andreaderi 's review for:

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal
3.5

Re-entry after reading the first book months ago was a little rough.  Comraderie between the zumra and the sharp riposterie was a favorite.  Emotional depth dropped away from the knee-deep level of We Hunt the Flame, and the writing itself felt more assured and occasionally hit near lyrical.  I wish it had explored more reality-based societal expectations of Arabia, like the scene in which the Prince chooses to sleep apart from the Huntress and have a female tend her wounds, after hearing her insulted in the street by his association.  Book-end convergence of the main characters was barely satisfying.