DNF
I struggled throthe first book but did like the writing so thought I would give this second book a try. Unfortunately it just isn't for me.

This was a great conclusion to the duology, I'm glad I got to read it right after finishing We Hunt the Flame. We are re-united with Nasir, Zafira and Altair after the cliffhanger of the previous book. Altair gets his own point of view this time after the revelations of the first book (he is the son of the Lion and half brother of Nasir as they share a mother).

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters more. Zafira battles her new darkness, Nasir is the only one who understands her. Altair is stuck with the Lion and has to consider where his loyalties lie. I really enjoyed Altair's character arc in this. I liked that Zafira and her sister Lana became closer in this book - I love a good, positive sibling friendship.

The ending was absolutely perfect. Couldn't choose a more fitting conclusion for these characters that I grew to like a lot.

If anything the book was a bit long for the story, but with the beautiful writing and short chapters it didn't matter too much.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recently read We Hunt The Flame and absolutely loved it. However, this book exceeded my expectations and was even better than the first one. I would truly give it more than five stars if I could. I loved the pacing of the book, it picked up exactly where the last one left off and it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. As usual, Faizal’s writing was so incredibly beautiful and I was highlighting whole paragraphs because there were just so many good quotes. This book was so painful for me to read, it broke me so many times that I genuinely had to take multiple breaks whilst reading to question everything.

I was invested in the plot of this book even more due to the higher stakes. I enjoyed reading about all the characters and their personal challenges whilst also trying to save Arawiya. I thought Zafira and Nasir’s characters arcs were written well. The pace at which they were done were realistic which I appreciated. The dynamic between the zumra is probably my favourite and it is satisfying to see how far they have come from the first book. It was interesting to get more page time with old characters and even get introduced to new characters who I also loved.

The addition of Altair’s POV was so personal to me, I find his character so interesting. He had me laughing any time he talked but equally, in this book we really got to see a different side to his character which focused on his inner struggles and showed us a more vulnerable side to him following the ending of the first book.

I personally really enjoyed how the ending all came together and think it made the most sense although it is bittersweet because I will miss all these characters a lot. I think this book was beautifully written and a brilliant finale for this duology. I would definitely recommend this, and I can’t wait for everyone to read this too.

After finishing the first book I was lucky enough to be able to read the arc for the second, so lucky because I was desperate to know more. Hafsah Faizal has created a brilliant world in these books and amazing characters to match. It had be gripping my kindle, I loved it and I hated it. So many emotions.
Long story short without spoiling anything for future readers - this book is definitely worth the read.
Will be posting on Goodreads and my blog and amazon when it's released. Thanks again I really appreciated reading this.

“Knowing you can lose something is what makes it more precious.”

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for granting me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The battle on Sharr is over, the dreaded Arz has fallen. But the adventure is far from over. Altair is held captive by The Lion of the Night whilst Zafira, Nasir and Kifah - the remaining members of the Zumra - head to Sultan’s Keep, intent and determined to finish the plan he set: restore the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each Caliphate, in turn returning magic to Arawiya. As they battle their enemies, the zumra face challenges of their own. Nasir must learn to control his magic, meanwhile Zafira must adapt to having her life now entwined with the Jawarat and the darkness it brings. In spite of this darkness, the Prince of Death and the Huntress find themselves growing close to one another, love blooming between them. However sacrifices must be made in order to save not only their lives, but the lives of all Arawiya.

Zafira really took a different turn in this book and I LOVED IT! Understandably, we see differences in her character - she unwittingly bound herself to the Jawarat after all. But the level of vulnerability we get to see from her, her inner turmoil as this powerful magic essentially invades her, is so refreshing. More often than not, we see a female character shattered by such a thing, unable to continue on and we watch as she secludes herself from everyone. I am thrilled this didn’t happen with Zafira. We see her low moments, but we also watch as she picks herself up and forges on, still able to believe in herself despite the entity she is bound with causing her to second guess every thought and action. A well rounded character that you can relate to - brilliant, thoughtful, modest, kind and doesn’t give a damn about what other people think she should do. She carves her own path and excels. 🙌🏻
Nasir... oh dear Nasir. I was massively drawn in with his inner struggle. For so long he has coveted killing, being this presence that is ignored and feared. Then Zafira comes along and throws a spanner in the works. I loved Nasir navigating his feelings and how confused he felt by them. It’s so clear that he cares for Zafira but he truly feels he is not worthy, that he is a monster and a mutt - destined to remain unhappy, betrayed by those he dares to care for. Slowly, we got to see him creep from his shell and watch the delicate bloom of love blossom in him. His reverence of Zafira and his refusal to allow her to see herself as anything other than brilliant was incredibly heartwarming. As much as I love Altair, can I have a Nasir in my life please?
Altair is a pure cinnamon roll (and all mine!!) We watch as the Lion strips him bare in the hopes that he can break him, or persuade him to go against his friends and join his crusade. It’s difficult to read as we see him slowly lose hope because we know him best as full of all his glorious swagger and bravado, it’s replaced with him second guessing if his younger brother and his friends deliberately abandoned him back on Sharr. I really enjoyed seeing this more vulnerable side to him. On so many occasions I just wanted to reach through and just give poor Altair a hug... If only!
We obviously cannot forget our other brilliant ladies! Kifah is like the woman of my dreams. Sassy as hell, fiesty and loyal to the end. Oh how I love my Pelusian QUEEN. I was happy to see more of Zafira’s sister, Lana. We got to see a level of growth in her character and how she was more involved in Zafira’s story - she became an honorary member of the zumra for sure! Yasmine, dear sweet Yasmine. My heart broke for her. We really got to see Zafira’s sister of the heart’s inner turmoil and my chest ached alongside hers. Like with Altair, I wish I could have reached into Arawiya and just cuddle her close and tell her everything would be okay one day.

There are many things in We Free The Stars that I loved. There were also many things that I adored. One thing that really stuck out to me was Faizal’s brilliant approach to each character’s mental wellbeing. From We Hunt The Flame, we are already privy to the injustices against women - how they are treated as inferior and I really liked how it was brought to light again in the sequel. Zafira was only known as the Hunter because she knew that being female would work against her, that she would not be able to continue helping others should her sex be revealed. Now bound to the Jawarat, I did like how she didn’t let the rife sexism stop her. But it’s important to note that didn’t mean that her inner demons didn’t come out to play. We got to see the struggles Zafira, Nasir and Altair dealt with, how their pasts and their bonds with others lead them to where they are today, and how they approach the oncoming war with the Lion. We got to see the sorrow, the grief, the pain and the depression clinging on and I was very grateful to see it. It’s unrealistic for our heroes to come out of any adventure unscathed and I’n thrilled Faizal included those elements of hopelessness.
I must also give an honorary mention to the constant underlying sexual tension. *fans self* Hafsah, you just about killed me and I am say wholeheartedly, that I thoroughly enjoyed EVERY SECOND.

Overall, We Free The Stars is an emotional rollercoaster, filled with a marvellous myriad of twists and turns that leaves you on the edge of your seat, sobbing, screaming and celebrating. Thank you for sharing the zumra with us, Hafsah 💛

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+++/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this book.

Don’t forget to pre-order and submit your receipt to receive an exclusive pin! You can also purchase personalised & signed copies of WFTS and We Hunt the Flame at interabangbooks.com - these come with an exclusive art print! (US Only)
We Free The Stars releases 19th January 2021! Note that the UK Paperback of WFTS does not release until 18th March! #JoinTheZumra #PelusianElite