Amani is poor, orphaned, and female. All of these traits are particularly unfortunate in her oppressive dead-end of a home town called Dustwalk. Luckily, Amani is also a talented gunslinger, and has the resolve and intent to leave Dustwalk behind her. Meeting a foreigner in a shooting contest may just be the answer to her prayers. Add it on Goodreads.

Rebel of the Sands is Alwyn Hamilton's debut novel, just published this month. Blending elements of fantasy, magic, and adventure with Persian/Middle-Eastern legends, this story is definitely one of my recent favourites.

Amani and Jin are the main characters and I desperately love them both. Amani for being smart, courageous, and knowing her worth in a world where being a woman automatically means you're somehow less than a man. Jin for being just as smart as Amani, loyal. and willing to argue against those he loves. The more minor characters were all interesting, and I really like how they all have their own goals they want to achieve, even if the reader doesn't realise it at first.

The world-building here is very much related to legends and camp-fire stories. Events that take place are quickly rendered to stories that spread like wildfire across the kingdom. Seeing how the original events may have differed from the legend that came later is such an interesting idea and it works really well with the story Hamilton is telling.

Overall - the touch of romance was just perfect, interesting and loveable characters, a really interesting plot with so much at stake for the characters. This book is absolutely impossible to put down!
The only negative thing I can say about it is that I need more, right now. Rebel is the first book in a trilogy, so we'll have to see how long of a wait we're in for, but I already know it'll be worth it.