Young Adult Fiction
Reviewed by Raina from the Office/Miami Branch
Zafira is a huntress masquerading as a "hunter," keeping the truth of her gender a secret. Daily, she ventures into the infamous Arz, a deadly and sentient forest that is the only source of food for her and her village. Zafira is the only one with the ability to navigate the forest and return with her body and mind fully intact.
Nasir, Prince of Death, is a royal hashashin trained to kill for his father, the Sultan. Navigating the tricky politics of his home, Nasir endures all the consequences of life as a killer, while enduring abuse from his own father.
When the two of them-among others-are picked to embark on a quest to find the fabled Jawarat, their paths inevitably cross, sparking an enemies to lovers romance (a favorite trope of mine), and assembling a unique crew of characters who must work together to achieve their desired goal-restore magic to Arawiya and defeat the ever growing Arz.
While the first 30% of this novel is a bit slow, it's important for setting up the background of our main characters, as well as introducing you to the world of Arawiya and its politics. There's a lot of Arabic words introduced, as well as important places to memorize early on in the book. Despite the slow start, the story really picks up once the quest begins, and from there it's a really quick read. After meeting the rest of the characters, I found it difficult to pause in just any place.
Throughout the book, we switch points of view between Zafira and Nasir, and while this typically isn't something I enjoy in my books, I found it really engaging. Not once did I feel taken out of the story or did I dread reading either perspective.
I felt thoroughly invested in the characters and would consider that to be the best aspect of this book. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, and I could very clearly picture the settings as I went. The overabundance of new vocabulary was a bit distracting in the first third of the book, but you grow used to it as you go. Occasionally there is the odd "verse" you come across, which sometimes felt right, and at other times unnecessary. Definitely an interesting writing choice.
A fun Middle Eastern inspired fantasy with Arabic representation. I will definitely be reading the follow up in the duology, We Free the Start. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good slow burn romance, a reluctant group of characters who slowly become like family, or anyone who was once a fan of Prince of Persia.
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