Let me tell you, dear ones, a tale of sand and stars.The Kingdom of Sand found Nima wandering in the desert as a young girl.Now seventeen, Nima is the storyteller for her adoptive kingdom, weaving tales for their entertainment while yearning to learn the truth of her past.When the king from the nearby Kingdom of Stars demands that Nima be brought to him, she has no choice but to go with the … brought to him, she has no choice but to go with the warriors. The palace is dark and stifling, and the king’s rule is tyrannous. Nima immediately begins plotting her escape, even though it means traveling back through a desert full of windhaunts—memory-stealing spirits that roam the dunes.
As Nima grows closer to one of the king’s sons, though, danger from the windhaunts and palace secrets threaten her at every turn. She must use her stories to discover—and create—the truths of her past and the shared history of the kingdoms in order to preserve her freedom, save her people from the windhaunts, and reunite the Kingdoms of Sand and Stars.
Tales of Sand and Stars is a luminous, lyrical fantasy full of the beauties and dangers of the desert and the creatures that roam the dunes.
Get your copy today and be transported into this breathtaking, unforgettable world.
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Some books just leave you stunned that it is over, struggling to return to the “real” world. Juliet Vane’s TALES OF SAND AND STARS is one of those books! Written for young adults, there is enough depth and dimension that all readers will get lost in this fascinating tale.
Nima was a foundling, brought into the Kingdom of Sand and raised as one of them. Her designation was Storyteller and for years, she has woven tales to enthrall the people. Gratifying and fulfilling as it was, she still longed to know who she really was, who were her people and why would her family desert the four-year-old child? And then there are the Windhaunts, soul-sucking demons who would steal one’s memories, leaving only a husk of dust.
When the ruler of the visiting merchants from the Kingdom of Stars demands that Nima come to him, she discovers she may have found her people, but are they what she had hoped for or would she find lies, deceit and danger? Do they know who she is? What secrets are being hidden from her?
One boy will steal her heart, but can he be trusted? When the Windhaunts threaten both kingdoms, Nima must do what she can to save them all. Even as she learns the dark truths of both her past and that of both lands.
I was completely enthralled by this tale and the ability of Juliet Vane to create a strong story with brilliant characters! In a world where YA fantasy can be found easily, TALES OF SAND AND STARS is a true hidden gem and I loved it!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Juliet Vane! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Juliet Vane’s Luminous Lands series is filled with wonders and beauty. I adored The Scorpion’s Lullaby and this certainly followed in its footsteps, bringing to life exotic settings and original fantastic creatures. Where The Scorpion’s Lullaby was set in an almost Amazonian rainforest, Tales of Sand and Stars is set on the sandy dunes of a middle-eastern-like desert. Both Nima’s village and the palace and marketplace (though I did start to wonder if there was anything more to the Kingdom of the Stars than just the palace and the market) are both brought to life, teeming with detail and realistic, colorful characters with distinct personalities. The beginning reminded me a bit of Shahrazad, but without the threat to life. There is romance (yes, I loved the budding romance) and mystery with so many questions being raised about the palace, and her past, and the history of the kingdoms (I found the history of the mythology of the Luminous Lands so fascinating in The Scorpion’s Lullaby as well). It kept me turning pages eagerly. I loved that Nima’s character grew over the course of the book, from reckless and careless and desperately homesick, to slowly caring about the new people and place around her. I loved Davian with his unrepentant forwardness, determination, eagerness, and sense of humor and willingness to put up with Nima calling him a camel. Nima’s tales were all very engaging, though a bit hard to imagine at times since they starred animals (sort of like Aesop’s Fables). I loved the Windhaunts. They were so chilling and creepy and easy to imagine them blowing in with the howling wind over the sand.
I would highly recommend this book. The story is well written and full of twists and turns you don’t see coming. It keeps you glued from the first page right through to the last page. There are a great range of characters in the book especially the main female character who is very strong, brave and doesn’t give up.
Full of intrigue, terror, love, and betrayal. This book is so beautifully written and so wonderful to read that I really did not want it to end. I absolutely LOVED it!
At the young age of four Nima was adopted by the people of the Kingdom of Sand. The people took her in and raised her as one of their own but Nima has always wondered who her family was and why they would abandon her at such a young age. Nima has high hopes of finding out who she is and why she was left behind one day.
A tragedy occurs in the Kingdom of Sand and when Nima is accused of this tragedy she escapes into the desert. The king of the Kingdom of Stars hears of Nima’s mishap and sends his men into the desert to search for her with orders to bring her to the Kingdom of Stars.
Within the walls of the Kingdom of Stars Nima receives information in bits and pieces of who she maybe. After putting all the pieces together she learns that the Kingdom of Stars maybe her true home. Now the question is does the king know of this?
Nima also learns that the Kingdom of Sands and the Kingdom of Stars was once one big kingdom until they were divided. Now Nima’s wants to put a plan into motion to unite the two kingdoms once again. Can she pull it off? Can she reunite the two kingdoms?
Nima learns that the Windhaunts are coming for both kingdoms and needs to warn both kingdoms before it is too late. Windhaunts are memory stealing spirits that comes to visit at night but can come in the daylight if they choose to do so. Nima must warn the Kingdom of Sand but to do so she must travel through a land full of Windhaunts but if she can save the people it will be worth it. Will she make it to the Kingdom of Sand in time to warn them about the Windhaunts?
Tale of Sand and Stars is a story with kings and queens and Windhaunts with Storytellers set in a world of fantasy. Tale of Sand and Stars pulled me in from the first page and then I was lost and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I was chomping at the bit to see how Nima’s story came to be and where it would lead. Now I can’t wait to see what adventures Nima may have in the next book. Well at least I am counting on there being a next book.
Do I recommend Tale of Sand and Stars? You bet I do and I also recommend any and all of Juliet’s other books too. One click yourself a copy today!
I found this prequel book very intriquing with the story telling and I am looking forward to reading the first full book in the series. I know it is out in Apple but I am not sure when it will be available at other site.
Last week I finished the full version of this book and it was more engrossing than I could have ever imagined it could be. It is a beautiful book of tales within tales. Nima Storyteller weaves tales that tells the stories with some truth and some fantasy while all the time telling another true story as she knows it. The link between Sand and Stars was not what I started out believing it would be but the further into the story I went, the more I understood and the more I wanted to know. The characters in the book were very believeable and it wasn’t hard to pick sides of who to cheer for and who you wanted to see go.