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baksaydora's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
This book was meh for me. The setting was beautiful, but I found that the author described mostly the food and sometimes the outfits too much for my taste. It took me almost halfway through the book to grow attached to Fatima, as for Zulfikar... I did not like him, but didn't hate him either. Fatima's sister I don't like, and I only beginning to like Bhavya towards the end.
The romance was nothing special, my main complaint about it is that I did not got the impression from Fatima, that he was actually in love with Zulfikar through her actions that much.
It didn't needed this much POV, Zulfikar, and Fatima would have been enough, and we could have seen the things through their eyes, which could have strenghten their bond.
The romance was nothing special, my main complaint about it is that I did not got the impression from Fatima, that he was actually in love with Zulfikar through her actions that much.
It didn't needed this much POV, Zulfikar, and Fatima would have been enough, and we could have seen the things through their eyes, which could have strenghten their bond.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Child death
Minor: War
booksthatburn's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Zulfakir bonds with Fatima's fire to save her life before they know each other at all. This means Fatima's attraction, while eventually genuine, lags behind Zulfikar's bond to her, and the trajectory of their relationship resembles a political or otherwise arranged marriage where the couple become close after they're already linked. I like this and adjacent tropes, so I enjoyed their romance immensely. Because it's not actually an arranged marriage, there are some associated secondary tropes that play out less predictably in enjoyable ways.
The female characters are complex and vibrant, even (or perhaps especially) when at pursuing contradictory aims. The Alif sisters appear often as a unit, but each of them get brief moments as distinct people outside of their connection. I was treated as a part of a similar unit as a child, and so I'm grateful that the narrative clearly does not think of them as interchangeable. There's a strong emphasis on women's rights and female empowerment, with women claiming control of their own bodies and asserting their right to take up space. These themes take into account misogynist efforts to stop them, but they are independent of what the male characters think about it. It's handled as a theme throughout with a few pointed scenes, making it obvious as a societal value with specific impacts, even if some misogynist characters think their repulsive actions will win out instead.
Most of the male characters are less distinct, having far less space in the narrative. By the end, I got a sense of who Zulfakir and Anwar are as people, but no real sense of the rest of the men. To me, this feels like the right emphasis for this story and I'm not bothered by it, but I did want to note it (especially in contrast to how well we get to know most of the women).
The worldbuilding is detailed, taking seriously that the various characters are part of that world. There are at least two scenes where characters who spent time living on the street give a walking tour to one of the nobility. These moments double as opportunities to show the reader even more of the city, and from a more intimate perspective. There are descriptions of clothes and food from a variety of religions and cultures, humans and djinn, making the city feel alive and vibrant. The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job, the audiobook is excellent.
The plot builds slowly, focusing on conversations between people as they go about their lives. It means that long stretches feel almost like a slice-of-life story, leaving me with no idea what the overall direction was, nor which scenes were important to the main plot. Much of the tension in the middle of the story is between Fatima and her adoptive sister, Sunaina, as Fatima has been suddenly and irrevocably changed but is unable to fully explain to her sister what happened. Even when the political intrigue plotline begins to surface, it's important but doesn't take over the narrative because no one thing is given primacy.
I'll definitely be checking out more by this author, this is an excellent story.
The female characters are complex and vibrant, even (or perhaps especially) when at pursuing contradictory aims. The Alif sisters appear often as a unit, but each of them get brief moments as distinct people outside of their connection. I was treated as a part of a similar unit as a child, and so I'm grateful that the narrative clearly does not think of them as interchangeable. There's a strong emphasis on women's rights and female empowerment, with women claiming control of their own bodies and asserting their right to take up space. These themes take into account misogynist efforts to stop them, but they are independent of what the male characters think about it. It's handled as a theme throughout with a few pointed scenes, making it obvious as a societal value with specific impacts, even if some misogynist characters think their repulsive actions will win out instead.
Most of the male characters are less distinct, having far less space in the narrative. By the end, I got a sense of who Zulfakir and Anwar are as people, but no real sense of the rest of the men. To me, this feels like the right emphasis for this story and I'm not bothered by it, but I did want to note it (especially in contrast to how well we get to know most of the women).
The worldbuilding is detailed, taking seriously that the various characters are part of that world. There are at least two scenes where characters who spent time living on the street give a walking tour to one of the nobility. These moments double as opportunities to show the reader even more of the city, and from a more intimate perspective. There are descriptions of clothes and food from a variety of religions and cultures, humans and djinn, making the city feel alive and vibrant. The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job, the audiobook is excellent.
The plot builds slowly, focusing on conversations between people as they go about their lives. It means that long stretches feel almost like a slice-of-life story, leaving me with no idea what the overall direction was, nor which scenes were important to the main plot. Much of the tension in the middle of the story is between Fatima and her adoptive sister, Sunaina, as Fatima has been suddenly and irrevocably changed but is unable to fully explain to her sister what happened. Even when the political intrigue plotline begins to surface, it's important but doesn't take over the narrative because no one thing is given primacy.
I'll definitely be checking out more by this author, this is an excellent story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexism, Stalking, Confinement, Dementia, Bullying, Xenophobia, Classism, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Animal death, Murder, Blood, Violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
alexisreads1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Every one of you needs to go read this book now
The magic system…loved it
The characters…love them
Romance…love it
Politics…damn
Betrayal…ouch
Ok first off the world building in this book is one of my favorites ever. It was so interesting and I loved the magic system.
I don’t know why this books is not more popular. Like I’ve never even seen it on TikTok. It’s so good.
I love the main character Fatima Ghazala, and she is Muslim. Something I really enjoyed about this book is that get actually see her practicing her faith which I loved because I don’t feel like that is really common in books especially fantasy. Like we see her getting up for prayers and celebrating Deepavali. I just loved seeing it all in a fantasy book.
They’re all bad bitches. Amazing relationships between all the women. Every one of them are amazing. Also found family. I love the dynamic of these characters. The Alif sisters are iconic.
You know Padme’s handmaidens in star wars that are secret body guards? Did you love that? Well…maybe you should read this book.
I love Zulfikar. I’m convinced that man has anxiety. You can’t convince me otherwise. And he’s a simp. Even before he realizes he’s a simp.
Nafiza Azad did an amazing job with this book
<b>TWs: Death, Murder, Violence, Grief, sexual harassment </b>
I’m definitely going to add to this review later but I needed to go ahead and say something about how amazing this book is.
The magic system…loved it
The characters…love them
Romance…love it
Politics…damn
Betrayal…ouch
Ok first off the world building in this book is one of my favorites ever. It was so interesting and I loved the magic system.
I don’t know why this books is not more popular. Like I’ve never even seen it on TikTok. It’s so good.
I love the main character Fatima Ghazala, and she is Muslim. Something I really enjoyed about this book is that get actually see her practicing her faith which I loved because I don’t feel like that is really common in books especially fantasy. Like we see her getting up for prayers and celebrating Deepavali. I just loved seeing it all in a fantasy book.
They’re all bad bitches. Amazing relationships between all the women. Every one of them are amazing. Also found family. I love the dynamic of these characters. The Alif sisters are iconic.
You know Padme’s handmaidens in star wars that are secret body guards? Did you love that? Well…maybe you should read this book.
I love Zulfikar. I’m convinced that man has anxiety. You can’t convince me otherwise. And he’s a simp. Even before he realizes he’s a simp.
Nafiza Azad did an amazing job with this book
<b>TWs: Death, Murder, Violence, Grief, sexual harassment </b>
I’m definitely going to add to this review later but I needed to go ahead and say something about how amazing this book is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death, Murder, Violence, and Grief
mandkips's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual harassment
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Genocide, Death of parent, Violence, Gore, Murder, Grief, Blood, and Misogyny
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War and Sexual harassment
noellelovesbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This review was first posted on my blog...
Back in May, a Booktok friend was celebrating his birthday month by randomly buying books off of his friends’ wishlists…I was one such lucky friend. Sadly, for myself and the book, I let this book sit unread on my shelf for entirely too long. After finishing this book, I was so embarrassed to not have read it sooner. To put it simply…I loved it!
This story is a stand-alone that you desperately wish had more volumes. The author did mention, on her Goodreads, that there is potential for a spin-off though she isn’t sure if she’ll make one. Fingers crossed she decides a spinoff is something she wants to do!
Loss is a big part of each character’s journey as they find their strength. In the very first chapter, a character thinks back on the loss of their child and how devastated they still are. If loss is something that’s hard for you to read about you may want to reconsider picking this book up. Granted none of the losses are graphically detailed it’s still brought up a lot as each of the characters we follow has suffered, in some way, from the loss of someone close to them.
From beginning to end this story is full of found family, finding your own inner strength, magic, difficult choices, and love (both familial and romantic). This book, mostly, centers on characters who are late teens and early twenties. As there really aren’t any graphic depictions of violence or romance I would say this book would be good for anyone who reads YA and up.
There are a lot of phrases, throughout the book, that may be unfamiliar but fear not there is a great glossary in the back. Personally, I really enjoyed reading through the book and, based on the situation, figuring out what the phrases (that I was unfamiliar with) meant without jumping to the glossary. When I finished reading and went through the glossary I was excited to see that I was thinking of the different terms correctly, or fairly closely.
The descriptions and world-building within this story will have you hungry for more stories…and delicious food. Honestly, some books should come with a warning to not read on an empty stomach. I loved how many cultures are represented within this story, as it’s set in a place where so many different cultures trade and live together.
If you’re looking for a phenomenal fantasy world with Djinn-related magic, found family, finding your inner strength, and making hard decisions for the good of all…look no further!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
astoryofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I was very impressed by the complexity of this world, in its structure and in its magic system, but I must admit that I did not manage to connect more than that with the characters. They seemed distant to me, especially the main character, Fatima Ghazala (I'm not going to lie to you, I was a little fed up after hearing her full name all the time but, anyway...). So, apart from Fatima Ghazala and Zulfikar, I don't remember the other names (and besides, while listening to this audiobook, I had trouble distinguishing the characters and spotting which storyline we were following). By the way, at the end of the audiobook (and I think this is also the case in the physical book), there was a list of all the characters. In my opinion, this shows that there is a little muddle in the very desire/necessity (?) to join this list. But this point is caught up by the strong messages of this book, especially the power of women, who are strong and proud, or the matriarchal system of the Ifrit. There is also a great place for family, friends, these other forms of love that are sometimes neglected. The descriptions were sumptuous, always accompanied by small details that are important. Another positive point, the romance, which did not take up too much space, which did not lock Fatima Ghazala away during the relationship, with a man at her side who did not try to control her. A very beautiful standalone, but also intense and dense. I had sometimes a little trouble getting into it at the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Violence, Death, Murder, Grief, and Sexual harassment
booksandprosecco's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Minor: Sexual harassment
shams96'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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Misogyny and Murder
Minor: Sexual harassment
onceuponabookcase's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad is a book I've been really looking forward to reading for such a long time! It sounded absolutely right up my street, and as expected, it was such a great read!
The Candle and the Flame is set in the city of Noor, along the Silk Road, in the country of Qirat. It follows the story of Fatima, a woman we discover in the prologue was orphaned as a four-year-old when her family was attacked by the djinn tribe, the Shayateen. The only reason Fatima survived is because Ghazala, an Ifrit, saves her, and in doing so, changes her irrevocably. Fatima was adopted by a family in Noor, but eight years ago, Shayateen came to Noor and massacred everyone, with only Fatima, her sister Sunaina, and one elderly woman surviving. The Maharajah at the time sought assistance from the Ifrit in defeating the Shayateen, but their assistance came too late. However, in order to keep the country of Qirat safe, a deal was struck that Qirat would be half ruled by the Maharajah, and half ruled by the Ifrit, with every city having it's own Ifrit Emir.
This is how things have been for the last eight years, humans and Ifrit living peaceably together. But when an Ifrit bookseller, Firdaus, who teaches Fatima languages, falls ill due to poison that will destroy his mind, in order to save everyone, Firdaus magically passes on a task to Fatima, before dying by suicide. In doing so, he sparks something in Fatima that changes who she is at her core. Because in order to save her all those years ago, Ghazala died by suicide, transfering her djinn fire to Fatima. Now her fire is awake, Fatima is now Fatima Ghazala, a human with djinn fire and with abilities needed by the Ifrit.
The world building in The Candle and the Flame is fantastic! I loved the history of the city and the country, but also Fatima Ghazala's own history. It's just so rich and lush and imaginative, I really loved it! The story is told from multiple perspectives, that of Fatima Ghazala and the Emir of Noor, Zulfikar, but also Sunaina, Fatima Ghazala's sister, Aarush, the young maharajah who came to the throne when his father and older brother died in battles against the Shayateen eight years ago, and his younger sister Bhavya. It was great getting all these different perspectives, of the various different subplots, and how they effected the main story.
The Candle and the Flame is set in the city of Noor, along the Silk Road, in the country of Qirat. It follows the story of Fatima, a woman we discover in the prologue was orphaned as a four-year-old when her family was attacked by the djinn tribe, the Shayateen. The only reason Fatima survived is because Ghazala, an Ifrit, saves her, and in doing so, changes her irrevocably. Fatima was adopted by a family in Noor, but eight years ago, Shayateen came to Noor and massacred everyone, with only Fatima, her sister Sunaina, and one elderly woman surviving. The Maharajah at the time sought assistance from the Ifrit in defeating the Shayateen, but their assistance came too late. However, in order to keep the country of Qirat safe, a deal was struck that Qirat would be half ruled by the Maharajah, and half ruled by the Ifrit, with every city having it's own Ifrit Emir.
This is how things have been for the last eight years, humans and Ifrit living peaceably together. But when an Ifrit bookseller, Firdaus, who teaches Fatima languages, falls ill due to poison that will destroy his mind, in order to save everyone, Firdaus magically passes on a task to Fatima, before dying by suicide. In doing so, he sparks something in Fatima that changes who she is at her core. Because in order to save her all those years ago, Ghazala died by suicide, transfering her djinn fire to Fatima. Now her fire is awake, Fatima is now Fatima Ghazala, a human with djinn fire and with abilities needed by the Ifrit.
The world building in The Candle and the Flame is fantastic! I loved the history of the city and the country, but also Fatima Ghazala's own history. It's just so rich and lush and imaginative, I really loved it! The story is told from multiple perspectives, that of Fatima Ghazala and the Emir of Noor, Zulfikar, but also Sunaina, Fatima Ghazala's sister, Aarush, the young maharajah who came to the throne when his father and older brother died in battles against the Shayateen eight years ago, and his younger sister Bhavya. It was great getting all these different perspectives, of the various different subplots, and how they effected the main story.
It was a little jarring at first how much Fatima changed when she became Fatima Ghazala, as the two halves of herself merged. She seemed to change so much; from a sweet, caring almost quiet young woman, to someone who seemed oddly formal, assertive, almost cold at first. But after a while, we do recognise Fatima in Fatima Ghazala, and she's such a wonderful character! I really loved that the change didn't go unnoticed, and seeing how Sunaina reacts to her. She is so conflicted, because this is not the Fatima she knows and loves, and on top of that, she also seems to be part djinn, and it was djinn who killed their parents. It was so well done, the way their relationship changes and how it develops from there, but ultimately, it's beautiful.
The focus is on Fatima Ghazala, and what the change in her means for the Ifrit, because Findaus had a very important role among the Ifrit, one that meant his identity was kept secret to all but a small number. But now Fatima has this role and his abilities, and her being a human with djinn fire could cause problems politically, but also physically; no-one knows if she will be physically up to the task. This leads to the Emir, Zulfikar, keeping a close eye on her, both for her safety and because she is much needed.
The focus is on Fatima Ghazala, and what the change in her means for the Ifrit, because Findaus had a very important role among the Ifrit, one that meant his identity was kept secret to all but a small number. But now Fatima has this role and his abilities, and her being a human with djinn fire could cause problems politically, but also physically; no-one knows if she will be physically up to the task. This leads to the Emir, Zulfikar, keeping a close eye on her, both for her safety and because she is much needed.
But through his perspective and that of the maharajah, Aarush, we get to see the interplay of court politics both for the ifrit and the humans, which I absolutely adored! It's kind of more of a subplot for most of the story, but I lapped it up. And I loved the addition of Bhavya, and seeing her story arc as part privileged princess who wants for nothing and doesn't see the poverty in her city, and part a princess who is expected to act how and do what she's told by her mother. She was incredible, really. Seeing her grow and actually step up when it's important was brilliant. She has to grow up very quickly at a certain point, and I just thought she was brilliant.
I do feel like the story lulled for a while, and not a huge amount happened. But with the number of narrators, certain aspects of the story had to slowly find their place. When I finished The Candle and the Flame and realised it was a stand alone, I was quite disappointed, as it felt like not a huge amount happened until the last quarter. But looking back, I do feel the pacing made sense for the story, and I'm now happier with it.
I'm not going to deny that I want another book. The last quarter was absolutely epic, and I'd love to see where the story could go next. I'd also love to see a story that follows Bhavya or Sunaina, and especially a story about the royal family specifically. Just more in general! I loved this book so much, and just don't want to leave this world! I really loved The Candle and the Flame and highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Grief
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