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

adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

I was very impressed by the complexity of this world, in its structure and in its magic system, but I must admit that I did not manage to connect more than that with the characters. They seemed distant to me, especially the main character, Fatima Ghazala (I'm not going to lie to you, I was a little fed up after hearing her full name all the time but, anyway...). So, apart from Fatima Ghazala and Zulfikar, I don't remember the other names (and besides, while listening to this audiobook, I had trouble distinguishing the characters and spotting which storyline we were following). By the way, at the end of the audiobook (and I think this is also the case in the physical book), there was a list of all the characters. In my opinion, this shows that there is a little muddle in the very desire/necessity (?) to join this list. But this point is caught up by the strong messages of this book, especially the power of women, who are strong and proud, or the matriarchal system of the Ifrit. There is also a great place for family, friends, these other forms of love that are sometimes neglected. The descriptions were sumptuous, always accompanied by small details that are important. Another positive point, the romance, which did not take up too much space, which did not lock Fatima Ghazala away during the relationship, with a man at her side who did not try to control her. A very beautiful standalone, but also intense and dense. I had sometimes a little trouble getting into it at the beginning.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings