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A review by sarah_cameron
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Wow! What an incredible story, I really enjoyed this!
A particular highlight was Zafira’s slow but well-written arc of self-discovery and acceptance. This was done through the lens of coming to terms with her gender and being proud of who she was, even in a misogynistic and harsh world. It was believable and earned, not rushed at all, and I’m excited to see more development of this.
The world-building, both the current and the explanations of the history and how the sociopolitical climate eventually came to fruition, as well as the magic system, we’re all really interesting and explained in natural and engaging ways. I hope we explore the magic system in greater detail in the sequel, especially in light of the repercussions of the ending. Also damn, the plot twists (especially in the epilogue) were great! I’m hopeful we’ll explore more of Misk and Deen’s pasts and how they fit into the story. Also please give me more Yasmine!
My only ‘cons’ aren’t even really cons. The FMC was damseled a few times early in the story - thankfully this doesn’t become a trend, and the MMC is similarly damseled at one point so it kinda balances out. It also seemed a bit simple at times - girl who has always shunned romantic love meets dark boy with a troubled past who has a cold exterior but really feels all the feels, and they quickly develop feelings for one another that both are shocked by. But frankly, this is YA and it doesn’t need to be more complicated than that. Is it overdone? Sure. But the rest of this book is so detailed and complex that it makes up for it, and who cares if a book for a younger audience keeps it simple. Additionally, I did love that when the two did have a moment, consent was worked in there really naturally - great to see in a book full stop, but especially one for younger readers!
On the whole this was an awesome story, and I’m excited to see what happens next!
A particular highlight was Zafira’s slow but well-written arc of self-discovery and acceptance. This was done through the lens of coming to terms with her gender and being proud of who she was, even in a misogynistic and harsh world. It was believable and earned, not rushed at all, and I’m excited to see more development of this.
The world-building, both the current and the explanations of the history and how the sociopolitical climate eventually came to fruition, as well as the magic system, we’re all really interesting and explained in natural and engaging ways. I hope we explore the magic system in greater detail in the sequel, especially in light of the repercussions of the ending. Also damn, the plot twists (especially in the epilogue) were great! I’m hopeful we’ll explore more of Misk and Deen’s pasts and how they fit into the story. Also please give me more Yasmine!
My only ‘cons’ aren’t even really cons. The FMC was damseled a few times early in the story - thankfully this doesn’t become a trend, and the MMC is similarly damseled at one point so it kinda balances out. It also seemed a bit simple at times - girl who has always shunned romantic love meets dark boy with a troubled past who has a cold exterior but really feels all the feels, and they quickly develop feelings for one another that both are shocked by. But frankly, this is YA and it doesn’t need to be more complicated than that. Is it overdone? Sure. But the rest of this book is so detailed and complex that it makes up for it, and who cares if a book for a younger audience keeps it simple. Additionally, I did love that
On the whole this was an awesome story, and I’m excited to see what happens next!