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Kingdom of Sand and Wishes

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Aladdin, but not as you remember it….

On the dusty streets, around the bustling bazaars, being overlooked by a Sultan’s Palace was a land. A land of magic, secrets and treasures buried deep beneath the desert.

Through Arabian nights, dark forces are at work. Dark forces that can threaten the peace of everyone in the Kingdom. Watch our authors as they answer the question, can three wishes save the day?

Join our award winning and USA Today best selling authors for nine action packed fantasy and contemporary retellings with Sultans, sorcerers, romance and more magic than a genie’s lamp can hold.

One click now for your happily ever after…


Other books in the Kingdom of series...
Kingdom of Glass and Ashes (Cinderella retellings)
Kingdom of Salt and Sirens (Little Mermaid retellings)
Kingdom of Sand and Wishes (Aladdin retellings)
Kingdom of Mirrors and Roses (Beauty and the Beast retellings) coming soon
Kingdom of Thorns and Dreams (Sleeping Beauty retellings) coming soon

1657 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 25, 2019

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About the author

J.A. Armitage

132 books389 followers
Born in Leeds, I lived a very normal life until I got bored one day and decided to travel the world. Since then I've worked on a Banana Plantation, cleaned ACDC's dressing room and been a professional clown.
I climbed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the top of Kilimanjaro. Nowadays you'll find me being a climbing frame for my two young children, working in a school, and renovating my home.
Did I also mention I wrote some books?
I hope you enjoy them!
For my free books, just sign up to my newsletter here http://www.subscribepage.com/v7o8k4

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Jamie Lee Zonneveld.
1,283 reviews34 followers
May 26, 2019
This is a review of Worthless (story 5) by Holly Hook.

The story started a bit slow and I didn't know if I would like it but after a couple chapters I was so glad I read on. I loved Alani's story. Another great read by Holly Hook.
577 reviews10 followers
May 24, 2019
This review is for “The Sphere of Infinity” by Day Leitao. I really enjoyed this retelling of Aladdin. Alana is a thief, barely scraping a living on her planet Samitri. She’s tiny, so she can take jobs that no one else can. While escaping from a job after an alarm gave her away, she meets Jasper, a kind and handsome boy who helps her escape. Then she takes on a job to find a mysterious golden sphere on a dead ship orbiting near her planet. This goes terribly wrong and she ends up fighting for her life.

I really liked Alana. She is small, but feisty, and she refuses to ever give up. I also liked Jasper. He was very kind to Alana, especially since he’s basically a prince. I loved that he would rescue animals and save their lives. I wasn’t sure what to expect for a sci-fi retelling of Aladdin, but this was very well written and I really enjoyed it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Michele Rosa.
23 reviews
June 18, 2019
This is review of The Sphere of Infinity by Day Leitao
What a great book! I couldn't put it down until I finished it.
It's a sci-fi story with adventure, intrigue, romance and a bit of fairy tale in it, since it's a retelling of Alladin. A great retelling, might I add.
You should grab a copy and see for yourself!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Brandi.
686 reviews30 followers
August 26, 2019
I really enjoyed the variety and selection of tales in this anthology. I would definitely recommend Kingdom of Sand and Wishes to fans of Aladdin (fairy tales and fantasy, in general) as there is something in here for everyone. I also love anthologies because they are great ways to discover new authors.
Profile Image for Pat Eroh.
2,585 reviews27 followers
June 20, 2019
The sphere of infinity was an awesome retelling of Aladdin, with a lot of twists and changes and a totally different world. I highly recommend this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Brandi Jones.
309 reviews2 followers
July 5, 2019
This review in particular focuses on The Djinn Curse by Margo Ryerkerk. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

The Djinn Curse is an Aladdin retelling. Now, I've mentioned before that I'm not the biggest fan of fairy tales in general, so it was a little hard for me to get into the story here. Nevertheless, Margo Ryerkerk always finds a way to pull me in with her gift for storytelling!

The book begins with Nadir, a prince and the future sultan of Istanbul, and his friend Alla discussing how Alla overheard the fact that ancient djinns might have been freed and may have been heading to Istanbul. This is big news because djinns were banished from Istanbul a long time ago by Nadir's grandparents, and there are wards in place that are supposed to keep them out.

We then meet Roxelana, a djinn who has been imprisoned in a lamp for 100 years. She is forced to do the bidding of Fahad, the most powerful djinn of them all. She is released when someone swears a blood oath to Fahad, and has to grant her new master 3 wishes.

Roxelana's new master turns out to be a girl named Zahra who is just... loathsome. Seriously, that girl has problems! Anyway, Zahra wants to seduce Nadir because her big dream is wanting to be sultana.... but Nadir only has eyes for Roxelana!

I don't want to give away too much more of the story, but plenty of adventure awaits for Nadir, Roxelana, and Alla as they try to stop Fahad and the other djinn from invading Istanbul. It's an interesting take on Aladdin! Though the ending was a big too sappy for my taste (hey, I'm not exactly big on romance here) I thought it was a really good book!
Profile Image for Adena.
65 reviews
May 20, 2019
This is a review of "Worthless" by Holly Hook, from the Kingdom of Sand and Wishes anthology.

What if Aladdin was a girl? In this reverse fairy tale, we get to find out! It's not the first time Holly Hook has taken a fairy tale and turned it on its head... or side... but it's an exciting take on a familiar tale. Most of the plot stays true to form, but with opposite gendered characters. Truly, it is the characters that make this book so marvelous - the heroes are lovable and the villains are easy to hate. There were just enough twists to keep things interesting, and even though I knew the basic structure of the story, the road to get there was full of surprises.

The entire story is told by Alani, from a first person POV. She describes a world we expect - one where the rich get richer and evil magicians hide in the shadows. There's a mischievous genie with her own agenda, and of course a handsome but rebellious prince who is intrigued by our heroine. And, of course, the evil and wicked, power hungry, wealthy but vile girl who the prince is being forced to wed. Can Alani save her price and rescue her city from a horrible future, thus ensuring the happy ending we remember from the Arabian Nights of our youth?

I volunteered to review an ARC of this novel.
Profile Image for Denise.
2,839 reviews
June 4, 2019
I have only read one story in this book. The Djinn Curse by Margo Ryerkerk. This review is for that story.

Enjoyable story of a girl who is forced to be a Djinn and assist a powerful Djinn in extracting his revenge over the Queen and Prince of the Ottoman Empire. Roxelena is brought to the capital city off Istanbul to play the part of the "Trojan Horse." She alone can get through the wards that keep the Djinn out of the city and destroy them from the inside. Falling in love with Prince Nadir was not part of the plan, but she finds herself pulled in all directions as she attempts to grant the wishes of her current mistress, destroy the wards as a puppet of the Djinn Fahad, try to find a way to free herself from her lamp (and thus Fahad), and help Nadir and his friend Alla save the city. She is sure her feelings for Nadir will never be returned, especially once he discovers she is a djinn. But maybe, just maybe, love will find a way.

In was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.
Profile Image for Marita.
3 reviews
May 24, 2019
This is a review of Sultana of Amethyst Sands, part of Kingdom of Sand and Wishes. I received an ARC. The review and rating reflect my true opinion of the story.

The main character of this story is not Aladdin but Aladdah, a girl from the poorer part of town. When her master the magician Acanthus Lets her down into a cave to get a lamp she acquires the genie Bahira. For Aladdah the genie offers her a possibility to get a better life for herself and her mother.

Then she meets the prince. Suddenly her world is full of danger, and it comes from all sides. From her former master Acanthus, from the genie Fatimah, and from Aladdah's inability to understand her own feelings and those of prince Badar.

I like Aladdah. She's a real person with flaws. She makes mistakes, doesn't always think things through, and comes close to destroying her own happiness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Aladding re-imagining.
Profile Image for Shari Davis.
148 reviews18 followers
May 28, 2019
This is a retelling of the famous fairy tale Aladdin told by Maria Vermisoglou
Warning 18+
In this story "For the Love of the Lamp: A Thief's Tale" Maria Vermisoglou introduces us to the hero Tristan who met his aunt in his hometown
She told him many amazing tales about her adventures and she tricked him into helping her retrieve a treasure that holds ultimate incredible power in it
His aunt left him alone when he refused to hand her the treasure before she helped him out of the abandoned house that he found the lamp in
When he got older he used the lamp for heat but instead he met Alyssa the djinn of the lamp
They became friends and he also became friends with Nori the President's daughter
I recommend that you buy "Kingdom of Sand and Wishes:" to discover what happens and also 8 other retellings of Aladdin that is in the box set

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,109 reviews7 followers
August 17, 2019
I received a free book and the opinions and views are my own. You get nine books in this set. Book one Wish catches your attention and if the rest of the books are like this one you will want to read on. I finished all nine, Wishes has a real big twist in it that you don’t find out until the end. J.A. Armitage outdid herself with this story, truly enjoyed it. Out of the nine books only one disappointed and that was the Slave Princess, to many errors in it making it hard to read.
All the other books were good, you get many versions of Aladdin. Another good one I liked was The Sphere of Infinity by Day Leitao. It is a space Aladdin, Alana is a small girl who can fit into small spaces and a good thief. She recovers the sphere and many things happen after that. It was a good story that keeps your interest. I would recommend this book to all who loved Aladdin and would like different versions of it.
Profile Image for Nadine.
1,626 reviews2 followers
June 3, 2019
J.A. Armitage and Emma Savant - GREAT STORIES!

My review is for The First Wish by J.A. Armitage and Sultana of Amethyst Sands by Emma Savant.

The First Wish - This box set is well worth your money for this story alone. It was amazing! Original, exciting, and enjoyable. I loved this story from start to finish!

Sultana of Amethyst Sands - A full-length novel. The quality of the writing was very high. A page-turner! I loved Bahira, loved! An exhilarating and surprising story!

I know they’re all retellings of Aladdin, but I would appreciate a little description before every story. Because all these stories are not as we know it! And because I must admit I don’t know this particular fairy tale all that well… But that’s just a detail.

Based on the two stories I read, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this box set!
Profile Image for L.J. Bus.
196 reviews13 followers
June 7, 2019
I’ve only read Worthless by Holly Hook, the 5th story in this bundle. So my review is for that book.
I’m not normally a huge fan of retellings but since I am a fan of Holly’s work, curiousity got the better of me and I read this book.
At the beginning I was thinking that it’s just not my cup of tea, couldn’t ‘dive’ into the story like with her other books. But again, I was too curious so I kept reading. And sure enough, I started getting into the story, right at the moment when it became obvious that some sort of magic ‘came to play’ lol. From that moment on it was my cup of tea.

I really love the whole story, the beginning, although a slow start for me, starts building a complete picture and characters with dept in them. I love Alani and Lazar but most of all, I love Catherine. You’ll know what I mean once you’ve read this yourself!
Profile Image for Amanda Forry-Fino.
Author 11 books14 followers
May 24, 2019
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT... For the Love of the Lamp by Maria Vermisoglo, apart of Kingdom of Sand and Wishes: A limited edition of Aladdin retellings. Just had come out today!

This was a delight and entertaining read, I've found myself loving the story, and the flow of it. All the main characters had golden hearts. I love how it was a 2019 Aladdin, and just in time for the new Disney ALADDIN move. I would very highly recommend it to all of my friends and family. :)

Fantastical Job Marie!!!

~Author Amanda Fino

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Claire.
Author 9 books27 followers
Read
July 11, 2019
Review for just the first book by J.A. Armitage.

What I liked:
-I like her writing style and how it hooks you. It's easy to read and get caught up in the story.
-creative adaptation of Aladdin
-Jini is pretty likable and I liked Jaya too

What I didn't like:
-INSTALOVE. It never looks good when the main character is lusting after the villain.
-Needed another round of editing
-The ending was really abrupt and the final love story kinda came out of nowhere. Needed another chapter to be wrapped up.
Profile Image for Mandy.
2,887 reviews26 followers
May 19, 2019
The Djinn Curse by Margo Ryerkerk - 4*

Roxelana was forced to become a Djinn 100 years ago and has been waiting for her shot at freedom. However to do that she needs to sacrifice the sultan prince to the djinn king however she hesitates after observing the care that he takes with his people. Who will she choose - herself or him?

Nice story with a great reason for her torment over the decision. Well written and very pleasant to read.
Profile Image for Michelle.
660 reviews5 followers
May 29, 2019
Great fun!

I’m a huge Aladdin fan. I’ve seen the cartoon movie countless times. So I was happy to receive a copy of Worthless by Holly Hook to read and review. A thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish. I enjoyed the twist of Aladdin as Alani very much. Looking forward to reading some of the other stories because really there can never be too much Aladdin!
I received an ARC copy for free from the author. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Crystal.
1,139 reviews6 followers
June 7, 2019
The Sphere of Infinity by Day Leitao - An Aladdin retelling, Alana is a thief just trying to survive and help her mom. She gets a job offer that could set them up for life, if only things go as planned. Jasper is on Samitri partly because his mom wants him to toughen up. Things for him don't go like she plans. I really enjoyed this and think Alana and Jasper were cute. I would love to see where things head for them in the future as well.
Profile Image for M.
116 reviews
October 28, 2019
I really loved The Djinn curse by Ryerkerk. it was a nice refreshing take on the Aladin's story. I love how we get to see both sides of the two protagonists. I usually do not prefer the change of perspective when it comes to reading books. It either has to be a 3rd person narrative or a constant 1st person narrative but I really liked how well written this was and especially liked how the two characters told the same story yet flawlessly.
Profile Image for Carol.
224 reviews3 followers
May 27, 2019
A beautiful story of young love between Tristán and Nori. This story, part of the Kingdom of Sand and Wishes: A limited edition of Aladdin retellings, is full of excitement and a great , clean story. It was a joy to read, and I look forward to reading more books of Ms. Vermisoglou.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
246 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2019
This is a review for The Djinn Curse by Margo Ryerkerk. This was an entertaining story that had well rounded characters that you came to care about and admire. I enjoyed Roxelana's journey and all she went through to break her curse. Watching Nadir grow up and accept his responsibilities was encouraging and lovely to read.
Profile Image for Kira Assad.
1,040 reviews
May 30, 2019
This review is for Worthless by Holly Hook. I loved the twists and turns in this story. The characters were fabulous, and the story itself drew me in from the very first page. I have to say this is one of my favorite takes on the Aladdin story and one of my favorite fairytale retellings in general. I am very excited to dive into more of the stories in this boxset!
Profile Image for Michele Evans.
974 reviews5 followers
June 7, 2019
Great retelling of old tales!!

I did not read all the books in the series yet but want to review the one I did.
The Djinn Curse
This was a great story about a former princess, captured and imprisoned for 100 years as a djinn in a lamp. When she is finally let out, it is to grant wishes to someone who has Nefarious plans for Istanbul. Good story with a happy ending.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
976 reviews
May 7, 2019
My review is for The Djinn Curse by Margo Ryerkerk.

I really enjoyed this story! The characters were great and there wasn't a boring scene at all in this story line! If you like Aladdin then you definitely need to read this book!
698 reviews4 followers
May 24, 2019
This was a charming retelling of Aladdin. Very creative and different. I will definitely read more from Maria Vermisoglou.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Rosalind Bath.
527 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2019
I enjoyed this story very much. Roxelana has been cursed to the lamp for 100 years and finally gets her shot at freedom. This is a lovely take on the Aladdin type story. Good v's evil. Will love save the day?! Well written and a real page turner.
1,863 reviews5 followers
May 28, 2019
This was a great collection of books! All very well done and original. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Barbara.
2,304 reviews28 followers
June 2, 2019
The Sphere of Infinity by Day Leitao
"Surrender, trust, relax." This is a lovely PG13 tale to pass an afternoon or evening but does have elements that make it PG13 rather than family-friendly.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,415 reviews
June 9, 2019
I really enjoyed reading For the Love of the Lamp: A Theif’s Tale, it’s a Great book. It’s well written with great characters. Love fairytale retellings especially Aladdin and the author did a great job!!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
819 reviews4 followers
October 26, 2020
Enjoyable short read. Well developed characters and relationships among them plus interesting background. Enjoyable plot and lots of action. Paranormal twist Just adds up to the story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

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