https://padlet.com/amarsden456/dop56r7juegj A few reviews and a whole lot of fangirling en-us 2019-01-31 20:04:06 UTC 2026-02-17 21:26:17 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Bigthunderstorm.png amarsden456 https://padlet.com/amarsden456/dop56r7juegj/wish/326470779 Hi all, my name is Anne Marie, you might know me as @marsdenreads on Instagram! I learned to make blogs for teachers college and in the process I discovered that I enjoy making them. Figured it was time to try my hand at blogging instead of doing vague half reviews on Instagram. I mean, I'll definitely still do vague half reviews over there, but now I can have more in-depth reviews here for those who are interested. 

Rebel of the Sands is a YA Fantasy novel set in another land. Or at least, it feels like a different a land. Realistically it has a very Persian influence, and draws on familiar Mythology. Having just read City of Brass I was primed and ready for this! 

I love these books because they talk about the realities of being a woman in a land that doesn't respect or care about them. It talks about the real fears of becoming a third or fourth wife, and also talks about erasing the deeds of women. The main character, Amani, goes by the moniker 'The Blue Eyed Bandit' and half the country is convinced she's a man simply because they don't believe a woman could ever accomplish as much as she does. 

Amani is a strong, independent woman who isn't afraid to leave other people in a lurch to save herself. This is something I both love and hate about her, because she's so self serving and also so real. Like, I like to think that in a sticky situation I would stick with my friends and be a hero, but the pragmatist in me knows that I'm a Slytherin and would probably save my skin first.

The most magical part of this book (and it's chalk full of really cool desert magic) is that we get to watch Amani discover something worth fighting for. We join her as she finds a cause and starts to put others before herself. That's character development baby!

I think that's all I will say about this book. 
I would give it 4 out of 5 stars, and I will happily read the rest of the series!
Now I think I'm going to go read some other people's reviews of books so I have a better idea of how to structure the next post I make!
-MarsdenReads]]> 2019-01-31 20:25:30 UTC https://padlet.com/amarsden456/dop56r7juegj/wish/326470779 amarsden456 https://padlet.com/amarsden456/dop56r7juegj/wish/352137520 Have you ever seen a book around at stores, on other accounts, etc. and thought to yourself "Hmm, that looks interesting" but then forgotten all about it?
That's what happened to me with this book. I saw it everywhere. It was in bookstores. It was on reading lists. It was in my friends blogs. But for some reason I never looking into what it was about or even what genre it was.
My bad.
Then came the fateful week. I had not one, not two, but three SEPARATE people contact me within a week to tell me that they thought I would love the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, if I hadn't already read it for some reason.
I was flabbergasted. Did these people discuss this ahead of time and decide it was the best way to freak me out? Was there a group chat going on like "hey what book should we recommend to her this week?"
I eventually decided that it was simple coincidence, and that the universe was trying to tell me something. 
Gosh darn it all, the universe was RIGHT.

I loved this book. I loved the elegant prose, the engaging main character, the witty, enigmatic side characters. I loved the back and forth between past and present. I loved the foreshadowing. I love what a cocky little idiot Kvothe is. I blew through the entire book in one sitting and was left stunned and horrified that it had taken me this long to come to this wonderful, heartbreaking series.
It pulls on my musicians heartstrings to have music talked about in this eloquent, touching manner. Kvothe is first and foremost, a performer and lover of music. I can't wait to see what happens to him that causes him to stop playing music. I can't WAIT to find out what happens!
If you're like me, and you've been putting off reading this because you've seen it around and just never picked it up and tried it...IT'S TIME.


]]> 2019-04-16 21:07:41 UTC https://padlet.com/amarsden456/dop56r7juegj/wish/352137520