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. This enchanting world and its characters that the writer created deserved a better send-off.The second book in the Sands of Arawiya duology by the masterful Hafsah Faizal-the follow-up to the smash New York Times bestselling novel We Hunt the Flame.ĭarkness surged in his veins. Another pass through this story for clarity and continuity of storylines would have done wonders for We Free the Stars. And Altair's struggles with his villain father add some fascinating tension. There are a few high points, including scenes with Zafira's little sister, the healer, who becomes another strong female character of many in this tale. Other scenes are not logical, like when someone who was thought dead is found alive, there's strange behavior around it instead of a satisfying reunion. Important scenes are not built up to, like when Zafira makes a decision about how to treat the Ifrit ruler when Ifrit rights were barely mentioned before. In We Free the Stars, everything from the dialogue to the large massacre scenes are hard to follow. You know when this is done well as a reader because following the story is effortless. Many writers talk about how important it is to invite the reader on the journey with them. This duology finale favors beautiful prose and melodrama over clear storytelling, enough that even with such an exciting fantasy-world setting, it's hard to recommend. Nasir must find the right way to wield power and know when to relinquish it. She must overcome the book's urges and stay true to the more peaceful path she desires. The magic book's soul is bound to Zafira's, and it desires carnage. Main characters Zafira and Nasir both work to make just decisions.
Other content is milder: some swearing (not beyond "bastard) and some passionate kissing and innuendo. There are deaths in massacres, skirmishes, and assassinations, with two heavily mourned, and an arrow to the chest nearly kills a main character. Expect extra gore in this follow-up, with descriptions of an eye cut out, bodies of humans and horses sliced in half with organs falling out, and even open-heart surgery with the help of magic. It takes place in a fictitious land but incorporates some fantasy elements from the ancient Arabian tradition - like the shape-shifting ifrits. Parents need to know that We Free the Stars is the finale in a fantasy-romance duology by author and Muslim American woman Hafsah Faizal.
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