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coffeekitaab's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Book 2 was incredible - Book 1 for comparison only was a slower read but in hindsight the introduction we needed before all the madness, action, drama and magic that unfolded in book 2. I adored the storyline and Altair is even more of a favourite after book 2, his trajectory in this book for me personally was gorgeous. His innuendos had me laughing out loud and his equation with Lana as a banter-ful duo was so fun to witness. Faizal did justice to stay true to the traits of each character, there were so many laugh out loud points, then I'd be riveted by emotion at tender moments within the characters, the loyalty of the zumra and the love between them was beautiful....I was then left in awe of the sudden plot twists which came out of nowhere and took my breath away. Simply, wow.
This is a 4.75 star for me - Nasir's hesitancy and indecisiveness in the beginning. I get it is his character and arguably, the 2nd half of the book left me vindicated but the guy is so frustrating at times. For all selfish purposes, I was also left wanting for something to happen between Yasmine and Altair - weirdly had picked up on some energy in the Epilogue of Book 1 and was craving it throughout Book 2, the suspense around their meeting left a void in me and as the writing is so brilliant, I knew that I would have loved this equation no matter what direction Faizal had taken with it/what that introduction would look like - the book would have absolutely been a five star for me! I have my fingers crossed for a book 3 with these two as the main characters...eek! In summary though, I want to congratulate Hafsah Faizal at penning this one down, an absolute mastermind in delivering a powerful, fierce, emotive and magical piece of writing. Kudos!!
After this and A Tempest of Tea, I am absolutely a fan - cannot wait for Faizal's next!
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Death, War, Blood, Body horror, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, and Grief
camiclarkbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
On an unrelated note, there were a lot of instances where a character gave a two finger salute and jogged backwards. Which seems very specific to me.
Minor: Medical content, Blood, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
julierambaeck's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Torture and Fire/Fire injury
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
- 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
But, this was very slow, it meanders for the better part of the first half. The second half redeems the book for me, at least, in terms of actually getting on with the plot.
If you want a good slow burn fantasy-romance with cool world building based on Arabian legends, this duology would be a good one to try!
Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
sammuraichan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Mental illness, and Sexism
Minor: War and Xenophobia
joensign's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Confinement, Sexism, and Misogyny
booksanna's review against another edition
- 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
The characters were so developed and human. They felt like real immaginable characters that suffered and lived humanely. I loved Yasmene’s character and her friendship with Zafira. It felt so realistic and human, absolutely beautiful. I loved every single character and would write a whole paragraph for each. In fact, that is what i will do.
Zafira, the huntress, the fair gazelle, the main character. She is a marvel. Her passion to help those around her truly bled through every instance of her in the book. Her emotions and her titles were so well developed. Her pure heart truly stayed pure in the book filled with evil.
Nasir, the prince of death, the heir to the throne, the caliph of Sarasin. This guy is such a sweetheart. His character development was so fulfilling, I cried more than once just because of him. Realizing how far he has come from abuse shows that your abuse doesn’t define you. He is such an important character not just for Zafira’s development, but for the book’s development. He made this journey of restoring magic even more eventful and wholesome. I loved the ending if the book because the decision fit him so well. "People lived because he breathed" will always haunt me forever. So proud of him.
Yasmene was an unsusual character that i first was skeptical of. Now I realsie the importance of her in Zafira’s life and admire her strength even more. She truly added beauty to this book. Although her story didn’t start well, I know her life was meaningfull to Arawiya.
Altair, the son of none, the you know who. First of I love the way the neding mended him. It was truly the best choice for him
Kifah, one of the nine. She’s good very good. I love her character and her personality. She looked for vengeance and she found family. How beautiful is that. Her presence in the book was necessary and i lover bery much. Her character truly depicts a different kind of woman that doesn’t get represented a lot in ya literature and I appreciate her presence enhancing the story.
Anddddd the Jawarat. Nothing to say, except that Jarawat as a character was unexpected, but much needed. My personal favorite character.
Honorable mentions go to the random nurse lady, Aya, Jinan, Lana, Misk, Seif, Lion of the Night, Muzafar, and any other character that was too insignificant to receive a paragraph of writing. You guys were awesome too.
The setting, the plot, the ending, — flawless. I am speechless, and cannot describe in detail the mastery with which this book was written with.
The philosophy behind this was delectable. And the humor was good too.
In conclusion, I am not asking you to read this masterpiece (after reading the first one), I AM PLEADING WITH YOU. Please read this, for my and Arawiya’s sake, for Sultan’s teeth. You will not regret.
Graphic: Gore, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, War, Torture, Genocide, Blood, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
tinysierra's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Did someone order slow burn?
It’s not my favorite trope personally, but there was no denying it was really well done.
Faizal writes such strong romantic and platonic bonds between characters. The way she writes about love… Whew. So many quotable moments. Also… casual aromantic representation in fantasy? Yes, please.
Again, I love all the characters. The zurma. Altair truly is the embodiment of sunshine. I laughed out loud so much at all their banter.
I think to truly appreciate this book in full, I’ll need to reread it after I’ve processed all that happened. It was good. I’m glad it was a duology instead of a trilogy.
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood, War, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Misogyny
aklovekorn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, War, and Sexism
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Child death