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A review by lillaea
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
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