An action-packed romantic fantasy series with a fierce heroine that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, and Emily R. King.A princess with a secret.A djinni without a past.A love that could save a kingdom…
Zadie knows she’s nothing like your typical princess. She spends her days reading, riding, and sneaking out of the palace. But between her beautiful elder sister who’s … sneaking out of the palace. But between her beautiful elder sister who’s betrothed to a powerful sultan, and her younger brother who’s heir to the throne, nobody seems to care what she gets up to. Until now, that is.
When Zadie helps her sister abandon her engagement to marry for love, it falls to her to play the part of the perfect princess in her place, traveling to the neighboring kingdom of Astaran with the handsome, arrogant sultan she is to marry.
But no sooner has she left her home, Zadie faces a whole new set of troubles. Bandits stalk the desert towns, the palace is under threat from an infamous band of thieves, and there are whispers that the sultan searches for more than just a new bride to magically protect his kingdom’s borders. All is not as it seems in Astaran.
And it’s fast becoming clear to the palace that this promised princess isn’t all she seems, either.
With her secrets piling up, can Zadie prove her true worth to the sultan and his ever-watchful vizier? If she doesn’t, the fate of more than one kingdom hangs in the balance…
Throne of Sand is the first book in the Desert Nights romantic fantasy series. Readers who enjoy kick-butt heroines, hate-to-love romance, and endearing characters who stay with you long after you finish a book will love this new series from Elm Vince and Helena Rookwood.
Welcome to a sweeping magical world inspired by the mythology of Arabian Nights, where kingdoms clash, mythical creatures stalk the desert, and your wishes coming true doesn’t mean all your problems are solved…
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Quick and easy with City of Brass/Aladdin vibes. I’m intrigued enough to keep going. I love that Zadie is strong willed and independent. Her love interest, Kassim, is a bit of an ass but I hoping he redeems himself in the future novels. Overall, I enjoyed it and hope the rest of the series is as good.
Enjoyable fantasy story
Zaidi helps her elder sister run off with the man she loves and after that, Zaidi has to marry the sultan of the neighbouring kigndom, whom her sister had to be wed. In the new kingdom, she finds unexpected allies in the traditional kingdom which starts her adventures through the desert.
Zaidi is a very interesting character and her rebellious nature and the way she embraced her responsibilities, made me want to root for her from the very beginning.
Enjoyed the book till the very end.
Very enjoyable. Princess Zadie is taking her sister’s place as the bride to the Sultan Kassim since her sister is supposedly dead to the world but she fell in love and ran off with her soon to be husband. Now it is all on her Zadie to be the most beautiful woman in all the kingdom but of course she knew she wasn’t but it was up to the sultan to determine, they were sending her to his palace but before she could leave the sultan arrived to bring his bride safely to his home. Zadie finds that he is very handsome and once he has seen her he also agrees that she is acceptable to him. They run into trouble before they can get to the palace, she is of course part of it. Once she gets to the palace she thinks it will be different and he will allow her to rule with him, but she realizes that she will have to do something extraordinary for Kassim to see her worth and that she can be valuable to him now and after they marry. Kassim is beginning to see that he is definitely not getting the demure young woman he was expecting, but for some reason, he is not totally disappointed but he is also being manipulated by a close adviser. But Zadie is not sure why and what is going for sure yet. Great storyline and the characters are very interesting.
Book 1. I was given an ARC as a gift from Bookfunnel without obligations. I am providing an honest review.
(Note: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
This was a book that had to win me over, and it did that so well I wished I had more of this series to read right away. At first, the contemporary style of heroine Princess Zaide’s narration and dialogue seem to clash with the formality of the setting and events. Zaide is about to take her sister’s place as fiancée to a powerful sultan, whom she hopes to rule beside. She initially spends a lot of time trying to prove her worth to the crabby young sultan, then struggles to play the part of proper princess until the wedding.
Fortunately, that doesn’t last long, and Zaide is soon saddled with a petulant djinni with a deal to make, some unlikely new allies and a shot at getting what she’s after. Once the action starts, it keeps going to the very end. And none of that action is gratuitous, either, continually advancing an exciting plot. Throne of Sand becomes an absorbing, page-turning read full of magical creatures, cleverness and sorcery (and a couple cheeky nods to Disney’s Aladdin).
Absolutely Phenomenal New Fantasy Series!
WOW! This was a fantastic start to what is sure to be one suspenseful, intense and utterly thrilling new fantasy series, with a touch of Aladdin to it. The story is very intriguing with lots of intense and very entertaining action. It kept me on the edge of my seat utterly captivated with each fantastic and unique character.
Zadie is an amazing woman with so much strength, uniqueness and wit. I can see her becoming stronger and fiercer as the story progresses. I love her strength and her ability to find answers and how she is able to get out of tough situations. Kassim still needs to grow on me a bit. Zadie is breaking down his walls and hopefully they can work together and forge a relationship!
The world building is so well done, imaginative and very detailed. I felt like I was right there in the story on the adventure with Zadie.
The story so entertaining that it leaves you wanting more! Highly recommend.
A fascinating story that kept me inthralled from start to finish. I loved the world building as well as the character building. There’s twists and turns everywhere. This read I definitely recommend.
Shauna Joesten
Helena Rookwood and Elm Vance have reintroduced another wonderfully exciting start to a series. Some of you like myself read Ms. Rookwoods novella “A girl with Seven Wishes: Aladdin Retelling” which is wonderful I might add, so with “Throne of Sand Book 1” you have the new and excitingly improved edition. There is added detail well worth rereading and a much more involved retelling. Princess Scheherazade is the stand in for her sister Princess Lalana who was supposed to marry the Sultan from the neighboring kingdom, except Zadie’s sister ran off with her lover Ambar to somewhere else, oh did I tell you the Sultan thinks she dead. Now Princess Zadie is set to marry the Sultan and play sweet nicey nice little princes ala 1950’s Susie homemaker, all for political alliance. But 21ts Century, educated, bold, equal rights believer, speaks her mind Princess Zadie is not doing well with the Old World Male attitude that the young Sultan Kassim seems to believe in. But he has a female Vizier, what up with that, is she here to support Zadie in her new role as Sultanah or does she have ulterior motives, hard to tell at this point? The personalities are rich in dimension, the scenery just as rich, action, intreguie, acerbic humor, and trouble lots of trouble, a story woven masterfully into a tale you can’t put down.