Welcome back to another book review! I have some exciting news, the novel Ill be reviewing today is a YA sensation called We Hiunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. It came out earlier this year and has been a hit ever since. After reading it, I’m already excited about the next book in the series.
As many of you know, I am all about supporting authors who are women of color and I could not have been more excited about this book! We Hunt the Flame tells the story of a young lady, barely more than a girl by the name of Zafira. The eldest of her siblings and the only one who can hunt, it’s up to Zafira to make a living. But in her caliph, women are ridiculed second-class citizens. So she dons another persona, the Hunter, the only one who can hunt in the magical forest called the Arz and come out unscathed, the reason that her caliph doesn’t starve even in the harshest winter. She is known and praised but only as the Hunter, never as Zafira.
Nasir is an assassin, in fact he is the deadliest assassin in the entire kingdom, never leaving a job unfinished. He works in the shadows with deadly efficiency, sometimes he feels as though he is becoming the darkness itself. But Nasir has another title other than the Prince of Death and that is merely Prince. Brutalized by his father until he became a monster, he never disobeys orders and when his orders are to make use of and then end the Hunter, he braves a treacherous island to do just that.
This novel is about adventure, secrets, magic and lost hope. Can Zafira save her people? Can Nasir free himself of his master? Will they both be lost to the dark inside their hearts? And will they return safe and sound?
My favorite quote? “We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves. You are like Tamim. You remind me that hope is not lost.”
Overall Score: 5/5⭐
Faizal has a great handle on character development as well as action scenes. Reading about every single character was fun and interesting, and that includes the side characters. Everyone has a unique personality and even if they are only seen on the page a couple of times, it is clear to see the impression they leave on the main cast’s actions and thoughts and emotions. We barely see Yasmine, the Sultan and a few others who have helped bring our main characters to where they are now, struggling to survive on a mysterious island in search of a lost tome that can save their lands by bringing the magic back.
And don’t even get me started on the amazing action of this YA fantasy adventure! The description of each characters weapon of choice is not only beautiful but helps ground the character, giving us a little more information about what is important to them, what’s at stake in this hunt and what survival truly means. And the fights are lithe and clean, each battle almost like a dance in the way the author choreographs each move even though our group is fighting for their lives (and sometimes each other).
One thing I’m not as excited about is the lead in to the next novel. It’s just a personal pet peeve but when a novel is amazing and there’s still so much that can be done, it sets me up for something in the following book. And I know that this is a series but I am not as excited about the next book as I would have been if I hadn’t read the epilogue. Now, that information is out, do with it what you will.
Thanks for stopping by! If you enjoyed this post, let me know down in the comments. Does this novel sound like something you would be interested in reading? Or is it something you’ll probably pass on? I’m just curious!
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Happy reading!
Chyina