While I enjoyed the first novel (We Hunt the Flame), I think that Faizal has really grown in the time between publications of both novels. Her writing, and especially her characterization in this novel is incredible. While characters make choices that the reader may know are bad for them, or that the reader knows that they will regret, the presentation of the reasons behind the decisions and the mindset of the characters are developed in such a way that you're drawn into the story without being overly anxious. The setting is lush and gorgeous and the writing draws you into the world so that you're left going "oh, one more chapter, just one more chapter!"

What Faizal does extremely well is her shift in the narrative voice. Although the chapters are numbered, within the first few sentences it is clear to the reader whose perspective we will be following in any given chapter. This helps keep the story and the writing clear, and allows for a nuance of emotion from the outset of any given chapter. It's challenging to do in a narrative that shifts perspective, and I think that Faizal is extremely successful in this aspect of the novel.

I also love how she grows and develops the relationships between the characters and presents growth that feels realistic and real to that individual. I don't want to say too much (no spoilers!) but especially for many of our core group, their experiences and the connections they've made in these stories have fundamentally changed how they perceive and interact with the world. I was legitimately concerned for the fate of well, MANY of them, but was absolutely not disappointed by the ending. I do wish a few secondary characters had had a little more of a wrap to their arc, but it's not something I'm overly concerned or unhappy with, especially considering how amazing the novel as a whole is.

All in all, I absolutely loved the story. The only thing I would recommend is going back and reading book one before getting started so that you have the events fresh in your mind. You don't necessarily NEED to do this, but I definitely struggled to get back into the story for a few chapters without it. Amazing read, highly recommended.

I'm so sorry. I downloaded this book on accident. I haven't read the first book so I dont feel like I can read and review this without having read the first book.
My apologies.

We Free The Stars was one of my most anticipated releases of the beginning of this year, and it didn't disappoint. I was once again blown away by Hafsah's story, and I didn't realize how much I missed these characters until I read the first page.
Every chapter was full of twists, and I once I started the book I could not put it down.
It's the perfect conclusion to an amazing series, and I will miss it deeply.

I've been holding in my feelings on this book since May, and now that I'm finally allowed to share, I don't know how to explain how perfect this book is.

We Free the Stars conveys a complexity of emotions I can scarcely put into words. People live and die, betray and save each other, close themselves off and open themselves up. It's not so much what happens, as it is how does each character react to it, and why.

When We Hunt the Flame ended, we were left with many questions, lots of pain, and the smallest seedlings of hope. The story Hafsah weaves in this sequel addresses all of it, and she does it well. Everyone wants to know who will live and die, which character gets a happy ending, which doesn't. It's not for me to say how all of that turns out, but I can say each and every single character gets the ending they deserve. Each decision Hafsah made in telling this tale is perfectly in line with the character's identities and story arc. To say she does this story justice would be putting it mildly.

If you had any (valid) complaints or concerns about We Hunt the Flame, know that this book has none of those flaws. WHTF was Hafsah's debut, and the writing reflected room for growth, as all debuts do. But the growth in Hafsah's writing is immediately obvious in We Free the Stars. You can easily tell she's working on her craft and constantly pushing herself to write the best book, instead of settling on 'good enough' to get something written. The writing, pacing, and mechanics are all well developed in this sequel. Not to mention, her use of symbolism is so on point, I want her to win awards for that alone.

But, what really drew me into this book was not the writing style. While lovely, it's Hafsah's dedication to these characters and giving them a story that's true to themselves that made me love this book with all my heart. It's the way she showcases their relationships, and how important they are to each other, and the lengths they'll go to prove it. The emotions they feel are so real and raw, it's very easy to forget it's fiction, because of how powerful you as a reader feel as a result. Don't even get me started on how well she writes grief and guilt. Yes, there are time this book will make you laugh (how could you not, with Altair around?), but you'll also have cried at least once by the end of this book, and you're gonna be yelling throughout. This is a 'close the book mid page and stare at a wall, while contemplating throwing it across the room' kinda book.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I can't imagine any fan of We Hunt the Flame reading this book and being disappointed. It really is just that good.

Glad that this one didn't suffer from the second book syndrome.

A total blast and a perfect way to cap-off this amazing duology!

Solid!

Trigger Warnings: violence, parental abuse, murder, war

I received an ARC from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This does not change my opinion of the book.

Mild spoilers for We Hunt The Flame

This is the fantasy duology I wanted to read when I was a teen and I have been robbed.

Starting off where We Hunt The Flame ends, we are traveling the lands with the zumra as they fix their eyes on the Sultan’s Keep to restore the hearts of the Sisters of Old and restore magic to Arawiya. Friends left behind and losses and new beginnings brim at the center of this novel.

This is the final send off in what has quickly become one of my favorite young adult series. I could never find enough epic fantasy books as a teen and so often I would walk down the aisles of the adult fantasy section instead. I wanted to read lush prose, high drama, complicated people, even more complicated politics, beautiful descriptions of clothing, and romance so slow that a single touch of the wrist burned like a hot summer day. Hafsah Faizal matches me completely but exceeds my expectations. Her books make me wish that I could have read her as a teen.

We Free The Stars is as beautiful as the stars and yet violent like the earth.

For each novel, Hafsah Faizal makes character development and characterization the most important out of everything. It is obvious she pays great attention to every aspect of her work but she pays particular attention to her characters as though they are her children. The way Zafira, Nasir, and Altair changed in just We Hunt The Flame let alone We Free The Stars is exactly what I ask for in character development. Faizal makes everything feel easy to read and yet the chemistry between the characters simmers like a low flame on a meal, all the better when cooked over a long time and devoured by your closest friends.

The difference with We Free The Stars is these people are budding heads in already established friendships. Like a lot of friendships, things are tested most with anger and betrayal. That seems to be the true beat of this novel. Friends that are there for you and stick it out with you because relationships are complicated. People are complicated. Truths are revealed. Hearts are broken. Souls are shattered. Found family in fantasy is my favorite trope and this duology reminds me why I love it so much.

We Free The Stars is a violent book. If you assume it’s becasue of bloodshed and weapons you would be naïve.

There are scenes in here between Zafira and Nasir that reaches to very depths of my heart. I have a sick need to see my favorites living their best lives. These are the types of scenes I would love to tab and reread as a teen. I want to read it again and again and again and again. They’re that good. In fact, it hurts that good.

A Hunter and her poet. That’s the dynamic here. Nasir is changed and its entirely due to his friends. The development between him and Zafira creates just the right amout of burn. And that thing that happened in this book which I can’t talk about because it’s a spoiler is so worth it. Just pick this book up.

All these characters come to this place in their life, in their lives as the zumra and as friends, to tackle corruption and show their love for their home. They fight tooth and nail for it and for each other.

This was a beautifully written follow up to WE HUNT THE FLAME. Hafsah Faizal is a masterful writer, transporting you to a faraway land with a gorgeous, dreamlike quality to her world-building. The real star of the story though is the character development for each individual character, especially the maturing of Zafira and Nasir, and how that leads to INCREDIBLE chemistry between the two. The growth from Hafsah's first novel to her second is remarkable, and you can tell she really pushed herself to produce the best possible product. Incredible!

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan, and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for an advanced copy of this to review! I know the publication date got pushed back a few times, so I was glad to finally get my hands on a copy. I loved We Hunt the Flame and couldn't wait to see what happened next to these characters.

Let me just start by saying that refreshing your memory on the first book will be a huge help in this book. It's been so long since I read We Hunt the Flame that I spent a bit of time at the beginning trying to remember who was who. The world is just so complex that it just was difficult to get back into the beginning. I definitely recommend reading them one after another to eliminate this!

After that, I was definitely invested in this story. Honestly, the strongest part for me is the slow burn romance between Nasir and Zafira. Yes, they go back and forth a lot, but that's just Faizal's way of building the anticipation. At least, in my opinion. It made the small moments between the two of them even more satisfying. Faizal is great at writing relationships between characters to help build the intensity of the plot and emphasize the overall world-building.

I will say that I did think this could have been a bit shorter. Some of the plot points in the beginning feel a little too drawn out; the plot gets more fast-paced the further you get into the book. The characters are really what keep you invested from beginning to end.

Overall, this is a satisfying conclusion to the Sands of Arawiya duology. Fans of the first book definitely won't be disappointed.

Beautiful, lyrical prose from a talented wordsmith. I enjoyed reading Faizal’s debut books and will continue to pick up future writings from this author.

This was a beast of a conclusion. At almost 600 pages, it took a while for me to get through; and I had to trudge through the first 25% like Gandalf in Moria, trying to remember where I had been, who I had been there with, and what was going on now. Add to that some editorial issues that made the narrative disjointed and pretty hard to follow, and I had a book that took me four weeks to read because of sheer will power and effort.

I will have to pick this one and its introductory novel back up later and read them both again in their final, polished forms. I truly believe they will be much more enjoyable for me together then.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I give my own opinion.

Hafsah Faizal will send readers on a heart-wrenching adventure in this epic conclusion to the Sands of Arawiya series.

With their survival rate slim to none, Zafira and the others are still determined to do everything in their power to return magic to all of Arawiya.

The story picks up right where 'We Hunt the Flame' left off. Altair is now separated from Zafir, Nasir, and Kifah. The four of them have shared the same goal up until now. But when the stakes are higher and loyalties are being questioned, will they begin to lead different paths?

I was one of the few readers who didn’t fall completely in love with 'We Hunt the Flame'. With the constant information being thrown around and the confusing world-building it was hard to connect with the characters on a personal level. In 'We Free the Stars', Hafsah Faizal switched the focus of the story from the world she was creating to the characters instead.

There is a lot to unpack with each person, as they’re dealing with the aftermath of the events from the previous book. They are grieving for the people they loved, each other, and themselves. Zafira is constantly questioning if any of this pain is worth all the loss. Nasir isn’t sure if the gain is greater than the risk. What happens if they fail? They would lose everything important to them with absolutely nothing to show for it.

Hafsah Faizal developed these characters in a beautiful way. We got to see all of their emotions, and how both hope and pain creates us as humans. Faizal has grown as a writer and 'We Free the Stars' is brilliant in more ways than one. We get an expansion of the world with lush descriptions along with more mature characters in this book.

The plot still heavily surrounds them working towards restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to return magic to all of Arawiya. Of course, there are many complications along the way: both emotional and physical entanglements.

There isn’t much that I can add without spoiling huge plot points of the book. I will admit that I wish this book was shorter because the plot did drag. Some parts felt repetitive and unneeded.

Overall, I loved the conclusion to this series. Through all the hope, heartbreak, and twists that came our way while reading I think it ended perfectly.

Each of the characters got the ending they deserved. They were truly the heart of this story and made me fall in love with it. Hafsah Faizal explored the relationships they share with each other and the people around them in a unique way. Readers will see how complicated human emotions can be and how not everything is always so black and white.

Fans of the first book will be happy with the story’s conclusion even if it takes a lot of emotion out of you to get to that ending. 'We Free the Stars' releases on January 19th so make sure to pick up a copy!

Hafsah Faizal brings her best in "We Free the Stars," with a well rounded female protagonist supported by a cast of characters that show true growth throughout the novel. In addition, the fresh setting of Ancient Arabia adds to the already compelling storyline. If it's been a while since reading the first installment, I highly recommend a quick re-read of “We Hunt the Flame” as this book jumps right in. Overall, this book was beautifully written. I look forward to reading more of Faizal in the future!

Overall, despite some pacing issues, I really loved seeing how this story and this world concluded. I can not wait to see what Hafsah Faizal crafts next.

Highly anticipated is an understatement. Faizal's We Hunt the Flame was a whirlwind of action and a flurry of richly crafted prose -- throw in a cliffhanger and this reader couldn't wait for the conclusion, We Free the Stars. AND, the conclusion did not disappoint. Faizal's rich descriptive style continues to sharpen, creating just the right characterization, action and mood within the novel. Additionally, Faizal's use of multiple points-of-view creates a cohesive narrative, if not one that keeps the reader engaged, yet slightly off-kilter. Rising tension, well-placed action and thoughtful character growth makes We Free the Stars a griping (and satisfying) conclusion to a delightful duology.

I won an arc.
At times I felt the story was a bit long and the beginning was a little slow for me.
Other than that the story had good action. I enjoyed how the characters grew from the first book to this one. I also appreciated that after the ‘ending’ event, the main characters all had a chance to wrap up their story-there wasn’t just a quick epilogue thrown in there. Some things at the end surprised me.

I absolutely adored We Hunt The Flame, so I had really high hopes going into We Free The Stars. I am so so happy that this book did not disappoint in the slightest!! In this book, we follow the zumra as they are working to restore magic to Arawiya and get rid of the Lion who is a continuous threat. Readers are given a front seat to Faizal's wondrous prose, that allows her lush world-building and heart-gripping characters to pour off the page. This finale to the wondrous Sands of Arawiya duology is unimagineably romantic, bold, and completely unforgettable. I can't wait for everyone to pick this up!

This was such a satisfying conclusion to this story. You can tell that her writing evolved and grew from book 1 to book 2. I loved the world Faizal created for these books. The Arabian setting is so rare in fantasy novels and it's so refreshing and full of hidden magic because it's so distinct. Faizal's writing really makes the land sing. I hope she continues writing and I look forward to more books from her!

Hoo, where shall I start? Where can I start? How do you write a review for a book that means so much to you? How can I possibly do my feelings justice with mere words? Well, I’ll try.

This book picks up right after the end of We Hunt the Flame which is good because that way we get to read everything and experience the whole story without throwbacks, which I am not a fan of at all. So it was action from the beginning. Contrary to the rather slow build up in the first book, this one was full of excitement and suspense right away. I mean, there weren’t constant fights, but it was always interesting, there were new twists and information and told in three perspectives. And there were new characters as well, and old ones that finally got the page time they deserved. I loved the pacing of the book a lot, there were fight scenes, wonderfully mixed with sweet ones, with characters bonding and with calmer ones that included planning and talking. It was such a good mix for me, a lot of action but also enough time to calm down for me inbetween (when there currently wasn’t a romantic scene that had me screaming).

I absolutely loved how the characters developed. They have all come so far since the beginning of the first book. Everyone of them is influenced by the events that happen, they change them and I really liked how this was portrayed in their actions and their whole beings. They stay true to themselves while still feeling the effects of their surroundings. I especially enjoyed their relationships with one another, the zumra as a whole but also their exchanges in pairs. I loved how the romance parts evolved but also the friendships and family relations.

I was so glad to finally see more of Lana, Zafira’s sister. She’s such a badass, never holding back with words and with a very big heart, always focused on helping people… when she’s not currently in a mood for murder. I loved her snappy comebacks and witty ideas and her love for her family and friends. And I was super happy to have more of Yasmine as well, who is angry and grieving and I could understand her so well. Nevertheless, she was still her fierce self.

One of my favourite things of the whole book was Zafira and Kifah’s friendship. They’re bound to each other by everything they’ve gone through together and they have quite a deep understanding of each other and protect each other even if they don’t always realize it. I loved their exchanges so much!

But generally I can say that I love the zumra so much. The whole lot of them, Altair with his sarcasm and innuendos and charm, Nasir in all his broodiness and soft, big heart, Kifah with her sarcasm and humor, Zafira with her fierce determination. And Benyamin, I miss him.

I liked We Free the Stars even more than We Hunt the Flame, it was equally beautifully written, with a lot of descriptions and metaphors. But it had more action and the characters already knew each other and me them. It made it easier to connect with everything. It was also much more fast-paced. I loved this book so, so much and I really don’t want to step out of this world yet. There is so much more to explore and I’d love to do so.

The battle is finally over and Altair is in captivity. Those who fought him know that he already had a plan in place and that it still needs to be stopped. Nasir is trying to learn to use his magic as a weapon and Zafira hears voices in her head that threaten to take away her sanity. They both know that the darkness is growing ever closer and they must prepare for battle, even if it costs them a newfound love. What sacrifices will need to be made to save their world?

We Free the Stars in the second book in the Sands of Arawiya series. We once again find ourselves in a world full of magic where good must overcome evil and readers won’t discover the answer until the end. Faizal has taken the world she created in We Hunt the Flame and completed the story we didn’t know we wanted to read. We have magic, adventure, and romance all rolled into a good read. We Free the Stars is the conclusion to this duology, so readers will know the fate of everyone after this book.

"I wasn't born to fight."
"No," Zafira agreed. "Neither of us were. We were not born to fight, but our cradles were built from struggles and hardships. Pens, swords, sticks --weapons shoved into our fists as soon as we're old enough to grasp them. So we fight, because the world will cut our throats otherwise. We fight, because we won't go down without one. Do you understand?"

4.5 stars. Brilliant. Swoon-worthy. There is so much to love, and this was a fantastic ending to this duology.

What I loved:

"My blade is yours. Until every last star is freed, we are bound." Zafira warmed at the ferocity in Kifah's dark eyes, her promise a harsh line across her brow. "Does that make us friends?" Kifah laughed. "A thousand times over."

The friendship building, whether between brothers, sisters, friends, the zumra. It was so welcoming to watch these relationships build, especially between those who thought they were so alone. (Even Zafria and the Jawarat).

When Altair held Nasir, and I wept.

"You could have used your light. Destroyed them the way you blasted the doors. You could have --"
He dropped his hand with a sob, and Altair pulled him to his chest. Nasir stiffened at the first semblance of an embrace he hadn't had in years. His brow fell t Altair's shoulder.

Zafira and Nasir.

"But it had always been one of the many things he loved about her: that he could never understand the enigma that was her."
"Laa, she missed him. His silent contemplation. his scarce words that were always precisely what she needed."

Altair being Altair.

"But if there was one thing he did better than look impeccable, it was bluff."

It was a vividly beautiful book and swept me into a new world. I listened to the audiobook for the We Hunt the Flame, but read We Free the Stars as an ARC from @netgalley. But as soon as the book is released for sale, I will be buying the audiobook. I cannot wait to hear these words come alive with the narrators.

"We Free the Stars" is a satisfying sequel - the character story arcs are wrapped up neatly, if a bit predictably, and we gain some understanding of the Lion's motivations, however I didn't quite "love" the book. Too much time was spent focusing on Nasir and Zafira's "relationship", as in "there are so many things I want to say, but can't" - lots of misunderstandings, lack of communication, secrets, etc. that get in the way of the main plot line of "Will they be able to stop the Lion?" The high points of the novel, for me, were the battles between the Lion and the zumra, as well as the plot twists along the way.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.