Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands) Paperback – March 12, 2019

The Rebel of the Sands trilogy concludes with this book and what a conclusion it is! The first two books are terrific and this one does not falter for a moment. It is essential that you read the books in order, but don’t worry, you want to read all three. Hero at the Fall picks up right where the previous book ended. The rebellion is on its heels. Amani and her friends are divided with some of them imprisoned in a secret location. There are traitors, alliances, small setbacks and large challenges along the way. I was truly swept away yet again into this fantasy world of desert, sea, magic, Djinni, Dmedji, Sultans, Princes, heroes, and villains. Our author has created an interesting world, characters you can care about, and a complex, fast-paced story that will hold your attention. She does a wonderful job of maintaining the integrity of her world and using details from earlier action to drive new events. Her magic is rich and nuanced so it never becomes repetitive. Amani, the Blue-Eyed Bandit, is a strong female heroine. In fact, heroes and villains are evenly distributed across gender lines. It is frustrating when a strong series concludes with reliance on contrivance or coincidence to wrap things up. There is nothing like that in this book. One creative aspect of the writing was the juxtaposition of legend and narrative. The reader can see how time and victory might enhance history to create legends. It is well done and interesting. Violence, danger, romance, and war are very real in this book. You will not be overwhelmed with graphic detail of romance or violence. Realistically, bravery has its costs, and not all of the friends survive. I was entertained and entranced by the series. The series is appropriate for young adult readers, but it is so well-written and sufficiently complex to entertain adult readers as well.

Hero at the Fall was the most amazing series ending book! Every book in the Rebel of the Sands series just kept getting better and better. I knew I would like this book but I ended up loving it so much because it went so beyond all my expectations. I was basically sobbing uncontrollably towards the end of this book. The characters were amazing and there was magic, so much magic! Who does not love that?! I loved the growth of Amani’s character, especially in this book as she learned how to truly control her powers. There were also many reveals in this book and so many questions were answered, it was so satisfying!There was much going against Amani and her group of rebels. She had already lost many people that she cared about and who had depended upon her that she carried a heavy heart. Even though she rebelled against the idea, she had been put in charge of the rebels because Prince Ahmed had been imprisoned and it was up to the rebels to get him out. This was Amani’s main focus because all she wanted to do was to hand the responsibility back to him. Although that may have been her driving force, over the course of her book Amani grew and her desires slowly changed and that drove this plot.This story was filled with many twists and turns. There were situations that Amani encountered that were quite surprising. I was shocked by some of the plot twists and there was never a moment where the plot became stagnant. It was such a strong plot that kept my eyes glued to the pages. Over the series, I had become quite invested in all the characters and to read the sacrifices that were being made by these characters in this rebellion made this story quite emotional for me. It was such a rewarding reading experience!What truly sealed this series as one of my favorites was the relationships that were built between the characters. Every relationship was meaningful and everyone mattered. I loved how deeply Amani cared for all her friends and how they in turned cared about each other. I can’t even start with how much I loved Amani and Jin’s relationship, that was truly one of the most beautiful relationships! Overall, Hero at the Fall was a remarkable work of fiction. I highly recommend that, if you haven’t already, you start this series, it is one that I can read and read again. It is truly an amazing series!