the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya--but neither wants to be.War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds--and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine."
I was so keen on this book but it unfortunately falls flat. The main thing carrying this story is definitely the Arabic representation. It just gives the story a lush and cultural feel that is much needed in the book world. Had you taken that away....
The writing is very good. I never felt bored. I related to the characters and was enveloped in the world and there was some genuinely great prose. It was only after reading the book did I realise there wasn't much to actually be enveloped in. It was a great quick fantasy romp with no deeper pull.
The full promise of We Hunt the Flame is swallowed by an overreliance on clichés. Once the main arc disengages fully from the shadows, it turns out to be fairly standard for a fantasy novel: A long-lost artifact to retrieve. The threat of dark magic hanging over everything like a shawl. Evil sources scheming. Enemies turning reluctant allies. Everyone is, of course, burdened by a tragic backstory with the always necessary brooding Prince and quippy side kick.
The bare-boned plot of We Hunt the Flame meanders towards a conclusion that doesn't pack as much suspense as it could. Zafira’s quest is utterly non-earth-shaking, and the novel often shies away from the full impact of the magical stakes, and as a result, some of the grander moments were robbed of gravitas.
Not only does the plot come late, but it also felt like the story was making the deliberate decision not to raise too many questions about the worldbuilding in order to focus, instead, on the character arcs which weren’t even that gripping to begin with. If you decide to have a character-driven plot, please actually make me know the characters. They all started to care for each other for no reason. The bonding was so sudden.
This was all bad enough but what had lowered my spirit still further is the fact that I picked up this book expecting a story grounded in a stellar Arabian setup, unfortunately, We Hunt the Flame doesn't linger there long. Too much of the world is glossed over, or left naggingly blank. As for the characters of We Hunt the Flame, they are a collection of stereotypes that we oftentimes see in YA books. I did enjoy Altair and his quippy banter though, but it wasn't original. Most of them are only special to the extent they serve a purpose, and once that purpose is met, they are no longer needed.
If you want to read a wonderful Arabic inspired fantasy I would instead direct you to City of Brass by S.A Chakraborty or even And I Darken by Kiersten White.
Age Rating 14+. Some cringy teenage make out sessions, death and torture.
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