Tuesday, March 29, 2016

First Chapter, First Paragraph No. 4: Rebel of the Sands, by Alwyn Hamilton



Welcome to First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros,
hosted by Diane @

Every Tuesday, each participant
shares the first paragraph 
(sometimes more) from a book
they're reading,
or thinking about reading.



The book I've picked this week is....



Rebel  of the Sands
(Rebel of the Sands, Book 1) 
Alwyn Hamilton
Hardcover, 334 pages
 Viking Books for Young Readers 
March 8, 2016
 Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fiction 


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25776221-rebel-of-the-sands





 
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic.  For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.

Amani Al’Hiza is all three.  She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.

Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.
Rebel of the Sands reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally, at long last, embracing her power. 




One


They said the only folks who belonged in Deadshot after dark were the ones who were up to no good. I wasn't up to no good. Then again, I wasn't up to no bad, either. 

I slid from Blue's saddle and tethered her to a post behind some bar called The Dusty Mouth. The kid sitting against the fence was sizing me up suspiciously. Or maybe that was just his two black eyes. I tugged the wide brim of my hat lower as I stepped out of the yard. I'd stolen the hat from my uncle, along with the horse. Well, borrowed, more like. Everything I owned belonged to my uncle anyway, according to law, down to the clothes on my back.

The doors of the bar banged open, spilling out light and noise and a fat drunk with his arm around a pretty girl. My hand snapped to my sheema before I could think better of it, checking it was still tightly fastened so the better part of my face was covered. I was wrapped up to my eyes, and even hours after sunset I was sweating under the padding like a sinner at prayers. I figured I looked more like some lost nomad than a real sharpshooter, but so long as I didn't look like a girl it didn't much matter. Tonight I was getting out of here with at least my life. All the better if I got out with a few coins in my pocket, too.   


    
     


I'm pretty excited, just from 
reading the above!
This novel will soon be part of
my personal collection!
Would you continue reading,
judging from the excerpt above ?









14 comments:

  1. Hi Maria, I don't think this is my kind of story, but, I do hope you enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Diane!

      Oh, I know I will! I love fantasy novels and strong heroines!

      Thanks for commenting back!! :)

      Delete
  2. While this isn't my usual read I really like the narrator's voice in the first paragraph and the cover is gorgeous! I'll have to look into this one. Hope you enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Katherine!

      I like the narrator's voice, too. She's definitely a feisty one! And I couldn't agree more about the cover!

      If you decide to read this novel, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I will!

      Thanks for commenting!! :)

      Delete
  3. This seems like 'western' set in another type of desert. Interesting. Hope you get to read it soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kay!

      You're absolutely right -- it does have the flavor of the Old West, but in another place entirely. I think that's interesting, too. I know I'll love this novel!

      Thanks for commenting!! :)

      Delete
  4. Doesn't seem like my kind of story but I do hope you enjoy it.
    Here is my review
    http://www.girl-who-reads.com/2016/03/review-off-campus-by-jeff-westwood-and.html?m=1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Claire! Oh, I know I'll enjoy it! Thanks for commenting!! :)

      Delete
  5. This one is not my usual read, but I found myself fascinated and drawn in a bit through the intro. Thanks for sharing. Here's mine: “MOST WANTED”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Laurel!

      I'm so glad the intro hooked you! Perhaps you should give this one a try, even though this is not your usual type of read.

      You're very welcome for the share! Thanks for commenting!! :)

      Delete
  6. I'm sorry, but the opening just didn't call to me. It's a bit out of my comfort zone, reading-wise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Margot!

      Gee, it's too bad this book doesn't appeal to you. However, there's a wide variety of reading tastes. I happen to love YA fantasy, as well as strong heroines. There are people who love the horror genre, for instance, while I totally DETEST it.

      I know I'll really enjoy this novel!

      Thanks for commenting!! :)

      Delete
  7. I would definitely keep reading! I have been seeing SUCH good things all around about this book that I am breaking all of my anti-hype rules and buying it. I'll be participating next week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Charlie!

      This book definitely has a lot of hype surrounding it, but I think that, in this case, it's totally justified! I just bought my copy last might, as a matter of fact. I went over to B&N just to get this novel. I'll be getting into it pretty soon.

      Glad you'll be participating in this meme next week! Welcome!!

      Thanks for dropping by and commenting!! :)

      Delete

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