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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Not sure who recommended this book to me, but I am glad they did. I was happily surprised at how good it was. Nice storyline and cast of characters. I will look for the next in the series to continue the adventure.
Such a gorgeously written book. 5 stars is the least I can do
This book read as... very cookie cutter YA. It has potential. It just feels like so much was handled only at a surface level (character relationships, death/grief, world-building). It came off as more gimmicky than I would have liked.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
This one is my fault for picking up a known YA book, knowing that YA is not my preferred genre. That being said, towards the end of the story I was entertained enough.
The book opens with Zafira, who is the only who can hunt in the magical Arz forest that devoures anyone else who sets foot inside. Nasir, the crown prince, is an abused boy trained from childhood to be an assasin is sent to kill the Hunter after she retrieve the lost book that would bring magic back to the world. But as they journey together and meet relectant allies their anomosity towards each other begins to thaw.
The concept of the world is original and fresh, drawing from ancient Arabian culture, the author weaves a world that is distinct and unique. Unfortunately this is where the uniqueness ends. The rest of the book is filled with narrative and character tropes carefully placed according to the most generic fantasy story formula.
The pacing is slow and it takes a while to really get started, there is far too much exposition and obvious foreshadowing. The prose tries to be long winded and poetic, but that style does not suit the narrative so it ends up feeling dense and out of place.
When it comes the the characters, there is no originality or depth in any of them. Not every single character needs to have a tragic backstory to be motivated and three dimensional. The chemistry and dynamics between the characters seemed forced and not organic at all. The author wanted to write a found family trope, but instead showing us how each character came to care for the rest, she keeps telling us that they are 'the gang'. I also didn't really believe Nasir was an assassin, I was told he was, but it didn't come across naturally, nor did I find it believable that Altair was a general. This applies to pretty much all characters, they felt too young and immature for the occupations they held.
Many of the plot points develop unnaturally only for the sole purpose of the author shipping her characters. There is a lot of random, confusing moments meant to increase mystery and tension, but ended up being more annoying and unnecessary than intriguing.
Overall, this book fell very flat for me, but the tropes in it will be of interest to anyone who is a fan YA romantic fantasy.
The book opens with Zafira, who is the only who can hunt in the magical Arz forest that devoures anyone else who sets foot inside. Nasir, the crown prince, is an abused boy trained from childhood to be an assasin is sent to kill the Hunter after she retrieve the lost book that would bring magic back to the world. But as they journey together and meet relectant allies their anomosity towards each other begins to thaw.
The concept of the world is original and fresh, drawing from ancient Arabian culture, the author weaves a world that is distinct and unique. Unfortunately this is where the uniqueness ends. The rest of the book is filled with narrative and character tropes carefully placed according to the most generic fantasy story formula.
The pacing is slow and it takes a while to really get started, there is far too much exposition and obvious foreshadowing. The prose tries to be long winded and poetic, but that style does not suit the narrative so it ends up feeling dense and out of place.
When it comes the the characters, there is no originality or depth in any of them. Not every single character needs to have a tragic backstory to be motivated and three dimensional. The chemistry and dynamics between the characters seemed forced and not organic at all. The author wanted to write a found family trope, but instead showing us how each character came to care for the rest, she keeps telling us that they are 'the gang'. I also didn't really believe Nasir was an assassin, I was told he was, but it didn't come across naturally, nor did I find it believable that Altair was a general. This applies to pretty much all characters, they felt too young and immature for the occupations they held.
Many of the plot points develop unnaturally only for the sole purpose of the author shipping her characters. There is a lot of random, confusing moments meant to increase mystery and tension, but ended up being more annoying and unnecessary than intriguing.
Overall, this book fell very flat for me, but the tropes in it will be of interest to anyone who is a fan YA romantic fantasy.
3.5
A ya fantasy mc that I’m not annoyed by is always I win for me. The slow burn romance that I actually root for!? Unheard of! This was solid with a few icks here and there, but the biggest ick is that it was way too slow. Getting from plot point to plot point took way too long, BUT I was still having a good time.
A ya fantasy mc that I’m not annoyed by is always I win for me. The slow burn romance that I actually root for!? Unheard of! This was solid with a few icks here and there, but the biggest ick is that it was way too slow. Getting from plot point to plot point took way too long, BUT I was still having a good time.
It took me about a third of the book to engage and commit to Faizel's story and characters. She creates an imaginative world with history and conflict that resonates deeply with many of the struggles of modern times, but upon reflection, I struggled to connect because of the incredibly short chapters. The constant breaking and shifting perspective, though an interesting format and one I imagine is helpful for many people, kept the narrative curve and character development illusive.
Though perhaps not my absolute favorite fantasy novel of all time, I am intrigued with this group of characters and am looking forward to where Faizal takes them next.
Though perhaps not my absolute favorite fantasy novel of all time, I am intrigued with this group of characters and am looking forward to where Faizal takes them next.
3⭐️ It was good overall, but super long to get into and was a looong read.
I have been thinking about this book constantly since I've finished and it definitely worked my brain to sort how I felt about it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to get the next book. There are so many themes that as the reader I think we get to see an interesting duality. Not just between our main characters Zafira and Nasir, but especially with truth and knowledge and also how we perceive darkness. I really felt a lot of this came together nicely in Part Three "The Lies We Eat" and while certain truths came to light, we were also left with as many questions and doubts about the knowledge we obtained.
There were many sections of prose while reading I just needed to put my book down and let the quote sink in. I will say there are action sequences that I think could have used some more clarity, but with the chaos of the scene I let it slide. I also wish the glossary and pronunciation guide was included in the book. I have my complaints about how things unraveled, but I am excited to pick up the next book to see how Hafsah Faizal tells us the rest of this story.
There were many sections of prose while reading I just needed to put my book down and let the quote sink in. I will say there are action sequences that I think could have used some more clarity, but with the chaos of the scene I let it slide. I also wish the glossary and pronunciation guide was included in the book. I have my complaints about how things unraveled, but I am excited to pick up the next book to see how Hafsah Faizal tells us the rest of this story.