We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Original Instagram post: May 8, 2021

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.

If you love epic fantasy, well crafted enemies-to-lovers adventure, found family, badass women and some wonderfully broody men, *read this book.* Borrow it from the library. Download the audiobook. Find the paperback. Bug your friend to lend you their hardcover.

At its core, this is a quest for a magical object. But Hafsah Faizal weaves the political tensions of Arawiya with a unique, matriarchal mythology and plops her zumra in the middle of it all with such grace. Arawiya has been stripped of its magic, but a dark presence stretches across the land, spurring our heroes to action.

We meet Zafira in the midst of one of my favorite tropes: she must disguise herself as a man to provide for her community. She’s the iconic “Hunter,” and an ace with a bow and arrow. The chapter introducing Nasir is the most well-written introduction to an assassin that I’ve ever read. Altair makes me laugh out loud. He pokes and prods the shadowy assassin with the upmost skill. Just as Zafira has to grow into her skin outside of the shelter of her disguise, Nasir must reconnect with what makes him human. As always with the best enemies-to-allies-to-maybe-something-more stories, that journey is best when they are together.

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Faizal integrates Arabic words directly into the text, offering context clues, but never catering to the gaze of the Western world. Those clues were absolutely enough for me. I never felt confused. I really appreciate that these terms were just the norm, and if I wanted farther clarification... Google is free. While it was never We Hunt the Flame’s job to give me a comprehensive primer on Arabic, it did open a door into vivid culture inspired by Ancient Arabia. I find books that open windows to be the most exciting thing.

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