A review by sarah_grey
The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad

2.0

I really, really wanted to like this book more than I did. The concept was great and there are strong female characters that are against misogyny and that should make for an awesome story. However, the POV switches almost constantly, every outfit and meal is described in great detail (the book would be 100 pages shorter without those descriptions), and the characters conveniently changed to be almost perfect all the time. Anachronisms took me out of the story (showers, futons, and costume jewelry, to name a few), as did their supposed poverty when they always had money to purchase food (often an unnecessary indulgence rather than staples).

The mythology incorporated is wonderful. So are the settings. I feel like a few more flaws for the characters and more of a focus on the larger plot instead of the web of relationships and dramas would have made this great instead of just okay.