There's something to be said for lush, fantastical books being short and easy reads. Land of Sand and Song is an epic fantasy set in its own unique world, with its own politics and magic and class systems. The fact that Joyce Chua not only makes this world feel real, but in a way that feels simple, rather than overly complex and heavy-handed, accompanied by strong character arcs and story development, is a testament to her skill as a writer.

Right away, I was pulled into the story, invested in Desert Rose as she loses everything she's ever known due to a rebellion within her tribe. Her arc was fantastic as she meets new characters, faces trials, and learns about herself as the story progresses. I found her an interesting MC and one I could easy root for.

The other two POVs in this book are Wei's and Meng's. Wei is the Third Prince and rogue brother, while Meng is the Fourth Prince who recently became the favourite for the throne. Both have their own agendas and I loved seeing the layers peeled back slowly to reveal their true intentions and hearts. It provided a bit of mystery and assisted in the world building in a way that felt super organic and well delivered. I'm curious to see how their stories will play out alongside Desert Rose's as the series continues, as we leave them both as the start of something new at the end of this instalment.

All in all, I really liked how compact but fully realized this first instalment was. I'm very excited to see how this all plays out, as we've set up some interesting events for the characters to sink their teeth into.

TW: death of a parent, death of a sibling, death, violence, injury detail, war, imprisonment, fire injury/death

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5

eBook gifted by the author in exchange for an honest review.