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wellreadjill_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and War
christalbotheindl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
3.0
I really liked the plot and main storyline of the book but found the writing and concerns of the characters to be incredibly repetitive. I feel like the book could have been half the length if you took out the characters naming the same internal struggles over and over again.
Also, it seemed like the main character fell in love or lust at some point with every single man in the book, no matter his relation to her. I don't know if that's how cisgender heterosexual allosexuals do or if that is incredibly unrealistic and was included for salacious content. I found it unnecessary and embarrassing for her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
solenekeleroux'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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Torture, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Misogyny
Minor: Animal death
elizabeth21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Rape
lillaea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
4,5 stars. I think this puts the slow in slow burn. I read this SO slowly to really comprehend it all and give me an enjoyable read, which it really did. I also read this with my book circle friends and we took turns reading and annotating it, I was last and found reading the comments and reactions so much fun!
To the story, it was so different from other books I've read and even other fantasy books. It dove deeply into Arab culture and traditions which I found super enjoyable and interesting. Trying to understand the environment, people and myths with each of their complex challenges and conflicts were definitely challenging but it helped to go back in the text or write down important things. The glossary was definitely a lifesaver too.
I loved the plot about the sisters, magic, the arz (which felt suspiciously similar to the fold), affinities, the prince of death, the hunter, the zumra and their mission. The way abuse both culturally and close relationships was portrayed was just incredible in this book, so well written and incorporated in the story.
What I didn't love was how long it was, and dense. It could have easily been a lot thinner, especially in the beginning or when they spent so many days on Sharr. And also easier to comprehend, I'm not saying to remove anything about the language or culture but to not make it so fucking confusing.
I cried so much over my poor babies Nasir and Zafira. Also Benyamin, fucking sobbed. It made me laugh so much too, especially Altair and Kifah. Them as a zumra just swelled my heart I loved it so much.
There are for sure some plot holes and I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending as I dedicated a ridiculous amount of time to this book and all I got was a halfassed ending with no spice and no magic. Fun.
Great read and I would love to read the sequel some day.
To the story, it was so different from other books I've read and even other fantasy books. It dove deeply into Arab culture and traditions which I found super enjoyable and interesting. Trying to understand the environment, people and myths with each of their complex challenges and conflicts were definitely challenging but it helped to go back in the text or write down important things. The glossary was definitely a lifesaver too.
What I didn't love was how long it was, and dense. It could have easily been a lot thinner, especially in the beginning or when they spent so many days on Sharr. And also easier to comprehend, I'm not saying to remove anything about the language or culture but to not make it so fucking confusing.
I cried so much over my poor babies Nasir and Zafira. Also Benyamin, fucking sobbed. It made me laugh so much too, especially Altair and Kifah. Them as a zumra just swelled my heart I loved it so much.
There are for sure some plot holes and I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending as I dedicated a ridiculous amount of time to this book and all I got was a halfassed ending with no spice and no magic. Fun.
Great read and I would love to read the sequel some day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
elthechameleon's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book has excellent world-building and is full of passages with stunning language and imagery - my favorites included the emaa scene and the interlude with Benyamin and Zafira. At other times, I felt that this book was hard to follow - not with vocabulary (the glossary made that easy), but in terms of the narrative flow. At times, I found myself unsure of how the characters got from one scene to the next and had to go back to read more carefully. These are, however, small things, and they feel very standard when considering this is this author's first book. There's so much promise that I can't wait to finish the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Abandonment, Grief, Death, and Death of parent
my_throne_of_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Torture
Minor: Child death and Animal death
cemeterygay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I adored this book so much for both the beautiful world it builds and the cast of characters we meet. The main plot is relatively simple but not to the book's detriment, if anything it allows both the world and characters to shine. There is a mild pacing issue in the beginning of the book.
For me, the main POV characters can make or break a book. Zafira and Nasir are amazing characters to read through their perspectives. You very quickly get a basic understanding of each character's motivations, personality, and challenges. The ability to so quickly empathize and understand each character really helps you root for each character and want them to succeed and just be okay. Even when Nasir or Zafira make choices that aren't the best, you can understand why these choices were made and The supporting cast of characters are also great and distinct. Altair in particular was a character I absolutely adored. He initially starts as more of a just humorous character but as you get to learn more about him, you understand just how deeply caring and impressive he is. Kifah and Benyamin were also great additions to the cast who had very different personalities which made reading the sections where they are on the island a lot easier to navigate. I also was very invested in the wellbeing of Zafira's family and friends and understood the loss both Benyamin and Nasir were experiencing throughout the novel.
I will say while the villain is definitely menacing, he just doesn't quite have the depth needed quite yet for me to rave about him.
The romance only was just starting to build but it was very fascinating watching the enemies to lovers arc. You can clearly tell that these are two people who have been forced into really terrible circumstances that lead to them ending up enemies when their goals are often times compatible and are just two people who want to do the best they can. So many scenes between them are either quite emotional or intense and I adored reading them.
I could not sing enough praise for both the world and the writing style. The two are not separable as if even one was poorer, the other would suffer. The rich descriptions and storytelling allow for the world which is incredibly well-designed to shine. I loved learning about the different affinities, the history of the world, and the culture of each caliphate. The history and knowledge are little intense in the beginning but I was very quickly able to adjust. The knowledge you receive either is incredibly relevant to the characters/plot or really helped to flesh out the world.
The pacing was just a bit too slow between Zafira receiving the quest and her then heading out to Sharr but beyond that I didn't have significant problems with the pacing.
Overall, I really adored this book and would absolutely recommend it.
For me, the main POV characters can make or break a book. Zafira and Nasir are amazing characters to read through their perspectives. You very quickly get a basic understanding of each character's motivations, personality, and challenges. The ability to so quickly empathize and understand each character really helps you root for each character and want them to succeed and just be okay. Even when Nasir or Zafira make choices that aren't the best, you can understand why these choices were made and The supporting cast of characters are also great and distinct. Altair in particular was a character I absolutely adored. He initially starts as more of a just humorous character but as you get to learn more about him, you understand just how deeply caring and impressive he is. Kifah and Benyamin were also great additions to the cast who had very different personalities which made reading the sections where they are on the island a lot easier to navigate. I also was very invested in the wellbeing of Zafira's family and friends and understood the loss both Benyamin and Nasir were experiencing throughout the novel.
I will say while the villain is definitely menacing, he just doesn't quite have the depth needed quite yet for me to rave about him.
The romance only was just starting to build but it was very fascinating watching the enemies to lovers arc. You can clearly tell that these are two people who have been forced into really terrible circumstances that lead to them ending up enemies when their goals are often times compatible and are just two people who want to do the best they can. So many scenes between them are either quite emotional or intense and I adored reading them.
I could not sing enough praise for both the world and the writing style. The two are not separable as if even one was poorer, the other would suffer. The rich descriptions and storytelling allow for the world which is incredibly well-designed to shine. I loved learning about the different affinities, the history of the world, and the culture of each caliphate. The history and knowledge are little intense in the beginning but I was very quickly able to adjust. The knowledge you receive either is incredibly relevant to the characters/plot or really helped to flesh out the world.
The pacing was just a bit too slow between Zafira receiving the quest and her then heading out to Sharr but beyond that I didn't have significant problems with the pacing.
Overall, I really adored this book and would absolutely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Misogyny, Child abuse, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gore, Animal death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Child death
CW: Ableist language, blackmail, death of a friend, death of a cousin, death of a mother, death of a father, death of a child (past), imprisonment/captivity, hunting, child neglect, attempted murder, dead bodiesaishallnot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 stars
I give WHTF 3.5 stars. First off, I really liked the premise of this book and how Hafsah showed two power-hungry individuals and their fight to prove themselves worthy of who they are. One, we have Zafira (who is such a badass) and to prove that she is capable of being a young woman and a huntress. She was also a loving person and even though she didn't see it at times, she cared for her people and I thought that was loving. As for Nasir, he kinda reminds me of Zuko from ATLA. If you have read this book and watched ATLA, you may see some comparisons. With that being said, Nasir wants to be different from his father (the Sultan) and find his purpose in what he believes.
I wanted to like this book. In fact, the book was leaning towards four stars but I had a hard time getting in tune with the story. Granted, this is her debut novel, so this isn't meant to be perfect. In the beginning, I was quite hooked on and I liked the pacing. Then Act 2 happened, and everything felt slow. I will say this book is character driven, especially in this particular act. But the last 10% of the book definitely started to pick back up. There were some plot twists that started to occur and one plot twist, in particular, I still can't wrap my head around. And the very ending??? Yeah, I can see why there's a sequel. Overall, I do like this book despite some issues. The chapters are really short, so I do recommend it if you like that. The writing is also really rich and beautiful you wouldn't even know this was a debut novel. I can't wait to see what Hafsah has in store as I plan on reading WFTS InshaAllah as well as her other works!!!
I give WHTF 3.5 stars. First off, I really liked the premise of this book and how Hafsah showed two power-hungry individuals and their fight to prove themselves worthy of who they are. One, we have Zafira (who is such a badass) and to prove that she is capable of being a young woman and a huntress. She was also a loving person and even though she didn't see it at times, she cared for her people and I thought that was loving. As for Nasir, he kinda reminds me of Zuko from ATLA. If you have read this book and watched ATLA, you may see some comparisons. With that being said, Nasir wants to be different from his father (the Sultan) and find his purpose in what he believes.
I wanted to like this book. In fact, the book was leaning towards four stars but I had a hard time getting in tune with the story. Granted, this is her debut novel, so this isn't meant to be perfect. In the beginning, I was quite hooked on and I liked the pacing. Then Act 2 happened, and everything felt slow. I will say this book is character driven, especially in this particular act. But the last 10% of the book definitely started to pick back up. There were some plot twists that started to occur and one plot twist, in particular, I still can't wrap my head around. And the very ending??? Yeah, I can see why there's a sequel. Overall, I do like this book despite some issues. The chapters are really short, so I do recommend it if you like that. The writing is also really rich and beautiful you wouldn't even know this was a debut novel. I can't wait to see what Hafsah has in store as I plan on reading WFTS InshaAllah as well as her other works!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Child abuse, and Death of parent
bumbee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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 Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Murder