spaceykate 's review for:

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal

5.0

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Found family, "oh when is a monster not a monster?", clawing magic back into the world through blood/sweat/tears, 'death?? who is she' type survival sequences, and an enchanting vibrant world -- this duology had it all, and capped off with an epic ending in "We Free the Stars". It was amusing how magic almost seemed secondary in a story full of politics and trying to figure out who to trust among your allies, with an ever shifting cast of characters that had me hoping constantly that my faves would pull through as morally leaning good. The main characters' self-doubts almost being their undoing at times definitely made me want to violently shake them into common sense. I liked that things weren't always easy & buttoned up nicely for the main crew - plans went awry, most people didn't get what they expected, and grief was sprinkled throughout for things that could've been - but they still stuck together. The family you choose and all that. I didn't want the story to end!