d seen people do. I thought about how many people I’d seen lay their lives down for the Rebellion, over and over."

- Alwyn Hamilton, Traitor to the Throne





However, what I loved about this book was that there was hardly any romance. The story was focused on Amani and her cunning, brilliant ways. Although I love the character of Jin and I think him and Amani are super cute together, I liked that Rebel of the Sands was about politics and love and Traitor to the Throne concentrates on the politics (however, I did find it majorly annoying how Amani kept going on about how Jin wasn't there when she woke up from being shot - GET OVER IT!). I loved that we got to see the character of the Sultan because it was interesting to read about one of the characters we had heard so much about in the first book.

Another brilliant aspect of this book was the little tales that Hamilton would tell in between some of the chapters. Hamilton tells us the stories that Amani would have grown up hearing and the stories that Hamilton tell us, also add context to the plot. I thought it was a brilliant idea.

Overall, Traitor to the Throne is a magnificent book of power, betrayal, bravery and a badass female protagonist who will do anything to keep those that she loves, safe. Even with the dragging plot during the middle section of the book, this book is still four stars because of the action and the beautiful writing.



Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The blurb of Traitor to the Throne promises that "everything changes" and it does deliver on that front. The pace in the sequel to Rebel of the Sands is relentless. There are lots of surprises, secrets unveiled, revelations about old and new characters, much political intrigue and just a sprinkle of romance.

There was much plot advancement, signalling to a riveting final installment.

Also, the introduction of the Sultan made for a tremendous read. Such a well realised character that it is getting hard to cheer for Ahmed!

(Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!)

After reading the first story in this series, I really wanted to continue. The first chapter of this second volume recaps some of what went on in Rebel of the Sands and reminds the reader of the most important characters from that book. Then we're quickly into new adventures.

There is continuity in that the rebellion is still striving to overthrow Ahmed's brother and the beautiful mythology begun in the first book continues and expands, but the action is turned up a notch and some new perspective comes into Amani's adventures. In many ways this story is even better than the first one! It also recaptures the exotic, mock-Arabic atmosphere of the first book and the fascinating variations on Djinni magic are very imaginative.

Amani is put in one situation after another that looks like she may not be able to get out of this time, and some old friends and acquaintances reappear with new significance. The story had me gripped and wanting to just keep reading all the way to the end, apart from one very dramatic scene that was so powerful that I had to put the book down for a few minutes to assimilate the rush of emotion.

The story gave me a real roller coaster of emotions from joy to tragedy. It also had me constantly wondering who could be trusted and who couldn't and was full of surprises!

The end wraps up the current situation, but leaves us in a place where there is definitely more to tell. I often complain about that in first books but I don't mind it so much in a second book because I've committed to the series of my own free will then. The next book is predicted for 2018 and I will have to wait

This series is some of the best Fantasy I've read this century. I can't recommend it highly enough.

“Idealists make great leaders, but they never make good rulers.”

Plot:

Traitor to the Throne is the gripping sequel to Rebel of the Sands, the story of a young girl with guns and sand at her fingertips; who fights for the rebellion and the chance to free their country from a ruthless Sultan.

When Amani is captured and traded into the palace, she does all she can to survive and help the rebellion from the inside. She make new allies, new enemies, and begins to wonder if the rebellion she’s risking her life for is really worth it.

Traitor to the Throne picks up a few months after the first book ends- Amani has spent a lot of time growing closer to the other rebels and fighting for her life, but her life is now in greater peril. The Sultan has her captured and under his control. As a demdji, she can only speak in truths, and it’s all she can do to keep herself alive and the rebellion safe.

Writing:

There is so much content in this instalment. I absolutely adored it.

The world building really flourishes in this book, we learn a lot about the other surrounding countries, politics, Djinni, demdji magic, and how they’re all connected.

I also really love all of the relationship dynamics in this series. We have female friendships- specifically the wonderful bond between Amani and Shazad; there’s Amani’s romance with Jin which is so lovely and precious, I would bottle it if I could.

Then there’s Amani’s relationship with the rest of the rebels, new and old. She has such a fierce love and loyalty to the people surrounding her, even those she doesn’t get along with. They’re all connected by their loyalty to Ahmed, wanting to see the rebellion succeed. It’s really interesting to see them squabble but then when thier lives are threatend or they need help, see them come to each others defence. It’s such a fantastic dynamic.

General Comments:

Traitor to the Throne has an even balance of world building and intense action scenes which I really appreciated. This book took me a while to finish, mostly because I wanted to savour every second of it.

There’s something about being in this world with Amani and the gang that’s so enrapturing, even (probably especially) when their lives are all in danger.

Also there’s a character named Sam that’s introduced in this book whom I now love very much. So, there’s that to look forward to as well.

Oh, and no love triangle! Amani’s relationship with Jin is going strong! Reading them together is so comforting, it’s like lying down in a soft warm blanket and falling asleep knowing you’ll be safe as long as you’re there.

One more quote:

“I would have torn the desert apart looking for you”

Overall Rating:

4.5/5

As amazing as the 1st book. Another solid 5 star read

Traitor to the Throne marks the second instalment of the Rebels of the Sands series and I am a bit of a emotional wreck after it, please excuse me. While I wasn't particularly fond of about 20% of this book, I gave it 5 stars regardless because what it lacked in some places it gained tenfold in others.

I spent the first 10% of this book asking myself, "who are you again?" which brought my excitement for this sequel to a steady halt. It probably would have been a good idea for me to have refreshed my memory with what exactly went down during Rebel of the Sands.

But I got through.

This book took a hard turn from being your typical romantic adventure in the desert to "action-packed-political-intrigue". However, in getting there, we had to overcome a great deal of info-dumps from an unidentified omnipresent narrator which often overshadowed and slowed down the opening chapters. Hamilton needed to show rather than tell. I would have much preferred to have each info-dump unravel subtly throughout the plot than have it dumped on my door step with explicit instructions of how every little thing happened in the past.

The plot overall was action-packed, laden with old familiar faces and the arrival of the new, each with their own story lines and purposes. No character ever seemed to be there just because. They were each working towards something that added to the plot. The mythology that blossomed during Traitor to the Throne - namely, the myths and legends of Miraji - truly enriched the world Alywn had created. Stories of ancient wars and magical love stories had my yearning for novellas about these times.

But where was Jin, Alywn? He was missing from 80% of the book and while I understand that it had to be that way because of plot restrictions doesn't mean I have to like it. I straight up need more smart-mouthed, ass-kicking Jin in book 3, please?

That ending though... I'm not sure I'll be getting over it anytime soon because it absolutely slayed me. One second you're trying to recover from a holy mammoth of a plot twist (that I really should have seen coming but still shocked me to the core ngl) to the plot twist of the plot twist which had me trying to locate my heart that was last seen floundering frantically on the ground.

My only request for book 3 is that there is more sass, more gun slinging, more Jin, and for Delilah to stand on her own two feet and prove that she doesn't need to be protected, she's a Djinni and she can slay any day of the week.

I loved this book! And if you want to skip to the end of this review right now, let me spoil it for you:

GO READ THIS BOOK!
Its FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!

Which kind of surprised me a little bit for two reasons:
1- this is a second book, i am one of those people that really has problems with most second books i read. Somehow they all seem somehow... less then the first one was.
2- the first one was fantastic, but i had some issues with it.

So those two things combined to me might have let me go into this book with not the highest expectations.

And i am not sure if that is why this book was so fantastically wonderful for me or if it is just that kind of book you finish and kind of want to start right over again just so make sure that really everything in this book got absorbed into you! If that makes sense....


This book was slower then the first one was -a bit less action lead, mostly because Amani was not free to cause trouble as she was in the first book.
I personally REALLY loved that about the book. It focused more not he background, on the politics, on the characters on the actual plot and where the story is going to go, fill the holes the first book had, explain things, let the characters evolve in a realistic way... but because there was not as much action, and not as much fight and flight and everything in between some people will not enjoy this book as much as the first one that LOVED those scenes in the first book.

As i said i LOVED exactly that slightly slower pacing of this book. For me this book didn't feel as rushed as the first one, not at all boring or slow moving but just better paced.

Still i can see why some readers might be a bit disappointed with this book in comparison to the first one if they expect the same high and fast paced action momentum the first book has.


I really liked which characters where brought into this book and how they where worked into the story, how the rebellion chanced and which problems the characters had to deal with.

I also loved the better insight we got into the magical system and different realms or areas exist in that world and how their "magic" works. I really love fantasy books so much more when we get an actual view into how things work so that we can really understand where the author is coming from, why the things happen the way things happen...

I just really enjoyed everything about this book and highly recommend it!

If you read the first book and had a similar option as i did: that it was slightly underdeveloped, a bit too rushed, just a tad too fast paced, this book might be just as brilliant to you as it was too me.

If you are the opposite and loved the first book exactly because it was as fast paced and action driven as it was, this book might be a bit slow and even a tad boring to you, BUT it is still a great read because it really moves the overall plot arch of the books forward.


Lets summarise once again to say it -once again!-:

READ THIS BOOK!
NOW!
And enjoy a wild ride and great writing!

Yes! An incredible sequel to a much loved first book. I didn't think that it was possible but I loved this one even more...

Traitor to the Throne is everything Rebel of the Sands was and more. All the tiny niggles I had from the first book fizzled out, and I absolutely fell in love with the beautiful rolling sands of the desert, the magic of the Demdji and the excitement of countless betrayals that this book threw at me!

Amani is back and she totally comes into her own as she finds herself trapped in the heart of the enemy - the Sultans Palace. I didn't really get Amani in the first book, she didn't captivate me, but whatever was missing she definitely had this time around. She is full of fire and bitterness, a sneaky little spy with tricks up her sleeve; she's a total badass! I really liked that she was rarely described aesthetically but rather gained merit for being powerful rather than charming. I love complex, slightly dangerous characters and she definitely had that!

The romance between Jin and Amani, which let's face it is pretty strained following recent events, wasn't a large feature and that's what made it so great; this book doesn't rely on a mushy love story to be great, it's just an addition to the story rather than the key element; and I loved that! In fact, it made the few romance scenes better for it because they were sparse and more meaningful.

But the best part of this book was easily the magic - it is explosive and intricate all in one. I loved learning about the various Demdji's and their abilities - especially seeing Amani start to explore the depths of hers. The addition of a more powerful being or two also spiced things up a bit! This series just got a whole lot more exciting. However, some of the characters from the previous book didn't feature so heavily which was a shame, but they were much better developed and fleshed out. I would have happily read about them in their own designated books - does anyone else absolutely adore Shazad? She's such an awesome character!

There are lots of surprise, some deceptions you will see coming and some you really won't! There is beautiful world-building, really it's stunning, I felt like I was racing across the glittering sands on horse back. And there are some much more complex, and really funny, characters - I don't want her to kill any of them off! What more could you ask for? I definitely recommend this book, a vast improvement from the first book.

This book was provided to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Traitor to the Throne is a fantastic sequel. It's just as good as the first and it definitely won't disappoint.

As Amani is healing in the secret rebel camp, the Sultan's army finally finds them and the war begins. Brave Amani conjures a sand storm in order to get everyone out, but ends up getting caught, and brought to the Sultan. With pieces of steel places inside of Amani, the Sultan can control everything she does. Amani once said that we need another spy in the palace, who knew it would be her.

First let me talk about the cover. What happened? The first cover was so pretty, this one is okay but it does not match the first one at all. I'm a bit disappointed.

I love Amani so much. I instantly fell in love with her in the first book, and that definitely did not change in the sequel. Even though she loses her powers (which is one of the reasons I think she's awesome), she kind of ends up going back to the Amani we got to know at the beginning of the first book. Before you say it, her character development is constantly growing, she does not go back, don't get that confused.
One of the things I forgot to mention in my review of the first book, is how much I love Amani's friendship with Shazad. Shazad is one of my favourite characters as well, and the friendship the two share really reminds me of me and my best friend (Funny how my name starts with A, and my best friend's starts with S). The two grow even closer in this book, and I absolutely love reading about the two of them together.

Since Amani is in the castle for most of the book, we don't get to see much of Amani and Jin. But fear not people, there is no love triangle in this book. Amani only has eyes for Jin, and it makes me really love them as a couple.

I wish I could have given this one 5 stars. I was very happy that the author decided to throw in more surprises and other things that could have been improved in the first book, but unfortunately that left a very long middle part that I found a bit slow and boring. There wasn't as much action and adventure in this book, so there were a lot of parts that I had to put the book down and just had no motivation to read it.

Overall, this is one of my favourite series and I will definitely be waiting for the final book to come out next year. I highly recommend reading this one if you enjoyed the first book, if you haven't then check out Rebel of Sands first.

Traitor to the Throne does not pick up where Rebel of the Sands left off. It is months later and the war is still taking place within the desert. Armani becomes more apart of the rebellion. She has definitely grown from the foolish girl who made so many careless errors in the first book to a girl who's goal is to lead a rebellion to take over control of the desert. Also, where the first book focused more on Armani's abilities with a gun this book shows her depending on her powers more.

I cared greatly for the political aspects of this book that the first book lacked. I enjoyed being able to get the Sultans perspective. He is a master manipulator. He has so much reason and logic behind his point of view.

I also liked the magic system that takes place in this series. It is not to complex and it is easy to understand. I liked the stories of the Djinn and the first mortals.

Alwyn Hamilton creates an easy fast paced and engaging read just like Rebel of the Sands. However, unlike the first book Rebel of the Sands (which was western meets the feel of 1001 nights) this second book Traitor to the Throne gives more of a steam punk vibe. This has a mix of magic and machines.

Wow.

I think the second book in Alwyn Hamilton’s Rebel of the Sands series may actually be better than the first. There is some incredible world building, beautiful writing and an exciting and fast paced story that I couldn’t stop reading.

I’d definitely recommend this series but be warned you’ll want the next book now.

This book is just sooo good, and honestly it was even better than I was hoping it would be. I read the first book, Rebel of the Sands a few months ago and liked it a lot but for some reason I didn’t quite love it. This one, this one I loved.

One of the biggest reasons why I loved this so much more was Amani. I did like her character in the first book but I felt like in Traitor to the Throne she developed in a way that turned her into one of my favorite characters. She’s still reckless and impulsive (and so fun to read) but she’s found something that’s more important to her than her own freedom and it makes for some truly engaging reading as she tries to figure out what to do. She also begins the book a lot more confident in who, and what, she is. She’s found a home and somewhere she belongs with the rebels, although she is missing a certain rebel.

I have to admit I kind of missed Jin too. I do have a bit of a soft spot for him so I was disappointed he didn’t feature more than he did although it did build some serious anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see him reunited with Amani, I love the relationship between them.

While Jin is missing for bits of the story it does give the author the opportunity to let us get to know the other rebels a bit more. I love the friendship between Amani and Shazad. I always like it when a book has female friends rather than rivals and Amani and Shazad seem to be true sisters. They complement each other so well, with Amani the reckless one rushing into danger and Shazad planning multiple steps ahead and watching her back.

There were also a lot of new characters this time around and of these Sam was a definite highlight. He has an interesting backstory but more importantly he has some useful abilities and is the biggest flirt ever. His first meeting with Amani did make me laugh.

This story has a much different setting than Rebel, as it’s based predominantly within the royal palace rather than the desert, but while I missed the desert I think I kind of preferred this. Hamilton’s writing and world building is incredible and it was fascinating to see the luxurious and beautiful side of it. It also pushed Amani completely out of her comfort zone and into an environment that led to her questioning everything she believed.

It is a beautiful world but the palace setting also introduced a lot of intrigue to the story. Almost everyone is trying to manoeuvre themselves into a position of power either for personal gain or just for protection and Amani, who acts on instinct is rather out of her element.

This is particularly the case when we finally get to meet the Sultan. He is not what Amani is expecting and I don’t think he was what I expected either. He’s very charismatic, persuasive and incredibly intelligent and sharp witted. He’s also power hungry, ruthless and doesn’t hesitate to act. Basically he’s everything I look for in a villain. It’s difficult to tell just what he’s planning and what he knows and he stole pretty much every scene he featured in.

I won’t say a huge amount about the story for fear of spoilers but there are a lot of twists and surprises and the action never lets up. It’s a book I stayed up way past my bedtime reading as I just didn’t want to put it down. Hamilton’s writing style is beautiful to read. The narrative is generally told from Amani’s point of view but every so often there were these breaks where you would almost step out of the story and it was as if someone was telling you a myth or legend. I’m sure there’s a word to describe this style but I have no idea what it is. What I do know is that I absolutely loved it and felt it brought so much to this story.

Overall, I loved this book a lot and having read it I’d recommend the series although with some of the big twists towards the end I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting my wish. All views are my own.