We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya, 1)

Ok, where do I start with this book? Ever since I read it I’ve been gushing about it nonstop, so I might as well put my thoughts into a proper review! The book itself? Even without reading it, anyone who picks it up will agree that it has one of the most gorgeous designs out there. The intricate Arabic designs, the metallic, calligraphy-inspired typography, and of course the super-cool artwork of Zafira all lent to a spellbinding cover (This is one of those books you can rightfully judge by its cover). Now on to the story. The world that Hafsah creates will draw you in immediately. It’s vivid, beautiful, and also quite dangerous. The way Hafsah writes, you can actually picture the sand dunes, the Arz forest, the minarets, and the oceans in your head. The way Arabic culture was incorporated into the setting was done amazingly. The magic that Hafsah creates for the world of Arawiya fits perfectly into the setting and plot. I quite liked the concept of unique “affinities”. I was also pleased with the way Hafsah made sure to define the magic’s rules and history, as I’ve found a lot of YA fantasy authors tend to not do this properly, thus creating unpredictable plot events and essentially losing control of their setting. The plot was excellently woven together. There wasn’t a single boring page, and any loose ends were all tied up by the end of the book. Hafsah’s writing took me on a rollercoaster of emotions; it struck the perfect balance between action-packed battle scenes, laugh-out-loud moments, and deep, emotional and many times heartwarming parts. The main characters were all so lovable and had their own unique personalities. I absolutely loved the female characters, they were fierce, vulnerable, funny, and all around amazing. While I feel that Kifah was really not necessary for the story at all, she was still a great character. The relationships between them, whether between Zafira and her mother, or her sister, her best friend, or her new companion, were all incredibly written. The male characters were of course, amazing as well! In particular, I admire the way Nasir’s character arc was written, it was complex and didn’t simply resign him to a “brooding character with a tragic backstory” trope. In the end, I could not decide whether he was truly good or evil, because characters are much more than just that. However, I did feel that the relationship with Zafira and and Nasir could have been handled better. First, there was hardly enough mourning for Deen on Zafira’s part, especially considering her close friendship (which I saw so much of) with him since childhood. I also feel that Zafira and Nasir’s relationship progressed just a little too fast, though it is good that nothing was resolved between them by the end. This made sense as it would be impossible for each to completely disregard their history as enemies, and the missions that each set out with. That said, I’m so proud of Hafsah for everything she’s accomplished and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. This was a wonderful read!

3.5 Stars ✨ “We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves.” We Hunt the Flame is a duel POV, set in an Arabian Mystical world. It follows FMC Zafira, a huntress - who dresses up as a boy and goes into the cursed forest, that no one else can navigate, to hunt so she can feed her people. She cannot let people know she is a girl or she would lose all her credibility and achievements. She lives in the land of Arawiya, which used to have magic but no longer does. One day she is tasked by the silver witch to go to this sandy mystical island Sharr, and retrieve something that will help restore magic. MMC Nasir, is the Prince of Arawiya, also known as the Prince of darkness, is an assassin who kills for his evil father the Sultan. His father finds out that the notorious “hunter” is going to Sharr for something and tells Nasir to follow, kill the hunter, and take whatever they retrieve. An ancient evil stirs as they embark on this quest, and what they seek may be a greater threat than either imagined. I gotta admit, this book took about 100 pages to really get me fully invested. The beginning was a lot of world building and setting the stage for what was to come. It wasn’t boring, just the pacing was a bit slow. The writing was beautiful, so if you can press on past the 100 page mark to where things take off, it turns out to be a fun, plot twisting adventure. Books with quests have got to be one of my favorite things! Especially when, along the way, more characters are introduced. Zafira was a decent main character, nothing really stood out about her for me though. Then there is Nasir, bless his heart, he is a mess. Both main characters were constantly having to face their fears and their pasts during this magical journey, which gave them time to grow. The side characters added so much to the story and I really liked the banter between them, especially in the darker moments of the plot, and they all had to figure out how to work together. I liked that even though some of our characters face dark moments, there were positive messages throughout the story like love, friendship, loyalty, and redemption. Overall, I enjoyed this one, and will definitely be continuing with the series. Content ⚠️: Language: The only foul language is in Arabic, so I didn’t even know what they were saying TBH. Spice : The romance was a subplot and super slow burn. There is intense attraction between them, touching and holding but nothing inappropriate. Violence: There is violence, but to me it was pretty typical YA style and tame.

Absolutely love the story haven’t finished it yet but so far so good

The lyrical prose with which the author writes reminds me of Judith Tarr’s brilliant Hound and the Falcon trilogy, C J Cherryh’s Chronicles of Morgaine, and Sharron Lee and Steve Miller’s Lliaden Universe novels about the great merchant families. These are amongst the best novels I have ever read in my 30 years of reading, and Ms Faisal’s first attempt joins these, in my humble opinion. I look forward to her second novel in this (duology)?. Please bring it out soon, and not make the mistake that Rothfuss and Martin has made. For those fans of beautiful fantasy, get this book as soon as you can. You will not be disappointed.

Trigger warnings: trauma, death of a loved one, near death experience, violence, blood, misogyny, war, abuse, scars Zafira is the only one brave enough to face the Arz and come back out whole. She hunts in the forest that is slowly enveloping her home, her country, that sends you either mad or never to be seen again. Once you enter the Arz, it consumes you. Zafira is known as the Hunter, that know one knows is a woman. A woman that feeds the western villages of her calphite, ruled by men and where women are allowed no freedom. If her achievements were revealed she’d shunned and rejected. Nasir is his father tool, made into the emotionless assassin he is today. The sultan has ordered his son to kill countless innocents for the smallest slights or disobedience. Nasir cannot defy his father, for his compassion comes with a price, and he will be punished in the most brutal of ways. Both are known throughout the kingdom of Arawiya, legends in the own rights and neither of them wants to be. The Arz is creeping over Arawiya further with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow and soon it will swallow it whole. Magic has been lost to Arawiya for ninety years, and Zafira has been tasked with a quest to restore it. To bring back magic, destroy the Arz and avenge her father’s death at it’s hands. But Zafira isn’t the only one searching for the lost artifact that will restore magic. Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter and anyone else that might get in his way. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine. ______________________________________ This book was absolutely, utterly, brilliant and amazing. I loved this book from beginning to end. As soon as I finished reading We Hunt the Flame I lied on my bed chanting “I need the next book, I need it, I need it, I need it,” because it utterly destroyed me and I need to know what happens next. I was instantly hooked into this story. I was instantly intrigued by what was happening and I had difficulty putting it down. I loved that the chapters and perspective switched between Zafira and Nasir. Giving two, sometimes opposite and conflicting, insights into the story. I loved that their two points of views started off so very different and showing two different parts of the world. Which slowly began to align as the story progressed and they realised that they needed the other to find the book on Sharr. The journeys and growth that the characters go through over the course of this novel were heartbreaking at times. So much happened to Zafira and Nasir, to them separately and them together that I don’t know how to put into words the roller coaster this book was. So many of the characters were dark and conflicted, hiding secrets from others and sometimes themselves. The main group of characters, the zumra, don’t all truly trust each other. Well, Zafira and Nasir don’t seem to trust anyone really. But they all have to work together in order to reach the same goal. As Sharr plays on their fears and loneliness, Sharr (the prision island) is alive in a way and can play them against each other. The beings that had once been trapped during the rein of the Six Sisters have been left unchecked and allowed to roam wild since magic and the Sisters vanished. Many of them are bloodthirsty and want to get their hands on the zumra. So even though they don’t want to work together they have to survive this island. I loved that they were forced together to stay alive. Going from enemies, begrudging friends/allies, friends but-I’m-not-going-to-admit-it, and potential even more in the sequel (mainly between Zafira and Nasir). Think that there’s also some potential for the found family trope that might work with the groups dynamic. This book has really stayed with me since I read it and I think that it is one of the best books that has come out in 2019. It is an amazing debut that is rich with magic, love, family, friendship, and so much more. I highly recommend this to anyone that loves fantasy. I would say that this is one of the must read books of 2019. The only downside of this book is that I don’t have the sequel already.

Me llegó en buen estado. Aún no lo he podido leer pero será una de mis próximas lecturas seguro!

The cover of the book is smaller than the book?? And the paper is not white very thin and cheap