Blood of the Sands

The Ballan Desert, Book 1

De: S.C. Grayson

Narrado por: Kate Genevieve, Ryan West

Keera is used to protecting herself from the dangers of the Ballan desert. Guarding her heart may be the most difficult challenge of all.

Keera is an exile struggling to survive, forced to rob passing travelers or face starvation. When she steals from the wrong man—a vicious masked warrior named the Viper—his hand around her throat awakens an ancient magic within her, and she uses it to escape his clutches. Now, Keera must master her power to protect the city of Kelvadan—the only place an exile like her can find a home—from the Viper and his growing army.

The Viper serves the magic of the desert, but the sins of the past threaten to destroy it. To protect his home, he will do everything it takes, even marching on the great city of Kelvadan. However, the real key to healing the desert’s magic might lie in the infuriating but intriguing exile who slipped through his fingers and now fights for his sworn enemies.

Keera and the Viper are on opposite sides of a war to save the Ballan desert, but the strange bond they share could be the key to saving their home—or destroying their world as they know it.

Blood of the Sands is a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent and L.J. Andrews.

©2024 S.C. Grayson (P)2025 Recorded Books

It’s not about dragons!

The blurb got it wrong! It’s not about dragons.
But it is a rollercoaster of an adventure you won’t want to miss. Excellent story. Excellent narration.

A Surprisingly Thoughtful Take on a Tired Trope

Book: Blood of the Sands
Author: S.C. Grayson
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

A Surprisingly Thoughtful Take on a Tired Trope

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The female character (FC) was young, naive, a bit rash, and yes—even a virgin—all things I usually hate in this genre because they’re so overdone and often used as lazy plot devices. But here’s the difference: her virginity wasn’t glorified. No one treated it like it was some kind of prize or moral badge, and that made all the difference.

So many books in this genre get it wrong by equating virginity with being pure, feminine, or somehow more valuable. But that’s not the case here. Yes, the FC got on my nerves a bit at times, but the author gave real, thoughtful reasons for why she was the way she was. And because of that, I understood her. I sympathized with her. I rooted for her. Her naivety wasn’t a crutch—it was a character trait, written in so well that I almost forgot I usually hate that trope.

As for the spice? I’d rate it a solid 3🌶️. Some reviews said 4, but that’s super subjective depending on what you usually read. Still, once these two finally got together? Whew. The chemistry was off the charts, but also so endearing. Watching these two bumbling idiots try to figure each other out was everything—I ate it up. And can we talk about the male lead? A man who normally covers every inch of his skin, completely unraveling for her? Perfection.