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jyothym's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved it! That being said it is a very classic fantasy book - a group of people going on an "impossible" quest to retrieve a stolen artifact, but there were a couple things that made it stand out enough for me to give it a five star review.
First of all I loved the inspiration from ancient Arabia and how it reflected on Zafira's world, the language, the culture, and the character design. I love to see woc authors winning.
Zafira is such a strong female lead with a lot of heart. I can't help but love her. She doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone on the outside, but reading from her perspective revealed the hidden vulnerabilities that made her relatable and so easy to root for. I loved the whole conversation about how there is nothing inherently powerful in pretending to be a man. Zafira embracing and revealing that she is a woman is one of the bravest things she does in this book. Her strength in fighting, intelligence, and resilience are allowed to coexist with her more feminine and vulnerable traits, like her growing sympathy for Nasir and the other characters. It's a refreshing perspective when YA literature is increasingly pushing the narrative that strength is defined by a proximity to maleness. But my favorite thing ever is how the others are so afraid of her:
“Don’t think,” she snapped. (p. 211)
Did she stutter? If I were them I would never speak again. And then there's THIS:
Her eyes dimmed. “Did you think I expected you to marry me after a kiss, Sultani?” Her voice was torn, satisfying him before her words registered. “The last man who proposed to me didn’t even get to kiss me.” (p. 431)
OHH MY GODDD. I love her so much. Also this scene was so painful but it's ok because Miss Faizal blessed us with this line.
Of course I have to take this opportunity to talk about the second lead, Nasir. I like to think it's pretty hard to get me to actually like a male lead in a YA fantasy, but I have to say I spent at least a fourth of this book just feeling so incredibly sad for him. I never thought I would say this but can this man have one moment of fleeting happiness?! His character background so interesting because he's such a perfect example of a good morally grey character. Can a person with this much blood on his hands ever be truly forgiven? Was Altair right to blame him for the torture Kulsum endured? His inner conflict between being ruthless and loving is so heartbreaking. He's so dedicated to putting on this image of being cold and untouchable, but Zafira completely undoes that:
He paused 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. Or something like that. Nasir was no poet. And though she held his gaze unflinchingly, some part of her had retreated. Did his scars repulse her? Did he repulse her? (p.294)
First of all Nasir yes you are a poet. Second of all HOW COULD HE SAY THIS. I am on the floor.
Then the plot twist with the Silver Witch being his mother.
He had endured it all, every fabricated instance of love and respect and emotion. Because no matter what, his mother’s love had always been real. (p. 415)
And then it wasn't real! Well technically it was. But he felt like it wasn't. Either way please give this dude literally one good thing. Ok one more quote of me just feeling bad for Nasir:
“Do you intend to kill me?” he asked. The sadness returned, pulling at his heart. Was there no one who truly loved him? (p. 431)
Sobbing and shaking! <3
Final general thoughts on the book. The ending has me thinking Altair's character is going to change A LOT in the next book - maybe he's driven a little insane/evil from being imprisoned by the Lion guy. Yasmine's pledge to kill him??? First of all yes queen you are so right to feel that way. Second of all NOOOO. Something's definitely going to go wrong there. This was a great YA fantasy with beautiful writing, definitely a little slower paced than I'm used to and more character than plot driven. So excited to read the next one. 5/5 stars!!!
First of all I loved the inspiration from ancient Arabia and how it reflected on Zafira's world, the language, the culture, and the character design. I love to see woc authors winning.
Zafira is such a strong female lead with a lot of heart. I can't help but love her. She doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone on the outside, but reading from her perspective revealed the hidden vulnerabilities that made her relatable and so easy to root for. I loved the whole conversation about how there is nothing inherently powerful in pretending to be a man. Zafira embracing and revealing that she is a woman is one of the bravest things she does in this book. Her strength in fighting, intelligence, and resilience are allowed to coexist with her more feminine and vulnerable traits, like her growing sympathy for Nasir and the other characters. It's a refreshing perspective when YA literature is increasingly pushing the narrative that strength is defined by a proximity to maleness. But my favorite thing ever is how the others are so afraid of her:
“Don’t think,” she snapped. (p. 211)
Did she stutter? If I were them I would never speak again. And then there's THIS:
Her eyes dimmed. “Did you think I expected you to marry me after a kiss, Sultani?” Her voice was torn, satisfying him before her words registered. “The last man who proposed to me didn’t even get to kiss me.” (p. 431)
OHH MY GODDD. I love her so much. Also this scene was so painful but it's ok because Miss Faizal blessed us with this line.
Of course I have to take this opportunity to talk about the second lead, Nasir. I like to think it's pretty hard to get me to actually like a male lead in a YA fantasy, but I have to say I spent at least a fourth of this book just feeling so incredibly sad for him. I never thought I would say this but can this man have one moment of fleeting happiness?! His character background so interesting because he's such a perfect example of a good morally grey character. Can a person with this much blood on his hands ever be truly forgiven? Was Altair right to blame him for the torture Kulsum endured? His inner conflict between being ruthless and loving is so heartbreaking. He's so dedicated to putting on this image of being cold and untouchable, but Zafira completely undoes that:
He paused 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. Or something like that. Nasir was no poet. And though she held his gaze unflinchingly, some part of her had retreated. Did his scars repulse her? Did he repulse her? (p.294)
First of all Nasir yes you are a poet. Second of all HOW COULD HE SAY THIS. I am on the floor.
Then the plot twist with the Silver Witch being his mother.
He had endured it all, every fabricated instance of love and respect and emotion. Because no matter what, his mother’s love had always been real. (p. 415)
And then it wasn't real! Well technically it was. But he felt like it wasn't. Either way please give this dude literally one good thing. Ok one more quote of me just feeling bad for Nasir:
“Do you intend to kill me?” he asked. The sadness returned, pulling at his heart. Was there no one who truly loved him? (p. 431)
Sobbing and shaking! <3
Final general thoughts on the book. The ending has me thinking Altair's character is going to change A LOT in the next book - maybe he's driven a little insane/evil from being imprisoned by the Lion guy. Yasmine's pledge to kill him??? First of all yes queen you are so right to feel that way. Second of all NOOOO. Something's definitely going to go wrong there. This was a great YA fantasy with beautiful writing, definitely a little slower paced than I'm used to and more character than plot driven. So excited to read the next one. 5/5 stars!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
aklovekorn's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
tomoonarmy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Stalking, and Violence
book_loving_dragon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Abandonment, Death of parent, Death, and Violence
Moderate: War, Misogyny, Sexism, and Blood
bri__'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this book, the chapters are versatile being both long and short and the dual pov was captivating. I was deeply enraptured in the writing style and main relationship of the characters. I will say I did not expect the plot twists and I found the main conflict scene to be very fast paced compared to the build up but other than that I found this to be an entertaining read and im anticipating the pure pain of the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, War, Child death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Torture
edilyaaang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I was so excited to read this book because it got so many good reviews only to be disappointed by the story. At first I disliked Nasir. How can someone be an assassin and be so weak-willed at the same time. My blood boiled when he said the lines "I wanted my father's approval so I became a monster" like wtf is wrong with you! I know he had a terrible time growing up but it's not like he lost his compassion. He still knows what he is doing for his evil father was wrong and it breaks his heart evertime he kills someone innocent but he does it anyway so that his dad can love him wtf. I got soooo tempted to drop the book a third of the way but then things got exciting so I pushed through. But then I started disliking Zafira. It's like she just can't make up her mind. She's all for camaraderie one moment then cold and angry the next. Despite everything the gang has been through, she just can't trust anyone and is always full of suspicion which in turn affects the groups dynamic. Not to mention she was sooo useless at the battle in the end, she can't even keep the Jawarat safe for pete's sake! There were tons of times that I wanted to just throw the book out of frustration and give up on it but I was nearing the end so I just gritted my teeth and tried my best to finish the book. Whew, what a journey. I heard the 2nd book is waaaaaaay better than this though so I look forward to reading that but this one drove me nuts. Lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Sexism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Classism, and Gaslighting
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book gave me strong high fantasy vibes. I spent the first while confused because so many names, nicknames, words, and languages were thrown at me and although I got more used to it as the book went on even by the end I was still confused. That’s on me I’m sure as the reader but I also didn’t enjoy the romance (either of them) or the characters, or the fight scenes.. I dunno this was a dark high fantasy but I didn’t connect to any of it and the constant pov change and many tiny chapters felt exhausting to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Genocide, Physical abuse, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Child death, Classism, and Misogyny
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
Title of review: get the audiobook!
I listened to only the audiobook for the first ~25% and then finished the rest in one day by doing a combo of audiobook + reading a physical copy (the first time I've done that which I did enjoy). That first 25% was pretty slow going only on audiobook, and I definitely made use of the author/book's website to look up the map and the terminology/characters many many times as I was quite confused with what words meant (wish these were in the physical book for easy reference, idk how people get through without it).
The narrators (one for each MC POV) were fantastic - and I definitely think it added to the drama and action/pacing of the latter part of the book. I especially love how the narrator does Altair's voice, it's just perfect and def made him my fav character. The beginning is very slow and not even just because of world building, just like...nothing happens? for a while. Once the quest actually begins the story does pick up and then probably the final half of the book things really get more interesting with the introduction of additional characters, and their interplay/relationships/camaraderie building. By the end I didn't want to put it down, but the ending did feel a bit abrupt. And for that reason I feel like I have to continue reading the series because nothing is resolved at all.
Some romance: enemies to lovers, pretty slow burn (it's YA) 0-1/5 spiceonly a kiss . This is not the main focus of the plot.
I did find the history of the world (the 6 sisters, how magic works) a bit confusing, but I think it's intentionally donesince so much is revealed about who characters are and their relationships as the story progresses.
I likely wouldn't have rated it at 4 stars if I hadn't done the audiobook, but kudos to the publisher for getting great narrators! I'll definitely be doing book 2 on audio also.
I listened to only the audiobook for the first ~25% and then finished the rest in one day by doing a combo of audiobook + reading a physical copy (the first time I've done that which I did enjoy). That first 25% was pretty slow going only on audiobook, and I definitely made use of the author/book's website to look up the map and the terminology/characters many many times as I was quite confused with what words meant (wish these were in the physical book for easy reference, idk how people get through without it).
The narrators (one for each MC POV) were fantastic - and I definitely think it added to the drama and action/pacing of the latter part of the book. I especially love how the narrator does Altair's voice, it's just perfect and def made him my fav character. The beginning is very slow and not even just because of world building, just like...nothing happens? for a while. Once the quest actually begins the story does pick up and then probably the final half of the book things really get more interesting with the introduction of additional characters, and their interplay/relationships/camaraderie building. By the end I didn't want to put it down, but the ending did feel a bit abrupt. And for that reason I feel like I have to continue reading the series because nothing is resolved at all.
Some romance: enemies to lovers, pretty slow burn (it's YA) 0-1/5 spice
I did find the history of the world (the 6 sisters, how magic works) a bit confusing, but I think it's intentionally done
I likely wouldn't have rated it at 4 stars if I hadn't done the audiobook, but kudos to the publisher for getting great narrators! I'll definitely be doing book 2 on audio also.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Minor: Child death and Injury/Injury detail
vanessa_v's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
even though it did take me almost a month to read it and the first half of the book was really slow, the other half saved it! i couldn't put this book down and once the story got more interesting i was reading without stopping and i absolutely fell in love with the characters and their different personalities. i do think that the magic system was a bit confusing but i'm hoping that it will get clearer in the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
skyllarduncan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Torture