by Alwyn Hamilton

“Is this going to be like the time you learned what a rhinoceros was all over again?”
“I mean–”
“–elephants are–”
“–slightly bigger, so–”
“then how about you show me sometime when there aren’t quite so many people?”"
- Page 95

Title: Traitor to the Throne
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Publisher: Faber Faber
Book: #2 of Rebel of the Sands
Genre: Fantasy
Found: Series
Rating: 5 Voodoos

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 cruelest 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.

-Goodreads

PLEASE NOTE: You should read book one before you read this review.

Oh! So many feels! I got to the end of the book and I went back and re-read the chapter called The Rebel Prince because it had a totally different meaning after the end! Partly, because I THOUGHT I knew what was going to happen as I flicked to the end when I discovered too much book left for what needed to happen…
Then, two hours after I finished the book, I had a ‘WAIT! But that means…’ and the meaning of one particular line became clear and that just devastated me even more!
Well played, Alwyn, well played.

I liked that where book one paid attention to Amani’s Demji powers, this book focused on other features such as a Demji’s inability to lie (among other things) and sort of forced Amani to find out a little more about herself. There was one major situation that I thought she’d have been able to get out of easier – turns out that she wouldn’t have, but seeing her use her inability to say anything false to have at least worked that out would have been nice! She seemed to have accepted it too easily and that would have just wrapped that up nicely.
She starts to doubt things too and I could sort of see her point which worried me too, but then I watched Wonder Woman and I realised she was worrying without reason. Taking time to make a decision isn’t a problem and not punishing someone when they’re right is the correct attitude to have. (I tried to be vague enough that that wasn’t spoilerish!)

Imin was a fantastic character. A shape-shifter who wasn’t male pretending to be female half the time OR female pretending to be male, but both male AND female. When Imin was male they called him he and when Imin was female they called her she. What was also great was that Navid recognised Imin whatever shape Imin took and not in the same why everyone else did, though most of the scenes we saw were of male/female interaction it was still fantastic to see that.

So there was separation in this book. Yay….(a book 2 trope that I am rather fed up with)
Actually it wasn’t TOO bad. It was actually quite plotty, but by the time it was all sorted I was rather annoyed Amani WASN’T angry with Jin. Ok, she was over it, but I’d have at least liked a “how could you?” or a “How dare you!” or a “You think a lot of yourself matey.” etc
Jin did not endear himself to me really, but I don’t like him any less because I totally understood his panic, even if he was a little off. And he was also adorable. PLUS he had perfect timing with a specific line and it was just hilarious. Well, definitely clever at least.

Sam! I loved Sam! I loved when Sam and Amani met! I hope we get to keep Sam, he’s turning out to be pretty decent. I can’t quite work out who he reminds me of though…

I read The Hundredth Queen by Emily R King just before this and I didn’t review it until after this book and NOW I’m reviewing this book, which doesn’t sound problematic, until I tell you both are set in Harems within palaces where the lead has to try and do something without the sultan knowing. So unfortunately I don’t think I’ve done either book justice and I’m back to imposing the ‘no review, no reading’ rule upon myself…