“The Sisters gave each caliphate a strength the others needed to survive, furthering our unity. Demenhur provided Arawiya with herbs and remedies found nowhere else, along with the appreciation of the arts. Sarasin shared coal and minerals. Pelusia fed us every fruit imaginable and provided us with unmatched engineering, advancing us beyond imagination.
Our neighbors in Zaram sailed the seas, trained our fighters and brought back delectables from the depths of saltwater. The esteemed safin of Alderamin recorded our pasts, studying our faults to help us better ourselves..."
-------------------------------
When I first heard of WHTF I was instantly attracted to the characters and their dynamic but now I also like the world and how it's divided into Caliphates, each excelling at something and united as one.
The book begins in Demenhur with Zafira and then Nasir in Sarasin, and throughout the first part we slowly get to know more about their roles as hunter and assassin , and more about their caliphates and the others as well. I liked how they were described and it made me want to see them all.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But now that magic is gone these Caliphates are cursed and the only way to return Arawiya to its former glory is by finding the lost Jawarat, which brings me to the second part of the book.
Things speed up and we reach Sharr (evil island previously used as a prison) and get to meet the rest of the characters. We still see things from Nasir and Zafira's POV but we get to know Altair, Kifah, and Benyamin more and we see how their dynamic changes from initial disinterest/hate and lack of trust to the Zumra at the end.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Now the last hundred pages !!
Everything was happening all at once and we got one revelation after the other and certain things happened that I couldn't comprehend till a while afterwards.We left things off with many possibilities but also, things weren't good for a certain character and i'm so afraid of what might happen to them, mentally and emotionally more than physically really.And oh that epilogue🤐
Thank you macmillanusa and netgalley for the arc 😄
Let's see what Hafsah has in store for us in the next book !!🔥

To be completely honest, I tried multiple times over the last half of 2019 to read We Hunt the Flame, and for some reason I never could quite click with the book. I was very disappointed by this, as I had heard SO many great things about how much everyone wanted to love the book, and I really wanted to read it so I could form my own opinion.

LUCKILY FOR ME… I was determined to give the book One More Try before the year ended, and the best thing happened… THE BOOK and I TOTALLY CLICKED! I don’t know how, or why, but I started the book, and I DEVOURED it. And, it was so great!

What did I like about this book, you ask? Everything. The characters were awesome. I loved Zafira, and Nasir, and the whole crew that we meet along the way. They were all so great, and I really enjoyed watching the relationships between them all grow.

What else did I like? The storyline. It was a pretty awesome journey that this random crew took over the course of the story, and I loved every minute of it. And yes, I even liked the cliffhanger ending, which will definitely keep me pining away until the next book, We Free the Stars, is released. (I can’t wait!)

Overall; I am SO glad that I decided to give We Hunt the Flame one more shot, as I ended up really, really enjoying the book! I can’t wait to get my hands on We Free the Stars, which is currently set to release in July of this year! (And I will definitely be re-reading this book again before the sequel is released!)

Happy Reading!

Not for me, though diverse books are certainly important. The world did not feel fleshed out enough, and rather generic compared to other books in the YA category. Lovely writing, but I did not connect with the characters and story as I had hoped.

On a quest to save her people from the Arz, a magical forest that is slowly taking over the land, Zafira journeys to the dangerous island of Sharr in order to find the missing Jarawat, a book believed to be able to stop the Arz from spreading. But, Zafira is not the only one looking for the book.

Also known as the Prince of Death, Nasir is on a never-ending mission to please his father, the King. He has done and will do the unthinkable in order to fulfill his father's orders. But, finding out the Hunter is a woman makes Nasir second guess his orders, and after spending time with Zafira he starts to question whether or not he deserves a second chance to be the leader his kingdom desperately needs.

I really enjoyed We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. The writing is excellent and really draws you into the story. I usually don't like slow-start stories, but this one just hooks you anyway! The writing is that good! Faizal does a great job with the character development of Zafira, Nasir, and Altair. The grit and perseverance of Zafira, the internal conflicts of Nasir, and the mystery and humor of Altair help the reader to connect with these characters.

Lots of plot twists, especially in Act III. Overall, a great read and I absolutely cannot wait until book two! If you enjoy great character development, slow but satisfying world-building, and enemy's to lovers romance than We Hunt the Flame is a must-read! Great for fans of The Wrath and the Dawn duology and The Star-Touched Queen series. Recommended for 14 and up!

I LOVE Arabian/Persian/Middle Eastern Fantasy books! This one I really wanted to devour like I do for so many other YA Fantasy stories. However, I could only get through about a quarter of the book before putting it aside and not picking up again until recently wanting to read it through. From what I read, Zafira is a good character, but I enjoyed Nasir's story line a bit more.

Excellent world building and characters. A bit slow in places, but overall compelling and very fun read.

I really enjoyed this world. I have been friends with her on the internet and so proud of her. I really learning this culture and the slight romance. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I really, truly wanted to like this one. I don't know what that matters, why I'm defending myself, but here I am.

I tried. Got stuck in the molasses ass beginning, quit, tried again, repeat. Like if I just stuck it out, things would get going and it'd be worthwhile. I loved The Hunter. Got real tired of The Death Prince's shit though.

Finally after months, I got to 30% where it started picking up, and they were setting off for the quest! Then It Hit Me: was it worth it?

So I quit again for the last time. I'm sorry We Hunt The Flame. I don't know if it's you or me or us together, but I just can't do it anymore. I wish you and your fans all the best and I'm sorry I can't count myself among them.

I am so annoyed at myself for taking so long to read this. However, now I have to wait less time for the sequel and after that ending, I am positively desperate for it.

In addition to the fantastic world-building, I was drawn in by the characters. I loved Altair, Nasir, Benyamin, and Zafira. Their easy camaraderie was so fun to read and I missed it as soon as I finished. I loved the dual point of views, especially since Nasir was a compelling character and one that I would have happily read more of. I loved his morality and character arc.

I was expecting the reveals readers were treated to at the end of the book but was certainly still surprised by them. I need the second book in this duology asap and will be awaiting it's release eagerly.

We Hunt the Flame was a beautifully written book. Although it was not my preferred style of story, I still enjoyed the brilliant characters, setting and wonderful atmosphere that Faizal created. I did force myself to finish the novel, and I'm hesitant to write this review. I did not think the book was BAD, I just could not connect with the story at all. I can't really pinpoint anything that wasn't great about the book, all the components were there, each one extremely well done - but combined, they all seemed to fall flat. As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed the characters, and the different aspects individually, so I definitely would encourage a reader to give the book a shot. For me, it was a 3/5 stars.

I went into this book with really high expectations. When it was first announced, I remember being so excited. Another diverse fantasy, set in a Middle Eastern-inspired world, written by a Muslim author?!! After The City of Brass, I was craving something just as rich and unique. It was for that reason that I decided to join the WHTF street team. I ended up in the Demenhur group, which at the time I had no idea what it meant, and it was really nice being surrounded by people so excited for this debut. I was looking forward to getting a physical arc or an e-arc, and when I finally got the link to my e-arc, it didn't work, so I didn't end up reading the book before the release date. In a way, it might have been a good thing because I'm not sure what I would have done if I hadn't liked it then.

It took a while for me to actually read my physical copy. Not because I had doubts, but because I was waiting for the mood to set in. So when I picked it up finally, I was expecting to mostly enjoy it, though Gretal had told me she didn't care much for the romance. Romance is always a hit or miss for me. But there are times when the main couple grows on me and I end up liking them. This wasn't the case.

To start off with, the writing felt a little off. It just didn't seem to have a natural flow and I found myself stopping a lot and having to reread parts. (Though this could totally have to do with the fact that I was bored for a lot of this book and also sleepy from work). The prose was too poetic at times, other times it was just confusing, and sometimes it was dense to the point where it felt like things were dragging.

Speaking of that...this book is SO SLOW. The pacing was honestly the worst part. Not only do we have super short chapters, but very frequent POV switches. You would be in Nasir's mind for two pages, and then it would switch to Zafira for a page, and then back to Nasir or Zafira again, and it was just too jarring. It didn't help progress the plot or the story, and just made it drag on and on. It was almost like we got two books in one. A book from Zafira's perspective, and then a book from Nasir's, where every single thing that happens, we get to see both their reactions and thoughts. I found this to be so unnecessary, especially when there's no purpose behind it except to really hammer in the fact that Nasir has a dark, troubled past, and Zafira is sad and has no idea what she's doing or who to trust. As the reader, we get that already.

I guess in hindsight, maybe this book was supposed to be mostly character-driven? But it didn't feel that way at all. The found-family trope, or in this case found-zumra trope, just didn't work for me. I wasn't really rooting for the gang at all and I had no idea how any of them were so willing to die for each other when they had just met literally two seconds ago. There were chapters right after Benyamin and Kifah were introduced, and Zafira was like I will protect them with my life and I care about them so much *rolls eyes cause girl you can't even decide if you should trust Nasir or Altair and you want to go ahead and die for some strangers* We didn't see a gradual friendship develop and considering how slow this book felt, we had plenty of time for it. We were mostly told that they're now sort of friends, and I guess the banter between the characters was supposed to make us believe it further, but it just didn't work for me.

I was expecting a good chunk of this book to be the characters trying to make their way through the Arz and then the Baransea. But that literally took a chapter and I was shook at how easy it was. And then the rest of the book was just spent travelling in a desert and being attacked by ifrit occasionally and sometimes having huge revelations a la Benyamin cause he's the only one with answers, except of course he'll only tell them things when he feels like it cause PLOT TWISTS NEED TO HAPPEN. That really annoyed me. We barely got any world building and there were so many unanswered questions that could have been answered easily instead of just being held back for plot devices. I was told the book picks up in the second half, but it didn't. And even by the end, it felt like an info dump all at once during a battle scene that lasted waaay too long, and a lot of it was confusing and I had to read it twice to sort of get it.

I want to discuss the characters a bit, starting with Deen. Deen was honestly such a sweetheart, and I really liked his character and his dynamic with Zafira. I was just not a huge fan of the childhood friends/technically siblings-to-lovers trope. At least it was one-sided, but it felt like Deen's entire purpose was pointless and made no sense to the story. He had so much potential and it went to waste. I loved his relationship with Zafira though, I just wish the romance hadn't been added, only to be removed for another love interest to waltz in.

Benyamin was honestly the one side character that interested me the most. I wanted to learn more about him and Alderamin and also how he uses potions (??) to fight off the ifrit. And what is he constantly reading?? We do get a glimpse of his life, and just like the others, he has a tragic past that's meant to make us feel for him. I did find his backstory to be the saddest, and I really like how he has a wife who he loves very much and is waiting for him at home. We don't see stuff like this a lot in YA. I feel like everyone is usually single, ready to mingle, or already making eyes at someone.

Kifah's character needed more. Her backstory is again sad, though maybe I'm stupid, but I still don't exactly understand what her father did or tried to do? I wish we could have had more interactions between her and Zafira, besides Kifah cooking and offering her something to eat. I just didn't understand where the zumra came from, cause it didn't feel like a gang, but more like a bunch of people who happen to be walking in the same direction. Altair flirting with Kifah hints at something more happening down the road, but I'm also annoyed cause is everyone in this gang going to pair off now? I guess the way things ended makes sense now lol

Nasir. Lol. I'm sorry but I'm over the dark, brooding, self-deprecating, deeply tortured male love interest. Nasir's POVs were annoying to read. He's constantly wondering how Zafira looks at him without fear, yet I swear he's not that scary. And then we get the typical he can't stop looking at Zafira and noticing everything about her, and how is he supposed to kill her when he might have feelings for her, BUT WAIT HE CANT CATCH FEELINGS CAUSE TRAGIC PAST STORY ALERT! And then of course we have a <spoiler>make out scene in the middle of a creepy, dark, marble room because that's the only way Nasir can get Zafira out from under the Lion's grasp, by kissing her duh, only for Nasir to be like "what haha no, that meant nothing, you mean nothing, I'm nothing, I deserve to die, my past is too dark and horrible, everyone I love dies, I hate you" and Zafira reciprocates with "haha, I knew this was a ploy for you to get close and kill me, I AM A SMART WOMAN AND I WILL NOT FALL FOR YOUR TRICKS", meanwhile both are like "nonono we shouldn't being saying those things cause they're not at all true" in their heads.</spoiler> *BANGS HEAD AGAINST WALL* I'm sorry, I am not a romantic. I'm sure for plenty of people, this was everything, but it wasn't for me. Take my review with a grain of salt, cause I'm picky lol

Altair and his flirting. It was cute and funny in the beginning, but eventually it became kind of annoying. Every other sentence out of his mouth is some kind of innuendo. And while it was funny at times, especially when it was directed towards Nasir, the reveal we get later on, made me feel weird about the whole thing? I understand characters who are naturally flirty, but I feel like they also need to balance between being the comic relief and also being serious? It just sounds tiring being Altair, and while he can be charming, he goes from aww-that's-cute, to ugh-can-he-please-shut-up super quick.

Zafira as a character was alright. I just didn't really feel for her as much as I should have. Her reunion with her mother in the beginning was definitely a beautiful moment, and I liked her relationship with her sister Lana and her best friend Yasmine. And while I understand her motivations on joining this quest, I didn't really follow the whole "she did this because she wants to be loved" thing?? I don't get where that comes from? Is love synonymous with famous? But I swear she was curious about the darkness and she wanted to save her people, I didn't really see any selfish part of her wanting to become famous? She has people who love her at home anyway? Besides that, we get a lovely scene where she's bandaging up our love interest and it's very sensual and weird. Why can't we have a scene like this but platonic??? AND WHY DID SHE HAVE TO STRADDLE HIM. WAS THAT EVEN NECESSARY? I DO NOT SEE DOCTORS STRADDLING THEIR PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL IN ORDER TO BANDAGE THEM OR PERFORM SURGERY. Oh and I almost forgot the whole, I-want-to-fight-you-cause-sexual-tension scene. That made me roll eye eyes. There were just a lot of tropey moments and scenes that did not work for me.

Overall though, I was bored. Like really bored. I sort of flew through the first half of the book, mostly because I was waiting for the other side characters to show up and hoping we'd get more plot and world building and answers and something other than walking through a desert. But then things got really slow and nothing new was happening and I had to force myself to keep reading. That's not what I want in a book. I decided about 3/4 of the way through that I wasn't going to read the second book. I just don't care enough about the characters or the story or the world to keep on reading. Even the ending didn't really sway me. The book overall wasn't that memorable and didn't have parts that stood out to me. I'm sad cause this could have gone so well and it didn't, and I am partly disappointed in myself because I know a lot of what I didn't enjoy is just me and not the book itself.

I'm lowering my rating to a two stars, cause it's more accurate, even if its a little harsh. I still think that a lot of people will enjoy this book. I have friends who did. But I guess my expectations are just higher after The City of Brass. And that's my fault cause you can't really compare an adult fantasy to a YA fantasy, but I can't help doing it anyway. I still think my opinions are honest and true to what I read though.

3.75 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc! I really enjoyed the writing to this book, it was written beautifully and elegantly! I enjoyed the two main characters but I did find the books pacing off. There was also a lot of world building which I know can be tricky with the pacing as well. Overall it was a story I enjoyed but I seem to have expected more. With all the hype I've been seeing I was disappointed with how underwhelming the chemistry with the characters and adventure was. But I'll definitely keep a look out for the second book and more of her beautiful writing.

Skies, what a book!
We Hunt the Flame was my second most anticipated release of the year, and what a ride it was! This book was everything I hoped for and more, and although I found some parts a little too predictable to my liking, I loved every single page of it. Now I really need the sequel. Like NOW. *sigh* 2020 can't come any sooner.

I loved this book so much that I didn’t want to leave the world that Faizal had created. Zafira is The Hunter. She provides for her village by hunting in the incredibly dangerous & dangerously magical forest, the Arz. She’s the only one who can navigate the forest and come out with her wits intact but the caliph can never know that the famed Hunter is a woman or he would surely have her killed. When Zafira is offered the opportunity to help her village & to rid the world of a terrible curse, she joins forces with a ruthless assasin of a prince and his retinue to save Arawiya. Along the way, she discovers what it means to love, to lose, and to heal. An excellent YA fantasy from an up & coming debut author.

It is so nice to get some fantasy based on other cultures for once, different beliefs and mythologies as opposed to the same old Anglo/Greek/Norse stuff. There's a lot of original stuff here, too, while maintaining that same classic quest structure that I like out of fantasy. I enjoyed the world building although I would say that makes it go a little slow in the beginning, perhaps something I wouldn't be annoyed by if I had the next book in the series in my hands already.

Some of my nitpicks might sound like I don't like the book, and I really do. I recommend it and I think it's a fun read. I just wish some of the characterization was deeper. We meet some characters only briefly and are expected to care, or some important ones (like Kifah) are introduced quickly and we don't get to know them for a little bit. It just left me disconnected. Deen was an interesting character that I never felt I got to know, and it is possible he might be explored in further books but I would like to more about his travels and military service now [this section in spoiler tags on goodreads] especially as that would lend weight to his death. I understand why Zafira doesn't mourn him much (shock and she is meant to feel more dulled than anything and angry at herself for not loving him and therefore being more upset and also she is fighting for her life still so she doesn't have the luxury of breaking down) but even acknowledging that, it just didn't have a lot of gravity for me as a reader. It should have been a huge plot point and it felt more like getting this nonentity out of the way for the interesting characters.

Also, while I am in the spoiler tag, I'll just mention that there are several 'reveals' that are all easy guesses. That's not necessarily a bad thing, in fact it means perhaps they were foreshadowed well and it works that they are surprises to the characters but the family relationships seemed pretty obvious, including the one that is revealed in the very last line of the book. [end of spoiler tags]

I found it a little weird and deja vu when I began this that there were so many detail similarities to the Hunger Games. It's not an issue of plagiarism at all, this book is very different in every way, plot, tone, characters, world building, which is why it felt so odd. A young woman who learned to hunt from her deceased father and uses that skill to feed her village which is part of a country separated into areas with distinct cultures and looks to the people by a cruel ruler. She is the provider of the family for her beloved younger sister who practices the healing arts and her mother who has not been the same since the death of her husband. Her best friend is male and loves her in a way she doesn't feel back, instead her clear love interest has a different background than her. She's willing to travel and be in danger as a sacrifice for her people, but especially her family. Sure, a lot of these are common tropes, and as I've said the similarities aren't in anything that matters, but this kept me from getting into it quite as quickly/easily as I would like, I kept getting pulled out of the narrative.

I would like the read the next of the series and I would be interested in more from this author especially as the characterization problems seem like they might be first novel problems and it's worth it to have an American Muslim young adult author on the shelves. Her in a niqab for her author photo is sure to be inspiring for young Muslims who aspire to write.

“People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.”

I’ve been putting this book off for months. I was even approved for an arc and just couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. My expectations were so high and I didn’t want to be disappointed. But I was worried for nothing, We Hunt The Flame was enchanting and completely mesmerizing.

“Sand was soot, sky forever dusk.”

The imagery and descriptions in this book will wrap you up and take you away on a magical journey. The scents, textures, and everything in between all felt so real.

“Death will be her companion.”

The characters, I had my doubts because even from the synopsis you can tell that the Huntress and the Assassin are meant to meet. To interact, to maybe ... fall in love? But then they seemed to have entanglements with others ... and then one by one those entanglements were voided. I was worried that everything would be too easy. It was not. Trust was earned. Loyalty was earned. It was a battle and it was not easy. Which is exactly what I was hoping for.

“If you want me obedient, Prince, kill me and carry my corpse.”

We Hunt the Flame was everything I wanted. If you’ve been putting it off like I did, crack open the spine and finally give it a chance because it rises up to the hype and surpasses any and all expectations.

I have no idea what happened in We Hunt the Flame. I had a hard time following it. I think this was because I am not very familiar with ancient Arabia or its folklore, and I didn't have the energy to look anything up. It was well-written, but I just didn't connect with it.

This one took me a little to get in to honestly. Once I got the world a bit more and a feel for the language, it became much more engaging and a faster read (like any good fantasy read). A good recommendation for fans of An Ember in the Ashes.

Disclaimer: This was my May BOTM selection! Support yo authors!

Book Series: Sands of Arawiya Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: YES!!! It’s ancient Arabia inspired and written by an amazing Mulim author (she also runs @icey_designs so please go check out her awesome-sauce store!)

Publication Date: May 14, 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (some violence and gore, creepy forest, creepy witch, and trying to bring back the magic!)

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Pages: 472

Amazon Link

Synopsis: 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 king. 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 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 king 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.

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

Review: Holy cow this book was magnificent! I loved the world building and I loved the characters. They were so complex and rich. The detail that went into every aspect of this book was definitely noticed and it made this book all the more special. The magic system is really interesting too and the writing was magnificent.

The only issue I had with the book is that the pacing was a bit slow. I think that’s because, as the first book in a series, you need to set the world and details so it can be a bit daunting to some people, but I still very much enjoyed this tale.

Verdict: The forest is alive and it’s deadly.

We Hunt the Flame wasn't at all what I expected. It was a mystical adventure through a dessert island abandoned by the beings who created it, with deep, rich world building that brought to life a world slightly grey - deprived of the magic that once saturated the air and ran through people's veins. Honestly, I came for the gender swap, but stayed for the ancient Arabian inspired landscape and the friendships forged throughout this book.

Zafira is such a strong female character. Introduced as the Hunter, she's the only person who can navigate through the Arz - forest that shifts and grows over time, and has magic in it that can confuse even the best navigators. To her village, the Hunter is their saviour. At the time where the Arz is growing and the land is cold, Zafira provides for her village pelts and meat. Her character grows so much throughout this story, and she learns to be comfortable and badass as herself, not just as a woman masquerading as a man.

There is one point in the book where she loses someone important to her, and the death affects her for all of 3.5 seconds and haunts her every 50 pages or so, and that person is all but forgotten by the end. The story takes place over about two weeks to a month. I lost a close friend around the same age and it's been three years and I still think about them every couple days. I get that she was busy saving the world and stuff, but like where's the gut-wrenching heartbreak, and the tears, and grief. This is the one thing about this book that just didn't like. Just because a girl is strong doesn't mean she doesn't feel. I hate when protagonists are badasses and therefore aren't allowed to breakdown and hurt. That's not a realistic expectation to put on people, no matter their age. Pain is pain, and people (everyone) should be allowed to wallow in it, process it, and then move on. That's the healthy way at least... /rant over/.

Nasir is compassionate and that is seen as his biggest weakness. I love that the author created this character for the same reasons I hate that she decided that Zafira just had to get over it - compassion, empathy, and love are all a part of being human. Nasir's biggest battle is his wish to throw his feelings out the window and be the strong, emotionless person his father expects him to be. I liked seeing that struggle because of how relevant it is in today's culture. The idea that men need to fulfill a certain level of authority without showing weakness. That was Nasir. And his compassion didn't make him any less badass, which is such an important message.

I'm not even going to touch on the secondary characters here or else this whole review will be pages long. I loved the characters as a whole - their friendship and camaraderie make this book enjoyable. Faizal brings her characters to life and makes you feel for them, makes your heart break for them. This story was phenomenal - the magic, the world building, the wonderful prose - and I'm super excited to read the sequel!

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.89/5

eARC received via Indigo Books & Music via NetGalley.