A review by meganahouse
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I am not a novice to political intrigue fantasy, but after really enjoying Faebound earlier this year I think this one fell a little flat for me. A lot of the story and character motivation, especially at the beginning, felt a little one-dimensional, and I think I wished we got a little more introspection in the narration; what we got was a like here and there and I just wanted more. Also, I was confused and upset about the Sylah/Jorn romance when I thought at the beginning that they had been raised as siblings. I wanted to love the Sylah/Anoor romance but I also felt like it didn’t have enough build, and the Yearning wasn’t what I needed it to be. I’m not sure I will continue with the series, that’s still tbd!