Uppercase Box Book Discussions discussion

It's that time again to discuss the book of the month!

Here are some started questions for us, but always feel free to ask your own!

- What did you think of the "old West meets Arabian desert" setting?

- What did you think about the way magic and the djinn were introduced to the story?

- How did you feel about the twists - especially at the end??

- What did you think of the book overall?

What did you think of the "old West meets Arabian desert" setting?

- I absolutely loved this setting! I'm a huge fan of anything Arabian, thanks to 'The Wrath and the Dawn' and I usually don't read any western stories.. but this book has made me want to read more of them. I thought the two blended well together though, and I really enjoyed it.

What did you think about the way magic and the djinn were introduced to the story?

- The concept of their magic and the djinn were interesting. I wanted a little bit more magic though.. Which now that the truth about Amani has been revealed I think that we'll get more in the future books, so it wasn't a big fault for me. I liked the twins' powers though, they were really interesting!

How did you feel about the twists - especially at the end??

- I loved every twist in this story! I really liked the twist about Jin being a Prince and meeting his brother the Rebel Prince. I honestly didn't predict that Jin would be part of the revolution, so I really liked that.. The ending was great, too. There was a lot happening and I thought it was a bit rushed.. but I think it did set up a lot of stuff for the future.

What did you think of the book overall?

- I really enjoyed this book! Another great pick! :) I really loved Amani. She was such a strong character and I loved how she wanted more for her life than what the world said she should have.. The slow-burn romance was great! The world was fun.. I pretty much enjoyed everything. I'm looking forward to the next books!

What did you think of the "old West meets Arabian desert" setting?
- I really enjoyed this aspect, but I felt like we didn't get enough Arabian. I wanted to know more about the Djinni and other First Beings. I think we'll get that in the next book though because of what we found out about Amani )

What did you think about the way magic and the djinn were introduced to the story?
- I really enjoyed this aspect of the story, it was unique and intriguing. At first, it just seemed odd to be placed in here, but the author made it work.

How did you feel about the twists - especially at the end??
- The twists were great! I knew there had to be something going on with Jin, but I just didn't know what! I enjoyed how he was woven into the rebellion and that he is one of the Sultan's sons. The fact that Amani is a Dmejji was surprising, but at the same time, I had this feeling that there was something we were missing about her. I really enjoyed that twist as well. The end twist was a bit rushed, but great anyway.

What did you think of the book overall?
- Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The first bit felt a little like it had no endgame and there was no direction, but the last third picked up and I see where this series is going. I gave this a 3.25/5 stars :)

- What did you think of the "old West meets Arabian desert" setting?
I really enjoyed this setting! I didn't feel like one overpowered the other, we got a western and Arabian feel that fit perfectly. It was unique as I have not read a western story prior to this so it was new for me.

- What did you think about the way magic and the djinn were introduced to the story?
SO fascinating, lately I've been finding myself reading more and more books with magic in it and each seem to have their own uniqueness to it that keeps them different. Although I have not read The Wrath and the Dawn yet, which I know is an Arabian setting, I was reminded a bit of An Ember in the Ashes in regards to the djinn.

- How did you feel about the twists - especially at the end??
I loved how they were basically staring at me in the face but I couldn't see them coming! Even with her blue eyes constantly being mentioned I didn't put two and two together about Amani. I also figured Jin had a secret and was shocked when everything fell into place.

- What did you think of the book overall?
Overall, I loved this! I finished this book in one sitting, which I wish I didn't because the wait for the next book is going to be torture. Another fantastic choice this month!

I enjoyed the setting. I've always been a fan of westerns and the Arabian desert mixed in well with the western themes.

The magical elements in the story were well developed and I enjoyed the way they were introduced. The uppercase bonus content from Alwyn really helped me to get a feel for each unique creature. Thanks uppercase!

I didn't anticipate the most of the twists and I enjoyed the surprises. It made reading the novel more fun. Although I did suspect that Jin was somehow tied to the rebellion all along.

Overall I enjoyed Rebel of the Sands. But I'll be honest and say that it was not one of my favorites. I liked it, but I didn't love it. However, I will probably read more if the story continues.