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Desert Shadows: A Fantasy Fiction Series
Nour, aided by her new-found Uncle Farah, stumbles upon a concealed haven for thousands of Primordials led by the strong leader, Alexander. However, the decision to leave her own camp behind carries severe consequences. In her absence, a brutal event unfolds, shaking Nour to her core.
Driven by the resolve to rescue her people and unite the scattered communities of the Sand, Nour faces relentless pursuit from a Tribound Coalition comprising Dwellers, Blazers, and The Others, all aligned to eliminate the Duets.
Seeking refuge, she turns to Alexander, but the secret city of Exilium reveals more mysteries than she initially anticipated.
Will Nour be able to unite the People of the Sand, or will she die by their blade?
Driven by the resolve to rescue her people and unite the scattered communities of the Sand, Nour faces relentless pursuit from a Tribound Coalition comprising Dwellers, Blazers, and The Others, all aligned to eliminate the Duets.
Seeking refuge, she turns to Alexander, but the secret city of Exilium reveals more mysteries than she initially anticipated.
Will Nour be able to unite the People of the Sand, or will she die by their blade?
- GenresDystopia
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2024
43 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Bokstad Horev
22 books109 followersBeware!
I read AND write everything dystopian and post-apocalyptic.
If you are still here.
I am a molecular biologist with a Ph.D. who likes to write down the stories that form in my head. The stories are mainly in the realm of dystopia and science fiction. On a personal level, I love all things space, coffee, travel, and sports.
My family is everything to me.
I'll be thrilled if you would subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter:
https://www.melaniebokstadhorev.com/s...
Link to pre-order my newest book:
https://www.amazon.com/Female-Breeder...
I read AND write everything dystopian and post-apocalyptic.
If you are still here.
I am a molecular biologist with a Ph.D. who likes to write down the stories that form in my head. The stories are mainly in the realm of dystopia and science fiction. On a personal level, I love all things space, coffee, travel, and sports.
My family is everything to me.
I'll be thrilled if you would subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter:
https://www.melaniebokstadhorev.com/s...
Link to pre-order my newest book:
https://www.amazon.com/Female-Breeder...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 23, 2024
Another action packed gripping adventure that picks up right after the events in Twilight Divide.
Nour has to step up in her role as leader and navigate tough decisions for her people as they attempt to continue the route of unity and peace. With her uncle's sudden return she's offered a tempting deal and led to a mysterious city promising safety.
Now with 3 enemies in alliance, her options are limited to protect her people and family, but can she trust the city leader Alexander, or is the price of safety too high.
As battles and betrayals continue, Nour and Malik unlock more of their gifts and face perilous challenges and heartbreaking losses.
A truly epic plot that kept me hooked from start to finish. Can't wait for the next book and adventures!
Nour has to step up in her role as leader and navigate tough decisions for her people as they attempt to continue the route of unity and peace. With her uncle's sudden return she's offered a tempting deal and led to a mysterious city promising safety.
Now with 3 enemies in alliance, her options are limited to protect her people and family, but can she trust the city leader Alexander, or is the price of safety too high.
As battles and betrayals continue, Nour and Malik unlock more of their gifts and face perilous challenges and heartbreaking losses.
A truly epic plot that kept me hooked from start to finish. Can't wait for the next book and adventures!
March 15, 2024
Nour wants to unite all her people again under one roof, but many things stand in her way. The Dwellers, Blazers, and The Others want to eliminate the Duets. The Dwellers, Blazers, and The Others are all trying to stop Nour from saving her people.
Nour and her friends set out to save the Sand people no matter the cost. They face many dangers as they make their way across the desert to find all of her people. Can Nour save the Sand people or will she die trying?
Desert Shadows pulled me into its world from the first page or was it more like with the first book Twilight Divide the first book in the Desert Shadows Saga? Either way, I was pulled into its world anyway as my own disappeared for a few hours.
The many twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced to the end to see how it would all turn out. There were quite a few shocking turn of events that I never expected. I can’t wait to dive into the next book Shifting Sands to see where the story leads.
I enjoyed reading Desert Shadows so much that I highly recommend picking up a copy today and join Nour on her many adventures!
Nour and her friends set out to save the Sand people no matter the cost. They face many dangers as they make their way across the desert to find all of her people. Can Nour save the Sand people or will she die trying?
Desert Shadows pulled me into its world from the first page or was it more like with the first book Twilight Divide the first book in the Desert Shadows Saga? Either way, I was pulled into its world anyway as my own disappeared for a few hours.
The many twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced to the end to see how it would all turn out. There were quite a few shocking turn of events that I never expected. I can’t wait to dive into the next book Shifting Sands to see where the story leads.
I enjoyed reading Desert Shadows so much that I highly recommend picking up a copy today and join Nour on her many adventures!
March 9, 2024
(I received this copy for the ARC group, so I got to read it early. Eat your hearts out.)
This book kept my attention throughout. It fits well with its precursor and there is a reason for a successor.
Nour's goal of uniting the People of the Sand - Dwellers, Blazers, Primordials, and Duets - is fraught with perils as no group trusts any of the others. Can she rebuild that trust, or will she die trying?
This book kept my attention throughout. It fits well with its precursor and there is a reason for a successor.
Nour's goal of uniting the People of the Sand - Dwellers, Blazers, Primordials, and Duets - is fraught with perils as no group trusts any of the others. Can she rebuild that trust, or will she die trying?
March 21, 2024
A really good second part to this new, exciting & thrilling post apocalyptic adventure! A well written story, with a great idea, good selection of characters, lots of action & adventure, fairly high levels of angst, a really great continuation for the series! I do recommend!
March 13, 2024
What an intense book! Nour leaves the camp with her uncle and her brother and the enigmatic leader of his uncle’s city to seek assistance for her impoverished people with that city where he lives in a city with people filled with people like she and her brother. However, upon her arrival back to the camp, she finds her best friend has been killed along with many others and no one knows how the coalition infiltrated their camp to do it. With no choice now, she takes her people to this city only to find that this enigmatic leader she trusted when the coalition attacks them leaves them outside to die and won’t help them! Many are killed again, but Nour and her brother are captured and with the bitter betrayal of Alexander fresh in her mind, she learns he was behind a deeper more personal betrayal to her and her family!
This intense drama will have you burning the midnight oil turning the pages as fast as you can to
see what happens next! Both Nour and Malik are Duets meaning that their father possessed traits of both the Blazers and the Dwellers, the two distinct races of people left after the world changed along with the primordials of which their mother was one.
These two races hate each other but now are united to eradicate those who share mixed blood of both
groups, the duets!
To really enjoy this book fully, you need to get the first book, Twilight Divide, and read it first! There is such a wealth of information in it you need to have to
understand what happens in this book and in the coming book,Shifting Sands! So get Twilight Divide and Desert Shadows now so you’ll be ready to read Shifting Sands like the rest of us when it comes out shortly!
Needless to say, I highly and enthusiastically recommend both books to you! This is an intense, heart wrenching saga of the story of a girl who really only wanted to survive after witnessing her parents murders and her little brother’s kidnapping. Then miraculously finding out he was alive and how she and her brother rescued him in the first book! The
second book will leave you aching at the loss of life and angry when you find out why and how and who orchestrated it! Still his end was too good for him considering all the evil he did!!
I can’t wait to get and read Shifting Sands and find out what happens next!
This intense drama will have you burning the midnight oil turning the pages as fast as you can to
see what happens next! Both Nour and Malik are Duets meaning that their father possessed traits of both the Blazers and the Dwellers, the two distinct races of people left after the world changed along with the primordials of which their mother was one.
These two races hate each other but now are united to eradicate those who share mixed blood of both
groups, the duets!
To really enjoy this book fully, you need to get the first book, Twilight Divide, and read it first! There is such a wealth of information in it you need to have to
understand what happens in this book and in the coming book,Shifting Sands! So get Twilight Divide and Desert Shadows now so you’ll be ready to read Shifting Sands like the rest of us when it comes out shortly!
Needless to say, I highly and enthusiastically recommend both books to you! This is an intense, heart wrenching saga of the story of a girl who really only wanted to survive after witnessing her parents murders and her little brother’s kidnapping. Then miraculously finding out he was alive and how she and her brother rescued him in the first book! The
second book will leave you aching at the loss of life and angry when you find out why and how and who orchestrated it! Still his end was too good for him considering all the evil he did!!
I can’t wait to get and read Shifting Sands and find out what happens next!
March 10, 2024
A riveting continuation of the tale, Desert Shadows immerses readers back into a compelling futuristic realm. Nour, alongside her newfound uncle Farah, stumbles upon the hidden sanctuary of Alexander, a leader of the Primordials. Yet, the choice to leave her camp behind sets off a chain of consequences, leading to heart-wrenching events.
Determined to save her people and unite the scattered communities of the Sand, Nour faces relentless pursuit from the Tribound Coalition. Seeking refuge in the secret city of Exilium, she discovers unexpected mysteries. Will Nour succeed in uniting the People of the Sand, or will the challenges prove too daunting? Desert Shadows is an enthralling sequel with a gripping narrative and unforeseen twists.
Determined to save her people and unite the scattered communities of the Sand, Nour faces relentless pursuit from the Tribound Coalition. Seeking refuge in the secret city of Exilium, she discovers unexpected mysteries. Will Nour succeed in uniting the People of the Sand, or will the challenges prove too daunting? Desert Shadows is an enthralling sequel with a gripping narrative and unforeseen twists.
March 16, 2024
Nour, with the help of her newly found uncle Farah, finds what she wants to believe is a safe haven for her people. Meeting the leader, Alexander, sets off some warnings in her mind, but after finding most of her people dead from an attack, she decides to,move the remaining people to Exilium. Of course, Alexander had ulterior motives and things go badly for the Sand People. There is a lot of action in this one, and we lose people, a lot of people. But this is the price to be paid when you work toward change.
This is a great follow up to the series beginning and I look forward to seeing how Melanie is going to wrap up all of the components.
This is a great follow up to the series beginning and I look forward to seeing how Melanie is going to wrap up all of the components.
March 28, 2024
🌄☀️Excellent sequel
Under the oppressive heat, Nour observed the moving figure from afar.
She could hit the target with her bow ready to shoot her arrow.
When the person lowered his hood, Nour was so surprised that she lowered her weapon...
>>>>>>>>
Here is the continuation of the dangerous adventures of the young Duet Nour who continues her journey while trying to escape the dangers and decipher the enigmas of this world which challenges her.
Will she survive the danger?
I found the reading particularly captivating.
I love this main character of Nour, so endearing!
What does the rest hold for us?
I recommend !
Under the oppressive heat, Nour observed the moving figure from afar.
She could hit the target with her bow ready to shoot her arrow.
When the person lowered his hood, Nour was so surprised that she lowered her weapon...
>>>>>>>>
Here is the continuation of the dangerous adventures of the young Duet Nour who continues her journey while trying to escape the dangers and decipher the enigmas of this world which challenges her.
Will she survive the danger?
I found the reading particularly captivating.
I love this main character of Nour, so endearing!
What does the rest hold for us?
I recommend !
March 18, 2024
Nour wants to unite the People of the Sand - Primordials, Duets, Blazers, and Dwellers, but struggles with fear of failure and against the Blazers and Dwellers. Through her uncle Farah, Nour meets Alexander, the Primordial leader of Exilium. With Malik, they visit Exilium and see its wonders. But all is not as it seems. So begins Nour's battles against Alexander for the unity of the People of the Sand.
Fast paced story with death, family, and love all working together. Very enjoyable book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fast paced story with death, family, and love all working together. Very enjoyable book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 23, 2024
Fast paced, twisty, and heart breaking story that will have you flying through the book in search of answers!
This is so action packed. There are many battles and twists that build off of the first book in this series. I was exhausted for Nour. She quite literally runs her self to the limit to save her loved ones and her people. The immense pressure of being a leader was skillfully written.
I recommend this to fans of stories with dystopian/apocalyptic worlds, chosen one, female hero, and hidden powers.
This is so action packed. There are many battles and twists that build off of the first book in this series. I was exhausted for Nour. She quite literally runs her self to the limit to save her loved ones and her people. The immense pressure of being a leader was skillfully written.
I recommend this to fans of stories with dystopian/apocalyptic worlds, chosen one, female hero, and hidden powers.
March 25, 2024
Desert Shadows
•Dystopian •Post Apocalypse •Adventure
5/5!
This book was full of twists and turns and had a pace that kept me on the edge of my seat reading! I loved the plot twists and incorporation of all the characters! While it is read mostly as Nour’s story, there is so much more to it!
I thought that this was the perfect sequel to Twilight Divide! if you liked the first book you will love Desert Shadows! I can’t wait for Shifting Sands to Release!! Thank you to Mel Bokstad Horev and Story Origin For this ARC!
•Dystopian •Post Apocalypse •Adventure
5/5!
This book was full of twists and turns and had a pace that kept me on the edge of my seat reading! I loved the plot twists and incorporation of all the characters! While it is read mostly as Nour’s story, there is so much more to it!
I thought that this was the perfect sequel to Twilight Divide! if you liked the first book you will love Desert Shadows! I can’t wait for Shifting Sands to Release!! Thank you to Mel Bokstad Horev and Story Origin For this ARC!
March 31, 2024
Post-apocalyptic action and adventure
The author has succeeded in creating a strong, capable female protagonist in the lead character. Nour is nearly duped by Exilium's narcissistic leader. In the meantime, Exilium as well as Aridex are coming apart, mirroring the unrelenting war between the Primordials, Blazers, Dwellers and Duets. With shape shifters, secret alliances, blackmail and betrayals, Desert Shadows will keep the readers turning pages until the unexpected conclusion.
The author has succeeded in creating a strong, capable female protagonist in the lead character. Nour is nearly duped by Exilium's narcissistic leader. In the meantime, Exilium as well as Aridex are coming apart, mirroring the unrelenting war between the Primordials, Blazers, Dwellers and Duets. With shape shifters, secret alliances, blackmail and betrayals, Desert Shadows will keep the readers turning pages until the unexpected conclusion.
March 23, 2024
This is the second installment of the Desert Shadows Saga. Nour and her family are trying hard to unite the Sand Peoples but peril lies all around them. There's plenty of action and adventure to keep your attention along with plenty of death, sadness and deception in this novel. Looking forward to the next step in this dystopian post-apocalyptic journey.
I'm a member of the ARC team and have left an honest review voluntarily.
I'm a member of the ARC team and have left an honest review voluntarily.
March 29, 2024
A great continuation of the series. Nour finds out more about her past, present and potentially her future, as well as the skills she never knew she had. Helping her family and her people are the most important thing for her, and she does everything she can to make sure they are safe. Many twists and turns have you routing for her, and hope she can overcome all the evil around her, even in her naivety.
I enjoyed reading this second book and look forward to the next one.
I enjoyed reading this second book and look forward to the next one.
April 29, 2024
Nour is back in this second installment of the trilogy. (Go read book 1 if you haven’t already, it is vital to understand all the nuances of the people of the sand). So much murder and mayhem occurs in this second part and so many surprise villans. Nour is trying so hard to hold it all together while her world crumbles. New powers are revealed and new possibilities and allies appear to aid Nour. A great story, looking forward to reading the next installment!
March 18, 2024
Another great journey taken with Nour, Malik and Derry! The story is woven with action, adventure, and thrills. A continuation of the story with even more action than the first. A great book to read. I look forward to the next book in the series, eager to learn where their adventures will take them next.
March 31, 2024
Nour did not have all her resources to make a plan. This so called uncle Farah had to make Nour and the others trust him. Lay out his story for them to come to Exilium. So primordials are the among the prisoners who stood and fought for their food and housing.
March 25, 2024
A great follow on to book 1. Action packed and filled with love, loss and betrayal. A must read. I received a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 26, 2024
A great follow on to book 1. A great follow on to book 1 Action packed and filled with love, loss and betrayal. A must read. I received a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 20, 2024
Another excellent read as this epic tale moves onward. Plenty of twists as Nour tries to discern the lies from the truth. Bring on the next one.
I'm of the opinion that this series (Trilogy?) would make an excellent movie.
I'm of the opinion that this series (Trilogy?) would make an excellent movie.
July 2, 2024
I always enjoy reading books from Melanie Bokstad Horev, it has that element that I enjoy from the genre. I was hooked from the first page and was engaged with everything that I was looking for. The characters felt like they were supposed to and worked in this universe. I thought this was really well done and can't wait for more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews