Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Publication date: 25 January 2017
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
RRP: $16.99 AUD

Synopsis:
This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.
Nearly a year has passed since the events in Rebel of the Sands. Amani has come into both her powers and reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.
Stripped of her powers and her identity, and told from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the hare is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

*Please note this review will not have any spoilers for Traitor to the Throne but may contain spoilers for Rebel of the Sands (book one).

If you can recall, I read Rebel of the Sands (book one) in December last year and flew through it; it was an incredible, fast paced read that I wanted more of so I was highly anticipating the release of Traitor to the Throne. In the very beginning of the book, the author has given us a rundown of the characters which I actually really enjoyed going through; it then goes into the first chapter from the perspective of The Foreign Prince, aka Jin which I may have squealed about. I really hope we get more chapters from him in the future (hint hint Alwyn Hamilton).

WRITING

In Rebel of the Sands, I fell in love with the author's writing and the love kept coming whilst reading Traitor to the Throne. The flow of the book was great and there's something about the way Alwyn describes everything that makes my little bookish heart warm. I absolutely love the mix of magic and what seems to be mythology? You wouldn't think to have those two in a book together but it works and I'm happy about it.

PLOT

In Traitor to the Throne we delved into the story a lot more than book one. I felt like some parts were skimmed over a bit more than I wanted to, but there was also a lot going on this book that partly made up for it. In Rebel of the Sands, there was rarely time for rest and that's what made it so fast paced. In Traitor to the Throne, it slows right down however, there is still so much going on that keeps your interest. To some this may be a good thing, to others... not so much?

There was definitely a lot of magical power and gun action that I felt was missing, we still get some of it but not as much as I'd have liked. I think this is what makes the book a bit slower. We still have our suspenseful and exciting situations but it missed what I loved most about book one. It's very obvious though that the author wanted to get deeper into the story and is setting us up for what I can only imagine as an intense finale.

CHARACTERS

The character development is this novel was amazing. We got to know the characters a bit more, I wanted more but I know that's probably asking too much. I think I'm just nosy and want to know everyones back story. I felt that Amani really grew into a likeable leader, I thought she was interesting already in Rebel of the Sands, but I really loved her character development in this book.

I'm really surprised at how much I liked it when the Sultan was involved/mentioned and I honestly think I'm not the only one. He was so interesting every time he spoke and I would really love to know more about how he thinks.

There were a few new characters introduced to our story. I absolutely loved Sam, he made for a lighter yet still serious time and I loved it when he was around. We get to meet a few of Jin and Ahmed's other siblings which really added to the Rebel Prince's story and I can't wait for it to delve more into that particular part.

There was a huge lack of Jin which I was disappointed in. I understand it's hard when it's told in Amani's perspective but he was such a huge part of the previous book, I felt that he should have some of his own chapters even if it was only a couple.


OVERALL

Overall, the book was exciting and written so beautifully, the world building is phenomenal and the character development is spot on. Traitor to the Throne got deeper into our rebellion story and sets us up for book three with an intense and emotional ending.

I would highly recommend picking up Rebel of the Sands if you haven't already; pick up Traitor to the Throne while you're at it because you're gonna need it right away! I would love to know your thoughts on Traitor to the Throne (or Rebel), leave a comment below or message me on Instagram if they contain spoilers.

Rating: 4/5

Make sure you check out my YouTube channel for more bookish things!

See you soon.

x

*This book was sent to me by Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads

Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!