⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Until The Sand Claims Us
By Israh Azizi
I recently featured this book in a Lady Knights post, because while Yildiz, our FMC, isn’t a knight in the traditional European sense of the word, she is a badass royal bodyguard and warrior fighting for what’s right. If anyone deserves the title, it’s Yildiz.
The niece of a Sultan, she has been tasked with protecting her cousin Princess Farani’s life at any cost. When an attempted political alliance goes south, she unexpectedly finds herself engaged to a bloodthirsty enemy — but they think she’s Farani.
This is a fantastic romantasy, packed with Shakespearean twists and turns and embedded with a deep, beautiful lore inspired by Central Asia. Azizi seamlessly blends reality with fantasy, featuring cultural traditions such as bridal henna, harems, and traditional garb alongside her version of a pegasus, prophecy, and magical plants.
Azizi also tackles themes like sexual assault in a careful, realistic way that centers the character’s healing and safety in her budding relationship. Two thumbs up.
The romantasy genre can start to feel repetitive when you read a lot of them, but I never got bored with Until the Sand Claims Us. If you’re feeling tired of Eurocentric romantasy stories with shadow daddies and women with hidden magic, I recommend trying Until the Sand Claims Us, which maintains a morally grey male lead but layers culture, drama, and storytelling in the most fantastically unique way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Until the Sand Claims Us was released September 9th, 2026. You can order a copy on Amazon and soon on Israh Azizi’s website.
Thank you Israh Azizi and Behind the Pages PA for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
