I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series – read my review of Rebel of the Sands here. So I was keen to see how Hamilton wraps up this entertaining Sand and Sorcery adventure.
When gunslinging Amani Al’Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she’d join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn’t have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn’t exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths.
What I’ve really enjoyed throughout this twisting, roller-coaster adventure in Amani’s first- person narrative, is the way her character has continued to grow and develop. She can look back at that gun-toting girl, desperate to escape a dead-end existence with some disgust and amazement – the way we often do when we look back at our own lives. Not that she has much time to ponder all that much – except how to get herself and her dwindling band of rebels out of the next awful bind they find themselves in.
Hamilton has a pleasing knack of tipping our feisty heroine from one disaster to another, while steadily upping the stakes. This gives the book a punchy, page-turning pace that meant it was very difficult to put this one down – except when I wanted to surface, gasp some sand-free air, before plunging right back into the maelstrom that is the final book in this series.
I kept waiting for the pace to slacken off… for Amani to have some sort of breathing space while she recollected herself and those around her fighting for freedom – and laying down their lives. What knocked the wind out of me was that characters I’d grown to like actually died. Reminding me that people who rebel against the status quo generally pay a very high price – in many cases, the ultimate price.
There were short, intervening chapters after a major event, where we were pulled out of Amani’s head into an omniscient narrator reciting what stories were told about it in times to come. Initially, I was a bit fed up as I’m not a fan of omniscient narration. But by the end, I found I was thankful for the lull and enjoyed the sense of historical impact this desperate struggle was having. As for the ending – yes, it worked. And make no mistake – this is a very big deal. Hamilton is building towards the major confrontation from the first page, so it has to matter and be sufficiently surprising, thrilling and engrossing to justify all those hair-raising escapades along the way. A suitable ending to an outstanding fantasy series that has lodged in my memory despite reading hundreds of other books along the way.
Recommended for fans of sand and sorcery adventures with a strong Eastern flavour in the writing – but whatever you do, don’t start with Hero at the Fall – first enjoy Rebel of the Sands.
10/10
Brainfluff 