Review: Traitor to the Throne - Alwyn Hamilton

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her 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 torn 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 harem 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.

Rebel of the Sands Series:
Rebel of the Sands
Traitor to the Throne
Hero at the Fall

Visit the Alwyn Hamilton's website for more information

Review:
I really loved Rebel of the Sands so Traitor to the Throne was right up there amongst my most wished for books of 2017. Sometimes it can be hard to live up to fan's high expectations but I though Alwyn Hamilton did a brilliant job, this book is very different to the first one but I really enjoyed the new direction the story took and I loved all the twists and turns along the way.

I don't really want to say too much about how this happens but when Amani is captured during a mission for the rebellion she finds herself taken prisoner and held captive in the Sultan's palace. We're used to seeing her as a fierce fighter and someone who never backs down from a challenge but she's now in an impossible situation, trapped without her powers and with no backup on hand. She hasn't given up on getting back to her friends but her hands are quite tied and it's not going to be easy for her to escape. I love that she tries to turn the situation to her advantage though, she is in an ideal situation to spy on her enemies so if she can only figure out a way to pass what information she can find on to the rebels she could be the key to winning the rebellion. I just love that Amani never quits, no matter how impossible the odds look she keeps fighting for what she believes in.

There is a lot going on in this book - political intrigue at the palace, the rebel's attempts to rescue Amani, concubines disappearing from the harem and the Sultan's latest prisoners who are even more dangerous and powerful than Amani. You'll see familiar faces from Amani's past who may or may not be trustworthy, the rebels will suffer plenty of setbacks, friends become enemies while enemies might turn into allies. Nothing is quite what it seems and it all unravels in spectacular fashion in an exciting finale that left me desperate for the final book.

If I had one complaint it was that Jin was missing for much of the book, it makes sense for the plot because he couldn't exactly be held prisoner in the harem alongside Amani but I missed his character. We get to see plenty of whats going on with the other rebels but I would have loved perhaps a few chapters from Jin's POV so we could see what he was up to elsewhere. I'm glad Amani and Jin were reunited in the end though, I think these two bring out the best in each other and I love seeing them fight alongside each other. This series is just so much fun to read and I can't wait to see how everything ties together in the final book.

Source: Received from Faber & Faber in exchange for an honest review

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