A review by maurits
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

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

3.25

I'm bit conflicted about this book. It has a lot of great components, but also clear missers. On missers: when it comes to handling the mixture of grief and distrust, I think the author kind of glosses over it. Moreover, an important theme in the book is darkness, but we are sort of left in the dark (haha) about the specifics and how darkness relates to magic. Lastly, it can get kind of annoying that the author uses Arabic or made-up words that definitely can just be in English. I understand wanting to preserve things like "habibi" and "hayati" (both terms of endearment), but things like "hashashin" (assassin) and "shukrun" (thanks) are better to put in English. 

But the things that I like about the book are more numerous. First off, Faizal's writing style is impeccable. She knows how to choose her words, and it makes her writing a pleasure to read. An example:
You and I are strangers, Huntress. Allies by circumstance. We may leave Sharr and never think of each other again. But in this moment, we are two souls, marooned beneath the moon, hungry and alone, adrift in the current of what we do not understand. We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves. You are like Tamin. You remind me that hope is not lost. 
Second, the setting deserves mention. The fact that Faizal is building on Arabia for her fantasy world helps defeat some clichés. 
Lastly - sort of related to her writing style - Faizal knows how to take you on a journey with the characters. I wouldn't say the characters are exceptionally well-written (because they're not) but you can actually feel what they feel. 

The plot isn't much special, but it didn't bother me. I suck at predicting plots so any plot is surprising to me. 

All in all, 3.25 stars. I would recommend it. I hope, in future books, Faizal will further improve her writing. She shows great promise and I'll keep an eye on her upcoming works. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings