We Hunt The Flame Sands of Arawiya Series 1 by Hafsah Faizal
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Web ID: 11776022Great story, but imperfect
I quite enjoyed reading this book, but it definitely isn’t perfect. It took about 150 pages before the action really started, and the ending felt rushed since everything came to a head in the last 25 pages or so. I like the romance, but it does seem to come from nowhere a bit.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
SO GOOD!
I devoured this book so fast it’s not even funny! So glad book 2 is out already because I am there!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Fantasy Epic
We Hunt the Flame is a poetic fantasy that follows a lot of the classic traveling towards a quest storyline. Despite the familiar setup the story feels new and fresh, and not just because it's set within a region and culture often overlooked by traditional publishers but because of Faizal's imaginative writing, well written dialogue, and fully developed character motivations and actions. I will definitely be continuing the series and reading more by Faizal in the future.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
beautiful writing
this is not a book i would have usually picked up. i only picked it up for a bookclub, and in some ways, i wish that i had dnfed it. i didn't really enjoy any of this book. ya high fantasy is not my go to genre, and i think this one just really didn't work for me. the world was confusing and not well built, in my opinion, and i didn't care about the characters at all. specifically, the romance deeply annoyed me and i actively did not want the characters to get together. the saving grace of this novel was really the writing. despite the chaos of the characters and the world building, i was able to pull several quotes that spoke to me because the writing was just so strong! while i have no intention of continuing this series, i am open to reading from this author again if the premise sounds more up my alley, because the writing was so delightful and well done.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
New Fave Author!
We Hunt the Flame is a feminist, anti-tyranny story wrapped in the strappings of Arabian folklore with humans who have magical affinities, ifrit, and elf-like safin making moves on the chessboard of Arawiya in order to bring magic back to their land, defeat an encroaching darkness, and save their people from an evil sultan–maybe even save the sultan himself from the spreading dark. From the very beginning I was taken in by Zafira’s strength and non-conformity–especially in the face of her caliphate’s laws that are restrictive of women’s rights. Furthermore, her supporting characters never try to rein her in and always support her choices, despite the danger she faces and the overall outlook on women by other people around them. As for Nasir, everyone loves a bad-boy with a tragic backstory and compassion he suppresses in the shadows–figuratively and literally! But it’s his obnoxious frenemy Altair who ends up stealing the show, and I’m sure they’re both fine with that! Set against a backdrop of pawns, politicians, and witches racing to achieve the same goal, but for different purposes, We Hunt the Flame read to me like a character study of a reluctant alliance of five warriors who come to find they all have more in common than they thought. I had a lot of fun with Lana’s banter, Altair’s ego, and Zafira and Nasir’s budding romance. Benyamin plays the role of knowledgeable elder–because what is a merry, magic-seeking band without their Gandalf-like figure? Though the group begins as individuals each on their own quest, they end up as companions and brothers and sisters in arms, scraping by to win a battle in a larger war that I’m about to dive into in We Free the Stars! I cannot wait to see what happens in the conclusion to this story as these characters have carved little places in my heart and I’m worried they may not make it out unscathed! Five stars for this book for sure!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Never Could Get Into It
I had a really difficult time getting into this book. I did end up finishing it, as I have heard so many good things and realized that so many people love this book. I could never connect to the characters and really struggled to understand what was going on. I love romance and high-fantasy, and so I fully intended to really enjoy this book. The character building was pretty good and the writing itself was not too confusing. I do not typically have a difficult time getting into fantasy world-building. I just really struggled with this book. I did enjoy the character of Zafira, although I did find she made some choices that ended up annoying me. I often felt that if the characters had communicated better, the book may have moved along faster. Additionally, I think I struggled with the fact that most of the book was spent trudging through the desert. I will admit that I may not have been in the right headspace while reading this book and would be open to reading it again to see if I am able to enjoy it more.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Best desert fantasy I've ever read!
If you're looking for a rich fantasy world filled with magic, mythical creatures, and mysterious and dangerous secrets--then We Hunt the Flame is for you! The Arabian inspired setting is rich and sucks you into the world immediately. Faizal crafts exquisite characters that will have you rooting for them from the first page. Hafsah Faizal's prose is absolute perfection and though this is a YA book, it digs deeps into the problems of the world-many of which we face in our own world today. This book had me asking myself questions I would have never thought of otherwise. You will love this book if you are a fan of -enemies to lovers -found family -hidden identities -morally grey characters -snarky/sarcastic characters -loveable side characters that will try their hardest to steal the show -and moral dilemmas Prepare to fall in love and never look back!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Not Really Worth the Hype
This was a book I saw talked about a lot on Instagram and was one I was eager to get my hands on. I found myself a little disappointed and when I read the Stardust Thief, I was constantly comparing these two books and found the Stardust Thief so much better in every way. Its a super slow build and it took a while for me to get the momentum to keep reading. I found the world building to be a little convoluted and complex but not as developed as I would have liked. The events of the book mostly took place in one setting but it didn't feel as high stakes or dangerous as it was hyped up to be. I didn't feel like there was any chemistry between the two leads as well, maybe because they're both the quiet and broody type. Altair was really great. I enjoyed him a lot more than Nasir and wished he was the love interest instead. The logic with Zafira's role as the Hunter didn't really make much sense to me. She goes out disguised as a man on a rather distinctive horse in a small village, people see the Hunter coming and going, but how do so many people not put two and two together when they see the same horse in front of the same house that only women are seen coming in and out of? The only other thing that I struggled with was that there was a lot of Persian(?) terminology used to describe a lot of things but I feel like if that's not a culture someone is familiar with, trying to figure out what the author was referring to is a little difficult. A glossary or clearer descriptions would have been helpful, at least for me.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com