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Race the Sands

Sarah Beth Durst (Goodreads Author)

4.33 · Rating details · 1,356 ratings · 394 reviews

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, everyone knows that who you are in this life will ...more

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Kindle Edition, 544 pages

Published April 21st 2020 by Harper Voyager

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May 16, 2020 Emily May rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, fantasy

Call it what it is: monster racing.
Forget that, and you die.

This book was everything I wanted. Ever since I read Durst's The Queen of Blood in 2016, I've been saying that she's a seriously underrated author... but this book? Wow, she just took it to a whole new level.

And the silly thing is-- I'd been putting it off. Monster racing sounds kinda badass, but it also doesn't quite grab me in a "need to read" way. I love character drama and emotional investment. I love relationships and political machinations and backstabbing and betrayals and surprises (and I can't play or follow sports to save my life). But Race the Sands had all of that. Yes, there was monster racing, but that is only a tiny fraction of what this book is about.

Becar is a richly-drawn fantasy world where souls are reborn again and again, and how well you nurtured your soul in your previous life dictates what form it will be born into in your next. If you were good, told few lies, and generally made the world a better place, you could be born as a human or a higher class of animal like a monkey or a tiger. If you didn't, you may be born as a cockroach. But the worst fate of all, reserved for the most irredeemably bad souls, is to be reborn as a kehok.

Kehoks are vicious monsters, incapable of reason or empathy. Their main use in this world is as racers, trained and controlled by riders brave enough to compete. Tamra was one such rider, until an accident left her with a physical disability. Now she trains others to ride the kehoks. When her financial situation gets so bad her daughter may be taken away from her, she knows the only solution is to win the championship and the monetary prize. But first she has to find a kehok and a rider who can do it, and time is definitely not on her side.

While this is happening and Tamra is finding Raia and the mysterious metallic lion who will race with her, trouble is brewing in the Heart of Becar. I don't want to give too much away, but protests have broken out and it seems that many people may be lying and scheming. The new emperor-to-be, Prince Dar, is unintentionally sowing doubt in Becar's citizens.

I loved the politics of it all. The underhanded goings-on and the moral questions being raised. In this society, augurs are religious figures-- the only ones who can see your soul and the path you are on --and so everyone reveres and fears them. "Good intentions" are held up as the ideal, the purest way to live, but as the book shows, a lot of terrible things can be done under the banner of "good intentions". Fascinating.

“Do you understand, my star? I would destroy the world for you.”

The characters were fantastic, especially all the amazing women, which seems to be what Durst does best. Tamra is the best mum EVER (except my own, of course) and I felt that Raia was a deeply-sympathetic and tough character. I was also very pleasantly surprised by Lady Evara. She seems like a standard bitchy rich lady character in the beginning, but she becomes a much-needed source of comic relief. I love it when characters are more than I first expected.

And that climax was so SO satisfying. I think I may have said "OH HELL YES" out loud. What a fun, fast-paced, hard-to-put-down book, with MCs who all have slightly damaged souls, which is how I like 'em. It's adult fantasy but totally suitable for YA readers, too. Slight warning for some "animal" cruelty-- i.e. beating racers to make them faster; it is NOT viewed as a good thing.

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Jun 08, 2020 Petrik rated it really liked it

An exciting and enjoyable standalone fantasy for both adult and young adult audience.

The Queens of Renthia trilogy by Sarah Beth Durst is a series that I occasionally saw but, as usual, I’ve never gotten around to reading it due to out-of-control TBR pile. Race the Sands is a recently published book that suddenly and immediately shot up to the top of my TBR after several trusted friends review; all of them claimed it’s Durst’s best work so far, and the novel would be included in their best book ...more

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Apr 16, 2020 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was amazing

I loved everything about Race the Sands! Hooked from the very first page, the interesting character profiles is what struck me first. Tamra had a great backstory: she’s a highly skilled trainer (old injuries keeping her from competing in the kehok races herself), and an incredibly badass character (with enough flaws to make her realistic). Both she and the other characters had great motive from those backstories – compelling enough to sustain the whole plot. Very well done.

Characters aside, I lo I loved everything about Race the Sands! Hooked from the very first page, the interesting character profiles is what struck me first. Tamra had a great backstory: she’s a highly skilled trainer (old injuries keeping her from competing in the kehok races herself), and an incredibly badass character (with enough flaws to make her realistic). Both she and the other characters had great motive from those backstories – compelling enough to sustain the whole plot. Very well done.

Characters aside, I love books that incorporate training or education in a skill not found in our world. In this case, it was kehok riding (kind of like horse racing, but on wicked chimeras). The training wasn’t the forefront of the story, but it was incorporated often enough to satisfy my cravings for it. It all took place in a desert world where the people revolve their lives around a reincarnation-based religious structure. It was a cool concept. I’ve seen similar frameworks in other stories, but often the reincarnation ends up being a false belief. In this world, those who die really are reborn according to how they lived their lives. It added an interesting dynamic to an already cool plot. I loved every moment. It’s not the most sophisticated fantasy I’ve ever read, but it’s definitely one of the most fun.

I like Durst’s writing style. She’s telling stories robust enough for an adult market, but her characters and overall presentation are accessible enough to appeal to the YA crowd. When I first read Queen of the Blood (book #1 in her Renthia series), I initially thought it was an elevated YA novel… meaning I liked it, lol). Her main influence is Tamora Pierce, and you can definitely see that in this work. The writing itself is beautifully done – she has an exhibition of page hooks at the end of her chapters that are superb enough to be noticeable…. they made the book hard to put down.

Durst’s storytelling really sings to my soul. In the acknowledgments section of Race the Sands, she talked about what sparked her love for fantasy and shaped her journey as a writer – both of which I found personally inspiring as I look at my own budding career. It motivated me to dust off my manuscripts and continue chasing my goals. This section in particular jumped out at me:

I believe that fantasy is a literature of hope and empowerment. It can serve as a light in the darkness,as a guide towards strength, and as an escape from pain. It is my secret hope that someone will read Tamra and Raia’s story and realize that they can be who they want to be, that the can shape the world, that they can race the sands – and win.

I’ll never forget the profound impact her words had on me. It’s awesome when books can influence your life beyond just reading and reviewing.

Recommendations: Race the Sands was an incredibly fun book that will appeal to both adult fantasy fans looking for something lighter and YA fans looking to pick up something more robust. And to add to its recommendability, it’s a stand-alone novel, so you can pick it up without huge commitment. It’s one of my favorite books I’ve read in a while, and I can’t wait to share it with peeps I know are going to love it too.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

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Alanna The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1) by Tamora Pierce

Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (The Song of the Shattered Sands, #1) by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Court of Fives (Court of Fives, #1) by Kate Elliott

...more

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Apr 25, 2020 ☘Misericordia☘ ~ The Serendipity Aegis ~ ⚡ϟ⚡ϟ⚡⛈ ✺❂❤❣ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, kids

Q: How does one live a moral life and still live in reality? (c)
Q: “Inside I am screaming,” ...
“Inside we all are.” (c)
Q:
“So I’ll be a fish. Or a bird. Or a cricket. Or whatever. Does it matter, so long as I’ve done the best I can?...
Death erases all we are and all we were. So the past and the future? They don’t matter as much as what you do in the moment. In every moment. ” (c)

A lovely world. Comes complete with social tensions, meddling parents, floating gardens, weirdish imagery, reincarna ...more

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May 10, 2020 Choko rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, ya

This was a very enjoyable and engaging young adult fantasy about a world where reincarnation is very real and depending on what you do and stand for in life, you end up as all types of animals and insects. However, if you have been really good, you get to be reincarnated as a human again, while if you weren't, you come back as a monster, the lowest of the low and usually with no hopes for better faith in your future lives... One of the pastimes of this world's populous is betting on races of peo ...more

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Feb 23, 2020 Athena (OneReadingNurse) rated it really liked it

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers - Harper Voyager for the eARC of Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst! The book releases April 21st 2020 so add it to your TBR now if you are interested!

**Description omitted for Goodreads review**

Does it sound a bit like The Scorpio Races? Yes, to the point where I almost put it down - but I encourage you to keep reading if you feel like DNFing at first. The first few chapters as well as the rest of the book read very "young" to me in the writing style, but Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers - Harper Voyager for the eARC of Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst! The book releases April 21st 2020 so add it to your TBR now if you are interested!

**Description omitted for Goodreads review**

Does it sound a bit like The Scorpio Races? Yes, to the point where I almost put it down - but I encourage you to keep reading if you feel like DNFing at first. The first few chapters as well as the rest of the book read very "young" to me in the writing style, but the political intrigue and maneuvering part of the plot take over after the races start and I really did enjoy the book overall.

I would have liked to see more of Raia training the kehok at first - it happened so quickly where she went from a total novice to being ready to race. Not that they didn't have enough hurdles to overcome as it was but the racing ended up not being the main storyline of the book at all, which is where it differed from TSC and other similar books.

I liked the main character cast but they all had very similar voices. Raia can sound like a teenager because, well, she is one, and so can Dar, the emperor to be, but Tamra sounded like a kid and she had to be in her 30s at least. Lady Evara and Yorbel sounded a bit alike too and they ended up being amazing ancillary characters.

As far as the world building, SBD did an amazing job for a standalone novel. It is hard to build a world in one book and she described the architecture, art, food, religion, and social structure of Peron and the Heart of Becar in such a way that I felt like I knew not only the setting but the mood of the city. I would have liked to know more about the strict divisions between rich and poor though; it seems like in a reincarnation based society that anyone reborn as a human would be considered.... honorable? So why go as far as to keep the poor out of sight?

The religion was one of the most interesting parts of the plot. In order to crown a new emperor, the soul of the old emperor had to be found....and the augurs couldn't find him! I enjoyed the bits about reading souls and auras, worrying about what animal they would be reborn as, and the mental image of augurs canvassing every single ant hill looking for the emperor's soul! The downside of this is.... I called the major plot twist the second it was mentioned.

Also like I said, I found the races to be anticlimactic, even the championship race. This was a huge bummer for me but I understand that the races became a vessel for the rest of the book's plot in the second part of the book. It was a quick read and became impossible to put down in the last 150 pages or so.

I never feel like I do a good job describing books but if you are into strong female characters, monsters, racing, political intrigue and plotting, definitely pick up this book. I feel like it's marketed for adults as Tamra is older, but this is definitely appropriate for young adult readers. I went 4/5 stars just because of the lack of variation in character voices, but really the action and intrigue packed into this book is pretty impressive. Thank you again for the eARC, all opinions are my own! ...more

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Apr 25, 2020 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, arcs-and-galleys, review-copy

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/05/04/...

I’d be shocked if Race the Sands doesn’t end up topping my list of favorite reads at the end of the year. I mean, I’ve been following Sarah Beth Durst for a while and I love her work, but wow, she’s certainly outdone herself this time. There’s literally nothing I disliked about this book, a spectacular effusion of excitement, adventure, and really wild things!

Welcome to Becar, a world where reincarnation exists. While thos 5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/05/04/...

I’d be shocked if Race the Sands doesn’t end up topping my list of favorite reads at the end of the year. I mean, I’ve been following Sarah Beth Durst for a while and I love her work, but wow, she’s certainly outdone herself this time. There’s literally nothing I disliked about this book, a spectacular effusion of excitement, adventure, and really wild things!

Welcome to Becar, a world where reincarnation exists. While those with good, clean souls can be rewarded by being reborn as humans, only the purest of the pure can become augurs, gifted with the ability to read the auras of others and determine their fate. Individuals with flawed auras can expect to reincarnate as animals—a jackal, a turtle, or a bird perhaps—and those whose souls are more corrupted might even end up a slug. All you can do is hope that your next life will give you a better chance at changing your fate.

That said, for the evildoers whose crimes are so unforgivable that their spirits are forever tainted, there is no redemption. These wretched men and women are cursed to come back as kehoks—chimeric monsters whose forms combine the traits of many different aniemals—and forever after, they will never be reborn as anything else. Their only chance at breaking this cycle is a special charm, created by the augurs and gifted to the champion of the kehok races that all of Becar flock to see each year. While it is impossible to completely tame a kehok, gutsy individuals who are bold and determined enough can impose their wills on these beasts long enough to ride them and compete in th races, earning fame and fortune too if they win.

Tamra Verlas used to be one these champion riders, her name known to every fan. Although she is now retired from the racing scene, she still trains riders for the money to put her young daughter through the expensive augur training at the temple. However, an unfortunate incident with one of her students last season has all but ruined Tamra’s reputation, forcing her to scout her own rider and kehok to enter in the races. She ends up finding both at the market—a fearsome lion-like kehok, freshly captured by a hunter, as well as Raia, a young runaway who needs a place to lie low from her abusive parents. Raia has never ridden a kehok before, but she is desperate for a job, and Tamra is also desperate for a new student.

Meanwhile, an undercurrent of anxiety threatens the future of the realm as the royal augurs have thus far been unable to locate the reincarnated soul of their late emperor, resulting in the delay of his successor’s coronation. Without a leader, Becar is vulnerable to attack from its enemies, who are even now readying their armies to invade. But while it may be unthinkable, and sacrilegious to even suggest it, there could be another explanation why the palace has been having trouble finding the emperor’s current incarnation. After all, while the augurs can be thorough in surveying all creatures, they would never look to a kehok for the soul of their illustrious emperor, whose aura should not have been so corrupted. In the end, only one courageous augur named Yorbel is willing to go against the grain and put a theory to the test.

Truly, my absolute love for this book cannot be contained! I’ll start with the premise and the world-building, which made this book so delightful and captivating. While familiar tropes abound in Race the Sands, Durst’s talent is to write them in a way that made it all feel new and fresh. Racing motifs feature prominently, obviously, but there is also the theme of the disgraced trainer who needs to make a champion out of an inexperienced rookie, as well as a good dash of the sort of creature/rider bonding trope you would find in Temeraire or How to Train your Dragon. Set to the backdrop of the desert world of Becar and the spiritual beliefs of its people though, these ideas and concepts are given new life. The author also adds a few twists of her own so that the direction of this tale as well as its resolution will contain plenty of surprises.

Speaking of which, the storytelling was superb. I’ve always appreciated the crossover appeal of Durst’s books, and Race the Sands also has that same quality, written in an easy flowing style that will make YA fans feel right at home while not turning off readers of adult fantasy. Of course, the novel’s characters also help with this, since we have one protagonist in her teens, and another in her middle-aged years who is a mother to boot. Both are well-written and impressively developed, portrayed with their individual motivations, genuine personalities, and in-depth backstories. In particular, I want to give a nod to the way the author depicts motherhood, and in her books I’ve read that feature mom protagonists (the Queen of Renthia series, for example), they are always strong, ferociously protective and loving women who would go to the ends of the earth for their children. Tamra has a young daughter but she also takes Raia under her wing in this one, and this amazing woman is just so solid, competent and badass that it is no wonder that she was my favorite.

Other noteworthy characters include Lady Evara (you will see why once you read this and meet her), who surprised me on several occasions, and Yorbel with his gentle demeanor and wisdom. A few others also added interest and depth to the story with their roles, such as Prince Dar and the Ranir ambassador giving insight into Becar’s political troubles. And of course, who can forget Raia’s magnificent lion? While he may be a monstrous creature with no spoken lines or POV, his indomitable presence can still be felt throughout the novel, and overall I adored the concept of kehoks and the way they come in so many different shapes and sizes.

And yet, I still feel words aren’t enough to express just how much I loved this book! All I can say is, you really must try it to see for yourself. My expectations were already sky-high considering how much I’ve enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst’s other novels in the past, but she still managed to blow them all away with this one. Truly, her characterization, storytelling skills and world-building ideas are unparalleled, and with Race the Sands, she has pretty much raised the bar for all the books I’ll read for the rest of the year. ...more

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Nov 14, 2019 Ash rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Tamora Pierce fans

Shelves: 4-stars, arcs, read-2019, fantasy

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I took a chance because it had quite a few elements that appealed to me: high fantasy, deadly races, reincarnation, a desert empire, and two strong female protagonists.

Race the Sands features two main characters, alternating between their perspectives and, occasionally, the perspectives of other side characters, from a third person poin Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I took a chance because it had quite a few elements that appealed to me: high fantasy, deadly races, reincarnation, a desert empire, and two strong female protagonists.

Race the Sands features two main characters, alternating between their perspectives and, occasionally, the perspectives of other side characters, from a third person point-of-view. I won’t give too much background on them because you’ll get it fairly early on in the book; all you need to know is that Tamra is kehok racing champion-turned-trainer and Raia is her student.

Tamra is easily one of my favorite characters of the year. She’s stubborn and straightforward and confident and tough. She has a major attitude, but underneath her spiny exterior, she genuinely cares for her daughter and her students. Raia is more sensitive, but with a similar determination and drive. They were both realistic and well-developed characters, with strengths and weaknesses.

The main plot was an underdog story with a twist that made it more unique and raised the stakes. The entire book was extremely well-paced, neither too slow nor too rushed, and I was never bored. Most of the plot developments were heavily foreshadowed and easy to predict, but there was one twist that genuinely caught me by surprise.

Aside from the characters, the worldbuilding was the highlight of Race the Sands. I enjoyed every aspect of it: the kehok racing, the reincarnation, the augurs, the politics of the emperor’s court, the threat of a hostile neighboring country. Durst introduced and built upon these aspects gradually and organically throughout the story.

I did have some complaints that kept this from earning a full five stars. The dialogue and narration occasionally felt trite. There were moments I could tell Durst was trying to be inspirational and deep, but she did it so often that the effect was muted. I wasn’t a fan of the romance, which was unnecessary and underdeveloped, but thankfully it was a minor plot point. I didn’t love the ending – I thought it was cheesy – but I didn’t hate it either.

Overall, Race the Sands was a thoroughly enjoyable standalone fantasy novel. You’re not going to want to miss this one. ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 The Captain rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Ahoy there me mateys! I received a copy of this young adult fantasy eArc from Edelweiss in exchange for me honest musings . . .

I absolutely loved this standalone novel. This novel has great female protagonists, fun evil creatures called kehoks, and some surprising plot twists. It was such a good reading experience that I didn’t even notice many of the writing inconsistencies until after I finished. I wanted to stay up all night reading but made meself go to bed. The author dedicated the book to Ahoy there me mateys! I received a copy of this young adult fantasy eArc from Edelweiss in exchange for me honest musings . . .

I absolutely loved this standalone novel. This novel has great female protagonists, fun evil creatures called kehoks, and some surprising plot twists. It was such a good reading experience that I didn’t even notice many of the writing inconsistencies until after I finished. I wanted to stay up all night reading but made meself go to bed. The author dedicated the book to Tamora Pierce. She is one of me favorite authors and Durst’s book certainly captures the spirit and feel of those beloved books.

Basically there are two main characters, Tamra and Raia. Tamra is a kehok trainer down on her luck. Raia is a runaway who decides the kehok races are the only way to earn her freedom. What is a kehok? Well, reincarnation is a reality in this society. A kehok is a person who is so irredeemable that are reborn as murderous tortured monsters who cannot rejoin the reincarnation cycle. Kehoks are used as racing beasts. Okay it doesn’t quite make sense but I didn’t care. Cause monster racing in the desert sounds cool!

The highlight for me were the characters. I loved Tamra and Raia but I grew to love Shalla, Yorbel, and Lady Evara. I loved that all of them had different reasons for wanting to win the race. I certainly was cheering them on. I enjoyed that the characters were from various backgrounds and of various ages. The races themselves ended up being background for a larger plot about political instability and religion but that ended up being okay because I wanted to see how it all turned out.

The world building was the weakest link even if it didn’t ruin the book for me. The world and politics felt very one dimensional. The emperor-to-be can’t be crowned until they find the animal housing his dead brother’s soul. This aspect of the reincarnation didn’t make sense. There was never any idea of what the point of the cycle was and how ye got out of it. Good people became animals frequently (and expected to) and so there was some puzzlement once the book was finished. Many of the plot points of this aspect of the novel were very easy to predict but not all.

But really those things were minor in comparison to how much I enjoyed the reading experience and characters. I certainly need to get back to Durst’s backlog because I had forgotten how much fun her writing could be. Arrrr! ...more

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May 20, 2020 Sonja Arlow rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2020-read, recommended

3.5 stars

It seems that it has taken a global pandemic for me to enjoy YA fantasy again.

It reminded me a bit of The Scorpio Races but with better characterisation and a stronger storyline.

This is a world where your soul is guaranteed to be reincarnated after death. But what you become in your next life is determined by how pure you are in this one. A person who has committed a serious crime, such as murder, will be reborn as the lowest of the low for the rest of eternity: a Kheok.

These Kheok a ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 Helena of Eretz ✰ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy, adult, arcs

I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

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Jun 25, 2020 Justine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-read

3.5 stars

If you want to try one of Sarah Beth Durst's books, this is a reasonbly solid standalone fantasy novel representative of her work.

While I wasn't a fan of the entire Queens of Renthia series, I did enjoy the first two books in particular, The Queen of Blood and The Reluctant Queen. Race the Sands shares some similar traits with those books, including an imaginative setting and interesting main characters whose primary flaws stem mostly from a lack of self belief and confidence. Personal ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Melanie Brinkman added it · review of another edition

Shelves: won-copy, fantasy, own-d, fiction

Choices will always follow you, through this life and the next.

Death is an end, but not the end. Not in Becar, where your choices are the true masters. Live life with a good heart, and come back as a decent being. Truly rotten souls are fated to forever come back as kehoks, monsters, with no hope for redemption.

Unless you win the races.

After a tragic accident with a student ruined her life, Tamra, a professional trainer, is down on her luck. Without the winnings of the races, she'll lose everyt ...more

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May 09, 2020 Soo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, favorites

Mini-Review:

4.5 Stars for Characters: Tamra, Raia, Shalla, Yorbel, Dar, Lady Evara, Kehok: Black Lion
4 Stars for Themes
3 Stars for Plot
-2 Stars for Breaking Suspension of Belief

Woohoo! I'm glad this book came up in my GR feed and that I decided to take a chance on it. I didn't realize that I had several of the author's books in my TBR to read until after I finished this one. Kudos to Niki & Mark. They are a big part of the reason why I decided to take a chance and read this story. Hi-5 to Gaea f ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 LEAH⇢ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: action-and-adventure, atmospheric, fantasy, listened-on-audio, unique-concept, love-and-stuff, read-2020, ya-ish, favorites

BOOK TAGS⇣
⇢ 5+ ✰STARS✰
⇢ NARRATION 5 ✰STARS✰
⤏ FANTASY-WORLD
⤏ BASED IN OR AROUND REINCARNATION
⤏ WITH RACING MONSTER-COMBINATIONS (KEHOKS)
⤏ LIES & BETRAYALS
⤏ SOME COURTLY INTRIGUE
⤏ STAND-ALONE

MY THOUGHTS⇣

This book will be in my top 5 books of the year...I'm sure of it. There is absolutely nothing that I can fault about this book. I loved it. It didn't even feel like it was over 500 pages, I flew through it...most of it one day. Which is crazy because it's almost 16 hours long. I can't even say anyt ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 Beatrice in Bookland rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2020

"Run! That's all that matters! That's all that exists! You are nothing but the sand beneath the hooves, the wind in your face, the sun on your back. You are this moment. Feel the moment. Feel the race!"

A M A Z I N G

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Jun 08, 2020 Scott Hitchcock rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-published-and-read, epic-fantasy

Definitely more YA than advertised but enjoyable minus the way a few endings happened so quickly.

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Apr 25, 2020 Shelley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-release, arc-edelweiss, epic-fantasy

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Epic Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0

*Thoughts*

In this epic standalone fantasy, Sarah Beth Durst's Race the Sands 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. In the desert world of Becar, people are reincarnated upon death and the worst of the worst are reincarnated as kehoks, or demons that are the dream spawn of Simic monster ...more

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Mar 13, 2020 Bright Star rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for a honest review

Race the Sands was such an incredible book! I loved the main concept but what I loved most were the characters: strong, independent women who made their choices and never gave up, chasing their dreams and willing to do everything in their power to change their lives and their future. Women who didn't give a damn about rules and duties, they decided their fates, they chose how to live and what was worth fighting for. This bo ...more

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May 10, 2020 Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-may-2020, best-of-2020

A fantasy romance with majority female cast that has like NO ROMANCE cause they're busy saving the damn kingdom while talking to a lion?! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas bitch!

I freaking loved the whole cast but especially our main character. First has an ability to write female mom characters that are empathetic and strong and likable *chefs kiss* also a big fan of that "make your family when your blood family is shit"

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Apr 28, 2020 Caylynn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy, personal-favorites, giveaways

Disclaimer: I won an ARC of this book courtesy of a Goodreads giveaway, so my review of this book is of an unpublished edition.

"Run!" she shouted at the two riders. "That's all that matters! That's all that exists! You are nothing but the sand beneath the hooves, the wind in your face, the sun on your back. You are this moment. Feel the moment. Feel the race!"

I cannot. How the hell is this only a standalone?? I need an entire series about this. I need the plot of this book to be spread to at ...more

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May 03, 2020 Jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

Wow. Who knew a book about a young girl racing a monster in the sand would blow me away. This book was so fricking good!! Of course, I expect no less from Sarah Beth Durst. I love her writing and this latest book is a must read.

In Becar, how you live your life determines what physical form you will take when you are reborn. Priest-like individuals known as augers can read a person's aura to determine their fate. Knowin 4.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

Wow. Who knew a book about a young girl racing a monster in the sand would blow me away. This book was so fricking good!! Of course, I expect no less from Sarah Beth Durst. I love her writing and this latest book is a must read.

In Becar, how you live your life determines what physical form you will take when you are reborn. Priest-like individuals known as augers can read a person's aura to determine their fate. Knowing their fate, a person can make choices to help them in the afterlife. But, for the darkest and most evil of individuals, you are reborn as a monster called a kehok, and will remain a kehok for eternity.

Being chosen to be an auger is an honor. If a family has the money, they can pay the academy for the "privilege" of keeping their children at home with them while they attend the academy. If not, the children are plucked out of their families and must live and train at the academy.

A popular pastime in Becar is kehok racing. Tamara was an elite kehok rider until she had a terrible accident. It ended her career, ruined her reputation and left her broke. She eeks out a living training rich kids to race kehoks. She desperately needs one of her trainees to win a race so she can pay the auger academy to keep her daughter at home with her.

Raia has run away from her domineering family who betrothed her to a cruel man after she flunked out of the auger academy. With no skills or way to support herself, she decides to train as a kehok racer, hoping to win enough money to buy her freedom.

Both women entrust their fate on a strange lion-like kehok that at times appears to understand what they say. But Raia can never get too comfortable, because given the chance a kehok will kill everything in sight.

As I said, I love this author's writing. She has the ability to grab your attention on the first page and not let it go until the satisfying end. Tamara and Raia were fully developed characters that grew throughout the story in a natural and believable way. Tamara is a strong, capable woman without being harsh or overcritical, particularly when training Raia. She is a loving mother and is willing to do anything to protect her daughter. Raia starts out as a timid girl with no confidence and grows into a fierce champion able to stand up for herself.

The story has an even pace and doesn't lag in the middle like a lot of books tend to do. While kehok racing is a central component of the book, there is just enough action to get a feel for the racing without it dragging out and becoming boring. Despite being 544 pages, the book is a fast read that you won't want to put down.

Stand alone fantasy books are hard to find, so this would be a gem even if it wasn't so good. Luckily, this is a fantastic book that is a must read for any fantasy book lovers.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jul 01, 2020 Di Maitland rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-humans, fantasy, war, scribd, audiobook, action-girl, buddy-reads, titled-characters, leader, competition

Augur Yorbel, will you please inform the Emperor to be that his prize racer will only run for one rider.

WHAT an awesome read. I loved this book. It's got monster racing, alpha-females, sweet princes, political intrigue and family drama, what's not to love.

Tamra is a kehok racing trainer. A former racer herself, she's familiar with the huge monsters, a mishmash of animals parts host to the souls of the worst of human society in their former lives. I must admit, I was sceptical of this reincarnati ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, kindle, edelweiss, review-copy, netgalley

You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....

Review: 4.5 Stars

I really loved this book! I've been having a hard time getting into fantasy novels lately, but when I saw all of the amazing reviews that Race the Sands was getting I just had to give it a chance. I wasn't sure that I even wanted to read a book about monster racing, but I wound up really loving it. This was a fabulous standalone fantasy and I really loved the story and its characters.

I really enjoyed all o You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....

Review: 4.5 Stars

I really loved this book! I've been having a hard time getting into fantasy novels lately, but when I saw all of the amazing reviews that Race the Sands was getting I just had to give it a chance. I wasn't sure that I even wanted to read a book about monster racing, but I wound up really loving it. This was a fabulous standalone fantasy and I really loved the story and its characters.

I really enjoyed all of the characters, but I especially loved Raia. Her search for a better life was incredibly empowering and I loved how down-to-earth she was. Her character felt so genuine and I really felt like I could empathize with her, she was just easy for me to relate to. Tamra was a character that I related to a bit less, but still loved reading about. She was so stubborn and determined. Even though nothing seemed to be working out she never gave up hope and I really admired that. Sarah Beth Durst created some strong willed female characters that were really easy to connect to. These characters helped make this story so fantastic and really helped me feel emotionally invested in this journey.

I think a big part of what made this book so fantastic was the world building. It was easy to sink into, yet had a lot of elements to it. The politics, religion and reincarnation were each explained well, but without too much detail. Even though Race the Sands was over 500 pages and I've been going through a fantasy slump I flew right through this book, which has been a really hard thing for me to do lately. It all came together really well and I just thought that the idea was so fascinating. I was not really excited about the idea of monster racing, but the story wound up being so much more than that and I really just loved the whole thing.

The plot was great. There were several unexpected twists and the way different plot lines came together was truly masterful. I loved the races because those parts of the book just got me so excited. I found myself reading as fast as I could so I could know what happened next. I just really enjoyed this book. I laughed, got angry and rooted for Raia and Tamra every step of the way. I have had a hard time getting excited about reading lately, but I had no issues getting invested in this story.

Overall I'm really impressed. I had only read one other book by Sarah Beth Durst, but now I'm dying to see what else she's written. This was a fantastic standalone and a wild ride. I was so doubtful about this book but I'm happy to say that I would highly recommend it to fans of fantasy adventure stories. ...more

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Apr 22, 2020 Mark marked it as to-read

This book is out today and it involves MONSTER RACING, my friends!! In other words, what are you waiting for? ;)

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May 17, 2020 Megan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Check out my review here!

https://youtu.be/Ss06akNVYn8

I received a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway. ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Teresa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, netgalley

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Beth Durst, and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity to read Race the Sands in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the description of this novel, but having let it sit in my queue for a few months until near publication date, I went in with the assumption that this was a YA novel. I mean, the cover looks like a YA novel, and the desert empire setting is quite common among YA. When I started reading, I was like, oh, yeah, this is an adult fantasy. An A huge thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Beth Durst, and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity to read Race the Sands in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the description of this novel, but having let it sit in my queue for a few months until near publication date, I went in with the assumption that this was a YA novel. I mean, the cover looks like a YA novel, and the desert empire setting is quite common among YA. When I started reading, I was like, oh, yeah, this is an adult fantasy. And it is one of the best adult fantasy's I have read in quite some time. While the book felt a bit slow at first as I was getting to know the world and characters, for each new character introduced, it felt sluggish until I found out how each new character tied in to what is going on. This is brilliant writing craft, well thought-out, and just a masterpiece of fantasy.

The book takes place in the empire of Becar, a collection of cities in the middle of the desert, surrounded by the raging sands, with potential rivals across the sea of sand waiting for the opportune moment to take over the Becaran Empire. In this world, all souls are reincarnated, but what they become in their next life is determined by how pure they were as a person. They could become a beetle, which may then be reborn as a rabbit, which may then become a human once more. Augurs are people of the purest souls who can read the aura of a soul, and they help guide people to make the right moral choices in life for the best possible outcome in their reincarnation. A person who has committed a serious crime, such as murder, will be reborn as the lowest of the low for the rest of eternity: a kheok. Kheoks are mindless monsters that pop into existence in the middle of the desert. They have no recollection of their previous lives. They kill with ease. And they are used by the people of Becar for sport.

Tamra is a kheok trainer. Backed by Lady Evara, a lover of the Becaran Races, Tamra is sent to search for a new racer to win enough money to pay for damages done by Tamra and her kheoks in the past, as well as to continue her payments to the augurs for her daughter, Shalla's, augur training. Tamra is known for being a skilled controller of kheoks. The monsters can only be controlled by a person's force of will. Though she is also known for a race from a year prior, in which a rider died. Who would want to train under Tamra now? Well, not only must Tamra find a good racer, but a rider who is willing to train with such a dangerous monster.

Raia is more than eager to be the rider Tamra seeks to train. She ran away from home for more than a few justifiable reasons, and what better way to make a new life in the world than to win the Becaran Races and use the gold to break away from her past? When Tamra not only brings Raia, a complete newbie to kheok riding, but a massive black metal lion kheok, no one believes they will have what it takes to win.

Meanwhile, political turmoil is about to unsettle the Heart of Becar where Dar, the emperor-to-be, waits somewhat impatiently for the augurs to find the reborn soul of his older brother, the late emperor Zarin. In order for Dar to be officially coronated, the soul of his brother must be found. Based on all the augur readings, his brother must be a golden monkey, or some such being oh high and more pure status that other creatures. When the late emperor's souls still cannot be found, Yorbel, augur and friend to Dar, assumes the worst: what is Zarin was reborn as a kheok? That cannot be possible, as Zarin was read as a good and kind soul. But somehow, this has become his fate.

I love the reincarnation aspect of this book, as I hope to be reincarnated as something...that isn't a kehok. There is also so political highs to this novel. There's the Emperor, but also the augurs, who are esteemed the most pure and are a major aspect to the way this society is run. An upturn of either of these will cause chaos. There is also looming war. The races are one of the fun, exciting aspects of this novel, though only a few are described in detail.

This fast-paced stand-alone novel has a very fulfilling aspect to it (I haven't read a good stand-alone in quite some time). The writing is eloquent and complex, just like the characters. There is a story here that tells of what it means to be family, the difference between right and wrong, and the importance of giving second chances. I could not put this book down, and I believe the same of anyone who is looking for a unique fantasy read should give this book a shot. ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 Evelyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020, 2020-releases, arc

This was so much fun!

Full review! ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Tabi⁷ (ᕗツ)ᕗ marked it as to-read

Shelves: edelweiss

two words: monster racing

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Jul 04, 2020 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

In a world where your virtue in your current life results in rebirth in the next one as something else, the worst of the worst get reborn as kehoks, monstrous unnatural chimeras that are doomed to only ever be reborn as kehoks forevermore. In the country of Becar, people receive the help of Augurs to guide their lives to the best possible reincarnation and as a result Augurs are an important part of Becar society. Also important in Becar are the kehok races, where riders try to control the monst ...more

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About Sarah Beth Durst

Sarah Beth Durst

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Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of over twenty fantasy books for kids, teens, and adults, including Spark, Drink Slay Love, and The Queens of Renthia series. She won an ALA Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Award three times. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dra ...more