I went into this book without reading the synopsis, and I really did not have many expectations. This blew all my non-existent expectations away. It's set in a Arabian inspired world with magic. We follow two characters: Zafira, and Nasir. The first, who is a "hunter" who can go into this forest (The Arz), and come back alive and well, which is unheard of. Nasir is the son of the Sultan, and is known as the Prince of Death. The adventure starts when Zafira is sent on a mission to an magical island to retrieve something that can restore the magic in the world, and Nasir is sent after her to kill her.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The plot held a lot of promise, and it mostly delivered. The characters, I really grew to love. Where this book fell short for me, however, is the writing style. By no means was it bad, but it did drag on at times, especially in the beginning. Also, there were some info dumps that I had to skim over. However, once you push through roughly 150 pages, it picks up the pace.
The plot:
I loved the whole plot, and the whole history that Faizal illustrates in the book. The world is so lush with magic, history, and it's something that I can, and definitely want to get lost in. The plot of the book itself was not really fast paced, but I feel like it fit for the story that was being told. There are some plot twists that I didn't see coming, but overall, the plot is engaging.
The Characters:
Oh my god, the characters. I loved all of them. Every single one.
Zafira: I aspire to be her. She is brave, quick witted, distrustful at first, but loves with her whole heart. She just wants to be loved back. She has her flaws, and I feel like by the end of this book alone, she goes through such a subtle but amazing character development.
Nasir: My heart went out for him. Behind the Prince of Death, he was just a boy looking for love. A boy who has been betrayed over and over again by the people who he believed to love him. It was so awesome and heartwarming to see him find his family in the group.
Altair: His character, I feel like I love the most. He hides behind his quick wit, and sarcastic humor, but it's not hard to see how deeply he cares for the people close to him.
Romance:
This book had the perfect amount of romance to go with the story. By no means does it take over the plot, but it's there. And wow, what a romance it is. I love Nasir and Zafira. They are two souls lost, and alone, who are both trying to find love. And they may just find it in each other.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The plot held a lot of promise, and it mostly delivered. The characters, I really grew to love. Where this book fell short for me, however, is the writing style. By no means was it bad, but it did drag on at times, especially in the beginning. Also, there were some info dumps that I had to skim over. However, once you push through roughly 150 pages, it picks up the pace.
The plot:
I loved the whole plot, and the whole history that Faizal illustrates in the book. The world is so lush with magic, history, and it's something that I can, and definitely want to get lost in. The plot of the book itself was not really fast paced, but I feel like it fit for the story that was being told. There are some plot twists that I didn't see coming, but overall, the plot is engaging.
The Characters:
Oh my god, the characters. I loved all of them. Every single one.
Zafira: I aspire to be her. She is brave, quick witted, distrustful at first, but loves with her whole heart. She just wants to be loved back. She has her flaws, and I feel like by the end of this book alone, she goes through such a subtle but amazing character development.
Nasir: My heart went out for him. Behind the Prince of Death, he was just a boy looking for love. A boy who has been betrayed over and over again by the people who he believed to love him. It was so awesome and heartwarming to see him find his family in the group.
Altair: His character, I feel like I love the most. He hides behind his quick wit, and sarcastic humor, but it's not hard to see how deeply he cares for the people close to him.
Romance:
This book had the perfect amount of romance to go with the story. By no means does it take over the plot, but it's there. And wow, what a romance it is. I love Nasir and Zafira. They are two souls lost, and alone, who are both trying to find love. And they may just find it in each other.