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A review by tinyy
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Some of the writing in this book is gorgeous. I really mean it.
Spoiler-free examples:
“But he was the Prince of Death, Amir al-Maut, as his mother had once called him in the old tongue, and good night always felt like goodbye.” P. 303
“Somewhere in the distance, a bird cried. Zafira couldn’t breathe past the delight expanding in her chest.” P. 318
But most of the writing is, in my opinion, akin to Tumblr poetry circa 2012. And it’s so repetitive.
Spoiler-free examples:
“She was going mad. She was the daughter of a madwoman, the daughter of a madman. Madness lived in her blood. That was the only explanation for this.” P. 187
“I have
to get out of
the way.” P. 222
(Yes, it’s really formatted like that. This occurs several more times.)
“She needed to lie down. What was she, an old man? She didn’t need to lie down.” P. 250
Examples with spoilers:
(Also on page 299, we see the phrases “Weariness and wariness,” and “trekked and tracked.” Someone was feeling alliterative.)
Because this is already fairly lengthy, I won’t get into my opinions of the characters, the romance, the plot, or the world-building. To sum it up: I don’t like it. The one shining light was the Arabic. Habibi is my favorite term of endearment and one we should be using more.
Graphic: Death and Torture
Moderate: Misogyny and Death of parent
Minor: Child death