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"Love for intent was always a form of betrayal that went unnoticed."

The prose is MAGNIFICENT. Downright magical, I say and so vivid you find yourself in an unforgiving desert among the caravan of the tribe of Al-Vertia.
I'm still in awe at how beautiful and perfectly paced the story is.

I finished this story a while ago and I still can't find the words to describe how I'm feeling. And no matter how much I try, I don't believe I will ever reach Masooma's level. The way she plays with words and arranges them to make sentences is amazing. Her writing is alive. I really don't know how to explain myself but really, the story speaks to me. I don't always read tales with such vivid descriptions. Masooma managed to captivate me with her style and prose.

The world, also, was detailed and rich, full of wonders and mysteries. I don't think this short story is enough to satisfy my hunger. I simply need a novel. I need to know more about this world and setting. I need to know more about the characters.

Hopefully, the open ending means Masooma's actually planning to continue. 'Cause I'm not going to get tired of this word any time soon.

Despite the story not being very long, the characters -Renee and Alyona- both had strong impressions on me. I loved the relationship between the two sisters. Plus, the plot was fascinating and compelling, so I didn't really have enough time to think about the lack of character development.

Simply said, this is a work of art. And everyone should read it.

This is such a beautifully written piece of fantasy story. Its plot is definitely well-thought-out and the characters are quite interesting. Even for someone who rarely enjoys reading fantasy novels, this story definitely piques my interest immensely. The world-building is incredibly magical and I can't stop wondering what's going to happen when the Promise of the Sun of Sacrifices comes. All in all, I absolutely adore the slowly-built anticipation of this story and I hope I can see more of Alyona's whereabouts and her adventure. :)

Loved this tiny morsel of deliciousness!

When I heard about a fantasy 'short-story', not gonna lie I wasn't so pumped for it. I like my fantasy books chunky, enough to last days (Brandon Sanderson-ish) but all my reservations flew outta the window the minute I started reading this.

THE PROSE! OH MY THE PROSE!

It was sooooo beautiful I was eating words not 'reading' it. Masooma has beautifully created the world of Seven Sands. The world-building is no doubt the strong point of this novel.

I loved the story of Alyona and Renee, two sisters in the midst of the tribe politics trying to protect one another.

Beautifully, captivating short story set in an imaginative world written in vivid descriptions and lyrical prose. For a short story, the plot is honestly very rich and thick and the themes very meaningful. I could already imagine what Masooma is capable of doing if this were a full blown novel. Honestly, I’m at a loss for words. Such an amazing short story and I wouldn't mind (am actually hoping) for a sequel. Masooma, I’m a fan. Always have been!

Imaginative leap. A must ingredient for our mundane lives.
And it successfully jerked me out of it.

This book is wonderful. I love how the author has crafted the world. The descriptions are vivid and beautiful, the plot is well-jotted. Would definitely love to read more of this author's books.

Loved this read! :')

I am utterly blown away by the quality of writing in this short story. This is the second short story I have read by Masooma Memon and I can definitely see a progression in her writing abilities.

In the past year she has clearly been honing her talent and this new story is absolutely breathtaking. I found myself transported from my comfy reading chair to a world a million miles away from all I know and found myself lost in the middle of the desert with the Tribe of Al-Vertia. The setting was perfectly captured by hauntingly atmospheric and wonderfully descriptive prose. To me, that's where the true skill in this story is; it's in the scene setting and in the ability to capture a reader's attention from the first line through prose that is not just beautiful but also gives meaning and plot. The story recounts a harrowing event surrounding two sisters and the connection between these two characters, Renee and Alyona, is palpable as themes of love, birthright and the indomitable nature of the human spirit take centre stage in a world of fear and betrayal.

As this is a short story I will not further divulge the details of the plot so as not to spoil the reading experience but what I can assure you is that this is a strong piece of writing full of integrity, ethereal beauty and raw talent. And it gives me goose-pimples when I think about the future possibilities for this talented young author that I am lucky enough to call my friend.

First of all, I must say that I love the words used by Masooma in this story. In Blues, she also had me enchanted because of her beautiful vocab.
And also congratulations to her as this story of hers is one of the 15 finalists of 'The Stories Untold - Season 3'.

In this short story, The Alliance of Al-Vertia, she creates the world of Seven Lands. Having tribal ruling system. The most powerful tribe is Al-Vertia. When leader of the tribe has been murdered by the hands of a betrayer, the inheritors who are two sisters (Renee and Alyona) can't do anything against him.
Alyona is forced by the betrayer to make an alliance with another tribe named Al-Bersha by marrying the leader who follows the tradition of killing the youngest wife. Only Renee is the one who can save her sister's life from being sacrificed while being a fugitive herself.


I loved the concept. I die for the plot having love between siblings. And this one has it.
Even though I really loved the plot, I noticed some minor things which I think should have been better in the story:-
=> Fantasy is the genre I read the most. I like to read different types of worlds created by the creative minds of authors. And MAGIC is the thing which literally forces me to read this genre. I can't help loving these things.
Now for this story, it also has an amazing concept of world. Just look at the name 'Seven Sands'! Doesn't it sound AMAZING?! This world has more than one moon and sun and shadow magic. I was intrigued by them. But still I think there should have been more details on the world and magic; for it's a Fantasy! In my opinion, Fantasy stories or books should have crystal clear world-building and concept of magic. These facts combine with the story makes a much more enjoyable read. At least for me.
Anyway, these things weren't the main point. I think I felt them because I am a solid fantasy reader. Maybe people wouldn't notice them or care about them.

=> Well, the ending is kind of open. Like she plans to write a sequel. I would love to read that!

Overall, I enjoyed reading it. Writing is beautiful. And the plot is amazing. Looking forward to more stories from her.
I would definitely recommend this story.