Utterly magnificent. I cannot put fully into words how much I've enjoyed this series. It was heartbreaking, poignant, exciting and a thrilling politically relevant fantasy. I've bought multiple special edition sets and will be absolutely completing them with this glorious book.

The Ending Fire started off with a little tale of what had gone before in the Battle Drum and I enjoyed the way this delivered.

We continue with our main characters and multiple points of view of Anoor, Sylah, Hassa and Jond. Saara El-Arifi has already made you care for these characters and there were many points where I was heart broken for each one and felt the emotional turmoil they were going through.

Anoor has ended up manipulated and on the wrong side of the war led by her grandmother. There were some parts of this that were very frustrating because although she has always been a bit naive, this was hard.

Sylah has fought her way back to Anoor to find she has gone and she now finds herself deciding if she goes in search for Anoor or stays to help fight the impending War.

Jond has found himself a home in Tenio and has become a teacher preparing for war. He spends time with Kara recruiting people to their cause to save as many people as possible. The miscommunication here had me throwing my iPad (not actually because it’s precious).

Hassa continues to develop her bloodwerk and fight for all the ghostings who have been silenced.

There is only so much that can be said without revealing anything and it is something you need to experience because it’s damn good. The battles, the creations, the god beasts, the side characters were done really well! This was a satisfying end to the series. To be honest I wished there was a bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The Ending Fire picks up where The Battle Drum ended. We continue following our main characters (Hassa, Sylah, Anoor, and Jond) as they navigate the final book of the series. Again, I loved the summary of the second book that we get at the beginning of this one, told through a Griot tale (which is such a unique take and I love it). What I loved about the first two books continues in this one - the characters (especially their DEPTH), the action, the politics. I like how the characters could feel similar emotions but use them in such different ways - Anoor becomes more apathetic as the grief (and the Zalaam) slowly break her, Hassa uses her grief to fuel action within the rebellion, Sylah chills in denial, and Jond turns to other relationships. While I love the multiple POV’s, it felt like too much at times. With all of the POV’s happening and everyone doing something different, I felt like the story lost a bit of its depth. We would have a big revelation in one POV just to then switch and go to a different character who had another big (different) revelation and then on to a new character. It was, at times, disorienting and made some parts feel choppy. I think if this book was split into 2, we would have gotten the depth in each POV. That being said, I feel every character got a satisfying ending and this was a great ending to a great series!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The final installment in the Ending Fire trilogy is nearly here! I have really loved this world and these characters. Following the end of Book 2, our main players have all spread out among different factions in the coming war. The initial half of the book suffered a bit on pacing and exposition, as much of this part of the book was spent waiting for the date of the Ending Fire as well as El-Arifi slowly placing small reveals and revelations; however for the most part it didn’t feel like much happened until the ending. The final battle scene is one of my favorite that I’ve ever read, including perspectives from a huge array of characters over a short span of time. As always, El-Arifi’s writing is stunning and the depth of her characters is unparalleled; all this ultimately balanced out the slow start for me. The conclusion to this epic story is immensely satisfying, so if you haven’t read this series yet now is a great time to pick it up.

This was a great ending to the trilogy. There were several times within reading that I stood up and walked away from the book because I felt so stressed about the characters and what was going on in the story. My one note was that I felt like the book either needed to be longer or split into two books. There were moments within the book where very emotional or action packed moments that seemed to just fly by. I thought that El-Arifi had some really cool and insightful things to say about colonialism, restitution, and how to tear down systems and rebuild them. Well done, will definitely read their other books.

eARC Review: The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi 🔥

This was an incredible ending to a stunning trilogy! I really enjoyed the deeper dive into the lore that makes up the world-ending prophecy and seeing more of said world in this installment. Oddly enough, I did find myself looking forward to Jond’s and Hassa’s POV in this book than in the other two and that final part? . . . Offta what an ending. 😰

The story starts in a few different points of time for the four main POVs. Sylah and Hassa’s POV starts right where the second book left off while Anoor and Jond’s takes place a few weeks after. ⌛️

I found Sylah’s guilt of returning a bit regressive for her character arc as I’m so used to her doing her own thing no matter what anyone else thinks. I did find her devotion to Anoor very sweet but sometimes it held her back in my opinion. And speaking of being held back, I feel like Anoor just kind of disappeared for the book. While the reason for this is revealed later on in the book, it just felt like her POV never really stuck with me in this book as it did in the other two. 😶‍🌫️

In contrast to the two lovers, Hassa and Jond really stood out to me in this book. I really enjoyed the parallell’s of Hassa’s grief and how she uses it compared to Anoor. While Anoor lets it fuel her descent into apathy, Hassa uses her grief to drive her desire to be free of her Ghosting bondage. The new character in her storyline was such a sweet inclusion and I really love how this new character loves her for who she is and now who they expect her to be. And Jond does a lot of growing in this book. Being alone in a foreign land with a partner that pushes him to get outside of his comfort zones really helped shine a light on a man who, while having done some very questionable things in the past, owns up to them and accepts his new world and position with a grace I didn’t expect from him. 🎖️

All in all, I still had a great time being back with these characters and the world, and found all their endings rather fitting for the characters. I’m still a bit confused as to what happened to Anoor and Sylah, but I guess that’s the beauty of each reader’s interpretation of the book. Big thank you goes to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this wonderful conclusion in exchange for an honest review, and to the author, El-Arifi, for keeping me on my toes while I stress out for these characters. 🥲

Publication date: September 10!!

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️

"The Ending Fire" was a fitting ending for the trilogy. I liked that some of the individuals and groups that in the fictional world of the series were considered "lesser" and were discriminated against and persecuted ended up being some of the most important and influential factors in bringing down the "Empire" and defeating the Zalaam. The final book has plenty of action and intrigue, with new characters and countries, allies and enemies, joining those from the prior books. The final book also contains plenty of twists/surprises, including shifting and unexpected alliances.

I love a satisfactory ending to a series. The Ending Fire was a very satisfying third and final book for this trilogy. The epilogue especially left me on the verge of tears - a true marker of how much this story and these characters pulled me in.

The things I loved the most about this book (and the series overall) were the characters. The representation. The conflict, both internal and external, that shaped their journeys. El-Arifi's characters are, in my opinion, very real. They are relatable, understandable, and so very human.

I have some bittersweet feelings regarding this book. I adore this series and am going to be mourning its ending for some time.

The pacing was good, for the most part. Sometimes I find the lead-up to big battles drawn out and boring, but there was plenty of action and activity outside of the war prep to keep me interested.

I found Anoor to be frustrating, but I expected as much after book two. Hassa is still - and will forever be - my favorite. Her voice is so strong, she is a BAMF by every term.

Mild-ish spoiler warning... Anoor's cult de-programming and the post-battle ending felt rushed to me; which is why I couldnt give this a 5-star. I would've liked a little more elaboration on the ending after such a long series. It felt a little incomplete.

Saara El-Arifi continues to impress with each new book she writes—her latest trilogy finale is no exception. From start to finish, this book exceeded all my expectations, delivering a gripping story with characters facing new challenges in beautifully crafted settings. While I wished for a bit more depth in certain aspects, the finale was deeply satisfying, leaving me both fulfilled and yearning for more from this talented author.

I enjoyed the first two books in the series. This one, not so much. It just read very disjointed. The POVs didn’t blend well together as parts of one story. They mostly felt very separate; like they each could’ve been their own story. Plus, there were so many scenes that were too long or unnecessary in my opinion. Unfortunately, I was bored for most of the story and considered dnfing or skipping to the end multiple times. I really think the page count could’ve been trimmed down ALOT!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advanced eARC.

I consider myself a VERY lucky lady to receive an ARC of this final book. The great character, Hassa finally gets herself a cover (but sadly not nearly enough plot time). In spite of this, Ending Fire was a solid ending to an adeptly-written, unique, and compelling series of books.

First the strengths...I love that every character got a good arc and fitting finale. I loved the episodic nature of the final battle scene which plopped us into the shoes of many different characters (it reads more how you'd expect a war to feel.)

I also thought Anoor's story was fascinating. While she may seem naive, coming from the stress of the past two books I can see where she'd be tempted to settle into the role and actions being sold to her. In light of today's political climate, I liked this nod toward people doing bad things in the name of their God because they believe it's right. I also thought the God beasts were creepy and cool.

What I loved less was Jond. To be clear, I actually loved the Jond storyline and how it turned out, but I didn't love that Jond took up a quarter of the book! I was under an impression that this book series was about the fates of these three women. I enjoyed Jond (and RASCAL) and am happy he found love, but that seemed at the narrative expense of the ladies, which made me grumpy.

Which leads me to my final point...I wanted more for Hassa. I wanted her to have those adventures instead of Jond. Instead she finds her Dad, then hangs out with him a lot, walks with him to a city, walks BACK with him from that city and then takes part in the war. She does give Sylah a good kick in the pants for mooning over Anoor, but other than that she doesn't get much agency. I guess, personally, I wanted to see a character who had been mutilated and abused (and who witnessed her love being literally torn part) to get some damn agency and be a hero too.

Obviously, I'm being picky cause I loved the series and the characters. It may not have created the happy ending *I* wanted, but I'm sure many others will be satisfied. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for letting me read an e-ARC of The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi!

Readers rejoin our main characters where The Battle Drum left off - Anoor is preparing to travel with the Zalaam, Sylah is returning back to the mainland to search for Anoor, Hassa is dedicated to seeing the downfall of the Wardens and returning the land to the Ghostings, and Jond is working toward the same. We witness the rapid decline of Anoor as she falls further and further down the rabbit hole that Yona and the Zalaam have constructed for her as the Child of Fire. Sylah eventually comes to grips with the idea that Anoor is on the wrong side of the impending war while working hard to prepare their troops. Hassa and Jond are, perhaps, our hardest workers throughout this installment: Jond is traveling all over with Kara to secure allies for the ward and Hassa is preparing the former Warden’s Empire by gathering the Ghostings and ensuring that there is order in the ranks (while also working on her own bloodwerk technique after acquiring a special stylus).

The build-up and scenes of war were phenomenal, the character growth and development is ridiculously well-done, and I found the conclusion immensely satisfying (though sad in the countless losses by the end). Watching these characters move through grief and heartache while also grappling with the end of the world was a thrill, and, needless to say, this finale blew me out of the water. I tend to dread reading the last book in a series, but this one had me neglecting other responsibilities just so I could keep reading. Though I’m mourning the end of this beloved series, I cannot wait to see what El-Arifi continues to put out into the world, and I will continue singing the praises of this trilogy to the ends of the Earth. If you love epic fantasies with masterful world-building, pining sapphic romance (slow-burn style), intriguing magic systems, a queer-normative universe, and characters who are so human that you love to hate them at times, this series is for you.

What a finale! The Ending Fire is one of my favorite series of all time, and wow did Saara El-Arifi stick the landing on this one. It's a painful look into indoctrination and religious zealotry, their parallel with drug addiction, and the difficulties of de-programming and healing. It's also about love, sacrifice, and community, about rising above prejudices and fighting for a better tomorrow. Saara has built an incredible world that is full of potential for more stories, and I would read every single one.

I think Saara El-Arifi is one of the best epic fantasy writers of our generation. I feel lucky to be alive at the same time as her.

The way she depicts war, both from the scale of the entire world to singular people, is magnificent. There is so much history and magic to be found within this fantasy world, always new layers to peel back, and it makes me want to explode. I love these books so much.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Rarely have I ever found such an incredible trilogy where all 3 books are equally phenomenal....but my god. My heart was racing, my eyes were crying, my heart will never be the same. This was so, so good and the ending leaves room for so many more stories, nothing is wrapped with a perfect bow, but it's SATISFYING even if I am BROKEN.

The slow pacing in the Final Strife was not a problem in The Battle Drum and again in The Ending Fire, it's banger after banger. There are several POVs and they're all equally good and all had my attention fully gripped. The writing was so good and while I'm not sure I'll ever recover, I loved every second.

El-Arifi has really mastered her craft with this series - the characters are rich and complex and she really dives into their motivations and their development and forces them, and us as readers, to challenge why they are who they are and who they want to be moving forward. Our characters are in drastically different places and scattered across the world with this one and we see so many different sides of them as they discover new aspects of themselves. I'm not sure with a gun to my head I could pick a favorite, they're all done so well.

I have so much respect for how she brings so many characters and plots to fruition and ties the together in a way that isn't tied with a perfect bow, but feels real and respectful to the loss and dangers our characters have faced. Please read this trilogy....it's so dang good.

"Rebellions are like fires—something needs to burn to make a flame."

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

➳ 4.5

TW: ableism, abuse, addiction, alcohol, blood, child death, classism, colonization, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, drug abuse, drug addiction, emotional abuse, genocide, gore, grief, gun violence, hate crime, injury/injury detail, medical content, murder, mutilation, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, police brutality, ritualistic sacrifice, religious extremism, self harm, sexual content, slavery, suicidal thoughts, suicide, torture, trafficking, violence, vomit, war, xenophobia.

Saara El-Arifi deserves every kind of award because how is every book she writes fantastic?

I'm actually incredibly emotional to be at the end of this trilogy, but here's my attempt at writing a coherent review (kindly ignore the distant sounds of my sniffling, please <3)

There are no words for how excited I was when I got approved for this ARC and I can only say that it met every single one of my expectations. Every ounce of excitement I felt for this book was rewarded with the kind of story deserving it. Even with me being locked in a horrendous reading slump, I was either reading this or thinking about reading it.

The story picks up just a bit after where The Battle Drum left off, with our characters each dealing with their own challenges as obstacles upon obstacles get thrown their way. We follow some characters to explore parts of the world we haven't seen before (each beautifully crafted) and others to more familiar places.

One of my favorite aspects was the way each of the main characters was given some sort of closure (or not) of a full-circle moment without the book ever feeling like it was trying to force me to experience that 'end-of-series' emotion that so many finales seem to attempt to manipulate their readers into feeling.

I will admit to struggling with Anoor's naivety a bit more in this book than the previous installments - but I also can't pretend I don't understand the decisions she made or the path that led her to where she was in this book. She was in character the entire time, it was just a bit tedious to read about.

My only other (slight) criticism is that I almost felt as if this book was too short or rushed. That isn't to say that I think it wasn't well-crafted but rather, I wish more time had been given to certain experiences/developments/characters. There were so many things going on in this book and not a single page was wasted; I just wish it could have been a bit longer.

That aside though? This is the kind of finale that makes you feel a bit hollowed out at the end, which is one of the biggest compliments I can give it. I love this series so, so much and it's really bittersweet to know that it's over.

I'm wholeheartedly grateful for the chance to read this and I can't wait to read every book Saara El-Arifi writes from now until the end of time.

Overview:
A solid ending to the series, though not as solid as I was hoping.

Re-Readability:
I will absolutely re-read this entire series, probably several times.

Writing:
Saara El-Arifi's authorial voice isn't anything particularly stand-out for me personally, but it's perfectly serviceable. Pretty straight-to-the-point, with a few nice turns of phrase here and there. Works for me!

Characters:
The characters in this series are not characters I feel really connected to or invested in. Aside from Hassa. Hassa is great.

Sylah is just kind of whatever for me. She's cool. I don't have a problem with her really. She's an interesting enough character. I don't really love the whole "I'll let the whole world burn in order to save you" kind of romance, and that's what we have here with Sylah & Anoor... especially coming from Sylah toward Anoor. So that's annoying from time to time, for sure.

Jond is incredibly "just there" for me. In the first book I hated him. In this book he was fine. He's not especially interesting to me, I suppose. And holy god his idiocy in this one with being unbelievably oblivious to how another character felt about him... I mean it when I say "unbelievable." I didn't buy it. I don't think he's actually the type of character who would be that idiotically dense.

Anoor. My god. The kind of character I really cannot stand. Completely, ridiculously gullible... going beyond just "believing what people tell me" and blatantly IGNORING things that are RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FACE. Never truly having doubts about the cult indoctrination she was receiving... way too easy to manipulate... once again, a bit unbelievably. I think Anoor's arc could have been far more compelling in this, if the indoctrination had not been so unfathomably easy.

Plot:
This one felt so much more character-focused, and in a series where I don't feel that much toward the characters, that made me slightly less invested overall.

The religious zealotry/cult indoctrination stuff could have been so much more compelling if it was executed a bit better, in my opinion. It was still compelling enough and interesting enough. However, it was too easy to do, and it was way too obvious to us as the readers too.

The final battle also could have been done a bit better, in my opinion. I don't think we needed SO MANY short chapters from random characters we'd never had POVs from before... and oh my good god having that Shola chapter right before Olina's chapter REALLY watered down that whole reveal.

All that being said... I'm so glad Hassa got to technically strike the final blow against the Zalaam and play such a pivotal role in liberating her people! And overall in a general sense, I still liked the plot here. Despite my many gripes, I did NOT hate it. :-)

Absolutely fantastic final installment I really do love everything about this series. It has great world building, lore and characters to root for. Absolutely incredible and perfect. Highly recommend and will be rereading for a long time to come..

What an outstanding ending to such a superb fantasy series! This was absolutely stellar. It was definitely a very satisfying ending. The world-building continued to be amazing, and all the plot points were wrapped up beautifully. I loved all the character growth we saw in so many characters and all the fantastic character arcs. I'm sad to see the end of this series because it was so good, but this was the perfect conclusion.