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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This could be a me thing, but I just hate it when the rightfull heir that’s supposed to rule all along chooses not to, I simply don’t like that plot point
This was the best end to this duology that I could've asked for .
What made this sequel so perfect, you might ask.
The writing
[a:Hafsah Faizal|17276299|Hafsah Faizal|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530680727p2/17276299.jpg]'s writing style is stunning. It's rich, luscious and poetic - my favourite kind. Not only does it mean that the world building is so intense (in all the right ways) but it means every interaction is perfection and every action is so vivid and easy to visualise.
How long did one have to live before death became a wish?
The romance
I cannot believe the absolute audacity to write a slow burn that was burned this slowly and was so damn good. I ate up every little crumb and just wanted to scream at our beloved huntress and prince of death to just make out already. The angst, the intensity, the frustration. It was all so well written and it felt so true to their characters. The hurt they've experience, all of their trauma, everything that makes them them.
“If you hurt her—”
“If I hurt her, I will bring every weapon at my disposal and lay them at your feet for you to do to me what you will. If I hurt her, I will no sooner carve out my own heart than dare draw breath again.”
She was silent.
“Do you understand?” he prompted.
“You love her.”
No, he did not love her. The word for what he felt for Zafira bint Iskandar did not yet exist.
The characters
These characters are so full of life, it's easy to forget they're fictional. Every character had a purpose, a fatal flaw and dreams. It made every win that much more victorious and every loss that more heartbreaking.
The emotional rollercoaster
This was one hell of a ride. So much happens in this story and the author really takes you for a spin. My jaw dropped so many times. I actually screamed a couple of times cause I just could not even. There were even a few times where I had to put the book down and just process it and come to terms with it. And lets not even talk about the tears.
I laughed so many times cause the banter is so witty and the perfect comic relief.
“Men are like fish,” Kifah said, the break in her voice giving away her unease.
“Shiny, and of little brain?” Zafira replied.
*insert anytime Altair used innuendos*
The Ending
I loved how everything wrapped up. Things weren't convenient and wrapped up in a nice bow. Things were messy, not ideal and it all felt believable. At the same time, it was satisfying and gave me the closure I needed. It left my heart full with emotions, happy and sad, and that's a perfect finish in my opinion.
What made this sequel so perfect, you might ask.
The writing
[a:Hafsah Faizal|17276299|Hafsah Faizal|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530680727p2/17276299.jpg]'s writing style is stunning. It's rich, luscious and poetic - my favourite kind. Not only does it mean that the world building is so intense (in all the right ways) but it means every interaction is perfection and every action is so vivid and easy to visualise.
How long did one have to live before death became a wish?
The romance
I cannot believe the absolute audacity to write a slow burn that was burned this slowly and was so damn good. I ate up every little crumb and just wanted to scream at our beloved huntress and prince of death to just make out already. The angst, the intensity, the frustration. It was all so well written and it felt so true to their characters. The hurt they've experience, all of their trauma, everything that makes them them.
“If you hurt her—”
“If I hurt her, I will bring every weapon at my disposal and lay them at your feet for you to do to me what you will. If I hurt her, I will no sooner carve out my own heart than dare draw breath again.”
She was silent.
“Do you understand?” he prompted.
“You love her.”
No, he did not love her. The word for what he felt for Zafira bint Iskandar did not yet exist.
The characters
These characters are so full of life, it's easy to forget they're fictional. Every character had a purpose, a fatal flaw and dreams. It made every win that much more victorious and every loss that more heartbreaking.
The emotional rollercoaster
This was one hell of a ride. So much happens in this story and the author really takes you for a spin. My jaw dropped so many times. I actually screamed a couple of times cause I just could not even. There were even a few times where I had to put the book down and just process it and come to terms with it. And lets not even talk about the tears.
I laughed so many times cause the banter is so witty and the perfect comic relief.
“Men are like fish,” Kifah said, the break in her voice giving away her unease.
“Shiny, and of little brain?” Zafira replied.
*insert anytime Altair used innuendos*
The Ending
I loved how everything wrapped up. Things weren't convenient and wrapped up in a nice bow. Things were messy, not ideal and it all felt believable. At the same time, it was satisfying and gave me the closure I needed. It left my heart full with emotions, happy and sad, and that's a perfect finish in my opinion.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely loved this book!! The characters felt so real and I hoped with them for the entire story. Satisfying and beautiful conclusion and I will start reading the authors next book immediately 😌
One of the best books I’ve read in quite some time !
The world building, both in this book and its predecessor, is nothing short of masterful. While the story is lengthy, every page is necessary to unfold the vast and intricate universe Hafsah Faizal has created. Every page that I kept turning something new and unexpected was happening, until the very last page I was dreading the ending.
I absolutely loved the tension between Nazir and Zafira as their dynamic is so well crafted and beautifully charged, making it one of the most compelling and yearning relationships I’ve ever encountered in a book.
Thank you, Hafsah Faizal, for delivering such an unforgettable and fantastic read!
The world building, both in this book and its predecessor, is nothing short of masterful. While the story is lengthy, every page is necessary to unfold the vast and intricate universe Hafsah Faizal has created. Every page that I kept turning something new and unexpected was happening, until the very last page I was dreading the ending.
I absolutely loved the tension between Nazir and Zafira as their dynamic is so well crafted and beautifully charged, making it one of the most compelling and yearning relationships I’ve ever encountered in a book.
Thank you, Hafsah Faizal, for delivering such an unforgettable and fantastic read!
Duologies are some of my favorite types of series because they're only two books, but you get so much more out what what is usually one really good story arc. This was perfection. Loved it!
I thought I would never finished this, dear god
Where to begin? This book took me on a journey. I’ve been reading this book for two month. It took me longer than expected because, I never just read one book, I love the chaos of reading 3+ books at once, but I also took a break after reading 3/4 of it and I’ll tell you why.
Let’s start with why I rated this book three out of five even though I still really enjoyed it. Just remember I find star ratings are a bit silly anyway and I don’t take them very seriously, but they can be helpful to others.
The book had too much of the same thing going on. I was initially really excited at the size, but as I was reading certain events felt a bit too repetitive for me. Having Zafira struggle with control because of the Jawarat was a great plot point, but for me it felt like again and again we found ourselves in the same scenario with little to add to the plot and I wish it wasn’t so revisited. It had been made clear that she was struggling with self control, especially as she begins to “talk to herself”.
I love a good slow burn romance, but this was excruciatingly painful. I was suffering and still am. I wanted more. Maybe I’m being greedy, but a huge part of this book is the relationship between Nasir and Zafira. Give me all of the sad prince love, I’ll take it all. When he said “tame me”... I was already packing my bags to go to his aid.
Now, to what I loved. It’s no secret that Hafsah Faizal is an amazing author. The book was written beautifully, the world building *chefs kiss* and the found family, just immaculate. Can we all agree that Altair is the superior character here? I would even argue that this book could be even new adult versus young adult just because of the complexity it holds. I personally think a younger demographic wouldn’t be able to easily follow the plot.
If you thrive on world building and found families, definitely pick this one up.
Let’s start with why I rated this book three out of five even though I still really enjoyed it. Just remember I find star ratings are a bit silly anyway and I don’t take them very seriously, but they can be helpful to others.
The book had too much of the same thing going on. I was initially really excited at the size, but as I was reading certain events felt a bit too repetitive for me. Having Zafira struggle with control because of the Jawarat was a great plot point, but for me it felt like again and again we found ourselves in the same scenario with little to add to the plot and I wish it wasn’t so revisited. It had been made clear that she was struggling with self control, especially as she begins to “talk to herself”.
I love a good slow burn romance, but this was excruciatingly painful. I was suffering and still am. I wanted more. Maybe I’m being greedy, but a huge part of this book is the relationship between Nasir and Zafira. Give me all of the sad prince love, I’ll take it all. When he said “tame me”... I was already packing my bags to go to his aid.
Now, to what I loved. It’s no secret that Hafsah Faizal is an amazing author. The book was written beautifully, the world building *chefs kiss* and the found family, just immaculate. Can we all agree that Altair is the superior character here? I would even argue that this book could be even new adult versus young adult just because of the complexity it holds. I personally think a younger demographic wouldn’t be able to easily follow the plot.
If you thrive on world building and found families, definitely pick this one up.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read We Hunt the Flame a while ago, and thought it was okay for a debut novel. She definitely grew a lot in her writing with We Free the Stars. That being said, I liked the story, the journey, and the ending, but there were a few problems that stood out to me. One of the them was the fact that Misk died, which didn’t really look like it served any point to me except to make Yasmine sadder.
Another problem that bothered me wasthe unresolved conflict between Yasmine and Altair. I know they were trying not to have them meet , but it really would have resolved a few things and made the book feel more whole.
Another problem that bothered me was