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. There was something constantly happening or about to happen.

Where it took me a minute to get into the first book, I was immediately hooked in We Free the Stars. 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). 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. 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 all already know that Hafsah Faizal’s writing is gorgeous. This book somehow managed to surpass all of my exceedingly high expectations and leave me an absolute mess.

We Free the Stars had a lot to live up to, but I knew I would end up loving it. We Hunt the Flame is one of my all-time favorite books. (actually, I do know how to move on: read the book again. I don’t know how to move on after finishing this book. 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. Content Warning: Violence, Death, Child Abuse, War Themes, Murder // Thinking of reading the first book, We Hunt the Flame? Check out my review here! Lush and striking, hopeful and devastating, We Free the Stars is the masterful conclusion to the Sands of Arawiya duology by New York Times–bestselling author Hafsah Faizal. In spite of the darkness enclosing ever faster, Nasir and Zafira find themselves falling into a love they can’t stand to lose…but time is running out to achieve their ends, and if order is to be restored, drastic sacrifices will have to be made. Zafira battles a very different darkness festering in her through her bond with the Jawarat-a darkness that hums with voices, pushing her to the brink of her sanity and to the edge of a chaos she dare not unleash. He must learn to hone his power into a weapon, to wield not only against the Lion but against his father, trapped under the Lion’s control. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return.Īs the zumra plots to overthrow the kingdom’s darkest threat, Nasir fights to command the magic in his blood. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, and finally returning magic to all of Arawiya.

We hunt the flame cover