A review by britreads
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

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

5.0

This may become my new favorite series. At the very least, this is now one of my favorite books. The story didn't pick up for me until about 100 pages or around when Anoor and Sylah first meet one another. But after that point, the story sucked me in and took off at a gallop. 

I loved Anoor and Sylah's relationship and how they both pushed each other to be better than their original selves. I'm not usually a love triangle person and it is very easy to root for one pairing over the other in here, but I loved the complexity of Sylah's connection with Jond. Hassa was my favorite character and I wish there was more of her in the story. I'm curious to see what role she will play in the sequel. 

This world was also unique and evocative.
And now that Sylah is going to the mainland, I'm curious what the other countries/continents will look like.
The magic system was different, but not overpowered or unbalanced. Again, with the revelations that came out in the end, I am interested in how the magic system may evolve or regress in future installments. 

This novel will linger for a while. There are little character details that I appreciate and it makes me want to start the story again. The story is violent and heavy, so definitely check the content warnings before starting this. 
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