We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
I am obsessed.
"But in this moment, we are two souls, marooned beneath the moon, hungry and alone, adrift in the current of what we do not understand. We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves."
Five people from completely different backgrounds and countries are brought together on a mysterious quest: to hunt the former magical prison of an island to find the source of their world's long lost magic. The unlikely companions form a hesitant alliance, but each one carefully watches the other. Everyone has something to hide, and everyone has a different plan for the Lost Jawarat. But greater powers than them are at play, and no one will escape the dark island without consequence.
Wow. This book blew me away. I never thought that a desert could be so beautiful, and yet Faizal has created a remarkable world in Arawiya, which was inspired by a Middle Eastern environment. Her writing style is heartbreakingly poetic. The characters have such depth that they are so easy to love. I adored the group dynamic, which had me alternatively laughing out loud, crying, and longing for more. The tension between the two love interests was so infuriatingly well done that I just have to get my hands on the next book to see where the story takes them.
My only complaint is that I wish there was a glossary and pronunciation guide for the Arabic terms. There is a guide online, but I didn't know about it until I finished it. I thought the terminology was a wonderful addition to the book, but my poor memory was no match for the many references, especially since not all of them were overtly defined.
This book has given me a serious book hangover, but it is so worth it! Definitely one of my favorite reads of this year. Five stars, without a doubt.
Content warnings: misogyny, abuse [physical, verbal, emotional, domestic, and child], torture, strangling, mild sensuality, sexual innuendo, violence, gore, death, kidnapping, black mail, animal death, grief.
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