Name: Szymon's review of Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
Item: Race the Sands
Rating: 4
Author: Szymon

Sarah Beth Durst

In Becar, everyone knows that who you are in this life will determine what you are in your next life. The augurs can read your fate in your aura: hawk, heron, tortoise, jackal, human. Armed with that knowledge, you can change your destiny with the choices you make. But for the darkest individuals, you come back as a kehok, a monster, and you will always be a kehok for the rest of time. Unless you can win the Races.

A Novel

Race the Sands

Szymon

“National Velvet with monsters and a big helping of palace intrigue, Race the Sands is monstrous (literally), heartwarming, and empowering in equal measure. An incredibly fun and inspiring read.” – Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale In this epic standalone fantasy, the acclaimed author of the Queens of Renthia series introduces an imaginative new world in which a pair of strong and determined women risk their lives battling injustice, corruption, and deadly enemies in their quest to become monster racing champions. Life, death, and rebirth—in Becar, who you are in this life will determine your next life. Yet there is hope—you can change your destiny with the choices you make. But for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and are doomed to be a kehok for the rest of time. Unless you can win the Races. After a celebrated career as an elite kehok rider, Tamra became a professional trainer. Then a tragic accident shattered her confidence, damaged her reputation, and left her nearly broke. Now, she needs the prize money to prevent the local temple from taking her daughter away from her, and that means she must once again find a winning kehok . . . and a rider willing to trust her. Raia is desperate to get away from her domineering family and cruel fiancé. As a kehok rider, she could earn enough to buy her freedom. But she needs a first-rate trainer. Impressed by the inexperienced young woman’s determination, Tamra hires Raia and pairs her with a strange new kehok with the potential to win—if he can be tamed. But in this sport, if you forget you’re riding on the back of a monster, you die. Tamra and Raia will work harder than they ever thought possible to win the deadly Becaran Races—and in the process, discover what makes this particular kehok so special.

Julie Janis

Wow! I was not expecting to like this book so much! Basically everything about this book is amazing. The world is SO fascinating (reincarnation, monsters, desert, etc.), the characters are incredible (especially Raia. She's my favorite!), and the plot and themes explored are powerful! I can't decide whether to rate this 4 or 5 stars?? Probably 4.5. There was one part that happened that I wish didn't happen, but oh well. The rest of the book was still so good! Highly recommend!

Emir Andrés Ibañez

Esta novela de fantasía autoconclusiva transcurre en Becar, un mundo donde tu alma revive una y otra vez. Dependiendo de qué tan buena persona seas podes reencarnar otra vez en humano o en algún animal de primera categoría. De lo contrario podes terminar siendo un gusano.
Sin embargo, el destino para aquellas personas que ya no se pueden redimir es reencarnar en kehoks, unos monstruos sanguinarios y difíciles de controlar, y ya no pueden volver a reencarnar en otra cosa.
A no ser que ganen las carreras.
Las carreras de kehoks son un deporte muy aclamado y se premian muy bien tanto a los entrenadores, como a los corredores. Y al kehok ganador se le permite reencarnar otra vez.

No pensé que llegando a fin de año me encontrara con un libro que me volara tanto la cabeza. Es ADICTIVO y está narrado de una forma tan sencilla que no podes dejarlo. Todos los personajes son interesantes y tiene un argumento tan bien hecho! hay escenas en donde me encontré realmente tenso o gritando por algún plot twist que no me vi venir.

El inglés es muy sencillo, no le tengan miedo.
Definitivamente quiero leer más de esta autora y me encantaría que le den una oportunidad. Creo que es una historia que vale la pena, que entretiene y te deja muy feliz.

Story Eater

It is amazing how Edelweiss makes the claim about this book that it will “[appeal] to both adult and YA readers,” and it is remarkably devoid of all the “adult” things in much of YA out this year alone. And it’s still better than all of them. Every one.

Not only does this book give the age-appropriate YA audience a book without an overabundance of foul language, violence, and sex; it also gives the YA audience a thought-provoking book with feminist characters who don’t hate men and aren’t simply female versions of hyper-masculine, violent men. In Tamra and Raia, we readers get two female lead characters who have character. They aren’t on violent revenge quests, seeking power from those around them and elevating themselves over every male character in the book to the point of eye-rolling ridiculousness. The men aren’t milk-toast, anti-men who find it necessary to gravel in front of every woman in the book. Each male/female relationship is bi-lateral and genuinely equal—something that rarely, or nearly never before, happens.

The male/female relationships here are also not forcibly romantic. Sexual tension doesn’t drive the plot. The characters don’t try to seduce one another; the seventeen-year-old heroine isn’t having sex with a 200-year-old vampire or fairy. 

While Race the Sands is a breath of fresh air in a muddled genre, I still won’t hold my breath for more like this in both content and quality. What a rare find this novel is. What a privilege and joy to read it. 

My thanks to HARPER Voyager for the ARC, which I won—unbelievably—on Goodreads, and for which I give my very own opinion.

Szymon &
Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst

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Szymon &Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst

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Szymon &
Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst