Initial Impressions 3/10/16: That was sooooo good. The book was very well put-together with some great world-building, amazing settings, and awesome plotting that kept me well-informed but also left several twists to be revealed at the perfect moments. 
 The characters were amazing! I adored Amani, loved Jin, and the supporting cast of characters really came to life and added so much more to the story too. Loved the banter. The action was stellar. I was wholly absorbed by this book! 
 Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 3/14/16: REBEL OF THE SANDS, you guys... It's phenomenal! 
 It's been a long time since I've had some good, solid FEELS for a book and I am ecstatic that REBEL OF THE SANDS was that book for me. It was truly love at first page for me and things only escalated from there!! I loved fierce, bold, and confident Amani who is ready to make a life for herself and get out of her small and useless town. She masquerades as a boy when she goes out to compete in the local shooting competition because it's the only way she'll be allowed to participate. Heck yes, I love girls that can run with the boys! I'm a little bit of a tomboy myself so I immediately loved Amani who is all desert and fire and gunpowder. 
 I really loved the entire feel of the book. Amani has this amazing spirit that really shines throughout and her need to escape and find a better life for herself really keeps the action moving forward. When she meets a handsome stranger, I immediately fell in love with him because they just had the best chemistry. I won't say too much about him because it's best to discover as you read, but he does become an incredibly important part of the book (this happens early on -- no spoilers there) and he and Amani just have the best connection, both as friends and that spark to something more. Their banter is excellent and we all know how much I love banter! It easily captures me, makes me feel like the characters are that much more real, and I always love a humorous side to keep even the direst of situations light. 
 Every character really brings something special to the book. From Amani to Jin to the secondary characters like Shazad and Bahi, each person really comes to life, their personality adding so much to the atmosphere and feel of the book. I'm always especially impressed when supporting characters add so much to a book because I feel like they're too easily pushed aside for main characters. These characters are just so well layered and they truly form the perfect team. There's a little bit of everything captured within this cast of characters and they came together so well. 
 Honestly, everything in this book was so well done and it's exactly what I want in the first book in a series. The world is built up and explained but I never felt like there was a case of infodump. Everything progressed so perfectly and the plot moved along at such a natural pace. The characters were amazing and immediately pulled me in. There's just enough romance with some truly perfect moments that make you ache without going over the edge of instalove. There are some awesome reveals that keep readers flipping those pages but there's still promise of so much more to come. I absolutely loved the book and I am so excited that it's a series because I can't wait to read and devour the rest!