User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
...and the Prince of Death never left a job unfinished. 
Rating: really liked it
Thinking of reading the first book, We Hunt the Flame? Check out my review here!Quick Stats:
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: I am broken. This book has destroyed me. But in the best possible way.
// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Child Abuse, War Themes, Murder //Release Date: 1/19/2021
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Page Count: 592 pages
Premise:We Free the Stars is the sequel to
We Hunt the Flame, following the zumra after as they continue on their quest to return magic to Arawiya.
- Initial Thoughts -I am a husk of a human being. I don’t know how to move on after finishing this book.
(actually, I do know how to move on: read the book again... which I might have done)
We Hunt the Flame is one of my all-time favorite books.
We Free the Stars had a lot to live up to, but I knew I would end up loving it. I did not expect how much.
This book somehow managed to surpass all of my exceedingly high expectations and leave me an absolute mess.- Writing & Setting - We all already know that Hafsah Faizal’s writing is gorgeous. This is news to no one. But let me just say it again:
the writing in this book is stunning, the prose is elegant without losing a sense of humor, and the setting is fascinating. We got to know Arawiya a little bit in the first book, but
We Free the Stars shows us more of this world and made me never want to leave.
- Plot -This book continues on the quest to restore magic and save Arawiya from the danger that was unleashed at the end of
We Hunt the Flame (I’m trying to be vague here for anyone who hasn’t read the first one yet).
Where it took me a minute to get into the first book, I was immediately hooked in
We Free the Stars.
There was something constantly happening or about to happen. There was also a decent amount of action in this book, which is always fun, while still having time to let the fantastic characters shine.
- Characters - Speaking of those fantastic characters:
I love the zumra with every fibre of my being.The characters in this book are amazing. You thought you loved them after
We Hunt the Flame? Just you wait.
We get three POVs in this book: Zafira, Nasir, and Altair.
I loved the addition of Altair’s perspective.
He became one of my favorite characters in We Hunt the Flame and I was so happy to see more of him in We Free the Stars (even though I was constantly worrying about him). Learning more about him was one of my favorite parts of this book.
Nasir and Zafira’s perspectives are equally amazing.
They both have gone through a lot in book one and it was great to see them continue to develop and change over the course of this book.We Free the Stars also puts a good amount of focus on the romance that began in
We Hunt the Flame and it was just so perfect. I honestly don’t know how to put into words my feelings over that plotline because my thoughts are still an incoherent mess whenever I try to think of it.
Outside of our POV characters,
we see some familiar faces and some new ones. I loved spending even more time with the characters we already knew from
We Hunt the Flame, and I also really enjoyed getting to know all of the new characters.
There was not a single flat character in this series and I love it so much.- Conclusion -Pros- Beautiful writing, fantastic characters, swoon-worthy romance, amazing worldbuilding, addictive plot
Cons- I don’t know what to do with my life now that this series is over. Also, this book made me cry in the middle of a livestream
Overall- 5/5 stars.
I could not have imagined a more perfect finale. This book was everything I could have ever wanted it to be. Follow Me Here: Blog ||Tumblr || Bookstagram || Twitter|| Reviews
Rating: really liked it
my feelings for this concluding installment mirror my feelings for the first book exactly, so this is probably just going to be a copy/paste review. but hey, consistent authors are worth praising.
again, the main thing carrying this book is definitely the arabian representation. it gives the story a lush and cultural atmosphere that is much needed in the book world. had you taken that away, would this still be worth 4 stars? maybe. maybe not. the characters are still interesting (nasir definitely grew on me in this) and i think they all get a deserving ending, but i still cant get over how much introspection/narrative there is. also, the pacing is still super slow and the length is so long. so if you dont mind a slow burn, plot-wise, then this might be your thing. but overall, its the magical and traditional feel of the story that makes it worth reading.
in short, this is just more of the same from the first book - two equal halves making up a whole story. so if you enjoyed
‘we hunt the flame,’ then i have no doubt you will love this fitting ending. and if you havent read it, then i definitely recommend it for the exotic arabian experience.
↠ 3.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
1.) We Hunt the Flame ★★★★★
This duology was everything. From lush prose, to constant twists and turns, to the most beautiful fantasy settings, to also the real life parallels of today, this really had everything that I loved in books. The romance was angsty and perfect. The friendships were complicated and realistic. The sibling bonds warmed every part of my soul. I recommend this story with the sum of my being. What a bright shining light in 2021; I feel so grateful to have read this.
Content & Trigger Warnings: blood, loss of a loved one, death, murder, abandonment, talk of abuse in past, torture, gore, abuse, making a cut to get blood, and anxiety depiction.
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
Buddy read with Maëlys! ❤
Rating: really liked it
~ 1.5 stars ~The fact that the word "Laa" was repeated about 84 times is enough reason to dislike this book alone.
I thought that the first book was okay for the most part. Like it was a solid 3 stars, which I just judged on potential, but A LOT annoyed me. This book unfortunately annoyed me even more.
Not only was there an unfathomable amount of repetition, but the sense of humor was absolutely painful. It was very immature if you ask me. There were constant sexual jokes and innuendo, and it wasn't funny, whity, or refreshing. It was annoying. This is a YA book, and regardless of that fact, even if it were an adult book, having that much of something becomes tiresome. It's lazy and effortless humor and the constancy made me so disconnected from the book. And besides, the only people who would laugh at those jokes over and over and over and over again, are middle school boys, therefore, it is invalid in my eyes.
The characters all felt like wasted potential. No real character development. The angsty became more angsty and the annoying became more annoying. The ending also felt unsatisfactory. Very anticlimactic. A lot of subplots were not dealt with well and what was promised or heavily hinted at, was not gone through with and left unresolved. And there were worthless deaths, which is a no for me.
The romance made me miserable. Genuinely. There was no actual bonding and relationship development between Nasir and Zafira. The foundation of their relationship is non-existent. Just a lot of miscommunication, weird tension that doesn't even feel romantic, just uncomfortable, and also a few make out seshes sprinkled in to legitimize that they are in fact in love even though they barely know each other. Their whole relationship was cringe to be honest.
It also seemed to be hinting at a possible future romance between one of the characters, and the character who AcCiDeNtALlY murdered their brother… Anyways… I didn't like that. The whole subplot of that one person being murdered in the first book and how that was dealt with was super weird to begin with anyways, so why was it all complicated even further?
Overall I did not like this book. I was bored and irritated and I am still confused about how the crown Prince and rightful Sultan can
only be worth 1000 breads. I'm still open to reading more of this author's works, and despite having a not so great experience with duology, I am still willing to give Faizal another try.
Rating: really liked it
what was this??? i am... genuinely in awe.
i came into this book expecting to have fun, maybe enjoy it a reasonable amount.
what i did not expect was to read what was probably the best finale to a series that i have ever experienced. this was so, so good. everything about it.
normally, even if i love a series finale, i have at least a couple regrets, of storylines that i felt were sloppy or characters that lacked closure. not here. i don’t think i have
ever finished a series and felt so, so satisfied.
this story wasn’t easy or entirely lighthearted. the ending didn’t get wrapped up in a neat bow, or rely on cheap or trite twists to try and force sudden shock at the end.
it was lovely, heartbreaking, and hopeful.
it truly felt
meaningful.
and i can tell it was meant to be meaningful. you can see the heart and soul that hafsah faizal poured into this beauty. you can see her love and her belief and her
hope for these characters and their broken world. her belief in what she has written shines through, and it makes the story just all the greater.
and, hafsah faizal is a truly, truly talented writer. not only does she pour meaning into these pages, she does it
so well.
the writing is lyrical and poetic. the plot is perfectly paced and balanced. it’s action packed, but still taking the time to reflect on what is true and what is important.
her characters feel honest and real, relatable to us all in the most heartbreaking ways. the dynamics, friendships, hearts broken and mended again are so impactful and memorable.
in the end, i
cannot recommend this series enough.
we hunt the flame was lovely, but
we free the stars stole my breath away. you can see hafsah’s improvement from even the first installment to this one, and i cannot wait to see she has in store.
(also, from now on, i don’t care about any romance at all if it’s not whatever it is that zafira and nasir have going on)
Rating: really liked it
Initial Thoughts: Thank you so so much Hafsah for letting me read an early early copy I’m literally so honored and ALSO AN EMOTIONAL MESS 😭 words can’t fully encompass how I feel. But Arawiya will always be a home for me and I will always love the zumra forever and always😭 thank you for this brilliance
Rating: really liked it
”Habibti. Hayati. Roohi.”
“Why do you cry?”
“Because my heart cannot contain it.” an insanely well-executed sequel and conclusion to this fantasy duology. i’ve held this story so close to my heart for almost 2 years now, and I can confirm that I will continue to do so until the end of time. this book zigged when I expected it to zag, and subverted all expectations I had on the direction it was going to go. the ending was absolutely perfect and I will be in the publisher’s DMs until they confirm a spin-off series... there’s SO much more to explore in the world of Arawiya and I hope we get to see more someday.
also.... yeah zafira and nasir deserve their flowers for being one of the BEST YA fantasy couples and I will not shut up about that ever
Rating: really liked it
whoever designs these covers deserve a
raise
Rating: really liked it
!!!!!BEYOND FIVE STARS!!!!!
!!!MINOR SPOILERS!!!
ok y'all. I'm bout to test out this new review title where I compare thee book to song lyrics.
Is it weird? most def
is it original? maybe
I loved this book with all my heart. It was 592 pages of pure heartbreak, sadness, and angst.
1) "you said you hated my tone, it made you feel so alone, and so you told me I had to be leaving"-Kettering, the antlers.
You know what hurts more than lovers to enemies. Friends-to bout-to-be-lovers to, you'll-never change-so-why-should-i-give-you-a-chance-to enemies. It's a form of pure, raw guilt and confession. And it hurts when both lovers have endured more than they should ever have to. There were so many times in this book where Nasir and Zafira were seconds away from a kiss, or a true-lovers moment. But something always festered their hearts, like a border or a dog collar that can zap the dog's neck. It was even sadder because they didn't reject each other because of hate, but because of fear. Their love brought out the best and worst in them. It made them whole, but wholeness means embracing the bad parts of yourself and ugly memories. And neither wanted to do that.
2)"I don't wanna be forward, I don't wanna cut corners" bags, clairo
I chose this lyric because I feel like it fit the characters. Zafira, Kifah, Nasir, Saif, and even Aya, were willing to do anything and everything to reach their goal. Whether it was the ultimate dream world, the end of one, or even just a world to themselves. It was awful, because they're just kids, and they put their own health and well-being and happiness on the sidelines just to secure someone else's. They would spend all night torturing themselves for not doing something "the right way" and feel guilty because they had to sacrifice one thing to salvage another. through Faizals beautiful writing, you could see the guilt and hurt and shame tearing them apart. Because being the hero means saving the day, and sometimes you have to do unheroic things to save even a minute of that day.
3) "I hope I don't murder me, I hope I don't burden you", the beach, the neighborhood
I listen to this song on repeat almost every day, because it's so relatable. I listened to it a while ago while reading we free the stars, and just fell apart. It broke me. I mean completely and utterly broke me. For one, the "i hope I don't murder me" really reminds me of Zafira. I mean, this girl worked all fucking day and night to save something that ruined her life. She gave up her town, her people, her job, her family, to help a bunch of murderers and misfits save something as powerful and dirty as magic. She lost herself in the process. The worst part is she doesn't even realize it. She's too busy worrying about the enemy, she can't even think about herself. And the "I hope I don't burden you" is so similar to Nasir's thoughts. This boy basically has a sign over his head, not in his handwriting, saying "FEAR ME, I'M AN EMOTIONLESS MURDERER", when in reality, he's just a scared boy suffering the penalty of heartache and loneliness. He never asked to have a ruthless father, or to be the prince. But that's become his life, that he fears his title might hurt people. It's just the saddest thing, watching them all fall apart because of something they never asked for.
THIS BOOK HAS MY HEART AND SOUL, EVERY FUCKING SHATTERED PIECE
-------------------------------------------------------------
NOOOO. YOU MEAN IT"S OVER. I CRIED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THIS BOOK!!!!!
Faizal makes me believe in straight people again!!!
Review to come
Rating: really liked it
Not to be dramatic, but this book series has ruined reading for me. How am I meant to enjoy reading when my expectations have now been set so high? How can I enjoy another set of characters when they aren't the Zumra? How am I meant to enjoy any world that doesn't include Altair?
So thank you Hafsah Faizal, because whilst you have given me my new favourite series, every fantasy book will now pale in comparison.
But on a serious note... GUYS THIS BOOK SERIES.
If you haven't yet read We Hunt The Flame, what are you doing here??? Go read it before you see spoilers!
I adore this book, I will be raving about this book for years to come. Hafsah Faizal could sell me her shopping list in hardback and I would buy it, because everything this author creates is pure magic.
Whilst the start of this book was definitely slower, I still absolutely adored it because these characters just mean so much to me and if I could have it my way, we would have ten more books and a few prequels.
If you want a full review of the series, check out my review of We Hunt The Flame, but yes, this book absolutely delivered and I cannot recommend this series enough.
Rating: really liked it
Where do I possibly begin (you’re going to have to excuse my rambling, i’m sobbing like crazy on my bedroom floor)
Firstly, finishing this duology has hit me like a truck to the fucking hut. I have never, in 20 years of living, felt so attached to a set of characters, their lives and story so much and I feel so empty knowing it won’t continue. The way all the characters developed, some becoming more empathetic whilst others more confident is so amazing, I really can’t put into words how I feel and I hope I’m conveying how INCREDIBLE this was
If I could go back in time, and let little Sîvan know that one day she’s not only going to see HERSELF in a book, but a story that captures the beauty of her culture, I think she’d SCREAM AKEHAKEHAJ
Hafsah has created some of the most wonderfully intricate, beautiful characters that are so much more than just words on a page, I felt every emotion as though I was experiencing them myself. It felt as though I was watching events unfold in front of me, I felt myself shying away at times because it felt too intimate, or I almost felt as though I was intruding - do you KNOW how beautifully one must write to feel that way?!!
I am so in awe, and I am so so deeply upset to know their story is over but I’ll never forget how I feel, and the things I would do to go back in time to read this duology all over again with no recollection of what happens is very much alarming
Lastly, a massive shoutout to Lulwa who I read this duology with - this journey WOULDN’T have been half of what it was without her and the fact our friendship blossomed through this series will always be near and dear to me. Here’s to more books representing people like me, this feeling in my heart is so authentic and I pray so desperately that each and every one of you feel this way atleast once in your lives
Rating: really liked it
~~~2 Stars~~~
I have a feeling this is either going to be a really long kind of rant or really short and to the point. Not sure which though.
I was disappointed by this book. I feel like making this into a duology was a very bad decision and that it should have been a trilogy. Not because I want more time with the characters, but because the ending of this book was a train wreck. There was too much going on in too few chapters and I could not fathom how any of it was possible. I believe the entire climax and resolution happened in the last 20 pages. I also feel like there was so much more to this plot that didn't get covered because of the constraint of only having two books. I hate to say it, but it was kind of like Majesty in the sense that everything that was built up in the first book was pretty much destroyed by page 50.
The Characters Zafira:Just make up your mind darling. Do you love him or not? Do you want this or not? Simple questions, simple answers, a whole lot of unnecessarily added complications. Just CHOOSE. I got so tired of the constant back and forth with every single character's decisions. I don't think any of them actually made a decision the entire freaking book. Everything that happened was because they were forced into undesirable situations. (all due to their inability to make decisions, I might add) Zafira had the most extreme case of indecisiveness I have ever seen, and that's saying something because look who's writing this review. There is indecisiveness and then there is Zafira. Zafira, who has to be shoved into everything and doesn't trust anyone, including the zumra. She isn't independent, she's just stupidly isolationist. Let us see who Zafira doesn't trust; ZAFIRA, Nasir, Altair, Kifah, Aya, Lana, Yasmine, literally every other character in this book. (Yes, I did put Zafira because she also doesn't trust herself)
I did like some parts of this book with Zafira in it, but I really hated the chapters from her POV because it was just her worrying about a simple choice. I'm going to move on before I explode from hatred.
Nasir:Eh. I get it, I really do. The feeling that it is pointless to speak because there is no one out there who wants to listen, but still. These 3 people are your friends, family, and allies in everything, yet you will not speak to them. She is the love of your life and yet, you will not speak to her. I did like Nasir's character more than Zafira's. He at least acknowledged that he had feelings for her, whereas, she just shoved him away over and over and over and over and you get the point. I felt for him because I understand what it is like to be shoved away by the people you love over and over and over again and it sucks, it really does. I, however, do not sympathize with Zafira because she constantly leads him on and then breaks his heart and runs away. I swear that happened at least 20 times.
Altair:I kind of kept forgetting Altair existed. He just wasn't around for most of the book and I didn't care when he was. I wish I could say that I loved his character as much as I did in the first book, (a consistent theme) but I can't.
Kifah:Still a bad ass queen.
The Plot If you couldn't already tell, this plot was VERY repetitive and relied on a lot of cliches and tropes to see it to the end. I tried really hard to like this book and I just failed. The first half of this book just seemed to drag on and on and on and the second half was a rushed trainwreck. Again, either pick one or find some sort of middle ground.
Final Thoughts It should have been a trilogy
Thank you for your time, goodbye.
Rating: really liked it
Faizal clearly put effort into this book, yet I vehemently disliked many aspects of it. Hereunder is everything wrong with this book:
THE SEXISM:I found this book to be incredibly sexist. I don't care what political affiliation a person has, or where they put themselves on the religious spectrum, or the feminism spectrum, or whatever spectrum you have out there. If you cannot abuse and put down females, you should also not be able to abuse and put down males. You say you have a strong female character, but can you ever really be strong if you are UNKIND? Here are some ridiculous examples:
“Men are like fish,” Kifah said, the break in her voice giving away her unease.
“Shiny, and of little brain?” Zafira replied. “Men,” Kifah said, snorting a laugh.Now let me just replace that with the word 'women', and let's see how it sounds:
“Women are like fish,” Kifah said, the break in her voice giving away her unease.
“Shiny, and of little brain?” Zafira replied.“Women,” Kifah said, snorting a laugh.You may have your opinions, but don't fight me on this - injustice, unkindness, and sexism can exist both from men and women and it is NEVER right, WHATEVER the norm of the times. Once upon a time, men thought it was okay to speak about women like this. Now as a woman, you think it's okay to do the same? Being a woman doesn't give you the license to degrade anyone - whether fellow woman (like me), or a man. What's ironic is that there is a line in the book that goes along the lines of - 'Two wrongs don't make a right.'
THE PROSE:For the most part, I find Faizal's writing style too flowery and introspective. Her description makes things clumsy and bogged down in detail where there is no need - as many have commented, this book is far longer than it need be.
However, when she gets it right however the results are breathtaking:
Darkness surged in his veins. It exhaled wisps from his fingers and feathered his every glance. And when he thought too hard too fast, it bled up his arms in streams of black.At another time:
He kept every emotion on a tight leash, hidden behind the ashes of his eyes.However, for the most part, the description and speech of the characters are too flowery and, frankly, archaic and fake-sounding.
Everyone in the book talks in the same archaic way, for example, Kifah (the 'least' verbose and emotional character) said:
“We’re a zumra. We hunted the flame together, found the light in the darkness, but we were far from done, laa? Now we unleash it. We free the stars, shatter the darkness holding us captive, and return the world to the splendor it once was.”This is completely unbelievable coming from this character, and there are multiple examples of this throughout the book.
“The world thieves childhoods,” Zafira said, thinking of Baba’s bow in her still-soft hands.Was it
really necessary to say 'thieves' instead of 'steals' here? What did it add exactly, if not a brick to the face in how unrealistic it is that someone would actually say this?
THE RELIGIOUS APPROPRIATION/RAMPANT CONTRADICTIONS:For some reason, in this book, random buildings have 'minarets', like minarets are some Arab version of a tower block or a clock tower or towers of a medieval fortress. Here is a basic definition of a MINARET on Google:
Minaret, (Arabic: “beacon”) in Islamic religious architecture, the tower from which the faithful are called to prayer five times each day by a muezzin, or crier. Such a tower is always connected with a mosque and has one or more balconies or open galleries.Minarets are exclusive to masjids and the Islamic faith. This is the equivalent of sticking a Buddhist vihara in front of a club, or on a government building.
Secondly, there is the complete misuse of dinars and dirhams (the currency). A dinar is a coin MADE FROM GOLD. A dirham is coin made from silver. Look here:
“Two dinars fifty,” the safi said before Zafira could speak, eyeing her like an urchin come for scraps.
Zafira straightened her shoulders and clinked her coins softly, like a fool. Two and a half dinars was far too much. She should have bargained, should have thrown together a ploy as customers were wont to do, but it was Deen who had done all their marketing.
“What about the flatbread alone?”
“One dinar.”The price of the food above is going to be £50 (for the one dinar) minimum, because the coins are GOLD. We see later on how the currency system/pricing is completely wrong in this book later on, when Nasir has a bounty on his head for 1000 dinars. Let's break this down. According to the author's understanding of ancient Arabian currency:
One flatbread today is about £1 (and that's still too much).
Therefore one dinar = £1.
Nasir's bounty: 1000 dinars = £1000.
Looks like they didn't really care about catching him afterall!
Overall, the 'Arabian' take of this book was taken straight out of Aladdin, which anyone who has basic understanding of Arab culture will know to be COMPLETELY unlike Arab culture (and many of the elements were taken from India instead). TLDR: the so-called 'Arab' nature of this tale is just hogwash. You don't give people turbans and throw some sand around and call it Arabia.
THE INCORRECT ARABIC:"They’re calling you Zhahabi Maliki.”
The Golden King.Though there are variations of classical/fusha Arabic, the grammar across the Arabian peninsula is very standard. In Arabic, when you have an adjective and the thing it is describing, the words are flipped. For example, 'beautiful flower' in English would become 'flower beautiful' in Arabic. The above is a literal, English translation which makes no sense in Arabic.
Dhahab = gold.
Malik = king.
The term should be -
Malik adh-Dhahab. Now, kudos to you if you want to invent a new language, yet this tale is advertised as Arabian yet it totally misses the mark like this in many places.
THE EXCESSIVE SEXUAL INNUENDO FOR A YA:Zafira averted her gaze from the depictions painted across the golden surfaces: men and women unclothed and deeply entwined in various positions.The quote above is one of the more innocent scenes in the book. Every other page is sprinkled with a sexual innuendo, or mention of sexual tension, sexual desire, or sexual expectations. Prostitutes and belly dancers are constantly offering themselves and throwing themselves at the men in this story. The conversations between Altair and Kifah, and Altair and Nasir consist at least 80% of just sexual jokes. I could barely see where the fantasy element of the book even was in between all the intense sexual desire and toxic romance.
Not to mention that
the relationships are purely sexual.In the first book, she fell for Nasir in a few days’ time – either out of pity or just sexual attraction alone – but definitely not for any real reason with substance. The same ridiculous shift occurred with Nasir, with a huge chasm in his character development. He was ready to kill her, yet, a few days later was inexplicably 'weakened' by her and drawn to her. Whatever ‘love’ they shared is no doubt very shallow. Whilst Zafira is capable of great self-sacrifice, compassion, and forgiving love for Nasir, these qualities seemed to be completely absent from her when she ignored her mother for five years and also didn’t shed even a tear over the death of Deen (not to mention, she actually smiled because of something Altair said, soon after Deen had just died!).
At the end of this series, it still stands as a very toxic relationship consisting of much sword-pointing, physical attacking (on Zafira's part - again with the sexism, apparently for her it's okay to hit a man, whilst male domestic abuse is a very real thing), heart-breaking, ignoring one another, not clarifying huge misunderstandings for days when it would only take a few words to do and etc etc - and I am left dumbfounded as to what it is that magnetised them to one another in the first place? Every time they are together, all they think about is their physical desire, and this lasted throughout their every meeting until the very end of the book.
THE PACING AND TIMELIME BEING COMPLETELY WRONG:Both books in this series take place over two months:
At some point in the past two months, she had carved out half of her heart and given it to him. That was what she had done.And sorry to say, but that is completely and utterly unrealistic. They describe each other as family, as a 'zumra' who understand one another like nobody else has ever done - and apparently this all happened within two months? A task, an epic adventure, the success, the return, the secrets being exposed, the final battle, victory, and dying love - in TWO MONTHS? It is just extremely unbelievable.
In regards to pacing, as others have said, this book could have been halved and you would have gotten the same amount of character development and plot and you wouldn't have missed a thing. The characters are so introspective (all coincidentally thinking in the same achaic, verbose, flowery manner that spans a page to express a single thought) that the introspection swallows the book whole and leaves little room for any action of progress to be made.
The culmination of every faux pas above has made this book one of the worst I've read in a long, long time. I am all for supporting minority authors, I am from a minority myself - but I don't have such an inferiority complex that anyone who rolls in with a measure of success will become my idol - sense and reason, equality and consideration, will always come first.
Rating: really liked it
Though I didn't enjoy We Free the Stars as much as the first book, I did still rather enjoy this one. I'm so grateful that for once in my life a series has been completed without killing off my favorite character. I was literally so worried my favorite would be killed, but he's safe and I'm so relieved.
To start off my review, I need to repeat something from my review of We Hunt the Flame, this book and this series desperately needed a terminology guide in the physical book itself. I know that there's one online, but it's a hassle to have to use my phone while reading a physical book. An author needs to know their audience and if their audience is a group that won't know most of the terms in the book, a terminology guide is a necessity. A lot of my time reading this book was just filled with me skimming over terms or trying to figure out the terms and being utterly confused. Also, a note to anyone who is planning on reading this book: either reread We Hunt the Flame before reading this one or read this one directly after reading We Hunt the Flame for the first time. With the terms used in the series and the complex world building, it will be fairly difficult to read We Free the Stars if you read it a while after you read the first book.
The two major things that made me enjoy this book were the characters and the descriptions. Almost all of the characters are extremely lovable and they're all really complex. There is no boring or uninteresting character. Each character aides in the story and has a personality that is unlike all the other characters. The descriptions were beautiful. From reading even one page of this book, you can picture the world perfectly. I hope that Netflix adapts this series into a show some day because even though it will have slow parts, the cinematography would be jaw dropping and beautiful.
My two biggest issues with this book were that the POVs slightly changed and Zafira's character arc unraveled in a frustrating way. The POVs in this book weren't in first person and were instead in third person limited. This change was unnecessary and it made me connect to the story less. Also, what's the point of adding in a third POV but barely giving that third POV many chapters? It just annoyed me to no end that my favorite character got a POV but that he only got a few chapters in this nearly 600 page long book. And Zafira's story arc... wow. It's not the worst thing I've ever read, but it didn't live up to my hopes. It was like Rey's story arc in Rise of the Skywalker. It wasn't extremely bad, but you'd hoped for something different.
Overall though this book was a mostly enjoyable read to me even though it had many flaws. I am extremely attached to these characters and I'd love a novella added to this series at some point. Maybe a fast paced battle with Altair or a romantic scene with Zafira and Nasir? Definitely read the first book if the synopsis is interesting to you, but whether you read the second book or not is completely up to you.
