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solouncapitulomas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
“We’re a zumra. We hunted the flame together, found the light in the darkness, but we were far from done, laa? Now we unleash it. We free the stars, shatter the darkness holding us captive, and return the world to the splendor it once was.”
This book was just, wow. People said it was better than the first one but I was dubious in the begging...what a dumb bitch I was, I truly lived up to the hype and I am so glad I read it now, books like these should be getting adaptation and more hype (instead of a certain culture appropriator I will not even mention), I will forever hunt for the feelings I had while reading this book. Sometimes I think I outgrew ya fantasy or ya in general and then books like these two come and I realize this might never happened fully, as long as I can keep finding jewels like Sands of Arawiya I will continue to reading young adult and enjoyed it. And yes I did scream with the one bed trope in this book, I am simple like that. Deal with it y'all
Some quotes I enjoyed a lot:
“Sacrifice was nothing but death in a romantic farce. ”
“How long did one have to live before death became a wish?”
“There was a kind of sand, rare in the desert, that appeared as harmless as normal sand until it sank beneath one’s feet, swallowing the unsuspecting, worsening the longer they struggled, loosening its grip only when they did the opposite. That was how grief was. The longer one wallowed, the more it hungered.”
“Or perhaps that was the greater evil, having power in your hands but being powerless to alter a reality.”
“The moon crowned her in starlight and cloaked her in magic. The stars faded in envy of her radiance. There truly was nothing—no one—more beautiful.”
“Wrath and rage burn quick as fire. Vengeance is the only fuel you can keep going for more than a century. The longer it takes, the sweeter the revenge.”
“It was easy to believe that anyone who did not speak of suffering did not suffer.”
“Carving out one’s heart for a stranger and wishing for theirs in return is no easy feat.”
“Only few can look at a monster and see its humanity.”
“Perhaps worse than abuse was waking up to the fact. The realization, striking and unmooring, that the norm one had lived was not at all normal.”
“Why was it that victories were forever riddled with loss?”
“Power once rested in their hands, wealth adorned every angle of their sight. None of them remembered the shroud has no pockets.”
“To live was to swear the oath of death.”
“Wars could wage and swords could cut and arrows could pierce. None of them compared to the pain of a well-poised word.”
“They say the soul cannot rest until it finds its match. Then it ignites.”
“We were not born to fight, but our cradles were built from struggles and hardship. Pens, swords, sticks—weapons shoved into our fists as soon as we’re old enough to grasp them. So we fight, because the world will cut our throats otherwise. We fight, because we won’t go down without one.”
“Hope was the beast that could never be slain, the light that blazed in every harrowing dark.”
“Knowing you can lose something is what makes it more precious.”
I was listening to Yellow Filler Beat & Glory And Gore by Lorde while writing this review
'kay, I'm out
Bye
This book was just, wow. People said it was better than the first one but I was dubious in the begging...what a dumb bitch I was, I truly lived up to the hype and I am so glad I read it now, books like these should be getting adaptation and more hype (instead of a certain culture appropriator I will not even mention), I will forever hunt for the feelings I had while reading this book. Sometimes I think I outgrew ya fantasy or ya in general and then books like these two come and I realize this might never happened fully, as long as I can keep finding jewels like Sands of Arawiya I will continue to reading young adult and enjoyed it. And yes I did scream with the one bed trope in this book, I am simple like that. Deal with it y'all
Some quotes I enjoyed a lot:
“Sacrifice was nothing but death in a romantic farce. ”
“How long did one have to live before death became a wish?”
“There was a kind of sand, rare in the desert, that appeared as harmless as normal sand until it sank beneath one’s feet, swallowing the unsuspecting, worsening the longer they struggled, loosening its grip only when they did the opposite. That was how grief was. The longer one wallowed, the more it hungered.”
“Or perhaps that was the greater evil, having power in your hands but being powerless to alter a reality.”
“The moon crowned her in starlight and cloaked her in magic. The stars faded in envy of her radiance. There truly was nothing—no one—more beautiful.”
“Wrath and rage burn quick as fire. Vengeance is the only fuel you can keep going for more than a century. The longer it takes, the sweeter the revenge.”
“It was easy to believe that anyone who did not speak of suffering did not suffer.”
“Carving out one’s heart for a stranger and wishing for theirs in return is no easy feat.”
“Only few can look at a monster and see its humanity.”
“Perhaps worse than abuse was waking up to the fact. The realization, striking and unmooring, that the norm one had lived was not at all normal.”
“Why was it that victories were forever riddled with loss?”
“Power once rested in their hands, wealth adorned every angle of their sight. None of them remembered the shroud has no pockets.”
“To live was to swear the oath of death.”
“Wars could wage and swords could cut and arrows could pierce. None of them compared to the pain of a well-poised word.”
“They say the soul cannot rest until it finds its match. Then it ignites.”
“We were not born to fight, but our cradles were built from struggles and hardship. Pens, swords, sticks—weapons shoved into our fists as soon as we’re old enough to grasp them. So we fight, because the world will cut our throats otherwise. We fight, because we won’t go down without one.”
“Hope was the beast that could never be slain, the light that blazed in every harrowing dark.”
“Knowing you can lose something is what makes it more precious.”
I was listening to Yellow Filler Beat & Glory And Gore by Lorde while writing this review
'kay, I'm out
Bye
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse
martynelson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
michellemaas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
I loved it!
I'm going to start by saying that We Free the Stars is one of the most quotable books I have read to date. Hafsah Faizal has such a beautiful way with words and that alone deserves a star before any other factors are even considered.
Another thing that is super close to my heart: asexual representation. In recent years the entertainment industry has come a long way in terms of representing the LGBTQ+ community but despite seeing a bunch of cute lesbian and gay couples, I NEVER see any asexual characters (or it isn't outright mentioned/discussed). Oftentimes characters are thrown into unnecessary relationships since romance is a huge driving point and I appreciate that Hafsah Faizal made Kifah an interesting and alluring character without needing to put her in a romantic relationship. The way she described asexuality was also so good.
Next there's Nasir and Zafira. One of my main critiques for the previous book was how Zafira and Nasir got over their qualms of each other without any real explanation for why. It was purely based on lust, Zafira being emotionally stunted after the death of her friend and Nasir latching onto the first person to show him affection. I am so happy that Hafsah Faizal deepened their relationship in the sequel. We got to see that slow-burn that she was going for in the first book because their relationship had to fester from lust to love. It was a beautiful journey (even if the beginning was a little questionable). Also, that ending. We all saw it coming but when I tell you I was a pile of squishy feels . . . just perfect.
The last relationship-related point I want to make is about Yasmine and Misk. I know I sound repetitive but I loved and appreciated that Yasmine was not magically fine at the end of the book. The author "sacrificed" a perfect ending that was wrapped up with a neat little bow to show that grief does not go away because other things in your life get better.
Then, I enjoyed The Lion of the Night as a villain. He was not purely a monster and while the author made it clear that his tragic past did not justify his actions, it gave us a better insight into him as a character.
Lastly, I want to shout out all the side characters like Altair, Lana, Yasmine, etc. My version of this book was 700-odd pages (as opposed to the 400/500-something of the first book) and I was apprehensive since a longer book doesn't always equal a better book. While I still don't know if all 700 pages were necessary, I am glad that the author went for a little bit of a longer book to explore the development and fleshing-out of the side characters. I feel that my reading experience was thoroughly enhanced by the fact that I had more knowledge of the side characters than an off-handed description as most other novels do.
I'm going to start by saying that We Free the Stars is one of the most quotable books I have read to date. Hafsah Faizal has such a beautiful way with words and that alone deserves a star before any other factors are even considered.
Another thing that is super close to my heart: asexual representation. In recent years the entertainment industry has come a long way in terms of representing the LGBTQ+ community but despite seeing a bunch of cute lesbian and gay couples, I NEVER see any asexual characters (or it isn't outright mentioned/discussed). Oftentimes characters are thrown into unnecessary relationships since romance is a huge driving point and I appreciate that Hafsah Faizal made Kifah an interesting and alluring character without needing to put her in a romantic relationship. The way she described asexuality was also so good.
Next there's Nasir and Zafira. One of my main critiques for the previous book was how Zafira and Nasir got over their qualms of each other without any real explanation for why. It was purely based on lust, Zafira being emotionally stunted after the death of her friend and Nasir latching onto the first person to show him affection. I am so happy that Hafsah Faizal deepened their relationship in the sequel. We got to see that slow-burn that she was going for in the first book because their relationship had to fester from lust to love. It was a beautiful journey (even if the beginning was a little questionable). Also, that ending. We all saw it coming but when I tell you I was a pile of squishy feels . . . just perfect.
The last relationship-related point I want to make is about Yasmine and Misk. I know I sound repetitive but I loved and appreciated that Yasmine was not magically fine at the end of the book. The author "sacrificed" a perfect ending that was wrapped up with a neat little bow to show that grief does not go away because other things in your life get better.
Then, I enjoyed The Lion of the Night as a villain. He was not purely a monster and while the author made it clear that his tragic past did not justify his actions, it gave us a better insight into him as a character.
Lastly, I want to shout out all the side characters like Altair, Lana, Yasmine, etc. My version of this book was 700-odd pages (as opposed to the 400/500-something of the first book) and I was apprehensive since a longer book doesn't always equal a better book. While I still don't know if all 700 pages were necessary, I am glad that the author went for a little bit of a longer book to explore the development and fleshing-out of the side characters. I feel that my reading experience was thoroughly enhanced by the fact that I had more knowledge of the side characters than an off-handed description as most other novels do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Animal death and Slavery
jackiepreston's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Emotional abuse
tired_cicada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
I cannot say enough good things about this book!!! I loved this duology so much! The twists and the stakes always felt so real! The charecters were so flushed out! I ADORE a good found family! A love a slow burn romance! Its so so good!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Murder, and War
lainiereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
BEST BOOK BEST BOOK BEST BOOK!!!!!!
Hafsah Faizal has knocked it out of the park with this one, oh my god. I already really loved We Hunt the Flame, and somehow this book was even better?? All of the characters were so great, and they each had so much depth- its impossible not to love the whole zumra. And the emotions this book made me feel???? UNMATCHED! I have never had a book make me feel as strongly as this one, like there were multiple times that I was beyond the point of crying and just wanted to VOMIT because I felt the grief and sadness of the characters as if it were my own. There was also so much happening, in every chapter there was either something dramatic happening, or it was clearly setting up for something dramatic to happen in the next chapter. I was NEVER bored.
OKAY ALSO THE ROMANCE! IT WAS SO CUTE AHHH I love Zafira and Nasir both so much, they are just perfect. The ways they describe their feelings for eachother?? Perfect. It was so poetic and beautiful, I don't know what could top it.
This book also handled the topic of grief really well. There are so many great quotes about death and loss, and I really appreciated how we got to see the characters talk to each other about their losses. It was very powerful and honest.
Last thing: I'm really glad we got to see more of Lana in this book. It was really interesting to see her character development, and I loved seeing Zafira's perspective of her change as she saw more of Lana's true self.
Okay, everyone go read this book!!! SO GOOD I will not be shutting up about it any time soon.
Hafsah Faizal has knocked it out of the park with this one, oh my god. I already really loved We Hunt the Flame, and somehow this book was even better?? All of the characters were so great, and they each had so much depth- its impossible not to love the whole zumra. And the emotions this book made me feel???? UNMATCHED! I have never had a book make me feel as strongly as this one, like there were multiple times that I was beyond the point of crying and just wanted to VOMIT because I felt the grief and sadness of the characters as if it were my own. There was also so much happening, in every chapter there was either something dramatic happening, or it was clearly setting up for something dramatic to happen in the next chapter. I was NEVER bored.
OKAY ALSO THE ROMANCE! IT WAS SO CUTE AHHH I love Zafira and Nasir both so much, they are just perfect. The ways they describe their feelings for eachother?? Perfect. It was so poetic and beautiful, I don't know what could top it.
This book also handled the topic of grief really well. There are so many great quotes about death and loss, and I really appreciated how we got to see the characters talk to each other about their losses. It was very powerful and honest.
Last thing: I'm really glad we got to see more of Lana in this book. It was really interesting to see her character development, and I loved seeing Zafira's perspective of her change as she saw more of Lana's true self.
Okay, everyone go read this book!!! SO GOOD I will not be shutting up about it any time soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: War, Torture, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse and Fire/Fire injury
nefariousbee's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
5.0
I gave the first book in this series only three stars, because I thought the characters and world-building were good but too many other things were off. I feel like a clown now, because I was enthralled as soon as I started this book and that never stopped. Now I’m obsessed with the characters and the story, and I’d go as far as saying that this is one of my favorite books of all time. Any book that makes me feel so many emotions deserves a spot on that list.
And dear god, there were emotions. There still are. I love the zumra, but they put me through more crap than I was prepared for. This especially applies to Zafira and Nasir. I ship them so hard!!! And the number of times I nearly lost it because of something sweet he said to her… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a love interest as reverent of their lover as he is. I’m pretty sure he’s the most romantic love interest ever. Very few ships make me swoon and screech and lose my mind as much as these two did, which says a lot, honestly. I’m a hopeless romantic and there are dozens of ships I’ll go down with, but something about these characters just affects me. I think it’s the slow-burn. Those usually hit me hard.
Romance aside, the friendships and family dynamics were also phenomenal. Zafira, Nasir, Altair, and Kifah are all iconic, and I love the dynamic between the four of them. I especially loved all the banter. I also really liked Zafira and Kifah’s friendship, and Zafira’s bond with her younger sister Lana, and Nasir and Altair’s friendship. It was really sweet to see Lana grow up, and how she loved her sister so much. I appreciate that she wasn’t sidelined in the midst of everything, and instead was just as complex and important to the story. As for my boys, they’re like the grumpy one and sunshine one, friend edition, and I’m totally here for it. They’re great on their own, and an absolutely hilarious duo.They’re my favorite brothers, I think. I loved seeing them get used to that part of their relationship, and love and support each other.
The entirety of act three had me STRESSED. (I mean, the whole book did, if I’m being honest.) The final showdown was handled in a way I didn’t expect, so props to Faizal for that. Even after everything was wrapped up in terms of plot, I was still stressed because of how two specific characters were acting.Part of me was worried that Zafira would just run away from Nasir and her feelings for him, and he would let it happen. Thank every god that Yasmine talked some sense into Zafira, and everything worked out in the end. I thought it was really sweet how she came to the throne room, and he ran to her, scattering papers everywhere, and just kissed her. I legit felt like cheering at that moment. Luckily, when I closed the book, my shipper heart was very happy. It was all perfect. I do kind of wish we’d gotten another chapter or two, since this happy ending felt slightly vague, but it was still very much a happy ending. And that’s enough to satisfy me. ❤️
I loved this book. I can definitely see myself rereading this duology in the future. I know I’ll certainly be anticipating A Tempest of Tea, and everything else Hafsah Faizal has up her sleeve.
Representation
And dear god, there were emotions. There still are. I love the zumra, but they put me through more crap than I was prepared for. This especially applies to Zafira and Nasir. I ship them so hard!!! And the number of times I nearly lost it because of something sweet he said to her… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a love interest as reverent of their lover as he is. I’m pretty sure he’s the most romantic love interest ever. Very few ships make me swoon and screech and lose my mind as much as these two did, which says a lot, honestly. I’m a hopeless romantic and there are dozens of ships I’ll go down with, but something about these characters just affects me. I think it’s the slow-burn. Those usually hit me hard.
Romance aside, the friendships and family dynamics were also phenomenal. Zafira, Nasir, Altair, and Kifah are all iconic, and I love the dynamic between the four of them. I especially loved all the banter. I also really liked Zafira and Kifah’s friendship, and Zafira’s bond with her younger sister Lana, and Nasir and Altair’s friendship. It was really sweet to see Lana grow up, and how she loved her sister so much. I appreciate that she wasn’t sidelined in the midst of everything, and instead was just as complex and important to the story. As for my boys, they’re like the grumpy one and sunshine one, friend edition, and I’m totally here for it. They’re great on their own, and an absolutely hilarious duo.
The entirety of act three had me STRESSED. (I mean, the whole book did, if I’m being honest.) The final showdown was handled in a way I didn’t expect, so props to Faizal for that. Even after everything was wrapped up in terms of plot, I was still stressed because of how two specific characters were acting.
I loved this book. I can definitely see myself rereading this duology in the future. I know I’ll certainly be anticipating A Tempest of Tea, and everything else Hafsah Faizal has up her sleeve.
Representation
- protagonists and side characters of color
- aromantic asexual side character of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Torture, Violence, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, and Sexism
Minor: Kidnapping and Confinement
escapismforlife's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Altair deserved the ending he got in this duology and that's all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexism
caelinsullivan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Sexual assault