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sam_crl's review
- 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
Hafsah Faizal spins such a breathtaking story that you never want to leave. And I loved how these characters weren‘t your usual heroes, they weren‘t without flaws, they had their fair share of them, but yet you couldn’t help but fall in love with every single one of them because they didn’t seem like just some characters in a story, they were real, complex beings with their own struggles and demons to overcome. The zumra will forever have a special place in my heart.
Seriously, if you haven’t read this yet, this is your sign. It is now one of my favorite series of all time (that list is increasing steadily) and that‘s coming from someone who‘s not a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope! But in this, the love story just seemed so incredibly real and honest and the slowburn was slowly unaliving me but that‘s okay. Also, there are rarely occasions where I think, "Ugh, men," in a good way, but while reading this? It just shows that fictional men written by women are simply superior.
If you‘ve made it to the end of this very long review (sorry, the book was just so good), congratulations!
Now read the book.
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, War, Animal death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Minor: Child death
theespressoedition'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
With the first book, I was worried that it would take me a long time to get interested in it. I thought it would be slow and a little tedious, but I was quickly proven wrong. It was fast-paced and there was always something interesting happening. There was fantastic chemistry (see: tension) between the protagonists, and the supporting cast was so intriguing. However, this sequel was everything I thought the first would be... and that wasn't great.
Unfortunately, it took me until I was over halfway through this book to actually begin getting interested in the story. It held a much slower pace and the chemistry/tension that was there before was so flat and almost unappealing because of Nasir's sudden obsession with Zafira. He went from fighting feelings to becoming like a little lost puppy that wanted to follow her wherever she went and get her attention no matter what. Maybe that would be cute in a romance book, but as the "Prince of Death" or whatever, it didn't seem fitting.
Just like with the first book, my interest was mostly in Altair. I'm still holding out hope that there will be a spin-off for him because he only became more intriguing as the story was spun. The twisty-turny ending had me all the more fascinated by him and what could happen in the future.
One thing that hit me in an odd way was how much of these books (but specifically this one) felt like an Arabian Shadow and Bone. I realize that people tend to compare almost every fantasy book to S&B, but I'm speaking from a very objective standpoint. Most of the time, I don't feel as though books are modeled after older fantasies, but this one definitely seemed that way. That being said, there was a lot about the similarities that I really liked, since the Grishaverse is actually my favorite collection of books. It just kind of struck me as odd every once in a while when I noticed something that was super similar.
I can't say that it was a truly phenomenal conclusion to the story, but I did really enjoy the very end and the way that it didn't try to wrap everything up too perfectly. I will also say that this book is filled with some breathtaking quotes. So, if you're looking for a duology that has interesting magic and great vibes, pick up the Sands of Arawiya.
Graphic: Murder, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
saurahsaurus'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
4.25
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Gore, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexism
deluna'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Gore and Death of parent
readingelli'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
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War, Blood, and Gore
bisexualwentworth'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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse
the_paperbackprincess'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Murder, and War
Grooming, Coerced Sexual Assault, Parental Abuse, Starvation mentioned, Eye Horror, Imprisonment, Mind Control, Chemical Warfarecemeterygay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Setting that aside, I thought this was an amazing conclusion to the duology. A lot of depth that was needed for characters including for the main antagonist was finally provided. I like that the discussions of cycles of abuse and trauma were made way more explicit in a way I really enjoyed. I especially like how this book made discussions of sacrifice and morality way more prominent especially in Nasir's and Zafira's relationship.
I also genuinely enjoyed where both Nasir's and Zafira's characters were explored in this book and how they developed. Their relationship was so wonderful and I enjoyed how we got to the end of their romance arc. I especially liked the increased exploration of the relationship between Zafira and her sister and Nasir and his family.
I am intensely happy with how Altair's character developed in this book and the ending to his story is so intensely satisfying. He very quickly became one of my favorite characters in this book and so often I just wanted to give him a hug.
I love how the Lion of the Night develops as an antagonist and how his arc ultimately resolves. I love how we get to see added depth while still keeping him as a legitimately strong and imposing presence.
I also like how many of the side characters were given quite a bit more depth and exploration in this book.
We got a bit more worldbuilding but nothing compared to the first book but honestly that was fine for me because it didn't really feel necessary.
With the increased complexity of the themes in this book, the vivid writing style was really allowed to shine in this book. I also really enjoyed the conclusion of this book and I enjoyed how everything resolved.
This was an intensely satisfying conclusion and I'm happy I can recommend these books as a great duology.
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Torture, Gore, Grief, Violence, and War
Minor: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
martynelson'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
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
michellemaas'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
4.0
I'm going to start by saying that We Free the Stars is one of the most quotable books I have read to date. Hafsah Faizal has such a beautiful way with words and that alone deserves a star before any other factors are even considered.
Another thing that is super close to my heart: asexual representation. In recent years the entertainment industry has come a long way in terms of representing the LGBTQ+ community but despite seeing a bunch of cute lesbian and gay couples, I NEVER see any asexual characters (or it isn't outright mentioned/discussed). Oftentimes characters are thrown into unnecessary relationships since romance is a huge driving point and I appreciate that Hafsah Faizal made Kifah an interesting and alluring character without needing to put her in a romantic relationship. The way she described asexuality was also so good.
Next there's Nasir and Zafira. One of my main critiques for the previous book was how Zafira and Nasir got over their qualms of each other without any real explanation for why. It was purely based on lust, Zafira being emotionally stunted after the death of her friend and Nasir latching onto the first person to show him affection. I am so happy that Hafsah Faizal deepened their relationship in the sequel. We got to see that slow-burn that she was going for in the first book because their relationship had to fester from lust to love. It was a beautiful journey (even if the beginning was a little questionable). Also, that ending. We all saw it coming but when I tell you I was a pile of squishy feels . . . just perfect.
The last relationship-related point I want to make is about Yasmine and Misk. I know I sound repetitive but I loved and appreciated that Yasmine was not magically fine at the end of the book. The author "sacrificed" a perfect ending that was wrapped up with a neat little bow to show that grief does not go away because other things in your life get better.
Then, I enjoyed The Lion of the Night as a villain. He was not purely a monster and while the author made it clear that his tragic past did not justify his actions, it gave us a better insight into him as a character.
Lastly, I want to shout out all the side characters like Altair, Lana, Yasmine, etc. My version of this book was 700-odd pages (as opposed to the 400/500-something of the first book) and I was apprehensive since a longer book doesn't always equal a better book. While I still don't know if all 700 pages were necessary, I am glad that the author went for a little bit of a longer book to explore the development and fleshing-out of the side characters. I feel that my reading experience was thoroughly enhanced by the fact that I had more knowledge of the side characters than an off-handed description as most other novels do.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Animal death and Slavery