Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Final Strife

Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

56 reviews

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

one of THE fantasy books ever made truly this shit is so goddamn incredible. the characters are so richly made, the commentary on addiction and the perils of empire, the action, the lesbians!!!!!! so fucking well done. can’t wait to read the next one

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musebeliever's review against another edition

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slow-paced

1.0

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I could not get on board with too many things. The book is clearly not for me, and some aspects were too flawed for me to get into the story.

I really liked the idea of the two protagonists being swapped at birth and was curious about how it would play out in their lives. However, I was not at all on board with the magic system relying on a biological element. This has big chosen one and essentialism vibes, which I just could not deal with.

I also struggled with the writing style and the characterisation. The fact that we are privy to every single thought created, in my opinion, very unidimensional characters. Despite this shower of information, some of Sylah's actions just do not make sense to me, and too much of the plot relies on Sylah's poor choice or negligence. I can understand this happening once or twice, but how am I to believe that we are in the presence of the person who will overthrow an empire. This did not work for me.

I found everything very bleak, which makes sense for a dystopia, but also extremely heavy-handed. This read like YA to me, which is not my favourite writing style. The clues as to where the plot is going are underlined and surrounded by blinking lights.

I was also taken aback by the inconsistence in tone. There is a moment in the book when Sylah reminisces her tragic past while she watches the new tyrants of the Empire being chosen. She looks at one of them and thinks, "68 never looked so good." This sounded taken out of a gossip instagram reel commenting the Met gala. It felt really out of place. There were many moments like this when I was thrown off by sudden tone changes that did not match the atmosphere of a chapter. It feels like the book has not been edited.

Finally, fatphobia and foodshaming are frankly painful to read and so unnecessary. Sylah calls Anoor the lump, foodshames her, finds her dresses ridiculous because they are big. She seems to justify her fatphobia because she thinks that Anoor is fat because she is rich and privileged. This does not seem to be coherent as Anoor is mocked by her peers. The author also depicts her as a bit silly. Someone who chooses her seat in a room to have a better view on the dishes that are being served. We are clearly supposed to find that funny. Let's be serious one minute.

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poseidons_siren's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

All in all it was a good book, I won't deny that. It was super diverse, tackled systemic oppression and colonialism and cultural erasure in a fantastic way, I don't think I liked the FMC as much as I thought I would but I can also see how her abrasive personality is by design. Idk, I can't and won't say anything bad about it because it is a GREAT book, I think I just may be the problem here.

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thesinginglights's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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mar's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

3.0

I enjoyed this, though not as much as I expected I would. There's a very fun subversion of the Chosen One trope, the worldbuilding is nicely done and with a couple very memorable elements, and the story incorporates and explores topics of oppression and class division well.

What I struggled with was the immaturity of the characters, which made it feel too much like reading a YA novel 😭 I found they got on my nerves a lot, but with time I did get a bit invested in both the slowburn romance and Anoor's success in the Aktibar, so I guess it wasn't all that bad. (Also: I adore a deadly magical competition, and with how much time was spent training for each trial it would've been nice to spend a little more time on the actual events themselves).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

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kathyreadsalot's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense 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

4.0

*Spoilers!* So I was a bit skeptical about this when I started. It is definitely heavy with very early mentions of

slave labor, torture, maiming, child abuse and whipping/beatings etc

and the overall like tone of how the kingdom hierarchy is set up is brutal. It can a bit gory in parts as well.

What I liked: the overall story has promise and it was intriguing enough for me to finish; the LGBTQ+ representation, the political intrigue, the plot twists at the end and the character development of Sylah, Anoor and Hassa. I am definitely looking forward to reading Book 2 because i am keen to see how the story progresses.

What I didn’t like: the pacing of the middle part of the book was a bit too slow at times especially during the training scenes with Anoor and Sylah, how Anoor’s weight was treated at times, and that we didn’t get equal treatment of Hassa’s storyline vs Anoor & Sylah.

If you are not in the mood for oppresive and violent government regimes as part of the story lines, I would say skip this one.

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zaqlovesbooks's review

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challenging 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

5.0

Even though the book is definitely published and has a freaking sequel out. I would love to thank the publisher for giving me early copy on netgalley to review.

In a world where everyone is segregated by their blood. We’re following Sylah, whom I can’t recall her blood type is someone who struggles with keeping a job and her addiction to drug known as joba seeds. In the aftermath of finding out someone whom she thought was dead, she finds Anooor. The daughter of warden of strength. Making a deal we’re following the both of them as they navigate trying to help one another accomplish their goals.

So far I really love the world building, the characters and overall how rich the descriptions are. It just screams living and breathing. Even the characters feel like people who you meet in real life. I love realistic characters in a non realistic world. I also like how it’s handled with our mc having to find a way to get her stuff done. I’m really into this book.

And don’t like I can’t believe it took so long to get to to this book. There’s literally a whole sequel out. I’m not requesting for any arcs until I finished the ones I have.

My favorite character has to be Hassa, she literally has to put up with Syrah like a lot. Of there’s so many characters who I find interesting but definitely she stands out.

I’m surprise how in depth and interesting this book was. From the characters, the lore, its world, and overall how everything affects one another.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves really high fantasy novels with so diversity that i can’t describe this story in one word.

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starsincline's review against another edition

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4.0

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bookcaptivated's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.75

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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? No

4.0

Honestly, when Samantha Shannon blurbs a book, it's a pretty automatic "check it out" for me. Plus, I have been really loving how much more mainstream fantasy/sci-fi inspired by African and Arabian and other non-Western traditions has become (I mean, there's still a long way to go, but progress is good). So, basically, deciding to read this was not a tough call. Of course, with a novel this length (and knowing that it was starting a trilogy that hasn't been fully released yet, which I'm always hesitant about because waiting is hard and I hate cliffhangers), I had to be mentally ready for the undertaking, so there was a delay between purchasing and picking up the novel. But here we are.

The Warden's Empire has a very strict caste system, based on the color of one's blood. Sylah was stolen as a child from her upper class (red-blooded) family home. She was raised by the resistance and intensely trained with the goal of infiltrating the ruling class' tight-fisted rule from the inside. But years ago, her family was brutally murdered and since then, she's been purposeless, just barely finding the will to survive. Anoor has spent years being told by her mother (who happens to also be a high ranking official in the empire) that she is useless, a disappointment, not the child her mother wanted (secretly blue-blooded). When Sylah and Anoor meet, they find connection in their goals, their need to make a mark and prove their worth, if not their understanding of or experience with the world. And over time, they realize their experiences as outsiders in their own way(s) may have left them with more in common, and a greater emotional connection, than they'd thought. Alongside their unfolding story, we meet Hassa, one of the translucent-blooded serving class, whose hands and tongue were cut off like all her people's have been for generations. Hiding her people's many secrets, and working to lead them towards their own goals to take down and escape from the Warden's rule, she joins her knowledge and forces with Sylah and Anoor. Working together, from their different skill sets and angles, these three women may be able to bring on the power shifts and revolutionary changes they've all long dreamt of.

For the first few chapters of this novel, I was super hesitant. The world-building felt basic and easy, and while I totally understand that all the best fantasy worlds are conceptually built upon the familiar (which are very uniform in their "powerful people taking advantage of other people in imperialistic ways"), it was the writing of it too. I feel like there is a way to make the familiar compelling, and not "expected." The point being, the beginning had me feeling unsure about how this would stand up to the hype. However, thankfully, it turns out that it was just the set-up at the start that felt that way (which is perhaps in part due to the debut nature of this novel - that sort of rudimentary communication of the fundamentals of the world, as opposed to a more sophisticated interweaving of those world-building details with early character and plot development). Also of note, as with all reviews, this is just my opinion, so others may not have felt the same about the opening. But in any case, I'm thrilled to report that after those first few chapters, the intricacies of the world, a nuanced and compelling character development, and a settling-in to the pacing and plot unfolding, picked up and had me fully invested.

And let me just take an extra moment to say how much I appreciated that nuance and intricacy in the central characters and the world they live in. I was so impressed by how El-Arifi built each of their motivations because, as with all people (and especially for these characters within this story), their relationships and loyalties and emotions and choices are complex. Like, are your ties with blood or those you grew up around, and who is better placed to disrupt a system (and is it even possible to fully do that from only one angle)? Like, how can you simultaneously be jealous of what should have been yours and fight to tear down the systems that created it in the first place? Like, while there are absolutely those who bear a greater blame/role, is there ever anyone who is not, in some way, part of the problem...and can therefore be part of the situation, in their own way? The look at how class structures are not black and white - or red/blue/clear, as it were - yet there is some sweeping privilege that must be recognized, regardless of other characteristics, is thorough and necessary. And oooooof, overall what a commentary on the dangers of misunderstandings/assumptions that come with enforced separations amongst different peoples (as a concerted effort of those in power to retain said power it's horribly parallel to "real life" and, as much, carries important messages to readers). But anyways, basically this is all to say that I *loved* the way the Anoor, Hassa and Sylah developed separately and intertwined. Their growth was paced in a believable way and their emotional struggles (both in connecting and in not wanting to connect) felt genuine in both its difficulty and depth. I cannot wait to see where they each go from here and in what ways they come back together...or not.

Plot-wise, this novel delivered as well. There was a building of tension and stakes consistently from beginning to end, with the structure of the trials as a great way to have smaller builds/releases within the greater context. It's not a totally original set-up, for sure, but it was well-executed. And while I was cautious about how it would play out, really hoping for it to be realistic (within this world, obviously), I was pleased with how El-Arifi unfolded it all without anything too "easy" as far as plot devices. Also, alongside the main plotline of the trials, there were a number of smaller stories unfolding, many related to the ruthless violence and lying as a basis for this society/empire. The foreshadowing of how those lies coming to light will upend everything from the current system *as well as* the fight to bring that system down built well in and around the primary plot line. Finally, there were quite a few reveals at the end (and while some definitely weren't a surprise, some were unexpected), and I loved that they have me fully invested in where everything goes from here, BUT with enough of a wrap that I, a natural born hater of overdramatic cliffhangers (like seriously, if you write a story well enough, I will want to know what happens next without the need for all the characters to be left in a precarious and doomed situation) am happy with it.

So basically, this is a really high quality opening to a new fantasy trilogy with lots of action, great character development of an awesome trio of female leads (I'm totally here for this type of complicated-strong heroine-dominated story - give me *all* of that), new (to me) and wonderful cultural inspiration on well-loved fantasy tropes, and a set-up for a story that I really want to know the rest of.

“Love gives you strength, but retribution gives you purpose.”

“How nice it is to be so blinded by your own riches that you can't see whose back your home is built upon.”

“When money is everything, everything is for sale.”

“His eyes crinkled with the wisdom of other people’s stories.” (What a description for educators/librarians, so much love!)

“We cannot reclaim what’s ours without help from those who oppress us.”

“If we forget the individual, we forget ourselves.”

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