We Hunt the Flame is one of my most anticipated reads of 2019. I know the author Hafsah Faizal who is a book blogger and creative artist behind Icey Designs. I could not wait to read another thrilling fantasy series set in a mythical Arabia and I am so happy that she has received lots of rave reviews for her debut novel.

I enjoyed We Hunt the Flame, but not as much as I would have liked and perhaps my expectations for this book was too high. This fantasy debut novel is set in the Kingdom of Arawiya where its five caliphates can only be saved by an artifact that will restore magic once again to the land. We follow two perspectives, the hunter and the assassin, in alternating chapters. The Hunter is able to navigate the cursed forests in order to save his caliphate of Demenhur, which is covered in snow where there once was sand and its people are on the brink of starvation. Few know that the Hunter is actually a girl named Zafira, who is disguised as a man since women are perceived as tainted in Demenhur. Nasir is both prince and assassin, his targets the perceived enemies of his father, the tyrannical, abusive sultan. When Zafira is summoned to embark on a quest for the lost jewel, Nasir is sent after her, to take it and kill her. They are soon thrown together, first as enemies and then reluctant allies, by the secrets and whispers of an enemy who poses an even greater threat.

I loved the world that the author created which is clearly inspired by ancient Arabia and has a vibe of the Assassin’s Creed video games. I liked the attention to detail, but sometimes it seems way too much and drags the plot down. My biggest problem with the book is its pacing issues. We spent a lot of time with Zafira and Nasir in their own settings where nothing happens and then suddenly in the last 50 pages or so of the book all the twists and major developments occur without any downtime to understand how it affects the characters. The themes of morality and understanding others beyond stereotypes are present throughout, which I really enjoyed. There is a large cast of characters and attempts at diversity among skin tones and various fantastical creatures are appreciated. There were times, however, where it was hard for me to keep up with who is who and some characters, particularly important secondary characters, are not well-fleshed-out but I think will hopefully be in the next book. We Hunt the Flame is an appealing fantasy and what is hopefully a growing genre outside of Eurocentric stories. I am curious to continue with the series and learn about the characters and their fates.

We Hunt the Flame was, overall, an enjoyable read. It is a story about a group of strangers (Zafira, Nasir, Altair, Benyamin, and Kifah) forced to work together to find a book that can help bring back magic. They must travel far and overcome many obstacles: inner and outer. Through this, they create an unbreakable (almost) camaraderie. The character development is superb, although I must admit that the continuous repetition of a character’s thoughts (mainly in part one) ended up being super annoying to me; I had to remind myself that this is a young adult book and repetition is key (maybe?). The adventure is enthralling and because of that, I cannot wait for the sequel. Moreover, Faizal does an outstanding job at world-building. The ancient Arabia is mesmerizing: from the descriptions of the cities and deserts to the food – oh my goodness, I was starving half the time I was reading the first part of the book! I loved how Arabic was interwoven in the text as it made the world-building even more authentic. The one thing I had trouble with was the pacing of the first part of the book as it was slow and highly repetitious, and that is why the book is getting a 4/5. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A dark, lush and magical story set in a world that is inspired by ancient Arabia. Main characters that set out on an adventure – with a side dish of one trying to kill the other. Beautiful writing that will tuck you in and won’t let you go until you finish the book – and might stay even then. We Hunt the Flame is Hafsah Faizal’s debut novel and more than worthy to get picked up. Bonus: lots of hidden Assassin’s Creed references!

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah FaizalFirst things first – I was lucky enough to become a part of Hafsah’s Street Team prior to the publication of We Hunt the Flame and got to read the book before most readers. So while some might now think that this review isn’t completely honest, this isn’t the truth. I love this book with all my heart and devoured it in the span of a day way back in February. It instantly became one of my favourites but I am still not fully able to write a proper review. I am too fascinated by what Hafsah created and can’t wait to read the next installment of the duology. But since this won’t happen over the next few weeks (I mean, We Hunt the Flame released two days ago. I’m not really patient, as you can see!), I’ll instead try to write my thoughts down.

Most of all, I fell in love with the characters. All of them have their own motivations as well as personal demons to face. They end up on the same adventure even though their goals differ. I loved some more than others (can’t say more, because this review shall be free of spoilers!), but overall I connected with all of them sooner or later. They were beautifully written and even though the synopsis focuses heavily on Zafira and Nasir, there are way more characters than just the two of them. A personal favourite was the topic of enemies-to-lovers, of which I can’t get enough of! But the romance here is very slow burn and while some people might not like that, it was perfect for the story.

What I also loved was the lyrical writing. Hafsah created a wonderful world and gave insights about what happened in Arawiya before the story starts. Her descriptions of this lush world are breathtaking and it was easy to imagine how it might look. The plot evolved in a great way and held so many twists and turns I didn’t expect. What I’m not completely sure about is the pacing of the story – at some times it felt a bit off or too slow. Some scenes were too far apart or felt like they dragged on. But as this is Hafsah’s debut, I don’t want to criticize this aspect too harshly. Her already beautiful writing might change in the future and she will definitely find her way as an author.

All in all, We Hunt the Flame is a gorgeous book and a worthy debut for this young author. While there might be some issues, it’s still easily one of my favourite reads this year and I’d recommend it to everyone who’d like to have some magic in their life.

Note: This review is based on an ARC provided to me by Netgalley.

"We Hunt the Flame" is a YA fantasy that is heavily inspired by the mythology in Arabic cultures. (I want to say "Islamic," but since Islam itself isn't referenced here, we'll go with the broader term.) Our heroine, Zafira, lives in a world in which her society is clearly poorer and more exploited by the rule of the caliph. She becomes "the Hunter," a figure of dangerous skill used to supply her friends and family with sustenance. Her skill in fact is so uncanny that she sets out to hunt a magic book that will restore magic to her homeland.

Zafira's story is interwoven with that of the Prince, Nasir. Nasir is a.) an abused son; b.) an assassin; c.) attractive; d.) motherless; e.) the moody/broody love interest. (Maybe I'm obsessed with Star Wars, but I see a lot of Kylo Ren in him.)

As you might guess, Nasir and Zafira's stories connect in the hunt for the book. What's good here: the heavily Arabic-inspired world building was extremely interesting. The author manages to balance the romantic storyline with an intelligent adventure story.

What's iffier: I'm not sure if this is a fair critique or not, but the use of Arabic words and terms appeared to be extensive, to the point where I spent a great deal of time with my dictionary. Many one could understand contextually and others are already fairly known, so it didn't make the text unreadable by any means--it just meant more dictionary use than I would normally use (and I consider myself to have a reasonably sized vocabulary.)

My last point: If I were an editor, I'd try to help the author address two points. 1.) The book feels, for most of the text, as if we're just getting started--just learning the basic facts, just learning the characters, and so forth. As a result, it starts to feel like it lags, because we don't seem to be moving forward. 2.) The author's writing is lush and romantic. It certainly helps to create the fairytale world we have here. It is sometimes a bit excessive, however, using creative phrasing and metaphors so frequently that they get in the way of the actual story. In that way, the writing is sometimes a little self-indulgent. A little more overall restraint would help the reader appreciate the beauty of such lines.

This is a review that I’ve been putting of for a while. I took my time with We Hunt the Flame because for a while, I wasn’t in the right head space to read fantasy. And when I’m in that space, I tend to hate read. And because I knew that We Hunt the Flame was the type of book I would love, I took my time.

And I’m glad I did.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal is a story that should be on your shelves. The rich world filled with lush details is mesmerizing, but her characters are what will draw you. Their complex, layered with their own nuances and traits that by the time you’re finished, you’ll know who they are. And her writing? Beautiful. There were moments that I would just get lost, throwing time and the real world out the window. I wanted to live in this world, Arz or not.

Zafira is the character I needed at this particular time. It’s easy to get lost in the multitude of genre books, but every now and then I will connect to someone on a deeper level. Zafira is that one. She’s who I want to be, but with reservation. She’s brave, and boy does her inner monologue mimic what I think.

Nasir. Whew. What can I say about Nasir that hasn’t been said about many swoony boys before? He’s a leading man without seeking all the attention. He has a quiet broody factor about him, and when he does something, you pay attention.

There are many other characters worth noting, but I’ll save them for a spoilery-filled review. There are some characters that will rub you the wrong way, there are others that you will love, and there will be one that you will be so surprised that and it will take your breath away.

It was a bit of a slow start for me, but it could have been the world building, my head space at the time I initially started this. But I didn’t mind. Because when the momentum picked up, it really sped along and didn’t stop.

And warning. The end? IT WILL KILL YOU.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

A great YA Fantasy read. Intriguing characters and a new world full of shadows and light. Read this if you are a fan of Sabaa Tahir and Marie Lu.

We Hunt the Flame has been everywhere ever since the book deal was announced. Even though I do not read a lot of YA fantasy books anymore, my interest was piqued by this book. It sounded like it would be an epic story with an even more sweeping setting. I went in ready to love We Hunt the Flame, and it felt like I would in the first few chapters, but it ended up disappointing me. I read this book with my friend, Wendy, and both of us dragged through the book, but we just kept waiting for it to end.

The biggest problem with this book was the pacing. It's a thick book, so you would think that lots goes on, but a whole lot of nothing occurs. We Hunt the Flame is incredibly slow, which I usually don't mind with fantasy novels because it gives me the time to absorb the world building, but it can frustrating if nothing major happens by the 50% mark. The basic gist of the plot revolves around the heroine, Zafira, going on a treasure hunt for a book that could restore magic in the lands of Arawiya. I'm a fan of all things treasure hunts, but it wasn't particularly exciting here. When things did happen, I felt very disconnected from the story - I simply did not care. There were deaths and I was intrigued enough by the world building. It was supposed to be this rich Arabian setting, but it did not stand out to me, unfortunately.

The characters were also not particularly memorable, in my opinion. They had potential, and in the beginning, I saw all the promise in them. Zafira was an interesting enough character and I can see her becoming even more fleshed out in the future. However, in this book, she was a hard nut to crack and her emotions did not particularly click with me. The character development just was not there for me. I felt similarly about the male lead, Nasir. He was this gruff assassin who seemed to have a lot of layers surrounding his personality, but we did not get to know him as much as I would have liked. The one character that I did like was Altair, but not enough for me to enjoy the book as is. As a result of the characters being rather flimsy and surface-level, the romance and relationships in this book fell flat for me.

I'm sad that We Hunt the Flame did not click with me. I had such high hopes for it. I don't think I will personally be continuing on with the Sands of Arawiya series. Even though the book did not appeal to me, if you're curious enough about it, I would give it a try.

I am probably going to deliver an unpopular opinion, so here goes...

I received an AR copy of this book through Netgalley (thank you, publisher and Netgalley for continuing to provide me with these copies!). The opinions expressed in this review are purely my own.

Rating: 2 stars.

PLOT: Zafira is known as the famous Demenhune Hunter (yes, she is disguised as a male). She travels into the forest known as the Arz, which most (all) people disappear in after entering. By hunting, she is able to provide food for her poor village. Nasir is the Prince of Sarasin, and the Kingdom's most feared hashashin (assassin). He takes orders from the King, his father, who is malevolently seeking the Jawarat, a powerful artifact on the island of Sharr. Nasir has frequently been on the receiving end of his father's punishments and considers himself to be merely a monster, chained to his master (the King). Altair is the King of Sarasin's war general- golden haired, handsome, and providing frequent comical relief, I could not help but to imagine him as Thor (in the last movie installation). All are traveling to the island of Shar to retrieve the magical Jawarat, which is will restore magic to all of Arawiya (the lands the characters come from) and prevent the ever-growing Arz from swallowing the land and its people. The Silver Witch is the driving force behind Zafira going to the Arz as Zafira is special. She has a magic which allows her to locate whatever she wishes. The King of Sarasin is not necessarily a friend of the Silver Witch's and sends his son Nasir and general Altair to retrieve the artifact for himself. Nasir is under direct instruction to kill all in his party once he retrieves what is necessary.

Well, that pretty much sums it up without giving away any crazy spoilers.

PROS: (1) The plot is original and interesting. The author could have done SO much with it, but the pleasure from this plot is diluted by the countless plot holes and badly timed character development scenes (But I'll get into these later). (2) I love how this book has such strong ties to Middle Eastern culture through language, dress, and landscape descriptions. (3) The characters sometimes made me chuckle once or twice with their banter. (4) Feminist overtones- the main character lives in a caliphate that openly discriminates against women and put them down.

CONS: (1) Plot holes, plot holes, plot holes- there were many portions of the story where a character's actions simply did not make sense. For example, when Zafira decides to remove her hood and display herself as a woman before the misogynistic caliph. Zafira asked him to take care of the family and friends she left behind and only reveals herself as a woman once she boards a ship heading for Shar. He sees her and is red with rage. This simply does not make sense. Zafira had countless opportunities to reveal herself while she was speaking with the caliph and therefore present herself powerfully and honestly. By revealing herself only once she was safely on the ship made her seem (at least to me) like more of a coward. Not to mention that her family and their future was not at the hands of said enraged caliph. She publicly humiliated the dude, only once she was on a ship (safe and sound), and did it after asking him to care for her family (which- they could now be in danger since it is only her mother and sister that are left????). We find another example when, towards the end of the book, our heroes are surrounded by SO MANY ifrit, yet find time to crouch near each other and exchange words and dig at some trees. Isn't surrounded exactly what it is- surrounded? I imagine The Walking Dead hordes and there's no way anyone would have time to beat back that crowd long enough to do ANYTHING. There are a lot of scenes like this, where a character just disappears then reappears, where important people go missing and no one cares, etc. etc. (2) The World-Building is HIGHLY LACKING- Now it may just be me, but it seemed as if this book was primarily driven by dialogue, with the surroundings changing minutely, but suddenly, depending on what the plot needed at the moment. (3) Lack of character development leading to insignificant relationships- sometimes we find the heroes talking quietly to each other, as if they are in private, but they are IN A FOREST WALKING IN A GROUP. How private can any conversation be?

There are more things that I found to be troublesome in this book, and to be honest, it took me the longest time to read because I kept losing interest. It definitely put a strong pause in my multiple-books-read-per-month streak, which I'm kind of salty about since I did not want to put this aside in favor of another book. But now that it is done, I am SO glad, and I refuse to spend even more of my time writing a more detailed review.

While I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance, I felt the pacing of this book was off. The middle section felt like it did not bring anything to the table in comparison to the beginning and the ending which was disappointing.

I am so glad I exist at the same time as Hafsah Faizal because that means I can spend the rest of my life reading new books by her.

Let's start with the writing style. I absolutely fucking adored the writing style of We Hunt The Flame. It was like reading literal magic on the page. We Hunt The Flame is one of those rare books that, while you're reading, you feel like you're listening to a beautiful melody. The sentences roll off your tongue like a beloved old song. The way the words fill all your senses feels like the words are literally building you a world of palaces, of forests and of unknown adventures that'll remain with you for quite some time. You feel completely immersed and taken up in the action; like you're another one of the characters, taking on the world of this gorgeous book alongside the characters already in it.

And where to start about the characters? They're so distinct; taking up agency and space on the page as they rightfully should. They're unapologetically themselves, and they feel so utterly real. Like they're people I've known. I marvelled at the strengths and determination and love and hardships in the characters I followed. The way they shone through the pages of the book. It was the good kind of strange. The kind of strange that made me feel like I was home within the pages of We Hunt The Flame.

The world building was beyond words. I was itching to get back to the world of We Hunt The Flame whenever I had to step away from the book. A big thing for me, when reading, is world building. Whatever book I read, I usually need to be swept off my feet with the world building to really fall in love with the book, which is exactly what happened with We Hunt The Flame. It was so intricate and so well done. I liked the society of We Hunt The Flame so much; the way the caliphates interacted with one-another, how they were independent from and dependent on each other.

I also liked the history of the world of We Hunt The Flame, especially how it did and didn't affect the story and the characters. My history major heart was so full. The phenomenal way the history of the world of We Hunt The Flame was brought to life in trickled bits of information and moments of remembrance was masterful. One of my favourite things in We Hunt The Flame was how the characters interacted with the history of their home, and how it interacted with them. I can't put into words really how fascinating the way Hafsah plays with history, opens it up and slowly examines bits and pieces of it through her characters is. It's stunning in ways I can't even explain.

Furthermore, the way Hafsah uses history to shape the societies of We Hunt The Flame was extremely intriguing. The way in which the different societies interacted with their history, collective and individual, using it and some even manipulating it to become the basis on which their caliphates responded to the loss of magic and the tragedies that ensued, especially of the formation of the Arz, was incredible.

I also loved the way in which the Arz becomes the uniting factor for all caliphates, and a method of checks in balances in a way. The caliphates don't have to like each other but they have to work together to present a united front for the Arz, or it will become their end. Which brings me to another thing I loved about the book: The Arz. Hafsah has created this marvellous forest of darkness and possibilities. It's enchanting and scary and I want so badly to explore it. It's probably the adrenaline-junkie in me that wants to, but gods, it would be so interesting to explore every inch of the Arz. I want to find hidden parts of it. I want to understand every bit of it. I just...I really want to be in this world. In this forest, yes, but in Hafsah's world in general, too.

I don't know how to end this review except: read We Hunt The Flame and live your best lives, you awesome Nerds!

We Hunt the Flame is a gem of a book. It checks many of the boxes in the list of qualities and tropes that make me love a book: a vibrant, well-built world, enemies-to-lovers (!!) + slow burn romance, badass characters that I would protect with my life, gorgeous writing, and an ending that left me desperate for the next book in the series!

With a mellow atmosphere of impending danger and creatively poetic writing, We Hunt the Flame is a rich middle eastern tale between two opposites souls on opposites sides who want nothing more than freedom and peace. The slowing depreciating world of Arayiwa that is made up of the five caliphates: Demenhur, Alderamin, Pelusia, Sarasin, and Zaram, is where our story takes place, is home to the Six Sisters Old and the prosperity they brought to the land until the unfortunate event.
In technical terms, the vividness of the setting painted by Faizal is extraordinary, she concocted words to string along into beautiful works of prose. Her unapologetically beautiful and descriptive writing brings each page to life because everything is laid out to you so your mind can better visuals. The pacing is rather slow for one does not reach the actual quest part of the story until a little further in the middle of the story; this causes me to believe that the author probably lost herself in the descriptive part of the story causing the prolongation of the story. Besides this particularity, the tale told is wondrous and full of magic and I hope others enjoy it as much as I did.

**********CHARACTER LOVE**********
Zafira is one of the rarest original young adult female characters that incorporates the personality of a true heroine. She stays true to herself as a female and the main character by keeping her composure even after the male lead shows himself. She is of course without faults but instead of wallowing in them she deals with them head-on.

Nasir is a deadly, calm, cool and collector character who does not deviate from authority. He is my new book boyfriend, and anyone who wishes to lay claim to him can armor up and fight me! I must warn you I have been equipped with the deadly arts of sarcasm and …Anyways, to most Nasir can seem very broody..sometimes too much so.

Altair is the opposite of Nasir. He is the bright light of Nasir’s broodiness. He laughs too often, drinks a lot makes me feel as though I am cheating on Nasir. However, even with all of his comedic side, like everyone else in the story, he hides a secret.

This was a DNF. I really wanted to get into this one, but between the characters' names and the writing style, I just couldn't get myself to become fully invested in the story. 

I hope to get back to this one some day, but for now, I'll be putting it back on my shelf.

I really enjoyed this book, I was nervous because it had been hyped up so much. But thankfully it lived up to the hype. It was full of the most beautiful quotes, and beautiful prose. And the cover is stunning. I guess there is a reason why it ended up in two of the book subscription boxes that I get.

I love that the Author is a Book Blogger as well, and I think that stands out in her writing style. It seemed like she knew what kind of tropes to shy away from, and she did a great job with the world building, and the relationships between all the characters. I look forward to reading more from Hafsah Faizal.

Zafira began hunting in the cursed forest in order to ensure the people of her village wouldn’t starve. She had to do this disguised as a man because hunting is not woman’s work. Nasir is the king’s assassin and is also the prince. He doesn’t want to kill whomever his father wishes, but the punishments to him would be just as bad. Both individuals are now looking for a lost object. Zafira wants to restore magic to the world and the king wants to stop her, even if that means Nasir must assassinate her. What will happen when these two cross paths?

We Hunt the Flame is the first book in the Sands of Arawiya series. The characters inside this story are varied and complex with world building to match them. Although the land is inspired by Arabian history, this world is full of magic and a different past. There were times the story seemed to drag, but as I remembered that this was Faizal’s debut novel … all was forgiven. I look forward to the second installment to discover where this world is going next.

* I first want to thank Net-galley for sending me a copy for an honest review."


I went into this book not really knowing what I was getting into. I just knew that I anted to read it and that the author behind it was an amazing person. There was so much hype before the book eve released and now that its out to. It deserves all the hype.



We follow Zafira nad Nasir in an adventure to find a lost artifact that can bring magic back into their world. Zafira searches for the book in order to protect the world from darkness while Nasir was sent by his father to retrieve the artifact and kill Zafira.



It was a little hard to get into the in the first 100 pages, possibly because of the world building and introduction of the characters. It's a slow paced YA fantasy almost feels high fantasy to be honest and I think that's one of the reasons I loved it. I also loved the mixed in Arabic in the writing it brought out a lot of the fact that this was an Arabic inspired story and the author is also Muslim.



After the journey began and Zafira and Nasir finally met, I was fully invested in the story as well as the characters. I loved the banter between the characters and the aggression. I loved how funny and just laid back Altair was. He was definitely my favorite character out of all of them. Every character were very distinct and didn't blend together. love how strong Zafira was even though at times I felt like her character was undermined. She was supposed to be this amazing hunter but at times I felt like she was portrayed a little weak. But in my opinion I just to read and expect really strong female characters.



I loved loved loved that slow burn and agonizing romance. It just keeps you waiting and wishing and that's exactly what Hafsa gives you. It was one of my favorite aspect of the books.I can't wait for a bigger development in the second book.


All in all I loved this book and it filled a need I needed without me even asking. I can't wait for the next books in the series!



5 ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

We Hunt the Flame boasts strong and conflicted characters. Zafira is headstrong and sarcastic, Nasir is broody and lost, and Altair is a great supporting character that helps to balance out the coming darkness of the Arz. This book is a great adventure with a great new twist on who or what constitutes a villain. Hafsah Faizal has done a great job creating characters that are not entirely good or bad, they're human and relatable. I really enjoyed this adventure and I really hope that there is more to come!

A lush magical dark fantasy set immersed in Arabic culture. I truly enjoyed the characters' journeys, but the pacing did to drag in more spots than I'd like. However, I cared enough about the characters to push forward and in the end, it was totally worth it. The world-building was highly impressive and I appreciated the inclusion of the rich Arabic language. I look forward to seeing more from this debut author.

4/5 stars.

This would be probably be fine with really thorough editing, but without it, it's almost unreadable. I <em>think</em>, underneath everything, there's a unique fantasy setting and a competent YA plot complete with twists. But, I really struggled to finish the advanced reader's copy I received, because it has a Finnegans Wake quality that I don't think was on purpose. Very, very florid descriptions abound, which isn't everyone's cup of tea to start with, but the real problem is that the author uses nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs with no discrimination for which is usually which. I'm no prescriptivist, but it was <em>rough</em>; I felt like I was having to mentally diagram every third sentence to try to squeeze the meaning out of it. It was a lot like like trying to do a magic eye puzzle, and I am terrible at those!

The characters were very well developed, well rounded, and distinct. I really loved the slow burn romance, it was extremely well written. The blending of languages was beautiful. The world building feels real and concise. I loved all the elements of this novel but the plotline itself felt quite slow.