We Hunt the Flame was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. And I was not disappointed. Yes the book started off slow but after 1/4 way through non stop action. WHTF is told in dual POV's one is about Zafira a huntress who ventures into the dangerous magical forest Arz, to feed her people and family. Zafira encounters a witch who tells her she is the only person who can bring magic back to Arawiya. The other is Nasir a prince, who is known as the prince of death who assassinates people at his fathers bequests. Nasir is tasked with assassinating The Hunter and stealing the book the hunter carries. I really enjoyed Altair and his relationship with Nasir is hilarious. If you're a fan of slow burn romance you will also love this book. The worldbuilding I believe is one of the strong points of the whole book. The author definitely took her time and research to create a beautiful and intricate world. I felt like I was there and the map definitely added to the visualization. And that ending too cruel. I need book two now.

Overall We Hunt the Flame is an immersive Arabian inspired, quest adventure. Filled with action slow burn romance and amazing characters. Highly recommend.

We Hunt the Flame was a wonderful Arabic-inspired Fantasy with an exciting quest! I loved learning Arabic words and discovering more about the culture.
I'm officially renaming my "gang/crew" to "zumra"! Also, I think I've fallen for Nasir. :)
My only wish was that there was more during the quest, getting to know everyone in the zumra and how they all work/fight together, instead of the longer beginning.
Great book!

"We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves."


First of all, let me start by saying a massive thank you to Macmillan for sending me a free e-ARC on Netgalley in return for an honest review.


Second... WOW!! I absolutely loved this book!!


Those of you who follow me on Instagram and Twitter will know that I've been hyped about this book for a very, very long time. Now that I've finally read it, I'm over the moon that We Hunt The Flame has lived up to, and indeed exceeded my expectations!


Hafsah Faizal has woven an intricate and magical story that completely enthrals you from the first pages. The writing is beautiful and truly helps to transport you to the world of Arawiya. The cast of characters are fun, interesting, heartbroken, strong and determined and they all bring something unique to the story.


This book honestly has everything I love in a YA Fantasy. A brave and beautiful heroine, tortured by her past. A brooding hero, tortured by his present. A beautifully detailed and immersive world. Politics, intrigue, magic and romance.


And, oh, the romance!! Let's just say I may have a new fictional boyfriend to add to the list, in all his hashashin glory..

You do not want to miss out on this book! Hafsah's debut is an absolutely wonderful read, and a fantastic beginning to the Sands of Arawiya series. Make sure to get this book on your preorder list!

We follow a mysterious hunter and a royal assassin as they're sent on a mission to find a book that could restore magic to the kingdom, destroy the encroaching magical forest, and bring sunlight and warmth back to the villages.

I expected this book to be a 5 star read for me, but sadly it wasn't. I didn't get really excited or invested until I was at 70%. What I was looking for was adventure, cool creatures, and badass characters. It delivered on those, except adventure didn't happen until late. Yes, they are on the journey for most of the book, but really the characters are just walking and feeling. I felt like the focus was on building the romance and showing how damaged people can become better and find love too. That's great, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

If you're looking for slow-burn plot and romance or a novel that focuses almost solely on character development, you will absolutely love this book.

If you want fast-paced adventure and action, this story may not be for you either. I will say that reading it in one or two sittings rather than several reading sessions, which is what I did, would probably create a much better experience for readers like me.

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<p><strong>I'm on the street team for this book BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING BECAUSE THE HYPE IS REAL.</strong></p>
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<p>When I get really hyped for a book, I'm always terrified that I've hyped it up so much that I'm about to be really disappointed but this one? THIS DID NOT! HOORAY! </p>
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<p>First of all I just want to say that I've never wanted to re-read a book immediately after finishing it so THERE'S THAT. </p>
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<p>Have you ever been so excited about a book that you don't even know where to begin when you talk about how much you loved it? This is going to be one of THOSE reviews (sorry not sorry?)</p>
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<p>From the very beginning, I just loved the writing! I've been obsessing over all the quotes that are on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/58206540-we-hunt-the-flame">Goodreads</a> for a while and they're all just so poetic and pretty! The whole book is just so PRETTY. The words are lyrical, if that makes sense! I felt like I was transported into Arawiya and it was such a rollercoaster! All five senses were on alert throughout this book because the little details made the world come to life!</p>
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<p>I also just loved the incorporation of Arabic! I don't speak Arabic (though I know a few words now hehe), but it was easy to understand the words and it was so well done and I know those that do speak Arabic are most definitely freaking out because of it!</p>
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<p style="text-align:center"><strong>NOW FOR THE STORY ITSELF: Like??? WORDS??? HOW???? </strong></p>
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<p>It's an amazing killer quest with magic and mystery and twists and turns! I didn't expect to be shocked throughout the book but I was gasping and freaking out ALL THE DAAMA TIME. It's filled with backstories (I have a thing for really well done backstories that are incorporated into a plot without taking away from the action in the main plot, okay?), emotionsssss, and more emotionssss!!!! I seriously am in love with the character development in this book and I'm a big fan of character based stories so THIS IS MY JAM, OKAY?</p>
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<p>I can't even say any more because I'm scared I'm going to freak out and spoil something and ruin the adventure!</p>
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<p style="text-align:center"><strong>SO LET'S JUST FREAK OUT OVER THE AMAZING CHARACTERS INSTEAD?!</strong></p>
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<p>The story is told in dual POV's: <strong>Zafira</strong> (the Huntress sent on a quest to restore magic to her land) and <strong>Nasir</strong> (the Prince of Death who is sent to... you know, kill Zafira). </p>
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<p>Each of their chapters is unique and it wasn't difficult to tell which character we were following at the time (some books have that problem but this wasn't one of them!). Their voices are unique and their stories are just so beautifully told (HEELLLLPPPP)!</p>
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<p>On top of having two amazing leads (*sings* ENEMIES TO LOVERSSSSS) we also have zumra (squad) goals with <strong>Altair </strong>(fan favorite for obvious reasons), <strong>Kifah </strong>(I can't wait to see more about her because she's so awesome and I want to see more of her for sure!), and <strong>Benyamin</strong> (honestly he was one of my favorites, but I'm also saying that about everyone so????)!</p>
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<p>On top of that, there's a mysterious silver witch, the Sultan (ugh, he makes me MAAADDD EVIL MAN), and Deen and Yasmine (I'm reeaaaallllly excited for what's in store in the future!)!</p>
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<h2 style="text-align:center">SO LIKE... HAVE I MADE IT CLEAR HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK YET? IF NOT, LET ME MAKE IT EVEN CLEARER. I'M STILL BASICALLY IN A BOOK HANGOVER FROM THIS BOOK.</h2>
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will not be reviewing this book. I would only suggest it if a customer asked specifically for a book written by a muslim woman.

It took me ages to finish this because I believe I had read another ARC during it, and then I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t felt like doing much reading or writing. Without further ado:
I highly, highly recommend this book. It’s SUCH a unique fantasy, the magic and land and government and history are all so interesting. And the characters, oh the characters! I love them ALL. There’s a found family type of relationship with the group and they all interact and click so well. The quest and conflict were marvelous and I’m so excited to see the story continue in the next book.

Grat story with a fantastic heroine, although she got annoying at times. i liked the dialogue and interactions between the various characters. Looking forward to the next book.

I'm sorry to say that this book just did not work out for me and I set it down around the 30% mark. Therefore, I will not be rating it in my review. Only for the purpose of this feedback have I given a star rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book. This book is stunning and imaginative. The setting drew me in and I wanted to stay much longer than the book lasted. I will be purchasing this book for the library.

This year I've been making a real effort to find books that are diverse and this lovely story delivered. It is set in an Arabian landscape where a young woman must hide her identity in order to help protect her home. It is a very good book, the story is fascinating as are the characters. Zafira is a brave and determined woman who manages to enter the cursed forest and keep her sanity but who can never reveal who she is, there is the prince of Death Nasir who cannot show any compassion near his brutal father.

The book has a strong premise and the writing, prose, and world building is wonderful however it does fall prey to a few trops. Such as enemies to lovers which felt unnecessary. I loved the use of Arabic words and the fact that the author made a point not to include any specific religion for her characters as a way to show that the Arab world is made up of more diversity than most people are aware. Its a book well worth a read!

This was a solid debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and feel of ancient Arabia. I loved the descriptions, the inclusion of Arabic words, the world Faizal created, and the prose used to describe everything. I'm also desperate to try that emaa iced cream now.

Sadly, I thought the characters lacked more depth. Zafira was fantastic. I loved her and I got her. But the others? Not so much. Nasir was a terrible character. I felt like he was a shell of a character. He was filled with traits, but it was like labels across his skin, and he had no personality. Kifah also had no personality. She was just there. Honestly, if you removed her from the story, I would not have noticed. I felt like Benyamin and Altair were the same guy, just Altair cracked jokes. They were both "guy with secrets about plot that will unfold later at opportune moment but reader knows this whole time and is not impressed".

I'm hoping that we'll get more into the character development in the next book, which despite my complaints, I am still excited to read. The world Faizal built was that addicting, I need to go back for another visit.

I was so excited for this book, I was worried my expectations were too high, that my anticipation eclipsed the reality of this book. I have never been more glad to be wrong. Despite my ridiculously high hopes for this book to be the single greatest piece of writing I have ever consumed, We Hunt the Flame manged to exceed my expectations. The life of these characters, the depth of their emotions, it is near unmatched to anything I've read before. This book is an instant favorite, and I can't even wrap my brain around all the reasons I loved it. Do yourself a favor and pre-order it now so you don't have to wait any longer come it's official release in May. Hafsah Faizal has already mastered the craft of making you feel the exact emotion she wants to draw from you with her debut, and you won't be disappointed.

Okey, Hafzah, you such a wicked writer cause you KILLED me!

This dark and beautiful fantasy inspired by Ancient Arabia that follows a girl named Zafira who disguises herself as a man to seek a lost artifact that will restore magic to her cursed world. Sounds cool, right? I loved her writing style, it was so beautiful that i died in it. I loved the details. And, oh, the cover! it just fit the story, like the name has given to me, i can't imagine if the book without this stunning cover, or use another cover style! Please give the cover maker a medal cause she/he is so BRILLIANT!

AAAAAHHHHH NOW I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE BOOK 2!

So the thing is: I love this book to pieces and I read it in almost two sitting, which both ended at 5am and left me very jittery and excited and with many ideas for lettering and art. You're probably wondering by now why I enjoyed this so much and I don't want to let you wait any longer.

First of all, I adored the setting. The story takes place in Arawiya, a kingdom inspired by ancient Arabia. Plus magic. There are five caliphates which are each unique and are known for their specialties. The caliphates are in danger of being overcome by the magical forest Arz, an impenetrable mass of trees. The forest spreads from the island of Sharr that has been used as a prison for evil beings in the past. I really enjoyed this world because it brings together all that is good with different evils you can't really see at first but that are there nevertheless.What made the setting even better was the writing. It was so beautiful, sometimes even a bit prosaic. It was detailed and descriptive. I could see Arawiya perfectly before me, I could smell it and could imagine being there with the characters. The pace of the book was quite slow at some points but in my opinion, this only added to the beauty of the story and its narrators.

Oh, and those characters! There are the main characters, Zafira and Nasir who narrate the story as well. Zafira is a hunter whose caliphate is cursed with endless snow. She is the only person known to return from the Arz with her mind and body intact. Zafira hunts to feed the people in her village. She usually keeps to herself or people who are very close to her. She is fierce and righteous and wants to help people. She fights for what she thinks is right, but she also has much to learn. Which she gladly does. She's smart and knows herself quite well. Zafira is quite sarcastic and doesn't take shit from anyone.Nasir is one of those bad guys who are actually super nice and have a good heart. And even though he is an assassin, he not actually bad either. He isn't much of a talker either and tries not to let other people too close. Nasir doesn't often show his sense of humor, but when he does it's always a snarky comeback that made me laugh so much. The two of them together is basically a "I hate you but like you and here, have some sarcasm"-battle and I love it. They come from two very different backgrounds but they just fit together really well.
The secondary characters each are amazing as well. Kifah is an elite warrior with a great sense of humor. She has a sharp mind and a spear just as sharp and she definitely knows how to use both of them. Benyamin is basically a mother hen. He keeps the group together with his calm. He balances out the heated temperaments of the others. The fifth member of their group is Altair who likes talking way too much and flirts with everything in his way. To be honest, he could probably charm one of the palms they've encountered. He definitely charmed me with his easy, fun character. He lightens situations easily but can also be serious if necessary (which isn't too often, apparently). Altair is my favourite character in this series and I love him.
Apart from the group, there's also Yasmine, Zafira's best friend from home who I hope to see more of. She's just as fierce as Zafira, but in another way.

Another important character is the villain. They are definitely a villain exactly to my liking. It was like I thought "please give me a villain like that again" and Hafsah heard it.

In conclusion, I am very much in love with this book and the problem of ARCs is, that I have to wait even longer for book two. I laughed a lot but I also had my eyes glued to the pages because I had a physical need to read and continue this story. It was so good from start to finish, ancient Arabia plus magic is a perfect combination, especially with such a great cast of characters! What a wonderful book!

Hafsah Faizal weaves her lyrical words into an enchanting story that grips the reader and doesn't let go. I found myself offended by anything that made me have to set the book aside for anything. Yet, once I finished, I wanted to shake the book to see if the next chapter would fall out! I hope Faizal can type quickly, because I'm going to need the next book ASAP.

So it would seem Hafsah Faizal went to the Sabaa Tahir school of breaking my heart and making me want more.

I knew I wanted this book more than any other, and that is the problem with ARC’s; once you have them and love them you then have to wait even longer for the sequel.

I haven’t loved a book quite like this one in a few years- possibly since Ember in the Ashes.It took me about two days to read and I was reading every spare moment I had, wishing I hadn’t started on a weekday so I could have devoted an entire sunday to Arawiya, but then I would have finished far sooner and...I’m probably going to reread as soon as I finish writing this.

The writing is beautiful, lyrical even. Faizal weaves an enchanting, magical world, a feat considering her world has lacked magic for a hundred years. That’s what we are after though: magic. The island of Sharr has it and everybody wants it- all for different reasons, though.

And...Zafira. And Nasir. And Altair. I can’t- I love the zumra and I don’t want to part with any of them. All three need a vacation and some intensive therapy, but I love them all and can’t handle Bad Things happening to them. Maybe in the next book they can go to Disney World or something. Leave the swords at home. Ride the teacups. Just a suggestion.

I digress. These characters and this world feel very real. They feel like people who have lived in this particular world and couldn’t be plucked up and dropped in another and function the same way. They make decisions based on their history, their surroundings, their knowledge of how their particular world works. This time around they have had to make decisions based on their abilities to hunt, fight, and compromise- an ability few of them had and had to acquire as their situation became more desperate. Given the ending, and the change of scenery, I assume we will be seeing how the characters handle the politics of Arawiya in the next book, while dealing with the repercussions of their time on Sharr. Especially since the different regions of the country are no longer separated by the Arz, the imposing forest full of what can only be dark magic. Each region has run like its own individual fiefdom for so long, it’ll be interesting to see what happens when they are able to come together (I fear chaos because, again, Faizal studied at the Tahir School of Heartbreak).

Read this book. Read this book and talk about this book and tell other people to read this book because it is gorgeously stunning and I want more.

Thank you for Netgalley for the lovely e-arc.

I got a pretty good moment with this book. The world building is so good, the writing is amazing and the characters make me laugh, cry and smile. I loved how she mixed everything. Zafira, Nasir & Altair are such my babies. They are all three different but so amazing when they are together. The relation between Altair/Nasir is so funny and when you put Zafira between them this is even more. Zafira is such a strong woman and i'm so glad we can have a representation of woman like her in books.

In conclusion,this is such a pretty good one and now I'm so excited to re-read the finished copy (just to see what change she made).

We hunt the flame is a story that definitely isn't afraid of dropping you into this world and letting you find your own way around. The action stars from page one and doesn't stop at all. The characters in this book are spectacular and this book should be one everyones list.

Zafira - disguises herself as a man (The Hunter) to trek into the cursed Arz to feed her people.

Nasir - (The Prince of Death) tasked with ending those who dare cross his father, the King.

Both have personal demons to slay.
Both have had hard, trying lives.
Both have watched happiness slip through their fingers like desert sand.

When both are sent on a similar quest to find a lost artifact - The Jawarat - their world's collide. Zafira's mission is to uncover the artifact and restore for the good. Nasir's mission is to take the lost artifact and kill anyone who stands in his way - including The Hunter for he is no match for the Prince of Death.

We Hunt the Flame is a slow burn (the slowest of burns!), Arabian tale with rich details, fleshed out characters, creepy creeptastic monsters, HOT chemistry, jaw dropping reveals, and an ending that has me more than a little nervous. While the story did drag for me more than a couple of times, it had nothing to do with the writing (which is lyrical; soooo many beautiful quotes!), but more the setup of the chapters at times which prevented the story from really taking off at certain points for me. Nonetheless, an absolutely solid fantasy debut that has me drooling for book 2! Can not recommend enough!