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Sandwriter #2
The Promise
A young man of about fifteen or sixteen stepped forward. He was tall, sunburnt, his hair bleached pale gold by the sun. As he stood at the foot of her throne Rania could see that his hands, holding a small box, trembled slightly. "Here..." His voice was rough, just breaking. "here, Highness, this is for you." In this sequel to Sandwriter, Atbin's birthday present to Princess Rania is a reminder to her parents of a promise they made long ago, a promise they must now fulfil.
157 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
1 person is currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Monica Hughes
580 books120 followersMonica Hughes was a very popular writer for young people, and has won numerous prizes. Her books have been published in the United States, Poland, Spain, Japan, France, Scandinavia, England, and Germany. She has twice received the Canada Council Prize for Children's Literature, and was runner-up for the Guardian Award.
She is the author of Keeper of the Isis Light, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, which also received a Certificate of Honor from the International Board on Books for Young People; Hunter in the Dark, also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Sandwriter, among many other titles.
She is the author of Keeper of the Isis Light, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, which also received a Certificate of Honor from the International Board on Books for Young People; Hunter in the Dark, also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Sandwriter, among many other titles.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 16, 2023
Disclaimer: I am not someone that ever writes reviews but this book had so few that I felt I needed to add my own because of how much I loved it.
I read this book over and over as a very young girl. I was totally drawn by this little princess being forced to live with a strange woman in the desert, who eventually gives her a choice to leave and experience love and real life. Her choice to return to the sandwriter was a point in the story that stayed with me even years later. It was the first book I read that pulled me into this kind of fantasy, mystical lands genre where the female protagonists become strong and have a sense of duty. I found it really inspiring as a young girl and still keep the small novel in a special “do not donate” box at my moms house haha.
I read this book over and over as a very young girl. I was totally drawn by this little princess being forced to live with a strange woman in the desert, who eventually gives her a choice to leave and experience love and real life. Her choice to return to the sandwriter was a point in the story that stayed with me even years later. It was the first book I read that pulled me into this kind of fantasy, mystical lands genre where the female protagonists become strong and have a sense of duty. I found it really inspiring as a young girl and still keep the small novel in a special “do not donate” box at my moms house haha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
A great follow-up to Sandwriter. Finding out about Anita's daughter, and more about the mysterious Sandwriter.
March 7, 2012
Rania is looking forward to her tenth birthday. As the princess of Kamalant and Komilant, she receives many wonderful gifts, and one puzzling one: she is sent a box of sand from Roshan. Her parents explain that she has been claimed by Sandwriter, and must go to the desert of Roshan to be her apprentice. Unwillingly, she leaves her country and her family behind, and begins her new life with Sandwriter. She learns to understand the desert and her connection with it, but as years pass, Rania becomes lonely. But life as Sandwriter will always be lonely; if Rania can't learn to cope, will she be able to become the next Sandwriter?
The Promise is the sequel to Monica Hughes's Sandwriter, and I enjoyed it as much as its predecessor, and for all of the same reasons. This is mostly due to Hughes' technique: The Promise is developed through narrative, which makes it read almost like a fairy tale. Though it has few characters to carry the plot, it's a dynamic story. Rania is at the centre, with Sandwriter, her mysterious mentor, and Atbin, the wholesome village man, to either side. They pull Rania in different directions, and readers will enjoy seeing Rania struggle with their influences and her own misgivings.
I found The Promise to be less didactic than Sandwriter, because it doesn't have a message so much as a number of observations: you can't taste the sweet without the bitter, anything worth having is worth working for, nothing in life is free, and so on.
I recommend The Promise to fairy tale lovers and discerning YA readers.
To read more of my reviews, visit my blog, StarLit.
The Promise is the sequel to Monica Hughes's Sandwriter, and I enjoyed it as much as its predecessor, and for all of the same reasons. This is mostly due to Hughes' technique: The Promise is developed through narrative, which makes it read almost like a fairy tale. Though it has few characters to carry the plot, it's a dynamic story. Rania is at the centre, with Sandwriter, her mysterious mentor, and Atbin, the wholesome village man, to either side. They pull Rania in different directions, and readers will enjoy seeing Rania struggle with their influences and her own misgivings.
I found The Promise to be less didactic than Sandwriter, because it doesn't have a message so much as a number of observations: you can't taste the sweet without the bitter, anything worth having is worth working for, nothing in life is free, and so on.
I recommend The Promise to fairy tale lovers and discerning YA readers.
To read more of my reviews, visit my blog, StarLit.
October 31, 2016
This is a total nostalgia re-read. The first time I remember reading this was in 4th grade, and it left such an impression on me that I scoured the library shelves searching for it later, even though I only remembered what the cover looked like & not the title or author.
This is a short, lovely fantasy and was probably the first book I ever read that didn't have end "Happily Ever After." It's deeply bittersweet, as Hughes does a wonderful job of really making the reader feel how Rania is pulled in two different directions, between duty and love. The ending of this one, reminds me a lot of The Pearl of the Soul of the World, in that (this also makes me want to re-read the Darkangel trilogy).
This is a short, lovely fantasy and was probably the first book I ever read that didn't have end "Happily Ever After." It's deeply bittersweet, as Hughes does a wonderful job of really making the reader feel how Rania is pulled in two different directions, between duty and love. The ending of this one, reminds me a lot of The Pearl of the Soul of the World, in that (this also makes me want to re-read the Darkangel trilogy).
May 11, 2012
Princess Rania looks forward to her 10th birthday, but events are in motion that she will be powerless to stop. Atbin is thrilled to be the one chosen to convey a birthday gift from Sandwriter to the princess, all the way across the Small Sea of Malan. The meeting of Atbin and Rania will be life-changing for both of them, but their paths lie in radically different directions. A strong fantasy set in a vivid world. Hughes is a wonderful writer.
This is a sequel but I felt stood on its own really well, since I was unaware of the first book. 5th grade and up.
This is a sequel but I felt stood on its own really well, since I was unaware of the first book. 5th grade and up.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews