I was really excited to read this book. I wanted to like it so bad. The author has potential but this story didn't do it for me. It felt more like a Western with magic than a novel set in the Middle East. I was really disappointed by that because popular books about the Middle East are few & far between, especially in the young adult genre. 
 Amani and Jin have no chemistry. It was sort of developing towards the end of the book but it felt like it was without a foundation. And unfortunately, Amani was just like some of the female characters I've been reading about in YA Fastasy/Westerns recently. She's interchangeable and doesn't really stand out. 
 The magic & culture isn't fully explained. I had a background for some of the cultural elements but someone who didn't would be lost. Even at that, I was confused with the royal family and the allies/rebels etc. 
 This book isn't terrible but it's not entirely unique. I liked some of the magical elements but they weren't fully developed. The story moved along well enough and I read it in one sitting but there were too many problems with it. I'm intrigued enough where I'll pick up the sequel at the library if I'm bored but I'm not anticipating it by any means. 
 I realize I may be in the minority with my opinion but I'm really glad I didn't buy this like I had originally wanted to when I first heard about it. 
 Thanks to First to Read for giving me a chance to read this novel before it was published in exchange for an honest review. 
 (March 2, 2016) 
 2.5? 3 stars? Still undetermined. 
 Full review to follow.