Reviews tagging 'Torture'

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

121 reviews

discodetective's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

ceridwen33's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I enjoyed Faizal's Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy world, which I thought did a good job not overexplaining things for readers with no familiarity with Middle Eastern history in real life but making them do a little bit of learning. The characters had a range of physical characteristics from southern Europe to northern Africa, which creates some diversity, though all the characters appear to be canonically straight, although there are definitely some queerplatonic/romantic vibes between Zafira and a friend. Overall I liked it enough to give the sequel a chance but wasn't pulled into this book enough to read the next immediately. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Torture

khymihr's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Grief, and Death of parent

jessiemp2024's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Slow to build, but after about 30%, I was hooked. The last 100 pages had me on the edge of my seat. Immediately diving into the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Dark and magical this book was filled with Middle Eastern characters, myths and magic. Zafira the hunter kills to help others live, while nasir the prince is an assassin so people die because he lives. 

When the mysterious silver witch turns up and serves a quest to save the magic that was lost when the six sisters of old fell. Journeying across the deserts and fighting monsters and darkness brings this unlikely group together with truths unexpected revealed along the way. 

The family links had me in shock as I saw none of them coming at all, as well as what seems to be a slow forming romance between our MCs. I can’t wait to see how this ends in the sequel of the duology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

raisinglebarre's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

chasinggrace's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I’m going to eat up a fantasy duology EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 

Is the plot of this book kind of “basic”? Sure. It’s the typical “vengeful woman and cold-hearted man become reluctant allies in a quest to find an Ancient tome that will free magic and save the kingdom,” and I loved it all the same. 

I also found myself caring for the side characters as well. Each had a purpose, versus just being there for comedic relief. 

I will say, the two main romances were predictable, but I was

sad all the same when Deen was killed. I also did NOT see the familial connections coming - Altair being Nasir’s half brother? The Silver Witch being his mom? The Lion being Altair’s dad? It all shook me lol

.

The epilogue has me very eager to pick up the next book. My only critique is that this book needed an Arabic glossary. I could make occasional assumptions, but Arabic words were used so freely that at times I felt like I lost important details. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

bamfling's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence

Minor: Sexism, Torture, and Death of parent

mj1588's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Death and Death of parent