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A review by mweis
The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi
3.25
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I have some mixed feelings about the conclusion to this series. I thought that The Final Strife was a really solid debut and I loved the way The Battle Drum opened up the world, but I'm not sure El-Arifi stuck the landing with this one. I think I mostly struggled because of the pacing. The first half of this book felt a little meandering as they set up for the "last battle" and while I appreciated structurally how that battle was written, I think some of the key moments felt a little anti-climatic and glossed over.
While this wasn't my favorite ending, I do think the trilogy as a whole is solid and would recommend it. I like the way El-Arifi tackles big themes like climate change and settler colonialism while creating a world and magic that feels fresh and exciting.
I have some mixed feelings about the conclusion to this series. I thought that The Final Strife was a really solid debut and I loved the way The Battle Drum opened up the world, but I'm not sure El-Arifi stuck the landing with this one. I think I mostly struggled because of the pacing. The first half of this book felt a little meandering as they set up for the "last battle" and while I appreciated structurally how that battle was written, I think some of the key moments felt a little anti-climatic and glossed over.
While this wasn't my favorite ending, I do think the trilogy as a whole is solid and would recommend it. I like the way El-Arifi tackles big themes like climate change and settler colonialism while creating a world and magic that feels fresh and exciting.