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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
ira_reads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warning: Ableist language, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Verbal abuse, Child abuse and neglect, Blood and gore depiction, Physical injuries, Dead bodies, Grief depiction, Death of a mother, Death of a father, Death of a child, Death of a friend, Death of a cousin, Murder and attempted murder, Torture, Imprisonment and captivity, Blackmail, Kidnapping, War themes discussed, Animal death, Hunting
Overall Rating: 50000000/5
World: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
“We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves.”
What I loved:
There’s not one thing in this series that I didn’t love but I guess I can list some stuff out if you want.
- Altair
- Nasir
- Zafira
- Every single protagonist in this freaking book
- Enemies to lovers but it’s not toxic
- Amazing, tragic backstories
- Beautiful, descriptive, emotional writing.
- Did I say Altair already?
“Men are like fish,” Kifah said, the break in her voice giving away her unease.
“Shiny, and of little brain?” Zafira replied.”
Synopsis:
Zafira is a peasant living in a village in Demenhur, a land filled with snow and poverty. To provide for her village, she disguises herself as a man and hunts from the Arz, a deadly forest filled with mysterious creatures.
Nasir, on the other hand, is the prince of Death, an assassin for his father, the Sultan.
Both are sent to the Arz, Zafira to hunt for the prized possession that could bring magic to the Arawiya again, and Nasir to assassinate Zafira as soon as she finds it.
“If you want me obedient, prince, kill me and carry my corpse.”
World-building:
This book is set in a fictional land called Arawiya which is both complex, but easy to understand atthe same time. Each kingdom makes sense, and isn’t just there to make the book look more fancy. If anything’s complicated, it’s the history behind these lands, not the lands themselves. There is a ton of worldbuilding and storytelling in the first ⅓ of We Hunt the Flame, but it’s so worth it.
“He was a mess of scars like the sky was a mess of stars.”
Characters:
These books’ found family is elite. Elite, I tell you. Kifah, Benyamin, Altair, Nasir, Zafira, and so many others all crawl their way up into your heart. And in a dangerous journey like theirs, I found myself fearing for every single one of them.
What I loved a lot was how Altair and Nasir were complete opposites. One, was a tortured, abused, Prince of Death, whose values and morals had been twisted by his father. Altair was a carefree, funny character that starkly contrasted Nasir. Being a duo in both books, they’re differences and similarities become more and more obvious especially in the second book and it’s fascinating to see them grow together.
Zafira’s character development in this series was very admirable. Her development was a rollercoaster, it fluctuated and it followed a realistic timeline. She didn’t become the hero that she was meant to be by the end of the first book. She had ups and downs, and went through many struggles before she was confident in herself.
“He didn't live. He existed. And no one understood the difference between the two until they ceased to live.”
Plot:
I don’t know how to describe the plot in a way that it deserves. The plot of these two books was so well thought out, it was intricate, it was complicated, it was everything you would expect from a high fantasy. The magic system was so simple but complicated, and I was constantly waiting for the next big thing to happen. Sometimes some fantasy books get so lost in the characters’ stories and the world that they’re building that they completely forget to make a substantial plot. This results in a very methodical, formulaic, boring plot. The Sands of Arawiya duology managed to make a plot of great substance and connected the world, character stories, and the plot.
“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 then dare draw breath again.”
Final thoughts:
This series made me cry because of how beautiful and emotional the writing was. Everything about this book was beautiful and amazing and I will recommend this series to anyone who can stand the initial worldbuilding. The romance, the found family, the world, the magic system, everything was absolutely perfect and now I have to decide if this or Six of Crows is my favorite high fantasy. This was one of the books that I was sad to end because I didn’t want to be taken away from the characters’ stories. There’s something for everyone in this series. Found family, romance, intricate world, intricate plot, amazing side characters, character development, the list goes on and one. This was an unforgettable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Child abuse, Bullying, and Animal death
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, and Death
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