This is the first book in The Sands of Arawiya duology, and if there is one thing I regret, it's not getting the second book when I purchased the first, because I devoured the book in, well, a week—as fast as my sometimes crippling ADHD can handle—and it was a whole ride. One that I would pay to have my memories erased so I can experience it again for the first time. Yes, it was that good. So insanely good that I hope I can convince you to read it ASAP.
In an Arab-inspired world, the book follows Zafira, disguising herself as the Hunter venturing into the Arz—a forest drenched in pitch-black darkness—to bring food to her people, for the land has been long cursed to exist without magic. Unable to make a name for herself as a woman, she braves the task. On the other hand we have Nasir, son of the sultan and the Prince of Death, killing at his father's command and punished for his ever-growing compassion. Their paths collide when they're forced to cross over to Sharr, the land beyond the Arz, to retrieve an ancient artifact to restore magic to their people. The journey, however, is extremely dangerous, and neither one of them knows what awaits them in the cursed desert.
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya―but neither wants to be.
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds―and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
4.5/5 stars
You know, I dared to expect a lot from this book. I'd heard outstanding reviews, so I thought there was no issue to setting the bar high. Let me tell you: it did not disappoint. It went beyond my expectations, and know I know this is exactly what my soul was missing. My skin was cleansed, my crops thrived.
The premise is simple enough—a journey to retrieve a lost object. Nothing you could call new, but as usual, what matters is the execution. It was beautiful. The first two chapters, with their iconic first lines, grabbed me right away. That's when I knew I wouldn't be able to put the book down. The writing was simply breath-taking, each sentence flowing into the other in a dance of words that made me smile, sob, yell, squeal; sometimes forcing me to close the book to just. Breathe. Get my bearings and keep reading. I was thrilled to learn new concept from this beautifully crafted, Arab-inspired world. I had my laptop open, ready to investigate what I did not know. It made the experience even better.
I did have some issues with the pacing. The first act felt... Awfully long and slow. It was still interesting, for it provides most of the worldbuilding, but I felt that very little actually happened. The character introductions were 100% necessary and fantastic, planting the seeds for their future development, but the fact that we had to see everything from both Zafira's and Nasir's perspective made it a little repetitive, dragging until we finally reach the second arc. The journey into Sharr, where they meet what would become their zumra (or their squad) moved along faster. Those bits of found family squeezed my heart because I didn't know what was going to happen to them. I feared the worst. I think this act was the one I enjoyed the most.
The pace truly quickens with the third and final act. Action-packed as we rush into the climax and the conclusion to what so far was a very satisfying read, this is where most of the big events and plot-twists occur. The ending was great, but—the epilogue! It is, without a doubt, my villain origin story. It 100% broke me. I did not expect what unfolds in it. I was not ready. I screamed into my pillow. I was left with my mouth open and ready to fight, and because I'm yet to get the second book, I spend my days blinking away what it left in me.
I cannot thank Hafsah Faizal enough for making the chapters short. As I said, I suffer from a particularly crippling ADHD, and there's nothing I hate more than ending a reading session mid-chapter. So having short chapters really helped me through that, especially when it came to staying concentrated. Truly, I will forever be grateful. Each chapter gives us exactly what we need to know, without droning too much or overly-describing things.
Zafira bint Iskandar's both internal and external journeys are chef's kiss. There's growth as she learns new things about herself; some good, and some darker—it's a bit of a rollercoaster as everything she knew shatters and she's forced to settle into a new reality. I fell in love with her strength and resilience, but also those moments of vulnerability. To break apart is sometimes necessary in the journey of self discovery and growth. Both her and Nasir are fully tridimensional characters; virtues and flaws, exploring their light as much as their darkness. Nasir's journey was the one that made me tear up. A boy forced to become a man. A murderer, of all things. His path is about forgiveness and showing compassion, not just towards others, but also himself. To give yourself a fair and healthy treatment is scary, especially when others see you as a monster. There's much more to their journey that I'm sure is tackled in the second book. I just wanted to say that, being definitely a character driven book, We Hunt the Flame does them justice.
Now, this is what truly fuels me: the romance. I mean it when I say this is one of the real enemies to lovers out there. The explicit hatred and loud animosity between them is palpable and it is not the kind of thing that dwindles away after a couple of chapters. That's what makes their romance both powerful and heartbreaking; to know that there's an ocean they must cross, and that meeting at the middle requires sacrifice, mutual understanding, and the disposition to change. I prepared myself, because I knew this was going to be a slowburn, but gods the pining. The not knowing what to do with the churning desire. Their love story is most definitely incomplete and once again I must complain at my past self for not thinking better, but oh well.
And the one character that has me in a chokehold—Altair. My chaotic general. The light of my life. The one character I'd give everything for. We don't get his point of view, but getting to know him through Zafira's and Nasir's eyes, two points of view that were somehow both different and similar, was super entertaining. I loved him and I will protect him at all costs. I don't want to spoil anything, so I urge you to pick up the book and fall in love with him. He's charming, funny, cunning. Everything I want in a fictional man.
Plus, I think it's time we ended the black-haired men bias. (This, of course, does not apply to Nasir, thank you very much.)
There's plot-twist after plot-twist, some of which I was definitely not prepared for, but that made sense after the revelation. It kept me at the edge of my seat, awaiting the next surprise. They are never too much or unnecessary, the perfect strings to tie up the puzzle as everything begins to fit together. The ending is a total cliffhanger, so prepare yourselves for that.
Bottom line, this is the book that I didn't know I needed. It is a blessing of a book, full of all the tropes I love most, a rich and gorgeous universe, a breathtaking romance, and a perfect(ly, utterly shocking) ending. It leaves you wanting more and ready to dive right into the sequel. It highlights the importance of choosing to pick up books from authors of color, and find yourself in a fantastic world, with fantastic characters and an amazing plot. It is the kind of book that exposes your soul, makes your breath hitch. It's like having a kiss stolen. I will never not recommend it, I will never not yell about it. Read it, and be blessed.
"Be as victorious as the name I have given you, and bring the desert to its knees."
"If I told you my name, would you bow?” His voice was soft. A melancholy caress. He lifted his chin when understanding dawned on her face. “Or would you flee?"
"A thousand leagues and a thousand sands. For you, a thousand times I would defy the sun."
"There was nothing more respectable and dangerous than a woman of confidence."
Child trafficking, child slavery, minor section of child abduction, torture, death/loss of a loved one, grief, PTSD/trauma, blood, trauma, murder, manipulation, abusive father, absent & sick parent.
Hafsah Faizal is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of WE HUNT THE FLAME, WE FREE THE STARS and A TEMPEST OF TEA, and the founder of IceyDesigns, where she creates websites for authors and beauteous goodies for everyone else. A Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, when she's not writing, she can be found designing, deciding between Assassin's Creed and Skyrim, or traversing the world. Born in Florida and raised in California, she now resides in Texas with a library of books waiting to be devoured.
She definitely became an inspiration of mine, as an aspiring writer constantly struggling with self-worth issues. I found her through tik tok and she simply charmed me into reading her book. I'm so glad I found her and her amazing writing, for I am a different person now that I experienced We Hunt the Flame, and I will forever be grateful for what her book gave me.
You can find her in twitter, her amazon page, her webpage, her instagram, and goodreads page.
Comments