I'm super excited for the second book
When I first picked up this book, I didn’t expect so many characters to die. In fact, I expected no one to die. Sure, I assumed some people would get injured, but boy was I wrong. I’m not going to go into it in detail since that would spoil some massive plot points, but just know that the author isn't afraid to kill off her characters.
Speaking of death, I really appreciated how the author reflected the grief after a character’s death. In a lot of the YA fantasy novels that I read, when a character dies, the protagonist grieves over them for a brief second and then moves on like nothing happened. Sometimes, they don’t even grieve at all. I understand that the plot needs to keep moving, but death is never an easy thing. I like how Hafsah didn’t overlook that detail just because her characters are badasses. Sure, they’re tough, but they’re still human.
While we’re on the topic of humanity, I liked how Zafira made a lot of mistakes throughout the story. She’s on a quest in an unknown magical terrain, and she’s human. Of course she’s going to make mistakes. One small literary pet peeve of mine is when the protagonist is all-powerful and never screws up. People can be tough and brave while also messing up. I’m glad that the author did not follow the trope of a powerful protagonist not allowing themselves to mess up and never giving into their emotions.
Another thing I loved about this book is that Faizal’s writing is rich with imagery. The way she describes the weather and the scene unfolding invokes all five senses. I could tell she’s all about the details because I could perfectly imagine what she was describing, from the food the characters ate to the clothes they wore to even the looming danger of the Arz.
One thing I’m not sure about is the romantic relationship that forms between a certain two characters. I knew it was going to happen the moment I picked up a book, because I don’t know any young adult fantasy novel where the protagonist doesn’t have a love interest. However, I don’t understand how these two people could find the other attractive given their circumstances. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I’m not against it, but I’m not for it either.
The plot twists were unexpected but lackluster. Maybe it’s because I read this book late at night when I was tired that made me more critical of this novel, but the twists were okay. I’m not mad at them. In fact, I’d go as far as saying I was indifferent to most of the plot twists. They were just there.
On a more positive note, a shining moment in We Hunt the Flame is Zafira’s character development. Seeing her grow and shift throughout the novel was really rewarding. She still has quite a ways to go to become the person she and the world wants her to be, but she’s making progress. That scene when she put down her hood (those who have read this book know what I’m talking about) was a powerful moment. There was pride, confidence, but a little bit of insecurity: all things that come with change.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. Was it mind-blowing? No. Do I still recommend it because it was an enriching read? Absolutely.
Speaking of death, I really appreciated how the author reflected the grief after a character’s death. In a lot of the YA fantasy novels that I read, when a character dies, the protagonist grieves over them for a brief second and then moves on like nothing happened. Sometimes, they don’t even grieve at all. I understand that the plot needs to keep moving, but death is never an easy thing. I like how Hafsah didn’t overlook that detail just because her characters are badasses. Sure, they’re tough, but they’re still human.
While we’re on the topic of humanity, I liked how Zafira made a lot of mistakes throughout the story. She’s on a quest in an unknown magical terrain, and she’s human. Of course she’s going to make mistakes. One small literary pet peeve of mine is when the protagonist is all-powerful and never screws up. People can be tough and brave while also messing up. I’m glad that the author did not follow the trope of a powerful protagonist not allowing themselves to mess up and never giving into their emotions.
Another thing I loved about this book is that Faizal’s writing is rich with imagery. The way she describes the weather and the scene unfolding invokes all five senses. I could tell she’s all about the details because I could perfectly imagine what she was describing, from the food the characters ate to the clothes they wore to even the looming danger of the Arz.
One thing I’m not sure about is the romantic relationship that forms between a certain two characters. I knew it was going to happen the moment I picked up a book, because I don’t know any young adult fantasy novel where the protagonist doesn’t have a love interest. However, I don’t understand how these two people could find the other attractive given their circumstances. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I’m not against it, but I’m not for it either.
The plot twists were unexpected but lackluster. Maybe it’s because I read this book late at night when I was tired that made me more critical of this novel, but the twists were okay. I’m not mad at them. In fact, I’d go as far as saying I was indifferent to most of the plot twists. They were just there.
On a more positive note, a shining moment in We Hunt the Flame is Zafira’s character development. Seeing her grow and shift throughout the novel was really rewarding. She still has quite a ways to go to become the person she and the world wants her to be, but she’s making progress. That scene when she put down her hood (those who have read this book know what I’m talking about) was a powerful moment. There was pride, confidence, but a little bit of insecurity: all things that come with change.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. Was it mind-blowing? No. Do I still recommend it because it was an enriching read? Absolutely.