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Available
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Publication
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Description
Fantasy. Romance. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: An Ignyte Award Winner 2020 A TIME Magazine Top 100 Fantasy Book of All Time A Paste Magazine Best YA Book of 2019 A PopSugar Best YA Book of 2019 A TeenVogue Book Club Pick for 2019 A Barnes & Noble Teen Book Club Pick for 2019 "Lyrical and spellbinding" �??Marieke Njikamp, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, Hafsah Faizal's We Hunt the Flame�??first in the Sands of Arawiya duology�??is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands. 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 ca… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
This would be probably be fine with really thorough editing, but without it, it's almost unreadable. I think, underneath everything, there's a unique fantasy setting and a competent YA plot complete with twists. But, I really struggled to finish the advanced reader's copy I received, because it has
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a Finnegans Wake quality that I don't think was on purpose. Very, very florid descriptions abound, which isn't everyone's cup of tea to start with, but the real problem is that the author uses nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs with no discrimination for which is usually which. I'm no prescriptivist, but it was rough; I felt like I was having to mentally diagram every third sentence to try to squeeze the meaning out of it. It was a lot like like trying to do a magic eye puzzle, and I am terrible at those! Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
Rich, complex, and fantastical; this young adult fantasy is filled to the brim with memorable characters, beautiful world-building (very old world Arabian), and atmosphere. Zafira has always braved the wicked forest of Arz to help feed the people in her community. Only a handful of people close to
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her know that she is "the hunter," the kingdom is rigidly patriarchal and would bite the hand that feeds them rather than accept that a woman disguised as a man is their savior. When Zafira is visited by a silver witch who invites her on a quest to bring back magic to the world, Zafira is torn, but ultimately decides that she has to go. Little does she realize that the people who will accompany her on this dangerous mission are more bloodthirsty and cruel then the darkness of the Arz. A little overwhelming at times with special language inserted into the dialogue and into the names of all that surrounds them, but as the reader gets further along in the story it all starts to click into place. It wouldn't be a young adult fantasy without some romance so of course we have a little of that and a LOT of action. I can't wait for the next one in the series! Show Less
LibraryThing member KateReads13
This book was a surprise for me. I went in with low expectations but I ended up liking it alot. The plot is fresh and the characters are unique. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 for sure!
LibraryThing member DGRachel
I pre-ordered this book to support a debut author who had received a lot of grief on social media. I've put off reading it because I was burned out on YA fantasy - the love triangles, the teen angst - ugh, no more, please. HOWEVER...
I really enjoyed this book. Faizal's debut is beautiful. I love
I really enjoyed this book. Faizal's debut is beautiful. I love
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the setting, the characters, her writing style. She's created a vivid world, with fleshed out characters, and a fun quest novel. The audiobook narration is spot-on. If you are an audiobook fan, it's definitely the way to go with this book. There are plenty of twists in the plot which were fun, although maybe not entirely unexpected. The only thing that bothered me, and the reason that keeps this from being 5 stars, is the romance subplot. Do I ship the potential couple? Sure. Did I enjoy the will they/won't they, I want/I shouldn't angst. Absolutely not. I found it distracting and annoying. Show Less
LibraryThing member JenniferElizabeth2
Really never really caught me: not the language, plot, or characters. Small picky things like using the word “feathered” too often. Uneven pacing.
LibraryThing member Linyarai
I read this for the "An Author's Debut Book" part of my 2020 reading challenge. I expected to like it a lot more than I did. Plot-wise it should have really grabbed me, but I was actually falling asleep reading the first half. The ending picked up pace, but then almost went too fast and too much
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happened at once. The characters had a lot of potential, I'll probably read book 2. Show Less
LibraryThing member AAAO
Jazākum Allāhu Khayran
ما شاء الله تبارك الله...جزاكم الله خيراً
දෙවියන් කැමති නම්, දෙවියන් වහන්සේට ආශීර්වාද වේවා ... දෙවියන් වහන්සේ ඔබට විපාක
கடவுள் உங்களுக்கு நன்மை அளிக்கட்டும்
Wholesome. Well-executed. A good example of its genre, even for those not inclined to read fantasy. In sha Allah, there is a concluding installment after this initial one. It’s unique in form.
There are two diametrically juxtaposed protagonists in this novel (often there is either/or), one male, the other female, the former a conflicted assassin, the latter a warrior hunter. Their roles and loyalties are also polar opposites, and their stories sequentially alternate before they meet. One day they are both individually and separately tasked with retrieving a lost artifact for its magical powers, the assassin is assigned an additional task: kill the hunter.
The dual nature of the story (itself a duology as mentioned), displays a writing range seldom seen in serials. One gets the sense that the story kept expanding and was fascinating enough (or ambitious enough) to spill over to two parts. Excess sometimes turns strengths to weaknesses, however, as it does here. The story is so imagined and abstract it can be disorienting and distant, and the narration doesn’t slow down to sufficiently ground events in a clear and encompassing broader context. The novel is replete with action and skillfully selected verbs, but a sooner, more pronounced, elucidation of the story question seemed wanting. It is sometimes complicated and peopled with many players, yet it’s a thoughtfully written, cross-cultural, YA fantasy/imagined history. Solid.
Culture here is commendably incidental to story, it wasn’t the point at all (something not all of the author’s very literary influences [they come through] excel at). An astonishing, refreshing, much-wanted and rare contribution to any of the many categories it can be placed in (including feminist) if not fiction entirely. The names are diverse even for the Arabic language from which they are bountied. Some books elevate their writers in a reader’s estimation, some books elevate the publisher. This book did both for me. Respect. Jazākum Allāhu Khayran.
ما شاء الله تبارك الله...جزاكم الله خيراً
දෙවියන් කැමති නම්, දෙවියන් වහන්සේට ආශීර්වාද වේවා ... දෙවියන් වහන්සේ ඔබට විපාක
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දෙනු ඇතகடவுள் உங்களுக்கு நன்மை அளிக்கட்டும்
Wholesome. Well-executed. A good example of its genre, even for those not inclined to read fantasy. In sha Allah, there is a concluding installment after this initial one. It’s unique in form.
There are two diametrically juxtaposed protagonists in this novel (often there is either/or), one male, the other female, the former a conflicted assassin, the latter a warrior hunter. Their roles and loyalties are also polar opposites, and their stories sequentially alternate before they meet. One day they are both individually and separately tasked with retrieving a lost artifact for its magical powers, the assassin is assigned an additional task: kill the hunter.
The dual nature of the story (itself a duology as mentioned), displays a writing range seldom seen in serials. One gets the sense that the story kept expanding and was fascinating enough (or ambitious enough) to spill over to two parts. Excess sometimes turns strengths to weaknesses, however, as it does here. The story is so imagined and abstract it can be disorienting and distant, and the narration doesn’t slow down to sufficiently ground events in a clear and encompassing broader context. The novel is replete with action and skillfully selected verbs, but a sooner, more pronounced, elucidation of the story question seemed wanting. It is sometimes complicated and peopled with many players, yet it’s a thoughtfully written, cross-cultural, YA fantasy/imagined history. Solid.
Culture here is commendably incidental to story, it wasn’t the point at all (something not all of the author’s very literary influences [they come through] excel at). An astonishing, refreshing, much-wanted and rare contribution to any of the many categories it can be placed in (including feminist) if not fiction entirely. The names are diverse even for the Arabic language from which they are bountied. Some books elevate their writers in a reader’s estimation, some books elevate the publisher. This book did both for me. Respect. Jazākum Allāhu Khayran.
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LibraryThing member Renee581
At first, I wasn't sure where this book was going or if I actually liked it but as I kept reading it became more and more clear both how well written this book is in terms of the plot and descriptions of the world, and in terms of how the characters are introduced to the reader and then grow and
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grow into a magnificent work of literary art that really works to push boundaries and put female characters at the forefront of this fantasy story. I am so glad to have read this book and really wish there were more stories written like this one that helps push me as a reader and make me really think about the storyline and what is happening in the book. I love the cover art for this book and that was really what pulled me in and made me really want to devout my time to this book. Luckily it worked out and I am now a huge fan of this story, this author, the characters, and what this book does as a whole. Show Less
LibraryThing member Emily_Wai_Catan
With her limitless imagination and ideas, Hafsah Faizal has beautifully woven myriad twists and turns into WE HUNT THE FLAME, that transports us to the fantasy world of the legendary Arabian heroine, Zafira Iskandar.
In this mythical ancient Arabia, Zafira and a group of courageous, fearless and
If you enjoy reading myth and folklore, let the brilliant Hafsah Faizal take you to her imaginative fantasy land where you would be lost in reverie.
I would like to thank BookishFirst for the opportunity to indulge myself in this wonderful novel, and am looking forward to reading Hafsah’s future books.
In this mythical ancient Arabia, Zafira and a group of courageous, fearless and
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ingenious individuals go on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that would save their land and their people. Their mission takes them on an extraordinary adventure that is brimful of surprise after surprise, including a subtle blooming romance!If you enjoy reading myth and folklore, let the brilliant Hafsah Faizal take you to her imaginative fantasy land where you would be lost in reverie.
I would like to thank BookishFirst for the opportunity to indulge myself in this wonderful novel, and am looking forward to reading Hafsah’s future books.
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LibraryThing member leisjenn
I have truly fallen in love with this book and author. It’s got everything I enjoy in a good book. Fantasy, adventure, a little bit of romance! I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book. I cannot recommend it to you enough if your into magical worlds with a hero’s quest.
LibraryThing member LyndaInOregon
Didn't finish this one.
There are only four things wrong with it: (1) It's a YA; (2) it's a high fantasy; (3) it's 400 pages long, and (4) according to the reviews, it's the first part of a duology. Nope, nope, nope.
From what I did read, it seems largely derivative of a whole slew of its brethren.
There’s a complex backstory about magical beings fallen or driven from power, which takes a while to unravel, and an evil sultan (think high king), and a spunky young girl who takes on a male identity to serve the people of her village (think Katniss without the TV exposure)
Then she gets an invitation / summons from The Silver Witch (whose intentions we do not know) to journey to a near-mythical island and retrieve a mysterious Something which will restore magic to the land. When the sultan finds out about the journey (but not the identity of the seeker), he charges his son (who is also his designated hit man) to follow along and, once the Something is in hand, to kill the seeker and bring the Something back to him.
That was the point at which I bailed.
There are only four things wrong with it: (1) It's a YA; (2) it's a high fantasy; (3) it's 400 pages long, and (4) according to the reviews, it's the first part of a duology. Nope, nope, nope.
From what I did read, it seems largely derivative of a whole slew of its brethren.
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The biggest difference I could see was that this one is set in a medieval pseudo-Middle East rather than a medieval pseudo-Europe.There’s a complex backstory about magical beings fallen or driven from power, which takes a while to unravel, and an evil sultan (think high king), and a spunky young girl who takes on a male identity to serve the people of her village (think Katniss without the TV exposure)
Then she gets an invitation / summons from The Silver Witch (whose intentions we do not know) to journey to a near-mythical island and retrieve a mysterious Something which will restore magic to the land. When the sultan finds out about the journey (but not the identity of the seeker), he charges his son (who is also his designated hit man) to follow along and, once the Something is in hand, to kill the seeker and bring the Something back to him.
That was the point at which I bailed.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
diverse teen/adult fiction (magic and monsters in a dystopian Ancient Middle East; author is American Muslim niqabi but the book's characters have their own fictional religions)
this is pretty awesome for a first novel! Lots of adventure and interesting characters, and I enjoyed the author's writing
Parental notes: contains knife/sword violence, dark magic, adult humor, and some steamy necking/kissing scenes.
Note: I had previously started to read the e-audiobook of this book, but found that my brain wasn't able to pick up enough details about the characters and setting (I have some auditory mental-processing issues that I hope to improve), despite the excellent talent of the narrator(s). I was able to absorb much more by reading the print version.
this is pretty awesome for a first novel! Lots of adventure and interesting characters, and I enjoyed the author's writing
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style. Looking forward to reading more from her.Parental notes: contains knife/sword violence, dark magic, adult humor, and some steamy necking/kissing scenes.
Note: I had previously started to read the e-audiobook of this book, but found that my brain wasn't able to pick up enough details about the characters and setting (I have some auditory mental-processing issues that I hope to improve), despite the excellent talent of the narrator(s). I was able to absorb much more by reading the print version.
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Awards
Ignyte Award (Shortlist — 2020)
Nerdy Book Award (Young Adult Literature — 2019)
Tome Society It List (2021)
Original publication date
2019-05-14
Local notes
Sands of Arawiya
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Faizal |