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mariebrunelm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
4.25
Zafira is a huntress from a poor, snow-laden village. Only she will brave the darkness looming ever closer and bring back game to feed her family. Lured by the chance of bringing back magic, she ventures on the other edge of the dark, not knowing what she will have to face. Nasir is a prince, but also the King's most ruthless hashashin. He doesn't question orders even when he may not come back. A mysterious book is what leads them both farther from their home than they have ever been, but they’re not the only ones looking for it.
This fun YA novel had excellent vibes and a SWANA-inspired world-building that I relished. There was a lot of banter between the characters, which I'm always happy to read, although at some point it almost became a little too much. Does every interaction have to be lined with irony ? There was also a slow-burn romance that I didn’t exactly care for but that's because I don’t care for romance generally. I loved the prose, the language (and the glossary that had a pronunciation guide included), and the fact that it wasn’t too fast-paced for a YA novel. One could even say that not much happened, at least in the grand scheme of things. The characters face danger upon danger, but there is also quite a bit of space devoted to quiet moments and more-or-less deep conversations. As much as the world-building was developed, the narrative itself was a lot lighter. Perhaps I would have enjoyed more balance between the two, but that’s really me being picky. I enjoyed how the author wrote her characters, and even though they carry their fair share of trauma, their dynamics made We Hunt the Flame a fun and enjoyable reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
meghansarmiento97's review against another edition
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Animal death, Blood, and Confinement
Minor: Child death
niclantsov's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
3.5
"You and I are strangers, Huntress. Allies by circumstance. But in this moment, we are two souls, marooned beneath the moon, hungry and alone, adrift in the current of what we do not understand. We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves."
I had a hard time getting into this book. It was surely a different fantasy sub-genre to what I used to read. This was more of an Arabic-inspired myth(?) fantasy. Here we learn of the culture and the terms to it, which was a bit of a struggle for me in the first 20/25%. However the pace was kinda fast so it did do some justice. It started to catch up on the 30%ish I think, and from there the plot started to thickens.
I also liked that the romance in this book was merely a subplot, and it was sewn beautifully:
He pause and met her eyes. If a poet were to describe them, he would say to look into her eyes was to see the sea's first glimpse of the sun, drinking its reflection with endless ripples.
The characters were amazing, and their banter was literally what I lived for. The writing was also poetic and alluring. Overall a 3.5/5 it's a great start for a series, looking forward to read the second one!
I had a hard time getting into this book. It was surely a different fantasy sub-genre to what I used to read. This was more of an Arabic-inspired myth(?) fantasy. Here we learn of the culture and the terms to it, which was a bit of a struggle for me in the first 20/25%. However the pace was kinda fast so it did do some justice. It started to catch up on the 30%ish I think, and from there the plot started to thickens.
I also liked that the romance in this book was merely a subplot, and it was sewn beautifully:
He pause and met her eyes. If a poet were to describe them, he would say to look into her eyes was to see the sea's first glimpse of the sun, drinking its reflection with endless ripples.
The characters were amazing, and their banter was literally what I lived for. The writing was also poetic and alluring. Overall a 3.5/5 it's a great start for a series, looking forward to read the second one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Child death
lupalionessa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Upon my reread of this book, it truly has become a comfort read for me, thus the 5 stars. Technically the pacing, etc. should make it a 4 star but this book scratches all of my itches and therefore I love it.
Within the first few chapters, continuing on throughout the book, it is evident what pieces of media inspired Faizal. The Hunger Games, Shadow and Bone, LOTR, and Assassins Creed are all pieces of media referenced, in ways some may say are heavy handed. But, I love all those series so it was nice to have those tropes again, this time in the wonderfully crafted land of Arawiya.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll blush, you’ll flip through the pages quickly! Can’t wait to read the sequel finally. I love Altair the best btw.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Murder, Gore, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Child death
melani_e4's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Don’t read it if you’re looking for a HUGE romance plot or something, romance is more of a sub-plot here and im sure that in the second book the romance is more prominent, but both books are long af. That’s all the warning I’ll give but apart from that I REALLY LIKED IT, the world building is amazing and the characters development is even better, i genuinely enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Death, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Cursing
elislittlelibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book so, so much! Especially after the first introduction, I was really invested in the story and the characters alike. The dual POV was also a nice addition, because you get to know the characters and their thoughts more closely.
Now, this is YA and while there is romance, there is no smut. I’m personally not a huge fan of smut, so i didn’t miss anything (more on the contrary, actually), but just fyi!
One of the best parts, besides the story and the world, were the characters, mainly the female characters. I enjoyed having strong female characters that navigated a world that is (partially) misogynistic. Also- there was no “not like other girls” or battles between women, just empowerment without rivalry.
And, another thing- the descriptions of characters appearance felt really sophisticated. Not unrealistic, but also not downputting or anything. And there was a certain fluidity, the FMC having some more “masculine” features like broad shoulders, etc. Refreshing to read and encouraging to read in a YA book!
Now, this is YA and while there is romance, there is no smut. I’m personally not a huge fan of smut, so i didn’t miss anything (more on the contrary, actually), but just fyi!
One of the best parts, besides the story and the world, were the characters, mainly the female characters. I enjoyed having strong female characters that navigated a world that is (partially) misogynistic. Also- there was no “not like other girls” or battles between women, just empowerment without rivalry.
And, another thing- the descriptions of characters appearance felt really sophisticated. Not unrealistic, but also not downputting or anything. And there was a certain fluidity, the FMC having some more “masculine” features like broad shoulders, etc. Refreshing to read and encouraging to read in a YA book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Torture
Minor: Child death and Misogyny
aas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Physical abuse, and Violence
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Torture
Minor: Gore, Slavery, and Cursing
jackierabbit's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Some of the writing in this book is gorgeous. I really mean it.
Spoiler-free examples:
“But he was the Prince of Death, Amir al-Maut, as his mother had once called him in the old tongue, and good night always felt like goodbye.” P. 303
“Somewhere in the distance, a bird cried. Zafira couldn’t breathe past the delight expanding in her chest.” P. 318
But most of the writing is, in my opinion, akin to Tumblr poetry circa 2012. And it’s so repetitive.
Spoiler-free examples:
“She was going mad. She was the daughter of a madwoman, the daughter of a madman. Madness lived in her blood. That was the only explanation for this.” P. 187
“I have
to get out of
the way.” P. 222
(Yes, it’s really formatted like that. This occurs several more times.)
“She needed to lie down. What was she, an old man? She didn’t need to lie down.” P. 250
Examples with spoilers:
(Also on page 299, we see the phrases “Weariness and wariness,” and “trekked and tracked.” Someone was feeling alliterative.)
Because this is already fairly lengthy, I won’t get into my opinions of the characters, the romance, the plot, or the world-building. To sum it up: I don’t like it. The one shining light was the Arabic. Habibi is my favorite term of endearment and one we should be using more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent and Misogyny
Minor: Child death
katievallin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, War, and Domestic abuse