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 While I enjoyed Anoor’s chapters due to the cult like place she was in, I just felt more withdrawn from her story.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

as a vigilante known as the truthsayer raises an army against the wardens, sylah and hassa search for anoor…who’s currently being praised as the child of fire.

i still can’t believe this trilogy is over! i’ve been lucky enough to have received each book early, so i’ve been following this series since before book one came out. needless to say, i had high hopes for this book. i’m so glad that this exceeded my expectations! i really enjoyed how each character’s arc played out. the plot was also very interesting, and the author used the 500+ pages well.

i highly recommend this to anyone who’s enjoyed the previous books in this series, and i’m looking forward to more from saara el-arifi.

3.5 stars. I have very mixed feelings about this book, I will admit. I think El-Arifi has written a really interesting world, with a complex and intriguing magic system and some really fascinating societies and peoples. Her strength is absolutely in creating these worlds and systems; there is a good amount of depth in them that keeps ones' attention on the page. I really loved the introduction and exploration of the ship-based nation, how they govern, and what their priorities and values are. I thought our time with them was really cool. I also really liked the parts of the book where we saw these different factions coming together to align against the Zalaam. The reveal of the Truthsayer made me punch the air in excitement; I was thrilled with that development. On the darker side, I thought the time we spent with the Zalaam was also incredibly complex and interesting, showing this cult-like society and how they function, how the leaders maintain control, and how they were able to push people to do horrible things in the name of their god. I thought the way that El-Arifi explored how a cult/religion can manipulate vulnerable people was incredibly well-done.

Unfortunately, other elements of this book didn't work for me. First, it felt way too rushed. There were major developments that would happen in the span of a paragraph or two, maybe a few pages if we were lucky. This didn't heighten the tension for me; it just deflated the emotional impact of those developments. There was an introduction of a character connected to a main character, and I suspect I was meant to care about this new character, or be excited to see them, but it really felt like it came out of nowhere and then the character didn't really... do... anything the rest of the book, or even really impact the main character they were connected to. While I think El-Arifi has an incredible strength for worldbuilding, there was one major place where it felt completely flat for me: <spoiler>upon overthrowing the empire, all these different factions that aligned just... agree to representative democracy? with no arguments? with no concerns? despite none of them having a representative democracy already? and based only on a report back from Hassa that this one city is trying it and it seems to be going okay after a month? I'm sorry, but that strained the bounds of reality for me. The book was about the overthrow of the empire and the destruction of the Zalaam threat, so I understand why figuring out the next form of government wasn't the focus, but I would rather it not have been really explored at all rather than everyone apparently being fine with a form of government that they have no experience in and have no reason to all agree to. The mention of a truth and reconciliation kind of council at the end also felt like a strain on credulity. That they might introduce it, sure, but with no push back from anyone at all? Honestly, this felt like a vision of politics in the real world that basically goes "once we have the revolution, everything else will fall in line!" and that just isn't realistic and it completely pulled me out of the story</spoiler>. The deprogramming was also extremely disappointing to me. I was excited to see how the author would explore one of their main characters being radicalized and committing these heinous acts, and then what the process would look like to bring them back from that and the time it would take and the effort, and then the understanding of these heinous acts and how to repent from those acts - but the deprogramming literally happened in the course of three paragraphs. It was very, very upsetting to see such an amazing thread of story just get dropped so quickly. The approach to the work of repentance was also very underdeveloped and not really explored.

As for the characters - Hassa was and is amazing, and is probably the strongest, most interesting character in this entire trilogy. I would read these books again just for Hassa. Seeing her growth in this book, and the book finally giving her more of a focus, was deeply refreshing. Her character arc was also incredibly different than all the other main characters in a major sense, which was that while Kwame was certainly an impact on her, Kwame did not drive her and was not her sole purpose (see my issues with other characters below). I would love to return to this world and to Hassa at some point, to see what happens next. El-Arifi did what I thought was impossible and made me actually enjoy Jond in this book. After the first two books, I didn't think it was possible, but I found myself enjoying his chapters, in part because I really liked Kara and in part because he was doing a lot of work to build alliances, and I thought it was really interesting. I didn't particularly care for his romantic storyline, but I think that's just because I thought it was taking up way too much time in his sections. Anoor's chapters were often really interesting because of the look at the Zalaam, their society, and their leadership. I didn't get frustrated with Anoor as often as other readers because I really liked what El-Arifi was doing to explore abusive religions and how they manipulate vulnerable people. Sylah, though. Oh, Sylah. She was such a disappointment to me. For a while I was thinking the author was doing an exploration of how, when you're raised for a specific purpose and that purpose disappears, it can create a void that you desperately try to fill, and how Sylah was trying to fill her void with Anoor, but that was still not going to be enough because Sylah needed to live for Sylah, not Anoor. And maybe that was something the author thought she was doing? But to me, Sylah just because this pathetic character who only cared about one person for most of the book and served next to no purpose. Her chapters were boring, bluntly. There is only so much sighing and pining I can read, chapter after chapter, in a non-romantasy book (and, notably, I don't read romantasy's because I don't find them as interesting). The ending for the characters also felt very underwhelming for me. The book was just moving too fast and didn't give me time to feel any of the emotional impact of what was happening.

Overall, I think El-Arifi is a strong author who spent too much time on this book writing her weaknesses (insta-love romance that takes too much focus) rather than on her strengths (interesting individual characters and deep worldbuilding). Knowing that El-Arifi began writing/publishing a romantasy series while this was still wrapping up makes me wonder if there were publishing pressures on her to dive more into the romance aspects of this book, since romantasy's are hot in publishing right now, or if she just really wanted to be writing more romantasy right now than this series originally began as. While the relationship between Anoor and Sylah was always a key component to the series, I felt that they began with more depth than they ended with, and it was disappointing to see. I still think this is a solid series, despite my disappointments; I would just recommend this more to a romantasy reader or someone less familiar with the fantasy genre than I am. The world, the magic, and Hassa make this series worth reading.

The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi - ebook ARC by NetGalley

In The Ending Fire, Saara El-Arifi delivers a gripping conclusion to her epic trilogy, bringing readers back into a world teetering on the brink of destruction. The story's rich character development is a standout, with each character's flaws playing a crucial role in their personal journeys and the larger narrative. As the story builds toward an epic battle, El-Arifi masterfully shifts between multiple points of view, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the tension and stakes of the conflict.

Unexpected plot twists are a hallmark of El-Arifi's writing, and The Ending Fire does not disappoint in this regard. These twists keep readers on their toes, adding layers of complexity to the unfolding rebellion and the characters' intertwined fates.

The theme of rebellion and uprising is powerfully conveyed, resonating deeply with current global events and making the narrative feel particularly relevant. El-Arifi handles this theme with nuance, exploring the moral ambiguities and sacrifices that come with fighting for change.

The relationships in the novel are marked by intense angst, adding an emotional depth that enhances the stakes of the story. These dynamics, set against the backdrop of a vividly imagined world, create an immersive reading experience that is difficult to leave behind.

However, while the ending wraps up the major plotlines, it feels somewhat abrupt, leaving readers yearning for a smoother transition or a more extended resolution. Despite this, The Ending Fire remains a compelling and satisfying conclusion to the series, showcasing Saara El-Arifi's talent for creating a richly detailed world filled with complex characters and thought-provoking themes.

Saara El-Arifi is my queen and I will read anything they write. This was a fantastic end to the series.

First, this cover is amazing, powerful and gorgeous, and I can't wait to have a physical copy in my collection. That being said, I really enjoyed The Ending Fire. The story continues as they say, and this book evenly matched the mood and standard of the previous books. I love how Saara Wl-Arifi builds worlds in her books, and this book is no exception. The characters and character development in this individual book was well done and, in the context of the whole series, beyond phenomenal. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.

I still can't believe this is El-Arifi's debut trilogy - she's just incredible!! I'm so excited to see this author's career thrive, and with a book like this to cap off her first trilogy, the future is looking good.
Incredible use of multiple POVs, a masterful layering of details to round out the series, and overall just an epic conclusion to this world!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I was disappointed with Saara El-Arifi’s pivot away from this trilogy with Faebound, I was still hyped for The Ending Fire, and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. While I did wish there had been a comprehensive “Recalling the Events of the Series So Far,” instead of simply a creatively incorporated recap of the prior book to introduce this one, this is in keeping with how the prior one started as well, and it still makes for a solid scene-setter to reacquaint the reader, without spoon-feeding them everything.
El-Arifi kicks things off from there, with a fast–paced, action-packed epic. While the book is long, it kept me engaged, with the high stakes challenges the characters faced coming to a head as the trilogy came to a close.
There’s a lot of POV characters in this book. The core POV characters that we’ve followed for the past two up to this one have grown as a result of their experiences, and I largely had no issues continuing to follow them. But in the last part of the book, there’s a lot of one-off POV characters, and while they contribute to the effect of exploring the climactic battle from different perspectives, I wasn’t as attached to them, so I found myself largely skimming those.
But minor issues aside, I’m glad this last installment provided worthy closure for the characters and story. Fans of the series so far won’t be disappointed, and I’d recommend the series overall to readers looking for epic African-inspired fantasy.

4.5/5 Stars

This was so good, and a wonderful conclusion to what has been an amazing debut trilogy. The author has incredible world-building throughout all three books, and it is amazing the way she was able to go more in depth into the world with each book. The slow pacing works so well for these as it does a great job at building to the final battle.

There were so many characters and stories to tie together in this final installment, and the author did a wonderful job in bringing all the pieces together in a way that was so satisfying, I loved it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book!

OH … MY GODDDDDDDD this was an amazing conclusion to this series holy fuck. i absolutely loved all the POVs, how we saw all of the different groups come together. the world building continued to develop, and the recap at the beginning of the story was amazing to have. I think for two largely FMC anti-hero’s, the ending was done perfectly and was a great conclusion to this trilogy