Fantasy Duology in a Magical Land

We Hunt the Flame
By Hafsah Faizal
Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (May 14, 2019)
Hardcover : 480 pages
ISBN-10 : 0374311544
ISBN-13 : 978-0374311544
Reading age : 14 - 18 years
Lexile measure : HL740L
Grade level : 10 - 12
 
Publisher’s Blurb:
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya―but neither wants to be.
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds―and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
 

We Free the Stars
By Hafsah Faizal
Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (January 19, 2021)
Hardcover : 592 pages
ISBN-10 : 0374311579
ISBN-13 : 978-0374311575
Reading age : 14 - 18 years
Grade level : 10 - 12
 
Publisher’s Blurb (Spoilers for We Hunt the Flame):
Darkness surged in his veins. Power bled from her bones.
The battle on Sharr is over. The Arz has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan Altair set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, finally bringing magic to all of Arawiya. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return.
As the zumra plots to overthrow Arawiya’s darkest threat, Nasir fights to command the magic in his blood. He must learn to hone his power, to wield it against not only the Lion but his father as well, trapped under the Lion’s control. Zafira battles a very different darkness festering in her through her bond with the Jawarat―it hums with voices, pushing her to the brink of sanity and to the edge of a chaos she dares not unleash. In spite of everything, Zafira and Nasir find themselves falling into a love they can’t stand to lose . . . But time is running out, and if order is to be restored, drastic sacrifices will have to be made.
 
My Thoughts:
It’s always refreshing to find a fantasy universe that is not based in Anglo-European culture. The Arabic roots of this duology are clear and interesting, and include vocabulary and mythological creatures. We have Sarasins, hashashins, ifrits, and other creatures from the desert.
 
Many of the classic YA fantasy tropes are there—Chosen One, self-doubt, misunderstandings, loss, younger siblings who surprise the protagonist with their self-reliance and ability. (Zafira, her sister Lana, and their mother bear strong resemblance to Katniss, Prim, and their mother in The Hunger Games.) No love triangle though, which is refreshing!
 
There is love, however, in many forms. Love of country, love of community, love of family, and friends. And yes, romantic love as well. Some characters lose people they love deeply. All of this in the quest to restore magic to Arawiya.
 
These are long books, and complex. Although the lexile is accessible and listed as “high-interest, low-lexile”, getting through this duology is definitely a commitment.
 
The first book definitely left me with questions; most of them were answered satisfactorily in the second.
 
While parts of the resolution were bittersweet, the overall closure is satisfying. I will read these again some day.
 
Who might like these books:
Fantasy fans, people who want to experience a taste of Arabic culture (albeit in a fantasy world). There are strong men and women alike. Our main characters are definitely flawed individuals, but they learn, grow, and change.
 
Possible objectionable material:
There are battles, death, and blood. Indications of unmarried sexual activity.
 
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, for the eARC of We Free the Stars in exchange for my honest review.