4.5 Stars

In The Ending Fire, roles are shifting, allegiances are changing, and the rebellion against the Warden’s Empire is surging – but a greater war is coming.

Saara El-Arifi is a master crafter of rich and imaginative queer normative fantasy worlds, deeply flawed and yet loveable characters, and intricately woven plot-lines that culminate in a gipping and emotionally resonate conclusion to an OVERWHELMINGLY EPIC series.

First, let’s talk about the worldbuilding. The Ending Fire expanded upon the complex and vividly detailed world outside of the Warden’s Empire, from the mushroom towers to the underground beachside glass colony, to the book-loving ship city, I love the imagination behind each one and how every setting is infused with its own culture and history. Saara is so creative in the execution of her craft – I LOVE using the Griot storytellers as a mechanism to provide recaps from the previous books and was blown away by how effective her choice was to allow both major AND minor characters to provide a point of view during the ending battle scene. (Rascal the Kitten’s POV OMG I was in love!)

The relationships between and surrounding our main characters evolve significantly in The Ending Fire, as each character navigates the constantly changing landscape of alliances vs. enemies. Similar to the previous books, Saara does NOT shy away from putting her characters through intense hardships, but the beauty of it is in how their internal struggles mirror the broader conflicts of the world they inhabit so while its difficult to see our beloved friends continue to struggle, I find it consistent with the grim realities of the world that they live in. Also, JOND coming out of left field to end up one of my favorite characters, WHAT?! His arc in particular, alongside Hassa, were the most developed of the series.

While I found the foreshadowing to be more subtle in The Battle Drum than in The Ending Fire, (as I was able to easily guess most of the plot twists/character reveals), I still appreciated the twists and turns that drove the story forward. I loved the additional and more expanded thematic exploration of power and rebellion as a whole, and the story providing a more nuanced understanding of the Zalaam—a faction that seeks to consolidate power through manipulation of belief and religion and how corruption is born systemically but can often be nurtured and grown through the influence of one over-empowered individual.

If I could change anything about this series, however, it would be a quartet instead of a trilogy as I think we needed just a little more time to flesh out the story, to get more time with Sylah and Anoor as a couple or to have an expanded epilogue. The last battle scene was EPIC though the ending felt abrupt and while technically resolved, was emotionally unsatisfying. HOWEVER, with this choice, Saara ultimately stayed true to the story’s themes surrounding sacrifice and the often harsh nature of change.

I loved it. I love this series and I feel confident that I will love anything that Saara El-Arifi writes. Thank to you netgalley and Del Ray for the opportunity to read The Ending Fire as an advance reader copy.

As the grand finale to Saara El-Arifi’s The Ending Fire trilogy, this book delivers a bittersweet conclusion to one of my favorite series. The Wardens’ Empire is crumbling, rebellion brews under the Truthsayer’s army, and long-awaited battles loom on the horizon. Sylah, Hassa, and Jond are thrust into their respective roles, navigating politics, war, and matters of the heart, while Anoor’s role with the Zalaam becomes increasingly complicated.

El-Arifi’s world-building and intricate storytelling are as strong as ever, immersing readers in the vividly complex universe she has crafted. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the direction Sylah and Anoor’s character arcs took. Much of their development seemed to stall, with their chapters becoming overly focused on their love for each other, to the detriment of the stakes at hand. The dynamic relationship I had loved so much in the earlier books felt diminished as their previous motivations were replaced by pining and romantic distractions. Anoor’s connection to the Zalaam, in particular, became increasingly frustrating to read, as her character's involvement with this storyline relied too heavily on her naiveté, discounting all of the character development she had in the previous two books.

On the other hand, Hassa and Jond stood out as the saving graces of this book. Their character growth felt richly rewarding, and I’ve been invested in Hassa’s story from the beginning. Her arc concluded in a deeply satisfying way, and I found myself rooting for her the most. Jond, too, even with his own romantic distractions, had a fulfilling journey, though I wish the story had spent more time diving into his leadership and inner conflict rather than his romantic entanglements.

Unfortunately, the climactic final battle, which should have been the pinnacle of the trilogy, fell short for me. With multiple POVs from supporting characters and a disjointed execution, the scene became confusing, and inconsistencies in the plot distracted from what should have been an emotionally charged and intense moment. Instead of the exhilarating conclusion I anticipated, it left me feeling disconnected and eager to move on from the chaos.

While The Ending Fire didn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by the first two books, it was still a mostly satisfying conclusion to the series. Fans of the world and characters El-Arifi has created will likely appreciate the larger plot resolutions and the exploration of love, war, and sacrifice. However, it lacked the tight, thrilling execution that I was hoping for.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I love Saara El Arifi and I love this trilogy
Just amazing
Such a fitting ending and though I was a bit surprised at how naive Anoor was at times
5 STARS

It’s rare for me to love the next book in a series more than the prior, but with The Ending Fire trilogy each book got better and better.

Some of the things I really loved about book:
-All the different POVs.
-How each character has a very distinct voice.
-The growth and change each character went through.
-How each character arc wrapped up.
-The end battle sequence!

I wish this series could go on forever, but it wrapped up exactly how it should have. Highly recommend to those who love character driven fantasy stories that are set in queer-normative worlds.

5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Saara El-Arifi could publish her grocery lists and I would EAT. IT. UP.

I loved this series SO MUCH, and this final installment was no different. The pacing felt great with minimal "filler" pages. The muli-POV story telling helps not only wrap up the story and address what is happening in different areas, but it allows for us to see everyone's stories come to a conclusion. The character growth from start to finish for this series was SO well done--Sylah comes SO far from the joba seed addict in the opening of The Final Strife but doesn't lose herself. Anoor? Hassa? I love them all, and I am so sad that this series is over.

This series is a perfect example of telling the story that needs to be told, how it needs to be told, and concluding things in a way that offers closure but also keeps you emotionally open. The worldbuilding, the character development, the story craft--everything is absolutely perfection in this series. My only complaint is that I would have LOVED a 4th book so we could have seen even more and gotten more out of the different parts of the world. But again, I could read a 20 book long series by El-Arifi and still want more, so I will probably never be satisfied with the length.

If you were a fan of the first two books in this series, this one will not disappoint! You may, however, end up in a book slump out of sadness that it is over.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book to review prior to publication!! P.S. Please send me Cursebound. I am begging.

The Ending Fire is book three in The Ending Fire Trilogy by Saara El-Arifi.
This is my most anticipated read! And Saara did not disappoint!
A phenomenal fantasy series that truly captivates readers and hooks them till the very end.
The fantastic world-building, intriguing politics, engaging characters and wonderful character development, this was just perfect. The author did a fantastic job with this third novel to keep the character building, would building, and the story line flowing.
The strong female leads are everything.
A gripping story that I couldn’t get enough of.

One of my most anticipated reads of this year and it didn’t disappoint! Thank you for giving me this arc for my review. This was such a satisfying ending to this trilogy and I’m sad to say goodbye but I’m so hopeful to what this author will do next!

Although I'm sad that the series is over, this was a perfect ending to it.

This book had so much going on at once. So many characters in different parts of the world trying to convince people to fight for them in the upcoming war. Every blood color united against the enemy.

I couldn't tell you which POV was my favorite because they were all so compelling.
I loved the brilliance of their creations with bloodwerk.
And I loved the way it ended. Very satisfying!

It was a pleasure to be invited to read The Ending Fire and conclude the trilogy.

Author Saara El-Arifi did a masaterful job wrapping up all the characters' stories. Good use is made of the mythology/religion developed in the series and the interconnected characters. Technology and magic fuse together effectively. The battle scenes do not bog the story down.

3.5
Thank you Netgalley and Del Ray for providing me with an arc copy in exchange for an honest review. This trilogy has a beautiful end. While I found it to be my least favorite of the series, I felt as though it concluded the story well.
This book weaves multiple storylines through multiple povs which I found to be really well done. Just like the last book, Hassa remains my favorite character. I absolutely loved reading her character and honestly wished I got more of her because I love her so much. Her intelligence and her strength really made her story so interesting and I felt so drawn to her chapters. Jond this book ended up being a much more interesting character and I thoroughly enjoyed his chapters and his journey with Kara who I also really enjoyed. As for Anoor and Sylah, this book I felt like their chapters dragged. While I enjoyed Anoor’s chapters due to the cult like place she was in, I just felt more withdrawn from her story. Sylah was hard for me to like this book. I felt like nothing really progressed with her until after the 60% mark.
Overall while I really loved some of the characters, I felt like the pacing really dragged up until the 60% mark for half of the chapters. I absolutely loved the last half though. I thought it was so well thought out and was one of the coolest battles I’ve ever read. I also think the recap at the beginning of the book is one of the neatest things I’ve ever seen in a fantasy book.

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. The Battle Drum was just such a superb piece of fiction that I wasn’t sure how it could be followed but Saara El-Arifi did and did the series justice with the final instalment.

There was a necessary tension that ran throughout the book in the build up to the final act with a fear of how things would end and would the change necessary be realised in the aftermath. It was nice to see that considered throughout the story and the build up to the final confrontation. It kept a much appreciated thread of hope for humanity throughout despite certain character arcs actually being quite harrowing. It certainly delivered on the expected emotional gut punch.

One of the favourite things about this trilogy is how El-Arifi continued to expand the world in each book. We continued to get that even in book 3 which was impressive, as well as, being able to create character arcs that were unexpected in a number of cases. Including leading me to a complete about face on one character without me even realising it was happening. It’s very much a testament to El-Arifi’s skill as a writer.

Overall a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy with just the emotional payoff I wanted for this story and these characters that I’ve loved so much.

With the truth brought to light made clear to all and battle for survival and the future imminent, the Empire, the Blood Forged, and the Zalaam each face endings and beginnings in The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi.
Returned from her trying journey to the Ghosting territory with new knowledge, Sylah has reunited with Hassa in the Wardens’ Empire to find an army gathering against the wardens under a vigilante figure called the Truthsayer; while sharing what they know and navigating the morphing political landscape of their world to prepare for the impending battle, Sylah remains focused on searching for Anoor and Hassa has a few surprises of her own that occupy her time and focus. Building up armies and seeking out aid from other governments, the Blood Forged are preparing for war under the guidance of Jond, who trains soldiers for combat, and Kara, whose true identity serves as a pivotal rallying point for the armies. As Anoor travels to Yona’s home and is welcomed by the Zalaam as the Child of Fire she learns more about the people and the god they worship, which assuages her doubts somewhat, but time quickly passes in a blur and the time for battle is soon upon them that will determine who will ultimately survive and which sacrifices will have been made for the greater good of all.
Continuing the method presented in The Battle Drum, the conclusion of this trilogy begins with the griot’s recap of what has previously passed to reorient readers into the world, reminding them of what’s happened and preparing them for what’s about to occur. Roving between multiple perspectives and vast distances to continue to flesh out the impending battle that looms ever closer and the broader world that has come into clearer focus as characters meet with new groups and learn about their history and the issues that they face as they unite against a greater enemy, the narrative reaches toward a culmination with a fevered intensity that’s propulsive. As the battle takes place, there’s a shift to the presentation of the points of view that have been more standardly established throughout the narrative, broadening to briefly include many more voices, which was initially a bit odd, but does present a wider scope to aid in indicating the scale and impact of the battle and destruction as well as highlight the new beginnings that will take shape from the various endings brought about during the fight. While the pacing of the narrative remains similar to the previous novels at a slower clip as it covers a lot of ground, both literally and emotionally, the additional revelations presented assist in providing greater satisfaction for the resolutions ultimately reached as the characters have had ample situations in which to deeply prove how they’re able to adapt to rapidly changing scenarios as well as strengthen their own development, even if some situations were a bit rushed or some character actions were frustrating.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite trilogies and this ending summed up the series so well. The way Saara can captivate a immersive world so well on page is both amazing and beautiful, definitely sad to see this series end but so glad I loved it,

The Wardens’ Empire is falling and the Truthsayer is raising an army against them. Sylah and Hassa search for Anoor as they navigate politics. The Blood Forged prepare for war, and Jond trains soldiers for combat. The Zalaam celebrate the Child of Fire, though Anoor still has doubts. Either way, the Zalaam will have their holy war.

As with the second book, we open with a grist giving a summary of the important discoveries from the previous nook, and then we dive into the story. No one starts where they hoped to be; a lot of revelations and death in the prior novel derailed their original plans. The politics in the Empire are still present, even as the truth of bloodwerking is revealed. Embers try to solidify their ranks as the lower classes move against them, and Hassa discovers part of her past. Sylah works against the Empire, using what she knows about the Zalaam. Across the sea, Anoor learns more of her heritage with the Zalaam, and Jond works with Kara to build an army against them.

Working on three fronts, the book follows the push towards an intercontinental holy war. For all that the blood colors are equally able to do workings, the different factions still have an aspect of rank and privilege within them. Revolution within the Empire and a three-front war takes up the bulk of this novel, with creations pitted against fighters. It's a horrifying and bloody ending to the story, with hope for the future once the characters are able to rebuild.

The Final Strife was not only my favorite debut of 2022, but it was also one of my favorite fantasies. To say I had high expectations for this final book is an understatement. Did it meet my expectations? Not quite. I can’t quite put my finger on what didn’t work for me. It took me three weeks to read this book that should have taken me three days.

Sylah’s storyline is this book was good. Her character development throughout the series has been done well, and I found her actions and motivations believable.

Anoor, on the other hand, annoyed me quite a bit in this book. I felt like her actions didn’t line up with her character from previous books. I do feel like her character arc came to a satisfying end though.

Hassa had the best and most developed storyline in this book. I enjoyed seeing her come into herself.

Jond was a pleasant surprise in this book. He wasn’t my favorite character in the previous two books, but I found myself looking forward to his chapters.

I did really enjoy the final battle. I liked that Saara El-Arifi gave us a lot of short chapters from various new POVs to help understand what was happening in the battle.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. This is still a series that I will recommend widely. It just didn’t quite live up to my high expectations.

The Final Strife - 5 stars
The Battle Drum - 4.5 stars
The Ending Fire - 4 stars

This book is the final book in a trilogy so read on if you've read the first two! If you haven't, go read them!! They were both AMAZING five star reads. Seriously. Go now.

With that being said, I did find that this was a tad bit of a disappointment for me. It was still amazing but Anoors storyline really had me bummed. I felt her storyline really strayed away from her character. Yes, I know there were extenuating circumstances but she made the choice at first and that had me super disappointed in her. (Cryptic yes, but I don't want to spoil for anyone!)

I was also a tad distracted at the end with all of the random POVs thrown in. I understand why it was done but it pulled me out of the story to have character POVs when they'd only been mentioned like twice in the whole trilogy.

With all of that being said, I did enjoy the wrap up of the story! It was exactly how I wanted it to end. I'm glad Saara didn't shy away from the ending she wanted to give her characters because it was very fitting. Overall, I'm happy with the ending to this trilogy and excited to now go and read her other book Faebound!

Also, can we take a second for this BEAUTIFUL cover art. 😍😍

Thanks Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

a conclusion that will have you screaming crying and on the edge of your seat

plot: 5/5
the plot in this final installment was perfect. the pacing and intrigue kept be HOOKED i could not put this down. the way all the stories and histories came together was so satisfying. the choice saara made are heartbreaking but perfect, painful but effective. i hated it but i loved it.

characters: 5/5
crazy idea for saara… stop hurting them.
also rascal best character no competition

writing: 5/5
everything about the writing in this book is immersive and powerful. its just so impressive. the fourth part is an absolute masterclass in pov use. i was blown away. THERE WAS A CHAPTER FROM THE CATS POV. THIS WAS DONE FOR ME AND ME SPECIFICALLY. also the cat lives fyi.

overall: 5/5
this is a must read for everyone whos started the series. ill admit book two was a little middlebook and didnt leave me craving more. but trust me it is worth it to push on just for this.

4.5 rounded up!

Finally an ending to a trilogy done right! I've been disappointed by the last few series conclusions I've read this year, so I am happy that The Ending Fire didn't fall into that group!

While there were some faults, overall I was satisfied with how the story wraps up for Sylah, Anoor & Hassa. We also get a more consistent POV from Jond, which at first I wasn't so sure about, but I ended up really enjoying his storyline and the expanded world we get to see through it. I loved the multiple other POVs we get glimpses of too because it expanded the world and kind of epic quality the ending was building up to for me. I do wish the book was a little longer, only so those additional POVs didn't pull me away from Sylah and Hassa as often. That being said, Anoor's journey was a little difficult to get through at times, so I was ok being pulled from hers, but I can understand the purpose of it.

The Ending Fire series holds a special spot in my heart and I am sad to say goodbye to these characters!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a solid ending to a good trilogy. The character arcs and the world building really carry this series. However, the ending felt a little rushed and stilted. We get a bunch of new POVs throughout the battle and let’s just say most don’t end well. However, the epilogue does give closure to most of the main characters, so that is a positive. I still recommend this trilogy as it really is good.

"Stories are like that-they teach us how to feel, to love, to care. Stories nourish the mind and feed the heart"

I'm so sad this series has come to an end. Jond and Hassa had wonderful character development throughout the trilogy. I will say that Sylah and Anoor's storyline in this book really frustrated me. Anoor just went along with everything, and I understand she is naive but she didn't question anything, even when she had a feeling something was off. Sylah was a lovesick puppy dog throughout most of this book, which was annoying. I get that Sylah and Anoor loved each other, but also they didn't get that much time to be together in the first book. Overall, I thought the story wrapped up nicely. The epilogue lets you decide how the story ends between a set of characters, which I liked, and disliked.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC from Random House Publishing Group